If you’re traveling through Hong Kong International Airport, you’ll want to make the most of your layover. Here are some tips on what to do at the airport during a layover – from a 1-hour layover to more than 12 hours layover.
Short layover- What to do at Hong Kong Airport:
Apart from shopping and eating, you can have fun at UA IMAX Theatre and Aviation Discovery Centre.
UA IMAX Theatre:
The UA IMAX Theatre is located at Terminal 2 of Hong Kong International Airport. It is the world’s first airport-based IMAX theatre and it offers a unique and immersive cinematic experience.
The theatre shows a variety of popular Hollywood blockbusters and IMAX documentaries.
- Address: Level 6, Terminal 2
- Open: 11am–10pm (Monday–Friday), 9:30am–10pm (Saturday and Sunday)
Aviation Discovery Centre:
The Aviation Discovery Centre is located at Terminal 2 of Hong Kong International Airport. It is an interactive museum that offers a unique and educational experience for visitors of all ages. The centre has a variety of exhibits and interactive displays, as well as a flight simulator.
- Address: Level 6, Terminal 2
- Open: 11am–10pm (Monday–Friday), 9:30am–10pm (Saturday and Sunday)
Long layover, 4 hours layover at Hong Kong Airport – What to do?
If you have a long layover in Hong Kong, there are plenty of things to do to keep you occupied. You can explore the city, visit one of the many museums or galleries, or go on a day trip to see the sights outside of the city.
There are also a number of tour operators who offer day trips from the airport. These trips typically include visits to popular tourist destinations such as the Great Wall of China, the Terracotta Warriors, and the Forbidden City.
If you’re looking for something a little more adventurous, you can go on a hiking or camping trip in one of Hong Kong’s many national parks.
Citygate Outlets:
Citygate Outlets is a shopping mall located near Hong Kong International Airport. It offers a wide range of shops and restaurants, as well as a cinema and an ice rink.
Address: 20 Tat Tung Road, Tung Chung
Open: 10am–10pm (Monday–Sunday)
Hong Kong Science Museum:
The Hong Kong Science Museum is located in Tsim Sha Tsui, near Hong Kong International Airport. It is a large museum with a wide range of exhibits, interactive displays, and a planetarium.
Address: 2 Science Museum Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Open: 10am–7pm (Monday–Wednesday and Friday–Sunday), 10am–9pm (Thursday)
Hong Kong Space Museum:
The Hong Kong Space Museum is located in Tsim Sha Tsui, near Hong Kong International Airport. It is a large museum with a wide range of exhibits, interactive displays, and a planetarium.
Address: 10 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Maritime Square:
Maritime Square is a shopping mall located near Hong Kong International Airport. It offers a wide range of shops and restaurants, as well as a cinema and an ice rink.
- Address: 33 Tsing Yi Road, Tsing Yi
- Open: 10am–10pm (Monday–Sunday)
6-hour + layover at Hong Kong Airport:
Po Lin Monastery on Lantau Island:
The Po Lin Monastery is located on Lantau Island, near Hong Kong International Airport. It is a large and impressive Buddhist monastery, with a number of temples and gardens. The monastery is also home to the world’s largest outdoor bronze Buddha statue.
Victoria Harbour and the Star Ferry:
Victoria Harbour is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Hong Kong. You can take a ferry ride on the Star Ferry across the harbour, or take a boat tour to see the skyline and sights of Hong Kong from the water.
The Peak:
The Peak is the highest point on Hong Kong Island, and offers stunning views of the city. You can take the Peak Tram up to the top, or hike up one of the many trails.
Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple:
The Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple is a large and popular temple in Hong Kong. It is located in the Wong Tai Sin district, near Hong Kong International Airport.
Open: 6am–6pm (Monday–Sunday)
Ngong Ping 360:
Ngong Ping 360 is a cable car ride that takes you from Hong Kong International Airport to Ngong Ping Village on Lantau Island. The ride takes about 25 minutes, and offers stunning views of the island and the surrounding sea.
Address: 11 Chek Lap Kok Road, Lantau Island
Open: 9am–6pm (Monday–Thursday and Sunday), 9am–7pm (Friday–Saturday)
These are just a few of the many things that you can do during a layover in Hong Kong. With so much to see and do, you’re sure to find something to keep you occupied during your time at the airport.
Sleep at hotels near Hong Kong Airport:
Find hotels that offer free shuttles from Hong Kong Airport.
If you’re looking for a place to stay near Hong Kong International Airport, there are a number of hotels that offer free shuttle services from the airport. These hotels include the Novotel Citygate Hong Kong, the Renaissance Harbour View Hotel Hong Kong, and the Sheraton Hong Kong Hotel & Towers. See the full list of Hotels near Hong Kong Airport with free shuttle
Take advantage of the free WiFi at Hong Kong Airport:
Hong Kong International Airport offers free WiFi for all passengers. Simply connect to the “Airport Wi-Fi” network and enter your email address to start browsing the internet.
Explore the duty-free shops at Hong Kong Airport:
Hong Kong International Airport is home to a number of duty-free shops, where you can find great deals on a variety of products. Whether you’re looking for souvenirs, gifts, or just some new travel essentials, you’re sure to find what you’re looking for at the airport.
General Options of Things to do at Hong Kong Airport
Eat up
Hong Kong city is a town that has a very wide variety of food and eateries, around the airport, in the city, and around the city. Some restaurants and hotels operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to ensure that the people in and around the airport have somewhere to eat, in turn, growing their businesses. There are plenty of eat-out spots that offer food with Asian and Western cuisines. Western and European options include Starbucks, McDonald’s, Pizza Express, Pret a Manger and Joe and the Juice
Lounge
The airport has quite some nice places where one can lounge and get to relax, at an affordable price. You do not need a first-class flyer so that one can get top-of-the-notch lounging services. There are many lounges that allow access to travelers, regardless of the flight of the class used. Many travelers are usually advised to book hotels online as a preventive measure against the spread of the coronavirus.
Shopping
Hong Kong city is a shopper’s paradise. There are several malls and shopping centers where one can get items at fairly less expenditure. This means one can walk out with quite a number of items at an ordinary person’s budget. You do not have to overstretch your wallet in order to get what you may want. One can comfortably go for window shopping in the malls, open-air markets, and shopping centers.
Shower
After long flights to Hong Kong International Airport and in between flights, one can take a shower to freshen up at free shower facilities in Terminal 1. At Level 7, there is a 24-hour shower facility so that you can be off the fatigue from the previous flights.
Spa
If you want to feel rejuvenated, then consider visiting Terminal 1’s spas. They offer a range of services including massages, manicure/pedicures, and body treatment to ensure that you get the best relaxation feeling.
Sporting
For sporting enthusiasts, the sporting facilities in the airport will make you feel entertained. Head to the entertainment complex in Terminal 2 for a fun adrenaline rush. i-sports offer a bunch of simulators that make you feel like you’re playing soccer, basketball, golf, boxing, skiing, and more.
Enjoying your favorite movie
At terminal 2, you can catch the latest episode of the movie or series on IMAX that you are watching. Head to UA IMAX Theatre to catch 2D and 3D flicks.
Go Sightseeing
Hong Kong International Airport has a lot to offer if you love sightseeing. The magnificent skyline is so beautiful; one cannot afford to miss the view. On properly securing your luggage, you can head to town. You will not regret it. You can use public means that will take you downtown in 30 minutes. The MTR Airport Express train departs every 10-12 minutes. This means you will arrive at the city center in 24 minutes. Taxis and buses are available too. Once in downtown, you can take a visit and take a stroll along Victoria Harbor, which meanders past The Clock Tower and the Avenue of Stars. A ship ride can prove to be a perfect place for a photoshoot. The night skyline is also super-magnificent.
Related:
My name is Alex Mutuma and I founded this blog, Airport LLC as a way to document and engage with clients in my travel consulting business. Airportllc.com is the only source of over 2,000 fun things flyers could do during layovers.
Over the past 7 years, I have designed and planned tour packages for hundreds of clients and have recently focussed on the mission of changing boring layovers to excellent mini-vacations by giving you the best suggestions on must-do activities when flying over different airports.
Next time you or your friend are looking for suggestions on what to do in some airport, remember Airport LLC or Airportllc.com. On this site, you’ll get the best suggestions available on the internet regarding hand-picked activities that will fulfill your airport experience.
I currently reside in New York City and have obtained a license to provide professional tour guidance at Airports in the US and across the world. Why should you listen to my suggestions? I have flown through more than 100 airports in the world and fortunately, I have pictures, stories, and tips to share with you regarding all the fun stuff you can do as you wait for your next flight.
Aside from gaining thousands of flying miles, I am also a travel consultant assisting clients with bookings and specifically advance tour bookings of things to do at airports when the layover is longer than 5 hours.
To make a 15-minute free things-to-do consultation with Alex, use my email, alex@airportllc.com.
This is only recommended for flyers with long layovers of over 5 hours. If your layover is 3+ hours, you can still reach out but we cannot guarantee the ideal package that will change your layovers to mini-vacations. I only support clients flying through US airports and a select number of cities across the world.
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Name: Alex Mutuma
Profession: A professional travel consultant with a focus on airport activities to do during layovers
Email: Alex@airportllc.com
Phone: +1 945 348 889
Website: airportllc.com
Location: 322 Main Packway Street, Boston, US
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