The document in my email, set on elegant Four Seasons Hotel letterhead, was called “One Perfect Day in Hong Kong.” It specified a one-day, $1,000 agenda that included a Michelin-starred restaurant, a helicopter ride and a private tour of Kowloon.

The document was from the hotel’s concierge team, whom I’d contacted earlier about my plan. After I arrived, Clementine King, a member of the team, went over the specifics as I sipped an espresso by the infinity pool overlooking Victoria Harbor, casting furtive glances at those around me as I tried to figure out who, exactly, stays at a hotel with rates from $645 a night.

Probably the same sort of traveler who’d spend $1,000 in a day popping around town. (Actually, 7,600 Hong Kong dollars at the time of my visit, at a rate of 7.6 Hong Kong dollars to the U.S. dollar.) My task would be to design a day that was as similar as possible, but at one-tenth the cost. That would require planning and tips from many friends, most notably, Daisann McLane, Frugal Traveler emeritus (1998-2004), who gives private and small group tours through her company, Little Adventures in Hong Kong.

I can’t vouch for the high-end day, but the low end was a whole lot of fun.