Hong Kong and Macau Travel Guide: Visas, Border Crossings, Trains and What to See

Give Hong Kong three days and Macau one or two. Before you plan the route, know one thing: Hong Kong, Macau and mainland China each run their own immigration, and a visa for one does not get you into the others. Under China's Exit and Entry Administration Law, going from the mainland to Hong Kong or Macau counts as leaving China, and coming back counts as a new entry. Getting between them is quick. On a sample weekday in late October 2026, the fastest high-speed train from Hong Kong West Kowloon to Shenzhen's Futian station took 14 minutes, and the bus across the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge runs 24 hours a day.

Hong Kong and Macau in short: how many days, when to go, how they connect

How many days. Three full days covers Hong Kong's main sights: Hong Kong Island and the Peak on one day, Kowloon and the harbour on another, and Lantau Island (Big Buddha and the cable car) on the third. Macau's old town can be walked in one day. Add a second day if you want to see the big resorts on Cotai or eat slowly. Most people go to Macau from Hong Kong and either come back or leave through Zhuhai into the mainland.

When to go. Autumn and winter are the most comfortable. From November to February, Hong Kong gets less than 40 mm of rain a month, and January, the coolest month, averages 16.5°C. Summer is hot and wet: from June to September the average daily high is 30.5–31.6°C, and every month from May to September brings more than 290 mm of rain. Summer is also typhoon season; see the weather section below. Macau's weather is similar: its rainy season runs from April to September, and typhoons are most likely from July to September.

How the places fit together. Hong Kong sits on the east side of the Pearl River estuary, with Shenzhen directly to its north across a land border. Macau sits on the west side of the estuary, with Zhuhai directly to its north. Guangzhou is further inland at the top of the estuary. The bridge between Hong Kong and Macau/Zhuhai crosses the estuary itself. In travel time: Hong Kong to Shenzhen is under half an hour by high-speed train, Hong Kong to Guangzhou South is about an hour, and Hong Kong to Macau is about an hour by ferry to Taipa.

Each crossing between these three places is a full border crossing: you show your passport when you leave one and again when you enter the next. Keep your passport on you, not in the hotel safe, on any day you might cross.

Visas: Hong Kong, Macau and the mainland are three separate systems

Foreign visitors need to sort out entry for the mainland, Hong Kong and Macau separately. A Chinese visa does not let you into Hong Kong or Macau, and visa-free entry to Hong Kong or Macau does not let you into the mainland. Most Western, Japanese and Korean visitors do not need a visa for Hong Kong or Macau, but the number of days you get depends on your passport, and the two cities have different lists.

How long you can stay in Hong Kong and Macau without a visa

The table shows the stays set by Hong Kong's Immigration Department and Macau's Public Security Police for the most common passports. Two things catch people out. US, Canadian and Australian citizens get 90 days in Hong Kong but only 30 days in Macau. Indian citizens can visit Hong Kong for 14 days without a visa only after completing Pre-arrival Registration (PAR) online.

If your passport is not in the table, check Hong Kong's visa requirements by nationality on the Immigration Department site and Macau's entry rules on the Macau government portal. Do not assume that because you are visa-free in one city you are visa-free in the other.

Going back to the mainland is a new entry

This is the part that changes your plans. China's Exit and Entry Administration Law defines a trip from the mainland to Hong Kong or Macau as an exit, and a trip from Hong Kong or Macau into the mainland as an entry. Chinese visas allow a set number of entries, usually one, two or multiple. A single- or double-entry visa stops being valid once its entries are used, even if the expiry date has not passed.

Put those two rules side by side: if you have a single-entry Chinese visa and you take a day trip from Shenzhen to Hong Kong, the trip back into Shenzhen needs an entry you no longer have. Before you go, count how many times you will enter the mainland, and make sure your visa or visa-free option covers each entry.

Your options, depending on your situation:

• Multiple-entry visa. The simplest. Each return from Hong Kong or Macau uses one entry, and you have as many as you need while the visa is valid.
• 30-day visa-free entry. If your passport qualifies for China's unilateral visa-free entry, each stay counts from the day after you enter. Official guidance says the scheme can be used repeatedly, with no current limit on the number of entries or total days, so check the current rule before you plan back-to-back stays around a Hong Kong trip. Our guide to China's 30-day visa-free entry lists who qualifies.
• 240-hour visa-free transit. MTR, which runs West Kowloon station, says Hong Kong and Macau count as the "third country or region" for this scheme, and gives the example of a trip from Canada to Hong Kong, then Shenzhen, then on to Thailand. So you can fly into Shanghai or Beijing and leave for Hong Kong, or come up from Hong Kong and fly out of a mainland airport to another country. The 240 hours count from midnight at the start of the day after you enter, and you need an onward ticket with a confirmed date and seat, booked before you arrive. Coming from Hong Kong or Macau, use West Kowloon station, the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge port or Hengqin, which were added to the list of transit entry points on 5 November 2025; the Lo Wu and Futian land crossings and Border Gate/Gongbei are not on the list. At West Kowloon the approval is done on the spot and takes time, so MTR advises leaving extra time before your train. Who qualifies and where you may travel is in our 240-hour visa-free transit guide.
• Tour groups from Hong Kong or Macau. A visa-free scheme also exists for foreign tour groups run by registered Hong Kong or Macau travel agencies. It does not cover independent travellers; if you are joining such a tour, ask the agency for the current terms.

If none of these fit, you need a Chinese visa for the right number of entries before you cross. Our visa checker by nationality is the place to start. Sort it out in advance rather than counting on a fix at the border.

Border crossings: Shenzhen–Hong Kong and Zhuhai–Macau

There are three ways across from Hong Kong to the mainland: on foot at a land crossing, by high-speed train from West Kowloon, or by cross-border bus. From Macau you walk across to Zhuhai or Hengqin, or take the bridge bus. The table has the opening hours of each crossing.

Hong Kong to Shenzhen on foot

The MTR East Rail Line runs from Admiralty on Hong Kong Island through Kowloon to two border stations, Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau. You get off, walk through Hong Kong departures, then walk across to Shenzhen arrivals.

• Lo Wu (罗湖, Luóhú) is open 06:30–24:00 on the Hong Kong side. On the Shenzhen side you come out next to Shenzhen station. It is the classic crossing for central and eastern Shenzhen.
• Lok Ma Chau Spur Line, which leads to Futian (福田, Fútián) checkpoint on the Shenzhen side, is open 06:30–22:30. Pick it for Futian, the business district and Shenzhen's convention centre area.
• Shenzhen Bay (passenger building 06:30–24:00) is reached by bus from Hong Kong and is the best choice for Nanshan and Shekou in western Shenzhen.
• Huanggang is open 24 hours. You cross there by cross-border coach rather than on foot from the MTR, and it is the one to know about if you are crossing late at night.
• Heung Yuen Wai (Liantang on the Shenzhen side) and Man Kam To are open 07:00–22:00; Sha Tau Kok is suspended until further notice.

If you are entering the mainland on 240-hour visa-free transit, none of these land crossings will do: use the train from West Kowloon or the bridge port instead.

These are the Hong Kong-side opening hours. If you plan to cross near opening or closing time, check the Shenzhen side as well. Hong Kong's Immigration Department warns that Lo Wu, Lok Ma Chau Spur Line and Shenzhen Bay have longer queues at peak hours, on weekends and on public holidays. Foreign passport holders use the visitor lanes, and the mainland side is where your visa or visa-free status is checked, so leave time for that queue too.

West Kowloon: both borders in one station

Hong Kong West Kowloon (西九龍, Sai Kau Lung) station works under "co-location": the station has a Hong Kong port area and a mainland port area, and you clear both in the same building before you board. When you get off at Futian or Shenzhen North, you just walk out. The West Kowloon control point is open 06:30–23:30.

Macau to Zhuhai and Hengqin

• Border Gate (關閘, Portas do Cerco), which faces Gongbei (拱北, Gǒngběi) in Zhuhai, is open 06:00 to 01:00 the next morning on the Macau side. It is the busiest crossing and the closest to the Macau peninsula, but it is not a 240-hour transit entry point; for that, use Hengqin or the bridge port.
• Hengqin (横琴, Héngqín) port is open 24 hours on the Macau side. It is near Cotai and handy if you are staying at a resort there.
• Qingmao is open 24 hours but only for approved travellers, so most visitors use Border Gate or Hengqin.
• Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge (HZMB) ports. The Hong Kong port is open 24 hours. At the Macau port, the hall for Hong Kong–Macau passengers is open 24 hours and the hall for Zhuhai–Macau passengers is open 08:00–22:00.

High-speed rail from West Kowloon to Shenzhen and Guangzhou

For most visitors, the high-speed train from West Kowloon is the easiest way into the mainland. You clear both borders in the station, the trains are frequent, and you arrive right in the city. The table uses one sample travel day from China Railway's 12306 system, Thursday 29 October 2026, plus MTR's own Hong Kong dollar fares.

What the numbers mean for you:

• To Shenzhen. On the sample day there were 52 trains from West Kowloon to Futian, almost all taking 14 minutes, at ¥68 in second class. Another 87 went to Shenzhen North in 18–24 minutes for ¥75. Counting both stations there were 104 trains. Futian is in the city centre; Shenzhen North is the big station for onward trains to the rest of China.
• To Guangzhou. There were 37 trains to Guangzhou South, taking 48 minutes to 1 hour 25 minutes and mostly about an hour, with second class at ¥215. A further 13 went to Guangzhou East, which is closer to the Tianhe district but takes 1.5–1.75 hours.
• Prices in Hong Kong dollars. China Railway sets fares in yuan, so MTR changes its Hong Kong dollar fares with the exchange rate and publishes new ones on the 1st of each month. Paying in Hong Kong dollars, you are charged the fare for the month you buy in, so check the current month's fare chart on MTR's high-speed rail site before you buy.
• Further away. West Kowloon has trains to 114 mainland stations, including Chaoshan, Xiamen, Shanghai and Beijing. Direct trains to Guilin take just over three hours, which makes Hong Kong a good start for a trip to Guilin and Yangshuo.

Buying tickets. MTR lists these channels: China Railway's 12306 website and app, appointed ticket agents, and the ticket offices and machines at West Kowloon and other stations. You go through the gates with the passport you booked with, so book with that passport. If you prefer an English booking site that also handles mainland trains, Trip.com is an option. Our guide to booking China train tickets with a foreign passport walks through 12306 and Trip.com step by step. Book a day or two ahead for Friday evenings, Sundays and holidays.

How early to arrive. At West Kowloon you can start real-name checks, security and both immigration controls up to 90 minutes before departure. MTR says the whole process usually takes 30–45 minutes, and passport holders should allow more time. Ticket checks on level B1 close 30 minutes before the train leaves. We suggest arriving about an hour before departure, and earlier at weekends.

Going the other way works the same. On the sample day, Futian had 60 trains to West Kowloon and Shenzhen North had 87; Guangzhou South had 37. For how mainland trains work in general, see our China high-speed train guide. For what to do in the two mainland cities once you arrive, see our Guangzhou and Shenzhen guide.

Hong Kong to Macau: bridge bus or ferry

You have two main choices: the shuttle bus across the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge, or a ferry. Both cross an immigration border, so you go through Hong Kong departures and Macau arrivals either way.

The bridge shuttle bus

The shuttle bus runs between the Hong Kong port of the bridge and the Macau port (or the Zhuhai port). Locals call it the "Gold Bus" (金巴, gam baa) from its colour. Fares are HK$65 or MOP65 during the day (06:00–23:59) and 70 at night (00:00–05:59); paid in yuan they are ¥58 and ¥63. The service has run around the clock since January 2023, with a bus about every 30 minutes on average and possibly longer gaps late at night.

The bus is the cheapest option and it never stops running. The catch is that the Hong Kong port is out on an artificial island near the airport, so from Central or Tsim Sha Tsui you first need to get there by bus or taxi. On the Macau side you arrive at the bridge port, and from there you take a bus or taxi into town or to Cotai. If you are flying into Hong Kong and going straight to Macau, or if you are going on to Zhuhai, the bridge is usually the better choice.

The ferry

Cotai Water Jet sails from the Hong Kong–Macau Ferry Terminal in Sheung Wan to Taipa Ferry Terminal in about an hour. Taipa is next to the Cotai resorts. TurboJET also runs ferries, including to Macau's Outer Harbour, which is closer to the old town on the peninsula. Ferry fares and timetables change often — check the TurboJET and Cotai Water Jet sites before you go.

The ferry suits you if you are staying on Hong Kong Island or in Kowloon and want to start from the city centre, or if your Macau hotel is near one of the ferry terminals. If the sea is rough or a typhoon signal is up, ferries are often the first thing to stop, so on a stormy day check before leaving your hotel.

Airports

Hong Kong International Airport to the city. The Airport Express train is the fastest way in. Adult fares (2026) to Hong Kong station are HK$120 with Octopus or HK$130 for a single ticket, and to Kowloon station HK$105 or HK$115; children pay half. Check MTR's site for the current journey time. City buses are slower and cheaper; Octopus works on them too.

From the airport straight to Macau. Macau's tourism office lists two ways without going into Hong Kong: TurboJET's airport ferry from SkyPier to Macau's Outer Harbour, and the Macau HK Airport Direct bus from the airport's SkyPier terminal to the Macau port of the bridge. The SkyPier ferry is set up for passengers connecting from flights, so check with TurboJET whether your journey qualifies before you count on it.

Shenzhen Bao'an airport. Some travellers fly into Shenzhen instead, where flights are often cheaper. Cross-border buses run from Bao'an airport to Kowloon and Disneyland, and take about 90–150 minutes including border checks.

Macau International Airport is on Taipa, close to the Cotai resorts, and handles mostly regional flights in Asia. If you are coming from Southeast Asia, flying into Macau and out of Hong Kong saves a return trip between the two.

Money: Hong Kong dollars, patacas and Octopus

Hong Kong uses the Hong Kong dollar (HKD), which is pegged to the US dollar within a band of HK$7.75–7.85 per US$1. Macau uses the pataca (MOP), which is pegged to the Hong Kong dollar at MOP103.20 to HK$100, or roughly 8 patacas to the US dollar. So one pataca is worth a little less than one Hong Kong dollar, not the same.

In practice, most places in Macau take Hong Kong dollars, and you will usually get your change in patacas. Paying in HKD at face value means you pay slightly more than if you used patacas, but for a short visit the difference is small. Patacas are hard to use or change outside Macau, so spend them before you leave. Do not count on paying in yuan in either city; some shops in tourist areas take it, but at their own rate.

Cards and phone payments

In Macau, electronic payment is common. Macau's tourism office says UnionPay, American Express, JCB, Visa and Mastercard credit cards are widely accepted (your bank may charge a fee), and shops also take many wallet apps, including the mainland and Hong Kong versions of WeChat Pay and Alipay.

In Hong Kong, cards and contactless phone payments work in most shops, hotels and restaurants. Mainland Alipay and WeChat Pay work at many Hong Kong businesses but not all; transport is the safe bet. The Star Ferry ticket machines take WeChat Pay, Alipay, their Hong Kong versions, UnionPay QuickPass and credit cards. The trams take Octopus, cash with no change given, contactless cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay, and QR codes from Alipay, AlipayHK and WeChat Pay. Carry a card and some cash for small eateries, markets and minibuses, which may take cash or Octopus only. For using foreign cards on the mainland, see our guide to international cards in China.

Octopus: Hong Kong's travel card

Octopus (八達通, baat daat tung) is Hong Kong's tap card for the MTR, buses, trams, ferries and many shops. There are physical tourist cards and a version for iPhone and Apple Watch:

Which one to pick: if you are going on to Shenzhen, Guangzhou or Macau, buy the Tourist Octopus – Transport Union card, because it also works on public transport in Macau and in 336 mainland cities. Octopus has only said this about the Transport Union version, so check before relying on a standard card in Macau. If you have an iPhone, the Apple Pay version saves queuing for a card. You set it up and top it up with a non-Hong Kong-issued Mastercard, UnionPay or Visa card in Apple Pay, or with a non-Hong Kong-issued Mastercard, the e-CNY app or WeChat Pay linked in the Octopus App for Tourists. For Android, check the Octopus tourist page for the current options.

Getting around Hong Kong

The MTR is the backbone. It is fast, signed in English and Chinese, and reaches nearly everything you will want to see. Paying with Octopus is usually a little cheaper than buying a single ticket. For example (2026 fares), Central to Admiralty is HK$4.90 with Octopus against HK$5.00 for a single ticket, and Central to Tsim Sha Tsui is HK$10.60 against HK$12.50.

• Star Ferry. The ten-minute crossing between Central and Tsim Sha Tsui is a city sight in itself. Adults pay HK$5 on the upper deck on weekdays and HK$6.5 on weekends and public holidays.
• Trams. The double-decker trams along the north shore of Hong Kong Island, called "ding ding" (叮叮) after their bell, cost HK$3.30 for adults; you board at the back and pay at the front door when you get off. They are slow but cheap, and the front of the upper deck has the best view.
• Buses and minibuses. Double-decker buses go where the MTR does not, such as the south side of Hong Kong Island and parts of Lantau. Red and green public light buses (minibuses) are faster but harder for visitors because you call out your stop. Octopus works on buses and green minibuses.
• Taxis. Metered and reasonably priced for short trips. Red taxis serve the urban areas, green ones the New Territories and blue ones Lantau. Many drivers speak little English, so show your destination written in Chinese.

When you choose a hotel, pick one within a short walk of an MTR station. It saves a lot of time.

What to see in Hong Kong

Victoria Harbour and the Symphony of Lights

The view of the harbour is the reason many people come. The best free view is from the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront on the Kowloon side. A Symphony of Lights, the light show on the buildings on both sides, starts at 20:00 every night and is free. The Hong Kong government's tourism office names the waterfront outside the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, the Avenue of Stars, the Golden Bauhinia Square waterfront in Wan Chai and harbour cruises as the best places to watch. If typhoon signal 3 or above, or a red or black rainstorm warning, is issued at or after 15:00 that day, the show is cancelled, even if the signal is lowered before 20:00. A Star Ferry ride across the harbour just before 20:00 is a good way to see it.

The Peak

Victoria Peak gives you the classic view down over the towers and the harbour. Most people go up on the Peak Tram, a steep funicular from Central; there are also buses and taxis up the hill. Check The Peak's site for current tram fares and hours, and book a timed ticket if you are going on a weekend or at sunset, when queues are longest. The free circular walk around the summit has views on both sides with far fewer people than the viewing deck. Go on a clear day; when the cloud is low you see nothing.

Big Buddha and Ngong Ping 360 on Lantau

The Tian Tan Buddha (天壇大佛, Tin Tan Daai Fat), a giant bronze seated Buddha, sits on a hilltop on Lantau Island next to Po Lin Monastery. The Buddha is open 10:00–17:30 every day, the monastery 9:00–18:00, and the monastery's vegetarian kitchen 11:30–16:30; it is about a ten-minute walk from Ngong Ping village.

Most people go up on the Ngong Ping 360 cable car from Tung Chung, a ride of about 25 minutes over the hills and the bay. A return in a standard cabin costs HK$295 for adults, and HK$365 in a crystal cabin with a glass floor. The cable car runs 10:00–18:00 on weekdays and 9:00–18:30 on weekends and public holidays, and the Tung Chung station is about a five-minute walk from Exit B of Tung Chung MTR station. The queue for the cable car can be long on weekends, so many visitors buy tickets in advance through Klook or the operator. The crystal cabin is worth it if you are not nervous of heights. Combine the visit with Tai O, the stilt-house fishing village a short bus ride away, for a full Lantau day.

West Kowloon: Hong Kong Palace Museum and M+

Two major museums sit on the harbour at the West Kowloon Cultural District, a short walk from West Kowloon station. The Hong Kong Palace Museum shows treasures from Beijing's Palace Museum. A timed general ticket costs HK$70 for adults, and the museum is closed on Tuesdays (except public holidays). M+ is a museum of modern visual culture. A standard ticket is HK$190, and some areas, including the Grand Stair and the roof garden, are free. M+ is closed on Mondays and open until 22:00 on Fridays. Both museums sometimes change hours for holidays and special events, so check their sites the week you go.

Mong Kok, Yau Ma Tei and Temple Street

For street life, take the MTR to Mong Kok and walk south through Yau Ma Tei. You pass the Ladies' Market, the goldfish and flower markets, sneaker shops and countless small restaurants. Temple Street Night Market in Yau Ma Tei is busiest after dark, with stalls, food and fortune tellers. Nearby, Sham Shui Po has old-style markets and some of the city's cheapest food.

Disneyland

Hong Kong Disneyland is on Lantau, on its own MTR line. Prices change by date, so check the park's site; if you have children it fits on the same side of the city as the Big Buddha, but they are two separate days.

Food and shopping

Food is one of the main reasons to visit. Plan at least one dim sum (點心) breakfast, a meal in a cha chaan teng (茶餐廳, Hong Kong-style café) for milk tea and egg tarts, and a plate of roast goose or char siu (叉燒, barbecued pork). The Michelin Guide's 2026 Bib Gourmand list for good-value restaurants includes 70 places in Hong Kong and 13 in Macau. Restaurants may add a 10% service charge, which the Consumer Council says should be clearly displayed, and some add a tea charge; our Hong Kong food guide explains what to order, how ordering works and what those charges are.

Hong Kong has no sales tax or VAT, so there is no tourist tax refund to claim when you leave. Hong Kong Police advise visitors to shop at reputable stores, or ones showing the Hong Kong Tourism Board member sign, and to ask for a receipt. If you are going on to the mainland, note that the duty-free tobacco and alcohol allowance for travellers coming in from Hong Kong or Macau is half the normal amount. Our Hong Kong shopping guide covers where to buy what, how to avoid rip-offs and where to complain.

What to see in Macau

Macau has two parts that feel very different: the old town on the peninsula, and the big resorts on Cotai, the reclaimed land between the islands of Taipa and Coloane. One day is enough for the old town; add another for Taipa village and Cotai.

The Historic Centre of Macau

The Historic Centre of Macau was added to UNESCO's World Heritage list on 15 July 2005. It is made up of 8 squares and 22 historic buildings and the streets that connect them. You can walk most of it in a few hours.

• Ruins of St Paul's (大三巴, Daai Saam Baa). The carved stone front wall of a 17th-century church is all that is left after a fire. The façade is open 24 hours. The Museum of Sacred Art and the crypt behind it are open 9:00–18:00 (last entry 17:30) and close on Tuesday afternoons from 14:00. Go early in the morning or after dark to see it without crowds.
• Senado Square (議事亭前地), with its wave-patterned Portuguese paving, is open around the clock. The old municipal building beside it, now the Municipal Affairs Bureau, is open 9:00–21:00. Walk from here uphill to St Paul's.
• A-Ma Temple (媽閣廟, Ma Gok Miu), one of the city's oldest temples, near the southern tip of the peninsula, is open 7:00–18:00 daily.

A good route is A-Ma Temple in the morning, then a bus or taxi to Senado Square, and a walk up to the Ruins of St Paul's and the old fort on the hill next to it.

Macau Tower

The observation deck ticket covers the indoor deck on the 58th floor and the outdoor deck on the 61st. It costs MOP208 for adults and MOP138 for children aged 3–11 and seniors over 65. The deck is open 10:00–20:00, and tickets are only valid for the date you choose and cannot be refunded. The tower also has a bungee jump and other activities sold separately.

Taipa village and Cotai

Taipa village is a small old quarter on Taipa island. Rua do Cunha (官也街), its main lane, is packed with snack shops selling almond cookies, beef jerky and Portuguese egg tarts. Across the road, Cotai is lined with resort hotels: casinos, shopping malls, shows and themed buildings. You do not need to gamble to walk through them. Some resorts run shuttle buses — ask at the hotel.

Macanese food, a mix of Portuguese and Cantonese cooking, is listed as national intangible cultural heritage in China, and Macau is a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy. Try African chicken, minchi (minced meat with potato) and a pork chop bun (豬扒包, jyu paa baau).

Weather, typhoons and rainstorm signals

Typhoon signals are mostly hoisted from June to October. Hong Kong averages about 15.9 days a year with signal 1 or higher, but only about 2.4 days with signal 8 or higher. If your trip falls in those months, a typhoon may cost you a day, so keep your plans loose. The table has what each signal means.

Signal 8 is the one that matters. Hong Kong's Observatory issues a special announcement about two hours before it raises signal 8, so that workers can go home in stages; schools close, and the government gives regular updates on public transport, some of which may stop at short notice. MTR says its trains normally keep running under signals 1, 3 and 8, but open-air sections can stop without warning in sudden bad weather. Under signal 9 or higher, open-air sections stop and underground sections run a limited service. There is no single government rule on whether shops, restaurants and attractions close. In practice, many shops close or close early under signal 8 or a black rainstorm, while hotels and some restaurants and malls stay open. Check each attraction before you set out, and stay indoors until the signal is lowered.

Rainstorm warnings come in three levels: amber, red and black. Under a black rainstorm, the Observatory tells people to stay indoors or take shelter until the heavy rain has passed.

Macau uses the same signal numbers: 1, 3, 8, 9 and 10. Under signal 8, Macau's tourism office advises staying indoors and stopping all outdoor and sea activities, and warns that the bridges between the Macau peninsula and Taipa may close at any time. Ferries between Hong Kong and Macau usually stop well before that, so if a typhoon is on its way, move between the cities a day early. Follow the Hong Kong Observatory for current warnings.

Where to stay

In Hong Kong, Tsim Sha Tsui and Yau Ma Tei in Kowloon give the most choice at every price, are close to the harbour, and are near West Kowloon station and the Star Ferry. Central and Wan Chai on Hong Kong Island put you near the Peak Tram, the Macau ferry terminal and the bars and restaurants, but cost more. Causeway Bay suits shoppers and is lively until late. Rooms are small everywhere. In Macau, stay on the peninsula for the old town and cheaper hotels, or on Cotai for the large resorts and a quieter night. Many people visit Macau as a day trip, but staying one night lets you see the old town in the morning without the crowds. To compare hotels in both cities, try Booking.com.

Sample itineraries

Hong Kong and Macau in four days

• Day 1: Hong Kong Island. Tram along the north shore, Central and the Mid-Levels escalator, the Peak in the late afternoon. Star Ferry to Tsim Sha Tsui for the Symphony of Lights at 20:00.
• Day 2: Kowloon. Dim sum breakfast, the West Kowloon museums (not on a Tuesday if you want the Palace Museum, not on a Monday for M+), then Mong Kok and Temple Street in the evening.
• Day 3: Lantau. Ngong Ping 360 to the Big Buddha and Po Lin Monastery, then Tai O.
• Day 4: Macau. Ferry or bridge bus in the morning; A-Ma Temple, Senado Square, the Ruins of St Paul's, Taipa village in the late afternoon, then back to Hong Kong or on to Zhuhai.

Combining with the mainland: two routes

Mainland first, then Hong Kong and Macau. Fly into Guangzhou, spend a day or two there, take the train to Shenzhen, then cross to Hong Kong on foot at Lo Wu or Futian, or by train. After Hong Kong, go to Macau, and finish by crossing from Macau into Zhuhai or Hengqin if you are flying out of a mainland airport. This route enters the mainland twice, at Guangzhou and again from Macau, so you need a visa or visa-free option that covers both entries. If you plan to use 240-hour transit for the second entry, cross at Hengqin or the bridge port, not at Border Gate/Gongbei, which is not a transit entry point, and you need your onward flight to another country booked before you cross.

Hong Kong first, then the mainland. Fly into Hong Kong, see Hong Kong and Macau, then take the high-speed train from West Kowloon to Shenzhen or Guangzhou and travel on into the mainland. On 240-hour transit, enter by this train or the bridge port rather than on foot at Lo Wu or Futian. This route needs only one mainland entry, which makes it the simpler choice with a single-entry visa. If you are using 240-hour transit, your onward destination has to be different from the place you came from, so if you entered from Hong Kong, book your way out to somewhere other than Hong Kong.

Each route is easy to reverse. What matters is counting your mainland entries before you book. For the mainland side of the trip, see our Guangzhou and Shenzhen guide.

Plugs, internet and emergency numbers

Power. Hong Kong uses 220V, 50Hz with three-pin, British-style plugs; devices rated below 200V must not be plugged straight into the mains. Macau uses 230V, 50Hz, and its tourism office says sockets are usually three-pin, square or round, so check before plugging in. Mainland sockets are different again, so a universal adapter covers all three.

Internet. Hong Kong and Macau SIM cards and eSIMs work the way they do at home, and apps like Google, WhatsApp and Instagram connect normally on them. On a mainland SIM, Google, WhatsApp and Instagram are blocked, so read our China SIM and eSIM guide before you cross. Hong Kong carrier 3 sells a plan with a Hong Kong and a mainland number on one SIM, but it is a 24-month contract, so it suits residents more than visitors.

Emergencies. In Hong Kong, call 999 for police, fire or ambulance. In Macau, the emergency numbers are 999, 110 and 112. On the mainland the numbers are different; see our emergency numbers guide. Many countries have a consulate-general in Hong Kong. For example, Korea's covers both Hong Kong and Macau. Our embassies guide covers who to call on the mainland.

In short: check your stay by passport, count your mainland entries before you book, and keep a spare day in typhoon season.

Last updated: November 2026