Based on his very first trip to Asia, travel journalist Vladimir Jean-Gilles tells us how to make the best of a long layover in Hong Kong.
In October 2025, my friends and I embarked on a trip to Bali, Indonesia, that would take us to the other side of the planet. Collectively, it was going to be our first time in Asia and the longest we had ever traveled. I knew that this would be the kind of experience that could permanently define a friendship, and after looking at the itinerary for our trip, I found an opportunity to greatly enhance the experience and create more unique memories—a seven-hour layover in Hong Kong on our way to Bali and another five-hour layover when we returned. That would be more than enough time to explore, so long as we timed everything right.
It would also satisfy this long-standing, tantalizing fascination with Hong Kong that was heavily influenced by 1980s second-wave Hong Kong cinema. I’m talking about movies like Hard Boiled, The Killer, A Better Tomorrow, A Chinese Ghost Story, and other classics directed by the likes of John Woo, Ching Siu-tung, and many others. While I remember being captivated by its fast editing, unique storytelling, and breathtaking cinematography, it also provided such a dynamic view of Hong Kong, the city also known as the Pearl of the Orient.
We landed at nighttime, 7 p.m. local time, to be exact. The view outside my window provided all the context I needed for every part of my being to understand that I was now in a foreign place. Outside, a huge number of boats were waiting in line to make it into the harbor, surrounded by smaller marine vessels, probably serving as the local patrols for the South China Sea. Of course, Hong Kong had certainly changed a lot since the 1980s, but my excitement remained the same. It was time to let the adventure begin.
Here are five tips for maximizing your layover in Hong Kong.
1. Navigating Hong Kong Airport
The first thing we needed to do was make a swift exit out of Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA). Believe it or not, that part was rather easy. Indeed, HKIA is one of the most celebrated airports in the world for having found what many consider the perfect balance between efficiency and simplicity.
That, and the fact that English is commonly used as a second language in the city, makes HKIA extremely easy to navigate and understand. The biggest challenge that comes with trying to make your way out of the airport is that you might not even want to leave it. On top of being easy to navigate, the airport is also home to renowned restaurants, some that have even received Michelin stars and accolades, including Ho Hung Kee Congee & Noodle Shop and Duddell’s in Terminal 1.
But maybe you aren’t in the mood for food. After all, the city itself would provide more culinary options than you would know what to choose from. And so, once you finally made it through the equally efficient clearing of customs and immigration, your next step is to make it into the city.
2. The Airport Express
There’s really only one fast, cheap, and efficient way to get into Hong Kong, and that is the Airport Express. It costs only 130 Hong Kong dollars and is also the fastest land transport within Hong Kong, with speeds reaching 135 km/h. The train itself is a transportation marvel and one of the biggest signs of the technological advancement of the region.
It also far exceeds the sanitary expectations that a North American traveler might be accustomed to, and there’s a reason behind that. You are not allowed to eat, drink, smoke, or litter in any way. The consequences of breaking these rules include a hefty fine that could seriously ruin your trip.
The Airport Express is also extremely punctual and is almost guaranteed to take you from HKIA to Central Hong Kong in 24 minutes maximum, or to Kowloon in approximately 17 minutes. There’s a reason for that too. Should you arrive when the doors are closing and the train is about to leave, do not, I repeat, do not try to rush in and hold the doors open. Such a perilous act is not worth the judging stares from fellow passengers and the angry screams of the station controllers. Plus, another train is guaranteed to arrive very soon.
3. Walking through Hong Kong
Arriving in Central Hong Kong at night was simply mesmerizing. No amount of research, not even my foreign film expertise, could have prepared me for what walking through the streets of Asia’s World City would feel like.
Thankfully, we had checked the weather forecast ahead of our arrival and knew to safely put away our large hoodies and pullovers before taking on this futuristic juggernaut in its 30 degrees Celsius temperature and humidity. I have always made the point that exploring a city by foot is the best way to really take in its culture and identity, and I strongly believe that it should be done whenever possible.
That being said, Hong Kong does show some accessibility issues that make it very easy for an able-bodied young man like me to take his privilege for granted. Should you suffer from mobility issues or have specific accessibility requirements, Uber or special need services might be your best bet for navigating the city’s many upward and downward stairways. In contrast, Kowloon was much flatter and easier to walk through.
4. Food and shopping
In terms of food culture, Hong Kong is truly the El Dorado of the culinary world. Because it is also the financial center of the Asia-Pacific region (third in the world behind New York and London), it is also a goldmine for shopping enthusiasts.
Whether you are looking for local and traditional items, global luxury brands, or unique products and brands that can only be found in Asia, Hong Kong is the place to find them. While the options feel infinite, it’s important to remember that your time is not. Since you’re on a layover, it might be better to remain efficient and selective when exploring.
Lucky for us, we had not one but two long layovers in Hong Kong. Our second one was a five-hour layover scheduled on our return trip from Bali. Even though we loved exploring Hong Kong at night, I must admit that discovering Kowloon during the day on our return trip was just as unique of an experience.
While Central Hong Kong was a wonderful place to walk through and find food, with its skyscrapers and color-coded taxi systems and routes, Kowloon was an even cooler place to shop. Ultimately, it is up to you to decide where you want to partake in these cheesy but must-do tourist traditions.
5. Timing is key
Since you are on a layover, you want to arrive, see, and experience as much as you can, and make it back to the airport two hours before your boarding time. Finding your way back to the station will be very easy, so long as you don’t venture out too far. Should you get lost, Google Maps will be your friend.
Once you make your way back into the train station, there will be two clear flows of pedestrian traffic presented in front of you. Because the transportation system is intricately designed to make pedestrian traffic as simple as possible, you can safely follow the one going the opposite way from where you came. There are only five stations and therefore, five stops maximum before getting off at Airport Station.
Though my time in Hong Kong was a lot less action-packed than a Chow Yun-Fat action flick, I was still deeply satisfied with the memories I made there. So much so that Francis, Omari, and I were even tempted to stay. What was supposed to simply be a long layover eventually became a key chapter of our trip to Asia.
It was with a grateful heart that we left Hong Kong. As expected, our friendship had indeed been permanently redefined by closer bonds founded on shared memories and a joint promise that one day, we would all see it together again.
Vladimir Jean-Gilles is a Haitian-Canadian travel and lifestyle journalist, and long time film critic and Critics Choice Awards voter.
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