Hong Kong Travel Tips: Octopus Card, MTR, Airport, Money and Weather

Get an Octopus card before you do anything else, take the Airport Express into town, and watch the Observatory’s typhoon signals between May and October. That covers most of what can go wrong. The facts below come from the Octopus, MTR, Observatory and Immigration Department pages, read on 7 November 2026, so check the page for your date.

Roam Hong Kong also read 15 guides of practical tips in English, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, French and German and counted what they agree on. Where a tip comes from the guides rather than an official page, the text says so. For what’s on during your stay, use the map and the events page.

What the guides agree on

Get an Octopus card

Recommended by 14 of 15 guides read.

The Octopus is a tap card for the MTR, buses, trams and ferries, and for shops, and Octopus says it is accepted for dining, entertainment and shopping across the city. A visitor has two ways to get one.

The Tourist Octopus (sold version) is priced at HK$39 with no initial stored value and no deposit. You reload it with cash at stores, and the HK$39 isn’t refundable (Octopus). The other kind is an on-loan card, which carries a deposit. Before you leave Hong Kong, take a physical card to an MTR Customer Service Centre. A balance under HK$1,000 is refunded on the spot. A larger one goes back to Octopus Cards Limited, which tells you the arrangements within nine working days. An on-loan card pays a handling fee of HK$11 or 1% of the balance, whichever is higher, if you return it within 90 days of issue, with more than HK$1,000 on it, or after five payments or fewer (Octopus). A phone or watch card is refunded through the Octopus App for Tourists.

That makes the sold card the simple one for a short stay. Guides add that taxis and some small restaurants don’t take it, which is why cash is on the list below.

Take the Airport Express

Recommended by 11 of 15 guides read.

The airport lists the Airport Express as the quickest way to and from the city (Hong Kong International Airport). On an Octopus the adult fare to the airport is HK$120 from Hong Kong Station in Central, HK$105 from Kowloon Station and HK$73 from Tsing Yi. A child pays half. A single ticket costs HK$130, HK$115 and HK$80 (MTR fare data). Trains run about every 10 minutes (MTR).

There’s a cheaper hop inside town. MTR’s Morning Express offer lets an Octopus holder ride from Kowloon or Tsing Yi to Hong Kong Station for HK$25. It runs 7am to 10am Monday to Saturday, and until 30 November 2026 it applies all day, every day including public holidays (MTR). The airport page also lists buses and taxis if you’d rather not use the train.

Typhoons and the weather

Typhoon signals: recommended by 8 of 15 guides read. Autumn or winter: 9 of 15.

The Hong Kong Observatory publishes numbered warning signals, and the one that matters is No. 8, issued when gale or storm force wind of 63 to 117 km/h is blowing or expected near sea level. No. 3 is strong wind of 41 to 62 km/h, and No. 10 is hurricane force. The Observatory says to follow its website, its MyObservatory app or the Dial-a-Weather line, 1878 200, because the signal alone doesn’t tell you what the weather is like where you are (Observatory). Guides say a Signal 8 stops most transport and many attractions, so keep a day of slack in your plan between June and September. Transport rules are the operators’ to set, so check each one.

The Observatory’s 1991 to 2020 averages show when it matters. On average there are 2.43 days a year with Signal 8 or higher, and none from November to April (Observatory normals).

June has the most rain, at 491.5 mm, and December the least, at 28.8 mm. Nine guides point to the cooler, drier end of the year, though they don’t agree on the exact window. Three advise packing a light layer for the air conditioning.

Entry

Recommended by 5 of 15 guides read.

Visitors from many countries don’t need a visa. The Immigration Department’s table lists 90 days for the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Japan, Mexico, Brazil and Singapore, and 180 days for British citizens. Some passports get less, with India at 14 days as printed. You must have enough funds for your stay and, unless you’re going on to mainland China or Macau, an onward or return ticket (Immigration Department). Check the table for your own passport.

Cash, data and small things

From the guides, not official pages.

Carry some cash (6 guides). Taxis, markets and small cafes often take cash or an Octopus only.

Sort out data (8 guides). Most suggest an eSIM or a local SIM, with free Wi-Fi at MTR stations and in malls.

Tipping isn’t expected (6 guides). Many restaurants add a 10% service charge, and rounding up for a taxi or porter is fine.

Bring a UK-style plug adaptor (6 guides). Sockets are Type G.

Watch your bag in crowds (5 guides), especially in busy markets.

Follow the MTR rules (4 guides). Eating and drinking aren’t allowed on trains, and one guide gives a HK$2,000 fine, so check the MTR’s own rules. Stand on the right of escalators (4 guides).

Check the meter (4 guides) when you take a taxi.

Getting around

The Star Ferry crosses the harbour between Tsim Sha Tsui and Central from 06:30 to 23:30, and the upper-deck adult fare is HK$5.0 on weekdays and HK$6.5 at weekends and on public holidays (Star Ferry). The Transport Department’s HKeMobility plans bus, ferry and MTR journeys. Choosing a base near a station helps, so read where to stay in Hong Kong and Kowloon or Hong Kong Island.

For ideas, see things to do in Hong Kong, where to eat and the day trips guide. Typhoon signals also affect ferries, so check them before you go to Macau or the islands.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you need an Octopus card in Hong Kong?

Not strictly, but 14 of 15 guides tell you to get one. A Tourist Octopus costs HK$39 with no deposit and works on the MTR, buses, trams and ferries.

How much is the Airport Express?

On an Octopus it’s HK$120 from Hong Kong Station to the airport, HK$105 from Kowloon Station and HK$73 from Tsing Yi. A child pays half.

What does Typhoon Signal 8 mean?

Gale or storm force wind of 63 to 117 km/h is blowing or expected near sea level. Guides say transport and attractions stop with little notice, so follow the Observatory.

When is the best time to visit Hong Kong?

Nine of 15 guides lean toward autumn and winter. The Observatory’s averages show the lowest rainfall from November to February, and no Signal 8 days from November to April.

Do you need a visa for Hong Kong?

Many passports don’t. The Immigration Department lists 90 days for the US, Canada, Australia and much of Europe, and 180 days for British citizens. Check the table for yours.

Is tipping expected in Hong Kong?

Six guides say no. Many restaurants add a 10% service charge.

Places in this guide

Photos show the actual places, licensed under Creative Commons and credited to their photographers.

Tai Kwun Central · near Central Station Exit D1 Station Photo: Matt Kieffer