Hong Kong Family Adventure: A 5-Day Trip from Ho Chi Minh City
Visa and Essentials
Our family of five (two adults, three children) applied for our Hong Kong visas around March 7th. Some of us received triple-entry visas around March 14th, while others had to wait until around April 14th. We used a visa service to handle the application process.
For communication, we purchased two SIM cards. One worked immediately, while the other needed activation in a different phone. We also borrowed an Octopus card, which is super useful for getting around Hong Kong.
Flights and Accommodation
We booked round-trip tickets with Cathay Pacific for 27.5 million VND for our group of five. In terms of accommodation, we spent two nights at Iclub Wanchai Hotel. The room for three was spacious and had a microwave, but the hotel was a little dated. It was conveniently located near the bus stop, the ding ding tram, and a 5-minute walk to the Wanchai MTR station, close to the market and dining areas. We also stayed at The Kowloon Hotel, right by the train station in a vibrant area on Nathan Road. The room was smaller and slightly older, but it was just a short walk across the street to the Avenue of Stars.
Our Hong Kong Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival and Wanchai Exploration
Our flight landed around 2 PM. We took the A11 bus to Wanchai, which cost 42$ per person (children under 3 are free). The ride was about 45 minutes to an hour and quite bumpy! I would only recommend it if you don't get motion sickness. Luckily, our hotel was right by the bus stop, so check-in was easy. Because of the bumpy ride, we walked to Chung Kee Congee for some soothing congee. The serving sizes are generous, and it cost us 100$.
Later, we took the MTR to Causeway Bay for Heytea and Yee Shun Milk Company. I recommend eating the milk pudding hot!
Day 2: Hong Kong Island Adventures
We explored Hong Kong Island mostly by ding ding tram or on foot.
We started our day with breakfast at Luk Yu Tea House. Our family ordered around 10 dim sum baskets, costing around 300$. The shrimp dumplings here use a soft, slightly thick rice flour wrapper, but the filling is fresh and generous. We arrived early, around 8 AM, and got a table right away. The older staff were lovely, even though they didn't speak much English. The third floor is less crowded than the second.
After breakfast, we checked out Kennedy Town and the % Arabica coffee shop. Then, we headed to Ocean Park, buying tickets on Klook. Ocean Park is highly recommended for families with young children! Food inside is quite pricey, so we packed sandwiches to save money. We stayed until around 5 PM before heading back.
For dinner, we enjoyed Kam's Roast Goose. Then, we took the ding ding tram to Quarry Bay to see the iconic Monster Building. Finally, we picked up some necessities at 360 before returning to the hotel.
Day 3: Central, Mong Kok, and Street Food
We had breakfast at a restaurant near the hotel, trying their pho and beef noodle soup. It was too salty, so I wouldn't recommend it. After breakfast, we took the ding ding tram to Central to photograph popular spots: Duddell Street Steps and Gas Lamps, Fringe Club, Lan Kwai Fong, Central-Mid-Levels Escalators, and the Graham Street Wall Mural.
We tried the egg tarts at Bakehouse (available from 11:30 AM) and Vision. We also had lemon tea at Lam Heung Ling Lemon Tea. We wanted to try milk tea at Lan Fong Yuen, but it wasn't open yet. We ate roast goose at Yat Lok.
We checked out of our hotel and the receptionist helped us book a taxi to The Kowloon Hotel.
Around 4 PM, we took the MTR to Mong Kok to explore the food scene and check out Sneaker Street and Ladies' Market. We tried dessert at Kai Kai (the cold egg milk dessert was a bit fishy, the mango dessert was better), soy milk, and coconut milk. The kids wanted fried chicken, so we stopped at BHC (the portion sizes are huge, but it wasn't as good as in Korea). We enjoyed ice cream from Mobie Softee.
We walked along Nathan Road, taking pictures at the Hong Kong Avenue Of Comic Stars, before heading back to the hotel.
Day 4: Harbor Views and Shopping
We had breakfast at Fu Wah Café (the pineapple bun with butter was delicious).
We took photos with Lilo & Stitch at the pier. We planned to take the ferry to Central, but the waves were too rough. Instead, we strolled along the Avenue of Stars. We walked to the end of the street and took the stairs to the park across the road. The kids loved the playground. Then we went back to the hotel for a rest.
At 4 PM, we walked to K11 Musea, found the elevator to the 6th floor to capture panoramic views of Victoria Harbour, then went down to the B2 food court for dinner. The char siu pork rice here is a bestseller (68$) and enough for three people! We bought souvenirs at Elegant Tang Dynasty before returning to the hotel.
Day 5: Departure and Last Bites
We wanted to eat breakfast at Wah Heung Yuen in the Haiphong Road Temporary Market based on Thai TikToker recommendations, but it was closed. Instead, we ate at a nearby stall. The older staff didn't speak English but were very helpful. They patiently helped us order two bowls of instant beef noodles and toast (the yellow noodles are instant noodles, the white noodles are like pho).
After breakfast, we stopped by Bakehouse again for egg tarts to take home. Even at 9 AM, there was a 30-minute wait, unlike the central branch.
We checked out of the hotel and took a taxi to the airport. It cost 300$ for five people – we didn't want to risk motion sickness on the bus again!
Because we were traveling with children, we were able to use priority lanes for check-in and customs. Children under 2 were allowed to bring water through security, but my 3-year-old had to throw away their water and yogurt.
We ate lunch at the airport, enjoying familiar dishes like chicken and char siu rice and wonton noodles.
Gate 11 has a slide area for children, but it's only for ages 6 and up. Near gate 23, there's a sky bridge with a transparent glass floor where you can watch planes take off. Near gate 60, there's a stall selling delicious baked egg tarts.
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