Hong Kong with Kids: Our Year of the Horse Adventure

Hong Kong with Kids: Our Year of the Horse Adventure

Some cities you simply visit, and others just completely wash over you. Hong Kong was the second kind, hands down.

The second we stepped out, the city hit us like a wall of pure sound. Big red double-decker buses scraped past on packed roads, faded neon signs dangled overhead, and market stalls spilled right out across the sidewalks. Beneath all the chatter and sizzling woks, you could physically feel the pavement humming.

Then came the horses.

We timed our trip right during Chinese New Year 2026—the Year of the Horse. Because of that, you couldn’t look in any direction without spotting one. Golden paper cutouts in shop windows, horse-shaped pastries, themed jackets, plastic trinkets on street carts. It almost felt like the whole place threw a massive party just for our arrival.

Landing at the airport, we had zero clue that one animal would end up defining our entire trip. But looking back on it now, I wouldn’t trade that chaotic energy for anything.

Our little corner of Hong Kong: Jordan

We based ourselves in Jordan, over on the Kowloon side, and honestly, I couldn’t have picked a better spot.

It doesn’t have the glossy, manicured feel of Hong Kong’s wealthier districts, but that was the whole charm for us. Step out the front door and you’re smacked right in the face with daily city life. Steam pouring out of tiny noodle joints, street markets in full swing, flickering neon signs overhead, and crowds rushing past on their morning routines. It was loud, crowded, and gloriously chaotic.

Traveling with the kids, staying in Kowloon made life so simple. The MTR was right there, meaning we could hop on a train and be pretty much anywhere within minutes.

If you’re mapping out your own stay, check out hotels around Jordan or nearby Tsim Sha Tsui. Being close to the action without paying a massive markup for a sliver of harbour view saved us a bundle.

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One detail ended up mattering more than anything else, though: the pool. The girls quickly figured out the golden rule of surviving long travel days:

A hotel swimming pool is not a luxury when you’re travelling with kids. It’s survival.

By late afternoon, after hauling ourselves up endless flights of concrete stairs and dodging the crowds on the sidewalks, sinking into that cool water was pure relief. It let us all finally exhale. Before long, it turned into our daily rhythm: hike through Hong Kong from morning till late, jump in the pool, grab dinner, crash hard, and wake up ready to do the whole thing over.

Hong Kong was celebrating

We happened to arrive right in the middle of Chinese New Year, and the entire city was humming on a frequency I’d never felt before.

Overnight, red lanterns sprang up from every doorway and awning. Gold banners fluttered above the crosswalks, store windows showed off elaborate festive displays, and you could feel this collective, buzzing anticipation on every corner.

Then the night parade started.

We squeezed into the thick crowd along the street, swept up in a wall of drumming, bright lights, and cheering families. The girls were wide-eyed, glued to the spot. Dancers twirled past in silk robes, followed by towering, brilliantly lit floats and horse motifs on literally everything—banners, costumes, paper cutouts. You know those travel moments where you don’t have to play tour guide or prompt your kids to pay attention? We just stood shoulder-to-shoulder, letting the noise wash over us.

This was Hong Kong at its best. The Year of the Horse had officially arrived.

And then we found the horses in the shops

Knowing our girls, it was only a matter of time before the Year of the Horse turned into an excuse to hit the shops. Everywhere we turned, windows were packed with limited-edition Chinese New Year gear.

Then we walked past Nike.

They’d rolled out an entire collection built around the zodiac animal, and that was the end of our casual browsing. The girls zeroed in on the horse graphics within seconds, and suddenly our shopping bags were weighed down with exclusive hoodies and tees. The crown jewel, though? A pair of Nike Air Force 1s stitched with the horse design. How could we walk away from those? Buying them felt completely inevitable. Looking at them now, they beat any fridge magnet or plastic keyring we could’ve picked up. They’re sneakers that instantly pull me straight back to Hong Kong.

Even the food joined in

Even the bakeries got in on the horse theme. Tucked inside a little shop window, we spotted sweet pastries baked into tiny horses, made specially for Chinese New Year. There was zero chance we’d walk past without buying a few. They were almost too cute to bite into—almost. The girls tore right into theirs, and strolling the streets of Hong Kong with crumbs on our jackets during the Year of the Horse felt like pure magic. You can’t put that kind of moment on a printed itinerary. It wasn’t a world-famous landmark, yet I’m betting we’ll remember those warm, flaky treats long after the big sights fade from our minds. Funny how family trips work like that, isn’t it? The smallest things always leave the biggest mark.

Going up to The Peak

Then came the real reason we flew halfway across the world.

That ridiculous skyline, the wall of glass skyscrapers, and Victoria Harbour gleaming down below. We shuffled into the Peak Tram, the wooden seats creaking as the metal cable gave a hard tug and pulled us straight up the mountain. The girls practically glued their foreheads to the glass, squealing as the high-rises started leaning sideways at impossible angles—an optical illusion that makes you feel like the whole city is toppling over.

Before we could even catch our breath, the tracks leveled out. We were at the top.

The Peak.

Hong Kong stretched out below us like a toy town someone had pieced together by hand. Thousands of glass towers stood shoulder to shoulder, with Victoria Harbour cutting right through the middle and dark green mountains rising behind our backs. Down on the water, little ferries and tugboats traced white lines across the grey-blue bay.

The view actually stopped everyone in their tracks. The noisy crowd went quiet, and even the kids stopped squabbling for a minute, which really tells you everything.

We ended up lingering far longer than we’d planned on the terrace. Sometimes you just don’t need an itinerary; leaning against the railing and taking it in is plenty. Time your trip up for the late afternoon so you can catch the sun setting over the water—the shift in light is unreal.

If this is your first trip to Hong Kong, keep The Peak near the very top of your itinerary. It’s easy enough to bundle into a full day of sightseeing, too, alongside a few other spots around the city.

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From the city to the Big Buddha

The next morning, we swapped the neon and concrete for green hills.

Our destination was Lantau Island to see the Tian Tan Buddha—what everyone just calls the Big Buddha. The shift in tone hit us immediately. One minute you’re hemmed in by high-rises, and the next you’re surrounded by wide-open ridges and cool sea air.

The statue perches high above the Po Lin Monastery, and crane your neck as much as you want from the bottom, the sheer scale of the bronze figure catches you off guard. Climbing up was work, but turning around at the top made it easy to forget burning calves. Rolling green hills stretched out in every direction, totally quiet.

Even the girls stopped their usual chatter. The place just naturally lowers your voice. After days spent dodging elbows in street markets and jumping at bus horns, standing up there simply felt like exhaling.

Shopping was part of the adventure

You really can’t separate Hong Kong from its shopping culture. We swore we were just going to look, but surprise: we ended up lugging bags around anyway. We lost track of time wandering between massive malls packed with international labels and cramped, narrow storefronts stuffed with oddities we’d never seen in our lives.

Visiting during Chinese New Year kicked everything up a notch. Everywhere you turned, the displays exploded with red, gold, lucky symbols, and horses for the holiday, alongside all sorts of limited-edition holiday packaging. The girls were completely hooked.

Pretty quickly, browsing stopped being about ticking off a gift list and turned into a game of seeing what would surprise us next. And believe me, it did. One minute we’d spot an entire Nike collection themed around horses, the next we were staring at sweet horse-shaped pastries in a bakery window. Then we’d stumble into some quirky back-alley shop you couldn’t dream up back home. That chaotic hunt was half the fun.

And yes, we went to Disneyland too

We could never take the kids to Hong Kong without spending a day at Disneyland. In fact, we loved the place so much I gave it its own standalone post; trying to squeeze everything here just wouldn’t do it justice. If you’re heading over with little ones, check out our Hong Kong Disneyland: The Ultimate Family Guide (2026). Over there, I break down all the lands, the best rides, park snacks, ticket options, how long you actually need, and practical tips to save your sanity.

The park felt like a whole different holiday tucked inside our trip. One minute we were weaving through street markets, incense-heavy temples, and glass skyscrapers, and the next we were surrounded by cartoon characters and pastel castles. For families, that wild contrast makes the city shine. How often can you stare out over misty towers from The Peak on Tuesday, then spend Wednesday screaming on roller coasters with Mickey Mouse? You really can’t beat that.

Hong Kong after dark

Still, the moments that really stuck with us happened once the sun dipped below the horizon. The whole place seemed to catch a second wind. Neon spilled across the skyline, throwing streaks of red and gold over Victoria Harbour, and the crowds only swelled thicker. Being there right in the middle of Chinese New Year turned the volume up even higher; the streets felt less like everyday thoroughfares and more like an open-air theater. We’d slowly weave our way back toward Jordan after dinner, kids dragging their feet, overloaded shopping bags digging into our wrists, the city humming all around us. Even with worn-out legs, nobody actually wanted to head up to the hotel room. You just wanted to stand on the curb and take it all in for a few more minutes.

How long do you need in Hong Kong?

If you’re traveling with kids, I’d give yourself four to five full days in Hong Kong.

Four days gives you plenty of room to ride the tram up to The Peak, see the Big Buddha, browse the street markets, and explore both sides of the harbor across Kowloon and Hong Kong Island without feeling rushed. A fifth day just buys you some breathing room. When you’ve got little legs in tow, that extra downtime can save your sanity.

Planning a trip to Hong Kong Disneyland? Tack on at least one extra day. Trust me, you don’t want to squeeze Space Mountain into an afternoon after a morning of city sightseeing. We found the sweet spot was giving ourselves enough days to hit the big bucket-list stops while still leaving time to wander, snack on egg tarts, and soak up the streets at our own pace.

Where should you stay?

If you’re heading over with kids, Kowloon is an easy win, and basing ourselves in Jordan turned out to be the right call. We had the MTR right there, steam rising from dumpling joints down the block, and little grocery shops everywhere, all without feeling detached from the main buzz. Tsim Sha Tsui is another solid bet if you want front-row seats to Victoria Harbour and the big ticket sights. But honestly? My single biggest tip for families is to book somewhere with a pool. Trust me. After hauling tired legs up to The Peak, trekking out to the Big Buddha, and weaving through shoulder-to-shoulder market crowds, cool water beats any neon sign in town.

It was the Year of the Horse when we went. Looking back now, the postcard memories aren’t the only ones that stick. The skyline was something else, sure, but what really hits me is the memory of packed holiday streets during Chinese New Year. I still picture the girls pointing out horses on every street corner, the sweet bean paste inside those little horse-shaped pastries, and the pair of Year of the Horse Nike Air Force 1s we ended up squeezing into the luggage. Pure surprise souvenirs from days that were already full to bursting. Hong Kong runs at a breakneck sprint, and we were just four pairs of sneakers trying not to fall behind. Looking back, I’d say we kept up just fine. 🐎❤️