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Thursday, June 30, 2022
The Millennial Source
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Home Lifestyle

What to do on a long layover in Hong Kong

byAlicia Beale
October 4, 2020
in Lifestyle
What to do on a long layover

Source: Jimmy Chan, Pexels

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Flying is such a frequent and now widely affordable mode of transportation that people are traveling all over the world. A 15-hour direct flight over a long distance is ideal, but many of us looking for a competitive rate will quickly opt for 27 hours, or even more than 30 hours of travel just to knock down the ticket price by 30-50%. 

On these flight itineraries, you’ll likely find an array of connecting flights and long layovers. Some layovers last as long as 12 hours at one single connecting airport. Aside from walking a marathon through duty-free shops or sleeping on a row of chairs at your gate, you could instead go out and explore your layover destination. Here’s a guide on what to do on a long layover if your connecting flight is in Hong Kong. 

Get out of the airport and explore

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Not until we realise that travel is no more a norm do we start reminiscing every beautiful moment in travel, like the last time when we were waiting for a take-off under the beautiful sunset. 🌅 . . . #hkg #hongkongairport #hkia #vhhh #hkairportphotos #hkiaphotos #airport #avgeek #hongkong #hkig #stunningHKIA #visualhongkong #homekong #throwback #misstravelling #treasurethemoment #sunset #terminal1 #t1 #HopeWeCanFlySoon

A post shared by HK International Airport (@hongkongairport) on Jul 30, 2020 at 2:00am PDT

Hong Kong International Airport is one of the most convenient airports in the world. It runs extraordinarily efficiently. So getting out during your layover to visit Hong Kong will be quick and easy, giving you plenty of time to explore. Before exiting the airport doors, you should have your passport ready and also check if you require a visa to enter Hong Kong beyond the airport. 

You can leave your luggage at the airport – Hong Kong International Airport offers a left luggage desk which is open for drop-off from 5:30 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. every day. These times cover most layovers, and if your layover falls outside of these times, it’s probably best to have a nap at the gate instead. The left luggage desk is available at Arrivals Level 5 (L5), Terminal 1. Before venturing out, make sure to have your boarding pass for the next flight. Once all the details are taken care of, exchange some cash and set out to see the city. 

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Happy Mid-Autumn Festival to you and your family! 祝你和家人,中秋節快樂! #DiscoverHongKong

A post shared by Discover Hong Kong (@discoverhongkong) on Sep 29, 2020 at 9:00pm PDT

Now it is important not to try to visit six or seven different tourist attractions across the city. Remember you are in the middle of a major travel experience. Do you want to waste your layover time doing even more traveling? Also, think of the higher possibility of getting caught in traffic if you are using a lot of transportation to crisscross the city. You still have a flight to catch, so focus your time in one area of the city where you can see, eat and shop by walking around. 

Spend the time in the city center of Central

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Peaceful Victoria Harbour #hongkong #victoriaharbour #peacefulnight #harbourcruise #hongkongcentral #hongkongifc #sunseeker #sunseekeryachts #saturdaynight

A post shared by K Lai (@klai_cw) on Sep 26, 2020 at 5:50am PDT

Getting to Central is very simple. Just take the Airport Express train directly from the airport. It only takes about 20 minutes.

The peak of Hong Kong hovers over Central’s skyscape. Take the Peak Tram up to The Sky Terrace for a 360 degree view from the top. This is also a great spot for your Instagram shots. The tram is a steep vertical journey to a historic scenic landmark. Near the Peak Tram is the Central Mid-Levels escalator. These escalators are the longest chain of escalators in the world and offer a quick tour through the neighborhood. 

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👀 Central-Mid-Levels Escalator . Hongkongers commute to work via the worlds longest escalator . The escalator goes down in the morning ⬇️ taking people into the offices of the financial district and then switches to up hill after 10am ⬆️. . It goes from harbour side 🌊 up to the apartments of the peak ⛰ . It’s actually many escalators joined together lined by streets of bars, restaurants & salons, making it a hop-on hop-off vibe that’s a buzzing party scene at night 🎉 but very sweaty during the day 🥵 . 📍 catch it at 100 Queens Road, Central – . #HongKong #hongkonger #hongkongescalator #midlevels #hongkongstyle #HongKongFood #hongkonglife #HongKonginsta #hongkongrestaurant #hongkonggirl #hongkongphotography #hongkongfoodblogger #hongkongfoodie #hongkongisland #hongkonginsider #hongkongers #hongkongcity #HongKongtrip #hongkongstreet #hongkongphotographer #hongkongtravel #hongkongview #hongkongphoto

A post shared by Ree (@ree_mc) on Jul 10, 2020 at 9:16pm PDT

Off the escalators you’ll find Tai Kwun, the old colonial prison’s renovation and police headquarters leading into an arts and culture center. Before heading back to the airport, you can have a cheeky shopping bout in the posh IFC mall right above the Hong Kong Station, which will also take you back directly to your connecting flight. 

Shop in the markets of Mongkok

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Hong Kong was hands down every type of holiday rolled in to one, city break, beach trip, country escape and culture filled, not to forget the food 🤩 – #hongkong #hkig #hk #travel #香港 #photography #discoverhongkong #love #photooftheday #china #fashion #hkgirl #streetphotography #asia #홍콩 #travelphotography #travelgram #hkigshop #city #art #ladiesmarkethongkong #picoftheday #wanderlust #instatravel #followme #ootd #hkiger #instagram #moodygrams #ghostfxceontour

A post shared by @ ghostfxce on Jun 7, 2020 at 12:24pm PDT

Take the Airport Express train to the Kowloon station where you can get in the taxi queue for a ride only 10 mins into Mong Kok at the heart of Hong Kong’s Kowloon. In Mong Kok, you can explore a variety of markets. The Ladies’ Market is the most famous of street markets. The wares consist of clothing, accessories, jewelry, toys and Hong Kong souvenirs. Bargaining is normal, but unnecessary if you think the price is right. 

Spring is always in the air at Mong Kok’s Flower Market, where there is a variety of exotic plants and flowers from all over the world. If you are traveling around Chinese New Year, the market will be super crowded because of the belief that flowers bring good luck and fortune. 

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可樂。百事 #hongkong #parrots #香港人加油 #我真係好撚鍾意香港 #鸚鵡 #dq #黑白是良知 #721 #831 #101 #香港

A post shared by ReDcaT (@parrots_park) on Aug 4, 2020 at 6:13pm PDT

Along with the sweet smell of Spring flowers, you may hear birdsong coming from the nearby Yuen Po Bird Garden. The bird market is a short path full of bird hawkers with a colorful and diverse array of birds. To get in a last bit of shopping, stop by the nearby sneaker haven, Fa Yuen Street. Along this street are exclusive limited edition shoes packaged tightly in shrink wrap as well as sneakers at bargain prices. With bags in hand, it’s easy to grab a taxi for a jaunt back to Kowloon Station in time for your connection.

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