Hong Kong Itineraries — Central in Four Hours
This four-hour itinerary will take you through some of the key heritage sites and cultural experiences in Central. If you have just one day in Hong Kong, I suggest doing this walk to get a sense of Hong Kong’s most iconic character. The walk will start with a tour of the Peak, then a descent by taking the Peak Tram to the business district of Central. Have Google Map as your guide. You can set the app to walking and do multiple stops as it is shown here.
The Peak
| Site | Significance | Nature of Scenery | Transportation |
| The Peak (45 minutes) | The must-visit site for first-time visitors to Hong Kong. The aerial views north of the Victoria Harbor are the best at the Peak. There are heritage dining and hiking options as well. | City and harbor views, heritage and dining | Arrive by bus or minibus (Route 15 from Exchange Square, Green Minibus Route 1 from the Hong Kong Station Minibus Terminal at the IFC) depart by Peak Tram |
St. John’s Cathedral
| Site | Significance | Nature of Scenery | Transportation |
| St. John’s Cathedral (20 minutes) | Since 1849, the St. John’s Cathedral is the oldest Anglican Church in Hong Kong, with beautiful unadorned adaptation of 13th-century English and decorated Gothic, which was the popular revivalist style for churches at the time. | Religious architecture | Walk from the Peak Tram Station |
Duddell Street Steps and Gas Lamps
| Site | Significance | Nature of Scenery | Transportation |
| Duddell Street Steps and Gas Lamps
(10 minutes) |
Installation for the Duddell Street Steps and Gas Lamps completed circa 1883-1889, still early in the colonial days. Together, the steps and the gas lamps of Duddell Street are the very expression of colonial architecture. The gas lamps are the only such lamps remaining in all of Hong Kong and they are still lit now. | Colonial architecture | Walk from St. John’s Cathedral |
Lan Kwai Fong (Bar Street)
| Site | Significance | Nature of Scenery | Transportation |
| Lan Kwai Fong (LKF)
(30 minutes) |
The bar street of Hong Kong with a number of restaurants serving small and big meals. With history stretching as far as WWII, when it was mostly reserved for hawkers. It was developed in the 1980s into a bar area. Certainly a hang-out hotspot for expatriates in Hong Kong. Have a beer before you move on to the next sites! | Bar, restaurants | Walk from Duddell Street. |
Tai Kwun
| Site | Significance | Nature of Scenery | Transportation |
| Tai Kwun
(45 minutes) |
Tai Kwun is the former Central Police Station that operated during the early colonial days until the 2000’s. Standing as a revitalized cultural space consisting of three declared monuments, Tai Kwun presents the public with an opportunity to revisit a part of Hong Kong history that was once ridden with the unpleasantries of a sometimes-unjust system of justice. | Historic, museum | Walk (upward incline) over from Lan Kwai Fong. |
Lan Fong Yuen
| Site | Significance | Nature of Scenery | Transportation |
| Lan Fong Yuen (40 minutes) | Lan Fong Yuen serves up wonderful small meals, such as pan-fried chicken with spring onion over ramen and French toast. Top it up with milk tea and you are ready to go for another two hours of a walking tour.
Lan Fong Yuen has become mostly a tourist-favored cha chaan teng. Expect very long lines if you are going on a Saturday. |
Restaurant, local food | Walk (downward) from Tai Kwun. |
Central Market
| Site | Significance | Nature of Scenery | Transportation |
| Central Market
(30 minutes) |
The Central Market has a long history serving the daily needs of Central residents since the beginning of Hong Kong as a British colony. It has gone through a few constructed buildings as a market place, and it stands as the only example of Bauhaus architecture in Hong Kong. After revitalization, the Central Market is now populated with trendy establishments featuring local or foreign varieties in their products. | Historic architecture, restaurants, café, souvenirs | Walk from Lan Fong Yuen |
Jamia Mosque
| Site | Significance | Nature of Scenery | Transportation |
| Jamia Mosque
(20 minutes) |
The Jamia Mosque is the very first official place of worship for the Muslims in Hong Kong. Built in 1890, it signifies the beginning of Islam in Hong Kong. Also known as Jamia Masjid, the name of the mosque means the “mosque of congregation” in Arabic. | Historic religious architecture | Walk from Central Market via the Central Mid-Levels Escalators |
