Hong Kong is an exciting melting pot of cultures, cuisines and traditions, so it’s no surprise that choosing which neighbourhood you want to stay in can be a bit of a challenge! Whether you want to explore a local neighbourhood with Chinese medicine shops and traditional markets or dive into the heart of HK and its bustling financial districts, I promise there’s a neighbourhood to suit you perfectly! Check out my guide to the 7 best areas to stay in Hong Kong, and get ready to discover a side of the city you’ll love.
Causeway Bay
Alive and kicking 24 hours a day, Causeway Bay is certainly not the place to stay if you’re looking for some peace and quiet! This district is Hong Kong’s famous shopping mecca, where locals and visitors alike head to for their fix of shopping malls, low-cost gadget stores and sleek boutiques. Luckily, it’s also home to a diverse and range of dining options - so you don’t have to shop until you drop, just until you reach the nearest bar or cafe.
Central
If it’s your first time visiting Hong Kong, this is a great neighbourhood to choose as your base camp. You’ll find the most iconic and distinctly HK skyscrapers and architecture, upmarket hotels and pricey shopping centres as well as more bars and restaurants than you could ever possibly wish for. As well as its convenient location near to some of the city’s top attractions like the Botanical Gardens and the Man Mo Temple, this area is also the heart of Hong Kong’s financial district, and you’ll soon see that it’s definitely not all work and no play!
Lan Kwai Fong
This neighbourhood only truly comes alive at night, when everyone from expats to tourists, office workers fresh from the financial district and yuppies wanting to check out the trendiest new bars all flock to enjoy a few drinks or party the night away! For anyone wanting to experience Hong Kong’s nightlife, this is the area to be in! Although named for the the L shaped street of Lan Kwai Fong, this neighbourhood also includes D'Aguilar, Wyndham and smaller alleys that wind their way up the hillside. So whether your vibe is club or rooftop bar, a tiny live music venue or a sleek late night restaurant, we promise you’ll find it here!
Sheung Wan
This area is a melting pot of traditional Chinese medicine shops and markets, British influenced architecture and trendy stores, where you’ll find hipster bars sitting alongside classic local food markets. Today, it’s the city’s trendiest neighbourhood, where you can see how Hong Kong’s traditional heritage and history combine with modern influences, Western and Chinese culture to create a neighbourhood that locals love! One of HK’s oldest neighbourhoods, it’s also now known to be the city’s most up and coming, so expect to find alternative and hipster bars, coffee shops and vintage stores side by side more traditional spots like the Dried Seafood Market. This is the perfect neighbourhood to stay in if you want to get a taste of a little bit of everything that the city has to offer!
Sai Ying Pun
Whether you’d prefer to call it up and comping or slowly gentrifying, there's no doubt this is one of the trendiest neighbourhoods in the city. Thanks to its more affordable rents than elsewhere in the city (looking at you, Central), young professionals and expats are flocking to the area - and quirky cafes, bars and restaurants are unsurprisingly not far behind! You’ll find hip(ster) concept cafes and trendy coffee shops, fusion eateries and exciting new restaurants galore, so this is the place to be for anyone wanting to discover more than air-conditioned shopping malls and the financial district hangouts.
Mong Kok
Hong Kong might be famous for its shopping malls - but for a more authentic, and local experience there’s nowhere better than exploring the mazes od street markets and densely packed bazaars of Mong Kok! This unique, vibrant and colourful area on the Kowloon peninsula is one of the most exciting in the city, no matter what time of day or night. With its famous markets selling everything from caged birds to live goldfish, bargain silk clothes to beautiful flowers, there’s never a dull moment in this neighbourhood. You won’t find luxury hotels and upmarket bars, but you will get an authentic taste of local life, which includes everything from getting lost in busy, neon-lit streets to tasting some of the very best local dishes at roadside eateries.
Tsim Sha Tsui
It’s no surprise that Tsim Sha Tsui, or TST as it’s locally known, is one of Hong Kong’s most popular neighbourhoods to stay in on the Kowloon side of the city. With its incredible skyline views over the harbour to Hong Kong Island and the numerous museums that call this district home, you’re spoiled for choice when it comes to places to visit, eat and drink. Also known as the Museum Quarter, if you want to tick some of the city’s most famous cultural hotspots off your bucket list as well as getting a taste of some of the best shopping and dining options that the city has to offer, this neighbourhood makes a great home base.
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