Kowloon Waterfront Self-Guided Walking Guide

The above shot was taken while walking from Wan Chai to Central in between showers, and shows the Kowloon Waterfront, from the International Commerce Centre, past the Regent Hotel and heading towards the old airport.

Ok, enough of the view from the other side of the harbour, so after a quick crossing on the iconic Star Ferry, it's time to head out for the waterfront walk.

This walk from the Star Ferry Wharf to the far end of the Avenue of the Stars is one that I have been meaning to do since the 1990s; I just never had the time or the cooperation of the weather gods.

Today, all that's changing, er well, most of it, time I have, the cooperation of the weather gods is marginal. But still, it's enough to head off.

Starting at the Star Ferry and Kowloon Clock Tower top

Okay, getting off the Star Ferry at the Kowloon Wharf opens out to a fairly busy bus interchange.

Yes, honest, it's usually busy, but for once, when I want to take a photo, it all clears out for me.

So, turning right and heading for the waterfront promenade, the first thing I see is the historic clock tower, which is the one piece of the old Kowloon station, in the Kowloon-Canton Railway, still standing.

To the right of the clock tower are the stairs to the raised viewing area, which is above the Kowloon Public Pier, and yes that's the direction I am heading.

Yes, you can stay on the ground level; just be aware that this is a public pier, and you will be hassled by "harbour tour" sellers, but at least they usually take "no" for an answer.

Kowloon Promenade Viewing Deck top

So, making it to the top of the stairs and wandering around, the first surprise of the day, it's empty, just a photographer taking shots of Hong Kong Island.

Maybe today, I am lucky, as usually the crowds range from heavy to nightmare, depending on the time of day. Just try it after dark, which can be so crowded you cannot even get a good shot of the island's skyline. And yes, this is from personal experience.

Looking around, you can get a better view of the Clock Tower, Star House in the background, and the Hong Kong Cultural Centre.

Time for some trivia: The Star House building used to contain a computer and technology shopping centre. However, that's long gone; now, it's home to various other types of stores.

Ok, I am on the viewing deck, with very few people, so time for the money shot of the Hong Kong Island skyline. Grrrr, the sun went in just as I shot these images.

Moving on, heading for the far end of the viewing deck, a few more people joined me up there, but not even close enough to stop me from taking in the stunning views. Time to head for the steps down to ground level.

Remember earlier when I talked about pushy salespeople trying to get you to take their harbour tour? Well, just as soon as I made it to the bottom of the stairs, two of them approached me.

Shock horror, they accepted a "No" and continued their day. This was not always the case, as back in the day, they used to follow you trying the "hard sell".

Walking the Avenue of the Stars top

Moving further down the waterfront promenade, heading for the Avenue of the Stars, it's getting more and more crowded, which is not really unexpected as there are couch bays ahead and multiple mainland tour groups.

Some more trivia: You can tell they are this sort of tour group, as there will be a guide with a flag, everyone will usually wear a badge, and in some cases, they even have a photographer recording everything.

Before getting to the Avenue of the Stars, there are a few places to eat, although I have not tried them personally, I would expect high-quality and high prices.

Ok, now I have arrived at the Avenue of the Stars; what exactly is it?

Not really sure, but guessing it is something like the Avenue of the Stars in Los Angeles, which has stars embedded in the sidewalk for various movie stars and other personalities.

And yes, I was right, with one difference: rather than stars on the sidewalk, there are silvered handprints on the railings on the water side of the walkway.

Each plaque with the handprints includes details, in both English and Chinese, of the specific persons whose handprints they are. The one shown in the above photo is for Cecilia Cheung Pak-Chi

A nice touch is the addition to shaded seating, which, given the >30c heat and very strong sun with the UV off the scale, to the point I could feel my skin burning as I walked alone, and that was after a shower in sunscreen.

Moving further down the walkway, I came across something very much intended for tourists, and while no real interest to me, there is no doubt kids would really like it.

Dead right about kids liking this, as the second I took the above photo, several kids started playing around it and taking photos.

Time to move on, and yes, more of the same sort of thing, but this time as I got closer, the people taking photos moved away, so before more arrive, time for another photo.

The Bruce Lee Statue top

Ok, the time has come to see something I have heard about for years, but just never got to see it. What is it? well, a certain statue of a certain martial artist and actor. The one and only Bruce Lee.

Getting closer, and being quick as one of the tour groups I saw earlier where getting closer.

This statue is located in a small garden area right by Starbucks and has all sorts of information covering his career and general history. If you are in the area, it's well worth a visit; just be aware it can be quite crowded.

Moving past Bruce Lee, there is a straight walk to the end of the promenade, then on to the Hung Hom Promenade, and eventually on to the old airport, although it's not all waterfront.

Conclusion & Travel Tips top

Now, is this walk from the Star Ferry Wharf worth doing? Well, to me, yes, especially if you are into movies or want to visit the Bruce Lee statue.

If you are going to do this walk, remember to bring hydration and wear lots of sunscreen, or you will burn. Use your judgement and stay sun safe.

For me, this was a good morning walk, although I did run out of water, so I'm in need of hydration. Now it's time to do something about that then head out for the rest of the day's wanderings.