Hong Kong Five days adds Macau (Portuguese-Chinese fusion city, 1-hour ferry) + an outlying island day (Cheung Chau or Lamma — old fishing village vibes). Day 4: Macau — Senado Square + Ruins of St. Paul's + Egg tarts + Cotai Strip casinos. Day 5: Cheung Chau OR Lamma — beach + seafood + slow village pace. The 5-day plan handles both city + escape from city.
Five days hits the sweet spot for Hong Kong — three days for the major districts, plus two days for nearby destinations that show a different side of the country. The pace stays relaxed, you get more variety in your photo album, and the day trips break up the urban intensity nicely.
5-Day Total Budget at a Glance
Budget
$370
Per person, flights excl.
Mid-Range
$800
Per person, flights excl.
Luxury
$2,270
Per person, flights excl.
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Day-by-Day Detailed Schedule
Hong Kong Island Icons
Peak · Star Ferry · CentralActivities
- 10:30 Peak Tram + Sky Terrace 2 hours
Funicular.
Cost: $19 / HK$148 - 17:00 Star Ferry 30 min
Harbor crossing.
Cost: $0.65 / HK$5 - 20:00 Symphony of Lights 20 min
Free show.
Cost: Free
Meal Recommendations
Lunch
Lan Fong Yuen
Central · $8-15 / HK$60-118
Stocking milk tea
Dinner
Mott 32
Central · $50-100 / HK$390-780
Modern Cantonese
MTR + Star Ferry.
DAY 1 Estimated Spend (per person, flights excl.)
Kowloon Markets
Mong Kok · Temple StreetActivities
- 09:30 Tim Ho Wan dim sum 1.5 hours
Michelin dim sum.
Cost: $15-30 / HK$120-235 - 15:00 Mong Kok markets 2 hours
Ladies + flowers.
Cost: Variable - 18:00 Temple Street 2 hours
Night market.
Cost: Variable
Meal Recommendations
Lunch
Yat Lok
Central · $15-25 / HK$120-200
Roast goose
Dinner
Temple Street
Yau Ma Tei · $20-50 / HK$155-390
Outdoor seafood
MTR.
DAY 2 Estimated Spend (per person, flights excl.)
Lantau Big Buddha
Cable car · Buddha · monasteryActivities
- 09:00 Ngong Ping Cable Car 1 hour
25-min ride.
Cost: $32 / HK$249 - 10:30 Big Buddha + Po Lin 2 hours
34m Buddha.
Cost: Free
Meal Recommendations
Lunch
Po Lin vegetarian
Lantau · $10 / HK$80
Buddhist vegan
Dinner
Lung King Heen
Central · $200-450 / HK$1,580-3,500
3-Michelin Cantonese
MTR Tung Chung + cable car.
DAY 3 Estimated Spend (per person, flights excl.)
Macau Day Trip
Portuguese-Chinese heritage · Senado Square · Cotai casinosActivities
- 08:00 Ferry Hong Kong → Macau (TurboJet) 1 hour + immigration
Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal (Sheung Wan MTR) — 1 hour to Macau. HK$170 / $22 each way ordinary class.
Cost: $44 / HK$340 round-trip - 10:00 Senado Square + Ruins of St. Paul's 2 hours
UNESCO World Heritage center. Senado Square's wave-pattern Portuguese tiles + Ruins of St. Paul's Cathedral facade (1602) + Mount Fortress (free).
Cost: Free - 12:00 Lunch at Restaurante Litoral OR Margaret's Café e Nata 1.5 hours
Macanese cuisine: African chicken (Restaurante Litoral, 1995), pork bun (chu pa bao), galinha portuguesa. Margaret's for famous egg tarts.
Cost: $25-50 / HK$195-390 - 14:00 A-Ma Temple + Coloane fishing village 2 hours
1488 A-Ma Temple gave Macau its name. Coloane village (20 min by bus): Lord Stow's egg tart birthplace + seafront seafood.
Cost: Free - 16:30 Cotai Strip + Venetian Macao 2 hours
Asia's largest casino, gondola rides on indoor canals (HK$135 / $17 for 25 min). Other Cotai resorts: City of Dreams, Galaxy, MGM Cotai.
Cost: Free entry; $17 / HK$135 gondola - 19:30 Dinner in Cotai + ferry back 2 hours
Casino food courts (cheap) or fine dining (Robuchon au Dome at Grand Lisboa, 3 Michelin stars).
Cost: $20-300 / HK$155-2,350 - 22:00 Last ferry back to Hong Kong 1 hour
Last ferries 22:00-00:30. Buy round-trip ferry tickets in advance for guaranteed return.
Cost: Already on round-trip
Meal Recommendations
Breakfast
Ferry terminal Café OR hotel
Hong Kong · $5-12 / HK$40-95
Quick coffee + sandwich before ferry
Lunch
Restaurante Litoral
Macau · $25-50 / HK$195-390
African chicken + Macanese specialties
Dinner
Robuchon au Dome (Cotai) OR casino food court
Cotai Strip · $20-300 / HK$155-2,350
3-Michelin French OR affordable Cotai food hall
TurboJet ferry: Sheung Wan ↔ Macau Outer Harbour. Bring passport — Macau is separate immigration (visa-free for most). 1 hour each way + 30 min immigration buffer.
DAY 4 Estimated Spend (per person, flights excl.)
Cheung Chau / Lamma Island Day
Old fishing village · beach · seafood lunchActivities
- 09:30 Ferry Central Pier 5 → Cheung Chau OR Lamma 30-50 min
**Cheung Chau** (50 min, HK$45 / $5.75): old fishing village, no cars, beach, Bun Festival (May). **Lamma** (Yung Shue Wan, 30 min, HK$24 / $3): hippie + expat village, hiking, seafood.
Cost: $3-6 / HK$24-45 - 10:30 Cheung Chau old village walk OR Lamma hiking trail 2-3 hours
**Cheung Chau**: Bun Tower replica, fishing-boat harbor, old village lanes. **Lamma**: 1.5-hour family trail from Yung Shue Wan to Sok Kwu Wan — beaches + viewpoints.
Cost: Free - 13:00 Lunch — Seafood village 1.5 hours
**Cheung Chau**: HoYuen Kitchen or fish stalls — fresh-caught seafood. **Lamma Sok Kwu Wan**: Rainbow Seafood Restaurant — outdoor terrace with ocean view, lobster + crab.
Cost: $30-80 / HK$235-625 - 15:00 Tung Wan Beach (Cheung Chau) OR Hung Shing Yeh Beach (Lamma) 2 hours
Hong Kong's best urban beaches — clean sand, swimmable (April-October), no city behind. Free.
Cost: Free - 17:30 Ferry back to Central 30-50 min
Return ferry. Sunset views from the boat are the moment.
Cost: Already on round-trip - 19:00 Final Hong Kong dinner 2.5 hours
**Splurge**: Caprice (3 Michelin star French) or 8½ Otto e Mezzo (3-star Italian, white truffle season Nov-Jan). **Classic**: Australia Dairy late milk tea + bun goodbye.
Cost: $15-450 / HK$120-3,500
Meal Recommendations
Breakfast
Hotel or quick
Central · $8-15 / HK$60-118
Light before ferry day
Lunch
Rainbow Seafood (Lamma) OR HoYuen (Cheung Chau)
Outlying island · $30-80 / HK$235-625
Outdoor seafood with ocean view
Dinner
Caprice OR Otto e Mezzo OR favorite
Central · $15-450 / HK$120-3,500
Final-night Michelin splurge OR favorite from earlier days
Central Pier 5: Cheung Chau or Lamma ferries. Round-trip HK$45-90 / $6-12. Ferries every 30-60 min.
DAY 5 Estimated Spend (per person, flights excl.)
Book Hong Kong Tours & Tickets
Packing Checklist
- ✓ Same as 3-day + light hiking gear for Lamma trail + swimsuit for outlying islands
- ✓ Passport for Macau day (separate immigration)
- ✓ Camera with extra battery (lots of photo days)
Hong Kong 5-Day Itinerary FAQ
Cheung Chau or Lamma for the outlying island day? ▼
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Why you can trust 5-day itinerary
Based in Chiang Mai for 8+ years, with 30+ countries visited across Southeast Asia, Japan, and Europe. Every detail in this guide is primary-source verified as of April 2026, with prices auto-refreshed via live exchange rate APIs. This isn't AI-generated boilerplate — it's written from the perspective of someone who has actually been there.