Nightlife · Hong Kong · China
Hong Kong nightlife
Where the evenings happen in Hong Kong, from early drinks to late nights.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: chensiyuan, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Hong Kong nightlife ranges from Lan Kwai Fong's packed bar streets and SoHo cocktail bars to harbour-view rooftops and Wan Chai's late pubs. Bars stay open late, and Wednesday-night horse racing at Happy Valley is a local institution in season. The main areas are Lan Kwai Fong, SoHo and Peel Street, Wan Chai, Tsim Sha Tsui and Happy Valley Racecourse.
Key facts
- Nightlife areas
- 5
- Stay near the action
- Central
- Local drink
- Hong Kong-style milk tea
Where to go out
Lan Kwai Fong
A steep L-shaped lane in Central packed with bars and clubs; crowds spill onto the street on weekends.
SoHo and Peel Street
Cocktail bars and wine bars along the Mid-Levels Escalator above Hollywood Road.
Wan Chai
Late-night pubs, live music and sports bars along Lockhart and Jaffe roads.
Tsim Sha Tsui
Hotel bars with harbour views and bars on Knutsford Terrace.
Happy Valley Racecourse
Wednesday night races from September to July, with beer, food and a racing crowd under floodlights.
Nightlife tips
- Most MTR lines stop around 1am; night buses and taxis cover later journeys.
- Buying drinks from convenience stores and joining the street crowd in Lan Kwai Fong is a common, economical way to start the night.
- Happy hours often run from late afternoon to around 9pm.
Evening sights
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Viewpoint · The Peak
Victoria Peak and the Peak Tram
Go up an hour before sunset, walk Lugard Road as the lights come on, and return by bus 15 or taxi if the tram queue is long.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- Views
- Couples
- After dark
- Photo spot
Experience · Victoria Harbour
Star Ferry
Sit on the upper deck on the side facing the skyline; the Tsim Sha Tsui-bound trip has the best view of Hong Kong Island.
- Time needed
- 10 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- Views
- Kids
- Couples
- After dark
Waterfront · Tsim Sha Tsui
Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade and Avenue of Stars
Combine the light show with a Star Ferry ride back to Central to see the lights from the water.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Iconic
- After dark
- Views
- Photo spot
- Kids
Market · Yau Ma Tei
Temple Street Night Market
Come after dark for a claypot rice or seafood dinner and haggle politely for anything you buy.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- After dark
- Food
- Shopping
Theme park · Lantau Island
Hong Kong Disneyland
Visit on a weekday outside mainland and local school holidays, when queues are noticeably shorter.
- Time needed
- Full day
- Cost
- Expensive
- Kids
- After dark
What to drink
- Hong Kong-style milk tea — Strong black tea strained through a fabric 'silk stocking' and mixed with evaporated milk; yuenyeung blends it with coffee.
Evenings through the year
Sunset and the overnight low decide how long the outdoor part of a night lasts. July has the warmest evenings, with lows around 27°C (81°F).
| Month | Sunset (15th) | Overnight low | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | About 18:00 | 15°C (59°F) | 6 |
| April | About 18:43 | 21°C (70°F) | 11 |
| July | About 19:10 | 27°C (81°F) | 17 |
| October | About 17:58 | 24°C (75°F) | 7 |
Getting home late
- Metro — Use the Airport Express in-town check-in at Hong Kong and Kowloon stations on departure day, where offered by your airline.
- Tram — Double-decker trams run east–west along Hong Kong Island's north shore for a low flat fare — slow but scenic.
- Ferry — The Star Ferry crosses the harbour, and fast and ordinary ferries from the Central Ferry Piers serve Lamma, Cheung Chau, Lantau and Peng Chau; TurboJET ferries go to Macau.
- Bus — Double-decker buses and red and green minibuses reach the south side of the island, Sai Kung and the country parks; green minibuses run fixed routes with fixed fares.
- Taxi — Have your destination written in Chinese; many drivers speak limited English.
- Walking — Covered footbridges link Central, Admiralty and Sheung Wan, and the Mid-Levels Escalator climbs the hillside, but expect hills and humidity.
Late-night bites
- Wonton noodles — Noodle shops in Central, Sheung Wan and Mong Kok.
- Curry fish balls — Street-snack shops in Mong Kok, Causeway Bay and Sham Shui Po.
- Egg waffle — Snack stalls in Mong Kok, North Point and Tsim Sha Tsui.
Staying safe at night
Hong Kong has low street crime, though pickpocketing happens in crowded markets and on the MTR. Watch for typhoon and rainstorm warnings in summer, and take heat seriously on hikes.
- Emergency number
- 999 (police, fire and ambulance)
Where to stay for nightlife
$$$$ · Best for first-timers, luxury, nightlife and food lovers
Central
Central is the island's business and nightlife core: glass towers around Statue Square, the hillside Mid-Levels Escalator climbing through SoHo's restaurants, Tai Kwun's restored police compound and Lan Kwai Fong's bar streets. The Star Ferry, Peak Tram and Airport Express all start here, which makes it the most convenient — and expensive — base.
- Good
- Transport hub for the whole territory; Excellent restaurants and bars; Walk to the Peak Tram
- Watch out
- Very expensive rooms; Steep streets and stairs
- Nearby
- Tai Kwun, Peak Tram, Lan Kwai Fong, Star Ferry Central Pier
Questions travellers ask
+Where is the best nightlife in Hong Kong?
Lan Kwai Fong, SoHo and Peel Street and Wan Chai. A steep L-shaped lane in Central packed with bars and clubs; crowds spill onto the street on weekends.
+Which area of Hong Kong is best for nightlife?
Central: Bank towers, the Mid-Levels escalator, SoHo restaurants and Lan Kwai Fong bars.