Doing Hong Kong on the cheap might seem difficult at first, but if you are determined to keep a tight fist around your precious pennies then let us show you how to make the most of the city, spending next to nothing while doing so.
The thing to remember when living cheap in Hong Kong is that it’s often the little extras that cost money. For example, a view is free, but a cocktail in a rooftop bar costs money; a scenic bus tour is rarely free, but head out on foot and soak up the atmosphere of old Hong Kong for absolutely nothing!
Plus, if you are travelling through Hong Kong, look out for lots of tourist perks while at the airport. Tram tickets, free SIM cards for your mobile phone and visitors maps are all offered in the arrivals hall. Enjoy our favourite free and or cheap things to do in Hong Kong!
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The classic activity that everyone must do at least once. Starting at 20:00 daily, the audio visual spectacular uses the dramatic Hong Kong skyline as a fitting backdrop from which to display a laser and fireworks show set to music. The show lasts 15 minutes and is best seen from the Avenue of Stars promenade on Kowloon, or one of the many rooftop bars in the area. The narration is in English on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, while on Tuesdays Thursdays and Saturdays it is in Mandarin. On Sundays the narration is in Cantonese. Read More...
- Opening Hours: At 20:00 nightly
- Location: On both sides of Victoria Harbour (best seen from Kowloon)
- Price Range: Free
There are well over 50 beautiful beaches to enjoy in Hong Kong and its surrounding islands. Whether you are looking for big waves for surfing, a secluded camping spot or family friendly weekend escapes, if you like to get your feet in the sand, these are the finest beaches in Hong Kong to do just that. As for getting there, plenty of buses and boats run daily from central areas and won’t cost you more than a few dollars. Check out our rundown of the best beaches here Read More...
- Price Range: Free
Walking Tour around Historical Hong Kong
Comfortable shoes and clothes will be needed, but for immersing yourself in a new city, nothing beats taking to the streets armed only with a map (or iPhone) and a sense of adventure. Developed by the Hong Kong Tourism Board, there are several official Hong Kong Walks, including a walk around Mong Kok past the best markets and night markets, a look through the colonial edifices still very much alive around Central and Sheung Wan, and the Ping Shan Heritage Trail in the New Territories.
- Price Range: Free
Spending a night at one of Hong Kong’s best rooftop bars can set you back hundreds of dollars (and it’s a certainly great experience…if you can afford it). But enjoying the iconic cityscape of Hong Kong’s northern shore doesn’t have to cost a single cent. There are plenty of skyscrapers, shopping malls and mountain viewpoints that offer similarly stunning views for free. See a selection of free panoramic viewpoints here. Read More...
- Price Range: Free
The Big Buddha (Tian Tan Buddha) is the world’s largest outdoor seated bronze Buddha and is wildly popular, attracting more than 1,000,000 visitors every year. Located in the mountains of Lantau Island, the Big Buddha is the centrepiece of the Po Lin Monastery. As well as this iconic landmark, there are several other interesting attractions to enjoy, including a tea plantation, a country walk called ‘The Wisdom Path’ and a selection of restaurants. Of course, you will have to pay for transportation to Lantau Island but it costs less than HK$10 on public transport. Read More...
- Opening Hours: 09:00 – 18:00
- Location: Po Lin Monastery on Ngong Ping Plateau, Tung Chung Town, Lantau Island
- Price Range: Free
- How to get there: Catch the ferry from Central Pier 6 (MTR Hong Kong Station Exit E1. Walk through ifc mall) to Mui Wo, then take bus 2. Or from MTR Tung Chung Station Exit B, take bus 23 from Tung Chung Town Centre.
Hong Kong’s parks and gardens offer many cheap or free activities to enjoy, but our favourite takes place every Sunday when you can enjoy two hours of classic Kung Fu action in Kowloon Park. It is a little bit ‘touristy’, meaning this isn’t a technical as authentic martial arts, but you will see some impressive displays of dexterity and a Lion Dance. You can even get up and learn some basic moves! Kung Fu Corner, as it has been nicknamed for tourists, is located in Kowloon Park in Tsim Sha Tsui, every Sunday from 14:30 to 16:30. Read More...
- Opening Hours: 14:30 -16:30 every Sunday
- Location: Kowloon Park, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon
- MRT: Tsim Sha Tsui
- Price Range: Free
Hong Kong has some fabulous museums and you can enjoy many of them for free every Wednesday. The list of venues includes some of Hong Kong’s finest museums, such as the Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong Science Museum, Hong Kong Space Museum and Dr Sun Yat-sen Museum. It is worth noting that some museums, such as the Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre, are free to enter every day. See the full list of Hong Kong’s public museums listed on the official government website here. Read More...
- Price Range: Free
Early morning Tai Chi class in Kowloon
Another free activity which takes place around several Hong Kong parks every morning is Tai Chi. This ancient Chinese art form is still widely practised in Hong Kong with many free classes starting just after sunrise in many centrally-located spots. One of the best is located in Kowloon Park, where hundreds of participants can be found moving in graceful unison. Feel free to take part, although it’s still enjoyable just to watch from the side lines and listen to the early morning birdsong. Other classes are available in Victoria Park in Causeway Bay.
- Opening Hours: 07:00 - 08:00 daily
- Location: Kowloon Park, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon
- Price Range: Free
The dazzling Happy Valley Racecourse has long been Hong Kong’s premier horseracing track. It’s a great place to go and enjoy superb horseracing whilst also soaking up some genuine Hong Kong Chinese culture at the same time. The atmosphere in this Roman amphitheatre-style stadium is adrenalin charged with betting stakes on a single night extortionately high. It’s rumoured that one season’s racing sees over HK$100 billion change hands. Tickets for the race course are HK$10 which will get you access to all public areas including the stand, betting hall and restaurants. If you want to access the Public Enclosure or Champion Circles then you will need to pay extra. Read More...
- Opening Hours: Races take place from September to June on Wednesdays and weekends with the first race starting at 19:30
- Location: The race track is located in Happy Valley surrounded by Morrison Hill Road and Wong Nai Chung Road
- MRT: Causeway Bay
- Price Range: $10
Take the Star Ferry across Victoria Harbour
There is no real need to take the Star Ferry Crossing across the Victoria Harbour (due to the faster and more convenient subway underground), and yet it is one of the finest attractions in Hong Kong for getting a sense of the living history that is present in Hong Kong even today. Founded in 1888, there are actually two crossings across the bay, from Central Ferry Pier or Wan Chai Ferry Pier on Hong Kong Island, to Kowloon on the opposite side of the harbour. It costs HK$2.50 on weekdays and HK$3.40 on weekends and public holidays for adults and HK$1.50-2.10 for children. Ferries leave every 10-15 minutes.
- Location: Star Ferry Pier, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon
- Tel: +852 2367 7065
- Price Range: $2.40 (Free if you pick up the Tourist Vouchers from Hong Kong International Airport)
