The Best Things to Do in Hong Kong on Shore Leave (Crew Guide)
By virtue of completing five contracts (non-consecutively) with Hong Kong as our home port, I’ve come to know this city with the strange intimacy only ship crew experience.
That said, when I first arrived as a green crew member fresh from my first contract, I didn’t understand how perfectly Hong Kong would suit our unique needs. Coming from suburban Malaysia and having only briefly visited Singapore once before joining the ship, nothing prepared me for this vertical city's energy.
I remember my first shore leave, stepping off the gangway at Ocean Terminal, completely overwhelmed by the sensory overload of Tsim Sha Tsui, realising with giddy excitement that this would be my playground for months to come.
So, with all that said, what would I recommend for fellow crew members during their precious hours ashore?
Here’s my carefully curated selection of the best things to do in Hong Kong on shore leave, starting with the essentials near cruise terminals...
The Best Places to Visit in Hong Kong
Over five contracts, I've experienced Hong Kong through two very different gangways. My first two rotations docked at Ocean Terminal in Tsim Sha Tsui. The remaining contracts? Kai Tak Cruise Terminal, where the only immediate excitement was watching another cruise ship dock at the new terminal.
Harbour City meant instant access to Hong Kong's pulse. Kai Tak required strategy – budgeting an extra hour for transport, weighing whether the MTR to Central was worth sacrificing precious shore leave minutes. While both terminals got me to the same city, they demanded completely different approaches.
(Note: If you're reading this guide, you're likely crew with limited time. But if you have any flexibility in your schedule, I'd highly recommend venture beyond the obvious. Some of my best Hong Kong moments happened when I ignored the malls and got properly lost.)
The Best Places Around Ocean Terminal for Shore Leave
Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade
When time is extremely short and you’re not hungry, this waterfront walk saves your sanity. Start at the historic Clock Tower, pass Jackie Chan's star plaque, and continue to the art museum. The skyline view never gets old. The stone benches near the cultural centre are perfect for watching the Star Ferry crisscross Victoria Harbour – Hong Kong's best free show.
Kowloon Park
Between Nathan Road's chaos and Canton Road's luxury boutiques, this green space became my decompression chamber. The park features lush gardens, a large aviary, and a tranquil Chinese garden complete with a koi pond.
I somehow missed checking out the aviary during my visits. Instead, I spent my time people-watching and cat-watching, which was oddly therapeutic.
Harbour City
Step off the gangway and you're swallowed by Hong Kong's largest mall. Forget cultural experiences; this is where crew survival happens. I've spent entire leaves drifting between its air-conditioned floors, recharging both phone and sanity. The free WiFi works without local SIM – crucial for contacting family between shifts.
The Best Places Around Kai Tak Cruise Terminal for Shore Leave
Kowloon Bay
Stepping off at Kai Tak, two escapes exist beyond the taxi queues. The terminal’s rooftop garden hides up deserted escalators, offering panoramic views of Victoria Harbour. Further west, Kai Tak Sky Garden’s elevated walkway traces the old runway.
Between these green spaces, Kowloon Bay's practical side emerges. MegaBox rises like a beacon of commerce, while Telford Plaza's MTR entrance disappears underground, a portal to Hong Kong's endless energy.
Kwun Tong
Once Hong Kong's factory heart, now a maze of converted industrial buildings where street art murals battle with neon signs. APM Mall's glass facade reflects the district's uneasy transition – its escalators ferrying office workers between floors where textile machines once hummed.
Ngau Tau Kok
A neighborhood suspended between eras. Amoy Plaza's brutalist concrete exterior hides a warren of family-run shops selling everything from plastic flowers to pirated DVDs. Outside, elderly men play xiangqi under banyan trees while minibuses rattle down King Yip Street.
Diamond Hill
An unexpected oasis where the MTR station's tiled corridors give way to Nan Lian Garden's classical moon gates and precisely raked gravel. The garden's artificial waterfall drowns out city noise, its golden koi moving lazily beneath wooden bridges. Nearby, the Chi Lin Nunnery's cedar architecture stands untouched by time. I regret never visiting during my contracts.
But what about the best activities? Beyond grocery runs, this city still whispers adventures for those who listen. Let’s talk about the best things to do in Hong Kong when you steal moments between duty…
The Best Things to Do in Hong Kong
1. Take in the Views from Victoria Peak
Victoria Peak, or "The Peak," isn’t just a viewpoint – it’s where Hong Kong reveal its true scale. While tourists queue for the tram, I hike one of the peak’s trails for a more adventurous option, a concrete path that suddenly opens to reveal the city enveloped in mist.
My batchmate told me she often went on solo hikes here, taking the bus down. But I've always walked – partly for the exercise, mostly because I still don't trust myself with Hong Kong's bus routes.
1. Explore the Markets in Mong Kok
Mong Kok is a sensory overload in the best possible way. It slaps you with wet market smells, trolleys rattling over uneven pavement, and the constant duck-and-weave of pedestrian traffic.
The Ladies Market is where bargaining becomes sport. Stalls overflow with knockoff bags, phone cases, and socks printed with everything from Hello Kitty to Marvel. A few streets over, Goldfish Street feels like walking through an aquarium’s backroom – plastic bags of glowing bettas, turtles, and neon tetras strung up like lanterns.
Yes, I still need a map to navigate here. Yes, I’ve walked the 3km from Tsim Sha Tsui a few times, dodging passers-by and construction barriers. But that’s the point – Mong Kok doesn’t reveal itself to those in a hurry.
3. WIsh for Good Luck at Wong Tai Sin Temple
If you’re looking for a dash of spirituality – or just hoping to ask the universe for better crew cabin assignments – Wong Tai Sin Temple is the place to be. This stunning temple is dedicated to Wong Tai Sin, a deity known for answering prayers, especially those related to health and good fortune.
Even if you're not spiritual, this temple complex is worth experiencing. The scent of burning incense sticks, the clatter of kau chim (求签) (fortune-telling sticks), the vibrant architecture – it's Hong Kong tradition in its purest form.
4. Get Techy at Sham Shui Po
This neighborhood thrives on organized chaos. Golden Computer Centre's labyrinthine floors offer everything from vintage Walkmans to drone parts, while nearby Apliu Street's stalls hawk mysterious cables in bulk. The real prize? Fuk Wing Street's black market for phone repairs. Don't miss the dai pai dong near Yen Chow Street that's been serving milk tea since 1978.
5. Hike to the Peaks of Ma Kong Shan
Ma Kong Shan, or The Twins, are a pair of mountains in the southern Hong Kong. Its trail assaults you with over 1,000 steps carved into the hillside, each punishing flight rewarded with glimpses of Stanley Bay through the trees.
By the third rest stop, I was questioning all my life choices – until the summit revealed Hong Kong Island laid out like a pop-up book. Worth every wheeze.
6. Take a Day Trip to Cheung Chau Island
The ferry ride alone justifies the trip – junk boats bobbing in waters, the island emerging like a dumpling on the horizon. Cheung Chau has no cars, just narrow lanes. Follow the smell of fried squid to the waterfront restaurants, then hike to Tung Wan Beach's crescent of sand. If you visit in May, the Bun Festival transforms the town with towering bamboo towers studded with lucky pastries.
7. Take a Day Trip to Lamma Island
Lamma feels decades removed from Hong Kong. The ferry drops you at Yung Shue Wan, a village of seafood cafes and hippie boutiques. The family trail to Sok Kwu Wan cuts through banana groves and abandoned tin houses, ending at a bay where restaurants will cook your fish straight from the tank.
8. VIsit the Big Buddha and Po Lin Monastery
The Ngong Ping 360 cable car floats you over jungle-covered peaks to Lantau's spiritual heart. 268 steps lead to the Big Buddha's serene gaze – worth the climb for the mountain panorama alone. At Po Lin Monastery, vegetarian meals are served in cavernous halls scented with sandalwood. Time your return for dusk, when the cable car becomes a glass bubble drifting through cotton-candy clouds.
I have to admit, I never made it here despite multiple contracts. But I’ve heard plenty of crew visited during long shore leave, so it’s definitely doable.
9. Ride the Star Ferry
The Star Ferry is a quintessential Hong Kong experience and an incredibly affordable way to enjoy the city’s stunning skyline. For a few Hong Kong dollars, you can ride between Central and Tsim Sha Tsui, taking in sweeping views of Victoria Harbour and the surrounding skyscrapers.
For crew like us, the Star Ferry isn’t just a tourist activity – it’s often the quickest and most scenic way back to the ship.
If you can, time your ride for sunset or the evening hours. Watching the city light up from the water is a sight you’ll never forget. It’s a reminder of why Hong Kong is often called the Pearl of the Orient.
10. Ride the Ding Ding Trams
Hong Kong's vintage trams cost just HK$3 for any distance. The route from Kennedy Town to Shau Kei Wan takes you through Central, Wan Chai and Causeway Bay – ideal for seeing the city when you're too tired to walk. Sit upstairs front for an unobstructed view of Hong Kong's layered streetscapes.
11. Experience a Local Cha Chaan Teng
These Hong Kong-style cafes serve the ultimate crew meals: fast, cheap, and hearty. Australia Dairy Company specialises in steamed milk pudding. Other essentials: pineapple buns with melting butter slabs at Kam Fung Cafe, and the ceremonial "pantyhose milk tea" at Lan Fong Yuen, strained through silk filters since 1952. Expect chaotic ambience, and eat fast.
Hong Kong can feel like a sensory typhoon when you’re more comfortable with ship corridors than city streets.
I’m still the crew member who lingers near chatty colleagues, memorising MTR stations like lifelines before daring to retrace steps alone. My Cantonese extends to "m̀h’gōi" (thank you) and desperate cruise terminal pronunciation, enough to navigate back to port but never quite to friendship.
Maybe next time, I’ll venture beyond comfort zones. Or maybe I’ll just sit on the Star Ferry again, watching the skyline glitter, content to being alive in this city in my own small way.
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