You can get train from airport straight in to Hong Kong island. It's about 30 mins. Tram up Victoria peak. Ferry across to other side is about 30 mins

I spent about day there and did not go up the peak as it was over cast. The ferries give an amazing perspective that you can't get from land

Train to central is also directly below mall with all the western choices you could wish for

My problem with lay over was it was pretty humid and I felt pretty hot and wasted by the time I headed back to airport

It’s going to be hot. Whatever you do bring lots of water! The Peak Tram can get super busy. You could just take a cab up. I’d take the MTR express into town (if that is what you end up doing) it drops you off in Central at the IFC mall. MTR Airport Express is 25 minutes. An alternative is Ngong Ping Monastery, “the Big Buddha” on Lantau. You could take a bus or taxi (Bus S1 from airport to Tung Chung) and take the Cable Car up. Or the number 23 bus from Tung Chung. The bus ride is interesting. Often you see cows and water buffalo blocking the road. You get fantastic views of the Territory. I haven’t been up there in awhile, but a friend said it’s fantastic. (It’s been renovated and has a little village where you can get food) on the way back to he airport you could stop by Chang Sha beach or Tong Fook for a bit of a paddle in the ocean and a bite to eat. Western options available.

Are you coming in from a long haul flight? Factor in Jetlag, hunger, thirst, etc. when will you be there?

http://www.discoverhongkong.com/...po-lin-monastery.jsp

https://www.hong-kong-traveller.com/...-kong-with-kids.html

Also the Park behind Pacific Place in Admiralty. It’s directly behind the Mall. There is a nice pond with turtles, an aviary ( 10$ entrance) botanical gardens. The Zoo is nearby the Park.

They will be passing through mid June arriving 7am after an 8hr flight. On the way back (late July) arrival is 5:30am after a 15hr flight. Depart about 5pm and 2:30pm respectively.

I’m familiar with the express train. Also familiar with the humidity!!

I’d read that the star ferry (?? The old green boats) are good?

Trip Advisor seemed to rave over the old star ferries. I think that was their name. Wouldn’t get too boring or overcrowded for kids?

I did book an airport hotel each way but for the night before, so time to freshen up before a trip. Suppose could have done it the other way and hoped for early checkin but basically just have time for a shower before the flight. Doesn’t seem like the airport has pay showers (not members of lounges etc)?

I love the Star Ferry! It’s a short, 10 minute or so ride. The ferry pier is just down from the IFC mall where the airport express is. The trams Hong Kong side are intersting as well, you can hop on one, ride it for awhile and then hop off , cross the street and go back the way you came. I’m off the 19/20th if your wife has any questions.

Good move booking airport hotel. It will be nice to freshen up before flight. When out and about in HK, have wet wipes handy. Hands seem to get filthy quickly.

I was on a star ferry

They were cheap, not crowded and if i had done my homework I think I'd have done more than just travel one side to the other

It is an amazing view of both sides of Hong Kong

I'd take my kids, 2 and 4 on them

Earlier this year I had a 12 hour stop over in HK. I took a $5 taxi from the airport to the cable car for Ngong Ping Monastery. Buy your tickets on line, otherwise you could spend 2+ hours lining up.

There are public showers at HK airport, I have seen the sign. The left luggage office is near the train station. There are quite a few ATM's in the arrival hall. If you plan to travel on the Subway buy an Octopus card, must pay in cash. Most shops will allow you to use your Octopus card for purchases.

Later this month I have another 12 hour stop over in HK. My plan is Express train to HK. Ferry and tram up to Victoria Peak.

What other trips on them (ferries) would you have otherwise done?

Alas the hotel rooms will only be good for arrival, not departure, side of a day trip. Had the flights been skewed later in the day I would have gone the other way.

Nice tip about wipes. Guess they double as a ‘shower in a can’. Actually I think I read somewhere that there are public showers downtown but wondered about how clean they might be.

Thanks for the tips. Especially airport showers. They might be new as I am sure I read that the airport didn’t have any, at least outside of member lounges.

The public showers are in the arrivals area, so you can only use them on your arrival not departure.

Take a harbour cruise, eat dim sum and ice cream then head back to the airport. Damn place can get humid beyond belief so be prepared for the ultimate nastiness.

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DISH is how we do it.

Ah I see. Possibly would have booked the rooms the other way around had I known. Thanks for the intel.

Yes I remember when I did a similar solo visit 10 years ago.

I need to get the kids to be more adventurous when it comes to cuisine. Might try and take them to a local dim sum prior to departure to prep them. Though I don’t think they’re ready for all the ducks and other animals hanging in windows! Lol

I remember an indoor ice rink down town near a lot of high priced label shops above one of the stations. If it gets too hot I know where they can go.

Watch Anthony Bourdain tomorrow night on CNN for ideas. He has filmed quite a few shows in Hong Kong because it is one of his favorite places to visit.

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DISH is how we do it.

Go to the IFC Center, take the elevator to the 55th floor, Monetary Fund Interactive center (kid friendly - videos) and spectacular view of HK free, just have ID's to get a pass to the top.
Take them to the Mid-Levels & walk on the longest Escalator, then walk back down lots of places to eat & drink.

I asked some colleagues about shower facilities at HK Airport, apparently there are some complimentary showers arrivals level by gate 22. I won’t be back until the 18th, but if I remember I will check them out. https://www.hongkongairport.com/...es/shower-facilities

I would *not* go to the peak. Touristy, and while it's cool, it's not *that* cool. (It is a great place to start a trail run but that doesn't sound like it fits with your plans).

Most likely, I'd take the train from the airport but get off at either Olympic or Kowloon station, then walk around Kowloon some (both stations are in Kowloon, even though only one gets the name). You can walk through Tak Kok Tsui, Mong Kok, Yau Ma Tei, and get a feel for what HK is like. You'd even have time to chill some in Nam Cheong Park and walk around Sham Shui Po for a bit before getting back on the train, if you wanted. Lots of places to eat and shop, and see HK street life. But more of the 'this is how HKers live' kind of stuff, rather than the tourist attraction kind of thing.

HK people use ferries to commute a lot, or to get to some of HK's more far-flung beaches. So there's a variety of routes. I don't take them b/c I fear drowning more than is warranted, but there are a bunch of them.

So, you could do something like, from the airport take a blue (lantau) taxi to Mui Wo, which is a hippish expaty town; get the ferry from there to Central (I think it's around an hour on the boat), walk around HK Island for a bit, ferry to Kowloon (much shorter boat trip), walk around Kowloon, and then get back on the train to the airport.
Makes sense if you want to spend time sitting on the boat. Which might be good if you worry about fatigue. Otherwise, probably not so much.

Thanks.

Not so much the return leg (when I’m there and can rustle the troops) but when their mum is travelling alone with them.

Is the drowning aspect the ‘capsize’ thing? I had thought similar but figured I hadn’t heard of that happening in HK. But perhaps something to advise her against and wait until I’m there. Just in case!

I guess I figured Peak was something simple she could do and the tram would be novel for the kids. Early arrival so should beat crowds (I recall being on first one in 08 and being mostly empty).

I'm not telling you not to take the ferries. Just, I've got a kinda (ok not kinda) irrational fear of boat travel so I avoid them, otherwise I'd have more experience with them. Everyone I trail run with takes that Mui Wo ferry fairly often.

I just don't think the Peak is *that* great, compared to other places in HK, including in the mountains.

I do suspect that cable car up to ngong ping is pretty awesome, I've ever done it though.

I’ve never worried about riding the ferries, I’ve always enjoyed it! I lived on Lamma for 5 years and had some interesting rides when the Typhoon signals were hoisted. The slow ferry from Mui Wo to Central takes an hour, the fast ferry about 35/40 minutes. I quite like sitting out the back of the slow ferry. (I won’t take the Cable Car to the Big Buddha, but that is more of a I’m not a fan of those things)

If your wife is a bit overwhelmed by adventuring out on her own and navigating an unfamiliar city with the kids, the airport has an IMAX heater in Terminal 2 as well as some sort interactive “education Park” for kids. It’s called Dreams come true Education Park. Kids can explore real life work environments (according to the airport website) they can try out being a pilot, flight attendant, fire fighter, astronaut. A friend said it might be geared toward the younger kids, so your 11 year old might find it boring. Let us know what your wife ends up doing and how she liked Hong Kong!