This 3-hour Hong Kong city tour focuses on the history of Hong Kong from British colonial rule to its rise as a financial superpower and transition to China. Led by a local historian or architect, we will cover the Central and Sheung Wan districts where East meets West—modern skyscrapers vie with traditional culture.

We start our walk back at the end of the 19th century with the events which would forever change the sleepy fishing village: the arrival of the British and its eventual 99-year lease. We'll gain these historical foundations in Statue Square, once lined with statues dedicated to British Royalty—the only remaining one today being of Sir Thomas Jackson, an early Chief Manager of HSBC, a coincidental foreshadowing of the powerful connection of the banking sector and the many headquarters towering over the small square.

We'll view a few other heritage buildings in the center such as the Former Legislative Council Building or St. John's Cathedral, sites dying in number due to the skyrocketing value of the island's land. We may stop to discuss the modernist City Hall and the gradual transition of more power over to local Hongkongers over the course of the 20th century. (For a look at how today's youth culture in Hong Kong try our Kowloon Tour.)

Weaving our way through the smaller streets of Central we'll discover more of the traditional Cantonese character of Hong Kong and learn more about the cohabitation with the British—often an uneasy relationship. We may pay a visit to Tai Kwun, a center for heritage, contemporary art, and performing arts, in the restored and revitalized former Central Police Station, Central Magistracy, and Victoria Prison. We'll travel up some of the vast escalators, granting us a perspective into the density of the city as well as the social classes that these levels imply. 

We'll eventually end up in hip Sheung Wan, now a neighborhood in which antique shops and trendy cafés sit next to traditional medicine shops, giving us first-hand insight into contemporary life demonstrating both the city's westernization and promotion of traditional culture.

For a deeper exploration of dim sum and street food, try our Hong Kong Food Tour.

I would like to visit certain sites in Hong Kong. Can these be included in the walk?
Yes, however, we'd suggest booking a private walk so that we can design custom tour to suit your specific interests.