Arriving somewhere new, you are bound to make mistakes. However, forewarned is forearmed. Hence, we have rounded up some of the most common mistakes tourists make in Hong Kong, so that you can avoid them.
They are very much worth visiting, it just means doing it a bit smarter than everyone else.
Take Victoria Peak for example. Arguably, it is of the best vistas in the world. If there is one thing you should definitely do if you’ve never been to Hong Kong, is to go see the view from Victoria Peak. Ignore the locals who say it’s not worth it, or an aunt who visited last year and lined up for hours for the Peak Tram. Instead, make your own way up by taxi or 15 bus and avoid the lines and the tram completely.
*Don’t be swayed by buying tickets for skipping the line at the tram station, these don’t save time due to the number of people purchasing them.
If you have time once you’re at the Peak, take a stroll along Lugard Road. That’s where this image was taken. You’ll be rewarded with the best panoramic (and free) view of Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, the New Territories. On a really clear day, you can even see as far as Shenzhen in mainland China.
Bear in mind Hong Kong is 94% ethnic Chinese. Therefore it is extremely likely that you will be the only tourist in the restaurant.
The on-loan Octopus card can be used on all public ferries, buses, trains and trams. It costs HK $150 per adult, which includes $100 of loaded credit and a $50 deposit. They can be purchased from any MTR station with Hong Kong currency (cash only). When you are finished with the card you can return it for any outstanding credit and your deposit (minus $9 admin charge if handed back within 90 days).
You can also use this card in most outlets for payment of small purchases. For example, in many coffee shops, 7–11 stores, bakeries. It’s super useful. Anywhere you see the sign at the cashier you can use it.
We would advise NOT to buy the Airport Express Travelpass or Tourist Day pass as these work out more expensive. They also limit which types of transport you can use. We have done many calculations on this!
It can also be used on the airport express train (but would only advise using it if you’re in Hong Kong for less than 24 hours – details on the best tickets for the airport express train below).
Hong Kong has two stations where you can check your luggage in in-town. They are:
You can take your luggage and get your boarding passes at any of the stations, meaning there is no need to haul your luggage all the way out to the airport. Some airlines will do this up to 24 hours in advance. The train stations are equipped with check-in desks and luggage belts. In fact it looks just like the airport. It takes 24 minutes to get to the airport from Hong Kong using the train.
Image: Hong Kong Extras
Now there are some limitations for checking in your luggage here with some airlines, so it’s best to check here to see if you can do it for your flight. All long-haul carriers offer this service.
If you are coming from / to the airport in a group, it is better to ask for the GROUP tickets (one-way) for better discounts available for group travel, more information here.
The Airport Express also provides complimentary shuttle busesfrom Hong Kong and Kowloon Stations to most of the major hotels in those districts, more information here.
Here is a link to our post for all you need to know about getting into the city from Hong Kong Airport.
I would estimate that most hotels will recommend a coach tour to you. Why? Because they run regularly, the route is tried and tested (it’s been the same one for 40 years) and they are affordable.
What are the downsides?
Do a bit of research, there are many local private tour companies like ours in Hong Kong who can help you with a comprehensive tour, or one of specialist interest…. with no enforced shopping. This can help you avoid common mistakes that tourists make when visiting Hong Kong and make the absolute best of your time here.
Here are just a few of the excellent options Hong Kong Greeters can offer you:
Perhaps you’d enjoy a day exploring Lantau Island with us? Home of the Big Buddha and Tai O fishing village, a rare stilt village that has for the moment escaped concrete urbanisation.
We also offer a specialist Jewish Heritage tour and a Vegetarian Food tour. We created these two tours specifically to meet growing interest and enquiries from our clients.
If you’ve already planned your time in Hong Kong, but fancy hopping across the water to neighbouring Macau. There you’ll find a fascinating melting pot of Chinese and Portuguese history. There are also casinos galore.
We can customise most of our tours to meet your requirements. We offer both walking tours and car tours. Under 16s go free on the walking tours. Lets’ chat, contact us to see how we can help you.
