Hong Kong is a Special Administrative Region of China on the southern coast, made up of Hong Kong Island, the Kowloon peninsula, the New Territories and more than 200 outlying islands. It pairs one of the world's densest skylines with country parks, beaches and fishing villages, all linked by an efficient metro and ferry network.
Top day trips
Handpicked excursions within easy reach.
Macau Peninsula and Cotai
Portuguese-colonial squares and churches on the UNESCO World Heritage Historic Centre of Macau (Senado Square, Ruins of St. Paul's, Mount Fortress), Macanese egg tarts at Lord Stow's Bakery, and the casino resorts of Cotai.
Shenzhen
A modern megacity with Shenzhen Bay Park, OCT Loft creative district, Dafen Oil Painting Village, Window of the World, Lianhuashan Park and Huaqiangbei electronics markets. Best for shopping, mainland food and a contrast with Hong Kong.
Guangzhou
Cantonese food capital: Shamian Island colonial buildings, Chen Clan Ancestral Hall, Canton Tower, Yuexiu Park, Beijing Road pedestrian street and Guangzhou dim sum houses like Tao Tao Ju (20 Dishifu Road).
Zhuhai
A quiet seaside mainland city with Lovers' Road, Yeli (Fisher Girl) statue, Zhuhai Chimelong Ocean Kingdom, the Yuanmingxinyuan garden and cheaper seafood than Hong Kong.
Lamma Island
A car-free, laid-back island with seafood restaurants at Sok Kwu Wan, the Family Trail, Hung Shing Yeh Beach and organic cafes in Yung Shue Wan.
Cheung Chau
A compact island of fishing villages, beaches, Pak Tai Temple, Cheung Po Tsai Cave and a mango sticky rice and fishball street food scene. The Bun Festival takes place here around Buddha's Birthday.
Tai O Fishing Village
A historic Tanka fishing village with stilt houses, shrimp paste, salted fish and dried seafood, the Tai O Heritage Hotel, small boat rides to see the pink dolphins (from about HK$50-80), and the Kwan Tai Temple.
Sai Kung and the Islands
Seafood restaurants on the waterfront, junk boat trips to Sharp Island and Hidden Beach, and the UNESCO Global Geopark with hexagonal volcanic columns at High Island Reservoir East Dam.
Po Toi Island
An island of granite rocks such as Tortoise Rock and Buddha Rock, Neolithic rock carvings, Tin Hau Temple, and seafood restaurants at Tai Wan village. Very few visitors.
Ping Chau
A small sedimentary-rock island in the UNESCO Global Geopark with striped 'Kang Lau Shek' and 'Lung Lok Shui' rocks, sandy beaches, sea caves and quiet trails. Almost no cars.
Trips by distance
How far you can go in a day.
Getting there
Transport options for day trips.
- Tours
- Half-day and full-day tours to Macau, Lantau Island (Big Buddha and Tai O), Sai Kung Geopark boat tours and Guangzhou are sold via Klook, GetYourGuide and the Hong Kong Tourism Board (discoverhongkong.com).
- Private
- A private car with driver costs about HK$1,500-2,500 (~$190-320) per day for Hong Kong itineraries. Cross-boundary cars need special permits.
- Public
- The MTR, ferries and buses reach every domestic destination. Cross-boundary trips use the High Speed Rail from West Kowloon (Shenzhen, Guangzhou), the HZMB bridge shuttle bus (Zhuhai, Macau) and TurboJET or Cotai Water Jet ferries (Macau).
- Rental
- Not recommended: use ferries, MTR and buses. Mainland China does not allow Hong Kong-plated rental cars.
Multi-day tours from Hong Kong
If you have longer than a day, these are organised multi-day trips that start here.
Browse multi-day tours from Hong KongWe may earn a commission from bookings made through this link.
Day trip tips
Make the most of your excursions.
Carry your passport on any cross-boundary trip. Bring a printed booking or visa evidence.
Mainland China: most nationalities need a visa. Check the National Immigration Administration (nia.gov.cn) for the latest transit and visa-free rules; the 240-hour transit permits allow stays of up to 10 days in designated provinces including Guangdong for nationals of about 55 countries with an onward ticket to a third country.
Macau: US, UK, EU, Canadian and Australian citizens can enter visa-free for 30 to 90 days; ferries run 24 hours.
Set up Alipay (Tour Pass) or WeChat Pay before entering the mainland; foreign cards are rarely accepted in shops.
Outlying-island ferries are crowded on Sundays. Go on a weekday and catch the first boat.
Ferries and buses may be suspended when typhoon signal No. 8 or above is hoisted; check hko.gov.hk.
Po Toi and Ping Chau ferries do not run daily; check schedules the day before and have a plan for the return trip.