A Guide to Visiting Hong Kong During a Layover

Visiting Hong Kong during a layover is an excellent way to see some of the city’s highlights and break up a long flight.  The 24 hours I spent in Hong Kong were surprisingly fun and my overnight stay at The St. Regis Hong Kong was perfect!  Even amid the protests, there are so many things for tourists to safely see and do.  We felt safe walking around the city during the day and at night.  

Entry Requirements

If you are a United States citizen, you only need a visa if you are staying for more than 90 days.  You do, however, need a blank page in your passport for an entry stamp.  

Transportation From the Airport

We signed up for the U.S. government’s online Smart Travel Enrollment Program.  Before we departed for our trip, we received a notification that protests were anticipated the day we were scheduled to arrive in Hong Kong.  With the scheduled protests, we did not know what to expect in terms of the public transit system and the ability for taxis to get into the airport.  We chose a car service as our means of transportation to our hotel for four reasons:

• The transportation was reliable;
• After a sleepless red-eye we did not have to navigate which color taxi we needed or the public transit system;
• The luxury car was comfortable, the driver was professional, and our trip to Hong Kong was a breeze; and
• Honestly, it was just easier.

We arrived on a Sunday at 8:00 a.m., so that might have had something to do with ease of getting around too.

If you are planning to take a taxi from the airport (or anywhere in the city), make sure you know how the taxi color system works in Hong Kong.

As a quick guide, the red taxis operate throughout most of Hong Kong, except for Tung Chung Road on Lantau Island and on the entire south side of Lantau Island.  The blue taxis only operate on Lantau Island.  The green taxis only service the New Territories.  

The Hong Kong government operates the taxi system.  Taxicabs are a safe and affordable way to get around Hong Kong.

Uber is also an option in Hong Kong.  We used an Uber black car on our return trip to the airport. It took less than five minutes for the car to arrive at our hotel. The fare was a fraction of the private car service, the driver was professional, and his car was clean and roomy.

Where to Stay – Kowloon v. Hong Kong

If you are visiting Hong Kong during a layover, the first question you should ask yourself is whether you want to stay on Hong Kong Island or in Kowloon.  Many of the city’s attractions and swankier nightlife is on Hong Kong Island.  Kowloon, which has highlights of its own, is located across Victoria Harbor.  To reach Hong Kong Island from Kowloon, you can take the Star Ferry, MTR, or a taxi.  For our short visit, Hong Kong Island made the most sense.  If you have more time, you can take a day trip to Kowloon. Kowloon is easy enough to get to from Hong Kong Island.

Where to Stay on Hong Kong Island – St. Regis Hong Kong

While visiting Hong Kong during a layover, we used Chase credit card points and opted to stay at The St. Regis Hong Kong.  The St. Regis Hong Kong is located in the Wan Chai neighborhood, close to the convention center, and about a 15-minute walk or a 5-minute cab ride to the Central area.

One of the many wonderful things about the St. Regis brand is its butler program.  As part of this program, your butler will contact you in advance of your stay to assist with your pre-arrival arrangements.  For our stay, the butler program was invaluable.  When I booked our stay, I knew we would be arriving well before the posted check-in time.  So, at the time of booking our room, I contacted The St. Regis and requested an early check-in. I also informed the staff that we were celebrating our 15^th wedding anniversary.  Our assigned butler took note of this information and also assisted us in arranging our transportation from the airport to The St. Regis Hong Kong.

Upon arrival, The St. Regis exceeded my expectations in every way.  From the moment I walked inside the hotel, I knew we made the right decision to choose The St. Regis for our stay.  To my surprise and delight, when we arrived, we were quickly shown to our room, even though it was hours before the official check-in time.  I cannot tell you how nice this was since we had flown in on a red-eye.  We arrived in our deluxe room and were thrilled with the luxurious accommodations, the anniversary decorations, and the breakfast pastries waiting for us.

These things were incredibly thoughtful and showed the level of service and the extent to which the staff at The St. Regis will go for their guests.

The St. Regis recently opened, so everything is new!

The rooms are spacious, luxurious, and well-designed.  The bedroom area includes a king-size bed, a table and chairs, and a small bar area. The décor throughout the room blends the purple-hued marble with wood fixtures creating a classy and elegant style.  The bathroom is also large and magnificent, using some of the same design elements.

The large bathroom contains a separate stall shower, a separate toilet area, a free-standing tub with a mirror that turns into a television, and a double vanity sink.  The rooms have all of the latest electronics too. The room is so lovely that it was tempting to relax in the room all day. But, there were sights to see and things to do.  When visiting Hong Kong, consider The St. Regis for an excellent stay with unparalleled service.

Other Hotels in Hong Kong

There is no shortage of hotels in Hong Kong.  The Central and Admiralty districts contain many of Hong Kong’s upscale hotels.  The Central and Admiralty districts are near tourist attractions, such as the Peak, Victoria Park, Zoological and Botanical Gardens, and Hong Kong Park.  Five-star hotels in these areas include:

• Landmark Mandarin Oriental.    There is a second Mandarin Oriental hotel in Hong Kong called The Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong.  The Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong is in the heart of the fashion and business district and overlooks Victoria Harbor.
• Four Seasons.  The Four Seasons is on the edge of the Central district and closer to Victoria Harbor than the tourist attractions.
• Conrad.  The Conrad hotel is in the Admiralty area.
• JW Marriott.  The JW Marriott is also in the Admiralty area.

With tourism down, you are likely to get a better deal on a hotel room, even at a luxury property.

Things to See While Visiting Hong Kong During a Layover

Our Hong Kong Adventure

After freshening up and getting a few tips from our butler, it was time to see Hong Kong.  We opted to walk to our first destination instead of taking a cab. I love seeing a new city from a local’s perspective, and the best way to do that is to walk.

First on the agenda was food!  I could not wait to have dim sum.

We decided to eat at Dim Sum Library.  We knew on the map where to find the restaurant but still had difficulty finding it.  After going in circles, we finally realized we were standing on top of it and never thought to look underneath us.  Dim Sum Library is in the Pacific Place mall below the Conrad Hotel (Level 1, store number 124) in the Admiralty neighborhood.  Now, I know what you are thinking.  Dim Sum in a mall, forget it.  My husband was not very excited about going into the mall, let alone eating in one.  I managed to convince him to at least look at the restaurant since we spent so much time trying to find it.  With significant hesitation and being prepared to leave immediately, we were happy to see that Dim Sum Library is a high-end restaurant.  Once inside, the brass fixtures and dark wood paneling transport you to another place and time.  The décor and the smell of delicious food makes you forget you are in a mall.  We stuck to the dim sum menu and enjoyed everything.  If you go, also check out the fried rice – it’s the house specialty.

Now that my belly was full, next on the agenda was site seeing.  We exited the mall and walked across the street to Hong Kong Park.

Hong Kong Park has numerous things to do and places to see.  Thankfully, there are direction signs in the Park in English. Hong Kong was a British colony up until 1997, and English is still widely used in Hong Kong.  Even on the streets where you are reminded in English to look left and right before crossing the street.

We followed the signs to The Peak Hong Hong and purchased tickets to ride the tram both ways as well as entrance to the Sky Terrace 428.

If you prefer exercise, you can walk up to The Peak for free. It’s a steep climb, about 1,300 feet above sea level, and will take a physically fit person with good walking shoes about two hours to reach The Peak.  The tram provides a quick ride to the top.  While on the tram, the buildings look like they are leaning a gradient of between 4 to 27 degrees!  Once at the top, skip the tourist trap shops and head straight for the Sky Terrace 428 to take in the highest 360° view in Hong Kong.  If you don’t want to buy a ticket to the Sky Terrace, there is a free platform a little lower down. The free view is good, but the Sky Terrace 428 is worth the extra cost. We were lucky enough to be in Hong Kong on a clear day and were able to see Victoria Harbor.

You can also visit the Peak at night where the views are equally stunning.  There is a staff photographer onsite eagerly waiting to take your picture.  The session is free, but the photos will cost you.  We took a few pictures with the staff photographer as well as a few pictures of our own. See if you can figure out which picture below is the professional picture.

If you guessed the professional picture was on top, you are correct!  The cost of each picture was about $26.  Even though the price of a photograph amounts to highway robbery, we bought a picture because the professional photo was so much better than our pictures.

There are several restaurants at all different price points at the top of the Peak as well as public restrooms.  There are also restaurants in The Peak complex that offer views of Victoria Harbor and Hong Kong.

After seeing the view and snapping a few pictures, it was time to head to our next destination.  We originally planned to take the tram down but decided on a whim to walk down instead. We followed the signs down the Peak, through the city to the Zoological, and back to Hong Kong Park.  The walk down is a steep descent, and it took us about 45 minutes.  It is easy to tell when you reach the bottom of the trail because the trees give way to towering skyscrapers. It is hard to believe that you can walk from the Peak through a quiet and serene park shaded by beautiful trees in the middle of Hong Kong.  

Our walk continued as we meandered back to The St. Regis in the Wan Chai neighborhood.  A straight walk back from the bottom of the tram to The St. Regis would have been about 15 minutes.  Instead, we chose to wander the old and narrow streets between Queen’s Road East and Johnston Road to see what the locals do on a Sunday afternoon.  We happened upon Lee Tung Avenue, which stood out from the rest of the surrounding streets.

Walking down the causeway, you see numerous statues on the Avenue, lanterns hanging from the sky, and multiple restaurants and shops.  We didn’t stay long, but the street was clean, festive, and fun.  By this time, I was craving something sweet.  We stumbled upon Beard Papa’s for a quick dessert. The two of us ate half a dozen vanilla creme puffs before we knew it.  They were so good, I almost went back for more.

With my sweet tooth craving satisfied, we were ready to see more of Hong Kong.  We walked past the jockey clubs, which are a big deal in Hong Kong.  People were jammed into the storefronts, yelling as the races played on multiple T.V. screens.

At one point, a loud cheer erupted from the jockey club.  I presume someone or several people won big, but I’ll never know for sure.  To see the races in person, head out to Happy Valley Horse Races. Day or night, the horse races are supposed to be exciting, loud, and fun.

As we continued our walk, we discovered multiple farmers’ markets.  We walked past people selling clothes (I bought a much-needed pair of socks), fish stalls, and dry goods.  There was a large variety of seafood for sale, including several types of fish I had never seen before.

Our walk continued into the produce area, which was more pleasing to the eye and sense of smell.  After roaming the streets for several hours, it was time to head back to The St. Regis for my big moment.  Get this – my butler arranged for me to saber a bottle of champagne during the nightly sabering ritual welcoming guests.

Sabering a Bottle of Champagne at The St. Regis 

Yes, the plan was to hand me a real saber created especially for the St. Regis Hong Kong by Sylvain Pintus.  The same skills and technique used to create Napelone’s sword were used to forge the saber I would be using in front of a room full of guests!  I cannot tell you how much fun (and a little nerve-racking) this event was for me.  The head mixologist gave me a quick lesson on how to saber a bottle of champagne.  First, the bottle has to be extremely cold.  Next, while holding the bottle at a 45ᵒ angle, find the bottle’s seam.  The seam should face up.  While securely holding the bottle in one hand, run the saber along the bottle’s neck, applying a little bit of pressure.  Make sure you hold the saber flat against the bottle.  If you are doing it right, both the saber and the bottle will be heavy.

Now that my tutorial was over, all of the hotel guests having tea and drinks were invited to learn about the saber ritual and watch my big performance debut!  I was off to a slow start but stuck with it.

As you can see, it’s not as easy as I hoped. It took a few tries, but I did it!  Figuring out the right level of pressure to apply to the bottle is the key to sabering a bottle of champagne.  After successfully sending the champagne cork flying across the room, it was time to enjoy the champagne.

We moved to the bar for a celebratory drink or two.  The small box in the picture below holds the cork to the first (and hopefully not the last) bottle of champagne I managed to saber.

I was amazed at the level of detail that went into the design of The St. Regis Bar – which is beautiful.  The hotel and bar were designed by André Fu, who cleverly incorporates the heritage of Hong Kong and pays homage to the original St. Regis in New York throughout the St. Regis Hong Kong.

The mural above the bar tells its own story while at the same time tying all the decor elements of the room together. The result in the bar is timeless elegance and sophistication. The bar menu itself includes a story behind each unique drink, including their famous Bloody Mary.  We skipped the Bloody Mary and tried a couple of other drinks on the current menu and a few that are coming attractions.  We enjoyed each one.  It was impressive to see the thoughtfulness that goes into creating each cocktail, from the ingredients down to the selection of the cocktail glasses.  Even though I usually prefer a drink with few ingredients (think vodka soda), I was surprised by how much I liked the elevated crafted cocktail menu.  The St. Regis Bar is a must stop while staying in Hong Kong.

After a few cocktails, it was time for dinner.  We snapped a quick photo of the gorgeous hotel lobby on our way out.

As a fan of spice, my husband was craving Sichuan Chinese food.  We did a bit of research and decided to try Qi, House of Sichuan.  Qi (pronounced “chee”) has been awarded One Michelin Star since 2016.  To confirm we made the right choice, I checked with both our butler and the head mixologist.  Both gave us funny looks as they questioned whether we truly could handle the level of spice served at Qi.  Based on these conversations, my husband, who loves spicy food, was even more excited to try Qi.  After a short drive from the hotel, we headed upstairs to the outdoor patio for dinner.  Qi is a modern hip restaurant, with red and black décor and upbeat music to keep you moving in your seat during dinner.  The flavors of the food are terrific, but your mouth will tingle, and your head will sweat.  After eating the spicy sauteed prawn in sweet chili sauce with crispy rice, my tongue was on fire.

The waitress took pity on me and brought over an order of smashed cucumbers to cool my mouth from the intense heat of the flavors.  Across the table, my husband could not be happier.  He enjoyed every bite.  Our night at Qi was a memorable way to end an exciting few hours in Hong Kong.  We walked back to The St. Regis after dinner and enjoyed seeing the city at night.

As icing on the cake, The St. Regis gave us an anniversary cake.  My mouth was still burning from dinner (in a good way).  Something sweet was the perfect way to end the night.

We had so much fun in Hong Kong.  I am looking forward to my next visit to Hong Kong during a layover when I can take in a few more sights and enjoy another night of luxury at The St. Regis.

Places to See on My Visit to Hong Kong  During a Layover

• Tian Tan Buddha on Lantau Island.  In addition to seeing what’s commonly referred to as the Big Buddha, you are sure to get a workout.  The best way to see the Big Buddha is by taking the 25-minute scenic Ngong Ping cable car ride.  Once there, if you are looking for exercise, head up 268 steps to the Buddha. While on the island, stop for a seafood lunch and either walk or bike around the island.
• 10,000 Buddhas Monastery in Sha Tin. Get your walking shoes out because you’ll have to climb 431 steps to get to the 10,000 Buddhas Monastery.  There are hundreds of golden Buddhas on the steps up to the Monastery. Tip:  There are several people dressed as monks.  A real monk will not ask you for money.
• Victoria Park, Causeway Bay. If you are up early, head to Victoria Park to join the senior citizens doing tai chi.
• M+ Pavilion in West Kowloon. Hong Kong’s new art museum.
• Hong Kong’s Museum of Art is located in Tsim Sha Tsui.
• Stanley.  In Stanley, you can find souvenirs for yourself or a loved one. Stanley Market has a large variety of trinkets to choose from, but don’t expect to get bargain-basement prices. Stanley Market is on the waterfront.
• Tai Mo Shan in Tsuen Wan. Standing at 3,139 feet (957 meters), this is the highest peak in Hong Kong.  The views from the top are supposed to be worth the effort to climb over 3,000 feet.  The recommended time to hike is sunrise, and don’t forget water and a snack.  You can check out other hikes in Hong Kong.
• Star Ferry.  Take the ferry ride from Hong Kong Island to Kowloon to see how the ships navigate the busy waterway.  If you ever wanted to see a cargo ship up close, this is your chance. The views of Hong Kong and Victoria Harbor, day and night, are supposed to be terrific.
• Happy Valley Races. The racing season runs from September to July and is usually held on Wednesday evenings and Saturday afternoons.  The roar of the crowds is legendary.  If you are feeling lucky, place your bet and watch the ponies run.
• Ozone, 118^th floor of the Ritz Carlton.  Have a drink and enjoy an impressive view of the night skyline.

There are so many things to see and do while visiting Hong Kong during a layover. For more suggestions on what else to do when visiting Hong Kong during a layover, check out Discovery Hong Kong, Time Out, or Planetware.

The next time you fly through Hong Kong consider taking a day or two to explore the city and staying at The St. Regis.  I hope you have fun!

Have you thought about taking other adventures, such as a road trip down Highway 1 in California and boating in the Exumas?