Our DIY Hong Kong Family Tour
We have long been saving up for a family trip to Hong Kong. When we finally had enough money, we went last year and did a DIY Hong Kong Family Tour in order to keep the expenses down. This was our eldest daughter’s advance birthday trip.
Original Plan
We booked a promo flight via Cebu Pacific. It was a direct flight from Iloilo to Hong Kong. Our additional connecting trip would be the Bacolod to Iloilo ferry boat ride. Our ticket was planned for five nights.
For our accommodations, we would be staying at my friend Sam’s pad, so we did not have to pay for a Hong Kong hotel.
About two months prior to our family vacation, Cebu Pacific informed us that they cancelled our return flight and we need to reschedule. Upon talking to an agent on the phone, we learned that we could not move the departure–only the return. Since Cebu Pacific only flies every other day, our only choice was to reduce our vacation time to 3 nights or increase it to 7 nights.
Thanks to our free accommodation, there was no doubt that we would add more night because 3 whole days in Hong Kong is just too short. Anyway, we are homeschooling in Bacolod so we don’t have to deal with absences in school. This family can just go anytime and anywhere as long as our pockets allow it.
Planning a 7-day DIY Hong Kong Family Tour
So here is our itinerary for our DIY Hong Kong Family Tour, considering that this is a budget trip. And it’s good for four people. Our little girl is already 4 years old, so in a lot of instances, her fare and as well as other things are already paid for.
Day 1 | Monday – Yuen Long
My friend’s place is in the Yuen Long Territory. We arrived there around 3am, taking the cab from the airport to his house. We rested and went out after lunch of Day 1. Even if we wanted to, we could not go earlier because we have kids.
So for Day 1, we went around the Yuen Long. First we hit the Ping Shan Heritage Trail in order to immerse ourselves in the local culture. We saw a lot of old temples and houses depicting ancient Chinese architecture and art. Our family trip is a combination of the search for the old and new.
It was a long and tiring walk but the kids survived. After that, they had some downtime at Yuen Long Park. They played in the playground and chased after birds. Too bad the Yuen Long Aviary Pagoda was already closed when we got there.
Day 2 | Tuesday – Hong Kong Disneyland (1st day)
We bought a two-day pass for Hong Kong Disneyland. We felt that one day is not enough for the kids to enjoy the park. Plus, the second day was pretty cheap.
- HK Disneyland 2-Day Pass for 4 – PhP 14,622 c/o Klook (2 adults, 2 kids)
The kids thoroughly enjoyed meeting whoever Disney character was available during our visits. They interacted well with the princesses, sharing stories and all. Check our my article on Hong Kong Disneyland Magic Comes to Life,
Day 3 | Wednesday- Museum Day
Our 2-day Disneyland pass didn’t have to be availed consecutively. So we skipped the park today because every Wednesday in Hong Kong, the museums offer free entrance. On regular days, entrance fees range from HK$10 to HK$20. That’s pretty big when you total everything.
We first to the Tsim Tsa Tsui area for the Avenue of the Stars. But it was closed at that time because of the major renovations in the area. But we did get to enjoy whatever was left there, which they called the Garden of the Stars.
Also, we stopped by the lovely playground on the hill. We have kids, remember? So a playground stopover is a must. They just had to have some play time. We would not have been able to do it if we got a guided tour.
Then we proceeded to the Hong Kong Science Museum. My kids are such Science geeks that 2.5 hours was not enough for them there. We had to take them away because we will had another place to go to and we barely had enough time before the museums close.
Our next stop was the Hong Kong Museum of History. It was around 3pm already so we had our snacks at their cafeteria. Food there is good and quite affordable. We had about 2 hours left to tour the entire place before it closes for the day. In the end, there were a couple of exhibits that we were not able to see. Dindin would really linger at each exhibit, reading the literature of the displays.
Day 4 | Thursday – Hong Kong Disneyland (2nd day)
It was back to HK Disneyland for our second day of our DIY Hong Kong Family Tour. We made sure that we covered all the attractions and the rides that we wanted to get on. We also had photo opps with all the characters present that day.
The princesses were not all present because our visits were during the weekdays. They are complete during weekends.
That was our trade off for not wanting to go there on a weekend. I wanted to avoid the crowd of weekend guests. And we were fine with everything. Our nice pictures without other people photobombing our scenes was worth the sacrifice.
Day 5 | Friday – Lantau Island Tour
We spent a day to appreciate Lantau Island because of its rich heritage. We bought our Ngong Ping 360 Lantau Sky-Land-Sea Day pass round trip tickets also from Klook.
- Ngong Ping 360 Lantau Sky-Land-Sea / Tai O for 4 – PhP 4,926 c/o Klook (2 adults, 2 kids)
Sky
The Ngong Ping 360 is the cable car that brought us to Lantau Island. We took the standard cabin because the one with the glass bottom is more expensive.
It was such a thrill for all of us to be high up in the air to see the mountains. The ride has a distance of 5.7 km and it takes about 25 minutes one way. But the problem was the queue. Took us about 4 hours of waiting to get on that cable car because of the waiting. The queue was also quite crazy at the first part.
Coming back, it also took about an hour of queuing. Thankfully the kids were not unruly. The waiting was too much. I guess that’s because it was a Friday. And my other guess, it’s gonna be worse on weekends.
Land
When we got to Ngong Ping Village, we explored the place for a bit. We also went to the Po Lin Monastery. Papa and Dindin went up to the Tian Tan Buddha for a better view while the Siobe and I stayed below and enjoyed some refreshments.
Sea
Part of the package was a tour of the old Tai O Fishing Village and boating in the open sea. We saw the stilt houses and lots of dried seafood. If it was easy, I would have loved to bring back home some dried seafood. They were premium dried seafood, not like the ones we are used to here in the Philippines.
We saw a glimpse of the life of the people living in this seaside village.
The boat ride was a bit scary because of the fast and noisy speed boat. Plus I realized that we already reached the open sea. With two young kids, I felt so scared. hahaha Siobe was also clinging to me, but I think she was more scared of the sound of the motor boat than the deep sea.
If we paid extra and went out further, we would have reached the area where there are sightings of the pink dolphin. But we skipped that part. It was beyond our travel budget already.
Day 6 | Saturday – Macau Day Tour
We wanted to check in at Disneyland Hotel but found it too expensive. And we won’t be able to maximize our stay in this nice hotel because we would be at the park all day anyway. So instead, we allocated the budget for a trip to Macau. This is a low-budget DIY Hong Kong Family Tour after all.
- Venetian Macau Gondola Rides for 4 – PhP 1,103 c/o Klook (2 adults, 2 kids)
- TurboJet Ferry Tickets (Hk-Macau RT) – PhP 8,852 c/o Klook (2 adults, 2 kids)
Macau is another territory of China that is near Hong Kong but is separated by the sea. It takes a one-hour ferry ride to reach there. We got good ferry deals also on Klook. We bought our tickets about 3 days before our schedule. It was much cheaper. Ferry is big, clean, and very fast.
One of my intentions in Macau is to ride the gondola at the Venetia Macau. And we did. The gondola ride here is much cheaper that the one at McKinley Hill in Manila, which is P550 per person. In Macau, we got it for a little over PhP1,000 only, plus the boatman is an Italian who sang operatic songs to us. Closest to the original as possible. Lovet! 😀
Filipino Tour Guide
We wanted to DIY our Macau tour as well. But we were so tired and it was already lunchtime so we thought of hiring a guide. We found a Filipina guide who charge us with HK$500. It was good enough. The fee included the bus rides and she was pretty nice. At least we didn’t get lost and we enjoyed our short stay in Macau.
Macau Attractions
We went to the usual Macau attractions that our time afforded us. We had to take our lunch there, as it was around noon when we got there:
- Ruins of St. Paul
- Senado Square
- Venetian Macau
- Parisian Macau
- St. Dominic Church
- Macau Fisherman’s Wharf
The Parisian Macao is so nice that Shane asked us if we could stay there. Someday, Siobe, someday. It’s realllyyyy nice!!! It’s all French sophistication. We love it there!
Day 7 | Sunday – Ocean Park Hong Kong
We went to Hong Kong in November, which was the month that registered the least rain fall in their weather report. Throughout the week, we had great weather. But when Sunday came, it rained torrents. And it was our time to go to Ocean Park Hong Kong.
My friend Sam treated us there, including our fare. So I was not able to take note of our expenses. The rain really spoiled our time there because it was hard to get around when the rain was pouring. And Sam had to buy ponchos for all of us, just so we would not be drenched.
But a lot of the rides were to messy to take. The only thing that the kids enjoyed were the animals. Thankfully, they were in covered exhibits.
Well, that’s just how it is in every travel. You win some and you lose some. But at least, the majority of our DIY Hong Kong Family Tour experienced great weather!
Using Klook
Our DIY Hong Kong Family Tour was made easy because of Klook. I paid for everything we needed on the site. And everything was pretty easy.
Klook.com
Special Thanks!
Our special gratitude goes to our friend Sam who took us in when we were in Hong Kong. We saved so much with our DIY Hong Kong Family Tour because we no longer had to pay for a Hong Kong hotel. We had a super grand time!
Hong Kong Travel Tips
- Prepare cash: small bills and loose change. That way you just drop the money in the bus if necessary.
- Buy the Octopus card. It will save you a lot of money if you commute. The price of the card is refundable.
- At Disneyland, let the kids wear costumes. The experience would be epic.
- Eat local. Try the Chinese cuisine. We bought some meals from the hawkers and the food is really good. It was just hard to understand each other though.
- Wear comfortable shoes. Touring Hong Kong entails a lot of walking. And the effort would be doubled if you have to run after or carry your kids.
- Bring appropriate clothes. We went there on a November. It wasn’t very cold yet but light jackets were already needed. Bring caps for the kids, too. The last thing you need are kids getting sick while travelling.
- Protect your kids’ health. Bring their usual vitamin supplements and give them nutritious food. The tours and the long hours on the road can be taxing for your kids. They bodies need to recuperate from the travel stress. I brought their standard multivitamin supplement as well as Ceelin, a separate Vitamin C chewable tablet.
- If you can, bring a tripod. You cannot trust other people to take good photos. Plus it can be a nuisance asking people for help all the time. In this DIY Hong Kong Family Tour, our tripod helped us compose beautiful shots. Plus it warded off other people from joining our family portraits.
Other family travel stories:
- Marco Polo Plaza Cebu Luxurious Family Stay
- Richmonde Hotel Iloilo Family Vacation
- Baguio City Birthday Adventure
- GoHotels Family Stay
- Nature’s Village Resort
Oh my goodness. You packed so much into 7 days!! Your Hong Kong trip sounds amazing. The photos make me jealous!
Looks like a great Hong Kong tour itinerary. Theres lots of fun and experience in there.
It’s a bit rude that they cancelled your flight and then you had to increase or decrease your time, but you did well to make the most of that situation! Awesome!
Jackie – Organised Mum Life
This Hong Kong tour itinerary was incredibly festive. You made the most out of a bad situation and to me that’s what life is all about because it is filled with constant interruptions. Beautiful photos of your family. Your kids truly had a grand time!
Hong Kong is definitely on my list of places to visit, but I think it’s so sensible that you split up the days in Disneyland otherwise it might have become a bit too much. Looks like you managed to fit quite a lot into your days though x
There are so many things to do in Hong Kong! And I love that you took your daughters, too. So much fun!! I’d love to go there too, sometime. 🙂
One of my colleagues went to Hong Kong with his family a few years and on his return complained how expensive it was. I have not been there yet but have pinned your article for future reference.
Goodness! That was an awesome family travel! Hong Kong is indeed a very expensive place to visit. I think it will take me years to save for it. We just finished our Vietnam Tour and it already took me time to save for it. I wanted to bring the kids to Hong Kong, maybe in the next few years.
Been wanting to go to Vietnam, too. At least it doesn’t require a visa. I heard the food and hotels are cheap there. Would like to visit even for just 5 nights. Maybe next year, God willing. 😀 Save pa more!: D
Hong kong have so many things to do. Looks like you had a great time. Disney land is dream of every 9/10 persons. I wish i could just fly right now
Looks like you all had a fabulous time. I love Hong Kong and could have used these tips last year when my family went.
I would love to visit Hong Kong one day but it is so far away from where I am. Maybe when the kids are older. We might follow your itinerary. Looks awesome! I have heard a lot of good things about the Disneyland and hopefully we can visit someday, too.
We are definitely a Disney household so I’m so jealous you got to visit Hong Kong Disneyland! Looks like you had a fun family get-away in Hong Kong. Your itinerary is so full!
Same here. We love Disney movies so I really hope we can bring the kids to Tokyo and Shanghai Disneyland. 😀
Thanks for giving this amazing itinerary for Hong Kong. We have never been there and this post has made us curious to explore. And what best! You have made our planning easy! Thanks for those helpful tips as well.
I have always wanted to go to Hong Kong and all these tips are amazing! Thank you so much for sharing!
What a fabulous adventure. Your pictures make me feel like I was there right along with you. So want to visit Hong Kong Disneyland. Love everything about Disney. I also love the architecture of Hong Kong in your photos. So different and beautiful.
You guys really go places! Traveling is a very good way to learn about a different culture and your daughters will thank you immensely for that. The photo of your husband sparring with the statue of Bruce Lee was hilarious! Thanks for sharing your Hong Kong travel experience with us.
Wow it looks like you definitely made the most of your 7-day vacation! Hong Kong looks like an interesting place to visit and so many amazing things to see. Your daughters surely had so much fun!
This is a detailed Hong Kong tour intienary and I loved reading the whole article. The kids seemed to have really enjoyed the whole trip which could be seen from the smiles of everyone in the pictures. Would like to follow this when we visit Hong Kong in the future. 🙂
Thanks for sharing your Hong Kong tour itinerary, ka very detailed gd! I’m gonna bookmark this — basi pa lng maka pa Hongkong kami in the future (crossing my fingers) — so this will be very helpful gd for our family. 😀
hahaha I think your family Hong Kong trip might be happening very soon! 😀
It looks like you all had a wonderful time in Hong Kong. I like how the trip was enjoyable for both the adults and the children.
It looks like you all had a wonderful time in Hong Kong. I like how the trip was enjoyable for both the adults and the children. The pictures gave us a great sneak peak of your jampacked Hong Kong tour itinerary!
OooOOOooooo, how exciting! I have never been to Hong Kong before, but I want to visit there with my family someday. Will save this itinerary. It looks fun and affordable, too. 😀
I’ve always wanted to visit Hong Kong with my family. I love how informative this Hong Kong tour itinerary for the family is. *Bookmarked*
Your children are so blessed to have you as their parents. They will surely treasure these family travel memories as they grow up.
So glad that you were able to make it work and save for this amazing family holiday in Hong Kong. You guys certainly had loads of fun with your DIY Hong Kong Tour itinerary. 😀
I think it’s wonderful to do you own plan and document family time away. Your DIY Hong Kong tour itinerary made great family memories for the kids down the road.
Glad you enjoyed your Hong Kong trip. We missed out on a lot of places since we just wanted to spend our time in Disneyland. Bookmarked your post for our next trip to HK.
It is heartwarming to see that you take the time to care and plan such wonderful trips with your family! Your kids will become happy adults! This Hong Kong tour itinerary is one for the books. 🙂
It’s good to read an itinerary from a budget perspective. This trip sounds perfect for children! I had no idea that Hong Kong has Disneyland! Your kids really seemed to enjoy themselves there with this awesome Hong Kong tour itinerary!
Ooh a 7 days tour in Hong Kong! That sounds so fun! Looks like you enjoyed you trip a lot with your family. I am more into shopping than sightseeing though. To each his own, I guess. Your kids look super happy. 😀
Very, very interesting. I’ll have to save this DIY Hong Kong tour itinerary for when we get there with the kids. I love Hong Kong for the food and the places to shop!
Wow, what a lovely week you all had. I would love to go to Disneyland and dress up, although I am a grown-up adult. Hong Kong is definitely on my list. First time in Asia this summer and I have totally love it, can`t wait to come back for a more extensive Hong Kong tour!
My sister was in Hongkong for a business trip a few years ago and she loved it. Looks like you guys had a blast! I would love to visit someday and use your DIY Hong Kong tour itinerary as a guide. 😀
Hong Kong is definitely on my bucket list, I’ve always wanted to visit it. It strikes me as a city full of culture and history and your guide is really helpful! The photos are adorable xx
What an epic family trip to Hong Kong! Your pictures speak for itself how much fun your family had! Your daughters are adorable. I haven’t got a chance to explore that part of the world yet but hope to visit someday. This DIY Hong Kong tour itinerary sure is helpful. 😀
Wow this is amazing! What a great Hong Kong tour itinerary! I have never been to Hong Kong but it sounds as though you have planned the most amazing family trip there! your kids had the most awesome time for sure.
My middle kiddo would love to see Hong Kong someday, looks like there is much to enjoy there. Glad you shared the information about your Hong Kong tour itinerary.
Hongkong is such a wonderful place to visit. Thanks for this DIY Hong Kong travel guide. It makes it easy for families to get the most of their vacation.
For people like me who have not paid much heed to visit this beautiful part of the world; this post is just the right kind of inspiring! I loved the variety on offer in such a small country like Hong Kong. Especially liked the views at Tian Tian Buddha. Simply breathtaking! This Hong Kong tour itinerary that you made is such a great resource for solo or family travelers.
Hong Kong is really beautiful place for vacation or family bonding. I would love to visit there some time. That is definitely a great trip and amazing memories there! Your DIY Hong Kong tour itinerary is one for the books!
I have been to Hong Kong 8 years ago and love the food and Disneyland there. I guess is time to plan for another trip back. You DIY Hong Kong tour itinerary looks pretty complete and I would love to visit Lantau Island tour as I have not been there yet.
Sounds like a very interesting tour! I have never been to hong kong before but it sounds like a wonderful place. Now, your DIY Hong Kong tour itinerary just shows how lovely it is to tour the place.
Welcome come to Hong Kong. I hope you have a nice memories here. It is very good tour itinerary for 7 days. You visit a lot of places around and outside Hong Kong. Your family sure looked so happy with this trip.
I always loved visiting HK! I’ve been quite a few times to visit family members. I really enjoyed going to Hong Kong Disneyland and Macau. Word of advice, don’t go to Ocean Park the day after Chinese New Year. It was absolutely packed! And I was frequently stopped because of my blonde hair lol.
We went on a Sunday and Ocean Park was jampacked, too. I think it is even more popular among the locals compared to Hong Kong Disneyland. Even if it was raining, people still went on the rides. haha I guess they did not want to waste their visit.
wow! you guys had so much fun in Hong Kong! I love planning my trips, you need to enjoy every minute! good job on this family-friendly Hong Kong tour itinerary of Hong Kong!
OH…LOVELY PICS…WE HAVE BEEN TO HONGKONG LAST YEAR…. SURE WE WILL PLAN FOR 7 DAY SOON…NICE INFORMATION
Wow you guys had a jam packed trip! I’d love to visit Hong Kong someday. Disneyland looks so fun!
xoxo
Annie
Wow, you really did so much within your stay in Hong Kong and Macau. Both of these places are really great for a family vocation, there are so many great food and culture to experience. I’m sure there are never a dull moment especially with the kids around.
I laughed when you said the kids survived the walking around Hong Kong. My daughter used to think a trip was OVER if she had to walk too much, hahahahaha
Hahahaha There’s really nothing much we could do but walk and keep on walking in Hong Kong! I guess that is probably the reason why people in Hong Kong are so thin — they walk around a lot!
This is a truly awesome travel itinerary for Hong Kong. You packed so much into these 7 days while thinking of the kids. That’s what family travel should be about.
Spot on for all the travel tips you’ve included in your post 🙂 Very helpful indeed! Also, the DIY tour itinerary of Hong KOng was awesome! You experienced a lot, visited so many places, and enjoyed a lot of experiences. I could tell!!! Congrats to the kids for having such thoughtful parents for a wonderful family travel!
Seems like a fun trip for the whole family! I have heard from so many people now that the Hong Kong Disneyland is pretty awesome. Your kids truly had a happy time and this was such a grand family vacation in Hong Kong!
Too bad though that a lot of plants and trees were destroyed at Hong Kong Disneyland because of the recent Typhoon Mangkhut that hit the place. 🙁 But knowing the government of Hong Kong, I know that they will get back on their feet again pretty quick. God bless Hong Kong! I have a lot of friends there.
I love how family friendly this Hong Kong tour itinerary is. I am going to use this next year when we are visiting HK. So useful!
This makes me wish I had little kid again. Its so much fun to go to Hong Kong. Your DIY Hong Kong tour itineray was jampacked!
So much to do in Hong Kong! We will be there next year and are so excited about it! Will include some of the places you mentioned. But definitely, we will spend a day or two at Hong Kong Disneyland.
What a great family trip. I would love to travel to Hong Kong some day and will definitely use your Hong Kong tour itinerary as a guide. Such amazing photos and the places you visited sound truly amazing. Your kids look so happy and animated. 😀
Last summer I visited China, and I definitely would like to visit Hong Kong too. It’s on my wishlist, I love the Asian civilisations and I intend to visit as many Asian countries as I can. Your DIY Hong Kong itinerary is very useful. 😀
You guys nailed it on this trip! You hit everything in Hong Kong and with kids! Hats off to you guys. It looks like a great family trip and your kids are always smiling so, I am going to take a few tips from you on my kid travel adventures. This DIY Hong Kong tour itinerary is one for the books. 😀
Such a useful itinerary. Family vacations are the best if we do planning as you did. Good job, mommy! I am going to use this tour itinerary when I visit Hongkong with my family next year. 🙂
You have gave me quite a few ideas on what is there to do in Hong Kong. I will be there in December but with a limited time, so I need to choose carefully what I want to do and see. Your Hong Kong tour itinerary is jam packed. It sure is nice that you had a week to spend with your family there. 😀
Thanks for sharing!! I’m planning my Hong Kong tour first quarter of next year. This is a very good reference. ❤️
That’s really a great Hong Kong itinerary. Glad the kids enjoyed the trip. There’s lot of tips and price info on your post that will surely help others wanting to go to Hong Kong and Macau.
One of my dream destination..Ang saya saya naman po jan lalo na sa disney land.Hope one day makapunta din po jan
Wow! One of my dream destination. Thanks for sharing your Hongkong tour/journey. Your family had a great time.