Here are all the key facts for visitors to Hong Kong Airport include food, shopping, sim cards, transport, sleeping and hotels, and much more.
Hong Kong International Airport (IATA: HKG, ICAO: VHHH) is Hong Kong’s main airport. The airport operates 24 Hrs a day, 365 days a year.
Terminal 1
Terminal 1 is the main terminal HKIA and is the third-largest airport passenger terminal building in the world. Don’t let that scare you, it is very easy to navigate and traveler friendly. Terminal 1 features all the shopping, dining and facilities you’d expect which I’ll step through in more detail further below.
The North Satellite Concourse and Midfield Concourse both connect to Terminal 1.
North Satellite Concourse – There is a shuttle bus service between the NSC and Terminal 1 every four minutes. It has two levels (one for departures and one for arrivals). A new Sky Bridge connecting Terminal 1 and NSC is expected to be in use in 2020, passengers can then walk to NSC, saving time from taking the airport shuttle bus.
Midfield Concourse – The midfield area is located to the west of Terminal 1 between the two existing runways. Passengers reach the concourse through an extension of the underground automated people mover.
Terminal 2
Terminal 2 (and Skyplaza) are currently closed while redevelopment takes place with an expected reopening in 2024.
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi is available through most of the airport, and it’s free. The networks are #HKAirport Free WiFi” or
“#HKAirport Hi-Speed WiFi” after which go to your browser, navigate to any non-https website and click the agree button.
Charging Devices
All sockets are the rectangular 3-pin HK style, so you will need an adapter, although, many outlets also have a USB outlet and there are wireless charging pads near gates 33 and 34. There are also USB and power sockets at the Desktop PC Stations.
Things to do
Dream Come True Maker Workshop
Located near Gate 44 of Terminal 1, the Workshop provides classes for making personalised products, VR experiences and other exciting activities for passengers who are waiting for boarding.
Desktop PC stations
There are around 36 free to use desktop computers throughout the airport departures area.
Children Play and TV Areas
After customs, there are seven areas offering a space for children to play and TV’s to watch showing cartoons etc.
The Relaxation Corner
Located near Departures Gate 23 at Terminal 1, you’ll find cosy lounge chairs that are free to use. There is also offers free WiFi access and charging points and you can pay for massage, acupressure and reflexology services offered in the area.
Shower
There are two sets of shower facilities located after customs that provide private showers with hairdryers, shampoo, and bath gel. You need your own towel otherwise a towel can be purchased from the vending machine. Both operate 24 hrs.
- Near Gate 12, Arrivals Level (L5), Terminal 1 (Restricted Area)
- Near Gate 43, Arrivals Level (L5), Terminal 1 (Restricted Area)
Sleep
It is possible to sleep at the airport albeit noisy. There are comfortable lounges near Gate 23 after customs.
Lounges
Many airlines have their own lounges eg Qantas, Emirates, Cathay etc. Here are the publicly accessible lounges
Plaza Premium
- Terminal 1, Airside, Level 7, near Gate 40- open 24 HRS – from HKD$596 for lounge
Plaza Premium First
- Terminal 1, Airside, Level 6, near Gate 1 – open 24 HRS – from HKD$898.19
Hotels
Hong Kong Airport has one hotel onsite, the Regal, and the Skycity Marriot and Novatel Citygate are just a few minutes ride away by free shuttle. Regal and Marriot are five-star while the Novatel is four-star and rates usually start around HK$1200 but will go up dramatically when there is a concert or event at the nearby Asia World Expo.
Currency exchange
Bank of China, HSBC, and Citibank all have ATM’s in the arrivals and departure halls for withdrawing HK dollars. There are also Travelex counters for changing currency located throughout arrivals and departures.
Shopping
In Terminal 1 there is shopping before customs (landside) and after customs (airside) on the departures levels.
Airside, after customs, together with food & beverage there are over 100 stores including luxury brands, duty-free, personal care, and even a Lego store. Landside, pre-customs, there are only around 20 or so stores including convenience, luggage, and snacks.
For more detail see the full review on shopping at HKIA.
Skyplaza at Terminal 2 is currently closed.
Sim Cards at the airport
You can easily buy a sim card at the airport just as you would in the city. You can buy them at
- 7-11 – two stores in the Arrivals Hall, Arrivals Level (L5) – Open: 24 Hrs – they sell a wide array for local, HK & Macau, HK & Mainland from CSL and China Mobile.
- 1010/CSL – Arrivals Hall, Arrivals Level (L5) – 1010.com.hk – Open: 7:00-23:00 – they sell the Discover Hong Kong Tourist SIM inc. 5 day (HK$88 – 3GB) and 8 day (HK$118 – 8GB) options plus CSL cards.
- China Mobile – Arrivals Hall, Arrivals Level (L5) – hk.chinamobile.com – Open: 7:00-23:00 – they sell 5 Day 3GB data for HK$68.
Restaurants & Food
After immigration on departure, you are not going to go hungry as there are over 30 food and beverage outlets. As a starting point, a basic meal (simple noodles) starts around HK$70, a coffee or tea about HK$25 and up. Here is a selection of favorites
- Fast Food: Burger King
- Noodles: Ajisen Ramen, Tasty Congee & Noodle Wantun Shop, Super Super Congee and Noodles
- Coffee & Cafe: Old Town White Coffee, Starbucks, Pacific Coffee
- Restaurants: Jardin De Jade (regional Chinese & Shanghainese), Yun Kee (Cantonese), Tai Hing (Cantonese), The Flight Deck Restaurant & Bar (Western), Duddles (Cantonese)
- Best Burger: Beef & Liberty
- Best Restaurant: Duddle’s or Jardin De Jade
Before immigration, there are around 16 food and beverage options with the picks being
- Fast Food: McCafe
- Noodles: Ho Hung Kee (Wonton and Dim Sum)
- Coffee & Cafe: Pret A Manager, Starbucks, Pacific Coffee
- Restaurants: Wolfgang Puck Kitchen, Lime Garden (Thai/Viet), Jade Garden (Cantonese)
- Top Pick: Tsui Wah Cafe which offers the same prices as city, and it’s delicious
Luggage Storage & Lockers
There is a short-term baggage storage facility on Level 5 of Terminal 1 (before customs). It operates from 05:30 until 01:30 the next day, every day. The maximum time is 30 days.
- Hourly HK$12
- Daily HK$140
Transport
Airport Express
The fastest service from the city to the airport is the Airport Express. It takes approximately 24 minutes to reach the airport from Hong Kong station. MTR offers free shuttle bus services between Airport Express stations and hotels in the area, and free transfers are available to and from other MTR lines if you also hold a valid Octopus card.
Airport Express Hours: 5:54 AM to 12:48 AM
From the Airport to Hong Kong Station HK$115 and to Kowloon Station HK$105. See more details here on HKIA Airport Express.
Bus
Citybus, New Lantau Bus, Long Win Bus and Discovery Bay Transit Services operate 25 bus routes to the airport from various parts of Hong Kong, available at the Airport Ground Transportation Centre and Cheong Tat Road. The bus companies also offer 10 overnight “N” services.
The Ground Transportation Centre is located outside the Arrival Hall on the right side.
The Cityflyer buses are the most popular being set up for large luggage and taking a more direct route than standard buses. For the Kowloon area, such as Mong Kok, you can take the A21 bus from the airport and reach Mong Kok area in around 60 minutes depending on traffic. Cost is HKD$33 and it operates from 6 AM to 12 PM.
Passengers can also take bus route number S1 to the Tung Chung MTR Station. From there they can board the MTR Tung Chung line which follows the same route as the MTR Airport Express to Central with cheaper fare but longer journey time.
There is a shuttle bus service (B4) to nearby Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge Port.
There are also cross border coaches including services to major cities and towns in Guangdong Province including Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Dongguan etc.
See more details here on bus options.
Ferry
From the Skypier, ferry services are available from the airport to various destinations in Mainland China and Macao. Full details on ferry services here.
Taxi
The Taxi Station is located near the left-hand ramp outside the Arrivals Hall.
As a guide, the taxi fare from the airport is HK$370 to Central, HK$310 to Causeway Bay, HK$260 to Mong Kok, HK$270 to Tsim Sha Tsui
The airport is served by all three different types of taxi, distinguished by their color:
- The red Urban taxis connect the Airport with Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and parts of the nine new towns of Tsuen Wan, Sha Tin and Tseung Kwan O (urban taxis can go anywhere in Hong Kong except southern Lantau Island).
- The green New Territories taxis connect the airport with the New Territories, except those parts of the Tsuen Wan, Sha Tin and Tseung Kwan O (except parts of Hang Hau) served by urban taxis.
- The blue Lantau taxis connect the airport with the rest of Lantau Island.
Airport Skycity
AsiaWorld-Expo
AsiaWorld-Expo is a large exhibition center that plays host to numerous trade shows, exhibitions, and meetings. It is directly connected to the Airport Express and via bus.
AsiaWorld Arena
AsiaWorld–Arena is the largest indoor seated performance venue in Hong Kong. It has a total floor area of 10,880 square metres, a maximum capacity of 14,000 seats/16,000 standing+seats.
SkyPier
This complex allows passengers from Mainland China and Macau to access Hong Kong International Airport by jetfoil or ferry. It is connected via automated people mover that transport passengers to the Airport for connecting flights and vice versa.
Hong Kong Skycity Marriott Hotel
This luxury hotel connects to AsiaWorld Expo and the SkyPier.
SkyPlaza
Currently, under development, SkyPlaza is a large entertainment and retail centre that would be housed in Terminal 2 of the Hong Kong International Airport. SkyCity is scheduled to be opened in phases from 2023 to 2027.
Map
Hong Kong, Central and Western, Hong Kong