Practical tips

  • If you are flying to Hong Kong from abroad, you will most likely land at one of its biggest international airportsits main international airportHong Kong International Airport HKG (known locally as Chek Lap Kok). It has two terminals connected by driverless train and two separate concourses - North Satellite and Midfield. Terminal 1 is one of the largest in the world (90 boarding gates are located on the upper level), and Terminal 2 serves just as a check-in point for passengers who are then transported to Terminal 1 for their flights.

    Despite its daunting size, though, the airport's minimalistic layout aims to ease navigational problems. Things run surprisingly smoothly after the arrival - there are short wait times at immigration (up to 15 minutes), and luggage arrives at the carousel within 10-15 minutes.

    There are various options for shopping, dining, and entertainment, including SkyMart in Terminal 1 and SkyPlaza in Terminal 2. Free WiFi is available throughout all terminals ("#HKAirport Free WiFi" network, no registration required), and there are plenty of outlets for charging mobile devices (Hong Kong/English plugs and USB only). If you want to relax during your layover, you can purchase a lounge pass for one of the 24-hour lounges (some of which offer showers) or head to IMAX Theatre in Terminal 2 (with Hong Kong’s largest IMAX screen).

    These are also the best (and cheapest) airports to fly into Hong Kong. As they are used by many airlines serving the same routes, the competition for passengers is fierce, and airfare decreases as a result.
Best airports to fly into Hong Kong: Hong Kong International Airport (HKG)
Hong Kong has one world-class, massive airport – Hong Kong International Airport HKG. It is connected to the mainland via Route 8, running along the coast of the adjacent Lantau Island and over the Ma Wan Channel. The drive to the downtown area from the airport takes approximately 30 minutes.
  • Once in Hong Kong, take advantage of frequent intercity flights operated by domestic airlines such as Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong Airlines, Hong Kong Express, and Greater Bay Airlines. Those in-country carriers typically offer lower fares, operate from smaller airports located closer to city centers (you save on ground transportation) and provide flexible schedules – with a wide range of departure times.
  • Planning to explore the region? Popular destinations near Hong Kong can be easily reached with regional low-cost carriers (LCCs) by the likes of AirAsia, Bangkok Airways, Cebu Pacific, IndiGo, Scoot, VietJet, Air Busan, Hong Kong Express, Spring Airlines, and Thai Smile. If you have a layover in Hong Kong and plan to fly only a short distance to one of its neighboring countries, these budget airlines are an excellent way to save money.

Flights to Hong Kong
from United States and Canada

  • There are no direct flights from the US or Canada to Hong Kong. However, most major hubs in Asia have non-stop flights to Hong Kong, as do some larger airports in the Middle East – your journey will have at least one stop. San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, and Boston have direct flights to Hong Kong Intl with United Airlines, and Cathay Pacific. These flights are between 14 and 16 hours long, and you can book them for around $800 one-way.

    Direct flights from Canada to Hong Kong depart from Toronto and Vancouver and you'll be flying with Air Canada, Cathay Pacific or Austrian Airlines. Expect to pay 900-1100 CAD for a one way flight that last between 13 and 15 hours.
  • Hong Kong is well-served via one-stop flights from North America. Flights to Hong Kong with one layover depart from most major North American airports, including Atlanta ATL, Dallas DFW, Denver DEN, Chicago ORD, Los Angeles LAX, Las Vegas DFW, Miami MIA, Seattle SEA, Houston IAH, New York JFK, and San Francisco SFO in the United States and Toronto YYZ, Vancouver YVR, Calgary LAS, and Montreal YUL in Canada. If you are booking a ticket to Hong Kong with two connecting flights the best airports for a layover are Manila, Seoul, and Tokyo.
  • The best airlines to fly to Hong Kong from the US and Canada are: Air Canada, Air China, China Eastern Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Hong Kong Airlines, Singapore Airlines, and United Airlines. They are top full-service carriers, offering exceptional customer service, in-flight comfort, a generous checked baggage allowance, and reliable customer support channels – all included in the ticket price.

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Flights to Hong Kong from Europe

  • There are no direct flights from Europe to Hong Kong — you’ll need to get a connecting flight from elsewhere in the Middle East or in Asia. If you are flying direct from Europe to Hong Kong be prepared to spend at least 11 hours on a plane. Cathay Pacific has the most non-stop flights to Hong Kong International Airport. There are also European airlines that serve routes to HKIA from London and Manchester (British Airways), from Frankfurt and Munich (Lufthansa), from Zurich (SWISS), from Helsinki (Finnair), and from Istanbul (Turkish Airlines).
  • Airlines that frequently fly from the UK, Germany, France, and other European countries to Hong Kong include Air China, Air France, Cathay Pacific, China Southern Airlines, Finnair, Hong Kong Airlines, KLM, Lufthansa, SWISS, Singapore Airlines, and Turkish Airlines.
  • Consider departure airports in neighboring countries to increase your chance of spotting the best deal. Especially look for large airports that serve as hubs for multiple airlines. For example, if you live in Western Europe, check air tickets to Hong Kong from Amsterdam, Frankfurt, London, Madrid, Paris, and Rome. Leverage frequent promotions from European budget carriers like RyanAir, EasyJet, and Eurowings to reach a major hub; from there, take a cheaper long-haul flight to your final destination, potentially saving hundreds of euros.

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Things to know before flying to Hong Kong
Airlines flying to Hong KongAir Busan, Air Canada, Air China, Air France, Air India, Air New Zealand, Air Niugini, Air Tahiti Nui, AirAsia, ANA, Asiana Airlines, Bangkok Airways, British Airways, Cambodia Angkor Air, Cathay Pacific, Cebu Pacific, China Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Delta Air Lines, El Al Israel Airlines, Emirates, Ethiopian Airlines, EVA Air, Fiji Airways, Finnair, Garuda Indonesia, Hainan Airlines, Hong Kong Airlines, Hong Kong Express, Iberia, IndiGo, Japan Airlines, Kalitta Air, Kenya Airways, KLM, Korean Air, LATAM, Loong Air, Lufthansa, Malaysia Airlines, Mongolian Airlines, Nepal Airlines, Philippine Airlines, Philippines AirAsia, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Royal Brunei Airlines, Scoot, Shandong Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Shanghai Airlines, Sichuan Airlines, Spring Airlines, SWISS, Thai Airways, Thai Smile, Tianjin Airlines, Turkish Airlines, United Airlines, VietJet Air, Vietnam Airlines, Xiamen Airlines
Airlines of Hong KongCathay Pacific, Hong Kong Airlines, Hong Kong Express, Greater Bay Airlines
Main airports in Hong KongHong Kong International Airport (HKG) — Hong Kong
Regular price (roundtrip)✈ €700 – €1100 (from Europe)
✈ $1100 – $1600 (from USA)

Low-cost flights from Hong Kong

Stay ahead of the game. Fly to popular destinations at a fraction of the regular fare.

Hong Kong: The gateway to China

Geologically and culturally speaking, Hong Kong is a key gateway to Mainland China. With many English speakers and familiar standards of life, it’s a good city to “acclimatize” to China.

Hong Kong is well-connected with the Chinese mainland. Its international airport has regular flights to over 40 cities, including Beijing (3 hours 20 minutes flight time), Shanghai (2 hrs 30 min), Guangzhou (1 hr), Chengdu (2 hrs 40 min), and Xiamen (1 hr 25 min).

Many key cities in the Chinese mainland have a 144-hour visa–free transit policy, which allows anyone to enjoy a longer stay (up 6 days) in China without a visa — a great opportunity to take an extension tour while transiting through the country. Please note that you will be required to present an onward ticket departing the Chinese mainland within 144 hours.

The cheapest time to fly to Hong Kong

The cheapest time to fly to Hong Kong is between June and September. This is a low tourist season and the monsoon season – the weather is rather hot and humid, and there’s a lot of rainfall. As there are not many tourists visiting the city, this is the best time to look for deals on flights and hotels.

Months between June and September are a good time to fly to Hong Kong if you want to experience its nightlife or visit its high-end malls and local markets around Kowloon (like the Jade Market or Temple Street Night Market) for great shopping opportunities. For those interested in culture, the ancient Dragon Boat Festival (Tuen Ng Festival) happens in June – with spectacular boat races and amazing parties thrown around the harbor.

When planning your visit to Hong Kong, try to avoid Chinese national holidays and large conventions, when flight and hotel prices soar (even during the off-peak season). Check out the Hong Kong Tourism Board’s events calendar for updated information.

Travel cheaper to and from the airport

Hong Kong’s taxis are great and readily available. But you can save a few dollars if you take the Airport Express instead – part of Hong Kong’s fantastic MTR network. It costs HK$100 (~US$13/A$19/€12) to get to Kowloon Station from the airport.

You can save even more by taking the bus from the airport: Citybus A21 to Kowloon or A11 to Hong Kong Island cost less than half the train. You will travel in a comfortable, double-decker bus with air-conditioning and large luggage racks to store your luggage. The bus stop is situated outside the Arrival Hall on the right side (look for the Ground Transportation Centre sign).

In-Town Check-in

Sometimes, your hotel check-out time is hours before your flight departure time. In that case, go straight to In-Town Check-In office located at the Kowloon MTR station, drop off your luggage, check in for your flight, and collect your boarding pass. You’ve just got a few extra hours to enjoy Hong Kong city!

In-Twon Check-In is available as early as one day in advance or as late as 120 minutes ahead of your flight departure time. Among the airlines that accept Day Before Check-In are Cathay Pacific, China Airlines, EVA Air, Hong Kong Airlines, and Singapore Airlines.

Please note that Airport Express fare to the airport will be charged when you enter the In-Town Check-In area (you can reuse the ticket at any time on the same day).

Next tips

Store your baggage at the airport

If you want to explore the airport (check the largest IMAX screen in Hong Kong!) or head into the city during your layover, use the convenient baggage storage located on Level 5 of Terminal 1.

The price for one piece of luggage is just HK$12 (~$1.5/A$2.3/€1.4) per hour or HK$140 (~$18/A$26/€17) per day.

Know your time zone

When checking flights and airport transfer times, ensure you know the local time zones. The departure/arrival times on your plane ticket and boarding pass are based on the time zone of the departure/arrival airport – this also applies to the connecting (layover) airports.

Hong Kong has only one time zone all year round – HKT (Hong Kong Time) which is UTC+8. It is 13 hours ahead of New York, 8 hours ahead of London, and 3 hours behind Sydney. Among other countries that observe the same UTC+8 time zone are China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, and Philippines.

Unlike western countries, Hong Kong does not have an associated daylight saving time.

Get a VPN before traveling to Hong Kong

In 1997 Hong Kong became a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China. As democracy in Hong Kong is slowly being eroded by growing interference from Beijing, its internet freedom status has slipped to a “partly free” (ranking by advocacy body Freedom House). The internet in Hong Kong isn’t as heavily censored as in mainland China (yet), however, it is monitored – and if you’re a traveler, you should be concerned.

For this reason, we recommend installing a Virtual Private Network (VPN) app on your phone and laptop before visiting the city. It will not only encrypt your internet traffic but also protects you from any future censorship introduced in Hong Kong by the Chinese Communist Party.

Using a VPN in Hong Kong is still legal, so you will not break any local laws.

Download My HKG app for real-time updates and notifications

If you are traveling through Hong Kong Airport, make sure to download the official app to receive real-time updates on your flight status, gate changes, baggage arrival, etc, or to navigate the terminals with interactive maps and wayfinding assistant. The app will also help you to find and connect to the airport Wi-Fi via its Auto Wi-Fi function, and the integrated helpful chatbot will answer your inquiries about HKIA.

You can download the My HKG app for your Android or iOS phone.

Next tips

Domestic flights from Hong Kong

Most domestic routes in China are operated by local carriers. When traveling to popular tourist destinations such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Shenzhen Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Wuhan, and Xi'an from Hong Kong Airport, you’ll likely fly with one of these domestic airlines: Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong Airlines, Hong Kong Express, and Greater Bay Airlines.

This is often the best transportation method, providing speed, convenience, and cost-effectiveness. Local airlines often offer multiple daily flights to key destinations, providing flexibility in scheduling and competitive pricing. They also serve smaller regional airports, enabling access to a wider range of Chinese destinations.

Flights to Hong Kong
from Australia and New Zealand

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Flights to Hong Kong
from major hubs in Asia

  • Hong Kong International Airport (known by locals as Chek Lap Kok) is the 4th biggest airport in Asia, and is well-connected with most other Asian hubs. You can fly direct to HKIA from Bangkok, Beijing, Delhi, Dubai, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Phuket, Seoul, Shanghai, Sydney, Singapore, among others.
  • Asia is probably the best continent for short-haul and mid-haul flying. The sheer scale of this most populous region on Earth is reflected in the type of aircraft operating many shorter routes: intra-Asia flyers benefit from comfortable, wide-bodied aircraft by the likes of Boeing 777, 787 or Airbus A350, A330, and A380. When booking your flight to Hong Kong look for these bigger planes as they will almost always give you the best experience in every cabin, including better seat pitches, higher ceilings, and larger overhead bin space.
  • Asia is also home to most of the world’s best airlines. There are only ten airlines that received the prestigious 5-star mark of quality from Skytrax, and all of them are from Asia: ANA, Asiana Airlines, Cathay Pacific, EVA Air, Garuda Indonesia, Japan Airlines, Korean Air, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines. Choosing one of these airlines for your trip to Hong Kong will guarantee a pleasant journey – delicious meals served during the flight, great in-flight entertainment, and above-average airline customer service.
  • Asia is extremely well served by low-cost regional airlines. If you are visiting China and want to see several other countries on a tight budget, they often have great sales with rock-bottom prices, while still offering a relatively comfortable flight experience. Among the best Asian budget airlines you can book without hesitation are AirAsiaCebu Pacific, Citilink, FlyDubai, Indigo, Jetstar Airways, Scoot, SpiceJet, and VietJet Air. The cons? Being no-frills airlines they may not provide free baggage allowance, inflight meals, or onboard entertainment. The departure times may also be quite inconvenient as they try to save money by flying at off-peak hours.

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Flights to Hong Kong dataset