We’ve been on a fantastic city trip to Hong Kong with kids. We’ve enjoyed this amazing city for eight whole days. Hong Kong has so much to offer and the city is fun for kids too. Would you like to visit Hong Kong or are you planning on it? Check out the most fun stuff to do in Hong Kong with kids. I’ve listed the costs and how to get there too so you have a very handy list! In random order:
Top 10 Things to do in Hong Kong with kids
1# Disneyland
Does Hong Kong have a Disneyland?! Sure it does!! Floris and Lotte are huge Disney fans and after Paris and Orlando Hong Kong could not be missed out on our ‘to do’ list. Disneyland Hong Kong is slightly smaller than Paris but even more beautiful and well kept. Everything is spotless and looks amazing. We slept in one of the Disney Hotels, Explorer’s Lodge, and explored the park in two days, taking our time. If you have less time it’s possible to explore the park in one day but if you have two days you can just take it easy, which is nice of course. Disneyland is highly recommended when you visit Hong Kong with kids of course.
Costs: adults HK$ 619, kids HK$ 458 a day entrance fee, excl. hotel.
How to get there: Disneyland is located on Lantau. You can take a cab (like we did) or the subway. Take the Disneyland line at Sunny Bay station.
2# Ngong Ping 360
Say what?! This is a luxurious “cable car” that takes you all the way up the mountain to the village Ngong Ping in about 35 minutes. You can choose between gondolas with or without a see-through floor. Although Kev did need to acclimatize a bit, with his fear of heights, the view in our gondola with see-through floor was absolutely breathtaking!! You look out over the city and the impressive skyline of Hong Kong. The higher you get, the greener it gets and when you’re almost at the top you can spot the Big Buddha (Tian Tan Buddha) from the gondola, a wondrous sight.
You can choose just to buy a cable car ticket or you can choose all kinds of other options such as going on a guided tour or transport to other sights on top of the mountain. In Ngong Ping you can go and see the Tian Tan Buddha but you can also visit the Po Lin monastery. From there you can take the bus to other sights that lie further away.
Costs: adults HK$ 290, kids HK$ 180 for a return ticket in a “crystal cabin” with see-through floor.
How to get there: Ngong Ping lies on Lantau. You can take a cab or take the subway (like we did). The last stop is Tung Chung. Ngong Ping 360 is located across from the station at a 2 minute walk.
3# Tian Tan Buddha
When you finally reach the top of the mountain in the village Ngong Ping you should definitely visit the Tian Tan Buddha! The village leads you towards the Buddha where poor Lotte was in for an unpleasant surprise. She was just minding her own business in the stroller while glancing to the left and as soon as she turned her head to the right she stared straight into the eyes of a huge bull sniffing at her stroller… There are loads of cows (with large horns) walking around on the path to the Buddha. When you arrive at the Buddha you need to prepare for a big climb up a flight of stairs. The 268 steps lead you all the way up to the 34 meter high Buddha.
It’s quite the climb (certainly for me as I was suffering from pneumonia at the time) but the view on top from over the valley is well worth it! You can walk around the Buddha to view all sides and see the statues surrounding the Buddha too.
Costs: free
How to get there: the most fun way is through the Ngong Ping cable car but you can walk there too (if you’re the sporty type, but this is certainly not recommended with young kids).
4# The Peak
Floris and Lotte are big fans of The Peak, but especially of the tram on route to it. This tram is one of the oldest and well-known trams in the world. The tram stretches 1.363 meters distance with an altitude difference ranging from 28 to 396 meters. You can imagine the route is rather steep too (max. 27 degrees). When you finally get off at the top you arrive at a shopping mall with a Madame Tussaud’s on the bottom floor and you’ll find lots of shops and restaurants. We took the elevator at first and for the last part the escalator to the highest point: Sky terrace 428. This is the highest 360 degree lookout point of the city.
When we first arrived on top it was rather misty making the view less impressive but after 10 minutes the mist cleared and we enjoyed a spectacular view of the city. Seeing as the Peak has loads of entertainment you’re able to spend quite some time there. Downstairs too, you can walk through a museum telling you the history of the special tram. The Peak tram and Sky terrace 428 are certain must do’s when you’re visiting Hong Kong with kids.
Costs: adults HK$ 99, kids HK$ 47 (for the tram, the lookout point and a return ticket)
How to get there: we took a tram to Cotton Tree Drive stop and walked for about 10 minutes.
5# Trick Eye Museum
Because the museum was closed due to reconstructions we couldn’t visit it unfortunately. A real shame because it seemed like loads of fun for the kids. You can find 3D shaped art forms with which you can interact. You can touch them and take a picture with them which result into funny scenes. I would have loved visiting the museum, especially for these ‘special photos’. A very child friendly museum that certainly deserves a spot in this list of things to do in Hong Kong with kids.
Costs: not able to be found on the website during renovations
How to get there: this museum is located in the Peak Galleria on the third floor so you can take the Peak tram.
6# A ride in one of the trams
On Hong Kong Island we were rather fond of the trams. They are brightly colored and have 2 levels. The kids really wanted to ride the tram too, so we did when we went to the Peak tram. We took a seat on the top level of course, giving us a great view of the Hong Kong streets. It’s a rather bumpy ride and the kids had their noses pressed against the window looking at the busy Hong Kong city life.
Our tram got fuller at every stop until it reached the point where moving towards the exit was quite the obstacle course (maneuvering our stroller from the top level downstairs through a crowd of people pressed together) as we reached our stop. Might not sound like fun but trust me, the kids loved it and wanted to ride the tram everywhere. We didn’t think that was the best idea ;). A fun and less pricey thing to do when you’re in Hong Kong with kids.
Costs: depending on your route, adults HK$ 2,30, kids HK$ 1,20
How to get there: You can get on at any stop in the city.
7# Spotting pink dolphins
This is an amazing experience!! The waters surrounding Hong Kong is where the “pink dolphin” lives. A dolphin that is born grey but loses its pigment as they get older, giving it a white/pinkish color. We went on a boat in search of these wild dolphins. A van picked us up at a hotel at Kowloon and took us to the harbor at Lantau. On the way there we heard lots of information about the pink dolphins and that they were almost extinct. The guide also told us the animals are spotted 97% of the time during the excursion but that they are wild animals so they couldn’t give any guarantees.
The tour lasts from 09:00 to 13:00 all together, including the bus transfer. We got lucky on our way back when we spotted the dolphins at the very last moment as we were almost back in the harbor. I thought it was really impressive and the kids where very excited. We even saw a pink mother and her grey baby. It’s a special sight, seeing these elegant creatures glide through the waves. The boat stayed at the right distance so the dolphins weren’t bothered by us and could decide for themselves whether to get closer or not. As curious as they are they did draw closer to us and we found ourselves surrounded by 10 of them at the end of the excursion. Very special. You can make a reservation for this excursion by emailing: [email protected]. Make sure you do so as the dolphin watch trips are always quite full.
Costs: adults HK$ 460 , kids HK$ 230
How to get there: take a cab to the harbor of Lantau or use the shuttle bus from Kowloon.
8# Symphony of Light
The symphony of light is a light and music show in which 40 buildings on Hong Kong Island and Kowloon participate in. You can watch it each evening at 20:00 o’clock in Victoria Harbor. To be honest we were a bit disappointed but this may have been because of the circumstances. It was a full moon which made it rather bright in the evening, making it harder to see the lasers. And just before the show started a helicopter landed right in front of us that kept it’s propeller on the whole time so we couldn’t hear the music. I think it may have been rather good under the right circumstances (e.g. darker and no roaring propellers).
Costs: free
How to get there: we watched at Golden Bauhinia Square in Wanchai which is a 5 minute walk from Wanchai MTR (subway) station.
9# Kowloon Park
I’ve never been to a large city where there are so many playgrounds as in Hong Kong. You can find one on literally each corner of the street; well-kept and clean. In some parks the playgrounds are much larger. Kowloon Park is a good example. You’ll find a big playground that’s lots of fun. And that’s not all, you can have a look at the flamingo’s or watch other tropical birds. Watch the large fountain, swim in the pool or grab some soft-ice cream at the Mc Café.
Costs: free
How to get there: the park is easily accessible with the MTR. Tsim Sha Tsui Station exit A1, Jordan Station exit C1 or through Austin Station.
10# Monastery of the 10.000 Buddha’s
Seeing as Floris and Lotte are fascinated by Buddha statues, we really wanted to visit the Monastery of 10.000 Buddha’s during our visit of Sha Tin. But after 4 days of exploring the city full force, the kids were in dire need of some relaxation so we spent the afternoon at the pool. A nice break from our cultural excursions. The monastery lies on a mountain. You can reach it by climbing the flight of stairs for about 15 minutes. You’ll find a Buddha statue every 10 to 15 steps along the way. A nice ending to our top 10 list of sights in Hong Kong with kids.
Costs: free
How to get there: you can take a cab or the MTR, Sha Tin Station. From there it’s about a 10 minute walk.
Check out this list for even more things to do in Hong Kong with kids and this ultimate guide for all the Hong Kong tips you need to know!.
Hong Kong has lots to offer. Especially when you’re visiting Hong Kong with kids! The Wandermust Family wrote a good list with the best things to do in Hong Kong with a toddler as well. Do you have any additions to our list? I’m happy to hear them.
Do you like this article “Top 10 Things to do in Hong Kong with kids; from shaking hands with Mickey to spotting pink dolphins and seeing Buddha”? You will like these articles too:
City trip to Hong Kong with the kids, looking forward to it!!
City trip in Hong Kong, day 1-2, from recovering from jetlag to spotting pink dolphins…
This article “Top 10 Things to do in Hong Kong with kids; from shaking hands with Mickey to spotting pink dolphins and seeing Buddha” is sponsored by Cathay Pacific.
