Top Kid-Friendly Attractions in Hong Kong

Description:

Author: Ciao Bambino!

Day 1 - Hong Kong

Dim Sum/Ocean Park

Dim Sum

Hong Kong’s most globally recognized cuisine. At City Hall kids can also try lots of new items which they can pick out from the passing carts plus old stand-bys like fried rice for fussy palates. My kids love steamed meatballs and hargow (shrimp dumplings). Rainbow jelly squares and mini egg tarts for dessert. Big kids in need of a culinary adventure can order jellyfish and chicken feet.

Follow this with a short bus ride out to the local theme park. Ocean Park is the preferred theme park of choice for Hong Kong cognoscenti, either out of national pride or a general relief that the rides there won't incur three years of investment in related merchandise. They have dolphin shows, a great Panda, a gondola over the mountain and plenty of rides from the baby choo-choo train to train ride of death roller coasters.


1

Hong Kong City Hall

Location:

view in google maps
Edinburgh Place
Central
Hong Kong, China

Phone:

+852 2921 2840


2

Ocean Park

Location:

view in google maps
Ocean Park Road
Aberdeen, Hong Kong Island
Hong Kong, China

Phone:

852/2552 0291

Day 2 - Hong Kong

Tram/Hong Kong Park/Victoria Peak

Locally referred to as the “ding ding”, the double-decker electric tram runs from one end of Hong Kong Island’s waterfront to another at the speed of a snail so you can see most of Hong Kong as you go. Hop on and take the tram to the stop in front of Pacific Place mall and follow the signs up in to the Hong Kong park, which sits on the hilltop above.

Hong Kong Park is where most of us locals take their children when the weather is nice and we have to get out of our tiny apartments. They have walks along and under waterfalls with turtles basking on the rocks, an aviary and children’s playground. Just up the road is the Zoological and Botanical Gardens, a small gem with exotic birds and monkeys. In the early morning there are free classes in tai chi offered through the Hong Kong visitors association.

Across an overpass from the Hong Kong Park is the Peak Tram station at the St. John’s Building. This fabulous old tram is one of the first modes of transportation in Hong Kong and is still one of the steepest trams in the world.


Victoria’s Peak has lovely views and restaurants and cafes to restore yourself and your family. Entertainment includes Madame Tussards, where you can take a picture with Bruce Lee, and an Electronic Arts game zone for bigger kids. There is a paved, stroller-friendly walk around the Peak Loop (~2hrs) with views around the entire island on a clear day.


1

Peak Tram

Location:

view in google maps
Garden Road
Peak Tram Terminus
Hong Kong, China

Phone:

+852 2849 7654


2

Hong Kong Park

Location:

view in google maps
Admiralty
Hong Kong, China

Phone:

+852 2521 5041


3

Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens

Location:

view in google maps
Albany Road,
Central
Hong Kong, China

Phone:

+852 2530 0154


4

Victoria Peak

Location:

view in google maps
No. 1 Lugard Road
The Peak
Hong Kong, China

Phone:

+852 2849 7654

Day 3 - Hong Kong

Ngong Ping/Big Buddha

The Big Buddha is just a stone's throw from the airport, making it a fun excursion on a layover or an all day adventure in to the hills of the New Territories. You can take the airport express train to Tung Chung and ride the cable car up 25 minutes to Ngong Ping village where you can also have lunch at either the temple or several alternate options. After, climb the many steps up the Big Buddha for spectacular views of the countryside. For the very adventurous, Ngong Ping just introduced the Crystal Cabin with a glass bottom.


1

Big Buddha

Location:

view in google maps
Ngong Ping Plateau
Lantau Island
Hong Kong, China

Phone:

+852 2805 1234

Day 4 - Hong Kong

Hong Kong Disney

Few of us consider going to Paris solely to see Euro Disney until we have children. The nice thing about Hong Kong Disney is that there is a bit of Asian magic to the place to make it unique – a Chinese restaurant near Mickey Mouse House that serves steamed custard buns with Mickey silhouettes, a large Asia section on the It’s a Small World Ride and a nod to the Great Wall and Mulan during the fireworks. The park is smaller than its international counterparts, so good for younger kids but a potential disappointment for older kids who have seen the other parks. They are scheduled to expand the park in 2010/11.


1

Hong Kong Disneyland

Location:

view in google maps
Disneyland, Sunny Bay
Lantau Island
Hong Kong, China

Phone:

852/1 830 830

Day 5 - Hong Kong

Kowloon and Museums

I often think the museums for kids in Hong Kong pale in comparison to those I’ve visited in New York or London but on a hot or rainy day, they are a godsend and some are great teachers of Hong Kong history for older kids. Most of them are in Kowloon so add on a ferry ride across the harbour and you have a nice day.

The Star Ferry has been an institution since 1880 and brings you between Central on Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon side, where most of Hong Kong’s museums are.

The Space Museum is always fun for kids, with buttons to push, telescopes to look through, and computer quizzes to test what they've learned, not to mention the films featured in the Stanley Ho Space Theatre. In the Science Museum, more than half of its displays are hands-on, and there's also a special play area for children between the ages of 3 and 7. Don’t miss the second floor with the big airplanes hanging from the ceiling.

Across the Plaza is the Hong Kong Museum of History, with life-size replicas and models that bring the history of Hong Kong to life.

At night, Kowloon features a magnificent view of the harbour and a light show at 8pm every night.


1

Star Ferry

Location:

view in google maps
Star Ferry Pier, Edinburgh Place
Edinburgh Place
Hong Kong, China

Phone:

+852 2367 7065


2

Hong Kong Space Museum

Location:

view in google maps
10 Salisbury Rd
Hong Kong Cultural Centre Complex; Tsim Sha Tsui
Hong Kong, China

Phone:

852/2721 0226


3

Hong Kong Science Museum

Location:

view in google maps
2 Science Museum Rd
Tsim Sha Tsui East
Hong Kong, China

Phone:

852/2732 3232


4

Hong Kong Museum of History

Location:

view in google maps
100 Chatham Rd. S
Tsim Sha Tsui East
Hong Kong, China

Phone:

852/2724 9042

Day 6 - Hong Kong

Hong Kong’s Great Outdoors

Most families don’t think of the great outdoors when they think of Hong Kong but it is a series of lush, tropical islands where kids can see many new flora and fauna they might not get back in their home country. If you'd like to sample the 80% of Hong Kong that hasn’t been developed, go to the New Territories. Great options for kids include the Hong Kong Wetland Park with a comprehensive visitor center and boardwalks through wetland habitats. The Kadoorie Farm is a local farm where children can see what kind of plants (bok choy, anyone?) are grown in the local environment. They have a café there and are well versed in tours for children. It’s a very popular day trip for school children.


1

Mai Po Marsh

Location:

view in google maps
Near Yuen Long, Deep Bay
Deep Bay
Hong Kong, China

Phone:

+852 2652 0285


2

Kadoorie Farm and Botanical Gardens

Location:

view in google maps
Lam Kam Road
Pak Ngau Shek
Hong Kong, China

Phone:

+852 2488 1317

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