How many days in Hong Kong is enough

The Ngong Ping 360 cable car is perhaps the quintessential Hong Kong attraction for those spending 3-4 days in the region. Hop aboard at Tung Chung Station for the astonishing 25-minute voyage across Lantau Island and up to the pretty mountain village of Ngong Ping. As if the epic ride isn’t enough, once there you’ll have access to some of the island’s most sought-after attractions. We’re talking the massive Tian Tan Buddha, only one of the biggest sitting Buddha statues on the planet. It can be spotted from miles around on clear days, but here’s your chance to get right up next to it. The tratitional Tai O fishing village and colorful Po Lin Monastery, founded by a trio of monks more than a century ago, are some of the other must-see highlights in this most magical of places.

A hop-on hop-off sightseeing tour is hands-down the best way to tick off multiple bucket list Hong Kong attractions in one fell swoop. We’re talking Hong Kong must-sees like Man Mo Temple, Victoria Park, Causeway Bay and more. Choose the Hong Kong Island red route for your fix of everything from soaring skyscrapers to traditional temples and colorful colonial architecture. Or hop on the Stanley green route for a spin along the lush southern bays of Hong Kong Island. The tour commentary (available in 10 languages, no less) keeps you informed and entertained along the way!

Kowloon is where it’s at for some of Hong Kong’s best cultural experiences. Hit up the Hong Kong Museum of History to see the story of the region’s rich past rendered in fossils, colonial documents, ancient Chinese pottery and elaborate dioramas. The awesome Science Museum is just next door and it’s also just a hop and a skip to some of the most eye-catching Asian art in town at the Hong Kong Museum of Art. The permanent exhibitions here, covering sculpture, calligraphy, painting and more, are free to enter. The nearby M+ Museum has you covered for more contemporary visual art, and entry is included with the Go City Hong Kong pass.

No matter how many days you’re spending in Hong Kong, a visit to one of its legendary night markets should be considered essential. Kowlooon’s are (rightly) the most celebrated, a heady, intoxicating mix of street-food aromas, technicolor neon signs and stalls hawking everything from cheap knock-off watches and jewelry to teas and herbal remedies. Heck, you can even have your fortune told if you fancy it. Sure, the Temple Street market is a tourist trap, but it's also the liveliest and most eclectic around. Fill your pockets with hard-won trinkets (haggling is all part of the fun here) and mosey over to Woo Sung Street for spicy bowls of wok-fried noodles washed down with an ice-cold Snow beer from China.

This epic promenade that skirts Kowloon’s waterfront is the place to nab the most Insta-perfect nighttime views of Hong Kong Island’s skyline. Take a stroll as the sun goes down and catch Kowloon landmarks including the busy Star Ferry Terminal, Clock Tower, and Avenue of Stars (a bit like the Hollywood Walk of Fame). Stick around for the nightly Symphony of Lights show at 8PM, which transforms both sides of the harbor into a carnivalesque kaleidoscope of beautiful light and color. Magical.

Taking the Peak Tram up the steep ascent from Garden Road to Victoria Peak is one of Hong Kong’s bona fide must-do experiences. With awesome city views and mind blowing optical illusions to take in along the way, it truly puts the ‘fun’ in ‘funicular’. Hop aboard one of the tram’s antique carriages and enjoy the 1.3km ride to the summit, where the futuristic Peak Tower (with inevitable Sky Terrace) awaits. It’s way up here in the clouds that you’ll be rewarded with some of the finest Hong Kong views known to man. To wit: Victoria Harbour, the Central district skyscrapers, the ICC Tower, and beyond to Lamma Island, Lantau Island and Cheung Chau Island.

So why not grab a Hong Kong pass and save while you sightsee!