Hong Kong Side Trips: 7 Day Itinerary
Seven days, one side trip a day, sleeping in Hong Kong every night: Macau, Cheung Chau, Tai O, Disneyland, Lamma, Ocean Park, and a real border crossing into Shenzhen if you already hold a China visa. This is the full spine that the 2 day through 6 day versions build toward one day at a time.
Book these before you go:
- Hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui or Central
- Macau day trip covering the old town
- Outlying islands tour
- Hong Kong Disneyland ticket , booked for a specific calendar date
- Ocean Park ticket
| 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 |
| 6 | Ocean Park | ~25-30 min MTR and bus | Included in ticket price |
| 7 | Shenzhen (visa-ready only) | ~40-70 min MTR or high-speed rail | Varies by route and visa |
Day 1: Macau, the old town over the casinos
Ferry from Sheung Wan or the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge bus . Bring a passport, Macau is a separate SAR. Spend the day around the Ruins of St Paul’s and Senado Square, not the Cotai casino floor. Check 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 seafood lunch by the harbour.
Day 3: Tai O, Lantau’s stilt village
Bus from Tung Chung to the stilt-house village. Dolphin sightings on the boat tours are increasingly rare, a bonus rather than a guarantee. Pairs 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 in advance, and check the official calendar first.
Day 5: Lamma Island
Ferry from Central Pier 4, roughly HK$24.90 weekday, 20-30 minutes. Coastal trail between Yung Shue Wan and Sok Kwu Wan, seafood lunch on the harbourfront.
Day 6: Ocean Park
South side of Hong Kong Island. Adult admission HK$538, child (3-11) HK$269. Aquarium exhibits, coasters, and a cable car between the lowland and headland sections. Check opening days first.
Day 7: Shenzhen, only if you already have a visa
MTR East Rail Line to Lo Wu or Lok Ma Chau, or the West Kowloon high-speed rail, crosses a real international border: separate immigration exit and entry, a currency switch to yuan, and the Great Firewall turning on the moment you clear the mainland side. A Hong Kong visa-free entry does not cover this crossing. The US isn’t on China’s expanding visa-waiver list as of 2026, though the UK and Canada picked up a 30-day mainland waiver in February 2026, and Shenzhen’s own 5-day Special Economic Zone visa-on-arrival only covers Shenzhen itself, not Guangzhou or beyond. If you don’t already have this sorted, swap the day for a second Macau visit instead, this time the Cotai casino strip you skipped on day one.
Seven days is the full list: everything reachable from Hong Kong in a day, ranked by whether it’s actually worth the trip. The full day trips guide has the reasoning behind the order if you want to swap days around.