Shopping · Hong Kong · China
Shopping in Hong Kong
Shopping streets, markets and souvenirs worth the suitcase space.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Exploringlife, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Hong Kong has no general sales tax, so shopping is a big draw, from luxury malls in Central and Tsim Sha Tsui to street markets in Mong Kok and electronics and fabric streets in Sham Shui Po. Compare prices and check warranties on electronics. Best souvenirs: Tea and tea ware, Egg rolls and cookies and Dried seafood and herbs.
Key facts
- Shopping areas
- 4
- Markets
- 4
- Top souvenir
- Tea and tea ware
Where to shop
Canton Road and Harbour City
Luxury flagships and one of the largest malls in the city along the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront.
Causeway Bay
Department stores, Times Square and side streets of smaller fashion shops, busy late into the evening.
Central and IFC
IFC Mall, the Landmark and designer boutiques linked by covered footbridges.
Sham Shui Po
Apliu Street's electronics stalls, Ki Lung Street fabric shops and a growing number of design studios and cafés.
Markets
Temple Street Night Market
Evening stalls of clothes and souvenirs, fortune tellers and claypot rice.
Ladies' Market
Tung Choi Street's stalls of clothes, bags and souvenirs in Mong Kok.
Stanley Market
A covered market of clothes, art and souvenirs by the seafront on the island's south side.
Cat Street
Curios, old posters, coins and Mao-era memorabilia on Upper Lascar Row in Sheung Wan.
What to buy
Tea and tea ware
Pu'er, oolong and jasmine teas from Sheung Wan tea merchants, plus Yixing clay teapots.
Egg rolls and cookies
Boxed butter cookies and crisp egg rolls from local bakeries travel well.
Dried seafood and herbs
Des Voeux Road West sells dried scallops, mushrooms and herbs; check your country's import rules.
Tailored clothing
Tsim Sha Tsui tailors can make suits and shirts in a few days; allow time for fittings.
Chinese calligraphy and seals
Shops around Man Wa Lane in Sheung Wan carve personalised name chops.
Streets and markets worth a wander
Street · Sheung Wan
Hollywood Road and Man Mo Temple
One of Hong Kong's oldest roads, Hollywood Road is lined with antique and art shops and leads to Man Mo Temple, built in the 1840s and dedicated to the gods of literature and war.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Shopping
- Photo spot
Market · Yau Ma Tei
Temple Street Night Market
From late afternoon, stalls fill Temple Street with clothes, gadgets and trinkets, fortune tellers set up near the Tin Hau temple and dai pai dong-style restaurants put out tables for claypot rice and seafood.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- After dark
- Food
- Shopping
Market · Mong Kok
Ladies' Market and Mong Kok street markets
Tung Choi Street's Ladies' Market sells clothes, bags and souvenirs from about a hundred stalls, while the streets nearby specialise: the Goldfish Market with fish in hanging bags, the Flower Market on Flower Market Road and the Yuen Po Street Bird Garden where elderly men bring caged songbirds.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Shopping
- Kids
- Photo spot
Food and drink to take home
Edible souvenirs travel best when they are dry or sealed: consider Egg tart, Hong Kong-style milk tea, Pineapple bun and Egg waffle. Bakeries and cha chaan tengs, including long-running bakeries in Central and Sheung Wan. Check your home country's rules on bringing food and drink back.
Shopping by neighbourhood
| Area | Price level | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Central | $$$$ | Bank towers, the Mid-Levels escalator, SoHo restaurants and Lan Kwai Fong bars |
| Sheung Wan | $$$ | Dried-seafood shops, Hollywood Road antiques and Man Mo Temple |
| Wan Chai | $$ | Old markets, local diners and harbourfront convention halls |
| Causeway Bay | $$$ | Department stores, Times Square and Victoria Park |
| Tsim Sha Tsui | $$$ | Harbourfront views, museums, Nathan Road shops and hotels of every price |
| Mong Kok and Yau Ma Tei | $$ | Street markets, neon, noodle shops and one of the densest districts on Earth |
Paying and bargaining
Prices are in HKD. A 10% service charge is added in most sit-down restaurants, so further tips are optional. Locals round up taxi fares and may leave small change in cha chaan tengs.
- Give and receive business cards or gifts with both hands.
When to shop
Shops and markets are quietest in January, April–June and September; the busiest months are the peak holidays.
- January: Lunar New Year flower fairs, parade and celebrations (January or February)
- February: Lantern displays for the Lantern Festival (15th day of the lunar new year)
- April: Ching Ming Festival — families visit ancestral graves (early April)
- April: Tin Hau Festival — celebrations at sea-goddess temples (usually April or May)
- May: Cheung Chau Bun Festival — parade and bun-tower scramble (usually around Buddha's Birthday, April or May)
- June: Tuen Ng Dragon Boat Festival races in Stanley, Aberdeen and elsewhere (usually June)
Staying near the shops
$$$ · Best for shopping, families and food lovers
Causeway Bay
Department stores, Times Square and Victoria Park
Questions travellers ask
+What should I buy in Hong Kong?
Tea and tea ware, Egg rolls and cookies, Dried seafood and herbs and Tailored clothing.
+Where is the best shopping in Hong Kong?
Canton Road and Harbour City: Luxury flagships and one of the largest malls in the city along the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront.
+What are the best markets in Hong Kong?
Temple Street Night Market, Ladies' Market, Stanley Market and Cat Street.