While sorting out your accommodation in Hong Kong is of course a key factor should you be travelling to ‘Asia’s World City’, also worth some consideration before you head off is what sights and sounds you want to take in while there, especially given the destination’s impressive number and diversity of attractions.

Globally-recognized landmarks, themed parks, museums, religious and historical sites, glitzy shopping districts, exotic local markets, a skyscraper-filled skyline, picturesque beaches and gorgeous nature walks… Hong Kong offers its 60 million or so annual visitors all this and much more.

So just as you would research the accommodation Hong Kong offers, whether it’s a hotel or one of the many Hong Kong serviced apartments you’re looking for, it’s also useful to get an idea of the many attractions to visit.

Familiarizing yourself with the route network of the MTR (Mass Transit Railway) is also worthwhile, as this can be used to travel around much of the destination. Many hotels and serviced apartments in Hong Kong are near an MTR station, making for easy and reliable transportation.

On its website the Hong Kong Tourism Board lists the following as its Top 10 Attractions:

The Peak

As the highest point on Hong Kong Island, The Peak is where fantastic views of the city’s iconic skyline and sprawling Victoria Harbour can be enjoyed from both during the day and into the evening. In addition to dining and retail outlets, The Peak is also the location of Madame Tussauds Hong Kong.

Getting to The Peak is also somewhat of an attraction in itself, for those who take the Peak Tram. The seven minute ride on this historic funicular railway has passengers captivated as skyscrapers seem to slide by the tram’s windows at impossible angles.

Hong Kong Disneyland

Located on Lantau Island, Hong Kong Disneyland brings all the magic of Disney’s favourite characters, attractions and other fun to Hong Kong. There are various themed lands to explore, rides like Space Mountain, Toy Story Land’s speediest toy car RC Racer and the Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars and the must-see Flights of Fantasy Parade, Mickey’s PhilharMagic and Fantasy Gardens where Mickey, Minnie and Goofy make surprise appearances to greet guests… and much more. The nightly fireworks display is something not to be missed.

Ocean Park Hong Kong

This marine-life theme park situated on the southern side of Hong Kong Island offers the visitor a blend of entertainment with education and conservation, which it does in the form of animal exhibits, thrill rides and shows. Attractions include the Shark Mystique and Amazing Asian Animals exhibits, the Aqua City marine-themed area, the Adventures in Australia, Polar Adventure, Rainforest and Old Hong Kong areas and Thrill Mountain with its exhilarating rides.

Ladies’ Market

Stretching for a kilometre or so along Tung Choi Street in Kowloon’s Mong Kok area, the Ladies’ Market serves up over 100 stalls selling bargain clothing, accessories and souvenirs. It takes its name from the impressive array of women’s clothing and accessories on offer, yet the market also sells home furnishings, bags, watches, CDs and trinkets. The street-market bustle and crowded aisles of the Ladies’ Market also present the ideal opportunity for shoppers to try out their haggling skills.

Temple Street Night Market

In Yau Ma Tei, also in Kowloon, is Temple Street Night Market, the popular street bazaar where traders selling their wares, opera singers, fortune tellers and delicious local culinary treats are all part of the shopping experience. Named after the Tin Hau temple on the main street, this is a place steeped in local atmosphere - so much in fact that it’s been used as a backdrop in various movies.

Temple Street Night Market is an enduring example of the theatre and festivity of a Chinese market, where electronics, watches, jade, antiques, menswear, trinkets and tea ware can be haggled over and exotic claypot rice dishes, seafood and noodles tucked into.

Golden Bauhinia Square (and HKCEC)

Golden Bauhinia Square in Hong Kong Island’s Wan Chai area is the setting for the city’s daily flag-raising ceremony just before 8 am, which is performed by police officers and includes the playing of the national anthem. The bauhinia is the emblem of Hong Kong.

The Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre or HKCEC is a major landmark, with its vast curtain of glass and 40,000 square metre aluminium roof having been sculpted to echo a seabird soaring in flight. This striking harbourfront building was voted Best Convention and Exhibition Centre in Asia for the ninth time in 2012.

Clock Tower

At 44 metres tall, the Clock Tower at Star Ferry Pier in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon stands as a reminder of the age of steam and of Hong Kong’s colonial heritage. It was erected in 1915 as part of the Kowloon-Canton Railway terminus and while the once-bustling station is long gone, this red brick and granite tower still stands, now preserved as a Declared Monument.

Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade

Stretching from the Clock Tower all the way to Hung Hom, Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade is a popular harbourfront walk that affords spectacular views across Victoria Harbour to the dramatic skyline of Hong Kong Island. The walk passes by the Hong Kong Cultural Centre and Hong Kong Space Museum.

Lan Kwai Fong

Lan Kwai Fong in Central (Hong Kong Island) is one of the most popular nightlife spots in Hong Kong, boasting over 90 restaurants and bars. Venues range from the stylish to the more raucous, with revelers able to hang out on a street side perch or watch the happenings from an upper floor.

Lan Kwai Fong usually hosts carnivals and other celebrations during major festivals like Halloween, Christmas and New Year and even hosts its own beer festival.

Wong Tai Sin Temple

Located in Chuk Yuen Village in Wong Tai Sin (Kowloon), the Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple’s popularity probably has something to do with its claim to ‘make every wish come true upon request’. Home to three religions - Taoism, Buddhism and Confucianism - and with beautifully ornamented buildings in a natural setting, it is an important religious centre.

The temple commemorates the famous monk Wong Tai Sin (also known as Huang Chu-ping) who was born in the 4th Century and became a deity at Heng Shan (Red Pine Hill). Worshippers pray here for good fortune through offerings, divine guidance and fortune telling.