5 Days in Hong Kong: Day-Trip Base Itinerary
Five days adds Ocean Park to the 4-day spine, giving you two theme parks, two ferries and one bridge-bus crossing across the trip: Macau, Cheung Chau, Disneyland, Tai O, then Ocean Park. Shorter on time? Drop to 4 days . Want the full family? Step up to 6 or 7 days .
Book these before you go
- Ocean Park: a dated ticket on Viator , HK$538 adult at the gate
- Macau day trip: GetYourGuide for transport plus a guided old-town walk
- Hong Kong base: check Tsim Sha Tsui or Central rates on Booking.com
| Day | Focus | Travel time from HK |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Macau: Ruins of St. Paul’s, Senado Square, Cotai casinos | 45 min HZMB bus each way |
| Day 2 | Cheung Chau: fishing village, Mini Great Wall hike, cycling | 35-55 min ferry each way |
| Day 3 | Hong Kong Disneyland: Lantau, Disneyland Resort Line | 30-40 min rail via Sunny Bay |
| Day 4 | Tai O, Lantau: stilt houses, boat rides, Discovery Bay | 45-60 min bus from Tung Chung |
| Day 5 | Ocean Park: Aberdeen, marine life, thrill rides | 20-30 min bus or taxi |
Day 1: Macau
- HZMB “Golden Bus” from the Hong Kong port, HK$65 regular hours or HK$70 overnight, about 45 minutes plus immigration each way, check schedules on hzmb.gov.hk
- Ruins of St. Paul’s and Senado Square, free, the core of the Portuguese-colonial old town, hours on macaotourism.gov.mo
- Egg tart near Senado Square, then the Cotai Strip if the casinos interest you, before heading back on the same bus route
Day 2: Cheung Chau Island
- Ferry from Central Pier 5, HK$16.70 weekday or HK$24.80 weekend ordinary boat, HK$32.90 or HK$47.60 fast ferry, 35 to 55 minutes each way, sailings on Sun Ferry
- Bike rental, the Mini Great Wall coastal trail, and a harborside seafood lunch before the ferry back
Do I need my passport for the Macau leg? Yes, Macau runs its own immigration control as a separate Special Administrative Region, distinct from Hong Kong even though HKD spends freely there. Carry the passport you used to enter Hong Kong for both the outbound and return bus crossings.
Day 3: Hong Kong Disneyland
- MTR to Sunny Bay, transfer to the Disneyland Resort Line, 30 to 40 minutes from central Hong Kong
- A dated adult ticket, HK$669-939 depending on the calendar day, check the tier calendar on hongkongdisneyland.com before picking a date
- A full day in the park, smaller than the US or Japan parks, plan on fewer, more relaxed ride cycles
Day 4: Tai O Fishing Village, Lantau
- Bus from Tung Chung, or continue from the Ngong Ping cable car area if combining with the Big Buddha, 45 to 60 minutes total
- The stilt-house village and a small boat tour for a chance, not a guarantee, at spotting Chinese white dolphins
- Discovery Bay on the way back if there’s an extra hour
Day 5: Ocean Park
- Bus or taxi to Aberdeen and Wong Chuk Hang on Hong Kong Island’s south side, 20 to 30 minutes from Central
- Adult admission HK$538, child HK$269, check current pricing and hours on oceanpark.com.hk
- Split the day between the aquarium exhibits on the lowland side and the thrill rides on the headland side, linked by cable car and funicular
- Budget the full day, this is not a quick add-on stop
Ocean Park or Disneyland, which is worth prioritizing with only one theme-park day to spare? Disneyland wins for younger children and character-driven experiences, Ocean Park wins for older kids, teens and anyone with a genuine marine-life interest. With 5 days here, this itinerary keeps both, cut Ocean Park first if you need to shorten it back down.
Buy Ocean Park’s ticket online ahead of a weekend visit rather than at the gate, queue times run noticeably longer on Saturdays and public holidays. Our gateway guide and Ocean Park page cover the rest of the details.