Skip to main content
MumExpat

Family outings

Family outings in Hong Kong

Three quarters of the territory is parks, hills and islands: a family outing in Hong Kong is often a lifeguarded beach twenty minutes away by bus, a forest trail or a ferry. On rainy days, public museums are free on Wednesdays, and the French community runs theatre, camps and walks in French. Here are our addresses, all checked on official websites.

Verified on 30 October 2026

Parks, beaches and nature

Free urban parks with playgrounds and aviaries, twenty-five country parks criss-crossed by family trails, forty-two public beaches protected by shark nets and lifeguarded in season: nature is the first playground of Hong Kong children.

Good to know

  • Hong Kong has 25 country parks run by the AFCD, with marked trails, barbecue sites and shelters: Tai Tam, Aberdeen and Pok Fu Lam on the island, Sai Kung, Shing Mun and Lantau beyond. Source
  • The LCSD runs 42 gazetted public beaches, almost all fitted with shark nets; lifeguards are on duty from April to October, year-round at Deep Water Bay, and in March and November too at Repulse Bay, Middle Bay, Big Wave Bay and Stanley. Source
  • The city also has 46 public swimming pool complexes, 9 of them on the island, with children's pools; a red flag and an announcement clear outdoor pools and beaches as soon as the Observatory issues a thunderstorm warning. Source
  • The LCSD's big urban parks are free and open daily: Hong Kong Park has an aviary of more than 500 birds and a conservatory, Kowloon Park a discovery playground, a bird lake and an outdoor pool. Source

Addresses

  • Hong Kong Park

    Park

    Cotton Tree Drive, Central (au-dessus d'Admiralty)

    The former barracks turned park: playground, Edward Youde aviary, conservatory, lake and waterfalls, a stone's throw from the consulate and Pacific Place; no car park, come by MTR.

    Website Source

  • Kowloon Park

    Park

    Austin Road, Tsim Sha Tsui

    Tsim Sha Tsui's green lung: play area, Discovery Playground, bird lake, aviary, gardens and outdoor pool, between the museums and Nathan Road.

    Website Source

  • Victoria Park

    Park

    Causeway Bay

    The island's biggest park: central lawn, football pitches and tennis courts, fountain, scooter paths, and the year's big gatherings, from the Lunar New Year flower market to the Mid-Autumn lanterns.

    Website Source

  • Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens

    Park

    Albany Road, Central (Mid-Levels)

    The historic little zoo above Central: orangutans, lemurs, flamingos, guided visits on Sundays and meet-the-zookeeper sessions; perfect for a morning with toddlers.

    Website Source

  • Repulse Bay Beach

    Park

    Beach Road, Repulse Bay

    The family beach of the island's south side: fine sand, shark net, lifeguards April to October plus March and November, showers and restaurants; direct bus from Central and Admiralty.

    Website Source

  • Tai Tam Country Park

    Park

    Tai Tam Reservoir Road, sud-est de l'île

    A fifth of the island in forest around four reservoirs: a flat waterside walk you can do with a buggy, barbecue sites along Tai Tam Reservoir Road, kites and butterflies; stay on the paths.

    Website Source

  • Hong Kong Wetland Park

    Park

    Tin Shui Wai, Nouveaux Territoires

    Marshes, mangroves and bird hides at the end of the MTR line, with a visitor centre; the indoor galleries are temporarily closed for upgrading, check before you go.

    Website Source

Go further

Museums free on Wednesdays and children's museums

The LCSD's public museums open their permanent exhibitions free on Wednesdays, and several are designed for children. In West Kowloon, M+ and the Palace Museum charge admission but are free for children aged 6 and under. Typhoon days and heatwaves have found their programme.

Good to know

  • At the Science Museum, admission is free on Wednesdays for the permanent exhibitions, free every day for under-4s with an adult and for students, and the museum closes on Thursdays; the neighbouring Museum of History is free all the time and closes on Tuesdays. Source
  • At M+, the public spaces (mediatheque, grand stair, roof garden) are free and the exhibitions ticketed, free for children aged 6 and under; the museum closes on Mondays and offers adult-and-kid combo tickets. Source
  • The Hong Kong Palace Museum is free for children aged 6 and under and discounted for ages 7 to 11, open until 8pm on Fridays and Saturdays, closed on Tuesdays; it runs a dedicated family programme. Source
  • Under typhoon signal 8 or black rain, museums close or stay closed until the warning is lifted: check the museum's website and the Observatory before setting out. Source

Addresses

  • Hong Kong Science Museum

    Museum

    2 Science Museum Road, Tsim Sha Tsui East

    The favourite museum of 4 to 12-year-olds: hands-on galleries on biodiversity, Earth and technology, free on Wednesdays and for under-4s, closed on Thursdays.

    Website Source

  • Hong Kong Space Museum

    Museum

    10 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui

    The landmark dome on the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront: planetarium, shows for little ones and space exhibitions, next to the Cultural Centre and the Star Ferry.

    Website Source

  • Hong Kong Museum of History

    Museum

    100 Chatham Road South, Tsim Sha Tsui

    The free 'Hong Kong Story' permanent exhibition and interactive zones for children; next to the Science Museum, closed on Tuesdays.

    Website Source

  • M+

    Museum

    38 Museum Drive, West Kowloon Cultural District

    Asia's big museum of visual culture: design, architecture, moving image, LED facade over the harbour and roof garden; free spaces, exhibitions free for children aged 6 and under, closed on Mondays.

    Website Source

  • Hong Kong Palace Museum

    Museum

    8 Museum Drive, West Kowloon Cultural District

    Treasures of the Forbidden City in a spectacular waterside building: themed galleries, family programmes, free for children aged 6 and under, closed on Tuesdays.

    Website Source

  • Tai Kwun

    Museum

    10 Hollywood Road, Central

    Central's former police station and prison turned arts and heritage centre: shaded courtyards to run around, exhibitions, family workshops and cafés, freely accessible in the heart of town.

    Website Source

  • Hong Kong Maritime Museum

    Museum

    Central Pier No. 8, Central

    A museum 'to explore and play' on the harbour: ships, pirates, a navigation simulator and workshops, open daily on the ferry pier.

    Website Source

  • Hong Kong Children's Discovery Museum

    Museum

    Island Walk, 163 Shau Kei Wan Road, Sai Wan Ho

    The little ones' museum, built on free play: hands-on exhibits, workshops and child drop-off sessions; book online, closed on Mondays.

    Website Source

Go further

Libraries and the French médiathèque

Public libraries are free, air-conditioned and full of children at weekends, with storytelling sessions and toy libraries. For French, the Alliance française médiathèque in Jordan is the families' treasure.

Good to know

  • The Hong Kong Public Libraries card is free and lets you borrow 10 items at a time from any branch in the network; for a child, a parent signs the guarantee with their HKID card and proof of address under three months old. Source
  • The Hong Kong Central Library in Causeway Bay has a children's library, a Toy Library, a children's activity room and multimedia room, and a babycare room; open until 9pm, with a late opening on Wednesdays. Source
  • Public libraries run storytelling for children, themed workshops, a reading programme for children and youth and paired reading clubs; in English and Cantonese, perfect for gentle progress. Source
  • The Alliance française médiathèque holds more than 8,000 books, 1,000 DVDs and children's picture books; family membership lets you borrow up to 20 items for three weeks and gives access to the Culturethèque digital library. Closed on Sundays. Source

Addresses

  • Hong Kong Central Library

    Library

    66 Causeway Road, Causeway Bay

    The big library opposite Victoria Park: children's library, toy library, activity room, babycare room; open 10am to 9pm, from 1pm on Wednesdays.

    Website Source

  • Médiathèque de l'Alliance française de Hong Kong

    Library

    Centre de Jordan, Kowloon

    The heart of French reading: picture books and comics for children and teens, novels, press, DVDs, and the Culturethèque digital library; free for Alliance students, membership for others.

    Website Source

  • Bibliothèques publiques de quartier et heures du conte

    Library

    Every district has a public library with a children's corner: check the calendar of storytelling sessions, workshops and the children and youth reading programme.

    Website Source

Go further

Activities, clubs and camps in French

Keeping French alive when school is in English, or simply finding French-speaking friends: the Alliance française takes children from 18 months, the Lycée and Chorus do theatre, Hong Kong Accueil brings families together, and public sports clubs are booked online for next to nothing.

Good to know

  • The Alliance française de Hong Kong offers French classes from 18 months (Toddlers, Preschoolers, Kids, FrancoKids) and for teens, at its Wan Chai, Jordan and Sha Tin centres, plus summer holiday camps. Source
  • French-language theatre exists for every age: the Chorus company has run the Lycée français drama workshops for more than ten years, with an end-of-year show, plus an adult troupe in Wan Chai; French-speaking improv leagues round it off. Source
  • Hong Kong Accueil runs the Cercle des Familles (formerly Club des Petits Loups), from pregnancy to adolescence: parent-and-child meetups on the beaches, parent-child yoga, parents' drinks and health tips, plus family walks one Sunday a month on the trails of the island, Lantau or Sai Kung. Source
  • The LCSD's public sports facilities (badminton, tennis, pools, children's classes across the 18 districts) are booked on the SmartPLAY app with an HKID card, at very low rates; some places are drawn by lottery, sign up early. Source

Addresses

  • Alliance française de Hong Kong, cours enfants et ados

    Activity

    Wan Chai, Jordan et Sha Tin

    French through play from 18 months, FrancoKids groups for French-speaking children in English schools, teen classes, half-day summer camps and the médiathèque.

    Website Source

  • Chorus Hong Kong

    Activity

    Tai Tam et Wan Chai

    'Learn, have fun, grow': theatre, music (guitar, singing, band), French classes from age 5 and maths and physics tutoring, in French; drama workshops at the Lycée.

    Website Source

  • Hong Kong Kids Academy et Les Petits Lascars

    Activity

    Tai Hang et Tseung Kwan O

    After-school activities and language classes in French for ages 3 to 12, holiday courses and a summer camp, alongside the French nursery and kindergarten Les Petits Lascars (from 9 months).

    Website Source

  • Hong Kong Accueil, Cercle des Familles

    Activity

    Plages du sud de l'île et parcs

    Parent-and-child meetups in French: playdates in Stanley and Repulse Bay, parent-child yoga in Sai Ying Pun, mums-to-be advice and parents' drinks; annual family membership.

    Website Source

  • Hong Kong Accueil, marches familiales du week-end

    Activity

    A family hike about once a month at the weekend on the trails of the island, Lantau, Sai Kung or the New Territories, led by the association's volunteers.

    Website Source

  • Lycée français international Victor-Segalen, activités extrascolaires

    Activity

    Campus de Jardine's Lookout, Blue Pool Road, Chai Wan et Tseung Kwan O

    The Lycée's after-school activity programme, from sport to the arts, open to pupils of the French and international streams; drama is run by Chorus.

    Website Source

  • LCSD SmartPLAY, sport public

    Activity

    The booking platform for public sports facilities and classes (swimming, badminton, tennis, children's courses); create an account with the HKID card, reduced rates for full-time students.

    Website Source

Go further

Through the seasons and festivities

The Hong Kong year follows the lunar calendar: three days of Chinese New Year in January or February, dragon boats in June, Mid-Autumn and its fire dragon in September or October. In between, a very hot, humid summer punctuated by typhoons, then from November to March the ideal season for hikes and empty beaches.

Good to know

  • Typhoons occur from May to November, especially in September: under signal 8 you stay indoors, the city stops, the consulate, schools and museums close; the Observatory (HKO) publishes signals and advice in real time, follow it from signal 1. Source
  • Winter: three public holidays for Chinese New Year (late January or February), with the Victoria Park flower market, the parade and fireworks over the harbour, then Ching Ming in April; the consulate publishes Hong Kong's public holidays every year. Source
  • Spring and summer: the Cheung Chau Bun Festival and Buddha's Birthday in May, the Tuen Ng dragon boat races in June (in Stanley, Aberdeen, Sai Kung and Tai O), then the beach and pool season, lifeguarded until October. Source
  • Autumn: the Mid-Autumn Festival (September or October) and its lanterns, with the Tai Hang fire dragon dancing three nights running through the lanes since 1880, then Halloween, hugely celebrated in the theme parks, and Chung Yeung, the day to climb the hills. Source

Addresses

  • Dragon de feu de Tai Hang

    Activity

    Tai Hang, près de Causeway Bay

    Three nights around Mid-Autumn, a straw dragon studded with thousands of incense sticks winds through the lanes of Tai Hang; free, very crowded, come early with children on shoulders.

    Website Source

  • Courses de bateaux-dragons de Stanley

    Activity

    Stanley Main Beach, Stanley

    On Tuen Ng day in June, the Stanley international championships gather hundreds of crews on the main beach, with warm-up races from late May; fairground atmosphere, arrive early.

    Website Source

  • Victoria Park, fêtes du Nouvel An et de la Mi-Automne

    Activity

    Causeway Bay

    The big flower market in the days before Chinese New Year, then the giant lanterns of Mid-Autumn: the park is the heart of the island's festivities.

    Website Source

  • Ocean Park, Halloween et fêtes de fin d'année

    Activity

    Wong Chuk Hang (MTR Ocean Park)

    The theme park and aquarium on the island's south side dresses up for Halloween in October and for Christmas; animals, a cable car over the sea and rides for every age.

    Website Source

  • Plages surveillées du sud de l'île

    Park

    Repulse Bay, Deep Water Bay, Stanley, Shek O

    The lifeguarded swimming season runs from April to October, with longer hours at summer weekends; Deep Water Bay keeps its lifeguards all year.

    Website Source

Go further

Trips under two hours away

The ferry leaves from Central and the high-speed train from West Kowloon: in under two hours you are on a car-free island, at the foot of the Big Buddha, in a volcanic geopark, in Macau or in Shenzhen. Children love the boat, and that is the whole point.

Good to know

  • TurboJET ferries link Sheung Wan to Macau (Outer Harbour or Taipa) in about an hour; be there thirty minutes before departure with the whole family's passports, it is a border. Source
  • The high-speed train leaves West Kowloon station for Futian and Shenzhen North, then Guangzhou South; tickets online or at the station, and mainland China entry formalities to plan for French passports (visa or exemption depending on your situation). Source
  • The Ngong Ping 360 cable car climbs from Tung Chung to the Big Buddha from 10am to 6pm (from 9am at weekends); it is suspended on maintenance days and in strong wind, and the Po Lin Monastery opens 9am to 6pm with its vegetarian kitchen at lunchtime. Source

Addresses

  • Lantau : Ngong Ping 360 et le Grand Bouddha

    Tung Chung (MTR) puis téléphérique vers Ngong Ping

    Twenty-five minutes in a cabin over the sea and hills to the giant Buddha and the Po Lin Monastery; glass-floored cabin for the brave, Ngong Ping Village for an afternoon snack.

    Website Source

  • Cheung Chau

    Ferry Sun Ferry depuis Central

    The car-free island: bikes for hire at the pier, Tung Wan beach, temples, seafood and the pirate's cave; in May, the Bun Festival and its parade of children perched on poles.

    Website Source

  • Lamma Island

    Ferry HKKF depuis Central

    Half an hour by ferry to a car-free fishing island: the family trail from Yung Shue Wan to Sok Kwu Wan, Hung Shing Yeh beach and seafood restaurants on stilts.

    Website Source

  • Sai Kung et le Geopark

    Sai Kung, Nouveaux Territoires

    The UNESCO Global Geopark: hexagonal volcanic rock columns at High Island, water taxis to the beaches, Volcano Discovery Centre on the Sai Kung waterfront.

    Website Source

  • Macao

    Ferry TurboJET depuis Sheung Wan, environ une heure

    The UNESCO-listed historic centre, the Ruins of St Paul's, Taipa village and its pastéis de nata, the Macao Science Center for children; passports required.

    Website Source

  • Shenzhen et Guangzhou en train à grande vitesse

    Gare de Hong Kong West Kowloon

    Futian and Shenzhen North a few stops away, Guangzhou South in under an hour: theme parks, museums and a brand-new metro across the border; check visa or exemption before booking.

    Website Source

  • Hong Kong Disneyland

    Penny's Bay, Lantau (MTR Disneyland Resort)

    The smallest Disneyland, so the easiest with little ones: direct MTR, castle, parades and Halloween and Christmas seasons; book tickets online.

    Website Source

  • Ocean Park Hong Kong

    Wong Chuk Hang (MTR Ocean Park)

    Aquarium, pandas, a cable car over the sea, rides and the Water World water park: a full day twenty minutes from Central.

    Website Source

Go further

A place has closed, something has changed? Tell us: the mums of Hong Kong will thank you.

Sources for this page

The public pages these landmarks come from. The official website always prevails.

  1. 1 AFCD, les parcs naturels de Hong Kong
  2. 2 LCSD, plages publiques et sauveteurs
  3. 3 Hong Kong Science Museum, admission et horaires
  4. 4 Hong Kong Public Libraries, carte de bibliothèque
  5. 5 Alliance française de Hong Kong, médiathèque
  6. 6 Hong Kong Accueil, Cercle des Familles
  7. 7 Hong Kong Observatory, consignes typhon
  8. 8 lepetitjournal.com Hong Kong, le théâtre en français

Get updates to the Hong Kong guide

Verified addresses, official sources, school-year dates: we write when the Hong Kong guide changes, never more than once a week.

Other sections of the Hong Kong guide

Report a change

A place has closed, a number has changed, something is no longer right? Please tell us: we check and fix the Hong Kong guide.

What is going on?