Hong Kong trip for Australians: a three day plan

Hong Kong trip for Australians is easy to plan: you need no visa for a stay of less than 90 days, and three days is enough to see the harbour, the Peak and the busy city streets. This guide gives a simple plan built around the Airport Express train, the Star Ferry and the tram up Victoria Peak.

It also covers the entry rules, the rainy and typhoon months, and a few safety points that matter for Australian visitors.

Before you go

The Australian Government says Australian tourists do not need a visa for visits of less than 90 days. Check that your passport stays valid for six months or more after the day you plan to return to Australia. Carry copies of your passport photo page and a spare passport photo in case you need a replacement.

A visitor may not take a job, paid or unpaid, run a business or study while in Hong Kong on a visitor stay. Hong Kong is a Special Administrative Region of China and has its own immigration rules. If you plan to cross into mainland China, check the Chinese visa rules before you leave Australia, because you may need a separate visa.

Think about the season too. Typhoon season runs from May to October, so a trip in May or later should allow for a change of plans. Watch the local weather forecasts and follow the advice of local officials.

Sources for this section: Smartraveller, Hong Kong travel advice, issued 11 March 2014.

Day one: Airport Express and Star Ferry

Take the Airport Express from the airport into the city. It started running on 6 July 1998, the same day the new Hong Kong International Airport opened. The trip to Hong Kong Station on Hong Kong Island takes 24 minutes, and trains leave about every 10 minutes during the day. That is quick enough to drop your bags at your hotel and be out on the street within a couple of hours of landing.

For the afternoon, ride the Star Ferry across Victoria Harbour. The company began in 1888 as the Kowloon Ferry Company and took the Star Ferry name in 1898. It now runs two routes, between Tsim Sha Tsui and Central and between Tsim Sha Tsui and Wan Chai. More than 70,000 people ride it each day.

The fare is small. The upper deck between Tsim Sha Tsui and Central costs HK$2.50 on weekdays and HK$3.40 on weekends and public holidays. The lower deck is a little less. Cross in daylight for the view of the Hong Kong Island skyline, then walk the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront. Come back across after dark to see the lights from the water.

Sources for this section: Wikipedia, Airport Express (MTR); Wikipedia, Star Ferry, page as saved in March 2014.

Day two: the Peak

Spend the second day on Victoria Peak. The Peak Tram opened to the public in May 1888, so you are riding one of the oldest ways up in the city. There is a combined Peak Tram Sky Pass, which covers a tram ride and entry to the Sky Terrace 428. It is sold at the Garden Road lower terminus.

The Sky Terrace 428 stands 428 metres above sea level. The Peak operator describes it as the highest 360 degree viewing platform in Hong Kong. It opens at 10 am from Monday to Friday and at 8 am on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. It closes at 11 pm every day, so you can go up for the evening view as well as the day view.

Plan the visit around the weather. Clear days give the best views, and low cloud can hide the harbour. If the morning looks grey, go to the Peak in the evening instead, and keep the morning for the streets and markets of Central.

Sources for this section: The Peak, Sky Terrace 428 page, saved 2 May 2014; Wikipedia, Peak Tram.

Day three: a slow day and the trip home

Keep the last day loose. Use it for whatever you missed on the first two days, such as a second Star Ferry crossing, this time on the Tsim Sha Tsui to Wan Chai route. Leave the shopping and last meals for the morning so you are not rushing.

Work backwards from your flight. The Airport Express takes 24 minutes from Hong Kong Station, and trains run about every 10 minutes by day, so you can leave a comfortable gap before check-in. Do not cut it fine in typhoon season, when flights can be delayed.

Check that you are not packing any of the items Hong Kong bans, which are covered in the next section.

Sources for this section: Wikipedia, Airport Express (MTR); Wikipedia, Star Ferry; Smartraveller, Hong Kong travel advice, issued 11 March 2014.

Staying safe and healthy

The Australian Government advises normal safety precautions in Hong Kong. There is little violent crime. Pickpocketing and street theft can happen in crowded places such as markets and trains, so keep your bag closed and your valuables out of sight. Use ATMs inside banks or shopping centres where you can, and do not leave drinks unattended in bars.

Know the local laws, because they apply to you as a visitor. Hong Kong has strict rules on weapons and items that look like weapons, including replicas, toys and fashion accessories. Foreigners, including Australians, have been prosecuted for having stun devices, dart and spear guns, knuckledusters and slingshots, even when bought at local markets. The rules also apply to people in transit at the airport. Drug penalties include heavy fines and jail, and demonstrations without approval are not allowed.

Book comprehensive travel insurance before you go. Hong Kong has high standard medical services, but costs can be much higher than in Australia, and some private hospitals ask for proof of insurance or a deposit before they admit a patient. The government notes that bird flu cases have been reported in Hong Kong since December 2013, in people who had recently visited mainland China. It also advises careful hand washing and good food hygiene.

This is general information, not medical advice. Book a visit with your GP or a travel health clinic at least eight weeks before you leave, so a clinician can go over your own health and which vaccinations suit your Hong Kong plans.

Sources for this section: Smartraveller, Hong Kong travel advice, issued 11 March 2014.

Sources

1. Smartraveller (Australian Government), Hong Kong travel advice, issued 11 March 2014: smartraveller.gov.au
2. Wikipedia, Star Ferry, page as saved on 19 March 2014: en.wikipedia.org
3. Wikipedia, Airport Express (MTR): en.wikipedia.org
4. Wikipedia, Peak Tram: en.wikipedia.org
5. The Peak Hong Kong, Sky Terrace 428, page as saved on 2 May 2014: thepeak.com.hk