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Victoria harbour boat trips.

I’ve been looking into boat trips around the harbour,mainly short trips to take in the light show.

All those I’ve found leave from Kowloon ,which is inconvenient, as we are staying on Hong Kong island. Are there any that leave from & return to the island ?

Thanks .

Yes — there *are* boat cruises around Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong that depart from the island side (Hong Kong Island) rather than solely from Kowloon, so you won’t have to travel across the harbour to join one if you’d prefer to stay on the island side.

Here are some details and options to check out:

  • One popular option is the Bauhinia dinner/buffet cruise which departs from North Point (East) Passenger Ferry Pier on Hong Kong Island.
  • The official page by the Hong Kong Tourism Board for “’A Symphony of Lights’ Cruise” lists a departure point of Central Pier 9 (which is on Hong Kong Island) in addition to the Kowloon side.
  • The general list of harbour cruises shows many routes leaving from Hong Kong Island or offering island-side pick-up as well as Kowloon.

Here are some key practical points and tips to make the most of this:

  • When booking, check the exact pier/boarding location carefully: the island-side options (e.g., Central Pier 9 or North Point) are more convenient if you’re staying on Hong Kong Island.
  • If your main goal is to catch the light show A Symphony of Lights (which starts at 8:00 pm daily on the harbour) you’ll want a departure time that has you on the water just before or during the show. The island departures do include this show option.
  • Even if you end up boarding from the island side, the cruise will typically go around both sides of the harbour or at least give you views of both Kowloon and Hong Kong Island skylines — so you still get the full “skyscraper light show” experience.
  • Arrive a little early to the pier, pick a good seat (facing Kowloon side skyscrapers if you can) and bring a camera — boarding from the island side doesn’t reduce the view quality, just the boarding convenience for you.

So to answer your question succinctly: yes, there are harbour boat trips that leave from and return to Hong Kong Island, and you can choose one to avoid heading to Kowloon for boarding.

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The attractions mentioned in this question

Victoria Harbour
Vic
Kowloon
Central
Victoria
North Point

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