Hong Kong Holiday: 5 Days of Family Fun
Visa Journey
For our family of five, the visa process was a bit of a rollercoaster. We applied on March 7th, and while two of us received our triple-entry visas around March 14th, the remaining three had to wait until April 14th. We opted to use a visa service to handle the application.
Regarding SIM cards, one worked perfectly right away, but the other needed activation on a different device before it started working. We also borrowed an Octopus card from someone familiar with Hong Kong – super helpful for getting around!
Flights and Accommodation
Our round-trip flights with Cathay Pacific for two adults and three children came to RM 15,000. For accommodation, we split our stay between two hotels.
- Iclub Wanchai Hotel (2 Nights): The 3-person room was spacious and included a microwave. While slightly dated, its location was fantastic – right next to a bus stop and the 'ding ding' tram, with a 5-minute walk to the Wanchai MTR station, near a market, and plenty of food options.
- The Kowloon Hotel (2 Nights): Directly connected to a train station in a vibrant, bustling area on Nathan Road. It was just across the street from the Avenue of Stars. The rooms were smaller and a bit older.
Our 5-Day Hong Kong Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival and Wanchai Delights
Our flight landed at 2 PM. We took the A11 airport bus to Wanchai (RM 25 per person, children under 3 are free). The ride was quick (around 45 minutes to an hour) but quite bumpy, so be warned if you get carsick! Our hotel was right by the bus stop, making check-in a breeze.
After settling in, we walked to Chung Kee Congee to grab some comforting porridge after the shaky bus ride. A generous portion cost us RM 60.
We then headed to Causeway Bay via the MTR for Heytea and Yee Shun Milk Company. The steamed milk curd is best enjoyed hot!
Day 2: Hong Kong Island Adventures
We mostly travelled by 'ding ding' tram or walked on Hong Kong Island during these two days.
Breakfast was at Luk Yu Tea House, costing about RM 180 for 10 servings of dim sum. Their har gow (shrimp dumplings) are made with rice flour, resulting in a softer, slightly thicker wrapper, but the filling is fresh and generously sized. Arriving around 8 AM meant we got a table right away. The older staff were very friendly, despite the language barrier.
After breakfast, we checked out Kennedy Town and had coffee at % Arabica. Then, it was off to Ocean Park (purchase tickets on Klook for best deals – highly recommended for families with young children!). Food inside is pricey, so packing some snacks is a good idea.
We spent the afternoon at Ocean Park before heading back to the city for dinner at Kam's Roast Goose. Afterwards, we hopped on a 'ding ding' tram towards Quarry Bay to see the iconic 'Monster Building' apartment complexes. A quick stop at 360 for groceries completed our day.
Day 3: Central Exploration and Mong Kok Vibes
Breakfast at a local eatery near our hotel – beef offal noodles and beef ball noodles. We found it too salty and wouldn't particularly recommend it. We then rode the 'ding ding' tram to explore Central, visiting Duddell Street Steps and Gas Lamps, the Fringe Club, Lan Kwai Fong, Central-Mid-Levels Escalators, and the Graham Street Wall Mural.
We enjoyed egg tarts at Bakehouse (they only start serving at 11:30 AM) and lemon tea at Lan Heung Ling Lemon Tea. We tried to visit Lan Fong Yuen for milk tea but it was closed, so we just took pictures. We also tried Yat Lok for roast goose.
Back to the hotel to check out. The receptionist kindly helped us book a taxi to The Kowloon Hotel.
Around 4 PM, we took the MTR to Mong Kok to explore the street food scene, check out Sneaker Street and Ladies' Market. We had Kai Kai Dessert (the chilled egg and milk dessert was a bit fishy; the mango sago was better), soy milk, coconut milk drink, and BHC fried chicken (portions were large but not as tasty as in Korea). We finished with a Mobie Softee ice cream.
We walked along Nathan Road, taking pictures at the Hong Kong Avenue of Comic Stars before heading back to the hotel.
Day 4: Harbour Views and K11 Musea
We had breakfast at Fu Wah Cafe (pineapple bun with butter was delicious).
We headed to the harbourfront to take pictures with the Lilo & Stitch statues. We considered taking the Star Ferry to Central, but the waves looked too rough. Instead, we strolled along the Avenue of Stars. We took the stairs at the end of the road to the park across the street. The kids loved the playground! Afterwards, we went back to the hotel for a nap.
At 4 PM, we walked to K11 Musea and found the elevators to the 6th floor for panoramic views of Victoria Harbour. We had dinner at the food court on B2. The char siu rice was a bestseller (RM 40) and enough for three of us to share. We finished the day by getting souvenirs at Elegant Tang Dynasty.
Day 5: Last Bites and Departure
Our initial plan was to try Wah Heung Yuen in the Haiphong Road Temporary Market, based on recommendations from Thai TikTokers, but it was closed. We settled for a nearby stall run by friendly older folks who didn't speak English but tried their best to help us using Cantonese. We ordered two bowls of beef instant noodles and toast (the yellow noodles were instant noodles, the white noodles were similar to our local 'kuey teow').
Before checking out, we stopped at Bakehouse again for more egg tarts to take home. Even at 9 AM, we had to queue for 30 minutes – it was much busier than the Central branch!
We checked out of the hotel and took a taxi to the airport. RM 180 for five people felt worth it to avoid another bumpy bus ride.
Having children allowed us to use priority lanes at check-in and immigration. For security, we learned that only infants under 2 years old were allowed to bring water through. Our 3-year-old's water and yogurt were confiscated.
We had lunch at the airport with familiar comfort food: chicken rice and char siu, and wonton noodles.
Gate 11 has a slide for children (but only for ages 6 and up). At Gate 23, there's a sky bridge with transparent glass flooring offering a view of the planes and the observation deck. Gate 60 has a delicious egg roll vendor.
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