Hong Kong
A borrowed place on borrowed time, still outlasting the loan
Hong Kong is seven and a half million people on a set of steep islands and a peninsula at the mouth of the Pearl River, and still one of the great trading cities of the world. It is denser, faster and more vertical than anywhere else you have been.
A fishing and salt-producing coast at the edge of the Qing empire until Britain took the island in 1841 in the First Opium War, added Kowloon in 1860 and leased the New Territories for ninety-nine years in 1898. It grew as an entrepôt, was occupied by Japan from 1941 to 1945, and then took in waves of refugees from the mainland who supplied the labour and the capital for the textile boom of the 1950s and the financial one that followed. Britain handed it back to China on 1 July 1997 under the 'one country, two systems' formula, with a promise that its way of life would stand for fifty years. The protests of 2014 and 2019 and the National Security Law of 2020 redrew the terms of that arrangement, and the city is still working out what the new ones mean.
Hong Kong Island's north shore is the old colony: Central's banks and towers, Admiralty's government offices, Wan Chai and Causeway Bay's shopping and nightlife, with the Peak rising behind and the quieter south side — Aberdeen, Repulse Bay, Stanley — over the ridge. Across Victoria Harbour, by Star Ferry or MTR, is Kowloon: Tsim Sha Tsui's hotels and museums at the tip, Mong Kok's markets and sheer density behind it, Sham Shui Po's electronics and old tenements further north. Beyond Boundary Street are the New Territories, where most people live in new towns like Sha Tin, Tuen Mun and Tseung Kwan O, and where the country parks — roughly three-quarters of the land is green — begin. Lantau has the airport, Disneyland and the Big Buddha; the outlying islands have the seafood and the weekend.
The city works long hours and eats constantly: dim sum in the morning, milk tea and buttered toast in a cha chaan teng, a dai pai dong stir-fry at night, with roast goose, wonton noodles and egg tarts as the standing civic argument. Cantonese is the language of the street, English of the law and the deal, Mandarin increasingly of both. Horse racing at Happy Valley on Wednesday nights and Sha Tin at weekends is the true mass sport; the Rugby Sevens in spring is the expatriate carnival; hiking the MacLehose and Dragon's Back trails is what everyone does on Sundays. The film heritage — Bruce Lee, Wong Kar-wai, Johnnie To — is memorialised as much as continued, and M+ and the Palace Museum in West Kowloon are the new cultural anchors.
The hard parts are the flats and the politics. Housing is the least affordable in the world by most measures; a family in four hundred square feet is unremarkable and the subdivided flats of Sham Shui Po are a scandal everyone acknowledges. Summers are hot, wet and typhoon-prone, and the air blowing down from the Delta can be poor. The political space has narrowed sharply since 2020, a good many people have left for Britain, Canada and Australia, and the press is more careful than it was. What it offers is still the most efficient city on earth — the MTR, the Octopus card, the ferries, a hospital within reach of anywhere — a skyline without rival, real wilderness twenty minutes from Central, and food that ends most arguments.
Where People Live
Central, Sheung Wan & the Peak
The banks, the Mid-Levels escalator, Lan Kwai Fong's bars, Sheung Wan's dried-seafood shops and galleries, and the Peak Tram up to the view. Where the money and the tourists both start.
Wan Chai & Causeway Bay
Wan Chai's wet market, old tenements and bar strip, the convention centre on the harbour, and Causeway Bay's department stores and Times Square — the densest retail on the island.
Kennedy Town & Sai Ying Pun
The western end of the island, opened up by the MTR extension: old shophouses, new cafés and restaurants, and the waterfront promenade where the city watches the sunset.
Tsim Sha Tsui
The tip of Kowloon: the Star Ferry pier, the clock tower, the museums and the harbourfront promenade with the best view of the island; Nathan Road's hotels and shops run north from it.
Mong Kok & Sham Shui Po
Kowloon at full density — the Ladies' Market, the goldfish and flower markets, Sham Shui Po's electronics and fabric streets, and some of the best cheap food in the city.
Stanley & the South Side
Over the ridge from Central: Repulse Bay's beach and apartment towers, Stanley's market and seafront pubs, and Aberdeen's typhoon shelter and floating boats.
Sha Tin & the New Territories
The new towns where most of Hong Kong lives, the racecourse, the Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery, and the trailheads for the country parks and the Sai Kung coast.
Lantau & the Outlying Islands
The airport, Disneyland, the Big Buddha at Ngong Ping and the fishing village of Tai O on Lantau; Lamma and Cheung Chau, by ferry from Central, are the car-free seafood weekends.
Restaurants & places to go
Airports
Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) 27 km to the centre
Hong Kong, NT, HK — You board from the indoor waiting area — no need to plan for the weather. ✈ 83 airlines (Cathay Pacific, Dragonair, Hong Kong Airlines, China Eastern Airlines…) · direct flights to 133 destinations incl. Bangkok, Seoul, Singapore, Hangzhou, Shanghai… (OpenFlights route data).
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 83 airlines, 133 direct destinations
- Cathay Pacific CX (A330-300, A320, A321, 777-300ER, A340-300, 777-200…) · 86 routes: Abu Dhabi, Adelaide, Amsterdam, Auckland, Bangalore, Bangkok, Beijing, Brisbane, Busan, Cairns, Cebu, Changcha, Cheju, Chengdu, Chiang Mai, Chicago, Chongqing, Danang, Delhi, Denpasar, Dhaka, Doha, Dubai, Frankfurt, Fukuoka, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Guilin, Haikou, Hangzhou, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hyderabad, Jakarta, Johannesburg, Kaohsiung, Khabarovsk, Ko Samui, Kolkata, Kota Kinabalu … +46 more
- Dragonair KA (A320, A321, A330-300, 737-800) · 47 routes: Angeles City, Bandar Seri Begawan*, Bangalore, Beijing, Busan, Changcha, Cheju, Chengdu, Chiang Mai, Chongqing, Dalian*, Danang, Denpasar, Dhaka, Fukuoka, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Guilin, Haikou, Hangzhou, Hanoi, Kaohsiung, Kolkata, Kota Kinabalu, Kunming, Male, Manila, Nanjing, Ninbo, Okinawa, Penang, Phnom-penh, Phuket, Qingdao, Sanya, Shanghai, Shanghai, Siem-reap, Taichung, Taipei … +7 more
- Hong Kong Airlines HX (A320, A330-200, A330-300, 737-800) · 24 routes: Bangkok, Beijing, Chengdu, Chongqing, Denpasar, Fuzhou, Guilin, Guiyang, Haikou, Hangzhou, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Kagoshima, Nanjing, Nanning, Okinawa, Sanya, Shanghai, Shanghai, Taipei, Taiyuan, Tianjin, Xiamen, Xuzhou
- China Eastern Airlines MU (A320, A330-200, A321, 737, 737-800, A319) · 19 routes: Hangzhou, Hefei, Huai An, INC, Jinan, Kunming, Lianyungang, Lijiang, Nanchang, Nanjing, Ninbo, Shanghai, Shanghai, Taiyuan, Wenzhou, Wuxi, Xi'an, Yancheng, Yantai
- Hong Kong Express Airways UO (A320) · 10 routes: Chiang Mai, Fukuoka, Kota Kinabalu, Kunming, Osaka, Penang, Phuket, Seoul, Taichung, Tokyo
- China Southern Airlines CZ (737-800, A320, A321, Embraer 190) · 8 routes: Beijing, Guangzhou, Meixian, Shantou, Shenyang, Wuhan, Xiamen, Zhengzhou
- Air China CA (A320, A321, A330-300, 737-800, 737, 747-400…) · 7 routes: Beijing, Chengdu, Chongqing, Dalian, Hangzhou*, Tianjin, Wuhan
- Hainan Airlines HU (A330-200, A320) · 7 routes: Beijing, Chengdu, Chongqing*, Fuzhou, Haikou*, Hangzhou, Nanjing
- Japan Airlines Domestic JL (A330-300, 747-400, A340-300, 767, 777-200, 777-300…) · 7 routes: Cairns*, Nagoya*, Osaka*, Sapporo*, Taipei*, Tokyo, Tokyo
- American Airlines AA (777-300, 747-400, 767-300) · 6 routes: Chicago*, Los Angeles*, New York*, Newark*, San Francisco*, Tokyo
- United Airlines UA (777, 737-800, 737-700, 747-400) · 6 routes: Agana, Chicago, Ho Chi Minh City, Newark, San Francisco, Singapore
- Air India Limited AI (787-8, 777-300ER) · 5 routes: Delhi, Osaka, San Francisco*, Seoul, Singapore*
- Etihad Airways EY (330, 777, A330-200) · 5 routes: Abu Dhabi*, Bangkok*, Delhi, Jakarta*, Mumbai
- Finnair AY (A330-300, A340-300, A380, 747-400) · 5 routes: Brisbane, Cairns*, Helsinki, Melbourne, Sydney*
- Shanghai Airlines FM (A320, A321, 330, A330-300, 737-800) · 5 routes: Hangzhou*, Nanjing*, Ninbo*, Shanghai, Shanghai
- All Nippon Airways NH (767-300, 737, 777) · 4 routes: Nagoya, Osaka, Tokyo, Tokyo*
- Cebu Pacific 5J (A319, A320) · 4 routes: Angeles City, Cebu, Iloilo, Manila
- China Airlines CI (A330-300, 737-800, Embraer 190, A340-300, 747-400) · 4 routes: Jakarta, Kaohsiung, Tainan, Taipei
- S7 Airlines S7 (A320, 330, 737-800) · 4 routes: Khabarovsk, Moscow, Novosibirsk*, Vladivostok
- Thai Airways International TG (330, 777, 747-400, 747, 777-200) · 4 routes: Auckland*, Bangkok, Phuket, Seoul
- Qantas QF (A330-300, A380, 747-400) · 3 routes: Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney
- Sichuan Airlines 3U (A320, A319) · 3 routes: Chengdu, Yichang, Zhanjiang
- Thai AirAsia FD (A320) · 3 routes: Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket
- Xiamen Airlines MF (737-800) · 3 routes: Quanzhou, Wuyishan, Xiamen
- Air Canada AC (777-200LR, 777-300ER) · 2 routes: Toronto, Vancouver
- AirAsia AK (A320) · 2 routes: Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur
- Asiana Airlines OZ (A320, A321, A330-300, 747-400, 767-300, 777-200LR) · 2 routes: Delhi*, Seoul
- Bangkok Airways PG (A319, A330-300, A340-300, 777-200, 777-300, 777-300ER) · 2 routes: Bangkok, Ko Samui
- British Airways BA (A330-300, A380, 777) · 2 routes: Cairns*, London
- Emirates EK (A380, 777-300ER) · 2 routes: Bangkok, Dubai
- Ethiopian Airlines ET (787-8, 767-300) · 2 routes: Addis Ababa, Seoul
- Garuda Indonesia GA (A330-200, A330-300, 737-800) · 2 routes: Denpasar, Jakarta
- Jet Airways 9W (777-300ER, A330-200) · 2 routes: Delhi, Mumbai
- Korean Air KE (A330-200, A330-300, A380, 737-900, 747-400, 73J…) · 2 routes: Busan, Seoul
- Lufthansa Cargo LH (A340-600, 74H) · 2 routes: Frankfurt, Munich
- Malaysia Airlines MH (737-800, A320, 777-200) · 2 routes: Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur
- Philippine Airlines PR (330, A321, 340) · 2 routes: Cebu*, Manila
- Singapore Airlines Cargo SQ (777-300ER, A380, 777-200) · 2 routes: San Francisco, Singapore
- Turkish Airlines TK (330, 777-300ER) · 2 routes: Bangkok*, Istanbul
- US Airways US (777-300ER) · 2 routes: San Francisco, Singapore
- Vietnam Airlines VN (A321, 330) · 2 routes: Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City
- Aeroflot Russian Airlines SU (777-300ER) · 1 route: Moscow
- Air Astana KC (757) · 1 route: Alma-ata
- Air Busan BX (A321) · 1 route: Busan
- Air France AF (777-300ER) · 1 route: Paris
- Air Madagascar MD (747) · 1 route: Bangkok*
- Air Mauritius MK (A330-200) · 1 route: Plaisance
- Air New Zealand NZ (777-200) · 1 route: Auckland
- Air Niugini PX (767-300) · 1 route: Port Moresby
- Air Pacific FJ (A330-200) · 1 route: Nandi
- Air Seychelles HM (A330-200) · 1 route: Abu Dhabi*
- Alitalia AZ (777-300ER) · 1 route: Paris*
- Biman Bangladesh Airlines BG (D1C) · 1 route: Dhaka
- China SSS 9C (A320) · 1 route: Shanghai
- Delta Air Lines DL (A330-200, 777) · 1 route: Tokyo
- Eastar Jet ZE (737-800) · 1 route: Seoul
- El Al Israel Airlines LY (777-200) · 1 route: Tel-aviv
- EVA Air BR (A321, A330-200, A330-300, 777-300ER, M90, 74E) · 1 route: Taipei
- Homer Air MR (A319) · 1 route: Ulan Bator
- Jeju Air 7C (737) · 1 route: Seoul
- Jetstar Asia Airways 3K (A320) · 1 route: Singapore
- Jin Air LJ (737-800) · 1 route: Seoul
- Juneyao Airlines HO (A320) · 1 route: Shanghai
- Kenya Airways KQ (767-300) · 1 route: Bangkok
- KLM Royal Dutch Airlines KL (74M) · 1 route: Amsterdam
- Mandala Airlines RI (A320) · 1 route: Denpasar
- Mandarin Airlines AE (737-800, Embraer 190) · 1 route: Taichung
- MIAT Mongolian Airlines OM (737) · 1 route: Ulan Bator
- Orient Thai Airlines OX (M82) · 1 route: Bangkok
- Peach Aviation MM (A320) · 1 route: Osaka
- Qatar Airways QR (A330-200, A330-300) · 1 route: Doha
- Royal Brunei Airlines BI (A320) · 1 route: Bandar Seri Begawan
- Royal Jordanian RJ (330) · 1 route: Bangkok
- Royal Nepal Airlines RA (757) · 1 route: Kathmandu
- Scoot TZ (777-200) · 1 route: Singapore
- Shenzhen Airlines ZH (A320) · 1 route: Quanzhou
- South African Airways SA (A340-300, A340-600) · 1 route: Johannesburg
- South East Asian Airlines DG (A320) · 1 route: Angeles City
- SriLankan Airlines UL (A330-200) · 1 route: Bangkok
- Swiss International Air Lines LX (A340-300) · 1 route: Zurich
- Tiger Airways TR (A320) · 1 route: Singapore
- Transaero Airlines UN (767-300) · 1 route: Moscow
- Virgin Atlantic Airways VS (A340-600) · 1 route: London
Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.
Regional airports
Further out, but often the cheapest way in — the airports the low-cost carriers use. Each links to its own town's guide for getting from there into the city.
Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN) 144 km to the centre
Guangzhou (Huadu), 44, CN — You board from the indoor waiting area — no need to plan for the weather. ✈ 56 airlines (China Southern Airlines, Air China, Shenzhen Airlines, Hainan Airlines…) · direct flights to 150 destinations incl. Hangzhou, Chongqing, Shanghai, Bangkok, Chengdu… (OpenFlights route data).
✈ Feeder airport · 144 km from Hong Kong · China Southern Airlines, Air China, Shenzhen Airlines · Getting around Guangzhou, China →
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 56 airlines, 150 direct destinations
- China Southern Airlines CZ (A320, A319, 737-800, A321, Embraer 190, 737-700…) · 115 routes: Amsterdam, Anqing, Anshun, Auckland, Bangkok, Beihai, Beijing, Bijie, Brisbane, Changcha, Changchun, Changde, Changzhi, Changzhou, Chengdu, Chiang Mai, Chizhou, Chongqing, Dalian, Danang, Dayong, Delhi, Denpasar, Dhaka, Dubai, Fukuoka, Fuyang, Fuzhou, Ganzhou, Guilin, Guiyang, Haikou, Handan, Hangzhou, Hanoi, Harbin, Hefei, Ho Chi Minh City, Hohhot, Hong Kong … +75 more
- Air China CA (A320, 737-800, 737, A321, A319, 330…) · 46 routes: Addis Ababa, Baotou*, Beijing, Cairo*, Changchun*, Changzhou*, Chengdu, Chongqing, Dazhou, Guangyuan, Guiyang, Haikou*, Hangzhou, Harbin*, Hefei, Hohhot, Huangyan*, Istanbul, Jinan*, Jingdezhen*, Jiuzhaigou, Kunming, Linyi, Luzhou, Nanchang, Nanjing, Nanning*, NTG, Qingdao*, Quanzhou*, Shanghai, Shanghai, Shenyang*, Tianjin, Tokyo*, Wanxian, Wenzhou*, Wuhan, Wuxi, Wuyishan* … +6 more
- Shenzhen Airlines ZH (A320, 737, 737-800, 330, A319, 340…) · 41 routes: Addis Ababa*, Baotou, Beijing*, Changchun, Changzhou, Chengdu, Chongqing*, Dazhou*, Guangyuan*, Guiyang, Haikou, Hangzhou*, Harbin, Hefei, Hohhot, Huangyan, Jinan, Jingdezhen, Jiuzhaigou*, Kunming, Linyi, Luzhou*, Nanchang, Nanjing, Nanning, NTG, Quanzhou, Shanghai*, Shanghai*, Shenyang, Tianjin*, Tokyo*, Wanxian*, Wenzhou, Wuhan, Wuxi, Xi'an, Xiamen, Yibin*, Yuncheng* … +1 more
- Hainan Airlines HU (737-800) · 24 routes: Baise, Beijing, Chongqing, Dongying, Fuzhou, Guiyang, Haikou, Hangzhou, Hefei, Nanchang, Nanjing, Ninbo, Qingdao, Sanya, Taipei, Taiyuan, Tianjin, TVS, Urumqi, Weifang, Wenzhou, Xi'an, Yichang, Zhengzhou
- China Eastern Airlines MU (A320, 737-800, 737, 737-300, A321, A330-300…) · 23 routes: Beijing*, Hangzhou, Hefei, Huai An, Huangyan, Jinan, Kunming, Lanzhou, Lijiang, Luxi, Nanchang, Nanjing, Ninbo, Qingdao, Shanghai, Shanghai, Taiyuan, Tokyo*, Wenzhou, Wuhan, Wuxi, Xi'an, Xiamen*
- Japan Air System JD (A319, A320) · 7 routes: Chengdu, Chongqing, Haikou, Hangzhou, Hohhot, Lijiang, Sanya
- Air France AF (A320, 777-200, A319, A321, 737-800) · 6 routes: Chongqing*, Hangzhou*, Paris, Shenyang*, Singapore*, Wuhan*
- Shanghai Airlines FM (737-800, 757, A330-300) · 6 routes: Hangzhou, Nanjing, Shanghai, Shanghai, Wenzhou, Xiamen
- Shandong Airlines SC (737-800) · 4 routes: Jinan, Qingdao, Wuyishan, Yantai
- Xiamen Airlines MF (737) · 4 routes: Fuzhou, Hangzhou, Quanzhou, Xiamen
- Sichuan Airlines 3U (A320, A321, 330) · 3 routes: Chengdu, Chongqing, Saipan
- Vietnam Airlines VN (A321) · 3 routes: Danang, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City
- Aeroflot Russian Airlines SU (A330-200, A330-300, 737) · 2 routes: Moscow, Urumqi*
- AirAsia AK (A320) · 2 routes: Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur
- Asiana Airlines OZ (A320, A321, A330-300) · 2 routes: Busan, Seoul
- China SSS 9C (A320) · 2 routes: Shanghai, Shijiazhuang
- China United KN (737) · 2 routes: Beijing, Hangzhou
- Delta Air Lines DL (A321, 380, 777-200) · 2 routes: Hangzhou*, Los Angeles*
- EVA Air BR (A330-200, 747-400, M90) · 2 routes: Kaohsiung*, Taipei
- Japan Airlines Domestic JL (A321, 767) · 2 routes: Osaka*, Tokyo
- Juneyao Airlines HO (A320) · 2 routes: Shanghai, Shanghai
- Kenya Airways KQ (767-300, 777-300) · 2 routes: Bangkok, Nairobi
- KLM Royal Dutch Airlines KL (A321, 330, A330-300, 737-800, 777-200) · 2 routes: Amsterdam*, Hangzhou*
- Saudi Arabian Airlines SV (777) · 2 routes: Jeddah, Riyadh
- Air Madagascar MD (A340-300) · 1 route: Bangkok
- All Nippon Airways NH (767-300) · 1 route: Tokyo
- Cambodia Angkor Air (K6) K6 (A321) · 1 route: Siem-reap
- Cathay Pacific CX (A320, A321, A330-300) · 1 route: Hong Kong
- Caucasus Airlines NS (737-700) · 1 route: Shijiazhuang
- Cebu Pacific 5J (A320) · 1 route: Manila
- China Airlines CI (747-400) · 1 route: Taipei
- Dragonair KA (A320, A321, A330-300) · 1 route: Hong Kong
- Egyptair MS (777-300) · 1 route: Cairo
- Emirates EK (777-300ER) · 1 route: Dubai
- Empresa Ecuatoriana De Aviacion EU (A319) · 1 route: Chengdu
- Ethiopian Airlines ET (777-300ER) · 1 route: Addis Ababa
- Garuda Indonesia GA (A330-200) · 1 route: Jakarta
- Korean Air KE (A330-300) · 1 route: Seoul
- KSY KY (737-700) · 1 route: Kunming
- Lao Airlines QV (A320) · 1 route: Vientiane
- Mahan Air W5 (313) · 1 route: Tehran
- Malaysia Airlines MH (A330-300, 737-800) · 1 route: Kuala Lumpur
- Myanmar Airways International 8M (A320) · 1 route: Yangon
- Oman Air WY (A340-300) · 1 route: Bangkok
- Orient Thai Airlines OX (M82) · 1 route: Bangkok
- Philippine Airlines PR (A320) · 1 route: Manila*
- Potomac Air BK (737-800) · 1 route: Tianjin
- Qatar Airways QR (777-300ER) · 1 route: Doha
- Singapore Airlines Cargo SQ (A330-300) · 1 route: Singapore
- SriLankan Airlines UL (A330-200) · 1 route: Bangkok
- Thai AirAsia FD (A320) · 1 route: Bangkok
- Thai Airways International TG (330) · 1 route: Bangkok
- Tiger Airways TR (A320) · 1 route: Singapore
- Turkish Airlines TK (330, A340-300) · 1 route: Istanbul
- Uni Air B7 (M90) · 1 route: Taichung
- West Air China PN (A320) · 1 route: Chongqing
Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.
Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport (SZX) 48 km to the centre
Shenzhen, 44, CN — You board from the indoor waiting area — no need to plan for the weather. ✈ 31 airlines (Shenzhen Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Air China, Hainan Airlines…) · direct flights to 86 destinations incl. Hangzhou, Chengdu, Shanghai, Chongqing, Kunming… (OpenFlights route data).
✈ Feeder airport · 48 km from Hong Kong · Shenzhen Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Air China
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 31 airlines, 86 direct destinations
- Shenzhen Airlines ZH (737-800, A320, A319, 737-900, 737) · 51 routes: Bangkok, Beijing, Changcha, Changchun, Changzhou, Chengdu, Chongqing, Dalian, Dazhou*, Fuzhou, Guangyuan, Guilin, Guiyang, Haikou, Hangzhou, Harbin, Hefei, Huangyan, Jinan, Jingdezhen, Kunming, Mianyang, Nanchang, Nanjing, Nanning, NTG, Qingdao, Quanzhou, Quzhou, Sanya, Seoul, Shanghai, Shanghai, Shenyang, Singapore, Taipei, Taiyuan, Tianjin, Wenzhou, Wuhan … +11 more
- China Southern Airlines CZ (A320, A321, A319, 737-800, A330-300, 737…) · 48 routes: Beijing, Bijie, Changcha, Changde, Changzhou, Cheju, Chengdu, Chongqing, Dalian, Dayong, Denpasar, Fuzhou, Ganzhou, Guilin, Guiyang, Haikou, Hangzhou, Harbin, Hefei, Huangshan, Kota Kinabalu, Kunming, Luzhou, Meixian, Nanchang, Nanchong, Nanjing, Nanning, Nanyang, Ninbo, Phuket, Qingdao, Quanzhou*, Sanya, Shanghai, Shanghai, Shijiazhuang, Taipei, Tianjin*, Tongren … +8 more
- Air China CA (737-800, A320, A319, A321, 330, A330-300…) · 47 routes: Bangkok*, Beijing, Changchun*, Changzhou*, Chengdu, Chongqing, Dalian*, Dazhou, Guangyuan, Guilin*, Guiyang, Haikou*, Hangzhou, Harbin*, Hefei*, Huangyan, Jinan*, Jingdezhen*, Kunming*, Mianyang*, Nanchang*, Nanjing, Nanning*, NTG*, Qingdao*, Quanzhou, Quzhou*, Sanya*, Shanghai, Shanghai*, Shenyang*, Singapore*, Taiyuan, Tianjin, Wenzhou*, Wuhan, Wuxi, Xi'an*, Xiamen*, Xiangfan* … +7 more
- Hainan Airlines HU (737-800, A330-300) · 23 routes: Beijing, Chengdu, Chongqing, Guiyang, Haikou, Hangzhou, Hefei, Jinan, Kunming, Lanzhou, Linyi, Nanjing, Ninbo, Sanya, Shijiazhuang, Taiyuan, Tianjin, Urumqi, Xi'an, Xiangfan, Xuzhou, Yichang, Zhengzhou
- China Eastern Airlines MU (A320, 737, A321, A319, A330-300, 737-300…) · 14 routes: Beijing*, Changzhou, Jian, Kunming, Nanchang, Nanjing, Ninbo, Shanghai, Shanghai, Taiyuan, Wuhan, Wuxi, Xi'an, Yongzhou
- Xiamen Airlines MF (737) · 7 routes: Fuzhou, Hangzhou, Nanchang, Nanning, Quanzhou, Tianjin, Xiamen
- China SSS 9C (A320) · 5 routes: Hangzhou, Huai An, Shanghai, Shenyang, Shijiazhuang
- Juneyao Airlines HO (A320) · 4 routes: Beihai, Guiyang, Shanghai, Shanghai
- Shandong Airlines SC (737-800) · 4 routes: Jinan, Qingdao, Wenzhou, Yantai
- All Nippon Airways NH (A320, A321, 737-800) · 3 routes: Fuzhou*, Hangzhou*, Shanghai*
- Sichuan Airlines 3U (A320, A319, A321) · 3 routes: Chengdu, Chongqing, Wanxian
- AirAsia AK (A320) · 2 routes: Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur
- China Airlines CI (A330-300, 747-400) · 2 routes: Kaohsiung, Taipei
- Empresa Ecuatoriana De Aviacion EU (A319) · 2 routes: Chengdu, Liuzhou
- Potomac Air BK (737-800) · 2 routes: Nanning, Tianjin
- Uni Air B7 (737-800, M90, 74E) · 2 routes: Taichung, Taipei*
- Asiana Airlines OZ (A330-300, 737-800, 767-300) · 1 route: Seoul
- Cargo Plus Aviation 8L (A321) · 1 route: Lijiang
- Caucasus Airlines NS (737-700) · 1 route: Shijiazhuang
- China United KN (737) · 1 route: Beijing
- KLM Royal Dutch Airlines KL (A320, 32S) · 1 route: Hangzhou*
- Korean Air KE (73J) · 1 route: Seoul
- KSY KY (737-800) · 1 route: Kunming
- Shanghai Airlines FM (A330-300, 737-800) · 1 route: Shanghai
- SilkAir MI (A319, A320, 737-800) · 1 route: Singapore
- Singapore Airlines Cargo SQ (737-800) · 1 route: Singapore
- Starline.kz DZ (737-800) · 1 route: Ninbo
- Thai AirAsia FD (A320) · 1 route: Bangkok
- Tiger Airways TR (A320) · 1 route: Singapore
- Virgin Express TV (A319) · 1 route: Chengdu
- West Air China PN (A320) · 1 route: Chongqing
Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.
Macao International Airport (MFM) 64 km to the centre
Nossa Senhora do Carmo, CAR, MO — You board from the indoor waiting area — no need to plan for the weather. ✈ 22 airlines (Air Macau, Air China, China Southern Airlines, Xiamen Airlines…) · direct flights to 38 destinations incl. Shanghai, Hangzhou, Manila, Shanghai, Xiamen… (OpenFlights route data).
✈ Feeder airport · 64 km from Hong Kong · Air Macau, Air China, China Southern Airlines · Getting around Morocco →
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 22 airlines, 38 direct destinations
- Air Macau NX (A320, A319, A321) · 28 routes: Bangkok, Beijing, Busan, Chengdu, Chongqing, Danang, Fukuoka, Hangzhou, Hanoi, Hefei, Kaohsiung, Manila*, Muan, Nanjing, Nanning, Ninbo, Okayama, Osaka, Seoul, Shanghai, Shanghai, Shenyang, Taipei, Taiyuan, Tokyo, Wuhan*, Xiamen, Zhengzhou
- Air China CA (A319, A320, A321) · 15 routes: Beijing, Chengdu, Chongqing, Hangzhou, Hefei, Nanjing, Nanning, Ninbo, Shanghai, Shanghai, Shenyang, Taiyuan, Wuhan, Xiamen, Zhengzhou
- China Southern Airlines CZ (737-800) · 4 routes: Fuzhou, Hangzhou*, Quanzhou, Xiamen
- Xiamen Airlines MF (737-800) · 4 routes: Fuzhou, Hangzhou, Quanzhou, Xiamen
- China Eastern Airlines MU (A321, 737, 737-800) · 3 routes: Kunming, Shanghai, Shanghai*
- EVA Air BR (M90, A321, A330-200, 747-400, 777-300ER) · 3 routes: Kaohsiung*, Taichung, Taipei
- TransAsia Airways GE (A320, A321) · 3 routes: Kaohsiung, Taichung, Taipei
- All Nippon Airways NH (A319, A320, A321) · 2 routes: Osaka*, Tokyo*
- Cebu Pacific 5J (A319) · 2 routes: Angeles City, Manila
- Shanghai Airlines FM (A321, 737-800) · 2 routes: Shanghai*, Shanghai
- Thai AirAsia FD (A320) · 2 routes: Bangkok, Chiang Mai
- Air Busan BX (A321) · 1 route: Busan
- AirAsia AK (A320) · 1 route: Kuala Lumpur
- Asiana Airlines OZ (A321) · 1 route: Seoul
- China SSS 9C (A320) · 1 route: Shanghai
- Jin Air LJ (737-800) · 1 route: Seoul
- Juneyao Airlines HO (A320) · 1 route: Shanghai
- Philippine Airlines PR (A320) · 1 route: Manila
- Shenzhen Airlines ZH (737-800) · 1 route: Wuxi
- Thai Airways International TG (A320) · 1 route: Bangkok
- Tiger Airways TR (A320) · 1 route: Singapore
- Zest Air Z2 (A320) · 1 route: Manila
Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.
Zhuhai Jinwan Airport (ZUH) 91 km to the centre
Zhuhai (Jinwan), 44, CN — You board from the indoor waiting area — no need to plan for the weather. ✈ 15 airlines (China Southern Airlines, Air China, Shenzhen Airlines, Shandong Airlines…) · direct flights to 30 destinations incl. Shanghai, Fuzhou, Shanghai, Xiamen, Beijing… (OpenFlights route data).
✈ Feeder airport · 91 km from Hong Kong · China Southern Airlines, Air China, Shenzhen Airlines
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 15 airlines, 30 direct destinations
- China Southern Airlines CZ (737-800, A320, 737, A321, 737-700, Embraer 190) · 18 routes: Beijing, Changcha, Fuzhou*, Guiyang, Haikou, Hangzhou, Hefei, Kunming, Meixian, Nanchang, Sanya, Shanghai, Shanghai, Shantou, Wuhan, Xiamen*, Yiwu, Zhengzhou
- Air China CA (737-800, A319, A321, 737) · 10 routes: Beijing, Chengdu, Chongqing, Fuzhou*, Guiyang*, Huangyan, Nanchang*, Nanning, Wenzhou*, Xiamen*
- Shenzhen Airlines ZH (737-800, 737, A319, A320) · 6 routes: Beijing*, Chengdu*, Chongqing*, Fuzhou, Huangyan, Nanning
- Shandong Airlines SC (737-800, 737) · 5 routes: Guiyang, Nanchang, Nanning, Wenzhou, Xiamen
- Air Foyle GS (Embraer 190) · 3 routes: Ganzhou, Guilin, Haikou
- China Eastern Airlines MU (A320, A321, 737-800) · 2 routes: Shanghai, Shanghai
- China SSS 9C (A320) · 2 routes: Shanghai, Shanghai
- Huaxia G5 (CRJ-900, CRJ-200) · 2 routes: Liuzhou, Wuzhou
- Juneyao Airlines HO (A320) · 2 routes: Shanghai, Shanghai
- Potomac Air BK (737-800) · 2 routes: Sanya, Tianjin
- Sichuan Airlines 3U (A320) · 2 routes: Changzhou, Haikou
- West Air China PN (A320) · 2 routes: Chongqing, Zhengzhou
- Xiamen Airlines MF (737) · 2 routes: Fuzhou, Xiamen
- Caucasus Airlines NS (Embraer 190) · 1 route: Ninbo
- Shanghai Airlines FM (737-800) · 1 route: Shanghai
Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.
Getting there by ferry
Tsuen Wan Ferry Pier
Ferry terminal · 6.1 km from the centre
Tai Shui Hang Landing
Ferry terminal · 6.5 km from the centre · CEDD
Kowloon City Ferry Pier
Ferry terminal · 6.5 km from the centre
Ma Liu Shui Landing No. 2
Ferry terminal · 6.6 km from the centre
Ma Liu Shui Landing No. 1
Ferry terminal · 6.6 km from the centre
Ma Liu Shui Landing No. 3
Ferry terminal · 6.7 km from the centre
North Point - Kowloon City
Ferry route · 新渡輪服務有限公司 Sun Ferry Services Company Limited
Central - Ma Wan
Ferry route · 珀麗灣客運有限公司 Park Island Transport Company Limited
Park Island - Central
Ferry route · 珀麗灣客運有限公司 Park Island Transport Company Limited
Central - Tsim Sha Tsui
Ferry route · 天星小輪有限公司 The “Star Ferry” Company, Limited
HK Water Taxi Government Route
Ferry route · 富裕小輪有限公司 Fortune Ferry Limited
North Point - Hung Hom
Ferry route · 新渡輪 New World First Ferry
Wan Chai - Tsim Sha Tsui
Ferry route · 天星小輪有限公司 The “Star Ferry” Company, Limited
WestK Ferry
Ferry route · 富裕小輪有限公司 Fortune Ferry Limited
Local transit
Hong Kong Government Transport Department
Bus · Schedules & GTFS data (official feed)
Trains & rail
MTR Airport Express
National rail
Private aviation
On-demand charter, jet cards and the semi-private scheduled carriers that serve this city.
Metrojet
Charter, management · Managed fleet · Hong Kong-based charter and aircraft management.
Sino Jet
Charter, management · Managed fleet, Gulfstream, Global · Hong Kong and Beijing business-jet management and charter.
Air Charter Service
Broker · Any aircraft via operators worldwide · Global charter broker with 30+ offices; private jets, group charters and cargo.
ExecuJet
FBO, charter, management · Managed fleet · FBO network and management across Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific.
Flexjet
Fractional, jet card · Embraer Praetor, Bombardier Challenger & Global, Gulfstream · Fractional ownership and jet cards in North America and Europe.
Tours & experiences
Living Here
Getting about
- The MTR is one of the best metro systems in the world — clean, frequent, air-conditioned and reaching almost everywhere; an Octopus card pays for it and for buses, trams, ferries, minibuses and most convenience stores, and contactless bank cards now work on the MTR gates too.
- The double-decker trams along the island's north shore and the Star Ferry across the harbour are the cheapest sightseeing in the city and still used for the commute. Taxis are plentiful and reasonably priced; red ones cover the urban areas, green the New Territories, blue Lantau.
- The Airport Express runs from Chek Lap Kok to Central in about twenty-four minutes; high-speed trains to Shenzhen and Guangzhou leave from West Kowloon, and the Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau crossings connect to the mainland metro. A car is pointless.
- The Mid-Levels escalator and the covered walkways mean much of Central can be crossed without touching a street; the hills are steep and the humidity makes them steeper.
Health
- Queen Mary, Prince of Wales and Queen Elizabeth are the big public teaching hospitals, run by the Hospital Authority; care is cheap for residents and charged at much higher rates to visitors. The private hospitals — Adventist, Matilda, Gleneagles, Sanatorium — are excellent and expensive.
- Dial 999. Watsons and Mannings pharmacies are on every block; private clinics see walk-ins quickly. Visitors should carry insurance.
- Summer heat and humidity are punishing, and the Observatory's typhoon signals matter: at Signal 8 offices, schools and most transport shut. The air is poorest in winter when the wind comes from the north.
Work & study
- The University of Hong Kong, the Chinese University and HKUST are all ranked among Asia's best, with PolyU and CityU close behind; teaching is in English and the campuses draw from across the region.
- Finance dominates — HKEX, HSBC and the asset managers — alongside trade and logistics (the port and the world's busiest air-cargo airport), professional services, retail and tourism. The mainland is both the biggest customer and the biggest competitor.
- Salaries tax tops out at roughly 15–17% and there is no capital gains tax, sales tax or VAT, which is why the place exists; the trade-off is the rent.
Money & manners
- Hong Kong dollars, pegged to the US dollar at around 7.8. Cards and Octopus cover most things but cash is still used in markets and small restaurants. A 10% service charge is added on most restaurant bills; leave the coins on top.
- Fast and businesslike: stand right on escalators, queue properly, accept and offer business cards with both hands, and do not stick chopsticks upright in rice. Mandarin is understood but Cantonese is appreciated.
- October to December is the season — warm, dry and clear. June to September is hot, wet and typhoon-prone; January and February are cool, grey and damp indoors and out.