This is the question I get most from travelers building a two-week China itinerary, and the annoying answer is that both cities are great at different things. Here is the comparison I give when someone genuinely has to pick one.

The skylines

Hong Kong's view from Victoria Peak is the best city view on the planet, and I will die on that hill. Mountains dropping into a harbour full of ferries beats Pudong's towers, impressive as they are. Shanghai fights back with the Bund at night: stand on the old waterfront, look across at the futuristic skyline, and you understand why the city calls itself the Pearl of the Orient. Call it a tie on wow factor, slight edge Hong Kong for photography.

Food

Shanghai wins if you want to eat your way through regional China, because restaurants from every province cluster there, and xiaolongbao soup dumplings at Din Tai Fung or a local joint like Jia Jia Tang Bao are a religious experience. Hong Kong wins on cheap excellence: Michelin-starred wonton noodles for pocket change, dai pai dong street stalls, and the best roast goose of your life. If dim sum is on your bucket list, it has to be Hong Kong.

Getting in and around

Hong Kong is easier: immigration is fast for most Western passports visa-free up to 90 days, the Octopus card pays for everything, and English signage is everywhere. Shanghai requires a Chinese visa or use of the visa-free transit scheme, and while the metro is modern and cheap, you will use translation apps more. For a first trip to Asia, Hong Kong is the softer landing.

Day trips

• From Shanghai: water towns like Zhujiajiao in an hour, Hangzhou's West Lake in 45 minutes by bullet train.
• From Hong Kong: Macao in an hour by ferry or bus, plus hiking trails that put most national parks to shame.

Prices

Shanghai is cheaper for hotels and food at the same quality level, maybe 30 percent less. Hong Kong accommodation is famously small and famously expensive. Budget travelers feel this difference quickly.

My default advice: if the trip already includes mainland cities, add Hong Kong at the end as the easy, English-friendly wind-down. If it is a standalone city break and you speak neither Chinese nor Cantonese, Hong Kong first, Shanghai on the next trip. Both are covered in our tour selection, and the real answer, of course, is that eventually you do both.

Originally published on 71Asia Tours blog.