Hong Kong With Kids
Our One Week Hong Kong Destination and Accommodation Guide for Families
No place surprised me more than Hong Kong. Clean is an understatement – hell I was even kicked off the playground for taking a nap on the ground because it wasn’t considered “sanitary”. We loved every single second of our 7 nights in Hong Kong. It is expensive for sure, but this can be circumvented with some careful planning and being OK sleeping in a space the size of a walk-in closet. The city is buzzing with activity, and sites that will blow your socks off. Full of natural and modern beauty, it is the gateway to China, a gate that did not open sadly for us since we were unable to afford mainland China Visas for the family. Oh, China why do you shut me out? We will be back someday in the future and this time with Visa’s in hand. But, boy were we glad we got to spend time in Hong Kong!
View our Hong Kong Family Photos
Budget Famly Friendly Hong Kong Hotels
The truth is, there is very little that is clean comfortable and affordable in Hong Kong for families. Be prepared for clean, tiny and cramped. Or, if you are an optimist – a chance to grow closer as a family.
Not the Four Seasons but the Mira Inn is good value at $69 per night for a family of 4!
Where we stayed: The Mira Inn (Not the Mira Hotel) this is a perfect budget accommodation right in the central district of Hong Kong, just blocks away from the Star Ferry Terminal. The outside and entrance may have you wondering what you got yourself into. But $69 for a triple room with a pair of bunk beds and a queen for the parents! This is a big win. The room is TINY, but don’t be shocked even the most expensive places are tiny and this will save you a lot of money to be used on other things, like food or a trip to Disneyland.
WiFi: Excellent (like all of Hong Kong)
What to do in Hong Kong with Kids:
The Big Buddha
There is a reason this is called the Big Buddha!
Of all the things, we did in Hong Kong this was one of our favorites. Maybe we were just nature deprived, but the trip out here and the ride on the gondola was stunning. The Buddha itself is huge and the surrounding grounds are green and mountainous. It was a great day for all of us. The gondola ride was $65 US for our family of four to go up and back. More than I wanted to spend, but definitely worth it in the end.
Disneyland Hong Kong
It really is a small world after all.
We live in California and the kids always complained that we hadn’t taken them to Disneyland in Anaheim. I have to admit as a NorCal native the idea of going to Disney Hong Kong and riding the special Disney Metro train did sound like fun. It cost us an arm and a leg ($220 for the family for the day) but we packed lunch and snacks and spent 12 hours there. Because it was the off-season we had very short wait times, the weather was nice so it made for a great day. To finish I was able to jump on Space Mountain 3 times in just 15 minutes and we caught the Disney light parade before heading home in the evening. It is a very small version of Disneyland, but our kids had a great time and I have to admit so did we. Was it worth $220, not sure exactly, but I can
The Big Red Bus Tour
We had done City Bus tours several times with the kids in Auckland, Cape Town, and Christchurch and they were very good. As most things in Hong Kong, this one was expensive ($179 for a 2 day pass for a family of 4) but it included transport all around the island as well as 1 hour Victoria Harbor Cruise, tickets for the family on the peak tram, tickets to the Maritime Museum and unlimited ferry tickets that ended up lasting us for the week. The tour was very informative and because the weather was excellent we had a great couple days. We were even able to spend a couple hours on the beach and hop back on. As far as the hop-on hop-off capabilities I have to say they were lacking. We had several times where we were waiting over 45 minutes for a tram. The stops aren’t marked and there were several unhappy campers because of this. Would I do it again? There is another cheaper hop-on hop-off that may be a better option. I would check it out before I did the Big Red Bus again.
Central-Mid-Levels Escalators
The longest covered escalator in the world, just make sure you have energy for the walk down.
These are a big win for the entire family. The Central–Mid-Levels escalator and walkway system in Hong Kong is the longest outdoor covered escalator system in the world. The entire system covers over 800 metres (2,600 ft) in distance and elevates over 135 metres (443 ft) from bottom to top. It was constructed in 1993 to provide a better commute by linking areas within the Central and Western District on Hong Kong Island. There is great food, shopping and markets all along your journey. Don’t miss this one.
Temples
There are several temples that are worth seeing, not because they are particularly earth shattering but because you will see photos of the incense coils in guide books. If you miss seeing this in person you will wonder forever what all the fuss is about. Photos of these temples actually do, do them justice (in fact I think they do them too much justice) but the burning coils are iconic and worth checking out. This is a good 20 minute stop, also along the Big Red Bus Tour.
The Peak Tram
We had a nice picnic lunch of peanut butter and jelly up top and enjoyed the view overlooking the city. At the peak, you can see all the way to Macau on a clear day. Also part of the Big Red Bus Tour, it is a harrowing journey to the top that is well worth a stop.