Hong Kong guides

The tools answer a question in one screen. These guides answer the questions that come before and after it: which ticket to buy, how the fare is worked out, what closes when a typhoon signal goes up. Every guide links back to the tool it belongs to.

MTR routes

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MTR fares explained: Octopus, single tickets and day passes How MTR fares are calculated, why an Octopus card is cheaper than a paper ticket, and when the HK$75 Tourist Day Pass actually pays off. 7 min read Hong Kong Airport to the city: Airport Express, A-buses and taxis compared Fares, journey times and luggage rules for every way out of Hong Kong International Airport, including the S1 + Tung Chung Line trick. 8 min read Crossing at Lo Wu or Lok Ma Chau: which MTR route to take Two border stations, two different onward routes. Which one to pick for Shenzhen, what it costs, and why your day pass will not cover it. 6 min read

Bus ETA

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How to ride Hong Kong buses: KMB, Citybus, fares and Octopus Boarding, paying, pressing the bell and reading the stop names — the parts nobody explains to a first-time rider. 7 min read Red or green? How Hong Kong minibuses work Green minibuses run fixed routes, red ones go almost anywhere. Fares, how to hail one, and the words to shout before your stop. 6 min read Trams and the Star Ferry: Hong Kong's cheapest rides The ding ding and the harbour crossing cost less than a coffee. Where to board, how to pay, and which direction gives the view. 6 min read

Currency

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Where to change money in Hong Kong (and where to avoid) Banks, licensed money changers and ATMs compared — plus the spreads that make airport and hotel counters a bad deal. 6 min read Paying in Hong Kong: Octopus, cards, Alipay and cash What is actually accepted where, whether your mainland wallet works, and how much cash you should still carry. 7 min read

Weather

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Typhoon signals and black rain: what T8 and the warnings actually mean What closes, what keeps running and what to do when signal 8 or a black rainstorm warning is hoisted while you are in town. 8 min read When to visit Hong Kong: weather month by month A month-by-month read of temperature, rain and typhoon risk, with a packing list for each season. 7 min read

Public holidays

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Hong Kong public holidays 2027 and how to build long weekends All 17 general holidays in 2027, which fall on a Friday or Monday, and the cheapest leave days to book around them. 6 min read Statutory holidays vs general holidays in Hong Kong Two lists, two laws, 15 versus 17 days. Which one applies to your job, and why the gap is closing by 2030. 5 min read

Area & postal

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Why Hong Kong's postal code is 999077 — and what to write instead Hong Kong has no postal code system. Where 999077 comes from, when to use it, and what to put on a parcel from abroad. 5 min read How to write a Hong Kong address (with examples) Floor, flat, block, estate, district — the order that makes an address deliverable, in English and in Chinese. 6 min read

Still being written

The next guides in the queue. They get published only when there is enough behind them to be worth reading, so nothing here is a link yet.

MTR routes
  • Hong Kong MTR map explained: lines, colours and interchanges
  • First and last trains: the hours the MTR actually runs
  • Luggage rules and left luggage on the MTR
  • Getting to Disneyland and Ocean Park by MTR
Bus ETA
  • Airport buses A11 and A21 in detail
  • Which app to use for live bus arrivals
  • Overnight buses: getting home after the last train
Currency
  • HKD exchange rate: how to read the trend before you travel
  • ATM withdrawals in Hong Kong: fees and limits by card
Weather
  • Hong Kong winter: how cold does it really get
  • UV index and what it means for a day out
Public holidays
  • What is open on a public holiday in Hong Kong
  • Booking annual leave around Lunar New Year
Area & postal
  • Hong Kong's 18 districts and what each one covers
  • Filling in a Hong Kong address for parcel forwarding
Collections
  • Hong Kong transport, end to end: MTR, buses, trams and ferries
  • First trip to Hong Kong: arriving, paying, getting online and getting around
  • Hong Kong tools worth bookmarking
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