We finish up our three-part series on walking tours with operators right here in Hong Kong.
Summer is in full swing and travel plans are firming up; if you’re from out of town and considering paying Hong Kong a visit, or if you’re a local who’s looking to explore the city from a new angle, consider going on a walking tour. These increasingly popular tours offer more than just a checklist of tourist hotspots – they get up close and personal with hole-in-the-wall eateries and tour guides are city experts who offer in-depth lessons on Hong Kong’s history and culture.
We run down five of our favourites:
More than a dozen specialised tours dig deep into the culture and history behind different districts. Take the Market Hopping Food Tour in Mong Kok, which journeys through the wet market for a taste of local life and a lesson on the area’s unique street names, and stops off at a cha chaan teng for some milk tea and egg tarts. There’s also Knock Knock - An Authentic Home Tour, which arranges a meeting with a local host in their own home for a friendly chat followed by a stroll around their neighbourhood. Participants can choose which area they want the tour to take place in as well as type of residence the host lives in – everything from a tong lau tenement building to a modern high-rise.
The philosophy here is to travel like a local, and there’s an emphasis on exploring a lesser-known side of the city. The Hong Kong Private Tour is a four-hour tour with a tailor-made itinerary of the city, excluding Lantau Island, while The Real Hong Kong Tour traverses the back alleys of the Central and Western District, stopping off at landmarks along the way. Tours cater up to four guests, although larger groups can also be accommodated.
Little Adventures in Hong Kong
Founded by veteran journalist and travel writer Daisann McLane in 2009, Little Adventures In Hong Kong offers personalised tours all over the city. There’s a particular focus on foodie adventures, but plenty of options for cultural and neighbourhood tours are also available. Take the Won-Ton-A-Thon, for example, which takes participants through a four- or five-hour marathon through Hong Kong’s most quintessential dishes. You’re in good hands here: the roster of tour guides comprise of professionals working in the media and F&B. Walking tours are limited to small groups of three to keep things nice and intimate.
The name says it all: Hong Kong Foodie Tours hosts tasting tours at local eateries. Participants will have a chance to sample classic Hong Kong dishes – think egg tarts, wonton noodles, and dim sum, but there will also be visits to more unusual restaurants, like one that specialises in snake and a hand-made candy store. Three neighbourhood-centred tours are available: one on Central and Sheung Wan; one on Sham Shui Po; and one on Tai Po Market. Tours group sizes vary between eight to 12 people and last around three hours and 30 minutes.
If you’d rather get out of the city and do your walking in the wilderness instead, look to Wild Hong Kong’s tours, whose offerings cater to adrenaline junkies looking to explore Hong Kong’s greenery. Embark on a sunrise climb on Lantau Peak, a walk through the Lantau Gorge, or cycle down the picturesque Plover Cove Country Park in the New Territories. If you want to get even more active, look into tours featuring kayaking and stand-up paddle-boarding, rock climbing, canyoning and camping.
Read the first part in this series to discover the street art secrets of London and discover a Tokyo itinerary to sate any history buff.
The post Walk This Way: The Best Walking Tours in Hong Kong appeared first on Home Journal.
