Old vs. New Hong Kong

Highlights / General details

Experience the mash up of old and new that is modern Hong Kong! You'd be forgiven for thinking that there's nothing more to this financial mecca than bright lights and skyscrapers. Join this Hong Kong tour to see the slow, traditional side as well as the frenetic futurism it's known for.
Immerse yourself in Hong Kong’s journey from traditional fishing harbor to international financial powerhouse. Explore the pathways of Hong Kong’s historical transformation through its multicultural neighborhoods. Experience Hong Kong’s unique juxtaposition of traditional and modern lifestyles and architectures. Take a ride on the world’s longest outdoor escalator. Explore Hollywood Road, home to many of Hong Kong's antique shops. Pop into Cat Street, a former black market turned open-air curio market.

Inclusion

Local English speaking guide.

Exclusion

Items of personal nature, Tips & gratuities for your local guide.

Hours of operation

Available: Tuesday, Thursday (and Saturday in 2014 only); Start time at 10:00am.

Duration

Approximately 3 hours.

Location Meeting point: Sheung Wan MTR station Exit B (4 minutes from Central and 12 minutes from Tsim Sha Tsui by MTR) Finish point: Central MTR station.

Itinerary The foundation of Hong Kong's traditional trade and fishing harbor industry, markets are an excellent way to identify with Hong Kong's humble, hardworking past, as we will see in the Western Market, the Ginseng and Bird Nest trading hubs, and the Herbal Medicine Quarter. This HK tour follows the trail of traditional Hong Kong street shops, as we make our way to Hollywood Road, the center of Chinese antiques trading. Over a hundred antique shops line Hollywood Road selling everything from Ming vases to Han Dynasty war horse potteries. As we venture further into Hong Kong's market history, we visit Cat Street, originally home to the city's black market, now an open-air curio market. Heading into Tai Ping Shan, it’s as though you’ve done a time warp – the shops and galleries are new and contemporary, and the culture is decidedly more Western and international, representing Hong Kong’s shift to an expat community led by international business. The combination of European style influences and traditional Hong Kong streetscapes has created some fascinating neighbourhoods in SoHo and NoHo, providing a unique narrative and local experience. Take a break from walking and catch a ride up the iconic 800-metre long Central-Mid-Levels Escalators, the world’s longest outdoor escalator system. Funny as it sounds, it's a highlight of our Hong Kong walking tour, as it is for most visitors to the city. The escalators transport you through a district known for being one of the best examples of traditional and modern life coming together in Hong Kong. As we make our way to Central, we see the central business district of the city dominated by modern skyscrapers that represent Hong Kong’s new life of riches, as an integral international financial hub. As a consequence, Hong Kong’s modern identity includes posh social clubs, swanky shopping malls, and impressively constructed office towers, yet retaining traditional elements, such as Feng Shui oriented art and architecture. Hong Kong is a city in its own class, where tradition and culture have merged full speed with modernity and international influences. From old to new, this Hong Kong city tour will excite your senses, pique your curiosity, and leave you fascinated at how it has transitioned so seamlessly.

Participant restrictions

This is a child-friendly tour. Children between the ages of 6 and 11 inclusively are permitted on this tour. Children younger than 6 are permitted at no extra cost, but please make sure you inform our guides of this before you take the tour.

Additional Information Comfortable shoes are recommended. When warning signal on typhoon, rainstorm or thunderstorm is being hoisted by the Hong Kong Observatory, please contact Hong Kong Urban Adventures to discuss arrangements.

Itinerary

The foundation of Hong Kong's traditional trade and fishing harbor industry, markets are an excellent way to identify with Hong Kong's humble, hardworking past, as we will see in the Western Market, the Ginseng and Bird Nest trading hubs, and the Herbal Medicine Quarter. This HK tour follows the trail of traditional Hong Kong street shops, as we make our way to Hollywood Road, the center of Chinese antiques trading. Over a hundred antique shops line Hollywood Road selling everything from Ming vases to Han Dynasty war horse potteries. As we venture further into Hong Kong's market history, we visit Cat Street, originally home to the city's black market, now an open-air curio market. Heading into Tai Ping Shan, it’s as though you’ve done a time warp – the shops and galleries are new and contemporary, and the culture is decidedly more Western and international, representing Hong Kong’s shift to an expat community led by international business. The combination of European style influences and traditional Hong Kong streetscapes has created some fascinating neighbourhoods in SoHo and NoHo, providing a unique narrative and local experience. Take a break from walking and catch a ride up the iconic 800-metre long Central-Mid-Levels Escalators, the world’s longest outdoor escalator system. Funny as it sounds, it's a highlight of our Hong Kong walking tour, as it is for most visitors to the city. The escalators transport you through a district known for being one of the best examples of traditional and modern life coming together in Hong Kong. As we make our way to Central, we see the central business district of the city dominated by modern skyscrapers that represent Hong Kong’s new life of riches, as an integral international financial hub. As a consequence, Hong Kong’s modern identity includes posh social clubs, swanky shopping malls, and impressively constructed office towers, yet retaining traditional elements, such as Feng Shui oriented art and architecture. Hong Kong is a city in its own class, where tradition and culture have merged full speed with modernity and international influences. From old to new, this Hong Kong city tour will excite your senses, pique your curiosity, and leave you fascinated at how it has transitioned so seamlessly.

Participant restrictions This is a child-friendly tour. Children between the ages of 6 and 11 inclusively are permitted on this tour. Children younger than 6 are permitted at no extra cost, but please make sure you inform our guides of this before you take the tour.

Location

Meeting point: Sheung Wan MTR station Exit B (4 minutes from Central and 12 minutes from Tsim Sha Tsui by MTR) Finish point: Central MTR station.

Itinerary The foundation of Hong Kong's traditional trade and fishing harbor industry, markets are an excellent way to identify with Hong Kong's humble, hardworking past, as we will see in the Western Market, the Ginseng and Bird Nest trading hubs, and the Herbal Medicine Quarter. This HK tour follows the trail of traditional Hong Kong street shops, as we make our way to Hollywood Road, the center of Chinese antiques trading. Over a hundred antique shops line Hollywood Road selling everything from Ming vases to Han Dynasty war horse potteries. As we venture further into Hong Kong's market history, we visit Cat Street, originally home to the city's black market, now an open-air curio market. Heading into Tai Ping Shan, it’s as though you’ve done a time warp – the shops and galleries are new and contemporary, and the culture is decidedly more Western and international, representing Hong Kong’s shift to an expat community led by international business. The combination of European style influences and traditional Hong Kong streetscapes has created some fascinating neighbourhoods in SoHo and NoHo, providing a unique narrative and local experience. Take a break from walking and catch a ride up the iconic 800-metre long Central-Mid-Levels Escalators, the world’s longest outdoor escalator system. Funny as it sounds, it's a highlight of our Hong Kong walking tour, as it is for most visitors to the city. The escalators transport you through a district known for being one of the best examples of traditional and modern life coming together in Hong Kong. As we make our way to Central, we see the central business district of the city dominated by modern skyscrapers that represent Hong Kong’s new life of riches, as an integral international financial hub. As a consequence, Hong Kong’s modern identity includes posh social clubs, swanky shopping malls, and impressively constructed office towers, yet retaining traditional elements, such as Feng Shui oriented art and architecture. Hong Kong is a city in its own class, where tradition and culture have merged full speed with modernity and international influences. From old to new, this Hong Kong city tour will excite your senses, pique your curiosity, and leave you fascinated at how it has transitioned so seamlessly.

Participant restrictions This is a child-friendly tour. Children between the ages of 6 and 11 inclusively are permitted on this tour. Children younger than 6 are permitted at no extra cost, but please make sure you inform our guides of this before you take the tour.

Additional Information Comfortable shoes are recommended. When warning signal on typhoon, rainstorm or thunderstorm is being hoisted by the Hong Kong Observatory, please contact Hong Kong Urban Adventures to discuss arrangements.

Policies For your Urban Adventure you will be in a small group of a maximum of 12 people. If you have your voucher, your booking is confirmed. We'll see you at the start point. Complete information, including local telephone numbers at your destination, will be included on your Confirmation Voucher.

All information requested must be supplied or booking is subject to automatic cancellation