Hong Kong - Visa

[pieshops]

We Do not need a Visa coming from the US to Hong Kong unless we head to Mainland China. We are doing a 4 day pre cruise stay and wanted to find out if we should go ahead and get the visa or will we have enough to do in Hong Kong.

[John Bull]

Just a thought.

 

Certainly there's more than enough to do in HK during your four days.

 

But if you want to visit mainland China without the grief & expense of a visa, you can do this on a pre-booked day excursion - the tour operator includes you in their group visa as part of the price.

My info possibly out-of-date so do double-check, but we were able to do it by booking just 24 hours ahead.

 

The most popular option involves

- a public ferry up the Pearl River to the "economic zone" of mainland China, which borders HK. Started off as mainly big office blocks of international corporations, but your coach takes you to a couple of places of interest and I think the district is much more varied than it was.

- then through a second border (if it still exists) and on to Guangzhou (Canton) for lunch & sight-seeing.

- then the express train from Guangzhou direct back to HK, arriving mid-evening.

 

I've done this twice.

First time (shortly after China's borders opened) was excellent, we drove thro paddyfields & explored the town. The most amazing sight - was us!! Locals had hardly seen a westerner before, so we were the centre of attention. Especially a black US soldier - they'd never seen a black guy before.

Second time, just a few years ago, was very different. The paddy-fields were all now wall-to-wall factories, the roads were choked with traffic, the air was choked with pollution. Guangzhou was unrecognisable, apart from parts of the old town & the tourist sights.

So nowhere near as enjoyable second-time-around, but an opportunity none-the-less for a cheap & easy visit to China. Or mebbe choose a different day-trip itinerary.

 

We booked through the Viator booking agency. Not something we usually do, but because of the group visa we had to pay in advance and we felt our money was safer with them than with an unknown operator in a far-off land.

All problem-free.

 

http://www.viator.com/tours/Hong-Kong/Guangzhou-Canton-China-Day-Trip-from-Hong-Kong/d14-3675GE

(A UK link, so it may not work or it may quote prices in GBP)

 

Doubtless other operators offer similar group-visa-included tours from HK.

 

No need for organised tours in HK itself, all very easy & great fun by public MTR, ferries, buses & trams.

 

JB :)

Edited January 8, 2016 by John Bull

[Philob]

As JB mentions there is plenty to do in HK for four days, including a day trip to Macao.

 

However if you decide to go into China you cannot get a visa at the border; you will need to join an organized tour group or apply for a tourist visa in advance. Even in HK it takes about 2 days to get a Chinese visa.

Edited January 8, 2016 by Philob

[TravelMore&More]

There is a lot to do in HK and Macau for 4 days or even more.

Save China for another trip. There is a lot to see and most of the good places are not near HK.

[mking8288]

Flying into HKG from the US (east coast/NY-NJ) - it's a 16 hours non-stop, allow some time to unwind & recover from jetlag - take it easy on day of arrival (most typically, afternoon/evening) and the next day. Tons of things to do in HK island, Kowloon and of course, the remote islands a/k/a once countryside or fishing villages. Lantau island where the airport is located is another popular destination (IMO, the Big Budda isn't a big deal & mostly for mainland tourists & "foreigners") ... places like "Tai O" is more interesting.

 

Macau has always been about casino & dog racing tracks (yes, not horse racing) - but, there are plenty of things to do & see, despite its small size - good for a day trip. Mainland tourism taking a hard hit in the past year, upscale hotel occupancies are way and a midweek day is surprisingly affordable - do some price checking on your own favorite search engine - have some nice Portuguese food while you are there. Just be mindful of the often long lines for taxis - but, all the hotels have free shuttles to/from the jetfoil/ferry terminal with frequent (every 30 to 60 minutes) services with HK - it's a quick ride (unless it's foggy).

 

Unless you have specific places & ideas in mind, there's no real solid reasons for a day trip into mainland China, where the current visa fees for US citizens is about $140 - whether it's a single entry (do not get that) or multiple entries (get that, it's valid for up to 10 years) before leaving from home. The nearest PRC Consulate is in NYC, on the corner of 42nd. Street & 11th Avenue, facing Circle Line & next to UPS on the next block - regular visa service is usually ready in 2 or 3 days, you paid more for rush service and same day ones in case of "emergency" travel.

[DipBrat]

Good advice above. Another option is to fly to Shanghai or Beijing and stop for a few days then fly to hong Kong. If you do this you will not need a visa for up to 72 hours.

[ROCruiser]

I agree with the above. You can easily fill your four days in HK with interesting things to do. Take the ferries to the islands, like Cheung Chau, once a fishing village; take a trek across the island of Lamma Island (spelling?) if you are into hiking. We did that once and had a great day. A day or two in Macau beats going into China with the expensive visa. They have the HOHO bus there also, it was HK$100 a day when we were there a couple of years back. Have a great trip!

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Do the 2 day Ho Ho bus plus a night ride as well..