One of 2 self-guided walks in Hong Kong. See every walk.
In this guide
💡 The Short Version: Start at the Tsim Sha Tsui Star Ferry pier, pass the 1915 Clock Tower, the Hong Kong Museum of Art and the Avenue of Stars, then walk back west along Canton Road and Austin Road West to M+ and the Hong Kong Palace Museum in West Kowloon: about 4.4 km, an hour of walking and 4 to 5 hours with museums. Start by 13:00 if you want to go inside M+ or the Palace Museum. M+ is closed on Mondays, the Palace Museum on Tuesdays and the Museum of Art on Thursdays. Or book a tour: Three Faces of Kowloon: Harbour, Heritage & Heartbeat Tourad (from HK$799, 5 stars from 11 reviews) is a three-hour private walk through the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront and the West Kowloon Cultural District.
The route
Map of the walk numbered stops in walking order
Open the whole route in Google Maps: all seven stops in walking order, set to walking directions on your phone.
The first four stops are on the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront, within 900 m of the pier. West Kowloon is a separate walk of 2.9 km back west, so the route is two short halves joined by a long one. If you would rather not walk it, the M+ and Palace Museum guide has the bus and MTR options.
| Stop | Open | What is there |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Star Ferry pier | Ferries 06:30 to 23:30 | Green-and-white harbour ferries to Central |
| 2. Clock Tower | Always visible | 44 m tower, remnant of the old railway station |
| 3. Hong Kong Museum of Art | Mon to Wed, Fri 10:00 to 18:00; Sat, Sun, public holidays 10:00 to 21:00; closed Thu | Free except special exhibitions |
| 4. Avenue of Stars | Open-air promenade | 440 m film-industry promenade |
| 5. West Kowloon | Open-air | Harbourfront and Art Park |
| 6. M+ | Tue to Thu, Sat, Sun 10:00 to 18:00; Fri 10:00 to 22:00; closed Mon | HK$190, free Roof Garden |
| 7. Hong Kong Palace Museum | Mon, Wed, Thu, Sun 10:00 to 18:00; Fri, Sat, public holidays 10:00 to 20:00; closed Tue | HK$70 |
Tours that cover this route
The walk is free apart from the museums. A guide helps most in West Kowloon, where the distances are long. These products are sold on GetYourGuide.
Three Faces of Kowloon
From HK$799 · 5 stars from 11 reviews · 3 hours · private group · free cancellation
Three Faces of Kowloon: Harbour, Heritage & Heartbeat Tourad: a three-hour private tour in three parts, the Victoria Harbour and Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront, Cantonese heritage in the West Kowloon Cultural District, and grassroots Kowloon life. It matches the first and last halves of this route. Book at least 10 hours ahead.
Star Ferry sunset cruise
From HK$230 · 4.6 stars from 10 reviews · 1 hour · free cancellation
Hong Kong: Star Ferry Victoria Harbour Sunset Cruisead: a one-hour sunset sailing on the harbour; the listing says it is wheelchair accessible. It suits the end of a late-afternoon walk. Book at least one hour ahead.
Symphony of Lights cruise
From HK$118 · 4.2 stars from 298 reviews · 45 to 100 minutes · free cancellation
Hong Kong: Victoria Harbour Symphony of Lights Cruise & Drinksad: a night cruise with drinks, for the evening after the walk. Departures and details are in Victoria Harbour cruises.
1. Star Ferry pier
Ferries 06:30 to 23:30 · Upper-deck adult fare HK$5 Monday to Friday, HK$6.50 weekends and public holidays
A Star Ferry at the Tsim Sha Tsui pier. Photo: Yolopertz, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The Star Ferry company was founded in 1888 as the Kowloon Ferry Company and took its present name in 1898 (Wikipedia). Ferries leave both Central and Tsim Sha Tsui between 06:30 and 23:30. The lower deck is HK$4 on weekdays and HK$5.60 at weekends and public holidays; the four-day tourist pass is HK$50 (starferry.com.hk). The crossing takes about 9 minutes (Transport Department data).
To start here from Hong Kong Island, take the ferry from Central, which is near the start of the Central to Sheung Wan walk. By MTR, Tsim Sha Tsui station is about 800 m from the pier.
2. Clock Tower
Salisbury Road, next to the pier
The Clock Tower at Tsim Sha Tsui. Photo: Mk2010, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The red-brick and granite tower is 44 m high and is the only remnant of the Kowloon station of the Kowloon-Canton Railway. The tower was completed in 1915 and the station opened in 1916. Kowloon station moved to Hung Hom in 1975, the station building was demolished in 1977 despite protests, and the tower was kept. The Hong Kong Space Museum, Museum of Art and Cultural Centre now stand on the old station grounds. It has been a declared monument since 1990 (Wikipedia).
3. Hong Kong Museum of Art
10 Salisbury Road · Mon to Wed, Fri 10:00 to 18:00; Sat, Sun, public holidays 10:00 to 21:00 · Closed Thursdays (except public holidays)
The Hong Kong Museum of Art on Salisbury Road. Photo: BORALAN ICKAROM, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Admission is free except for special exhibitions. The box office closes 30 minutes before the museum, and the museum is also closed on the first two days of the Lunar New Year (hk.art.museum). It reopened on 30 November 2019 after four years of expansion and renovation (Wikipedia). Salisbury Garden, the open space beside it, leads to the Avenue of Stars.
4. Avenue of Stars
Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront · 440 m
The 440 m promenade honours Hong Kong’s film industry and was modelled on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It opened in April 2004 and reopened on 31 January 2019 after a three-year redesign by James Corner Field Operations. Entering from Salisbury Garden, a 4.5 m replica of the Hong Kong Film Awards statuette greets visitors; set into the promenade are plaques for the stars, some with handprints and autographs. A 2.5 m bronze statue of Bruce Lee was added in 2005, and a bronze statue of Anita Mui in 2014. The promenade faces the harbour skyline of Hong Kong Island (Wikipedia).
The Symphony of Lights is shown nightly at 8pm and lasts about 10 minutes; the promenade is one of the places to watch it from (Wikipedia, citing the Hong Kong Tourism Board). The government announced in the 2026 budget that the show will be retired in the second half of 2026 and replaced by festival-themed light shows at tourist spots (HKFP); the tourism secretary has said the farewell is planned for the fourth quarter (Ta Kung Wen Wei). The show was suspended on 9 September and resumed on 21 September (Dotdotnews), and until a last night is announced it runs at 8pm as before.
5. West Kowloon
2.9 km from the Avenue of Stars
From the Avenue of Stars, walk back west along Salisbury Road, then north along Canton Road and west along Austin Road West into the West Kowloon Cultural District. If you only want M+ and the Palace Museum, you can skip the first four stops: from Kowloon station Exit C1 or D1, M+ gives a 10 to 15 minute walk through ELEMENTS to the Artist Square Bridge. Buses and minibuses stop on Museum Drive too (Minibus 26, 74, 74S and 77M, and buses 296D, H2 and H2K, daily) (M+ directions).
6. M+
38 Museum Drive · HK$190, HK$100 concession · Tue to Thu, Sat, Sun 10:00 to 18:00; Fri 10:00 to 22:00; closed Mon
M+ is a museum of visual culture, with art, design, architecture and moving image. A standard ticket is HK$190 and a concession ticket HK$100; the last admission is 30 minutes before closing. The Mediatheque, the Grand Stair (except for ticketed events), levels B1 and B2, Found Space and the Roof Garden are free (mplus.org.hk). Ticket types, the Kid & Adult combo and hours are in the M+ and Palace Museum guide.
7. Hong Kong Palace Museum
8 Museum Drive · HK$70 regular ticket, HK$35 concession · Mon, Wed, Thu, Sun 10:00 to 18:00; Fri, Sat, public holidays 10:00 to 20:00; closed Tue
The Hong Kong Palace Museum in West Kowloon. Photo: xiquinhosilva, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
The Hong Kong Palace Museum opened on 3 July 2022 and shows objects lent by the Palace Museum in Beijing. Rocco Design Architects designed the building, and its shape is inspired by Chinese bronze ding cauldrons and sycee ingots (Wikipedia). Admission is free for children aged 6 and under, and concessions cover children aged 7 to 11, full-time students and seniors aged 60 and over. A special exhibition from 11 December 2026 to 5 May 2027 has its own ticket at HK$150 (HK$75 concession) (hkpm.org.hk).
Where to go next
- Back to the island: ride the MTR from Kowloon station to Hong Kong station in Central for HK$10.60 with Octopus or HK$12.50 for a single ticket (MTR fares), then start the Central to Sheung Wan walk at the escalator. The Star Ferry from Tsim Sha Tsui lands in Central too and runs until 23:30.
- On the water: the harbour cruises and their fares are in Victoria Harbour cruises.
- More free places: free things to do in Hong Kong, and the full list in things to do in Hong Kong.
Common questions
How long is the Tsim Sha Tsui to West Kowloon walk?
About 4.4 kilometres, roughly an hour of walking. Stops 3 and 4 are east of the Clock Tower and the way to West Kowloon doubles back west, along Canton Road and Austin Road West, so the long leg is the 2.9 km between the Avenue of Stars and M+. Allow 4 to 5 hours with museum visits.
What is the best time of day for this walk?
To go inside M+ or the Palace Museum, start by 13:00. M+ closes at 18:00 on most days, and the Palace Museum at 18:00 on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday. M+ stays open to 22:00 on Fridays, and the Palace Museum to 20:00 on Fridays, Saturdays and public holidays.
How much do M+ and the Hong Kong Palace Museum cost?
M+ is HK$190 for adults and HK$100 for concessions; its Roof Garden and Grand Stair are free. The Hong Kong Palace Museum is HK$70 for adults and HK$35 for concessions (regular ticket). The Avenue of Stars is free, and the Hong Kong Museum of Art is free except for special exhibitions.
What are the opening hours of the Hong Kong Museum of Art?
Monday to Wednesday and Friday 10:00 to 18:00; Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays 10:00 to 21:00. It is closed on Thursdays, except public holidays, and on the first two days of the Lunar New Year.
Which museums are closed on which weekdays?
M+ is closed on Mondays, the Hong Kong Palace Museum on Tuesdays (except public holidays) and the Hong Kong Museum of Art on Thursdays (except public holidays).
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