3 Days in Hong Kong – How to See Hong Kong in 72 Hours

Last updated on June 5th, 2026 at 11:52 pm

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Those with 3 days in Hong Kong should follow this tailor-made itinerary to see all the main sights.

72 hours is a decent amount of time to explore the city without feeling rushed.

Hong Kong is divided into three sections: Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and the New Territories. Instead of zigzagging across the city, which is exhausting, I have split the itinerary so you can spend one day in each section.

Without further ado, here is a breakdown of the Hong Kong travel itinerary.

Let’s get started!

3 Days in Hong Kong – Day One in Kowloon

1^st day – Early Morning

Wong Tai Sin Temple

This is the perfect way to start your first day in Hong Kong, since the temple opens early in the morning. Early risers will have something to do, so they don’t feel like they’re missing out during their time here.

The area around the Wong Tai Sin temple is quite large. Take a walk around and enjoy the beautiful temples, a traditional Chinese temple with several attractions.

The main attraction is the hordes of people praying for all kinds of reasons, such as career, health, love, and finances.

People are lighting incense left and right. There’s the traditional kneeling and presenting offerings to the Gods, but there is also something called kau chim.

This type of fortune-telling involves kneeling and shaking a container of sticks to ask God a question. The first stick that comes out is your answer. Remember your number and scan the QR code to see the answer.

You can pay a little extra and go to a fortune-teller booth. There are dozens of them lined up, and they will explain your answer in detail. These fortune tellers also offer other services, such as palm, face, and birthday readings.

Wong Tai Sin – Temple Mall

Within a few minutes’ walking distance of the temple is a shopping centre called Temple Mall. They are split into two different types – Temple Mall North and Temple Mall South. The stores inside the mall don’t open as early, but you might be able to find a few bakeries open if you’re in a rush to grab something for breakfast.

1^st day – Late Morning

A few subway stops away from Wong Tai Sin is Choi Hung. You will find Choi Hung Estate, Chi Lun Nunnery, and Nan Lian Garden here. These three spots are all a must-visit if you want to take pretty Instagram pictures of Hong Kong.

Choi Hung Estate is on top of a parking lot, so you must climb the stairs. If you can’t find it, ask locals nearby. Too many people come here for pictures; they’ll know what you’re talking about.

Also, the area gets quite crowded because basketball courts are in front of the Rainbow estate. You’re going to have to be strategic about taking pictures if you want humans out of the way. It’s a quick stop because there’s not much to see, aside from some photos.

People actually live in Choi Hung Estate, so visitors should respect the residents.

You’ll spend more time at Chi Lun Nunnery and Nan Lian Garden, which are next to each other, so you’ll kill two birds with one stone.

This morning was quite rushed, so strolling around Nan Lian Garden would be more relaxing. Of course, it depends on the month you’re visiting. In the summer months, you might not be as eager to spend much time in the garden, since it will be too warm (unfortunately, heat is one of the downsides of living in HK).

It can seem like too much, since there are two temples in one morning, but the vibe at Chi Lun Nunnery is entirely different. Wong Tai Sin is busier; there’s a lot of red and gold everywhere. Chi Lun Nunnery has darker colours since it’s a wooden building.

1^st day – Lunch

One of the best foods to eat in Hong Kong is dim sum. It’s a classic, and you can find dim sum restaurants all around the city. Even with so many of them, they’re always busy on the weekends. It’s a ritual with many families to go for yum cha on a Saturday or Sunday morning.

Depending on the restaurant, you can also find signature HK dishes like barbecue meats, wonton noodles, and egg tarts. That’s multiple classic HK foods you can eat on your first day.

1^st Day – Afternoon

The next district to visit is Tsim Sha Tsui, a tourist and local favourite for shopping and dining.

There are several malls around the area. If you can visit only two, go to K11 Musea and Harbour City, as you’ll see multiple tourist attractions by walking between the malls.

These attractions include:

• Victoria Habour
• Star Ferry
• Clock Tower
• Avenue of Stars is inspired by Hollywood’s Walk of Fame, where you’ll see iconic celebrities. If you are familiar with the Chinese entertainment industry, there are definitely at least a few you’ll recognize along the way.
• Hong Kong Space Museum
• Hong Kong Cultural Centre

Tsim Sha Tsui also has multiple museums. Here are all the options:

• Hong Kong Space Museum
• Hong Kong Palace Museum
• Hong Kong History Museum
• Hong Kong Museum of Art
• Hong Kong Science Museum
• Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Museum (inside Kowloon Park)

You can spend a whole day there and still have plenty of things to keep you busy.

1^st Day – Late Afternoon

Next up is Mong Kok.

The best time to visit Mong Kok is in the late afternoon. The stores here open later (around 1:30 p.m.) because they close later than regular stores.

Here are all kinds of things to buy, like…

• Sneakers
• Korean Clothes
• Electronics
• Goldfish
• Korean skincare and makeup
• Flowers
• Birds
• Hong Kong Souvenirs
• Street Food

There’s one thing to hit in Mong Kokit’s’Ladies’s Ladies’ Market. It’s arguably the most well-known market in Hong Kong. This is an outdoor market where sellers offer a variety of goods. You can even try your hand at bargaining, but many stalls aren’t willing to budge as much as before.

1^st Day – Dinner

Temple Street Night Market comes alive at night. It’s exceptionally close to Mong Kok. You can take public transportation or even walk. (The closest MTR station to Temple Street is Jordan Station. Take Exit A to see the massive entrance to Temple Street.)

It’s similar to the Ladies’ Market, where vendors sell a wide range of items; however, Temple Street is geared more towards men.

There are also dai pai dongs, essentially outside stalls serving food. These places aren’t fancy, but they serve fresh food. Depending on who you ask, some people might even think they’re too dirty, but they’re absolutely part of Hong Kong culture.

Usually, locals go to the New Territories for live and fresh seafood, but depending on your journey, it might be a bit out of the way. At Temple Street night market, you’ll get to try fresh seafood—something not talked about enough in Hong Kong. The seafood in Hong Kong is fantastic.

1^st Day – After Dinner

After dinner, it’s time to visit Temple Street Fortune Telling. This street comes alive at night with fortune tellers and their red tents that line up across the street.

Hong Kong people are quite superstitious. Suppose you missed your chance at Wong Tai Sin Temple, here’s another chance. Wong Tai Sin Temple offers traditional services like birth chart reading, palmistry, and face reading. The stalls at the Temple Street night market do too, and they also offer tarot card readings.

My favourite is the fortune teller with the bird. You share what you’d like to learn more about, ask your question, give your surname, and the fortune teller asks the bird. He feeds the bird first, and then the bird selects an envelope for you. I picked a bird that the fortune teller told me is usually lazy! But thankfully, he cooperated with me and chose one.

Inside the envelope lies your answer. You might not believe in fortune-telling, and that’s totally bogus. But it’s fun, and something’s not often found.

3 days in Hong Kong – Day 2 in Hong Kong Island

2nd day – Morning

On the 2^nd day, the day starts a little later because it will end later.

Have a quiet morning and start the day by grabbing breakfast at an HK café. Typical dishes include egg sandwiches, café cari soup, French toast, and congee with fried dough sticks.

After your belly is full, the first stop is Monster Building in Quarry Bay, like Rainbow Estate, a residential building that attracts visitors from all over the world for photos. There is no set time for when it opens. It’s also not a place you’ll stay for too long unless you’re trying to get that one perfect shot.

Some movies have been filmed here because it’s hard to believe how many people live in this space. Hundreds of people can fit into this one building?! It seems fake, but I can assure you that’s totally real.

2nd Day – Late Morning/Early Afternoon

Causeway Bay is similar to Tsim Sha Tsui, except it’s on the HK Island side. The stores here also don’t usually open until around 11 a.m.

Shoppers will love this area, as it has several malls, including Times Square, Hysan Place, Lee Gardens, and Fashion Walk. SOGO is also a huge department store that sells pretty much anything.

The basement level is dedicated to grocery and food stalls; there’s plenty to eat when you get hungry from all that moving and walking.

Lunch – HK Café

You might be thinking, ‘Why on earth would I eat at an HK café again after I had it for breakfast?’

Cafés, because the dishes they serve in the morning and afternoon are entirely different. In the afternoon, they have BBQ meats, curry rice, baked tomato rice, fried noodles, and wonton noodles.

Locals eat at HK cafes when they want to grab a quick bite,, but don’tt wish to skimp on food quality. There are also many options, and most importantly, they’re affordable!

I personally love HK cafes and eat there usually about once a week.

2nd Day – Afternoon

After lunch, it’s time to head up to Victoria Peak from Central. The Peak is the city’s highest point, offering views of the Hong Kong skyline.

Most people take the tram to the top. While you’re up on top, attractions like Madame Tussauds Museum, walking trails, shopping malls, souvenir stores, and restaurants will keep you occupied.

It’s overpriced, but I like their candy store, Candylicious. It reminds me of Dylan’s Candy Bar in NYC, where there are hundreds of sweet options. Too bad they don’t have a store in the city centre, because I’d visit it often. Actually, now that I think about it, maybe it’s a good thing they don’t have a store in the city, or else too much of my money will go there.

You can expect to spend about 2-3 hours at the Peak.

2nd Day – Late Afternoon

When you take the peak tram back down, you’ll be back in Central, where you started.

Central is Hong Kong’s financial district, so it tends to be quieter on weekends.

There are fine-dining restaurants and luxury malls all around the area.

Although you’ve just taken the peak tram, you can take the tram —or, as locals call it, the ding ding —to go around the area.

(The peak tram is the tram that goes up to the peak, sits on an incline, whereas the ding ding is on a flat surface and goes around the Hong Kong Island area.)

Your feet need a rest from all that walking. There’s still so much to do in the time you have left in Hong Kong. The ding ding lets you see a street view of the city. This type of transportation is quite relaxing, and most don’t have air conditioning. On the plus side, it’s affordable.  

The tram has limited routes, so if you pass on the opportunity to ride it, there might not be another chance, according to this Hong Kong 3-day schedule.

2nd Day – Late Night

Lan Kwai Fong and Central are must-visit places for those who love bars and clubs. It is THE party place in HK.

Lan Kwai Fong is packed at night, especially on Friday and Saturday nights. Suppose you compare it to the exact spot during the day, and it’s completely dead. The atmosphere after the sun sets feels livelier and more fun.

This is where you must go to experience Hong Kong’s fun nightlife.

Wind down in this area before heading back to the hotel.

The last day of your trip will be just as full, so try not to get too crazy at Lan Kwai Fong.

3 Days in Hong Kong – Day 3 on Lantau Island

The last day is reserved for a day trip. Various options are available, depending on what you would like to do.

3rd Day – Option One

Those who prefer sightseeing should visit the Big Buddha. You take the cable car up to Ngong Ping Village when you go to Big Buddha. This small village has a few souvenir shops, restaurants, a monastery, and a mini chocolate museum to keep you busy before going to the main tourist attraction.

There are hundreds of steps before you can reach the foot of the bronze BuddhaIt. It’s pretty tiring and can get quite cramped, especially when there are a lot of people there at once. But it’s also something people usually only do once, so remember that you’re huffing and puffing as you keep walking up the stairs.

If you had done your research before coming to Hong Kong, you would have known to pack comfortable footwear because there is a lot of walking involved.

Big Buddha and Ngong Ping Village won’t take the whole day. Many people will partner with Big Buddha and Tai O Fishing Village, both known for their shrimp paste and pink dolphins.

3^rd Day – Option Two

Did you know HK has two amusement parks?

It might come as a surprise since Hong Kong is known for its small spaces.

There is Ocean Park and Hong Kong Disneyland.

Ocean Park has a chill, local vibe and is bigger, with more attractions.

On the other hand, there is Disneyland, a worldwide-famous theme park that needs little introduction. Disney fans won’t want to miss out on this one.

Be wise on the day you visit Disneyland, and you’ll avoid having to queue for an absurd amount of time.

3^rd Day – Option Three

The third option is to spend your last day in Hong Kong with nature.

The last two days were spent in the city, so the 3rd day was spent in nature. Head to Sai Kung or Discovery Bay for fresh seafood, local shops, beaches, hiking trails, temples, and parks.

These islands in Hong Kong have a slower pace of life. You won’t feel as rushed to finish everything in one go, and can stroll around the neighbourhood.

Final Thoughts – 3 days in Hong Kong

You might wonder why I didn’t include Macau in my 3-day visit to Hong Kong. There’s a good reason for this.

There’s so much to see in Hong Kong, but people automatically think they should travel to Shenzhen and Macau if they have extra time in the city. While those two places are definitely worth exploring, if you have limited time in Hong Kong, I would highly recommend visiting the city centre and the suburbs before moving on to other cities.

With this thorough Hong Kong itinerary, you can see the most critical parts of Hong Kong in 3 days. This 72-hour itinerary offers a mix of everything for anyone visiting this Chinese city.

Now to You – 3 Days in Hong Kong

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Xoxo,
Nicole