5 kid-friendly spots in Hong Kong with a world-class view
Hong Kong boasts arguably one of the most famous skylines in the world. There are many places that offer a stunning view of this stunning city – restaurants, lounges, observation decks, trails galore. But it’s hard to take young children into fancy restaurants or luxury lounges. As parents, we can attest this is not a relaxing experience, and for kids, frequently a boring one. And let’s be honest, a great view might capture our kids’ attentions for literally five minutes (or less), before they’re off doing something they really love – running around and playing.
These 5 we selected are easily accessible, child-friendly, and some of Big S and Lil S’s favourite experiences in Hong Kong. The stunning view is just a bonus. 😉
1) Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade
The Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade is a 1.6km pedestrian street/walkway along Victoria harbour. It’s directly across from Central, and boasts a great view of the harbour and the skyscrapers across the water. The path conveniently starts from the Star Ferry terminal, and continues past many famous Hong Kong landmarks, such as the Tsim Sea Tsui clock tower, the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, the Hong Kong Museum of Art, the famous Peninsula Hotel, and the Avenue of Stars.
At night (8pm), this Promenade is crowded with spectators for the Symphony of Lights show. The Symphony of Lights uses the skyscrapers the star performers, with coloured lights racing up and down the edges of buildings and billboards, blinking and changing colour in coordinated effort. Then, sweeping searching and sharp green laser beams join the show. The Promenade is the prime spot to watch this display – loudspeakers along the path play an accompanying soundtrack. (You can play this soundtrack with an app if you are not along the Promenade, but it did not work for us.)
This protected pedestrian pathway is perfect for eager, exploring kids. When we visited, they even had an antique fire-truck for the kids to climb on. The night scene was a little too crowded for them, but they loved visiting the space during the day.
Just around the corner is Nathan Road, a vibrant street lined with shops, restaurants, and cafes. A perfect stop for lunch, dinner, or ice cream!
2) Star Ferry
What kid doesn’t love a boat ride? The iconic Star Ferry is Hong Kong’s cheapest method of transportation and boasts some of the best views.
There are ferries that connect all over the Hong Kong islands, but the most popular is the route from Tsim Sha Tsui/Kowloon across the harbour to Hong Kong Central.
The ride is short (about 10 minutes from end to end), and only costs a few HKD. (Fare fluctuates but generally costs about 3.5HKD for adults and 2HKD for kids.) The ferries run extremely frequently, every 5-10 minutes. You can find up-to-date service info for this route here.
The kids love the open-air upper deck (and they love how the seat backs can be flipped depending on which direction they’re traveling). You get a fantastic view of both sides of the harbour. It is also a great place to catch the Symphony of Lights at night (even though you don’t get the music). Our kids enjoyed this much better than catching the night skyline along the crowded Promenade.
The Star Ferry is one of our favourite things to do in Hong Kong (with kids or even without!) Catching the ferry back and forth just for the fun of it? Why not! Hands down, one of the Hong Kong’s most fun attractions for the kids.
3) Hong Kong Observation Wheel
This is a relatively new attraction in Hong Kong, opened in 2014. The Ferris wheel sits along the Central Pier, in Hong Kong Central, within walking distance from the Star Ferry terminal. At 60m tall, it’s shorter than many of the skyscrapers in Central, but it offers a great view of the Victoria Harbour and Tsim Sha Tsui. Catching sunset from the wheel is especially lovely.
The reason we have this on the list is that the kids *loved* it. (And which kid doesn’t love a good Ferris wheel?) There is also a merry-go-round, and various kid friendly activities. (And ice cream!)
4) Victoria Peak (“The Peak”)
This is arguably the most classic and panoramic view of Hong Kong, and a great day trip with kids.
The best way to get to the Peak is via the Peak Tram (you can take a taxi or a bus to the Tram station at Garden Rd). Be aware most buses do not run until after 10am! We had to take a taxi to the Peak in the morning. The Peak Tram is the the steepest and one of the oldest funiculars in the world, and also offers a great view of Hong Kong. We were able to catch the Tram on the way back down, and the kids loved it.
Big S and Lil S loved the Peak, as there is plenty of hiking to be done and snacks to be had. There are a number of places to catch stunning skyline views of Hong Kong.
If you’d like to pay, Sky Terrace 428 is located in the Peak Tower, and offers a 360 lookout of Hong Kong and surrounding islands. Just as great, however, is Lions Pavilion, just a short walk away. This spot is picturesque in and of itself, and you can see the entire city spread out beneath you. Lugard Road is another scenic spot – a semi-circular pedestrian path that makes up mark of the Hong Kong Trail, and winds around Victoria Peak. It’s a lovely little hike, the path surrounding by lush vegetable and lots of birdlife. (With the kids, we only did a part of this path.)
5) Ngong Ping 360
So this isn’t technically a “city skyline view”, but Big S and Lil S loved this gondola ride from Tung Chung to Ngong Ping, on Lantau Island. Lantau Island is west of Hong Kong Island, and Ngong Ping is the home of the Tian Tan Buddha and Po Lin Monastery. Prior to the construction of the gondola, the only way up to Ngong Ping was a 1 hour drive.
You can opt for “Crystal Cabin” tickets, which are glass-bottomed, so you get to see in many directions, which the kids loved. The gondola passes the Hong Kong airport and Tung Chung Harbour, and offers stunning view of Lantau island and surrounding South China Sea.
Ngong Ping itself is a small pedestrian village constructed in Classical Chinese style that leads to the Tian Tan Buddha, with souvenir shops and cafes. Hiking the 268 steps to the Buddha completed our Ngong Ping adventure!
Bonus: Dragon’s Back trail/Shek O
We didn’t do this one, but had the kids been a little older (they were 4 and 2, at the time), we would have considered it.
Shek O is the southern part of Hong Kong island, full of nature and beaches. Dragon’s Back is – as it sounds – a hike along the central ridge of this mountainous area, and has sweeping views of the South China Sea. It’s about a four hour long hike, so our kids wouldn’t have lasted. Older kids would enjoy it, especially with the promise of Big Wave Bay beach at the end!
