5-day Hong Kong itinerary:harbour views, temples and Lantau's Big Buddha

The Avenue runs along the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront, easiest reached on foot from the Star Ferry Pier after crossing from Central by ferry, a ride that's an attraction in itself. Alternatively, take the MTR to East Tsim Sha Tsui Station and follow signs for the Avenue of Stars or Salisbury Road.

- Tsim Sha Tsui side: East Tsim Sha Tsui Station (Tsuen Wan Line), Exit J, leads straight onto the waterfront promenade.

A second, quieter entrance sits off Austin Road at the park's north side, closer to the Hong Kong Science Museum and the Signal Hill area. If you're coming from the MTR, Tsim Sha Tsui Station's Exit A1 puts you on Nathan Road within a couple of minutes' walk of the main gate.

Most guides file this temple under Mong Kok because that's the nearest name international visitors recognize, but the address is really Chuk Un, in Wong Tai Sin district, one MTR stop past Mong Kok on the Kwun Tong Line. Exit B2 at Wong Tai Sin Station puts you almost directly under the main gate. You won't mistake it for anywhere else: the roofline is a run of green-gold tiles and red pillars, and the smoke from bundled incense sticks drifts across the forecourt before you're through the entrance.

Take the MTR to Diamond Hill Station (Kwun Tong Line) and use Exit C2, which feeds directly onto a walkway toward the garden. You don't need a map once you're above ground, just follow the signs and the crowd thins as you get closer to the entrance. The whole route from the platform is under ten minutes on foot, flat and well-shaded. Entry is free, which is unusual for a garden of this scale and upkeep, and there's no ticket line to plan around.

Mong Kok Station on the MTR (Tsuen Wan and Kwun Tong lines) is the nearest stop; from there it's a short walk east through the grid of streets to Portland Street. Argyle Street Station on the Kwun Tong line is another option if you're coming from that direction.

The closest MTR stop is Olympic Station on the Tung Chung Line, about a 10-minute walk east through the surrounding streets. Mong Kok Station (Tsuen Wan and Kwun Tong lines) works too, roughly 15 minutes on foot if you don't mind cutting through the market streets first.

- From Choi Hung Station (Kwun Tong Line), Exit C2, take green minibus 1A

- Minibus 1A from Choi Hung Station (Kwun Tong Line) to Sai Kung town

The promenade runs along the North Point waterfront, an easy walk from North Point MTR Station (Island Line and Tseung Kwan O Line). Take an exit toward Wan Fu Street or the ferry pier and head north toward the water. You'll hit the railing within five to ten minutes.