With kids · Hong Kong · China
Hong Kong with kids
Family-tested sights, a calm base and the practical details that make travelling with children easier.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Lord Jaraxxus, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Hong Kong works well with children: two big theme parks, trams and ferries that are attractions in themselves, beaches with lifeguards in season and parks with playgrounds. Crowds, stairs and heat are the main challenges, so plan midday breaks. Top picks: Star Ferry, Victoria Peak and the Peak Tram and Tian Tan Buddha and Po Lin Monastery. Families usually base themselves in Tsim Sha Tsui.
Key facts
- Family picks
- 8
- Best area for families
- Tsim Sha Tsui
- Rainy-day options
- 0
Best things to do with kids
Experience · Victoria Harbour
1.Star Ferry
Green-and-white Star Ferry boats have crossed Victoria Harbour since the 19th century, linking Tsim Sha Tsui with Central in under ten minutes for a few Hong Kong dollars. It is the simplest way to see both skylines from the water.
Sit on the upper deck on the side facing the skyline; the Tsim Sha Tsui-bound trip has the best view of Hong Kong Island.
- Time needed
- 10 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- Views
- Kids
- Couples
- After dark
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Viewpoint · The Peak
2.Victoria Peak and the Peak Tram
The Peak Tram has hauled passengers up a steep track from Garden Road since 1888, arriving at the Peak Tower about 400 metres above the harbour. The Sky Terrace 428 rooftop charges entry, but the free Lugard Road loop — an easy 3.5 km walk on a ledge path — gives equally fine views over Central and Kowloon.
Go up an hour before sunset, walk Lugard Road as the lights come on, and return by bus 15 or taxi if the tram queue is long.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Book ahead
- Buy Peak Tram tickets online or with an Octopus card to skip the ticket queue, though the boarding queue remains at busy times.
- Iconic
- Views
- Couples
- After dark
- Photo spot
Religious site · Lantau Island
3.Tian Tan Buddha and Po Lin Monastery
The 34-metre bronze Big Buddha sits on a hilltop at Ngong Ping on Lantau, reached by 268 steps beside the colourful Po Lin Monastery. Most visitors arrive on the Ngong Ping 360 cable car, a 25-minute ride from Tung Chung with views over the airport and the mountains; bus 23 is the slower, low-cost alternative.
Start early to beat the cable car queues, and check that it is running; it closes for maintenance and in strong winds.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Book ahead
- Book cable car tickets online for weekends and holidays; a crystal (glass-floored) cabin costs more.
- Iconic
- Views
- History
- Kids
- Outdoors
Theme park · Lantau Island
4.Hong Kong Disneyland
The most compact of the Disney parks sits on Lantau with its own MTR line from Sunny Bay. Highlights include the Frozen-themed World of Frozen land, Mystic Manor and the castle night show. It suits younger children well, and a day is enough.
Visit on a weekday outside mainland and local school holidays, when queues are noticeably shorter.
- Time needed
- Full day
- Cost
- Expensive
- Book ahead
- Buy dated tickets online in advance; busy dates can sell out.
- Kids
- After dark
Theme park · Aberdeen
5.Ocean Park
Ocean Park combines rides, an aquarium and animal exhibits including giant pandas on a headland on the island's south side. A cable car links the lowland and the headland, with sea views over Deep Water Bay, and the Water World water park sits alongside.
Take the MTR South Island line to Ocean Park station and ride the cable car early, before queues build.
- Time needed
- Full day
- Cost
- Expensive
- Kids
- Views
- Nature
Experience · Hong Kong Island
6.Hong Kong Tramways
Double-decker trams, nicknamed 'ding dings', have run along the north shore of Hong Kong Island since 1904. A flat fare takes you anywhere between Kennedy Town and Shau Kei Wan, through Central, Wan Chai and Causeway Bay, at street level.
Board at the back, grab a front seat upstairs and pay with Octopus when you get off at the front.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Views
- Photo spot
Park · Admiralty
7.Hong Kong Park
Tucked between Admiralty's towers, Hong Kong Park has a walk-through aviary with an elevated boardwalk through the treetops, a conservatory and ponds. Flagstaff House inside the park, dating from the 1840s, houses the free Museum of Tea Ware.
Visit the aviary in the morning when the birds are most active, then walk up to the Peak Tram terminus.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Nature
- Outdoors
Waterfront · Tsim Sha Tsui
8.Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade and Avenue of Stars
The harbourfront walk from the Clock Tower to the Avenue of Stars, with its Bruce Lee statue and film-star handprints, faces the full sweep of the Hong Kong Island skyline. The free Symphony of Lights show of lasers and building lights runs nightly at 8pm.
Combine the light show with a Star Ferry ride back to Central to see the lights from the water.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Iconic
- After dark
- Views
- Photo spot
- Kids
Where families should stay
$$$ · Best for first-timers, families, shopping and budget
Tsim Sha Tsui
Kowloon's tip faces the Hong Kong Island skyline across the harbour. The waterfront promenade, Avenue of Stars and the nightly Symphony of Lights show are steps away, and Nathan Road runs north past malls, Chungking Mansions' budget guesthouses and curry houses. It has the widest range of hotels in the city, from hostels to harbourview luxury.
- Good
- Classic skyline views; Hotels for all budgets; Star Ferry to Central
- Watch out
- Touts for tailors and watches on Nathan Road; Crowded around Canton Road
- Nearby
- Avenue of Stars, Star Ferry Tsim Sha Tsui Pier, Hong Kong Space Museum, Kowloon Park
Family travel tips
- Many MTR stations have lifts, but footbridges and older streets involve stairs; a light, foldable stroller helps.
- Children under 3 travel free on the MTR and reduced Octopus fares apply to children under 12.
- Plan beaches between April and October, when lifeguards and shark nets are in place at gazetted beaches.
- Typhoon or black rainstorm warnings can close attractions; keep a flexible day for indoor sights.
- Tsim Sha Tsui and Causeway Bay hotels offer larger family rooms than Central.
Day trips for families
- Cheung Chau (About 35–60 minutes by ferry) — This dumbbell-shaped fishing island has a busy harbour, Pak Tai Temple, Tung Wan beach and snack stalls selling giant fish balls and mango mochi.
When to go with children
The best months overall are October–December. Weather by month.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Hong Kong good for kids?
Hong Kong works well with children: two big theme parks, trams and ferries that are attractions in themselves, beaches with lifeguards in season and parks with playgrounds. Crowds, stairs and heat are the main challenges, so plan midday breaks.
+What can kids do in Hong Kong?
Star Ferry, Victoria Peak and the Peak Tram, Tian Tan Buddha and Po Lin Monastery, Hong Kong Disneyland and Ocean Park.
+Where should families stay in Hong Kong?
Tsim Sha Tsui: Harbourfront views, museums, Nathan Road shops and hotels of every price.