Hong Kong: A City Stacked Like a Deck of Cards (and Every Card Is Delicious)

Look up first

Step out onto a busy street and my neck tilts back automatically. Towers crowd the sky, signs jostle for space and laundry flaps from balconies a dozen floors up. Between the mountains and the sea, Hong Kong has found room for a remarkable number of people by getting rather good at stacking things.

The air is warm and humid, scented with soy sauce, charcoal, jasmine tea and diesel. A tram bell dings over the whine of a scooter. Then a man hauls a trolley of fresh fish down an alley as if the whole thing were completely normal. It is.

Here’s how I’d see it from the top, from the harbour and, most importantly, from the table. For a first visit, I’d put the Peak and the ferry on the plan and leave enough room around them for a meal to take longer than expected. It usually does.

Morning · Rattle through the streets

I begin on a ding ding, one of the slender double-decker trams that have been clanking along the north side of Hong Kong Island since 1904. Board at the rear, pay when you get off at the front and, if you can get it, take the upstairs front seat. The city slides past at a pace that gives you time to see it. Hong Kong Tramways fares and schedules

In Central, I hop on the Mid-Levels Escalator. Check the direction before setting off. It runs downhill for the morning commute and uphill later. Get off where something catches your eye. Escalator operating hours

Food detour. Duck into a cha chaan teng for strong milk tea and a pineapple bun. The name comes from the crackly top. Ask for a buttered one if you want the cold slab of butter softening in the middle. The bun contains no pineapple, which has never once spoiled my breakfast.

Midday · Incense and bamboo steamers

Wander along Hollywood Road to Man Mo Temple. Inside, incense coils hang from the ceiling and the traffic suddenly feels a long way off. Give people who’ve come to worship room, and take a minute to let your eyes adjust.

Food detour. Yum cha means drinking tea, but I go with enough people to order another basket. Start with shrimp dumplings, pork siu mai, sticky rice in lotus leaf and a plate of silky rice rolls. When someone pours your tea, two light taps on the table are a little thank-you. Then see what’s coming in the next steamer.

Afternoon · Up to the Peak

Take the Peak Tram if the view is clear. The funicular has been going up the hillside since 1888, and the buildings look as though they’re leaning as you climb. From the Peak, the towers drop away to Victoria Harbour and Kowloon beyond. If clouds have swallowed the view, I’d swap the Peak and the waterfront around or leave the climb for another day.

Evening · The harbour and a second dinner

Back at sea level, take the Star Ferry from Central to Tsim Sha Tsui. I like the wooden benches and the way the skyline seems to come closer halfway across. From the Kowloon promenade, check whether A Symphony of Lights is on that evening. The waterfront is worth the walk either way.

Then head inland to Temple Street for the night market. I’d look for curry fish balls and a warm egg waffle, and leave room for wonton noodles. If there’s roast goose hanging in the window of a restaurant, follow your nose.

Next day · Choose an island

For mountains and the Big Buddha, choose Lantau. Take the MTR to Tung Chung, then the Ngong Ping 360 cable car if it’s running. The Tian Tan Buddha stands about 34 metres tall including its base, and there are 268 steps up to the platform. There’s plenty to take in from below if you’d rather save your knees. Big Buddha visitor information

For a long seafood lunch, choose Lamma or Cheung Chau. Pick one ferry, find a waterfront table and order steamed fish, garlic prawns and greens. Check your return sailing, then put the timetable away and eat slowly.

Where I’d stay

I’d compare Central or Sheung Wan for an island-side start with Tsim Sha Tsui for the waterfront and Kowloon evenings. A short walk to an MTR station or pier matters more to me than an extra star on the hotel listing.

A few handy tips

• Get an Octopus card. It’s handy across public transport and at many convenience stores.
• Allow for the last leg from the airport. The Airport Express takes about 24 minutes to Hong Kong Station. Add time to reach your hotel. MTR timetable
• Keep some cash for small stalls. Check before ordering if you’re relying on a card.
• Put chopsticks down flat. Standing them upright in rice recalls a funeral offering.
• Keep the ferry day flexible. Autumn is often pleasant. Check weather and service updates before an island trip.