After living in Hong Kong for over 8 years, I’ve made it my duty to show visitors why I fell in love with this city. Hong Kong is so dynamic and vibrant with its mix of culture, dining, and nature, but when you add large-scale events like Art Basel, Hong Kong Sevens rugby tournament, and more, you can find reasons to travel here all year long. Unlike other popular Asian destinations like Singapore or Thailand that are hot year-round, Hong Kong has clear seasons that you can take advantage of as a traveler. So here is my month-by-month guide on the best times to visit Hong Kong based on not only the weather, but big events and festivals that appeal to a wide range of interests.
In my personal opinion, you’ll get the most out of Hong Kong if you visit in October, November, March or April when the weather is the most pleasant, but don’t count out the other months! Keep reading to see why you can add a stop over to Hong Kong to your next Asia trip year-round—after all it’s a transit hub and you can usually find tickets on budget airlines to connect to destinations like Tokyo, Seoul, Bangkok, Manila, and more.
No matter what time of year you visit, there’s endless food to try from local dim sum and roast meats to bakeries and bars. Be sure to also check out my restaurant Barkada for satisfying, modern Filipino food and desserts—it’s perfect for when you need a break from Chinese food but still want something unique to Hong Kong.
January to February in Hong Kong
Visit for: fireworks, Chinese New Year, carnival fun, hiking
You can start the year with a bang by visiting Hong Kong for the New Year’s Eve fireworks show with viewing spots all along Victoria Harbour (including at many of my favorite rooftop bars). The celebrations continue shortly after with Chinese New Year, which can fall between mid-January to late February depending on the calendar.
If you visit DURING Chinese New Year, you can see the night parade in Tsim Sha Tsui on the first night of CNY, the fireworks show on the second night, and special horse races at Sha Tin Racecourse on the third day. If you don’t care about these 3 events, then I recommend avoiding the week of CNY itself since many local restaurants and businesses are closed during this time, and the weeks before and after still have plenty of festive displays to see and activities to do. Some of my favorites include the Lam Tsuen Wishing Tree (see my video below), Lee Tung Avenue lanterns, and Hutong’s all-you-can-eat dim sum champagne brunch and prosperity toss.
WATCH: Chinese New Year in Hong Kong
The AIA Carnival also runs from December through February, with carnival games, rides, and a circus show right along the Central Harbourfront. While the entire carnival is generally catered to kids, they also hosts fun parties and raves for grown ups inside the circus tent and event spaces.
If you love the outdoors, the cool winter weather is also a great time to do some of Hong Kong’s longest and most strenuous hikes, including West Dog’s Teeth, Sunset Peak, and Eight Immortals/Pat Ling Seng.
March in Hong Kong
Visit for: art fairs, house music, world class dining collaborations
March is Art Month in Hong Kong, with the world-renowned Art Basel and Hong Kong-exclusive Art Central bringing in waves of international galleries and visitors. You can also catch lots of smaller scale art events throughout the city, including HK Walls where you can catch the city’s best graffiti artists and muralists live painting around SoHo, Tai Ping Shan, Art Lane and across the city.
If you’re looking to dance at one of Hong Kong’s best parties, Magic Room’s anniversary happens every March featuring their resident DJs and international acts in iconic locations like the harbourfront or Victoria Peak.
March is also when the Michelin Guide and Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants award ceremonies happen, and while chef collaborations can happen year round, there is typically a flurry of extra activity in March to try guest chefs at Hong Kong’s high-end restaurants.
April in Hong Kong
Visit for: raucous sporting events and parties, beach hikes
Hong Kong Sevens is arguably the most fun rugby tournament in the world, and the vibe and excitement is worth experiencing whether you watch rugby or not. It happens every April inside Kai Tak Stadium, where you’ll see many attendees party it up in elaborate costumes (we’re dressed as “Hong Kong’s fallen angels” aka iconic restaurants that closed). You don’t have to dress up, but it definitely adds to the merriment. This year’s celebration was particularly special as the 50th anniversary, complete with a performance by the Vengaboys, so it will be fun to see how they top it next year!
It’s definitely a boozy affair, but it’s also fun for the whole family in other parts of the stands. There’s also an outdoor fan village with live music and big grassy areas for a break from the stadium. The bars in the city are usually buzzing during 7s weekend as well, as folks continue the party in Lan Kwai Fong and Peel Street in SoHo.
April is the start of summer weather, making it a nice time to do hikes that end at the beach, like Dragon’s Back to either Shek O or Big Wave Bay and any of the Tai Long Wan hikes.
May to June in Hong Kong
Visit for: beach time, dragon boat races, art fairs
This is the prime time for relaxing on Hong Kong’s stunning beaches, with my favorites being Shek O Beach on Hong Kong Island and Tai Long Wan out in Sai Kung while it’s not unbearably hot and humid out yet.
You can also celebrate Dragon Boat Festival by cheering on the teams rowing traditional long boats at races in Stanley and Victoria Harbour.
If you missed Art Month, you can also check out the Affordable Art Fair in May.
July to August in Hong Kong
Visit for: dining, water sports, cocktail bar guest shifts
This is peak typhoon season in Hong Kong, so I frankly only recommend visiting if you’re prepared for plans to potentially get derailed by the weather, or if you’re already in Asia to visit another nearby destination since July to August is also peak travel time for those with kids on summer break. Once you’re in Hong Kong though, this is a good chance to try the most viral restaurants, bars, and bakeries since the city will generally be less crowded, as Hong Kongers go on long summer vacations and tourists avoid Hong Kong due to typhoon season.
If the weather holds up, you can book a boat and try fun water sports like wakeboarding and wake surfing to cool down from Hong Kong’s hot and humid weather (note that boats and water sports are automatically cancelled when there is a typhoon). If you know someone living in Hong Kong, you can take advantage of “junk season” and join in on a junk boat party where someone books a junk boat or yacht with 20-50 people with food and booze on board.
🎥 Watch: Wakeboarding in Sai Kung in July
July also marks the annual Asia’s 50 Best Bars Award ceremonies, so you’ll often see international bars doing guest shifts in Hong Kong or nearby in Macao. It’s a great time to go bar hopping to some of the city’s best cocktail bars when the city is generally a little less crowded (meaning shorter lines).
September to October in Hong Kong
Visit for: beach time, Mid-Autumn lanterns and mooncakes, fireworks, Halloween
While there’s still a slight chance of typhoons in September and October, this is arguably the best time to hike to the beach as you’ll get warm, pleasant weather with less humidity than in the spring. Besides the aforementioned Dragon’s Back and Sai Kung hikes, you can also explore the easier Thousand Islands Hike, then visit the Gold Coast nearby.
Mid-Autumn Festival happens in September or October of each year, with a big lantern festival in Victoria Park to celebrate, as well as the can’t-miss Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance where a giant dragon made of lit incense sticks is paraded through the crowd. You’ll also find endless types of mooncakes in elaborate packaging from hotels, bakeries and brands.
If you’re in town on October 1, you can catch the National Day fireworks over Victoria Harbour. Or visit at the end of the month to experience Halloween in Hong Kong, where the streets in Central fill with folks dressed in costumes and there are endless parties around the city.
November to December in Hong Kong
Visit for: hiking, outdoor cinema, festive Christmas displays
November brings autumn weather, perfect for going on steep, mountainous hikes like Lion Rock and Suicide Cliff.
The aforementioned AIA Carnival also starts in December for carnival games and rides with harbourfront views. There’s also an outdoor cinema called The Grounds that usually happens every December, where you can watch classic Christmas movies on a giant projector at the harbourfront.
The main reason to come to Hong Kong in December is for the epic Christmas displays that you’ll find in practically every open space and shopping mall. There’s so much festive spirit all around the city, and it makes up for the lack of snow (though places like Lee Tung Avenue will even push out fake snow!).
