Kowloon Walking Tour on the Dark Side of Hong Kong
5
Kowloon Walking Tour on the Dark Side of Hong Kong
By Hong Kong Free Tours
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About
Get a local’s perspective of Hong Kong on this Kowloon walking tour of the less affluent areas of the city. Visit places that most tourists don't get to, and hear candid insights about what real life is like for a poor local. Learn about the city's housing crisis and visit multiple markets, including Mong Kok, Prince Edward, and Sham Shui Po, in one day.
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation
Ages 0-99, max of 30 per group
Duration: 2h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: Chinese, English
More
Highlights
- See a different side of Hong Kong from the shiny skyscrapers and affluence
- Visit hidden places in Kowloon off the tourist trail
- See the Goldfish Market, the Flower Market, and more
- Get insights on the housing crisis, plus social and political challenges
- Local guide
What's not included- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- After meeting your guide, head to Mong Kok and Prince Edward. Visit the Goldfish Market and the Flower Market, to learn about the background of these places, and the challenges they face. The next part of the tour gives insight into the housing crisis of Hong Kong. See Boundary Street Sport Centre, Portland Street, and Tenement House—learning about the struggles and challenges encountered by locals. Stop off at Lui Seng Chun for Chinese herbal tea before heading to Tung Chau Street to learn about the reality of the poverty line in Hong Kong. After this, visit Pei Ho Street, where you find out about subdivided housing, cage housing, and how many homeless people live. The tour ends at Sham Shui Po market—you can either stay here, or your guide will point out the nearest MTR station.
- Start:
- Prince Edward Station, Nathan Rd, Prince Edward, Hong KongPrince Edward MTR Station Exit D - Concourse Level (INSIDE the station)
End:- Sham Shui Po, Hong KongSham Shui Po MTR Station
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Pushchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 42990P5- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Travellers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s cancelled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This experience requires a minimum number of travellers. If it’s cancelled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 30 travellers
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 42990P5
From
₹2,896.90
per adult
Select date and travellers
Similar experiences
Itinerary
- Nathan Rd, Prince Edward, Hong KongPrince Edward MTR Station Exit D - Concourse Level (INSIDE the station)
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- Sham Shui Po, Hong KongSham Shui Po MTR Station
About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
- selinasM2726NL0 contributionsNice tour through Hong Kong‘s history and city centreGreat tour with Summer! She showed us around the city and told us some very interesting facts about Hong Kong‘s history and gave us good food recommendations.Written 6 February 2025
- selinasM2726NL0 contributionsGreat tasting tourWe had a very nice tasting tour around the old town of Hong Kong. Steven made us taste some very nice food and told us a about the history and culture of Hong Kong. We enjoyed it a lot!Written 6 February 2025
- sophiewN9096WW0 contributionsHighly recommendIsaac was a wonderful tour guide. He was very friendly and informative. Highly recommend! He took us around all the main markets and gave us lots of tips.Written 5 February 2025
- pchiap0 contributionsA large selection of foodsIt was a nice tour where we got to try many different local foods. We also got to learn about the various different markets, such as shark fin and birds nest (we didn't eat any of these). The order was a little odd, in that we started with more desert-like items first, so make sure to save your appetite for the delicious dim sum and other items towards the end.Written 5 February 2025
- andychen20150 contributionsFree and fabulous walking tour of Hong Kong Island centralThe 2 hour tour was perfect to walk around with Learnt so much about hk amazing history in such a brief time, yet everything is very close by We ate some great snacks, prayed in temple, understood how the british used opium to get Hk, the politics between bank of china and hsbc and the lucky lion paw, the buzz of sunday market! Grace our local guide was wonderful, funnu, very knowledgable, i esp love the old pics and the bank notes, and very genuine,moving and deep when talking about her life and her family in Hk since the 80s Met some other great people on the tour too and the energy on a quiet sunday!! Highly recommend as a an intro to hk!! What a great idea by this tour ! Well worth the tips !! Ng gor sai!!Written 2 February 2025
- C9029QNsusanj0 contributionsExcellent guided walking tourI really enjoyed this experience. Our guide was very knowledgeable, super friendly and gave us very interesting background on Hong Kong including the people, the culture, the transfer from the British to the Chinese, and on some of the major buildings - new and old, how feng shui influences many parts of the culture including architecture, and then ended at a Taoist temple. We only had the day to spend in Hong Kong and this was a great way to spend a couple of hours getting just a small taste of this intriguing city.Written 26 January 2025
- julieehuish0 contributionsHigh peak tram and view pointThe only real advantage of booking this tour was we got to queue jump at the peak tram. When we got there if we hadn’t got Ruby tickets which enables us to jump the queue the wait was 2 hours plus. The guide met us walked us to the station pointing out one old building and the church with a photo of the area in 1854. We then walked to the tram. Once at the top the tour ended. If you can buy fast track tickets you don’t need a guide. Once at the top it was rammed. It reminded us of a theme park with a shopping mall too. We literally went to the top saw the view took afew pictures and came back down, it’s worth doing to ride on the tram and see the view . But if you can buy a fast track ticket you don’t need a guide for this one.Written 26 January 2025
- J9151BXsuem0 contributionsFun, informative and fillingA great way to try a little bit if a lot of things. If you are travelling solo it is also a social affair. Don’t eat lunch though , leave room..Written 23 January 2025
- 301arlenek0 contributionsHonk kong with friendsGrace was very nice friendly and informative . Took a nice group of people and made tour interesting. Would recommend this tourWritten 19 January 2025
- Suemonta0 contributionsHighly RecommendedPlenty to eat, don’t eat lunch before. A good range of food dishes and visit to an interesting set of venues. Not too much opportunity to sit down.Written 16 January 2025
- Suemonta0 contributionsInteresting and informative.Great for getting some of what you see into context. Our guide used a microphone and was easy to hear. Not a long walk but a small taster.Written 15 January 2025
- magag7330 contributions100% recommended FWT in HK100% recommended free walking tour in HK! Summer was a great guide and I learnt a lot about history, economics, politics and food! Thanks a lot!Written 7 January 2025
- delahoyab0 contributionsHong Kong trip exceeded expectations!Absolutely fantastic experience! The English-speaking guide was also very professional. This Hong Kong trip became exceptionally wonderful because of such a guide. He not only allowed us to enjoy the beautiful scenery of Hong Kong but also enabled us to gain a deep understanding of the city's cultural heritage and unique charm!Written 6 January 2025
- D6142UMdeborahp0 contributionsWalk and learnThe BEST way to get your bearings when in a new city and learn so much along the way. Having never been to Hong Kong, this was a terrific way to spend the first day. Andy was a fabulous guide!Written 5 January 2025
- DebP2870 contributionsYum and Fun!Learned a lot! Very interesting tour and tried many Hong Kong foods. So happy we picked this tour and Andy was a wonderful Guide!Written 5 January 2025
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
192 reviews
Excellent
170
Very good
13
Average
3
Poor
2
Terrible
4
These reviews have been automatically translated from their original language.
This service may contain translations provided by Google. Google disclaims all warranties, express or implied, with respect to translations, including any warranties of accuracy, reliability, and any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and freedom from forgery.
themeanween
Seoul, South Korea2 contributions
We did the morning tour and liked it so much that we stayed for the afternoon tour as well. Our tour guide Stephen (who was debuting with his first tour for HK Free Tours today) did an excellent job of taking us around the city. Would recommend doing both the morning and the afternoon tours to understand both the good and the bad. Overall, great experience that really helped us understand the historical and cultural significance of both touristy and local areas.
Written 14 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
WolffieNZ
Morrinsville, New Zealand89 contributions
A very enjoyable afternoon travelling in a part of the city which seems more local and less touristy.
Of particular interest was the real estate information, how much things cost, how people get into public housing, how developers do their thing and of course how the housing looks and feels. Thank you.
Hint - pack insect repellant in summer.
Of particular interest was the real estate information, how much things cost, how people get into public housing, how developers do their thing and of course how the housing looks and feels. Thank you.
Hint - pack insect repellant in summer.
Written 30 June 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Che-Jui Hsu
Taipei, Taiwan82 contributions
Nov 2024 • Solo
I sort of have an idea of what I'm going to see and hear by reading some reviews, and I was sure the content will be something I'm interested to learn.
Many thanks to our guide Issac who keeps these knowledge and figures in head and was very good at story telling, the actual content turned out to be more educational and thought-provoking than expected.
As much as how it's difficult to put into words, I somewhat hope I could recall how I felt during the tour while live on.
If you care about society issue and are interested to explore deeper side of Hong Kong city, it'll for sure add depth to your journey.
Many thanks to our guide Issac who keeps these knowledge and figures in head and was very good at story telling, the actual content turned out to be more educational and thought-provoking than expected.
As much as how it's difficult to put into words, I somewhat hope I could recall how I felt during the tour while live on.
If you care about society issue and are interested to explore deeper side of Hong Kong city, it'll for sure add depth to your journey.
Written 11 November 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Relax62611224090
2 contributions
Aug 2024 • Business
Absurdly over priced for what is offered. Nothing shown is necessarily “dark”. Also, the tour guide was wearing an Arcteryx backpack, one of the most expensive hiking equipment brands in the world. Not in good taste for the experience advertised.
That would be like going to volunteer at a soup kitchen, and the soup kitchen leader is dressed down in LV
That would be like going to volunteer at a soup kitchen, and the soup kitchen leader is dressed down in LV
Written 11 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you very much for taking the time to provide us with a review. We rely heavily on customer feedback to continuously improve the quality of our tours.
Regarding your concerns, we have spoken with the tour guide who led your tour, and they did not report any unusual incidents during the day. It would have been beneficial if you could have shared your feedback during the tour so that any concerns could have been addressed immediately.
You also mentioned the brand of the tour guide's backpack—Arcteryx. It seems that you were perhaps expecting a tour guide who lives in the conditions you were hoping to understand better, such as in a subdivided unit or a cage home, and who could share personal insights. However, our company has always strived to avoid what is known as poverty tourism, where tour groups visit impoverished areas as a form of entertainment. This practice is precisely what we have been trying to prevent since our inception in 2016.
While we do know individuals living in subdivided units, they occasionally speak on our tours strictly for educational institutes, corporations with ESG education or with validated international news media. We are very cautious in how we conduct these tours to ensure that we do not treat poverty as an attraction.
Our tours are intended to highlight the absurdities of Hong Kong's extreme property market, which is among the worst in the world, and to provide insight into the city's unique challenges, rather than to exploit those challenges for entertainment.
Nevertheless, I am grateful for your feedback as it provides us with an opportunity to clarify our perspective on this tour. Should you choose to visit Hong Kong again, we would be pleased to offer you a complimentary tour of your choice, such as the Central Peak Highlight or Food Tour, to enhance your experience.
Thank you again for your input, and we hope to welcome you on another tour in the future.
Written 13 August 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Tracy-Ann M
1 contribution
Sept 2024 • Couples
We arrived at the meeting point 20 minutes early for our tour scheduled for 11 a.m. on 14 September 2024. As 11 a.m. came and went, with no sign of any tour guide, we opened our Trip Advisor booking to find that the status of our tour had changed from confirmed to cancelled.
This is not acceptable as the fees for 2pax were deducted from my credit card through the Trip Advisor platform.
Please advise when we will be refunded.
Please note you wasted our single, precious leisure day in Hong Kong.
TRACY-ANN MOONEY
This is not acceptable as the fees for 2pax were deducted from my credit card through the Trip Advisor platform.
Please advise when we will be refunded.
Please note you wasted our single, precious leisure day in Hong Kong.
TRACY-ANN MOONEY
Written 18 September 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Tracy-Ann,
Thank you for reaching out to us regarding your recent booking for the "Dark Side of Hong Kong" tour. We apologize for any inconvenience you experienced.
You originally booked the tour on September 4th and selected the "Confirm now and pay later" option. On September 13th at 6:30 am Hong Kong Time, Tripadvisor attempted to charge your credit card, but unfortunately, the transaction was declined. As a result, no payment was made, and the booking was automatically canceled.
Our records show that the tour on September 14th at 11 am proceeded as scheduled, with all confirmed participants in attendance.
We understand this situation is frustrating and would be happy to assist you in rebooking or answering any further questions you may have. Please let us know how we can help.
Warm regards,
Michael
Written 20 September 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Manfa
Warrington, UK254 contributions
Mar 2024 • Friends
This tour was so informative and humbling. Seeing how other people had to live was eye opening. Our guide was brilliant , happy to answer a multitude of questions and knew so much about the history of the area- very impressive !
Would definitely recommend, not too much walking and an experience which makes you reflect on how lucky you are. Very humbling .
Would definitely recommend, not too much walking and an experience which makes you reflect on how lucky you are. Very humbling .
Written 14 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tracey
5 contributions
Did this tour on a hot August afternoon exploring areas that are off the tourist trail. Our tour guide kwoi gave a running informative commentary throughout, answering questions, taking care of us across the roads and generally being an excellent host. Interesting to see and hear about HK housing challenges A short stop in air conditioning for a cup of tea was most welcome half way around. Recommended for anyone whose done the main touristy things and wants something a bit different
Written 10 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Romer
4 contributions
Jan 2025 • Solo
The sites are not that interesting but guide Isaac makes it more engaging with his personal stories by emerging you in the hard reality of locals. Understanding a bit more the struggles and advantages of living in a rich city like HK. I would definitely recommend it. Good value for money.
Written 26 January 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
John W
Burlingame, CA1 contribution
Jan 2024 • Family
Our guide was great at explaining the history of Hong Kong's different neighborhoods.
In the US, we have homeless people all over our big cities with serious mental health and drug problems. They leave their human excrement on the street. Sad as HK cage dwellings are, it's much more civilized then having the poor sleeping on the street.
In the US, we have homeless people all over our big cities with serious mental health and drug problems. They leave their human excrement on the street. Sad as HK cage dwellings are, it's much more civilized then having the poor sleeping on the street.
Written 1 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
鈴木千鶴
17 contributions
It's a unique content.
Travellers also had an opportunity to learn and think about the reality of Hong Kong. Because I felt it was important to add that element to a tourist trip. The guide's explanations are also great because of his knowledge and enthusiasm for communicating. However, since it is in English, it is better to bring a translation app.
Travellers also had an opportunity to learn and think about the reality of Hong Kong. Because I felt it was important to add that element to a tourist trip. The guide's explanations are also great because of his knowledge and enthusiasm for communicating. However, since it is in English, it is better to bring a translation app.
Automatically translated
Written 2 December 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I would like to do this tour today. We are already on the Kowloon side. Is there a place we can meet the tour here rather than having to cross to start in Central??
Thanks
Written 8 December 2019
Hi. Having trouble paying for this tour. Is it a bug in the program?
Written 15 June 2019
You can pay the tour leader on the day.
Is it still happening now that there are so many demonstrations?
Written 16 November 2019
Hello. Where is the mmeeting point? I would like to join the tour today
Written 5 June 2019
Hi, could you please send me the details where you meet for Afternoon Walking Tour on Dark Side of Hong Kong. Which exit from the metro?
Written 5 May 2019
You can get current info on meeting from their website and/or by signing up (and they send you details)
Written 7 May 2019
We are traveling with a 12 year old and 15 year old. Is this an appropriate tour for kids that age.
Written 31 March 2019
I think it is appropriate for your kids. There eas nothing ‘dark’ to see or hear. To me, the ‘dark side’ was more about revealing how Hong Kong is not all glamour and high finance, but also poor and crowded. It would be a great learning experience for your kids
Written 3 April 2019
Three hours .. really enjoyed the Kowloon tour more
Written 8 October 2018
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