The Ultimate Hong Kong Itinerary 5 Days (Spending 5 Days in Hong Kong)

While many people visit Hong Kong for just a couple days, having 5 days there will give you plenty of time to explore.

This Hong Kong 5 day itinerary route will go over a whole bunch of different sights and attractions that you will be able to see and do during a trip to the region.

From incredible viewpoints of the Hong Kong skyline to the big Buddha of Lantau to the casinos of Macau, this itinerary will walk you through it all.

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Hong Kong Itinerary Intro

Spending 5 days in Hong Kong gives you plenty of time to see the top sights & attractions, while not needing to rush through it all.

You will be able to take full advantage of your days & nights in Hong Kong, and have the flexibility to move things around as you see fit.

With 5 days, you can not only focus on the immediate city center, but also on some top spots on the outskirts of the city. In addition, this itinerary will include a day trip to the region of Macau, just a short boat ride away.

At a high level, here is what this Hong Kong itinerary will look like:

Day 1: City Center
Day 2: Theme Park Option
Day 3: Lantau Island
Day 4: Macau
Day 5: Repulse Bay & Stanley

The rest of this guide will go into some more detail about these 5 days and what they will entail. Hope you enjoy!

Hong Kong Itinerary 5 Days Map View

Take a look at the map below which shows you where each attraction that is part of this itinerary is located throughout Hong Kong.

Given that you probably will be situated in one place the whole trip, you can move around the individual days of the itinerary as you see fit.

A Detailed Hong Kong Itinerary 5 Days

Now let’s get on to the actual trip! The following is a detailed breakout of the daily attractions and activities on this 5 day itinerary.

Feel free to scroll through and also click on any more in depth posts along the way.

Where to Stay

In Hong Kong, there are two main areas to consider situating yourself in – Hong Kong Island (southern side of the water) and Kowloon (northern side of the water).

Connecting the two are bridges, the MTR train network, and ferries. This makes it very easy getting from one area to the other. Due to this, there is no need to split up your time between hotels. Simply choose one for your stay and you should be good to go.

I would recommend that you do not situate yourself too far away from the Victoria Harbour area. Most of the restaurants and nightlife options are around that vicinity. Staying close by will just make things easier.

On the Hong Kong Island side, the Central and Wan Chai area are great walkable spots that are easily accessible to the MTR. On the Kowloon side, by staying closer to the Tsim Sha Tsui promenade you cannot go wrong.

Kowloon Hotels

Hong Kong Island Hotels

Day 1 – Views, Exploring & Markets

Hong Kong is full of lively streets, markets and views. The first stop on your trip will take you to the top of the city – Victoria Peak – where you will be able to have an incredible view of the entire city from up above.

You can opt for the bus, cab, cable car, or hike up to the top of the peak. Once up top, you can walk around to the various viewpoints, check out Sky Terrace 428 at Peak Tower, and make your way over to Lion’s Pavilion.

Take a look at the guide below that will go over each of these transportation options and what to expect up top.

Learn More: This Complete Guide to Victoria Peak will give you more insight about this amazing experience

Before or after the peak, you can take a stroll around Hong Kong Park, which is also right next to where the base of the tram is. It is a great little oasis within the city full of greenery, ponds, and walking paths.

After spending some time on the Hong Kong Island side, hop on the MTR and get yourself to the Kowloon side of the city.

Once there stroll along the Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade and the Avenue of the Stars. Here you will be able to see the skyline of the Hong Kong Island side during the day and pass by statues of all the famous movie celebrities that came from the region.

By this time it is probably time for lunch and you can find any place around the area for some food. Depending on what interests you there are a bunch of museums around as well.

The museums include the Hong Kong Museum of History, the Hong Kong Science Museum, Hong Kong Museum of Art, and the Hong Kong Space Museum among others.

All of these are walking distance from one another so if you want to spend an hour or two checking one out now is the time.

Later on in the evening you can check out some markets, and there are plenty to choose from. As usual in Asia, these markets have a little bit of everything so get your bargaining hat on and start browsing around.

A bit north of the promenade you will find the Ladies Market, which is one of the largest and most well known markets in Hong Kong.

Once you have made it through the Ladies Market feel free to head down to the Temple Street Night Market.

Side note: a few minutes walk from the Ladies Market you can find the Goldfish Market. Now you probably aren’t in the market to buy a goldfish but it is an interesting site to see. Also close by are the Bird and Flower markets, if those are of interest to you too.

Day 2 – Ocean Park or Disneyland

This one is up to you. There are two main theme parks in Hong Kong – Ocean Park which has a bunch of different types of rides, shows and animals to see, and Disneyland which is basically just the Hong Kong version of one you would see in the US.

You can’t go wrong with either one and both will probably be a full day activity.

If you would like a few more details on both of the parks that can help you decide which one to go to check out the comparison between the two parks.

Disneyland Ticket: if heading to Disneyland, feel free to purchase your ticket ahead of time to get you all set for the park

After a day at the park, it is time for a night of fun. One of the highlights of Hong Kong nightlife experience is heading to the Happy Valley Racecourse.

Each week, on Wednesdays there are 10 or so races starting around 7:00PM. It is a great time to have some fun, bet on horses and then cheer them on. Even if you are not into horse racing whatsoever, it is easy to get involved and enjoy the evening.

Note: even though Happy Valley is mentioned here, there is a good chance day 2 will not be a Wednesday for you. Feel free to go the racecourse on any night of the itinerary when it happens to be a Wednesday. Check the schedule before heading out there.

After a night on the racecourse, head on over to Wan Chai or Lan Kwai Fong for a night on the town.

Day 3 – Lantau Island

On your third day in Hong Kong, make your way to Lantau Island to see the Big Buddha, take part of some hiking opportunities, and see a fishing village.

It is super simple to do a day trip to the island as one of the metro lines will take you right there. Once on the island you will be able to do any and all activities. A day out on Lantau can include:

Ngong Ping Cable Car
Ngong Ping Village
Tian Tan Big Buddha
Po Lin Monastery
Wisdom Path
Lantau Peak Hiking Option
Tai O Fishing Village

Lantau Island Resources

Below are a few additional resources to better help your day trip out to Lantau Island:

Learn More: Complete Guide to Lantau Island

Tickets: Ngong Ping Cable Car

Tour: Lantau Island, Tai O, NP360, Big Buddha Heritage Tour

Later at night it is time to head back to the Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade Promenade. Every night at 8PM there is a light show put on by the buildings on the riverbank.

It is a unique thing to see, as you don’t usually get to see all these buildings in one area putting on a show in unison.

Make sure you get a nice spot to enjoy the 15 minute display before grabbing some food and calling it a night (Ozone Bar at the top of the Ritz Carlton is another option if you want to see the show from up top).

Day 4 – Macau

After spending a few days in Hong Kong its time to head out to the Las Vegas of Asia – Macau.

Even if you are not into the whole gambling scene, there are other things to see around Macau for the day so don’t write it off just because you don’t enjoy the blackjack table.

Luckily Macau is an easy ~1 hour or so boat ride from Hong Kong.

There are two ferry terminals that will take you there – one on the Kowloon side (China Ferry Terminal) and one on the Hong Kong Island side (Hong Kong Macau Ferry Terminal – Sheung Wan). You can ferry over either to the Macau Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal or the Macau Taipa Terminal.

Ferries run around the clock so you should not have any trouble picking a time and getting tickets. You can check the Turbojet schedule who runs many of the routes. Expect to pay $20 – $25 one way.

You can start off your time in Macau at the Historic Centre of Macau. As a UNESCO World Heritage site there are numerous buildings, churches, and squares to roam around in.

Check out the map of the area to give you some context of what you can see. Spend the next couple hours walking around the area and taking in that Chinese / Portuguese feel.

Once you have had enough time roaming the city, you can grab lunch and spend some time wandering the casinos as you gamble, eat and enjoy the entertainment.

There are plenty of casinos to choose from – both within walking distance of the historic centre and some farther south. Once your day/night is complete you can hop back on a ferry to Hong Kong.

Day 5 – Repulse Bay & Stanley Market

It is time to see a different side of Hong Kong so head down south to Repulse Bay and Stanley Market.

The easiest and most cost effective way to get to these places is by bus at the Exchange Square Central Bus Terminus.

You can choose from a few options – 6, 6A, 6X, 66, 260. Those busses should stop at both Repulse Bay and then onwards to Stanley.

It is a pretty windy road as you make it down south. If you choose to sit on the upper level of the bus you will be able to take in some great views of the surrounding areas and curvy roads ahead.

Repulse Bay is on the more high-end side of what you will see in Hong Kong. It is also home to one of the nicer beaches in the area. Spend the morning relaxing by the beach, taking a swim, and eating by an ocean side restaurant.

Once you had enough time in the sun hop on another quick bus or cab and head to Stanley Market, which is just about 10 minutes further along the route.

You may be over the markets already from all the opportunities on your previous days, but another market can never hurt anyone! Get some shopping done before heading back up north and ending your day.

Best Hong Kong Tours

While the itinerary above will be a fun filled and action packed 5 days in the city, there is the option to take part of some tours as well.

If you would like to swap some things around, and head on some more specific tours during your time there, that will certainly be possible.

Here are some of the top rated tours to choose from in Hong Kong:

Getting Around Hong Kong

When it comes to getting around Hong Kong, the public transport system has you set. Throughout Hong Kong you will find 10 different MTR (Mass Transit Railway) lines connecting nearly 100 stations.

The MTR is a fast, reliable, and inexpensive way to get from point A to point B. Below you can find a map of the MTR network and the various train lines.

As you make your way to your next destination, you should easily be able to leverage a navigation app like Google Maps that will lay out the route for you to take.

When going about paying for MTR rides, the Octopus Card is the way to go.

This is basically a re-loadable card that you will tap at the turnstiles. So, instead of paying for individual tickets each time, the Octopus Card will make your journey that much simpler.

The card is not only used for the MTR either. You can use it for other forms of public transport like the busses, ferries, and light rail. You will also find convenience stores that accept it as a form of payment.

Throughout Hong Kong, you can reload your Octopus Card at MTR stations and other service providers. Note that once you finish your trip, you can return the card to retrieve your funds for a small fee (and get back the HK$50 deposit).

Note that the MTR does stop running around 1:00AM. So, if you happen to be out late at night, you will need to hop in a taxi. Outside of rush hour, taxis are relatively affordable so it shouldn’t be too much of an expense.

Airport MTR: Getting to and from the airport can also be easy using the Airport Express. Trains leave frequently and can get you to Hong Kong Island or Kowloon in less than 25 minutes. You can use your Octopus Card as well on the Airport Express Line.

Best Time to Visit Hong Kong

When it comes to the best time to visit Hong Kong, you will want need to consider the two main seasons.

From May to September the weather in Hong Kong can be hot, humid, and wet. While from October to April, the weather will be cooler and dry.

The screenshots below courtesy of holiday-weather shows the average temperatures and rainfall charts throughout the year.

If I had to choose the best time to visit Hong Kong, I would have to go with the early Spring and Fall time periods. During these times, temperatures will comfortable and rainfall will be near its lows.

The nice thing about Hong Kong though is that it really can be visited year-round. The Winter months don’t get too cold and while the summer months can be wet, the rain usually doesn’t last too long.

Weather Tip #1: if visiting in the summer months, bring along an umbrella/poncho when heading out for the day. The rain can start and stop throughout so its best to be prepared.

Weather Tip #2: be aware of low lying clouds when visiting places like Victoria Peak and Lantau Island. If you see a less than ideal weather forecast (or live webcam), it may be best to try and move around your itinerary.

How Many Day is Enough for Hong Kong?

Although Hong Kong isn’t the largest place out there, I would still recommend spending at least 3-5 days exploring it all. As you can tell with this itinerary, there is plenty to do to keep you busy.

Whether that is exploring markets, walking the waterside, taking part of some hikes, enjoying the views, or going on some day trips – there is much to do all throughout Hong Kong.

Anything less than three days and you are at risk of just rushing through or missing out on top attractions and activities. By giving yourself more time, you will be able to see Hong Kong at a comfortable pace. This will also give you the flexibility factor of moving things around when you see fit.

If you do have less than 5 days, feel free to check out the 3 Day Hong Kong Itinerary up on the site.

That about does it for 5 days in Hong Kong. Check out some more Hong Kong itineraries and guides, and feel free to comment below with any questions.