Hong Kong Side Trips: 5 Day Itinerary
Five days out of Hong Kong: Macau, Cheung Chau, Tai O, a Disneyland day, and a second island, Lamma, to close it out. Sleep in Hong Kong every night. This extends the 4 day plan with a second outlying island; the 6 day and 7 day versions keep building on the same spine.
Book these before you go:
- Hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui or Central
- Macau day trip covering the old town
- Outlying islands tour if you’d rather not sort two separate ferry timetables
- Hong Kong Disneyland ticket , booked for a specific calendar date
| Day | Side trip | Travel time from HK | One-way cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Macau (old town) | ~45 min bus, ~60 min ferry | HK$65-70 bus, HK$190-240 ferry |
| 2 | Cheung Chau | ~35-55 min ferry | HK$16.70-47.60 |
| 3 | Tai O (Lantau) | ~75-90 min bus and MTR from Central | Bus fare only, no ticket |
| 4 | Hong Kong Disneyland | ~40-50 min MTR, transfer at Sunny Bay | Included in ticket price |
| 5 | Lamma Island | ~20-30 min ferry | ~HK$24.90 |
Day 1: Macau, the old town over the casinos
Ferry from Sheung Wan or the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge bus . Passport required, it’s a separate SAR. Spend the day around the Ruins of St Paul’s and Senado Square, not the Cotai casino floor. Check current sailing times on Macau’s tourism site or with TurboJet directly.
Day 2: Cheung Chau, the cheap escape
Ferry from Central Pier 5, HK$16.70-47.60. Mini Great Wall trail, Cheung Po Tsai Cave, a harbourside seafood lunch.
Day 3: Tai O, Lantau’s stilt village
Bus from Tung Chung to the stilt houses over the tidal flats. Dolphin sightings are increasingly rare on the boat tours, treat one as a bonus. Pairs well with the Big Buddha from Hong Kong’s own city itinerary ; general crossing info is on Discover Hong Kong .
Day 4: Hong Kong Disneyland
Disneyland Resort Line, transfer at Sunny Bay. Adult 1-day ticket tiered HK$669-849 by calendar date. Book the specific date rather than the gate price, and check the official calendar first.
Day 5: Lamma Island
Ferry from Central Pier 4, roughly HK$24.90 weekday, 20-30 minutes. Walk the coastal trail between Yung Shue Wan and Sok Kwu Wan, then a seafood lunch on the Sok Kwu Wan harbourfront. Longer and hillier than the Cheung Chau walk, and a better second-island day than a first one.
Five days gets you both outlying islands, one heritage day, and one theme park, roughly the ceiling for what’s worth doing without adding Ocean Park or crossing into the mainland. Those come next in the 6 day plan, and the reasoning behind the order is in the full day trips guide .