Hong Kong: Do-It-Yourself Tour Part 1

My husband and I love to explore places. We do it the hard way most of the time, no tour guides, just us and a map! Yes, there are times we got lost, but we survived, learned and turned into better explorers. 

When we planned our trip to Hong Kong, we never considered booking an arranged tour from a travel agent. Despite of the comforts that a guided tour can offer, the thought of being in a tight schedule and expensive fees turned me off.  My husband and I made our own Do-It-Yourself tour because we wanted to have enough time at the places we love and skip the ones that we don't fancy. Hong Kong is a very tourist-friendly and crowded city. It offers fabulous food, exciting nightlife and unparalleled shopping, all set amid a vivid visual and cultural backdrop. This bustling metropolis combines high-rise buildings with traditional street markets and religious temples. It is one of my favorite cities in the world. We booked our Hong Kong hotel online and took public transportation, like trains, buses and trams. There are maps at MTR stations and easy to follow directions along the road. 

Love to explore Hong Kong at your own pace?  Here's our Do-It-Yourself Hong Kong Adventure itinerary with details and tips.

Day 1 

8:00 am – Arrival at HK airport

* at the airport, buy Airport Express Travel Pass for tourist - HK$ 300 each 

* The Airport Express Pass enables you to travel from the Airport to the city (vice versa) and enjoy 3 days of unlimited travel within the city using public trains and buses. Along with that, you'll also get discount vouchers to different tourist attractions.

10:00 am – check in at hotel

* We stayed at Disneyland Hollywood Hotel for 2 nights. For directions to Hollywood Hotel, please refer to my previous post. Click here.

* On my research, the weather is perfect in Hong Kong during the month of October. Contrary to that, it was raining when we arrived at the hotel. We were supposed to visit Disneyland park that day, but I didn't want to let the rain spoil my childhood Disney dream. We decided to do some changes in our itinerary, waited for the rain to stop and went to Ngong Ping 360 which is also located in Lantau Island.

    

12:30 pm – Lunch at Food Republic, Citygate Outlets

* Directions: take the Disneyland resort train to Sunny Bay then take the train to Tung Chung MTR Station
 * Citygate Outlets is connected to Tung Chung Train Station

2:00 pm - Ngong Ping 360

* take the Ngong Ping cable car at Tung Chung terminal 

* Entrance Fee (includes cable car rides to and from Ngong Ping Village) : HK$ 125

* there's a 10% discount if you have already visited other attractions like Ocean Park or The Peak, just present the entrance pass from those attractions

4:00 pm - Train ride to Victoria Peak

* Directions: from Ngong Ping 360, take the train from Tung Chung to Central Station (travel time approximately 30 minutes)

* At Central, look for maps and directions that will lead you to The Peak Tram Terminus. It takes 10 minutes walk from the train station to the tram terminus. Do some sight-seeing along the way and you won't feel tired!  

5:00 pm - Victoria Peak

* We were supposed to buy a 3 in 1 combo which includes peak tram rides, entrance to Madame Tussauds and entrance to The Peak viewing deck for only HK$210 promotional price. Due to the rain showers, we skipped the viewing deck and have it scheduled on our 3rd day in Hong Kong.

* For expenses, check The Peak's latest promotions on their website. 

Travel tip: sit on the right side of The Peak tram while going to Victoria Peak for a great view

Yup, I changed my dress because it rained again while we were walking from the Central to The Peak Tram terminus!
Tip: bring an extra shirt or a dress,  misadventures might come your way! You want to appear perfectly fine in your travel photos ,right? :)

6:00 pm - Madame Tussauds Wax Museum

* see wax figures of your favorite celebrities

* We spent more than an hour inside taking funny photos with the Stars!   

  

8:00 pm - Dinner at Bubba Gump

* Bubba Gump is a restaurant at The Peak with a great view of the city.

* Dinner Expenses:

- Baby Back Ribs (for 2) - HK$ 218

- Caesar Salad (for 2) - HK$ 90

- Specialty Drinks - HK$ 70 each

Day 2

We spent the whole day at Hong Kong Disneyland. Check my previous post about our Magical Day at Disneyland, tips and expenses included! Click here.

Breakfast at Disneyland Hotel, Avenue of the Stars, Symphony of Lights and more on my next post, our Hong Kong DIY tour Part 2!

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