Star Ferry

The Star Ferry is a fleet of distinctive green-and-white double-decked ferries that has been shuttling passengers across Victoria Harbour between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon since 1888. It's one of the city's great institutions — the kind of thing that locals use daily without thinking much about it, and visitors immediately understand why it matters. The harbour crossing connects Tsim Sha Tsui on the Kowloon side to Central and Wan Chai on Hong Kong Island, and the views you get along the way are among the most dramatic in any city on earth. Skyscrapers pile up on both shores, the water is busy with cargo ships and tugboats, and on clear days you can see mountains rising behind the whole spectacle.

The experience is beautifully simple. You buy a cheap ticket — one of the best-value rides in any world-class city — pass through a wooden turnstile, and board one of the old ferries, whose names all end in 'Star' (Morning Star, Golden Star, and so on). The crossing takes about eight minutes. You can sit on the open upper deck for wind and unobstructed views, or the enclosed lower deck if you want shade or shelter. Most people head straight upstairs. As the ferry pulls away and the skyline opens up, it feels like the whole city is performing for you. In the evening especially, when the buildings light up and their reflections shimmer on the water, it's genuinely hard to believe it costs less than a dollar.

The Tsim Sha Tsui terminal is the more atmospheric of the two main terminals — a restored 1950s clock tower sits nearby as a heritage landmark, and the promenade that runs along this side of the harbour is excellent for walking before or after. Come at dusk if you can. The nightly Symphony of Lights show at 8pm is visible from the water, but honestly the light on the harbour at golden hour needs no supplementary entertainment. Avoid rush hour if you want a relaxed crossing; commuters pack the lower deck and it loses some of its romance.