Part of our Hong Kong guide.
Tsim Sha Tsui hides a rooftop garden with harbour views, SoHo conceals a former police married quarters turned art hub, and Causeway Bay tucks away a 19th-century fort. These are the specific spots that most visitors walk past.
Related travel guides: Essentials In Hong Kong.
Tsim Sha Tsui You Can't Miss
Beyond the Avenue of the Stars, the Hong Kong Museum of Art and the Peninsula Hotel, TST holds the Kowloon Masjid and Islamic Centre. This white-marble mosque, built in 1896 and rebuilt in 1984, sits on Nathan Road and welcomes non-Muslims outside prayer times. A few streets west, the Former Marine Police Headquarters compound on Salisbury Road – built in 1884 – now houses a hotel, but the public can walk the compound’s lawn and climb the original watchtower for a view across Victoria Harbour. For a quieter alternative to the Harbour City mall, walk up Mody Road to the Hong Kong Cultural Centre’s rooftop garden; it is open daily and free. The garden overlooks the harbour without the crowds. You can also find public restrooms and water fountains inside the Cultural Centre’s ground floor.
SoHo, Hong Kong
SoHo’s hidden gem is the PMQ (Police Married Quarters) on Aberdeen Street. This 1951 building, once home to junior police officers, now holds design studios, workshops and a rooftop terrace. Entry is free; studios open at 11am and close around 8pm. On the same street, the Man Mo Temple on Hollywood Road is quieter than the larger Man Mo Temple on Tai Ping Shan Street – its incense coils hang from the ceiling in near-silence. For a break from the bars, walk up the Mid-Levels Escalator to the Caine Road section of the hiking route that connects to the Lung Fu Shan Country Park trails. The escalator runs downhill from 6am to 10am and uphill from 10.20am to midnight. If you are looking for food souvenirs, the dried seafood and herbal tea shops on Gough Street sell vacuum-packed dried scallops and Chinese tea cakes that travel well.
Causeway Bay Hong Kong You Can't Miss
Causeway Bay’s best-kept secret is the Tung Lin Kok Yuen Buddhist temple on Shan Kwong Road. Built in 1935, the temple’s main hall features a 16-metre gold-leaf Buddha and a peaceful courtyard with bonsai trees. It is open from 9am to 5pm and entry is free. A ten-minute walk away, Victoria Park’s Model Boat Pool – near the Causeway Bay entrance – lets children sail remote-controlled boats for free; the park also hosts a morning tai chi group at 7am. For a quiet cafe, go to the second floor of the Hysan Place mall at 500 Hennessy Road: the “Library” cafe has floor-to-ceiling bookshelves and serves coffee from 10am. If you need a place to rest between sights, check our guide to “Hong Kong overnight stopover - where to stay” for budget options within walking distance of the MTR. The Star Ferry from Tsim Sha Tsui to Wan Chai is a 10-minute ride; for exact timings see “how long is the Star ferry ride”. For a full list of major attractions, refer to the “top 20 things to do in Hong Kong” page. To budget your day, the “it costs in Hong Kong” page covers typical prices for MTR rides and street food. For a broader overview, the “things to do in Hong Kong” page groups activities by district.
