Exploring Hong Kong Independently: 5-Day Itinerary for Your Group

Participating in the travel writing and photography contest 'Discovering Freedom' by Nguyen Thi Thanh Tuyen, experiencing a 5-day independent trip to Hong Kong with her group of friends.

One June afternoon, feeling quite stressed with office work, I invited a colleague to go on a trip. Since we had no idea where to go, we browsed Facebook and saw many young people checking in from Hong Kong. It's been a dream destination since childhood, so we decided on Hong Kong and convinced three other colleagues to join. As all my previous trips were backpacking ones to Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Hanoi...

After booking cheap tickets from Vietjetair for 2.4 million VND for a round-trip ticket for October 27th and returning on October 31st, we applied for visas. It was my first time backpacking so far and applying for a visa, so I was a bit confused, but based on advice from experienced travelers, we used a visa service company, costing 2 million VND per person.

Visas were issued on October 20th, 7 days before departure. We were all excited and prepared our luggage for the trip.

As always, I planned our itinerary meticulously, including where to go, how to get there, and detailed expenses. Since we were all girls, we packed plenty of snacks like instant noodles, peanuts, biscuits, and personal items.

Additionally, we bought tickets on Klook to take the Peak Tram. In Hong Kong, they use three-prong plugs, so I also brought along a converter. And here's how our journey began:

Our flight departed from Tan Son Nhat Airport at 3 PM, but the airline had a delay, and we boarded the plane at 4:15 PM.

After a 2-hour flight, we landed at Terminal 2 of Chap Lap Lok Airport. We needed to go to Terminal 1 to exit to the terminal. One interesting thing is that the transfer from Terminal 2 to Terminal 1 was done by a quite large train. It was my first time seeing transportation within an airport by train; everything was so modern.

Hong Kong Airport is decorated with many beautiful images, and even though we arrived in Hong Kong around 7 PM (Hong Kong is 1 hour ahead of Vietnam), we were still busy taking photos.

At the airport, there are detailed signs guiding the way to buy tickets for public transportation such as buses and trains. We had bought 3 SIM cards beforehand, with 3 people sharing 2 cards. Following the instructions, we headed to the bus stop to catch the A21 bus to our hostel.

I booked a hostel named Dragon Hostel in the bustling Mongkok area, one of the liveliest markets in Hong Kong. The room had 5 bunk beds, quite clean, with air conditioning, hot water, a private bathroom, and reliable wifi. The price per person was 500K VND per night. There are many ways to book rooms, through channels like booking.com, agoda, hostelworld. But since I waited for the visa before booking, when I tried to book, the rooms were full. I had to contact the hotel and ask them to provide a PayPal link for the deposit.

Even though the address was quite clear at home, after getting off at Mongkok Station, we got lost on the way to the hotel. However, thanks to a kind old man we asked for directions, and luckily, because I had the hotel name printed in Chinese, he led us straight there. Overall, there are good people everywhere, and I think I was lucky on the first night.

After checking in, the first thing we did was to go eat. Wow, Mongkok is truly a place for eating and shopping; there are eateries everywhere, so no fear of hunger, just fear of not having enough money. Oh, Hong Kong uses HKD currency, and the exchange rate against VND is 1HKD=3000VND.

We all went to a noodle soup and hotpot restaurant and ordered one bowl each. A bowl costs around 5-6HKD. After the dishes were served, we realized we were overordering. Because each bowl was quite large, but everyone around us was eating twice as much as us.

That's why I say people in Hong Kong eat very healthily, probably because they have many jobs. And it's noteworthy that people in Hong Kong walk very fast, always seeming busy with work. I jokingly say they walk like they're in battle. And in HK, I was determined to try a dish I must taste, which is stinky tofu. And it truly is stinky!

After eating to our heart's content, we returned to the hotel to rest and prepare for the sightseeing journey in Hong Kong the next day.

The weather in Hong Kong is really pleasant, cool and refreshing. Even at noon, it's still cool. Leaving the hostel at 8:30, our first destination according to the itinerary is the Golden Bauhinia Square.

Directions: Take the MTR to Wan Chai (blue line), exit A5, then walk.

Get off at Wan Chai station and take Exit A5. Remember which exit to take because Hong Kong stations are very large, each exit leads to a different neighborhood. If you mistake one exit for another, you'll end up walking quite far. What's special in Hong Kong is that each MTR station has different colors. If you capture all the stations, you'll have a rainbow collection.

Take the correct exit and ask someone for directions. This time, I asked a lady who was on her way to work, and luckily she works near that square, so we arrived at the right place. In front of the Golden Bauhinia Square is a beautiful bay in Hong Kong, and around the square, there are many cute animal statues.

The next destination after the Golden Bauhinia Square is the shopping center in Cause Bay.

Direction: Take MTR to Causeway Bay, any exit will do.

When in Hong Kong, shopping is a must. If you don't shop, then you haven't really been to Hong Kong, right? There are many malls here, mainly for browsing. One thing I noticed is that the 68IGHT and Colour Mix brands are everywhere in the Causeway Bay area. And on this street, we encountered and tried the delicious bubble tea called Coco. We've come back here twice since.

We had lunch in Causeway Bay, learning from our first time, this time we only ordered 3 meals for 5 people and then returned to the hotel to rest.

In the afternoon: Departure at 2 PM to go to the Tsim Sha Tsui area. This area is famous for many attractions such as the Clock Tower, Hong Kong Space Museum, Avenue of Stars, and Symphony of Lights.

Direction: Take MTR to Tsim Sha Tsui, exit E (or J), walk along towards the Clock Tower, then follow the Clock Tower to reach all the other attractions.

Many people come here to check in and take photos. In the evening, when returning to the Mong Kok area, we took a ferry across the bay to admire the night view. The ferry ticket is quite cheap, only 7000 VND. Oh, at the airport, I bought an octopus card - this card is used for all transportation in Hong Kong. The card price when purchased is 150 HKD with 100 HKD available for travel, and when it runs out of money, you can top it up.

Since I traveled quite extensively over the 5 days and only used this card, my transportation expenses amounted to nearly 1.5 million VND.

Below are the photos I took of the octopus card, the evening ferry ride, and also at the clock tower and museum. As for the Avenue of Stars, which is currently under repair and replaced by the Garden of Stars, we'll visit it on the next day.

Evening: stroll through the market and prepare for the next day.

Visit Kowloon Walled City Park.

Directions: MRT Lok Fu Station.

However, sometimes things don't go as planned. Upon reaching MRT Lok Fu Station, we couldn't find any signs directing us to Kowloon Walled City Park. Checking the map, it seemed nearby but proved elusive. After asking a few locals, none knew about it. Nearby, there was a desolate park whose name we didn't know, so we took some photos there and pretended it was Kowloon (as one of my friends jokingly suggested, haha).

Next stop: Since we were heading towards Kowloon, we visited Nan Lian Garden.

Directions: MTR Diamond Hill Station Exit C2.

This garden area was quite beautiful, mainly featuring trees and plants. In Saigon, there's a similar park called Saigon Park.

*On the way back: We stopped at Wong Tai Sin MTR Station. It's famous for Wong Tai Sin Temple. Many people from different countries visit here. Below are two photos (1,2) taken by some Vietnamese we unexpectedly met there.

*After visiting the temple, on our way back to the hostel, we ate at a Korean restaurant near the train station. The food was delicious and affordable. However, we couldn't find our way back there later because we forgot which exit we used. That's why I mentioned Hong Kong has too many distinct neighborhoods per exit, and we stumbled upon that restaurant by chance.

In the afternoon, we returned to the Tsim Sha Tsui area to visit the Star Garden. Exiting the train station, the garden was supposed to be right in front of us, but we couldn't find it no matter how hard we looked. We wandered through many shops along the way and bought some okay shirts.

After walking for nearly 2 hours without finding the Star Garden, and nobody knew where it was when we asked, we started feeling tired and exhausted. However, determined to find it, we decided to go back to the exit and check where we went wrong. Following the directions, the Star Garden was supposed to be in the sky (because the arrow pointed upwards), so it had to be on the rooftop. Standing there and looking around, we noticed a staircase on the right side leading up to the Star Garden. It was truly a case of 'far away at the horizon, yet right before our eyes.' So, for those heading to Tsim Sha Tsui Station, exit D2, just look to your right for the staircase, and you'll find it.

After a final search, we finally arrived, stamped our hands on the star, and took photos with the Bruce Lee statue.

After exploring there, we headed to the bustling area for nightlife in Hong Kong, Lan Kwai Fong, at MTR Central, exit B. It's easy to find, and everyone knows this place. When we visited, it was close to Halloween, so everywhere was decorated in spooky themes, and people were dressed up in costumes everywhere.

On the way back, we stopped by the night market called Stanley Market to have some roasted duck, but we were too hungry to remember to take photos, hehe. After eating, we continued shopping in Mong Kok and prepared for our journey on the fourth day.

Visiting Hong Kong without going to Disneyland is such a missed opportunity, isn't it? But Disneyland tickets are quite expensive, so instead of entering the park, we had an experience riding the Disneyland train and just arrived at the park. We checked in there but didn't go inside.

The Disneyland train featuring Mickey Mouse is adorable, and the modern train is cool and comfortable, running fast.

After Disneyland, we headed to the Dry Sea Bay in Hong Kong. Despite being born in a seaside region (my hometown is Phu Yen), I still wanted to see how the beaches in Hong Kong were like.

Repulse Bay (Dry Sea Bay): MTR Hong Kong Exit D, then take bus 6, 6A, 6X, 66, or 260. Here, using public transport is mainly based on individual awareness. You check the price at the bus stop and when boarding, you just drop the exact fare into the box because there's no conductor on the bus, only the driver. There's a temple on the bay, and many people visit there.

Since we had a busy morning, in the afternoon, we returned to the hotel for a nap and had an appointment with Klook tour to Thai Binh Mountain at 4 PM. So, we all woke up at 3 PM and departed to meet the Klook tour guide at 4 PM. Buying tickets on Klook was really cheap and convenient, with discounts, no waiting in line, and guided tours. And Thai Binh Mountain was truly a beautiful destination.

Following Klook's instructions, we met the tour guide at Exit K, who was very enthusiastic and spoke English very well. He gave each of us 5 round stickers (Klook logo) and 5 entry cards to skip the line at Peak Tram. There's plenty to explore here, Sky Terrace, wax museum (so realistic), 3D models. And the view from Sky Terrace looking down below is absolutely breathtaking.

In the evening, we took the tram to a very famous restaurant in Hong Kong with quite affordable prices, One Dimsum.

Trying Dimsum is a must when in Hong Kong, isn't it?

Directions: MTR Prince Edward is where you should head.

As rumored, it was very crowded inside, so we had to draw a queue number and wait. Since our group had 5 people, we had to order at least 10 dishes and wait until there was an empty table inside to enter, waiting for more than 20 minutes. However, the food was so delicious that the waiting experience was quite enjoyable.

After indulging in Dimsum, we decided to walk back to the hotel. Since the train station is close to the hotel, walking helps with digestion and also gives us a chance to browse clothes. And our group bought some clothes at the Japanese store UNIQLO.

Our flight was in the afternoon at 3 PM, so we had the entire morning to explore. I decided to visit the TVB Studios and YitYat Building.

From Mongkok, getting to the TVB Studios is quite a distance, requiring both train and bus travel. The studios are not located in the city center.

Directions: MRT Hang Hau, then take a bus to Tseung Kwan O Transport Interchange.

An interesting encounter happened at MRT Hang Hau when we asked for directions and met a Hong Kong police officer. He borrowed our passports to check them. Afterward, he admitted he wasn't sure about the route and praised our English.

Upon arrival at the TVB Studios, we found it closed to the public, only staff were allowed in. So, we could only take photos with the gate and TVB logo.

Returning to the city center to visit the YitYat Building, where we grabbed some Share Tea bubble tea.

YITYAT is quite a unique building, resembling a U shape.

Afterward, we checked out of the hotel and headed to the airport to return the Octopus card.

*The most impressive and memorable photo from this trip was taken at the GARDEN OF STARS. After all the efforts to find our way, we finally made it.

Truly, the trip to Hong Kong was a memorable experience for me, igniting my passion for traveling even more. Besides, I'd like to summarize the highlights of my journey.

1. Flight duration: Over 2 hours from Ho Chi Minh City to Hong Kong. Depending on your flight, you'll arrive at different terminals. I flew with Vietjet, landing at Terminal 2, where a shuttle takes you to Terminal 1 for immigration procedures.

2. Hong Kong Immigration: With a visa, the immigration process was swift, just a stamp and no fingerprint scanning or facial recognition like in Malaysia and Singapore.

3. Transportation: Mainly by MTR trains and buses. We used the Octopus card for all transportation (including trains), and any remaining balance can be refunded at the airport.

4. Traffic in Hong Kong: Modern, with an extensive rail system. Each MTR station has multiple exits leading to different neighborhoods, so it's essential to pay attention to the signs at each station. Walking within MTR stations can be exhausting. People walk on the left, and they walk fast. It almost feels like they're in a race. What's unique is that each MTR station in Hong Kong is decorated with various colors like green, red, yellow, purple... You could make a rainbow-themed fashion show here if you wanted.

5. Dining: Hong Kong food was decent for me, but being a fan of salty dishes, I missed fish sauce, which isn't common in Hong Kong. So, my friend joked that next time we visit Hong Kong, we should bring along a bottle of fish sauce and some vegetables (vegetables here are too pricey, a plate could cost around 180K VND).

However, what I liked the most were Dimsum and Hong Kong-style bubble tea.

- Dimsum: We went to One Dimsum, and just as rumored, it was crowded, and we had to take a number and wait quite a while before getting seated.

+ Bubble tea: Despite not being a fan of bubble tea, I ended up having three cups. Here, they serve two delicious types: Coco and Share Tea.

6. Shopping: Hong Kong boasts numerous large shopping centers like Times Square, Sogo, Plaza... Shops typically open at 11 AM and close at 11 PM. However, one thing to note is to carefully check the prices and products because sometimes they tag the wrong price on items (e.g., pricing pants as shirts). Here, people work based on their own conscience. It's challenging to find sales staff while shopping because they let you browse freely instead of shadowing you like in other places.

Additionally, if you need a plastic bag when shopping, you'll have to pay 50 cents for one.

7. Sightseeing: We visited all the places mentioned on Google, but there are three spots worth noting:

- The Avenue of Stars is under renovation, so it's moved to a new location called Garden of Stars. Just mentioning this Garden makes me want to cry. It's supposed to be a 2-minute walk from the MTR station, but we spent two hours and still couldn't find it. We asked people around, but no one knew, and we ended up going in circles... Finally, after circling back to the MTR station to rethink, we realized it's on an upper floor (because the directional signs say 'Take the elevator' and 'Walk the stairs').

- TVB Studios: Located far from the city center, here you'll only encounter handsome guys and beautiful girls carrying their luggage, but you can't enter. In the end, we only managed to take a photo of the studio's accreditation logo as proof of our visit.

– Tai Ping Shan: It's advisable to purchase tickets online from Klook to skip the queue and get guided tours at a cheaper rate compared to buying directly.

8. Hong Kong Weather: Pleasantly cool, slightly chilly in the evenings but still manageable with a sleeveless shirt.

9. People of Hong Kong: Fortunately, we encountered friendly locals everywhere who led us directly to our destinations, like a kind gentleman who escorted us to the hotel or a lady who, despite being close to her work hours, still guided us to Golden Square...

Overall, we managed to complete our trip as planned despite some fatigue from walking. I imagine readers might find my article lengthy and wandering, but that's the experience I gained from backpacking.