Kowloon means "Nine Dragons," referring to the Chinese belief that nine dragons lie under the surrounding hills, forming the backbone of the region sandwiched between Victoria Harbor and the New Territories. In the company of your local guide, explore local markets and temples reflecting the city’s rich culture.

A short drive takes you to Tin Hau Temple – dedicated to the Taoist goddess of the Sea. This centuries-old temple, filled with impressive overhanging incense coils and colorful religious paraphernalia, is a fine example of Chinese architecture. Follow your guide on a walk to the Wet Market, the Chinese marketplace in essence. Eager shoppers from the neighborhood converge on this vibrant market, filled with an amazing variety of fresh exotic produce and fresh catch of the day. With its unassuming simplicity, cheerful and friendly banters, you’ll really enjoy this stop. Nearby you’ll find the Jade Market. At this mecca for collectors from all over the world, you’ll find everything from rare and valuable jade carvings to small, inexpensive trinkets.

Rejoin your coach for a drive to the fragrant Flower Market - the center of HK's wholesale and retail floral business. Specialty shops and sidewalk displays showcase exotic blooms and plants from all over the world, as well as from Hong Kong's New Territories.

Head to Diamond Hill to visit the Chi Lin Nunnery. This stunning Buddhist nunnery is a fine example of Tang dynasty architecture. It is currently the largest hand-made wooden building in the world. The grand and elegant complex houses priceless Buddhist relics and tranquil lotus ponds.

Snap selfies at the most photogenic spots in and around Hong Kong, many of them iconic attractions that define the city. To ensure the best possible results, a selfie expert guide will offer tips so you can capture just the right angle, lighting and composition for every shot. Your pictures will be ideal for posting on social media and sharing in other ways.

As you walk and ride through Hong Kong, you will pause at designated selfie stops that include:
• Choi Hung Estate
• Wong Tai Sin Taoist temple
• Victoria Peak
• Yik Cheong building

HIGHLIGHTS

• Take inspiring selfies at the most photogenic attractions in Hong Kong.
• Follow tips from your selfie expert guide to ensure the very best pictures.
• Learn the historical significance of the locales while enjoying their dramatic settings.
• Pose in front of the rainbow-colored façade of the Choi Hung Estate housing complex.
• Stand atop Victoria Peak, the island’s highest point, with the harbor as a backdrop.
• Visit a 19th-century Taoist temple and Yik Cheong, the so-called Monster Building.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Wear casual, weather-appropriate clothing and comfortable walking shoes.
• Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen.
• Be sure your phone or camera is fully charged.

Experience the scenic beauty and splendid sites of Hong Kong from the comfort of your coach, with a few photo stops. Each guest will have a window seat on the coach to maximize his or her view of the sites along the way.

Depart the pier for Hong Kong Island via the Harbor Tunnel. A scenic uphill drive takes you to Victoria Peak for unforgettable views and photo opportunities of the city, harbor and beyond.

Pass the green and low block houses toward the southern side of the island, and on to beautiful Repulse Bay. Here, you’ll take in splendid views of the South China Sea, beautiful beaches and a uniquely-designed luxury apartment building adorned with a hole in the middle; the hole is believed to be Feng Shui-related.

Return to Kowloon via the Western Tunnel, and proceed on the highway to the New Territories. Along the way, you’ll drive on one of the world's largest civil engineering projects, the Tsingma Bridge, which offers a wonderful view of the passage to the ocean. Make a brief stop at Tung Chung town where you’ll have an opportunity to snap a picture of the Ngong Ping 360 Skyrail before returning to your ship.

Experience Hong Kong as a local, on this tour that showcases the lifestyle of HK people. HK's stereotypical image as a metropolis belies a unique heritage which is a fusion of ancient Chinese tradition and recent British colonial influence. Witness HK’s intriguing lifestyle and culture, and experience first-hand, Hong Kong's everyday life. So, put on your walking shoes and begin your adventure.

Drive to Tin Hau Temple – dedicated to the Taoist goddess of the Sea. This centuries-old temple, filled with impressive overhanging incense coils and colorful religious paraphernalia, is a fine example of Chinese architecture. Follow your guide on a walk to the Wet Market, the Chinese marketplace in essence. Eager shoppers from the neighborhood converge on this vibrant market, filled with an amazing variety of fresh exotic produce and fresh catch of the day. With its unassuming simplicity, cheerful and friendly banters, you’ll really enjoy this stop.

Hop on the local tram a favorite means of transportation among locals and visitors alike. This is the only double-decker tram service in the world. Enjoy the views of the ever changing street scenes, pre-war era apartment buildings and eclectic shops as your tram winds its way through some unique neighborhoods.

Stop at a HK style café, one of the locals’ favorite hangouts. The menu is a whimsical fusion of Eastern and Western culinary cultures. Enjoy a cup of English tea or HK style coffee and sample the famous egg custard tartlets; a delightful experience to be savored. After this refreshing break, follow your guide through the Western District. This is the oldest Chinese settlement and trading district on the Island. The shops in the area are real eye openers for visitors who come to learn about dried seafood, aromatic herbal medicine, traditional wedding dresses, paper lanterns and incense, which manifest the essence of local Chinese traditions and culture.

See firsthand how Hong Kong is reducing its environmental impact through waste reduction and management, green construction and by educating its population of more than 7 million. At the city’s first recycling business park, you will learn how waste such as cooking oil, electronic equipment and rubber tires is turned into usable products. The fascinating details are clearly explained in the visitor center exhibits. The nearby TPark power station is notable for the way it makes clean energy from sludge, a sewage treatment by-product. The “T” in the park’s name stands for Transformation, which it is fully committed to by converting waste into energy, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and by educating the public about the benefits of sustainability. The park’s main building is at the forefront of green architecture as it is constructed with recycled eco-materials, its water comes from on-site seawater desalination and the electricity is powered by heat from the sludge.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Tour a recycling park that turns all sorts of waste into usable products.
• Browse a power station that turns sewage sludge into clean energy.
• Recognize how Hong Kong is addressing its environmental challenges for a better future.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

Follow the Family Trail through some of the most scenic parts of laid-back Lamma Island to the area’s first wind farm. A ferry will bring you to the smallish island, whose slow pace and traditional lifestyle have made it a favorite escape for locals that live in bustling Hong Kong. You will meander along a trail that connects the pier at Yung Shue Wan with the pier at Sok Kwu Wan, a route that offers sweeping views of the beautiful countryside and passes through delightful residential areas. In between, you will find Lamma Winds, a wind farm with exhibits that highlight renewable energies. While tiny, the wind farm demonstrates the potential for sustainable wind power in Hong Kong, whose power needs are constantly increasing. Elsewhere on the trail, you will see fish farms and fishing boats that show how deeply the island revolves around the sea. It makes for a perfect introduction to your seafood lunch.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Walk an easy-to-negotiate trail through laid-back, wonderfully scenic Lamma Island.
• Pause at a wind farm with exhibits showing the huge potential for renewable energies.
• Ride the ferry to and from Lamma Island, which lies just south of Hong Kong.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

The unique cultural history of Hong Kong is yours to discover during this half-day visit to the city and get a glimpse into Hong Kong’s unique cultural history.

Visit the Man Mo Temple, dedicated to the God of Literature, or Man, and Martial Arts, or Mo. Built a century ago, the Man Mo Temple serves as the center of worship for the community. During your stop, you’ll also see the Market nearby, which sells all kinds of fresh products, dried herbs and seafood.

Stop for a visit of the Tang Chung Ling Ancestral Hall. Built in the early 16th century, this exquisitely decorated, three-hall building is still used for annual rituals and festival celebrations, and was declared an historic monument in 1997. Not far is Lo Wai Walled Village, also declared a national monument in 1997. The village is viewed from the outside only as it is closed to visitors.

Your brief venture into the heritage of Hong Kong also includes a visit to Tai Fu Tai, a stately 1865 country mansion that depicts how high-ranking officials once lived.

Spectacular 360° views from the top of Sky100 are yours to behold during this unforgettable evening sightseeing tour of Hong Kong, with a nightcap at an outdoor terrace overlooking Victoria Harbour.

A scenic drive takes you to Sky100, an observation deck that offers the best views over the city. This indoor observation deck is housed at ICC, the tallest building in Hong Kong. On arrival, take a lightning-fast elevator, that will whisk you from the 2nd to the 100th floor in just 60 seconds. Enjoy the magnificent views from its immense windows; the large lightbox displays in front will help you identify major landmarks. You can also use interactive touch screens that offer interesting facts about the local culture and points of interest.

Continue your city drive and stop for drinks and canapes at an outdoor terrace overlooking Victoria Harbour before returning to your ship.

Explore the vibrant Tsim Sha Tsui district of Kowloon on this evening tour. Riding on an open-top bus, travel along the Golden Mile with its dazzling neon lights and glittering decorations. Discover the vibrant atmosphere of the Night Market.

Inter-change an open-top double-decked bus in Tsimshatsui and drive through the heart and soul of Kowloon, absorbing the amazing tapestry of colors and sounds. Drive past the historic Peninsula Hotel and modern Hong Kong Space Museum, then on to the animated Golden Mile of Nathan Road, the longest street in Hong Kong. On Nathan Road, see dazzling views as you drive past the multitude of hotels, pubs, shops and restaurants, the streets shimmering from reflected neon lights. Stop in the Yau Ma Tei area, location of the popular Temple Street Night Market; its streets filled with vendors and potential customers. Enjoy a walk through this lively market, where carts bulge with goods ranging from casual clothing to mobile phones and knock-off watches to hardware. Fortune tellers cluster at the Yau Ma Tei end of the streets, as do Chinese opera enthusiasts seeking kindred spirits for impromptu performances.

The dynamic city of Hong Kong is boisterous, bustling, modern, exciting, vibrant, mysterious, entertaining, tempting and above all, enigmatic. This tour introduces you to the secrets of Hong Kong, where ancient traditions flourish side-by-side with an ultramodern city.

Drive to Hong Kong Island where you’ll take the Peak Tram for an exciting ascent to the top. Enjoy magnificent views of the city and harbor from this vantage point.

Your scenic drive heads towards the south end of Hong Kong Island. Pause for photos at, Repulse Bay, one of Hong Kong’s most beautiful and popular beaches. Visit the renowned floating village of Aberdeen for a memorable experience. Even though commercial towers and factories have engulfed this district in recent years, Aberdeen still maintains the characteristics of a traditional fishing village. Here, you’ll take the sampan - a wooden small boat, to zigzag along the small alleys of the village to have a close-look of the boat community.

Stop to visit HK's largest jewelry factory, where artists are at work to create some of the best winning designs using precious & semi-precious stones. Pass chic Wan Chai and the impressive financial district before returning to Kowloon and the ship.

The perfect introduction to Hong Kong! Enjoy sightseeing, museums, temples, shopping, markets, and restaurants as this fully narrated tour allows you to hop-on or hop-off at over 20 locations throughout the City. The open top double decker bus provides fantastic views and a great atmosphere to explore. The fully narrated audio tour is available in 9 languages including English, Mandarin, Cantonese, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Korean and Japanese. The tour ticket is valid for the entire day and it also includes return tickets for the Star Ferry. You will also enjoy free Wi-Fi and Big Bus app showing location of all buses, stops and points of interest.

Big Bus offers three exciting tour routes including:

• Hong Kong Island Tour (Red Route) which travels via central Hong Kong, Wan Chai, Causeway Bay, Peak Tram Tower Terminus, Mid-Levels Escalator, Man Mo Temple, Lan Kwai Fong and the SOHO Area.
• Kowloon Tour (Blue Route), which travels via Avenue of Stars, The Peninsula, Langham Place Mall, Ladies Market, Temple Street, Jade Market, sky100 Hong Kong Observation Deck and Mody Road.
• Stanley Tour (Green Route), which travels via Peak Tram Lower Terminus, Ocean Park, Repulse Bay, Stanley Market and Aberdeen.

The total tour duration depends on how many stops participants elect to get off at and explore on their own. The duration of each loop should guests elect to stay aboard the bus is as follows:

• Red Route - 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM - 75-minute loop with bus frequency every 45 minutes.
• Blue Route - 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM - 80-minute loop with bus frequency every 60 minutes.
• Green Route - 10:30 AM to 4:30 PM - 120-minute loop with bus frequency every 30 minutes.

Tour includes a transfer by motorcoach to/from the city center.