Everyone that visits Hong Hong agrees that the views of the skyline are truly breathtaking and everyone wants some great photos to show family and friends. But are the best places to get those shots? You probably already know about the great photo opportunities of the skyline from Victoria Peak, but where else should you head for to get that perfect image? We spent eight days in Hong Kong recently and found some great places to take photos of the skyline, with many being practically deserted. Here are our top 5. Click here for great Hong Kong hotel deals.
Victoria Peak
This doesn’t really need much of an introduction as everyone already knows about it. Most of the photos that you see of Hong Kong are taken from The Peak. To get the best photos you’ll need to walk away from the areas where the thousands of tourists gather, with Lugard Road being a great spot. Walk along it for around 500 meters and you’ll find some openings in the trees where you can get some great shots. Follow the road all the way around and you’ll be back to the start. It’s 2.8 km long.
You”ll probably also want to get some night shots from The Peak, so you’ll either want to arrive late afternoon and stay until it gets dark or go up twice. There are quite a few serious photographers up there at night. I’m not a professional photographer though and don’t have a tripod, so the night shots aren’t the best.
How To Get There: Take the The Peak tram that runs from 07:00-24:00. The nearest MTR station is Central. Take exit J2 ans walk from there.
Sky100 Observation Deck At International Commerce Centre
From the Sky100 Observation Deck you’ll get some of the most dramatic views of Hong Kong. The deck has 360-degree views, so you can large areas of Hong Kong, including Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and beyond. ICC is the tallest building in Hong and reaches 393 meters above sea level. It’s the only observation deck in Hong with 360-degree views.
It’s fairly expensive though at 168 HKD ($22) per person. You can buy tickets online or when you arrive. Opening hours are 10:00-21:00, with last entry at 20:00. It may sometimes be closed for private events, so check first. See sky100.com.hk for further details. The one thing I don’t like about taking photos from this location is that the windows are a little dirty and at an angle the means the glass picks up lots of reflections. So it can be almost impossible to take good photos from many areas of the viewing deck.
How To Get There: Take the Hong Kong MTR to Kowloon station. From there just follow the signs or ask the concierge for directions. Kowloon station is at the base of the tower.
West Kowloon Waterfront Promenade
This is another place that not many people seem to know about. Or maybe they don’t go because it’s a little out of the way. The area is grassed and there were a few people sitting around and eating when we were there. It also has toilets on site. This is one of the best places for views of Hong Kong Island. The tall building in the image above is the International Finance Centre, which I mentioned earlier.
How To Get There: Take the Hong Kong MTR to Kowloon station. From there just follow the signs to the promenade. It’s about a 5-10 minute walk. There is currently a temporary footpath, as they is construction work going on in that area.
Star Ferry
The Star Ferry crossing only takes a few minutes but the views are fantastic. It only costs 2.50 HKD ($0.35) per person, so you can cross a few times to get different shots. You need to be one of the first on the ferry though if you want a good seat.
How To Get There: You can get to the ferry pier on the Hong Kong Island side from Hong Kong MTR station. The station is located at the International Finance Centre, which is a complex of two skyscrapers (one ifc and two ifc), ifc mall, and a Four Seasons Hotel.
International Finance Centre Roof Garden
This is a place that not many people know about. There were only four other people on the outdoor terrace when we were there. You can get decent shots of the ICC across the harbour from here.
How To Get There: Take the MTR to Hong Kong station. The station is located at the International Finance Centre, which is a complex of two skyscrapers (one ifc and two ifc), ifc mall, and a Four Seasons Hotel. Go into the shopping mall and follow the signs. The roof garden is on level P3.
Where To Stay In Hong Kong
We stayed in two places while we were in Hong Hong. The first five nights were spent in an apartment that we booked via Airbnb, and the final three nights at the excellent Bishop Lei International Hotel, which we booked via Agoda. Click here for more great Hong Kong hotel deals.
