Hong Kong Walking Tour 1 – Central & West
From the Star Ferry Pier, take the elevated walkway which exits at the Cenotaph. Walk northeast on Connaught Place past Jardines House and take the overhead walkway to Exchange Square. Check out the sculptures and look to the north to see Two IFC, the city’s tallest building, for now, at 1378 feet.
Retrace steps then go southeast on Connaught Rd and cut across the Cenotaph southward to Statue Square. The only statue left here is of Thomas Jackson, a 19th century banker. Ahead, across Des Voeux Road is the amazing Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank Building. Under the building is a public area. This was the world’s most expensive building in 1985, when it was completed (almost 1 Billion dollars). Rub the lions’ paws at the entrance for good luck.
Next door is the Bank of China Building. Further to the east is the 70-story Bank of China Tower, designed by noted architect, I.M. Pei. Take the elevator to the 47th floor for great views of the harbor.
South of the tower is Hong Kong Park. Check out the Aviary which displays the bright plumage of many tropical birds.
Exit the park near the Bank of China Tower and turn left onto Queensway. Follow this road northwest (it becomes Queen’s Road Central) to the Central Market, on the right, just past Queen Victoria St. Here is the beginning of the Mid-Level Escalator. Take the escalator westward to Hollywood Road and get off.
Take Hollywood Road northwest to the Man Mo Temple (at #126 Hollywood Rd). Visit this temple, dedicated to the deities of Literature (Man) and War (Mo). Note the coils of burning incense hanging from the ceiling. After the visit, retrace steps and take any road north, back to Queens Road, turn right and then left on Jubilee Street, then right again on Connaught Road and return to the Star Ferry Pier for a ride back to Kowloon. (Approximately 3 hours, with several stops)
Hong Kong Walking Tour 2 – Kowloon (Tsim Sha Tsui)
Walk along the waterfront toward the Star Ferry Pier (Tourist Information is available here) on the Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade past the Avenue of the Stars (a tribute to Hong Kong‘s film industry).
Take a right after the Museum of Art and pass the Space Museum, then cross Salisbury Road to the famous Peninsula Hotel. Enter to peek at the opulent lobby, then proceed north on Nathan Road, nicknamed “The Golden Mile” although its more neon mile. Nathan Road is Kowloon’s major shopping boulevard. Note the infamous Chungking Mansions, at #’s 36 – 41. Continue northward, perhaps stopping for a stroll through Kowloon Park for a respite from the hustle and bustle. Wander as far as time or patience permits, then backtrack to the waterfront and back to the hotel.
Hong Kong Walking Tour 3 – The Peak
Take the Peak Circuit, a fairly flat walk around the perimeter of the Peak, using Lugard and Harlech Roads which junction at the Peak Tower. The 1.5 to 2 mile walk provides incredible views of Central and the harbor, as well as Aberdeen and Lamma Island to the south.
