The Google Maps Hack Every Parent Needs in Hong Kong

Don't make the same mistake we did! Hong Kong looks intimidating with a stroller. Steep hills, busy MTR stations, escalators everywhere — it can feel like the city wasn't built for prams.

But here's the thing: it actually was. You just need to know the trick.

Before you head out each day, open Google Maps, go to Settings and turn on Wheelchair Accessible routes. That's it. From that moment, every direction Google gives you will automatically route you via lifts instead of stairs, step-free paths instead of escalators, and accessible entrances instead of the standard ones.

Every single MTR station in Hong Kong has a lift. Every ferry terminal has step-free access. Most major attractions are fully accessible — we even got our pram onto the Peak Tram and through the Ngong Ping 360 Cable Car without any issues.

We travelled Hong Kong for 72 hours with our daughter Chloe and honestly found it one of the most pram-friendly cities we've visited in Asia. The wheelchair mode setting completely changed how we navigated — instead of stressing about every staircase, Google just quietly routed us around all of them. Except when we were game, and decided to pick up the pram (with Chloe in it) to save time!!

Kristina's tip: Download your Google Maps offline before you leave your hotel each morning — that way the wheelchair routing works even if you lose data signal underground in the MTR. Go to your map area, tap the three dots and select Download Offline Map.

This one setting will save you so much stress. Trust me — we learned it halfway through the trip and wished we'd known it from day one.