Fun-filled 8 Days 7 Nights in Hong Kong, Macau and Shenzhen

I travel frequently to Hong Kong for work, and thought that it’ll be a good idea to show Jayden around Hong Kong this time round. Every year, we plan a 10-days trip and this year, we decided to combine visiting Hong Kong with Macau and Shenzhen since these cities are easily accessible by bus, train or ferry. Hope you’ll find this 8D7N itinerary useful.

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Day 1 – Causeway Bay & Central Hong Kong

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We took a morning flight to Hong Kong from Singapore and arrived in the afternoon. After checking into our hotel, we decided to take it easy and shop around Causeway Bay and Central. Ho Hung Kee (何洪记) is a 1-Michelin Star wonton noodles and congee restaurant located at Hysan Place and we had this for dinner. If you’re a bubble tea fan, you must try Tiger Sugar and 幸福堂 (Xing Fu Tang). The stalls are beside one another, and it’s hard to miss because there’s always a huge crowd around them. The former features a honey-like sweetness while the latter has a caramelized sweetness.

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Day 2 – Ngong Ping 360

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We experienced the crystal cabin cable car ride which connects downtown Tung Chung with Ngong Ping Village. The culturally themed village is designed and landscaped to reflect the local customs, and to express the cultural and spiritual integrity of the Ngong Ping area. It boasts several major tourist attractions and an array of retail, dining and entertainment experiences.

At 34 metres tall, the bronze Big Buddha statue sits atop Mount Muk Yue, about 482 metres above sea level. The eyes, lips, incline of the head, and even the right hand (raised to deliver a blessing to all), combine to lend great depth of character and dignity to this extraordinary statue.

Built in 1906, Po Lin Monastery is a famous temple which houses a Scripture Library and a Dharma Hall. This is the largest of Hong Kong’s Buddhist temples and a major point of pilgrimage for Hong Kong’s Buddhists.

If you venture further, you will arrive at the Wisdom Path, a landscaped installation of 38 enormous 10 metres wooden columns inscribed with the clerical script calligraphy of the Heart Sutra written by master Sinologist Professor Jao Tsung-I.

You can spend the entire day exploring Ngong Ping, or if time permits, you’ll also be able to visit other parts of Lantau island.

Ngong Ping 360
Address: 11 Tat Tung Road, Tung Chung, Lantau, Hong Kong
Opening Hours: Mon-Fri 10am to 6pm. Sat, Sun & PHs 9am to 6.30pm.
Website: https://www.np360.com.hk/en/

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Day 3 – Dragon’s Back Trail

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For breakfast, head to the Capital Café (華星冰室) – a good alternative to the Australian Dairy Company café. The menu is quite similar but their customer service is so much better. The Macaroni Soup with Luncheon Meat and the Satay Beef Bun were so satisfying, and we totally felt ready for the hike.

For the budget travellers, take the Island Line MTR to Shau Kei Wan Station. Take Exit A3 and look for Bus No. 9 (the red minibus) at the Shau Kei Wan Bus Terminus. Hop onto the bus and alight at To Tai Wan. It’s hard to miss the stop as you can watch for other hikers alighting together. Once you get off at To Tai Wan, follow the path leading up the hill to the Dragon’s Back Trail. If you prefer a faster method, take the Island Line MTR to Chai Wan Station and grab a cab. The trip should cost around $60 HKD.

The Dragon’s Back Trail is a popular hike in Hong Kong, probably due to its easy accessibility from the city. My boyfriend and I loved the short escape from the bustle of the city. The change of scenery made us feel relaxed during our holiday. You can look forward to spectacular coastal views and beautiful views of Shek O, Tai Long Wan, Stanley, Tai Tam, and the South China Sea. We only completed the Dragon’s Back Trail but not the entire hike to Tai Long Wan. Instead of choosing the same route from where we started the Dragon’s Back Trail, we took a longer way which was easier. The hike takes around 4 hours (including photography time).

We returned to the hotel to rest in the afternoon before treating ourselves to a lavish dinner at Marco Polo’s Cucina restaurant.

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Day 4 – Sham Shui Po Garden Hill, Nan Lian Garden, Chi Lin Nunnery & Mongkok

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We love all the food served in cha chaan tng(s) in Hong Kong so we had breakfast at Kam Wah Café & Bakery before taking the Tsuen Wan line to Sham Shui Po station. Exit D2 will bring you to Mei Ho House. The Sham Shui Po Garden Hill can be reached by the flight of stairs behind Mei Ho House. It takes about 15 to 20 minutes to arrive at the peak. You will be rewarded by a panoramic view of Hong Kong’s public housing estates instead of the usual modern skyscrapers.

After that, we proceeded to Nan Lian Garden and Chi Lin Nunnery. The Nan Lian Garden is an ideal escape from the urban hustle and bustle. This classical garden in a modern city is connected to the Chi Lin Nunnery to its north, with a sprawling mountain range at its back. The design of this garden was based on Jiangshouju Garden of the Tang Dynasty, a traditional Chinese landscape garden in the Shanxi Province. The Pavilion of Absolute Perfection situated in the centre of the Lotus Pond is the most insta-worthy spot.

We ended the day shopping and eating around the vibrant Mongkok neighbourhood.

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Day 5 – Macau (Sightseeing & Eating)

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We caught the morning ferry from Hong Kong to Macau, and started exploring the attractions such as the Ruins of St. Paul, Macau Tower, A-Ma Temple and the Guan Yin Statue. You will find many shops and eateries around Senado Square. When you’re done visiting this older part of Macau, take the bus to Taipa and check out the modern and grand casinos along the Cotai strip. The Venetian Macau, The Parisian Macau and the City of Dreams are pretty impressive structures. On this side of Macau, food can be found at Taipa Village.

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Day 6 – Macau’s Casinos & Eating in Shenzhen

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If you’ve been gambling at the casinos till late, you can sleep in before taking the ferry to Shenzhen. There are not many sightseeing spots available in Shenzhen but the city offers many speakeasy bars and scrumptious food that are affordably priced. We highly recommend 探鱼, a restaurant that serves grilled fish. You can select the flavour and the type of fish you desire. 探鱼 is available at CoCoPark, and you can have 喜茶 HeyTea afterwards.

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Day 7 – Window of the World Shenzhen

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We spent a lot of our time in Shenzhen eating, but still managed to visit one attraction – Window of the World. This theme park does not feature any rides but boasts numerous photography spots. A strong emphasis is placed on the theme of world culture hence, you will find replicas of world-famous landscape, natural scenery, and performances of folk customs and folk songs and dances. After a day of walking around the park, we feasted at HaiDiLao Hot Pot restaurant. It costs half the amount for the same number of dishes we order in Singapore, and the quality of the food is much better in Shenzhen.

Window of the World
Address: No. 9037, Shennan Road, Overseas Chinese Town, Nanshan District, Shenzhen
Opening Hours: Daily 9am to 10pm. Public Holidays 9am to 10.30pm.
Website: http://www.szwwco.com

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Day 8 – Eating in Hong Kong

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It has been a tiring week of travelling around the three cities, so we spent our final day strolling around and popping into random eateries that we came across to try the food.

Hong Kong is a city that I, personally, don’t mind returning to time and time again. When I thought that I’ve seen all the must-see spots and eaten all the good food, the city will still have something new taking me by surprise when I revisit. It’s nice to escape the busy city and relax in Macau and Shenzhen too.