Fortune Tellers, Villain Hitting, Junk Boats: Only in Hong Kong

Five days in this culinary capital and what solo women travelers recommend bringing on every trip.

May 21, 2026

Welcome back to Departure, your weekly travel newsletter. I’m back this week sharing about the second stop on our recent trip to Asia: Hong Kong. (You can find our first stop in Shanghai here.) The guide is quite long so you may need to open this in your browser, but I hope it feels like a thorough and handy resource. But first…

For a milestone birthday this year, my best friend and I will be ringing it in a little early in South of France, and I booked the trip on Delta for $1,428. More than I’d usually spend, but I knew I didn’t want to book Basic Economy in case the flight dropped.

Lo and behold—even during peak summer in Europe and with higher-than-average gas prices—the price did drop, and Sky Key was able to grab me $171 in credit. I paid the same price as Basic Economy, but got the benefits of Economy during the busiest travel months of the year.

Sky Key monitors flights from the time you book to the time you leave. If the price drops, it automatically rebooks the same flight and refunds you the difference after a 25% fee. (In my case, I received $171 in Delta credit and paid Sky Key $42.75 in cash.)

Even if you fly just a few times a year, there’s no reason not to try Sky Key yourself—it’s free until it gets you savings, and you’ll always come out ahead. A win-win.

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*Sponsored mention. All experiences and opinions are my own.

What to Know

If you’re an American citizen, you do not need a visa unless you plan to stay more than 90 days. This was much easier than the process in the People’s Republic of China, though keep in mind that if you plan to go to PRC afterwards, you’ll need to exit to a third different region afterwards and can’t return back through Hong Kong.
Also unlike the PRC, VPNs weren’t necessary here. Internet was speedy and reliable throughout.
Upon arrival, you’ll want to grab an Octopus card at a local station or convenience store. It’s a reloadable card that gets you access to public transportation like the MTR subway, buses, and trams, and you can even use it to pay for snacks or toiletries at places like McDonald’s and 7-Eleven.
Similar to Shanghai, you can also download AliPay if you don’t want to carry cash. Most places accept it, and it’s simpler to use if you don’t speak any Cantonese. For this reason, I also recommend downloading Google Translate upon arrival.
Hong Kong was far friendlier for vegetarians than Shanghai, luckily, so if you were concerned about what you could eat in China, rest assured Hong Kong is seemingly more inclusive of all diets.

pmq artist studio, a shop in city center, and the peak tram view

What We Booked, Stayed, & Paid

As I previously mentioned, our flights from Shanghai to Hong Kong to Taipei for two people was $730. To break that down further, the leg specifically from Shanghai to Hong Kong was $291, and then Shanghai to Taipei was $439, and we paid a bit extra for a nicer airline and luggage.

We split our time in Hong Kong between the Kowloon side and the Hong Kong Island side: The first three days, we stayed at the Shangri-La Kowloon for three nights. Maddie, our travel agent, helped us book the first two nights so we could receive exclusive benefits ($100 credit on site, late check-out, early check-in) and then our last night through Expedia because we had a cash-back offer. In total, our three nights here after some in-room service was $1,090. (This is a good time to mention that Hong Kong was undoubtedly the most expensive leg of our trip!)

Once we moved to the Hong Kong Island side of the city, we stayed at The Hari for two nights using our American Express Fine Hotels and Resorts $300 travel credit. This originally would have been $522, but we were able to stay both nights for $222. So in total, our accommodations in Hong Kong cost $1,312 or $262/night for five nights—not bad for four and five star stays.

If I could do it again, I would have added another night to our time on Hong Kong Island. There was so much we wanted to see but didn’t have time for. Overall, both hotels were great: The Hari rooms are much smaller (par for the course for that side of the city) but were very well-kept, polished, and had lots of dining options. The Shangri-La had the kind of epic buffets Asian hotels are known for, though the rooms are a little bit more dated. In both instances, you could not beat the location, so I would recommend them for that reason alone.

chi lin nunnery, kowloon walled city park, view of victoria harbour from shangri-la kowloon

What We Did (Kowloon)

Kowloon Walled City Park: This City Park was a military stronghold back in the day, but by the 90s, it was once one of the most densely populated places on Earth, with 50,000 residents stacked atop one another. Eventually, the space was demolished in 1994 after being cited as a safety concern. By 1995, the City Park you see today was erected. It’s really beautiful and peaceful to walk around, and there is even a city exhibit to show what life was like at that time. (free)
Thai Vegetarian Food: A vegetarian restaurant near the City Park area, a few blocks away. They had an incredible basil tofu fried rice and Thai tea, and the team here speaks fluent English. ($)
Chi Lin Nunnery: A short Uber drive away, we headed to this stunning Buddhist complex. If you’re not a huge fan of how busy and crowded landmark temples can be, I would definitely recommend this one as it’s quiet and a bit more removed since it’s on the Kowloon side. The grounds were built in 1934 for Buddhist nuns, rebuilt in 1998, and it’s free to visit today with gift shops on-site. (free)
Nan Lian Garden: You can find this Tang dynasty-styled garden across the way from the Nunnery. It’s described as a “beautifully designed oasis in the heart of the city,” and I’d agree. You’ll find a Chinese tea house, a few restaurants, a souvenir shop, rare trees and greenery, and more, with the hustle and bustle of the city and skyscrapers in the background. Set aside an hour or two to breathe it all in. (free)
Kubrick Cafe: This community cafe, bookshop, and neighbor to Broadway Cinematheque (where you can catch global films) is a great place for a midday break and snack. We stopped in for fruit juices and a slice of apple pie with ice cream (delicious), and then spent a while ambling through the aisles. ($)
A Symphony of Lights at Victoria Harbor: This LED and laser show lights up the buildings across the Hong Kong Island and Kowloon skylines. There’s a pier on the Kowloon side you can watch this from, though if you stay at the Shangri-La Kowloon, you can watch this from your room. ;) Live every night at 8PM. (free)
Hong Kong Design Centre: We stopped by the HKDC to see the Luminous Neon exhibition (ended last week), which celebrated Hong Kong’s rich history of neon signage. It was free to enter, and the while the exhibition itself is quite quick to walk through, there are some fun photo opportunities throughout. The downstairs space dedicated to design and fashion is also a worthwhile pit stop.
The Avenue of Stars: My husband really wanted to see the Bruce Lee statue, so we stopped by on the Avenue of Stars along the pier while heading back to the hotel. It’s along the waterfront, so you could grab a ferry or boat ride if you wanted to explore more from this area. (free)
Junk Boats: If you see these iconic Chinese ships with red sails, they’re called junk boats, and you can book a tour if you’d like. We didn’t because we had such limited time, but if you want to try a sightseeing cruise or want to party, here you go! Prices range from $25 on a harbor cruise to several hundreds of dollars for a private rental.
Fortune Tellers at Temple Street Night Market: I grew up with parents who really believed in palm reading, tarot, face reading, and so on, so I wanted to try this experience at the night market. The linked guide is fairly in-depth, but we didn’t see many English-speaking options, so keep that in mind. You’ll need cash to pay here and you should plan to show up around 8:30/9PM. We spoke to one gentleman who read our palms and while I took what he said with a grain of salt, it was a unique experience I’m glad I did. We walked around the night market afterwards. ($10–$20)
M+ Museum: This is one of the largest collections of contemporary art across Asia, and we absolutely underestimated how big this space was and how immersive the exhibitions would be. We loved the Lee Bul exhibit so much we bought her book, and we became engrossed in a 40-minute documentary on Bitcoin mining in another room. Definitely keep a few hours open for this visit. (~$24)

What We Did (Hong Kong Island)

Villain Hitting at Causeway Bay: Practiced across China, practitioners use a shoe to repeatedly hit a piece of paper with the name of someone causing trouble or anxiety in your life. They then take that paper and burn it to get rid of the negative energy. This was within walking distance of The Hari, so I wanted to try it out, and for $8, it made for a funny experience. You might have to wait in line so be prepared! Another unique activity you won’t find elsewhere.
The Peak Tram: This tram ride is one of the oldest and most famous railways in the world, operating since the 1880s. You’ll go up to Victoria Peak, about 400 meters above sea level, and once you’re up top, there’s an entire complex with shops, restaurants, and even a Madame Tussauds. Splurge for the extra combo ticket to go up to the Sky Terrace, where the views were truly something else. The ride itself is only about five minutes, though I know for some people who are afraid of heights, so it can be less-than-thrilling. If you do want to take advantage of the ride and the views, sit on the right side going up and the left side coming back down. ($25)
Man Mo Temple: If you want to see a Taoist temple (versus the aforementioned Buddhist one), this one is lavish and exquisite. It does get filled with smoke due to the incense and is fairly busy, but it’s in a walkable neighborhood filled with other shops and restaurants if you wanted to spend a few hours in the area. (free)
Police Married Quarters (PMQ): After taking the world’s longest outdoor covered escalator system (the Central-Mid-Levels Escalator), we headed to the nearby PMQ. These old police headquarters were transformed into spaces and studios for local artists. You can stop by here to pick up souvenirs or one-of-a-kind pieces for yourself: We found a light that we had shipped to us for our at-home library, and looked at beautiful wardrobe essentials, ceramics, and toys. (free)
Ho Lee Fook: For my vegetarian friends, Ho Lee Fook (yes, that’s the real name) was my favorite restaurant in HK. It’s Cantonese style, Michelin-recognized, and everything we tried was incredible: Cauliflower Mushroom and Celtuce Salad with Mala Dressing, Salt and Pepper Tofu with Crispy Garlic, the Pork Char Siu my husband had, the Stir Shallot Oil Stirred Noodles with Crispy Spring Onion. And the cocktails and mocktails, too, were excellent—as was the decor itself. Reservations needed but you can book a few days in advance. ($$–$$$)
Bakehouse: Grab a pastry (the egg tart or the pretzel croissant twist!) at this famous artisanal bakery, with locations all over town.
You could head to Lantau Island via the 360 cable car, Macau, Lamma Island for the little villages, hiking near the New Territories or the Dragon’s Back Trail, ride old trams, or even go to Disneyland. If we’d had more time, I would’ve loved to see the other islands or even do a beach day—so sharing these here in case you have additional time to sightsee.

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