Join us on a group tour for this annual Cultural festival at the charming Aberdeen Harbour to experience the Dragon Boat Festival like a local! Aberdeen Dragon Boat Race is one the oldest and most traditional in Hong Kong, with more than a hundred year of history.
Learn about the history and traditions of the Dragon Boat Festival, watch the Dragon Boat Race ON A SAMPAN fishing boat, try the traditional Cantonese Rice dumplings prepared by a local auntie and MORE! Let’s explore Hong Kong like a local!
Secure your place by booking on or before 19th June!
Date: Thursday, 22nd June 2023
Price: HKD$ 400 (Adult)
Early bird: Book before 15 June noon to enjoy 10% off for adult tickets (e.g. HKD$360)
HKD$ 320 (Children between 5 to 12 years old)
Transportation: Walking and Sampan ride on Aberdeen Harbour
Meeting: Lei Tung MTR station, Exit A1
Time: 9:30am to 11:30pm (2 hours)
Inclusions: Expertly led by licensed guide and owner of the 105K-instagram page @explore_hongkong, the tour includes a Sampan ride on the Aberdeen Harbour and 1 food stop for traditional Dragon Boat Festival Rice Dumplings and drinks.
Exclusions: Public transportation
Language: English
Highlights
- 45-min Sampan ride on the Aberdeen Harbour with Captain Ten, a local fisherman in Hong Kong!
- Story and traditions of the Dragon Boat Festival in Hong Kong
- Visit the 250-year-old Temple, which has kept people living on boat safe for centuries!
- History of Ap Lei Chau and Aberdeen, the birthplace of Hong Kong
- Enjoy a Cantonese Rice dumplings made by local aunties!
- We have prepared a Dragon Boat Festival souvenir for you!
Join us on an inspirational group tour of Aberdeen, exploring the cultural birthplace of Hong Kong and Ap Lei Chau, the fourth most densely populated island in the world. During the 3-hour tour, we will be on both foot and take a traditional wooden sampan fishing boat, and dive into the harbour’s history.
Your Aberdeen group tour will conclude the tour with a bowl of traditional boat noodles from a sampan, traditionally prepared by local fisherman.
Transportation: Walking and Sampan ride on Aberdeen Harbour
Meeting: Lei Tung MTR station, Exit A1
Time: 11:00am to 2:00pm (3 hours)
Inclusions: Expertly led by licensed guide and owner of the 103K-instagram page @explore_hongkong, the tour includes a 30-min Sampan ride on the Aberdeen Harbour and a bowl of traditional boat noodles!
Exclusions: Public transportation
Highlights
- Visit Aberdeen, the birthplace of Hong Kong. Learn about Aberdeen’s earliest role as a vital enclave for trade, incense manufacturing and fishing, a legacy that endures to the present day.
- Visit the Road-side shrine in Aberdeen and the hundred-year-old temple, which have guarded the harbour for decades.
- Learn how important the God and Goddess of the Sea are to fishermen in Hong Kong at the Tin Hau Temple in Aberdeen and Hung Shing Temple on Ap Lei Chau.
- Continue the journey on a Sampan and take photos in front of the iconic Hong Kong Floating Restaurant.
- Conclude the tour with a bowl of traditional boat noodles prepared on a sampan!*
*tasting might change due to availability
We also provide this tour virtually if you are unable to join in person. Check it out here.
Make the most of your visit by taking a Lantau car tour with your very own driver and guide. With our door-to-door service, collecting you from and returning you to your hotel, airport or cruise ship, we can make this the most memorable day out.
As well as offering comfort and convenience, we are one of the few tour companies licensed to access the restricted access zone of Lantau Island by car. Our knowledgeable and friendly guides all speak excellent English and will ensure you make the most of your time in Hong Kong.
Listed below are some of the options we could include in your itinerary depending on your interests and time constraints. Your itinerary is completely flexible and can be tailored to suit your needs. If you have a destination in mind that is not listed, please enquire and we will accommodate your request if possible.
Lantau Island:
- The Big Buddha
- Po Lin Monastery
- Tai O Fishing Village
Additional options:
- Ngong Ping 360 cable-car
- Cheung Sha beachside lunch
- Tai O Waterfall and rock pool
- Hong Kong DolphinWatch experience
Lantau Island Car Tour
As one of the only tour companies licensed to access the restricted access zone of Lantau Island, a car tour with Hong Kong Greeters opens the door to this fascinating part of Hong Kong. Lantau is known as Hong Kong’s green lung, and you can imagine stepping back in time 50 years when you visit.
We will visit the Po Lin Monastery and Big Buddha statue, where we will help explain the importance of Buddhism and how it is represented in the hearts, minds and belief system of the people of Hong Kong. We will also be walking the 268 steps up to the Tian Tan Big Buddha, which was erected in 1993, rises 34 metres into the air and faces north, to look over the people of China. It is a magnificent statue and pilgrims flock to it from across Asia.
A visit to Lantau Island can also incorporate a visit to the traditional fishing village of Tai O, which features stilt houses inhabited by fishermen and their families. This relaxing village is one of the best-preserved places on Lantau, indeed the whole of Hong Kong, largely owing to the efforts of the local community and it is a place to just really slow down.
We can also weave in a trip on the Ngong-Ping cable-car for you to experience the breathtaking landscape surrounding the Big Buddha.
Travelling across most of Hong Kong in a day, we will use some of the most exclusive transport to get to the most breath-taking and memorable sights in Hong Kong, Kowloon and Lantau Island. I am one of ToursByLocals’ top-rated and award winning private tour guides.
Please note that this tour is completely bespoke and below is a sample of what we can do during your visit in Hong Kong.
While your ship is in port, make the most of your visit by taking a private car shore excursion around Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula with your very own driver guide. We take all the stress out of your visit with our door-to-door service, collecting you from and returning you to your cruise ship terminal.
As well as offering comfort and convenience, we are one of the few tour companies licensed to access the restricted access zone of Lantau Island by car. Our knowledgeable and friendly guides all speak excellent English and will ensure you make the most of your time in Hong Kong.
We have a number of shore excursion car itineraries. The first is a classic Hong Kong Highlights tour taking in several better-known destinations. We often recommend this to first time visitors as it takes in many of Hong Kong’s best known and most iconic spots.
However, if you would prefer to go further off the beaten track to see another side of Hong Kong, we would recommend our Explore the New Territories tour. There are plenty of fascinating spots that are difficult to access by public transport and also tend to be a little less crowded.
Listed below are some of the options we could include in your itinerary depending on your interests and time constraints. Your itinerary is completely flexible and can be tailored to suit your needs. If you have a destination in mind that is not listed, please enquire and we will accommodate your request if possible.
Hong Kong Highlights Shore Excursion
Hong Kong Island:
Kowloon:
- Wong Tai Sin Temple – Make a wish at Hong Kong’s most vibrant temple
- Nan Lian Garden and Chi Lin Nunnery – Enjoy a beautiful garden and tranquil retreat
- Mongkok’s Markets: Bird Garden, Flower Market, Goldfish Market, Ladies Market
You can view our tour booking page here for a shore excursion of Hong Kong and Kowloon
Lantau Island for Big Buddha & Tai O Shore Excursion
Lantau Island:
- The Big Buddha
- Po Lin Monastery
- Tai O Fishing Village
- HKZM Bridge
You can view our tour booking page here for a shore excursion of Lantau Island for Big Buddha and Tai O
Explore the New Territories on a Shore Excursion
- Sai Kung for the National Park or the seafood promenade.
- Tai Po District: Wet market, floating fishing village in Sam Mun Tsai, Tsz Shan Monastery* and Guan Yin Statue.
- Kadoorie Farm.
- Abandoned villages and fortified walled communities in Sha Tin.
- The 10, 000 Buddhas Monastery in Shatin.
- Monkey Mountain the native (and very tame) Macaques monkeys. *Please do not feed the monkeys under any circumstances.
- Jat’s Incline: An amazing panoramic view.
- Shopping at Sum Ngai Brass Factory or Yuet Tung China Works
*A visit to the Tsz Shan Monastery must be booked at least four weeks in advance.
You can view our tour booking page here for a shore excursion of the New Territories
Lantau Island is known as Hong Kong’s green lung, and you can imagine stepping back in time 50 years when you visit. Most of this stunning island is untouched and can only be accessed by public transport. I will navigate you seamlessly through the highlights in this 8 hour private tour. Highlights include, a private car transfer from your accommodation to the cable-car, skip the line access at the cable-car (I am a licensed guide and so you will avoid the long lines), the Big Buddha and Po Lin Monastery and Tai O fishing village.
I will help you to understand the meanings of the stories that make this place so special, and how the teachings weave their way into Chinese culture and society on this experience. We will arrive by cable-car via skip-the-line access and enjoy the stunning and dramatic landscapes of Lantau on the 24-minute panoramic ride. Once we arrive to the top of the mountain, we will continue by foot to explore all corners of this uniquely different part of Hong Kong. Many times travellers visit this area as a first introduction to Buddhism, let me open it up for you! There are many things to see, but not that easy understand, such as Buddha’s story, a visit to the memory palace connected to the Big Buddha statue, and the word “emptiness” in relation to the faith – perhaps the most misunderstood word in Buddhism. I can also show you a hidden place where you will be able to “speak” directly to the Buddha. These are the things that you will not learn from a guide book.
This is an in-depth look at Tai O village. This is a must-see for anyone interested in visiting the real Hong Kong. This relaxing village is one of the best preserved places on Lantau Island, indeed the whole of Hong Kong, largely owing to the efforts of the local community… and a place to just really slow down. Situated at the end of the Pearl River Delta, where it meets the South China Sea, its history and culture are intrinsically linked to its geographical location. We will take a small boat ride to view the stilted houses for a close up look at how people live in this small enclave. There is a chance to view the Hong Kong- Macau – Zhuhai bridge from the open estuary and maybe a pink dolphin or two. Then we will visit the Tai O Heritage hotel, a former colonial police station which was converted in 2013. This has a story all on its own. Finally, we will wander through the market streets, say hello to the villagers who live there, and see all the home-made produce (much of which is linked to the preservation of fish).
Read more on this unique corner of Hong Kong on our blog – Tian Tan Buddha
