Hong Kong is all about the views. From the moment you land at the airport and drive into the city to the days you spend exploring here, it is the city's vast, unforgettable skyline that will consistently and repeatedly take your breath away.

In fact, many of the most memorable tourist experiences in the city are tied to taking in the city's sprawling skyscrapers in all of their glory.

Once a sparsely populated region of farming and fishing villages, Hong Kong is now one of the most significant financial centers and commercial ports in the world-and as part of that claim to fame, boasts the largest number of skyscrapers in the world.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (which is its proper full name) is home to more than 9,000 high-rise buildings, and in excess of 1500 buildings are more than 328 feet tall. An additional 350 buildings are more than 492 feet tall.

Perched around the shores of Victoria Harbor and with a ring of mountains providing a lush emerald backdrop, the city's skyline is a dazzling sight to behold, particularly during the holidays when the buildings put on a captivating high-tech nighttime display made up of colors, patterns, and shapes.

Here are five of the top places to take in this unforgettable city.

Victoria Peak (also known as The Peak)

One of the top stops on any tourist visit, Victoria Peak is the highest hill on the island. The best way to reach the summit is via a Peak Tram ride, which in terms of steepness rivals a ride on San Francisco's trolleys along some of its nosebleed hills.

One of the world's oldest funicular railways, the tram rises to about 1,300 feet above sea level. But what is perhaps most fascinating is the way buildings surrounding the outside of the tram appear to lean as you pass by them.

According to a study done by The University of Hong Kong, passengers riding on The Peak Tram experience a unique visual illusion. When going uphill in the tram, the high rises on the right side of the vehicle actually look as though they are falling toward The Peak. The illusion is caused "by a change of the subjective vertical caused by the tilted visual environment and reclining body position of observers inside the tram."

Bottom line, both the ride up the hill and the view from the top are worth it. Make your way to Sky Terrace 428 once at the top of the hill. It is the highest viewing platform in Hong Kong, offering a 360-degree view of the city.

Sky 100

Yet another venue offering a 360-degree view of Hong Kong, the sky100 Hong Kong Observation Deck is located on the 100th floor of International Commerce Centre (ICC), the tallest building in Hong Kong. Also, notable, it is the only indoor observation deck offering a 360-degree view of the city (and being indoors can be a bonus when the weather gets chilly in Hong Kong.)

Another fun fact about this attraction, getting to sky100 takes merely one minute. The building features Hong Kong's fastest double-deck high-speed elevators, which reach the 100th floor in 60 seconds flat.

Once you reach the observation deck, in addition to gawking at the view, there's typically photo exhibits on display and installations about various facets of Hong Kong culture, presented in multimedia offerings.

Ozone

Take time to pause and observe the skyline over a drink while visiting the ICC building by hopping back on the elevator and heading to the 118 floor, which is the location of Ozone, the highest bar in the world.

The bar is part of the Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong and serves up inventive cocktails and Asian tapas. Ozone also offers an outdoor terrace and some of the best nightlife in the city featuring well-known DJs.

Sevva

Combine Hong Kong's majestic skyline with an unforgettable meal at Sevva, a luxe, contemporary fusion restaurant.

The restaurant's wrap-around Terrace (known for being one of the coolest places in Hong Kong to sip cocktails) offers panoramic views of Victoria Harbor and the city. And notable tip: the Terrace also one of the best places to be to view Hong Kong's fireworks displays.

Junk Boat

While many people automatically look for ways to admire the skyline from the above, it's equally impressive from below when sailing on famous Victoria Harbor aboard one of the city's junk boats. The boats offer a prime seat for Hong Kong's daily light and sound show, which is the world's largest permanent light and sound show, according to Guinness World Records.

Some of the top cruise options to take in the show include Aqua Luna Cruises and Hong Kong's charming Star Ferry boats, which have been faithfully carrying passengers from Hong Kong Island to Kowloon and back since 1888.

---

For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.

Topics From This Article to Explore