One day in Hong Kong gives you a genuine feel for the city's extraordinary energy, but let's be honest: it's a taster. Hong Kong has an impossible density of things to do, neighbourhoods to explore, and food to eat. What a single day does is show you why so many people come back.

Getting In and Out

Hong Kong International Airport is around 30 minutes from the city centre by the Airport Express train, one of the best airport links in Asia. The express stops at Tsing Yi, Kowloon, and Hong Kong station. From Hong Kong station, you can check in your luggage in advance before flying. Extremely efficient.

Morning

Take the Peak Tram to Victoria Peak first thing. The tram has run since 1888 and the ascent itself is dramatic. At the top, the view over Hong Kong Island, the harbour, and Kowloon is one of the great city panoramas in the world. Go early to beat the queues and the haze.

Come back down and take the Star Ferry across Victoria Harbour from Central to Tsim Sha Tsui in Kowloon. The eight-minute crossing is still one of the best ways to see the Hong Kong skyline and it costs almost nothing.

Afternoon

Spend the afternoon in Kowloon. The Temple Street Night Market doesn't really get going until evening, but the surrounding streets of Yau Ma Tei are excellent for wandering in the afternoon. The Jade Market at the junction of Battery Street and Kansu Street is one of Hong Kong's more unusual shopping experiences.

Lunch in the Nathan Road area: the side streets off Nathan Road have some outstanding dai pai dong (outdoor cooked food stalls) and small Cantonese restaurants. Dim sum in Kowloon is also reliably good.

If you want a quieter afternoon, the Wong Tai Sin Temple in northeastern Kowloon is one of Hong Kong's most important Taoist temples and genuinely atmospheric.

Evening (if time allows)

The Symphony of Lights, the nightly light and sound show across the harbour, runs at 8pm. Watch from the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront promenade for the best view.

Temple Street Night Market is in full swing from 7pm: the stalls sell everything from jade and electronics to antiques and street food. The fortune tellers and opera performers that used to characterise it are less common now, but it's still worth walking.

What to Skip

Lantau Island and the Big Buddha require a half-day minimum. Not for a one-day visit unless the cable car to Ngong Ping is specifically what you're there for.

The Hong Kong Disneyland and Ocean Park are full days in themselves. Obviously skip them on a 24-hour visit.

Hong Kong is one of the world's most compelling cities and one day only hints at what it offers. Come back with time.