Where to Stay in Hong Kong for First Timers: Kowloon vs Central

After five days in Hong Kong with our 9-year-old, I realised we picked the perfect base. And nearly didn’t.

Deciding where to stay in Hong Kong can be surprisingly tough, especially when the neighbourhoods feel like totally different worlds despite being just across the water from each other. The city is dense and bursting with options, which is part of the fun, but picking the wrong home base can definitely add some unnecessary stress to your schedule, on an otherwise great trip.

We travel regularly through Asia as a family, and this stop was part of a multi-city trip we planned with efficiency and walkability in mind. For us, location nearly always beats hotel features. We spent most of our time out exploring, so the hotel is mainly a place to sleep and reset.

We chose to stay in Kowloon rather than Hong Kong Island, basing ourselves at the Holiday Inn Golden Mile, a surprisingly roomy and well-located hotel that was perfect for us. I’m going to break down what it’s actually like to stay in Kowloon vs Central, based on our experience as a family navigating walkability, food and transport. By the end of this post, you’ll know exactly which side suits your style of travel.

Kowloon vs Central: Quick Overview for First-Time Visitors.

Most people end up choosing between Kowloon or Hong Kong Island. They sit opposite each other across Victoria Harbour and are well connected by MTR and ferry, but they operate very differently once you’re on foot.

• Kowloon includes areas like Tsim Sha Tsui, Jordan, Yau Ma Tei, and Mong Kok.
• Hong Kong Island covers Central, Sheung Wan, Wan Chai, and Causeway Bay.

You can’t really go wrong, both are great locations. But the flow of your day will feel pretty different depending on which side you base yourself on. 

Why We Chose to Stay in Kowloon (And Would Again)

Kowloon was really easy to figure out. Nathan Road became our little beacon to navigate around as everything centres around it, including the MTR stops. It made our daily planning simple and meant that when we left the hotel, with or without a plan, we knew we would find food, transport or something interesting within a few minutes. It was particularly great for saving us from decision fatigue over ‘where should we eat?’ that often wears us down when we’re travelling. 

It was also way easier to plan our days, there were lots of smaller things we wanted to do around Tsim Sha Tsui, so instead of going back and forth across the harbour we dedicated specific days to the Island and stayed in Kowloon for the rest. It was easier to get around to all the little attractions we wanted to visit nearby in little pockets of time we had, rather than spending our time commuting back and forth. 

There were plenty of green spaces such as Kowloon Park and Signal Hill, as well as child friendly spots for escaping the heat or rain, such as Legoland Discover, the Science Museum and the Hong Kong Space Museum.

The Island is where you’ll find the big-name attractions that take a bit more time, or logistics, like Victoria Peak (we wrote about how to get there here). On the other side, Kowloon was great for low-key stuff like wandering around, hitting up markets and just seeing where the day took us. It made it easy to pack a lot of variety into our schedule without it feeling like we were marching to the next ‘thing’ constantly or needed a strict itinerary.  

Of course, there are trade-offs for staying in Kowloon too. Typically the rooms are much smaller and the streets are quite crowded, which was a little much for our son on some days. Views can be better over on the Island, but since we typically weren’t in the room too much during the day, the convenience factor was definitely the winner. We’d definitely stay in the same area again. In saying that, we did manage to snag a hotel that was a great mix of uncommonly sized rooms that actually had enough beds for kids, an amazing location and a great price point. We stayed at Golden Mile Holiday Inn, which was perfect for our needs. 

One thing we really struggled with during our search was finding hotel rooms that could actually accommodate all three of us, especially ones with a double and single bed, or three singles. Many hotels technically “allow” children, but the room setups meant they would be sharing beds. There were more hotels that would add a cot to the room for 0-2 year olds, but extra beds are hard to come by.

Who Kowloon suits best
Kowloon is the spot for you if you want food, transport and culture right at your doorstep. It’s perfect for travellers who want to be right in the heart of the action and aren’t as concerned with hotel space and views. Perfect for a short visit. 

Map of Hotel Options in Kowloon

Use this map to compare family-friendly hotels by location and price.

Staying on Hong Kong Island

The Island side definitely felt more structured and ‘planned.’ It’s home to some of the bigger attractions and we found it worked best when we dedicated intentional time to being there. 

In between the bigger sites, it felt a lot less spontaneous than Kowloon. We often found ourselves walking a bit further than expected to find a casual bite to eat. A lot of the food is tucked away in massive shopping centres or busy sit-down spots with lines. Grabbing something quick and easy felt harder than in Kowloon. 

Where Hong Kong Island would make more sense is if you had more of the Island-based activities planned. Places like the Dragon’s Back hike, beaches, Happy Valley Racecourse, Lamma Island and other day trips are more convenient from this side, even though everything is much more spread out. 

The island is also better for accommodation. You generally get more for your money, such as more spacious rooms and are more likely to find a room with a view. The hotels tend to be a bit newer too. 

Overall, we loved our visits to Hong Kong Island, ticking off major sites and riding the ding-dings, but staying there would have required a little more effort in the day to day logistics for us. 

Who Hong Kong Island suits best
The Island is a great fit if you have bigger day plans out across the island, prefer newer and more spacious hotel rooms and don’t mind being a little more intentional than ‘on the fly’ with meals and schedules.

Map of Hotel Options on Hong Kong Island

Zoom in to explore hotel options near the MTR and ferry terminals.

How Easy Is It to Cross the Harbour?

If you have plans across both sides of the harbour, it’s reassuring to know that crossing between Kowloon and Hong Island is quick, easy and cheap. 

The MTR ride only takes a few minutes and the Star Ferry was easily accessible and convenient. It takes about 10-15 minutes longer for the ride (but its a pretty iconic ‘must do’ in it’s own right!). Taxi’s were also readily available, though its worth noting that some taxis will not cross the harbour, so be sure to check with them first. 

Even with the crowds, we never had any trouble or delays crossing the harbour. We were in Hong Kong during the Mid-Autumn Festival, and across a weekend, so it may look a little different during regular work days, particularly during peak hour. In saying that, the public transport system is so well connected and efficient that I honestly think the only difference would be the volume of people moving through the stations. 

A Quick Word on Other Areas

• Lantau Island works well for Disney-focused trips or airport-adjacent stays, but it’s less practical for a short city visit.
  
• Causeway Bay offers great transport and shopping but feels busier and more spread out than Kowloon.
  
• Kai Tak is newer and quieter, better suited to longer stays than first-time, short trips.

So, Where Should You Stay?

• Stay in Kowloon if you want walkability, constant food options, and days that unfold naturally with minimal planning.
• Stay on Hong Kong Island if your trip centres on Island sights, you prefer a polished feel, or hotel comfort matters more than spontaneity.

For our short, first-time visit, Kowloon made everything feel simpler.

Planning your stay? Check real-time hotel prices and availability in both areas:
→ Browse hotels in Kowloon
→ Browse hotels on Hong Kong Island

Here’s how we fit Hong Kong into a 12-day trip with Macau and Hanoi.

Planning Your Hong Kong Trip? You Might Also Like:

• How to Get to Victoria Peak: We Walked It, Should You?
• Three Cities, One Trip: Hong Kong, Macau & Hanoi