Arriving bright, early and zombie-faced in Hong Kong after nearly twenty-four hours of travel and powering through dehydrating cabin air and flavorless chicken-or-pasta meals, only to hear “Your room’s not ready yet,” is a special kind of torture I know all too well.
Hong Kong doesn’t care that your circadian rhythm is rhythmless. It greets you with nonstop sensory overload from every angle. Just look up at the ever-stretching skyline and you’ll never forget the fun fact that there’s nowhere else on the planet with more skyscrapers. Beneath its cloud-piercing skyline, neon-drenched streets hum with energy that’s sometimes disorienting, sometimes delightful and often both. If you’re anything like me, the scent of buttery pineapple buns works like a magnet, pulling me into pint-sized bakeries. And every day, the city’s soundtrack of cheerful tram bells and urgent crosswalk beeps keeps you on your toes. Welcome to another day in Hong Kong, where a morning stroll outruns jet lag.
Stay Awake With Cold Brew And Cat Sightings In Sheung Wan
After dozens of visits here, I now eagerly plan for early morning arrivals. I drop off my luggage at the hotel, toss essentials into a tote (including an umbrella, especially during typhoon season), open Google Maps (my BFF in Hong Kong) and head straight to Sheung Wan. Sandwiched between the hustle of Central and the laid-back charm of Sai Ying Pun, this maze of steep streets and petite alleys—once teeming with old-school coffin shops—is a mesmeric mix of old and new. From traditional Chinese medicine shops, antique dens and open-air wet markets to TikTok-famous cafés, sleek galleries and vibrant murals, Sheung Wan is picture-perfect for walking off the flight fog.
Kick off your day at Coffee & Laundry, tucked into a quieter corner of Sheung Wan just off the tourist trail where traditional dried seafood shops line the streets. Since 2014, residents have been enjoying velvety pours and pastries while tackling their laundry at this compact spot. The bright and vibey setting—think black-and-white checkered floors, whimsical panda illustrations and indie fashion magazines—paired with the relaxing tumble of garments being dried makes it difficult to leave. But you’ll have to if there aren’t any seats.
Grab a cold brew to go and take a five-minute walk toward Hollywood Road Park, while keeping your eyes peeled (and your iPhone camera ready) for the fluffy shop cats frequently sprawled on fragrant crates of dried scallops. Enter the small but serene urban park under an unmissable red-and-green-tiled gateway, then claim a bench. Sip your coffee, soak in the sight of turtles sunbathing on rocks in the koi pond, elder locals practicing tai chi under a pavilion and high-rises towering above the traditional Chinese architecture and banyan trees. Suddenly, it feels like you’re living inside a postcard.
Hunt For Antique Treasures And The Perfect Lunch Spot
You didn’t fully experience Sheung Wan if you didn’t lose yourself in Upper Lascar Row, also known as Cat Street, a century-old pedestrian street below Hollywood Road dotted with antique and curio shops. Tip: Don’t spend too much time combing through the outdoor stalls piled with Buddha trinkets and Bruce Lee posters. Instead, make Select 18 your one-stop shop, a beloved hole-in-the-wall overflowing with retro finds and Hong Kong relics like funky alarm clocks, Canto-pop records, Wong Kar-wai film postcards, vintage cameras and the kind of aesthetically pleasing ashtrays you need for your coffee table, despite being a non-smoker.
Ready to refuel post-treasure hunting? Stop by Cat Street’s Halfway Coffee, where beverages arrive in vintage porcelain cups that are basically catnip for TikTok feeds. Food-wise, the hip hangout serves prawn pasta and a handful of egg sandwiches on sourdough. For a wider menu of organic plant-based fare—including creamy pastas made with cashew sauce and fresh veggies—pop into the laid-back Dandy’s Organic Café next door. Prefer something more elegant but equally health-minded? Just a stone’s throw from Dandy’s front door is Mora, a refined French-Chinese restaurant opened in 2022 by Michelin-starred chef Vicky Lau, where the seasonal dishes spotlight the versatility of the soybean and the interiors whisper super chic.
Make The Steep Climb To Temples And Shopping Sprees
From Upper Lascar Row, make a quick climb up Ladder Street’s stone steps until you reach Hollywood Road. Dating back to 1844 and once a hotspot for merchants hawking antiques (hence its Antique Street nickname), today the storied strip’s old-school shops sit alongside modern galleries and cocktail bars. One of Hong Kong’s oldest and most visited temples, Man Mo Temple, commands the corner of Ladder Street and Hollywood Road, its jade green Qing dynasty-style tiled roof standing out against a backdrop of powdery pastel high-rises. Step inside and the candlelit hall slows the city’s pace, until your eyes start to sting from the smoky incense coils cloaking the ceiling.
After exiting in a spiritual daze, walk five minutes toward Central to experience PMQ, formerly the city’s Police Married Quarters and now a hub spotlighting local talent. The labyrinthine complex is the antithesis of Hong Kong’s luxury malls, with over 100 studios, boutiques and workshops. Browse the impeccably curated lifestyle store B’In Select for quirky gifts crafted by local creatives. Stock up on bamboo toothbrushes and botanical body oils from Bathe to Basics, a clean beauty brand based in the city. Forgot to pack your underwear? Local “it” menswear label Kowloon City Boy and their head-turning briefs might save you.
Just when your exhaustion rears its ugly head, it’s well after 3:00 and your hotel room is finally ready. Before you go, treat yourself to a gooey egg tart from the nearest bakery or, better yet, sneak in a blissed-out foot massage at Ten Feet Tall, which you absolutely deserve after hitting the streets like you live here all day.
Have A Nightcap To Remember (And To Instagram)
Minutes after the sun’s set, you may find yourself in bed, staring at the ceiling with a tray of cheeseburger remains at your feet, and the iconic skyline hypnotizing you from the window. Don’t fight the glittering temptation. Return to Central, ascend Peel Street and enter Kinsman, a Cantonese cocktail salon opened in 2024 by drinks and lifestyle editor Gavin Yeung and awash in In the Mood for Love–inspired interiors. Sink into a plush red leather booth and order from an inventive menu built around rare Cantonese and Chinese spirits like the “Kowloon Dairy,” an earthy milk punch capped with salted cream.
Next, carefully tiptoe downhill to Quinary, the moodily lit cocktail bar opened by star mixologist Antonio Lai in 2012. Try its most photographed drink, the “Earl Grey Caviar Martini,” a baby-pink stunner of citrus vodka and Cointreau, mixed with bursting Earl Grey “caviar” beads and crowned with a swirl of Earl Grey-infused foam. Just be sure to set your alarm and crash before the clock strikes 12:00. No, nights here don’t die down early, but lining up with Hongkongers for the city’s best Cantonese breakfasts proves that being a morning person has its rewards. Especially when in Hong Kong.