5 Great Things to do Between Meetings in Hong Kong

No visit to Hong Kong is complete without some of these great experiences. Here's how to fit them into your busy schedule.

A trip up The Peak

Avoid the tiresome queue for The Peak Tram by going early (it starts running at 7am). Once you’re up, the best views are from the tourist-choked viewing platform at The Peak Tower (10am until 11pm) but for a more authentic experience, jog or walk around the 2.5-kilometre Lugard Road path. It circumnavigates The Peak, providing panoramic views. If it’s misty/foggy/polluted, don’t bother – you won’t see a thing.

Take a trip on the harbour

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FIND FLIGHTS

The easiest way is to hop on the iconic Star Ferry from Pier Number 7 in Central to Kowloon. It leaves every 10 minutes or so for the nine-minute trip, meaning you can be there and back in less than half an hour. Got a spare hour pre-dinner? A more civilised way to experience the beauty of Victoria Harbour is on board the beautifully restored Aqua Luna junk with its distinctive blood-red sail. On board it’s all squishy rattan sofas and chilled-out music and a glass of wine is included in the $HK220 (about AU$38) ticket. Avoid the 7.45pm cruise, which coincides with the over-hyped and underwhelming light show.

The Hong Kong Museum of History

This museum provides a surprisingly good chronological romp through the territory’s history, taking in the Opium Wars, Japanese occupation, Hong Kong’s heyday as a manufacturing centre and the 1997 handover. It’s all presented in a lively format with great visuals – if a little frayed around the edges. The whole thing can be happily navigated in the space of one hour. The museum is about 10 minutes from Central by taxi.

Reflexology

Do like the locals and pop in for a 50-minute lunchtime reflexology session. Central has dozens of good places but our pick is Foot (8th Floor, Regent Centre, 88 Queens Road, Central).

Ride the world’s longest outdoor covered escalator

The Mid-Levels escalator is designed to transport commuters from the residential areas around the Mid-Levels district to Central. The best section of the 800m moving staircase is between Queens Road and Hollywood Road. Hop on and take in the passing view as you rise through densely populated streets packed with shops – a microcosm of Hong Kong life.

This article was originally published in 2015 and has been updated.