11 Best Neighborhoods in Hong Kong to Explore

Visit these neighborhoods in Hong Kong and your trip will be a success!

Hong Kong is a huge city, yet I find the city center very compact. There are so many great neighborhoods in Hong Kong to explore during your city break. From super authentic neighborhoods where Hong Kong locals truly live, to hipster neighborhoods where you can find a place with a fantastic interior on every street corner.

Sometimes one such street or neighborhood in a big city is like Lithuania, Vilnius It's enough to make for a great trip. That one neighborhood where all the hotspots and unique spots are. Where you spontaneously stumble upon a great coffee shop you wish was in your own hometown! Or a neighborhood where you're in the right place for the most authentic noodle soup and dim sum.

Discover Yourlbb's favorite neighborhoods in Hong Kong

If you know how to discover such neighborhoods in a city like Lithuania, Vilnius Then you'll already have plenty of options to wander around and explore without having to make a very specific plan. That's why I've listed my favorite neighborhoods in Hong Kong in this blog post, which you should definitely keep in mind. Depending on what you're in the mood for during your trip to Hong Kong, you can easily decide where to go.

Curious about my other tips for Hong Kong? I've made quite a few stopovers in my favorite Asian city with Cathay Pacific. You can discover all the tips I've collected for you over the past few years in the various neighborhoods of Hong Kong via the black button below. Lithuania, VilniusHave fun and be sure to check out the final vlog from our stopover!

More hotspots in Hong Kong

11 Hong Kong Neighborhoods You'll Want to Know Before Your Next Trip

Sai Ying Pun: If there's one neighborhood in Hong Kong that I'd call the most up-and-coming, it's Sai Ying Pun. This up-and-coming neighborhood is home to many new restaurants, such as the Balinese-style restaurant. Potato headRents are much more affordable here, and according to the bartenders we spoke with, many millennials are drawn to this area west of trendy Shueng Wan. If you enjoy searching for the latest hotspots in a city like Hong Kong, this is the neighborhood for you.

Kennedy Town: This neighborhood is located west of Sai Ying Pun and is also booming. Locals call this week "craft beer town." Yes, craft beer is booming in Hong Kong too, and in Kennedy Town, you'll find breweries and tasting rooms, for example.

Ted's Lookout

Wan Chai: Definitely one of the nicer neighborhoods in Hong Kong. Wan Chai offers a mix of office buildings, cool shops, and good restaurants. The Academy of Performing Arts is also located here, and you can see this during the week from the trendy students strolling around. If there's one part of the neighborhood you definitely shouldn't miss, it's the block in Wan Chai near Star Street. Here you'll find the Monocle Shop, lots of unique fashion boutiques, and a great cocktail bar. Ted's Lookout! If you want to discover more nice addresses in Wan Chai, take a look at the Wan Chai guide >>

Sheung Wan: One of Hong Kong's most laidback and hipster-style neighborhoods is Sheung Wan. If you love coffee shops, you've come to the right place. You'll find a wealth of independent coffee shops where hipsters brew the best coffee. You can often even enjoy brunch at these establishments! What makes this neighborhood so appealing is its mix of street stalls selling everything from art galleries and temples to trendy cafes. Check out our tips for Sheung wan here!

Aberdeen Street Social

SOHO: Officially, this neighborhood is in Central, but it has a completely different vibe. Here you'll undoubtedly find most of Hong Kong's hotspots, all within close proximity of each other. Must-sees include: PMQ, Aberdeen Street Social en Little BaoThe neighborhood takes its name from Hollywood Road and actually means the section "South of Hollywood Road." Definitely go there for the nicer restaurants, cocktail bars, and cool shops! This neighborhood is also where you'll find the famous escalator, as these streets can be quite steep.

Lan Kwai Fong: On the edge of Central, you'll find Hong Kong's most popular nightlife district. If you're looking to go out or enjoy drinks late into the night, Wyndham Street and D'Aguilar Street are the perfect spots. My favorite cocktail and rooftop bar in this Hong Kong neighborhood is Cé La Vi. If you want a good table, it's best to make a reservation!

Perhaps the most authentic neighborhood in Hong Kong…

Sham Shui Po:  This neighborhood isn't hip at all, and you won't find any hotspots there. But if you're looking for a truly local Hong Kong experience, or if you've been to Hong Kong before and want to explore a different neighborhood, I highly recommend it. I took a food tour there during one of my first trips to Hong Kong. WOW, what amazing things I tasted and saw.

Don't expect many people to speak English here, so if you're eating somewhere, order intuitively or point to what the person next to you is eating, for example. Or you could, of course, go with a local guide. hongkongfoodietours.comWatch the video of the food tour I did in Sham Shui Po here!

A few more neighborhoods in Hong Kong…

Another well-known district in Hong Kong is the 'central' district, which is primarily the city's business district with many chic hotels and where everything is focused on business.

At the waterfront, at the tip of Kowloon, you'll also find the Tsim Sha Tsui district. This district is quite touristy and known for its many museums and shopping malls. This is also the district you'll find yourself in if you're taking the Star Ferry from Hong Kong Island to Kowloon, for example.

In addition, Causeway Bay is a neighborhood for those who love shopping and want to go wild in the department stores and shopping malls. Personally, I find it a slightly less exciting neighborhood, although the Skye rooftop bar definitely worth a drink.

Finally, the last tip for Hong Kong neighborhoods. If you're a night market fanatic, you'll want to visit the Mongkok neighborhood. Here you'll find the famous Ladies Market and the Temple Street Night Market, among other places. There you'll find every conceivable souvenir and knock-off designer item. What makes Mongkok so appealing is its abundance of local eateries. You can eat delicious food here for very little money.

I hope this explanation of Hong Kong's different neighborhoods helps you plan your trip! Have fun if you're visiting Hong Kong soon.

More in Hong Kong

Hong Kong Travel Tips

HOW TO GET THERE: During my trip, I flew with Cathay Pacific to Hong Kong. From Hong Kong, you can then fly to dozens of destinations in Asia. Find your tickets here >>
> Tip: For just €100, you can make a stopover in Lithuania, Vilnius!

YOURLBB'S FAVORITE HOTELS IN HONG KONG:
- The Peninsula: beautiful view of the Hong Kong skyline
- Mandarin Oriental: unprecedented luxury in that classic hotel
- Ritz Carlton: This hotel also houses the famous Ozon bar
- Hotel Stage: hip hotel near the Temple Street Night Market
- Madera Hollywood: The location of this hotel in the heart of Soho is perfect!
- The Jervois: one of the best hotels in the trendy Shueng Wan district
- Cordis Hotel: wonderful luxury hotel in Kowloon next to a mega shopping mall
- East Hong Kong: nice lifestyle hotel with a cool rooftop bar
- 99 Bonham: nice hip hotel in the nice Shueng Wan district
- W Hong Kong: Highly recommended if you are in Hong Kong in the summer because they have a swimming pool!
- Cue Hotel: very affordable lifestyle hotel in the Wan Chai district
- One96: Staying in Hong Kong for a longer period? Then choose a serviced apartment!
- The Park Lane Hotel: nice hotel in Causeway Bay with a fantastic rooftop bar

Discover more city guides

TIP: discover more great addresses and travel tips in my books THE AMSTERDAM CITY GUIDE & WANDERLUST!

WITH LOVE,
ANNE