The most beautiful glimpses of Hong Kong...
Star Ferry's Harbour Tour is one of those tourist clichés that you really have to do, to say you've "done" Hong Kong... The 1920s style green-and-white ferry, one of Hong Kong's most prominent icons, sails a circular route of an hour around Victoria Harbour, with various stops on both Hong Kong Island and Kowloon side, so you can get a zillion great photo ops of one of the world's most famous city-skylines...
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There are all sorts of "options": You can either use the ferry as a "hop on, hop off" (unlimited rides for a specified period) or you can opt for the much-cheaper single ride ticket... Then there are day-tours, night-tours and, of course, the ultimate "Symphony of lights tour" (Which is really the "crème de la crème"...)
Single-ride Day Round Trip Ticket gives you a single one-hour ride during daytime. It costs HK$ 50 at the time of writing (kids and elders get a small discount) and the ferry departs every one hour from Tsim sha Tsui's Pier, between 14:05 and 18:05 (17:05 in winter). From Central: 14:20, 15:20, etc... From Wanchai: 14:35, 15:35, etc... and from Hung Hom: 14:50, 15:50, etc...
Single-ride nighttime Round Trip costs HK$ 100 at the time of writing.
The ferry departs every one hour from Tsim sha Tsui's Pier, between 19:05 and 21:05 (from 18:05 in winter). From Central: 19:20 and 20:20 ... and From Wanchai on 19:35 and 20:35
A Half-day hopping pass costs HK$ 75 at the time of writing and allows you to hop on and off the ferry as much as you want, between 11:05 am (first departure from Tsim sha Tsui) and the 17:05 trip (which ends at around 18:00)
A Full-day hopping pass costs HK$ 170 at the time of writing and allows you to hop on and off the ferry as much as you want, between 11:05 am (first departure from Tsim sha Tsui) and the 21:05 trip (which ends at around 22:00)
The Symphony of Lights Cruise actually consists of two consecutive rides: The one that leaves Tsim sha Tsui on 19:05 and the following one (which departs on 20:05), which means you can see the famous lights and laser show from the ferry... It costs HK$ 140 at the time of writing, so you are better off buying the HK$ 170 Full-day hopping pass and enjoy some daytime cruises as well...
For more information, you can visit Star Ferry Harbour Tour or call them on (852) 2118 6201 (24-hr Hotline) or (852) 2118 6208 (normal hours)
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Duk Ling, the only authentic Chinese junk that still plies the water of Victoria Harbour, was built more than 50 years ago in Macau and served as a fishing boat before it was restored and converted to a leisure-cruise vessel.
Hong Kong Tourism Board offers a one-hour sightseeing harbour cruise on board of the Duk Ling at a relatively good price of only HK$ 50 per person, but as the cruise departs only a few times a week (and since the boat can carry only 30 passengers at a time), it is important to book well in advance at one of HKTB's visitor centres.
The boat leaves from Kowloon Public Pier (near Star Ferry Piers) in Tsim Sha Tsui on Thursday (2pm and 4pm) and Saturday (10am and 12 noon), and from Central Pier 9 (Public Pier) in Central on Thursday (3pm and 5pm) and Saturday (11am and 1pm)
For more information, call Hong Kong Tourism Board Visitor Hotline (+852) 2508 1234 or visit their Duk Ling Ride webpage)
China Pub Company, the company that owns and manages the Duk Ling, also operates regular tours of 2.5 - 4 hours to the Outlying Islands and other places of interest, and they also charter the boat for functions and fun-days (you can even get married on the boat, if that's what you want...)
For more information, check the Duk Ling website.
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Owned by Aqua Restaurant Group, the Aqua Luna is also an authentically handcrafted red-sail Chinese junk, and although it was built just recently (and purely for entertainment purposes), the builders were supervised by an 80 years old traditional boat builder, so it's really as authentic as it gets...
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In Cantonese, the boat is named "Cheung Po Tsai" after a notorious Cheung Chau Island pirate who devastated the area more than a hundred years ago...
The company operates a few 45 minutes-long harbour cruises every day, as well as some day-long cruises to Stanley, Aberdeen, Cheung Chau Island and the Tin Hau Temple in Joss House Bay.
Unlike on most of Hong Kong's other cruise boats, the Aqua Luna boasts all the comforts of a floating resto-bar, including comfy lounges and beautifully decked-out interiors, with traditional tick furniture that contribute to the old-days ambience...
At the time of writing, the cost of the 45 minutes-long harbour cruise (including a drink) is HK$ 150 / 120 for an adult / child for the afternoon cruise (Tuesday & Friday only, 13:30 and 14:30) and HK$ 180 / 150 for an adult / child for the evening cruise (Daily: 17:30, 18:30, 20:30, 21:30, 22:30).
Their "Symphony of Lights" cruise departs at 19:30 and also HK$ 180 / 150 for an adult / child
Their day-long cruises are ranging around HK$ 290 - 400 for an adult and HK$ 190 - 240 for a child (depends on the destination)
For more information and bookings, you can call them on 2116 8821, or visit the Aqua Luna webpage.
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