4 Days, 3 Bags, 2 Sleep-Deprived Parents, and 1 Very Cute Birthday Girl
Before We Begin: A Word on Pre-Arrival Registration (PAR)
If you’re an Indian passport holder planning a trip to Hong Kong, there’s a tiny but important checkbox to tick:
Pre-Arrival Registration (PAR) is mandatory for Indian nationals — and it’s free and done online.
But here’s the kicker, the unwritten rule: Only passports issued in Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangalore are eligible for PAR approval. Everyone else? You’ll need to apply for a visa in advance. Head over to the Hong Kong Immigration Department‘s website for more details of the process.
We (thankfully!) had a Mumbai-issued passport and breezed through with our PAR approved in minutes. Crisis averted.
First things first when we landed… we grabbed our trusty Octopus Card (Hong Kong’s all-in-one travel pass), which made hopping on MTRs, trams, and even ferries super easy, and baby-approved.
Day 1: Touchdown & Trams – Hello, Hong Kong!
Peak tramming, skyline gawking, ferry gliding, and dim sum dreams
We landed bright and early — the baby had decided to party all night on the flight, so we were already halfway into a zombie apocalypse. Thank God we were prepped well for the flight, and you can too! Hop over to our blog on What to Pack for Infants in your Carry-On, and thank us later!
After breezing through immigration (thanks again, PAR!), we checked into our hotel and introduced our daughter to her temporary kingdom: the tiniest room we ever saw but not without all the amenities that would keep us sustained. HK is super expensive, and we selected the Downtown area, near the Metro, to cut back travel time, hence for 10,000 INR a night, we got a cute cozy room at the 21st floor, with views to an unending urban jungle. Well, we were hardly gonna stay at the hotel, so it made sense!
After a few deep breaths and a very cautious diaper change, we hit the ground running. Our little one was strapped to me like a koala as we boarded the Peak Tram — a retro red railcar that climbs at an angle steep enough to make your stomach do somersaults. Opened in 1888, the Peak Tram is one of the world’s oldest funicular railways, originally built to serve British colonial officials and the wealthy elite.
Our daughter’s expression was somewhere between awe and “Where’s my bottle?”
At the top, Victoria Peak laid out the city like a miniature model — glassy towers, toy-like ferries, and the hills beyond. We took a million photos (none of them with everyone looking at the camera, obviously).
Before we knew it, it was almost late afternoon and guess where we went to see the sunset? A gentle spin on the Hong Kong Observation Wheel helped us watch the most amazing sunset from above the HK skyline and Victoria Harbour. Named after Queen Victoria, this natural harbor has been the lifeline of Hong Kong’s trade and development since the 1800s — and once hosted pirates!
Standing 60 meters tall, the HK Observation Wheel opened in 2014 and offers 15-minute rides with sweeping views of the skyline, harbor, and surrounding mountains.
Baby loved the motion. We loved sitting. Everyone was winning.
As dusk settled, we hopped onto the Star Ferry, baby snug in a sling, hair ruffling in the harbor breeze. The Symphony of Lights began — lasers dancing across skyscrapers, synchronized to music echoing off the water. Recognized by Guinness World Records as the world’s largest permanent light and sound show, it involves over 40 buildings on both sides of Victoria Harbour.
We sat right beside the Tsim Sha Tsui Clock Tower. Built in 1915, it is the only remnant of the original Kowloon–Canton Railway terminus—and now makes an iconic foreground to the nightly Symphony of Lights show over Victoria Harbour
We were mesmerized by the city’s nightly flex. Our daughter clapped once and then fell asleep mid-spectacle. Iconic.
Post-Symphony of Lights, we made our way into the heart of Kowloon—ready for night markets, noodles, and a taste of local life.
Nestled in the heart of Kowloon City, Kowloon City Market—often dubbed the “China Market” by locals—is home to over 580 vibrant stalls offering fresh seafood, produce, and a buzzing third-floor cooked food centre, famous for its authentic Cantonese flavors and seasonal durian feasts.
Dinner was a lively affair at their the food stalls… think neon signs, sizzling woks, and chopsticks flying. We dug into dumplings while she chewed on a rice cracker like a tiny food critic.
Day 2: A Kingdom of Magic – Disneyland Day! 🏰
Birthday girl meets Mickey, magic, and meltdown (in that order)
The second day was the main event — our daughter’s 1st birthday, and we had a date with the Mouse himself.
Strollers, wipes, sun hats, backup clothes, backup-backup clothes — we packed like we were moving countries and rolled into Hong Kong Disneyland.
The place was every bit as magical as we hoped. Music playing, princesses waving, balloons floating — and us, trying to keep our very excited baby from grabbing a stranger’s Goofy hat.
She loved the carousel. The parade was a sensory overload (she handled it better than I did). It’s a Small World was a hit — we sang, clapped, and ducked for cover when she threw her sippy cup at a passing float.
There were breaks under shady trees, naps in the stroller, and a birthday cupcake she mostly smeared on her cheeks. Disney’s Baby Care Center was a gift from the heavens — quiet, clean, and fully stocked.
We bought her a tiny Minnie Mouse dress which she wore for all of 12 minutes before deciding it was itchy. Oh well — still worth the photo.
We stayed till the closing time, because we did not want to miss the Momentous: Party in the Night Sky, and well it was beyond worth it. It left our baby wide-eyed in wonder and gotten us in touch with our inner child. We left with tired feet, full hearts, and a very happy baby who probably thought Disneyland is just a normal thing people do every Tuesday.
But hey – we have a whole blog dedicated JUST to Disneyland, with the best hacks, tips, and tricks to have a wonderful time without breaking your bank!
Day 3: Macau Dash: Day-Tripping with a Baby to the Vegas of the East
Ferries, egg tarts, ruins, and roulette (just kidding… maybe)
We needed our passports again because we were heading to Macau! Our baby girl snoozed on the ferry while we sipped tea and pretended we weren’t also dozing off. If you wanna know the best tips and tricks to visit Macau without breaking the bank, read up our blog on Making the Most of Macau!
First stop: Senado Square, where pastel-colored colonial buildings met cobbled lanes and neon signs. Once a gathering spot for Portuguese merchants and missionaries, Senado Square has been the vibrant heart of Macau’s old town for over 400 years.
Note: Remember that strollers rattle over the stones like a rickety tuk-tuk, but it’s fun if you look at it from a joyride perspective of your tot!
We huffed our way up the stairs to the Ruins of St. Paul’s… Built in the early 1600s, the Ruins of St. Paul’s are all that remain of what was once Asia’s largest Catholic church, destroyed by fire in 1835 but now Macau’s most iconic landmark. Our princess waved at tourists from dad’s shoulders like she owned it.
Then came the true highlight: Margaret’s Café e Nata’s Egg Tarts. She had a bite and gave us the look that said, “Why haven’t I been eating these my whole life?”
We peeked at the glitzy casinos from a baby-safe distance, then wandered through a temple where incense spiraled into the air like smoke signals from the past.
We took the late night bus back to HK, and we must say, it was the smoothest immigration process, safest travel I had ever seen! Just memorable – Baby on our laps. Sky painted in pastels. Hearts full again.
Day 4: Big Buddha & Big Goodbyes
Lantau serenity, cable cars, and one last adventure before we fly
Final day. We had just enough time before our flight to chase one more memory: the Big Buddha at Lantau Island.
We boarded the Ngong Ping 360 Cable Car; a glass-bottom gondola that floats above hills, forests, and clouds. It was peaceful, surreal… and, naturally, the baby pooped midway through. Memorable in every sense.
At the top, we stood beneath the Tian Tan Buddha, which was completed in 1993 on Lantau Island as a symbol of harmony between man, nature, and religion, and is one of the largest seated outdoor bronze Buddhas in the world. The surreal and towering presence made us gaze up in silence while our daughter pointed at birds and demanded snacks. We lit incense, took deep breaths, and soaked in the stillness. Lunch was simple local food fare at Po Lin Monastery — humble and nourishing, the perfect counter to the glitz of the last few days. We took a final stroll through Ngong Ping Village, picked up a few souvenirs (including a tiny Cheongsam because obviously), and headed back to pack.
At the airport, we watched our daughter toddle around the gate, wobbling with the confidence only a 1-year-old can have. Hong Kong had given us cityscapes, castles, temples, and the kind of laughter that echoes for years.
Wrapping Up…
Traveling with a 1-year-old? Wild idea. But absolutely worth it.
Hong Kong was vibrant, baby-friendly, full of stories, and surprises. And celebrating our daughter’s first birthday there? Unforgettable.
Would we do it again? In a heartbeat. (After a long nap.)
3 Responses