Fun and entertainment Hong-Kong 香港

Timetable

Nightclubs generally open around 10-11pm and stay open until 3am-4am, or even later, especially at weekends. They start to fill up around 1am. Karaoke bars are also popular and open all night. For cozier evenings, there's also a good selection of jazz clubs with live bands.

Happy hours are less frequent in clubs than in bars. However, some nocturnal establishments may offer free-flow drinks, with unlimited drinks for a limited time at a fixed price.

Here are the districts with the liveliest nightlife:

Lan Kwai Fong (LKF). This is the emblematic party district of Hong Kong. Here you'll find numerous clubs and bars that fill up very quickly, especially on Fridays and Saturdays, with both Hong Kongers and expatriates.

Soho. A little more chic and less intense than LKF, with lounges and clubs for a more sophisticated atmosphere.

Tsim Sha Tsui (TST). On the Kowloon side, TST offers a varied nightlife, with rooftop clubs offering magnificent views over Victoria Bay. It's more popular with locals than expatriates.

Wan Chai. Known for its local bars, Wan Chai is also home to lively clubs that attract a mixed crowd of expats and locals. In our opinion, the atmosphere can be a little gloomy in places.

Budget & Tips

There are no rules. Some clubs are free, others charge an entrance fee (usually between HKD100 and HKD300) but include a drink, and still others offer discounts on entrance or drinks for customers who arrive before midnight.

Clubs in LKF are easier to get to. In others, it's not easy to get in without a "contact" and the queue can become interminable, especially between midnight and 2am. In this case, planning to enter before midnight or after 2 a.m. may be a good idea.

Price levels. A cocktail generally costs 120-200 HKD, a beer 80-100 HKD.

Tipping. Not common practice.

Taxes. 10% service charge is usually added.

Means of payment. Payment is generally made by credit card.

To be booked

Tickets must be purchased in advance, online, only for parties where an international DJ is invited. Info on the clubs' Instagram accounts.

If you're going out with a group, it's a good idea to reserve a table (with drinks) to ensure entry. However, prices can be exorbitant.

Night transport

Hong Kong is a very safe city, even in the middle of the night, and night-time transport is plentiful. The metro runs until around 1 a.m. A network of night buses identified by the letter "N" (e.g. N11) runs from midnight to 5am. Last but not least, cabs run 24 hours a day, with a surcharge during night-time hours.

Age restrictions

The legal age for club entry is the same as the legal drinking age, i.e. 18. Some clubs only allow entry to those over 21. You may be asked to show your passport to verify your age.

What's very local

Hong Kongers love to dress up and go out, so play along and do as they do.

Whether in LKF, Soho or TST, many bars and especially clubs are hidden in the floors of buildings. You'll need to have the precise address and sometimes a little searching, but it's well worth the effort.

Smokers

Smoking is legally prohibited inside bars and clubs. In practice, people do smoke in most clubs.

Tourist traps

There are no particular scams to report. There are touts at the entrances to some clubs and bars in LKF, but nothing too problematic.