48 Hours in Hong Kong

Because we found crazy cheap nonstop tickets from SF to Hong Kong ($350 roundtrip on Cathay Pacific), we ended up spending a whirlwind 48 hours in Hong Kong to start off our Asia trip. I have been to Hong Kong twice before, but it was Matt’s first time, so I wanted to make the most of our day and show him as many things as possible. Sadly it was pouring ran during our one day, so that really limited what we could do! I ended up researching and getting recommendations for way more places than I could visit, so I’m putting it all here for you.

Logistics:

Hong Kong has a CRAZY convenient, new, and clean subway system (the MTR) and that includes a wonderful airport express line that takes 24 minutes to get to Central Station, your connecting point to all other stations. Thanks to my cousin’s tip, we purchased round trip airport express tickets on klook.com, and we received QR codes via a confirmation email that we could easily scan to get in and out of the airport express train terminal. Upon exiting the airport line, you purchase regular MTR tickets to go wherever you need to.

Hotel vs. AirBnb:

I opted for Airbnb this time around but to be honest with you, I wish I had chosen to stay at a hotel! The Hong Kong apartments on Airbnb within the price range I was looking for (~$100-150 a night) are CRAZY small. We ended up staying at a clean and new studio in Causeway Bay that was probably around 200 sq feet total. Matt could not even fit in the shower comfortably, and there was no way we could open our luggages and both be standing in the room at the same time. Even the fridge was mounted high up on the ceiling to save space! On a positive note, the Airbnb was a minute away from the nearest subway station, and there was a keypad for self check-in.

Victoria Peak:

We only had time to do one sightseeing trip given our 24 hour limit, and we chose to go to Victoria Peak via the tram. GET THERE EARLY! We arrived around 9 AM and there was barely any line for the tram. However, when we came down from the mountain around 10 AM, there was a huge line snaking out of the building. You can also purchase tram tickets and sky deck tickets via klook.com online to save time at the tram station (not sponsored; just want to give you tips!). Once you get up to the top, proceed all the way up to the top floor to view the sky deck. You’ll be treated to some pretty amazing views of Tsim Sha Tsui and beyond. The building also hosts a wax museum, some 3D adventure experience, and several restaurants and shops.

To eat:

Dim Sum:

Dim sum is one of my favorite things to eat so I had grand plans to take Matt to a few dim sum spots. We didn’t have time to check out all of them but here’s my run down:

—Yum Cha: the one dim sum place we managed to eat at this time! This chain restaurant is known for its super cute instagrammable dim sum, like this vomiting Kermit (matcha custard bun) and the little piggies (pork buns). They also have cute Cantonese style pigs in a blanket, carrot looking treats, and other novelty dim sum. I thought the food was decent, but it looked better than it tasted.

– Tim Ho Wan: I haven’t had the original in HK but I ate at the NYC location several times. Their pork buns are the best I’ve ever had. I would love to check out the original sometime!

– Maxim’s: I’ve been to this large banquet style dim sum restaurant twice before and I’m always impressed. They serve dim sum in the traditional way, rolled on trolleys that you pick from. The dim sum is served piping hot and tasty, and it’s overall a fun experience.

– Mott 32 or Dim Sum Library: these looked interesting online, marketed as upscale fusion dim sum that’s on the pricier side.

Breakfast:

I didn’t know Hong Kong breakfast was a thing but we randomly found Café Central in Central, a super popular spot among locals for a traditional HK breakfast. We tried the French toast (deep fried thick toast with a pat of butter on top), truffle scrambled eggs on toast, ham and macaroni served in a broth, all washed down with a cup of yin yang (half coffee half milk tea).

Egg tarts:

I didn’t get to visit Tai Cheong this time around but wanted to give it a shoutout because it has THE BEST egg tarts I’ve ever had! Not including Portugese egg tarts from Pasteis de Belem because those are different. Tai Cheong is a chain as well. My aunt liked these so much she bought 20 home to Taiwan to share the last time we came to HK!

Afternoon tea:

I’ve been on the hunt for good afternoon tea and Hong Kong does high tea right. I’ve had afternoon tea at the Peninsula and Upper House before, both lovely in their own ways, but this time Matt and I opted to try afternoon tea at the Intercontinental. We mostly came for the views – the Intercontinental lobby where tea was served has floor to ceiling windows through which you can view all of Central across the harbor. Our tea was served in partnership with Guerlain, and the savory and sweet treats were all so exquisitely crafted and tasted excellent. We spent a good 2 hours here just enjoying the view and sipping our tea.

Any other recommendations for Hong Kong? Have you been here before?