10 Best Things to Do in Central, Hong Kong – The Ultimate Guide To Exploring This Vibrant District!

This is our list of ten best things to do in Central, Hong Kong’s finance and entertainment hub! We saw many gleaming skyscrapers, large shopping malls, luxury hotels, restaurants, and tourist attractions here. For the party animals, there is also an abundance of bars and nightclubs for you to party the night away. I hope you find our article useful and feel free to leave any questions in the comments section below!

1. Victoria Peak

The Peak Tram

Lion’s Pavilion

Sky Terrace 428

View from Sky Terrace

Having fun at Madame Tussauds

Victoria Peak is a famous hill that is also known as “The Peak” or “Mount Austin”. The hill has an elevation of 552 metres and is the highest hill on Hong Kong Island. It is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Hong Kong.

The Peak Tram is the best way to go up The Peak. This 1.4km funicular railway is a popular tourist activity in itself. It was a really fun experience to take the tram up the steep hill!

Sky Terrace 428 is an observation deck on Victoria Peak with an elevation of (yup you guessed it) 428 metres. We visited around sunset and got to enjoy breathtaking night views of Hong Kong and Victoria Harbour.

Lion’s Pavilion is another very popular observation deck because even though it offers similar views as the Sky Terrace, there is no admission fee.

Madame Tussauds Hong Kong is a famous wax museum on the hill. We had so much fun posing and taking photos with the dozens of wax sculptures!

Other than those mentioned above, there are several other attractions on Victoria Peak. Expect to spend at least half a day at this popular tourist spot.

2. Star Ferry

The Star Ferry is an iconic ferry service that transports passengers between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. The ferries have been operating since 1888.

Even though crossing the harbour with the ferry is quite slow compared to taking the MTR or driving, it is still a popular mode of transport with many locals. This is because it offers great views, is very affordable, and has been a reliable form of transport for over 130 years.

It was a fun 10 minutes ride across the harbour! We got to see amazing views of Victoria Harbour and the Hong Kong skyline on both the Kowloon and Hong Kong Island sides.

In addition, the ride was extremely affordable (HKD3.70 for adults). It was very convenient too because we could just pay with our Octopus Card. You can check out the Star Ferry’s detailed schedule and fares here.

3. Mid Levels Escalators

The Mid Levels Escalators is the longest outdoor covered escalator system in the world! It covers a distance of over 800 metres, and has an impressive elevation of 135 metres. Built in 1993, this remarkable system consists of 20 escalators and 3 inclined moving walkways.

I was very impressed by this amazing escalator system! I had never seen anything like this before in all of my travels.

But more importantly, it is an extremely useful form of transport. It saved my aching legs and feet when I was going uphill to SoHo. Even if you are not going uphill, I highly recommend checking out this special one-of-a-kind escalator system.

The escalators run downhill daily from 6am to 10.30am to bring office workers to work in the business district of Central. From 10.30am, the escalators reverse direction and start running uphill until 12am.

The escalator system starts at the junction of 100 Queens Road Central and Cochrane Street, which is a 6 minute walk from Exit D2 of Central MTR Station.

4. Lan Kwai Fong

Posing outside Hard Rock Cafe

Lan Kwai Fong is popular with both locals and expatriates

Lan Kwai Fong is arguably the most famous nightlife spot in Hong Kong. It is a small cobblestoned square lined with a sprawl of trendy bars, nightclubs and restaurants. It is very popular with both locals and expatriates.

We are a little past the age of clubbing so we decided to just have dinner at Hard Rock Cafe. The food was decent and I enjoyed the live heavy metal music. However, the wife didn’t really appreciate it, which I found weird because who doesn’t love ACDC and Iron Maiden?

If you are the type who enjoys partying the night away, this will be the perfect place for you. However, older folks like me may find the place a little too boisterous. That said, it was still an interesting experience to check out this famous nightlife spot.

Lan Kwai Fong
Website: https://www.lankwaifong.com
Directions: Lan Kwai Fong is a 5-minute walk from Central MTR Station. Go out from Exit D2, walk along Theatre Lane, then walk up D’Aguilar Street.

5. SoHo

SoHo is another popular nightlife spot that is quite near Lan Kwai Fong. However, compared to Lan Kwai Fong, this is a relatively more classy area with more upscale bars and restaurants. The district starts just south of Hollywood Road, which is how it got its name: SOuth of HOllywood Road.

SoHo is located on hilly terrain, so I decided to take the Mid-Level Escalators instead of walking up the steep path. This turned out to be a great decision because it was quite interesting and relaxing to glide up the steep hill.

Walking around the area, I could sense that the vibe here was more chilled out than Lan Kwai Fong. This is a nice place to relax with your partner or friends over drinks.

SoHo
Directions: Go out from Exit D2 of Central MTR Station, and walk for 6 minutes to the Mid Levels Escalators. Take the escalators and exit at Staunton, Shelley or Elgin streets.

6. PMQ

Aberdeen Street Social

Lobster roll from Aberdeen Street Social

PMQ (元創方) is a well-known hipster spot located along Aberdeen Street. This seven-storey compound houses many fashion boutiques, retail shops, art galleries, and offices. It consists of two connected buildings named “Staunton” (Block A) and “Hollywood” (Block B).

There are plenty of awesome eateries at PMQ too. One popular joint is Aberdeen Street Social, a two floor restaurant-bar that offers modern British cuisine, delicious small bites, desserts, and drinks.

This is a nice place to spend some time wandering around. Personally, I felt like I was browsing around an air-conditioned “night market” with plenty of interesting trinkets and artisan products. Minus the crowds, heat, and aggressive haggling of course.

PMQ
Address: 35號 Aberdeen St, Central, Hong Kong
Opening Hours: Daily 11am to 8pm
Phone: +852 2870 2335
Full list of stores: http://www.pmq.org.hk/studios-shops/directory-a-z
Directions: Go out from Central MTR Station Exit D2, and walk to the Mid Levels Escalators. Take the escalator and get off at Staunton Street. Turn right and walk for about three minutes. The entire walk should take around 15 minutes.

7. Tai Kwun

Tai Kwun is a heritage and arts hub located in the restored Central Police Station compound. The centre aims to serve as a hub for art, music, theatre and other forms of performing arts. It is also home to prominent restaurants and various artisan shops.

It’s the largest restoration project ever undertaken in Hong Kong, with 16 heritage buildings being restored. The compound consists of three “declared monument”: Central Police Station, Central Magistracy and Victoria Prison.

Visitors get to learn about the history of Victoria Prison and the Hong Kong Police Force, which was pretty interesting.

When we visited, there was an outdoor ballet performance by the esteemed Hong Kong Ballet. There was also a cool indoor exhibition on the legendary Chinese general Kwan Yu.

This is a nice heritage site to visit if you want to check out some history and artsy stuff, or if you are just looking for a place to chill out for the afternoon.

Tai Kwun
Address: 10 Hollywood Rd, Central, Hong Kong
Opening Hours: Daily 10am to 8pm
Directions: Seven-minute walk from Central Station
Phone: +852 3559 2600
Website: https://www.taikwun.hk/en

8. Hong Kong Observation Wheel

The Hong Kong Observation Wheel is a 60 metre tall ferris wheel that loops three times for a total duration of about 15 minutes. All cabins are air-conditioned.

The ferris wheel offers decent views of Victoria Harbour and the gleaming Hong Kong skyscrapers, but it is not high enough to get really spectacular views.

That said, the ticket price is quite cheap. Therefore, it is worth a ride if the queue is short and the weather is clear enough to get good views.

Hong Kong Observation Wheel
Price: | Adults – HKD20 | Children and Seniors – HKD10 | Children under 3 ride free |
Website: https://hkow.hk
Opening Hours: Daily 11am to 11pm
Directions: The ferris wheel is a 10 minute walk from Exit A2 of Hong Kong MTR Station.

9. IFC Mall

IFC Mall is a four-storey modern shopping mall with many retail stores, restaurants, a cinema, fitness gym and department store. It is part of the International Finance Centre (IFC) complex.

The mall is located above Hong Kong station, which is conveniently connected to Central station via an underground walkway. The Airport Express station is at Hong Kong station too.

This was a nice mall to walk around and do some window shopping, but I wouldn’t recommend it as an attraction in itself. The main reason we came here was to indulge in delicious dim sums at Michelin-Starred Tim Ho Wan!

IFC Mall
Address: Two International Finance Centre (Hong Kong MTR Station)
Opening Hours: Daily 10am to 10pm
Phone: +852 2478 9966

10. Hong Kong Park

Hong Kong Park is a beautiful public park with artificial lakes, small waterfalls and other water features. There is even a bird aviary in the park.

This is definitely a nice little oasis to escape the hustle and bustle of Central. However, we are not nature enthusiasts so we only dropped by for a quick look while on our way to the Peak Tram Lower Terminus.

Hong Kong Park
Address: 19 Cotton Tree Drive, Central, Hong Kong Island
Opening Hours: Daily 6am to 11pm
Website: https://www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/parks/hkp
Directions: Hong Kong Park is a short walk from Admiralty MTR Station. Go out from Exit C1, and follow the signs up the escalator.

Conclusion

Shenanigans at Madame Tussauds

Thanks for reading our article on the 10 best things to do in Central, Hong Kong! Our favourite attractions here are Victoria Peak and the Star Ferry. Younger folks will probably be more inclined towards the nightlife hotspots of Lan Kwai Fong and SoHo.