Aqualuna Harbour Cruise

Aqualuna is the cruise to pick if you want to be on Victoria Harbour rather than simply crossing it. The boat is a traditional-style Chinese junk with deep red sails, built in the old manner with a timber hull and rigged so that the sails go up as she leaves the pier, and she has become one of the most photographed sights on the harbour in her own right. The standard sailings are short and easy to fit into a day: the Daytime Harbour Cruise, the Evening Harbour Cruise and the Late Cruise loop between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon in about 45 minutes, with the skyline on both sides, the Star Ferries crossing in front, container ships and tugs heading for the western channel, and the hills of the Peak behind Central. Most passengers board at Tsim Sha Tsui Public Pier 1, next to the Clock Tower and the Star Ferry, or at Central Pier 9 on the island side, and some sailings also call at Wan Chai and Hung Hom public piers. Seating is on the open deck, on cushions and loungers, with a drink included on most sailings and a small bar on board. The light-show sailing is timed to watch the harbour light and laser show from the water; the government has announced that the long-running Symphony of Lights will be replaced by a new programme, so check what is running on your dates before booking that specific sailing. Beyond the harbour loops, Aqualuna runs a Dim Sum Cruise that includes a stop at Lei Yue Mun, the old fishing village at the harbour's eastern mouth known for its seafood restaurants, an Afternoon Tea Cruise for two, and a longer Stanley Cruise that sails round the south side of Hong Kong Island to the seaside village of Stanley. The experience is relaxed rather than luxurious: it is a working sailing boat, the deck can be breezy, and on busy evenings the boat is full. But nothing else in the city gives you the harbour at water level with a red sail overhead, and for many visitors it becomes the defining photograph of the trip.

Choosing a sailing: the evening cruise is the most popular, because the skyline lights up as the boat turns between the two shores, and the colours of the towers reflected in the water are the classic Hong Kong view. The daytime cruise is cooler in summer, quieter and better for photographs of the junk itself and of the harbour traffic, and it suits families with young children who would rather not be out late. The late cruise is the calmest and the most romantic, with fewer passengers and the harbour at its darkest. The Dim Sum Cruise is the one to choose if you want more than a loop: it gives you a proper meal and a taste of Lei Yue Mun's waterfront, which few short-stay visitors otherwise reach. The Stanley Cruise is a good way to arrive at Stanley by sea and spend the afternoon there before taking the bus back across the island.

Practical tips: book ahead online for evening sailings and for the dim sum and afternoon tea cruises, which have limited places; walk-up seats are sometimes available on daytime loops. Arrive at the pier a little early, as the junk does not wait. Bring a light jacket in the cooler months and sunscreen in summer, since there is little shade on deck. Sailings can be cancelled in bad weather, including when a typhoon signal or a rainstorm warning is in force, and the operator will rebook or refund. The boat is not wheelchair accessible in the usual sense, and the boarding step can be awkward with a pushchair, so ask in advance if you have mobility needs.

How it fits a trip: pair the cruise with the Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade and the Avenue of Stars before or after an evening sailing, or with a Star Ferry crossing for the contrast between a working ferry and a sailing junk. Couples should consider the late cruise followed by a drink on the Kowloon waterfront. Families should choose the daytime loop. Whichever you pick, sit on the side facing the island for the classic skyline, and swap sides halfway round for the Kowloon view and the West Kowloon Cultural District.