3 days in Hong Kong for Lunar New Year

Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.

1. 1
   MorningBusy, check ahead

   Wong Tai Sin Temple

   A large, bright Taoist temple with red pillars and gold roofs, busy with people shaking fortune sticks and asking for luck, health and a good year. It is crowded early in the new year, and lines for the main hall can be long. Follow the local people, take turns and ask before you take photographs of worshippers. Entry may be managed by staff, so follow their directions.

   Go when Morning, before the queues grow.

   Local tip Follow the local people, take your turn with the fortune sticks and do not push. Ask before photographing worshippers, and keep a hand on your bag in the crowd.

   

   About 15 min walk0.8 mi
2. 2
   MorningWorth the time

   Chi Lin Nunnery

   A Buddhist nunnery built in the Tang dynasty style, with wooden halls joined without nails, lotus ponds and quiet courtyards. A calm start to the new year. Keep your voice low and ask before you photograph.

   Go when Morning, when the halls are quiet.

   Local tip Dress modestly, keep your voice low and ask before photographing. Take your time in the courtyards and by the lotus ponds.

   

3. Lunch

   A vegetarian meal

   Many people eat vegetarian food on the first day of the new year, as a Buddhist custom of the day. Simple vegetarian restaurants near the nunnery and garden serve it, with mock meats, tofu and vegetables.

   Local tip Check ahead whether a place is open, and ask the staff about any allergy first.

   About 2 min walk0.1 mi
4. 3
   MiddayWorth the time

   Nan Lian Garden

   A classical Chinese garden across the road from the nunnery, with rocks, pines, ponds and wooden pavilions. Walk the paths slowly and sit for a while. It is a good place to stay out of the busiest crowds.

   Go when Midday, when the light is bright over the pond.

   Local tip Walk the paths slowly and sit for a while. It is a calm place in a crowded week, so use it to rest.

   

   About 15 min by car or transit3.2 mi
5. 4
   AfternoonWorth a short stroll

   Temple Street

   A street market in Yau Ma Tei that fills with stalls later in the day: clothes, trinkets, fortune tellers and small food stalls. Many stalls close for the holiday, so check ahead. Lively when it is on, and best when you wander without a plan.

   Go when Late afternoon, as the stalls open.

   Local tip Many stalls are shut for the holiday, so check ahead. Ask before you photograph a fortune teller, and agree on a price only if you mean to buy.

   

6. Dinner

   A reunion dinner of hot pot

   On New Year's Eve many families gather for a big shared meal, often a hot pot of broth with meat, fish, vegetables and tofu. Restaurants offer set menus for the night, and tables are taken far ahead.

   Local tip Book early. Tell the staff about any allergy first, since a shared pot cannot be separated.

Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.

1. Travel from Temple StreetAbout 11 min by car or transit2.0 mi

   Where Day 1 ended.
2. 1
   MorningWorth the time

   Victoria Park

   A large park in Causeway Bay where a flower market usually runs for days up to the eve of the new year. Stalls sell mandarin and kumquat trees, peach blossom, orchids and lucky bamboo, which many families bring home for luck. Go early, because the park is very crowded in the afternoon. Dates and layouts change each year, so check ahead.

   Go when Morning, before the park fills up.

   Local tip Walk the whole market once before you buy. Ask before you photograph a stallholder, and carry plants with care in the crowd. Keep a hand on your bag.

   

   About 26 min walk1.3 mi
3. 2
   EveningCheck ahead

   Victoria Harbour

   The harbor between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, where a traditional fireworks display is usually held over the water on the second night. Viewing areas on both sides fill early, and police may limit entry once they are full. Dates, times and viewing areas change each year, so check ahead and have a plan B. Smoke and haze can hide the show.

   Go when Evening, arriving early to hold a place.

   Local tip Viewing areas fill early and police may limit entry once they are full. Dates, times and areas change each year, so check ahead and have a plan B. Smoke and haze can hide the show.

   

4. Lunch

   Claypot rice

   Rice cooked in a clay pot over a flame until the bottom is crisp, topped with sausage, chicken or pork. A winter dish served in busy streets in Kowloon.

   Local tip The pot is very hot, so wait for the staff to serve it. Tell the staff about any allergy first.

   

   About 6 min walk0.3 mi
5. 3
   EveningCheck ahead

   Tsim Sha Tsui

   The area at the tip of Kowloon where an international Lunar New Year parade usually passes along the main streets on the first night, with floats, dancers and bands. Route, times and viewing spots change each year, and stands may be ticketed, so check ahead. Arrive early, keep to the sides, follow the police and stay together.

   Go when Early evening, to find a place before the parade.

   Local tip Route, times and viewing spots change each year, so check ahead. Keep to the sides, follow the police, stay together and agree on a meeting place in case you are separated.

   

   About 16 min walk0.8 mi
6. 4
   EveningCheck ahead

   Tin Hau Temple, Yau Ma Tei

   A temple to the goddess of the sea, tucked into a public square beside Temple Street. Near midnight on the eve of the new year many families come to pray and light incense. Crowds can be controlled by staff, so follow their directions, stay together and keep your voice low.

   Go when Evening, with the families who come to pray.

   Local tip Staff may manage the entry, so follow their directions and stay with your group. Keep your voice low and ask before photographing people at prayer.

   

Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.

1. 1
   MiddayWorth a short walk

   Hollywood Road

   A long street of antique shops, galleries and old temples that runs along the hill in Sheung Wan. On the days before the new year some shops are closing or shut, so treat this as a walk rather than a shop. The street itself is a pleasant, old part of the city.

   Go when Late morning, when the street is calm.

   Local tip Many shops are shut around the holiday, so enjoy the street and the temples on it. Mind the steep slope and the people on the narrow pavement.

   

   About 2 min walkunder 0.1 mi
2. 2
   AfternoonWorth the time

   Man Mo Temple

   A small, old temple on a steep street in Sheung Wan, dedicated to the gods of literature and war. Big coils of incense hang from the ceiling, and the room fills with smoke and prayers. It is usually busy in the days around the new year, so go early and follow the pace of the people ahead of you.

   Go when Early afternoon, before the evening crowds.

   Local tip Keep your voice low, move with the line and do not stand in front of the altar. Ask before photographing worshippers, and cover your nose if the incense bothers you.

   

3. Lunch

   Dim sum

   Small steamed and fried dishes in bamboo baskets, eaten with tea, a custom that many families keep on holidays. Tea houses in Sheung Wan and Central serve it, and tables fill early.

   Local tip Book a table or go early. Tell the staff about any allergy first, since many dishes contain shrimp, pork or peanuts.

   

   About 14 min walk0.7 mi
4. 3
   AfternoonCheck the weather

   Victoria Peak

   The hill above the city, where a visitor area has a tower with viewing decks and paths through the trees. The view over the towers and the harbor depends on haze and cloud, and queues for the tram are long on a holiday, so check ahead. Come down in good time for the evening.

   Go when Afternoon, then down before the harbor evening.

   Local tip Haze and cloud can hide the view, and queues for the tram are long on a holiday. Allow extra time, and have a plan B if the sky is gray.

   

   About 9 min by car or transit1.4 mi
5. 4
   AfternoonWorth the time

   Star Ferry

   The green and white ferries that have crossed the harbor for well over a century. A short ride between the island and Kowloon, and an easy way to see the skyline. Holiday pattern and extra crowds are likely, so check ahead and allow time.

   Go when Afternoon, for the open view of the harbor.

   Local tip Sit by an open window for the view. Holiday crowds are likely, so allow extra time and hold the rail on the way on and off.

   

6. Dinner

   Poon choi

   A big pot of layers of meat, seafood, tofu and vegetables, traditionally from the walled villages and now served in many restaurants at the new year. It is a dish for a group.

   Local tip Book early, since it is made for several people. Tell the staff about any allergy first.