Lonely Planet Experiences Private Hong Kong: Old vs New

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.  

Markets are the cornerstone of Hong Kong’s history and present day identity, so it's only appropriate that this Hong Kong private city tour begins with an exploration of some of the city’s oldest and most unique markets. 

The foundation of Hong Kong’s traditional trade and fishing harbour 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 centre 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.

A highlight of your private Hong Kong tour will no doubt be a visit to the newly opened PMQ; the former Police Married Quarters has been transformed into the designer hub of the city. Young brands and independent designers showcase and sell their products in the old dormitory units in the heart of the city, while paying a subsidised rate. PMQ is the last word on cool in Hong Kong town.  We dare you to see if something doesn’t catch your eye here!  

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 another 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 HongKong city tour will excite your senses, pique your curiosity, and leave you fascinated at how it has transitioned so seamlessly.