Unlike other major world cities, there are very few discount cards and passes in Hong Kong aimed at tourists and frankly, those that exist are not always great value. We profile the good, the bad and the ugly of Hong Kong discount cards and passes below. We’ve given each discount card a value for money rating between $$$$$ (excellent) and $ (very poor).
1. Museum Discount Pass
Hong Kong’s excellent museums offer a weekly pass at
HK$30 or a monthly pass at HK$50. This wins you unlimited access to the
Hong Kong Heritage Museum, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong Museum of History, Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence, Hong Kong Science Museum (excluding some special exhibitions), Hong Kong Space Museum (excluding the Stanley Ho Space Theatre Programmes) and Dr Sun Yat-sen Museum. Standard entry to Hong Kong museums is HK$10, so if you planning in visiting more than three in a week, this pass would save you money. Passes are available at the museums listed above.
Value for money $$$$2. Octopus Tourist Pass
Ideal for those only in Hong Kong for one-day, the Octopus Tourist pass offers transport on the MTR, buses, trams and ferries for twenty four hours from the first recorded entry time. This a modification of the standard
Octopus transport pass. At
HK$55, you would need to be visiting either the New Territories or some of Hong Kong’s Islands to really get value from the Tourist Pass. Tram rides on Hong Kong Island are less than $.50c, as is a
Star Ferry cross harbour trip. Still, it certainly cuts down on the hassle of fishing about for change. Not valid for
Airport Express or Peak Tram. Pick up the pass either
online or at
MTR stations.
Value for money $$3. Octopus Airport Express Tourist Pass
Better bang for your buck with this one, offering either one (HK$220) or two
(HK$300) discounted Airport Express trips and three days unlimited access to public transport. A ticket on the
Airport Express usually costs HK$100 or HK$180 for a return. If you plan on using public transport in Hong Kong fairly heavily, the Airport Express Tourist Pass can be a good deal. Pick up the pass
online or at
MTR stations.
Value for money $$$4. Hong Kong Jockey Club Horseracing Badge
The
horseracing at Happy Valley is one of Hong Kong’s best experiences, it’s also one of its cheapest, priced at just HK$10 for entry. This makes the Hong Kong Jockey Club Tourist Badge hard to recommend. Priced at
HK$100, the badge gives you access to the more exclusive members enclosure, including the winners circles and swankier covered seating. However, quite honestly, you can get within snorting distance of the horses in the standard enclosure and it’s also here where the atmosphere is most electric. You can pick up the badge at the racecourse or at any of the Jockey Clubs betting shops.
Value for money $
