At a Glance
Compared to this destination's peak season Very busy for the first ten days, around Lunar New Year, when mainland visitors arrive for their own holiday; the second half of the month is calm.
Hong Kong in February — Travel Guide
By Harry Nara · Last updated
Hong Kong in February offers some of the best conditions of the year, ideal for culture, festival goers & families. Expect temperatures of 15–19°C, around 8 days of rain, and very high crowds across the city. Daily budgets typically land around HK$850–1,400 for mid-range travellers. Book accommodation two to three months ahead — the most popular rooms sell out fast during peak visiting windows.
Contents17 sections
- At a Glance
- Weather in Hong Kong in February
- Lunar New Year, Day by Day
- After the Holiday
- What to Do in Hong Kong in February
- Getting Around
- Budget & Costs
- Food & Dining
- Nightlife
- Shopping
- Culture & Etiquette
- Essential Local Phrases
- Packing List
- Backup Plans
- Safety & Health
- What's New for February 2027
- About This Guide
#At a Glance
Lunar New Year decides everything about a February visit: the Year of the Goat opens on Saturday 6 February 2027, and the first ten days of the month are the most colourful of the Hong Kong year: flower markets, a night parade, fireworks over the harbour, and temples thick with incense. They are also the most awkward, because family-run businesses close, and mainland visitors arrive for their own long holiday. By the second half of the month the city is calm again, though the weather has started to turn grey and damp.
#Weather in Hong Kong in February
Hong Kong in February averages 15–19°C (59–66°F) with around 8 days of rain, and crowds are very high.
| February | |
|---|---|
| Daytime high | About 19°C / 66°F |
| Overnight low | About 15°C / 59°F |
| Wet days | About 8 |
| Rainfall | 39mm |
| Humidity | 79% |
| Cloud | 72%, up from 62% in January |
Figures are the Hong Kong Observatory's 1991–2020 normals; a wet day is one with 0.1mm or more, so light drizzle counts.
What that actually means for your trip:
- The temperature hardly moves from January, but the feeling does: this is the month the damp arrives.
- Fog makes a first appearance, on about one day, at the harbour and on the hills.
- Cold fronts still come through, and urban lows below 10°C are possible.
#Lunar New Year, Day by Day
The programme is confirmed by the Tourism Board a few weeks ahead. What follows is the established pattern, with 2027's dates.
- From about a week before: flower markets, the largest in Victoria Park, peak on the eve, Friday 5 February. They stay open late into the night.
- Lunar New Year's Eve, Friday 5 February: crowds queue at Wong Tai Sin Temple to place the first incense of the year at midnight.
- Day one, Saturday 6 February: a public holiday, and by custom the night parade through Tsim Sha Tsui.
- Day two, Sunday 7 February: by custom the fireworks over Victoria Harbour.
- Day three, Monday 8 February: a public holiday, with raceday at Sha Tin and crowds at Che Kung Temple.
- Day four, Tuesday 9 February: a public holiday, as the substitute for the Sunday.
- Saturday 20 February: Lantern Festival closes the season, a night for lanterns and sweet rice dumplings.
#After the Holiday
The two halves of February feel like different months, and the second half is the one most guides skip.
Once the fourth day of the new year has passed, the shutters go up again and restaurants reopen, though some family businesses take a few days longer. Prices fall quickly, because the visitors have gone home and the spring fairs have not yet started. The decorations stay up, too. Lunar New Year properly runs to its fifteenth day, Lantern Festival, which falls on Saturday 20 February in 2027, so lanterns and kumquat trees stay in place well after the crowds leave.
The city’s cultural year starts here. The 55th Hong Kong Arts Festival runs through February and March 2027, with nearly 1,500 artists and more than 190 performances announced, and it is one of the better reasons to come in this quiet stretch. Tickets for the big names sell early, so look at the programme before you fly.
The weather turns at about the same time. Cloud cover rises to 72%, up from 62% in January, and fog makes its first appearances of the year, so a clear day becomes something to use at once. If the skyline matters to you, go up to the Peak on the first bright afternoon rather than waiting for the last day of the trip.
Hikers still get good conditions, with cool air and little rain. Trails are noticeably less busy than they were at New Year, when walking up a hill is a popular family outing.
#What to Do in Hong Kong in February
Spend the holiday at the street events, and save museums and hikes for the calmer second half of the month.
Solo Travellers
Join the crowd at Wong Tai Sin on the eve, one of the great sights of the year, then walk it off at the Victoria Park flower market. In the second half of the month, take the quiet hills of Lantau.
Couples
A window table on a harbour-view restaurant for the fireworks must be booked weeks ahead. The cheaper way is to find a spot on the Tsim Sha Tsui or Wan Chai waterfront hours before. Valentine's Day falls on a Sunday, and restaurants price it accordingly.
Families
Lam Tsuen's wishing trees in the New Territories run a Lunar New Year festival where children throw wishes up into the branches. The Victoria Park market sells windmills and toys, and Ocean Park usually stages New Year shows.
Groups
A day at Sha Tin for the holiday races is lively, with lion dances and a big crowd.
Otherwise, book a long table for poon choi, the layered festive basin meant for sharing.
#Getting Around
- Octopus is all you need. Top it up before the holiday, as small shops may be shut.
- Airport Express: HK$120 to Hong Kong Station and HK$105 to Kowloon on Octopus.
- MTR: HK$10.60 from Central to Tsim Sha Tsui, and the safest way around parade and fireworks crowds. Expect some exits to be closed for crowd control on those nights.
- Taxis: flagfall HK$29, but scarce over the holiday.
- Star Ferry: HK$5 upstairs on weekdays and HK$6.50 at weekends and on public holidays.
#Budget & Costs
| Travel style | Per day | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | HK$850–1,400 | A hostel or guesthouse, hotel-area meals over the holiday, the MTR |
| Mid-range | HK$2,200–3,500 | A central hotel in holiday week, restaurants |
| Luxury | HK$6,000+ | Harbour-view rooms, fireworks dinners |
What things cost:
| What | Price |
|---|---|
| Airport Express to Hong Kong Station, Octopus | HK$120 |
| MTR, Central to Tsim Sha Tsui | HK$10.60 |
| Star Ferry, upper deck, public holiday | HK$6.50 |
| Parade and fireworks from the street | Free |
Where the money actually goes:
- The holiday week is the dearest of the winter; the second half of the month is much cheaper.
- Restaurants often add a holiday surcharge; check before you sit down.
- Hotels add a 3% tax and usually a 10% service charge, so check a rate includes both.
#Food & Dining
New Year food carries meaning: sticky nin gou promises advancement, whole fish promises abundance, and the tray of candied lotus and melon appears in every home. Many family-run restaurants close for the first three or four days, while hotels and chains stay open. After the holiday, dim sum and noodles return, and tong yuen turn up for Lantern Festival.
#Nightlife
The bars of Lan Kwai Fong stay open through much of the holiday, but small places close. In the second half of the month, everything returns to normal, and Wednesday racing runs at Happy Valley when the fixture list allows.
#Shopping
Flower markets are the shopping of the month: orchids, kumquat trees and silly seasonal toys. Bargains come late on the eve, as stallholders clear stock. Small shops close from the first day of the new year, and many reopen around the fourth day or later. Malls stay open, and there is no sales tax.
#Culture & Etiquette
Say gung hei fat choi, and expect red packets, or lai see, to go from married adults to children and unmarried friends, always with crisp notes and in even amounts. Avoid sweeping, washing your hair or wearing black or white if visiting a family. If you are staying at a hotel, a small packet for regular staff is a kind gesture, though nobody expects it from a visitor.
#Essential Local Phrases
| Cantonese | Meaning | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| 恭喜發財 (gung hei fat choi) | "Wishing you prosperity" | From 6 February |
| 新年快樂 (san nin faai lok) | Happy New Year | To anyone |
| 利是 (lai see) | Red packet | Over the holiday |
| 年糕 (nin gou) | New Year cake | At a family table |
| 花市 (fa si) | Flower market | At Victoria Park |
| 多謝 (do je) | Thank you for a gift | Receiving a red packet |
#Packing List
- A jacket and layers, for evenings outdoors at the parade
- Something red, if you like, for the season
- Comfortable shoes for standing a long time
- A small folding umbrella
- A warm layer for chilly rooms
- Cash in small, crisp notes
- A portable charger for long crowd nights
#Backup Plans
- Everything is shut: go to the malls, the museums or a hotel restaurant.
M+ at HK$190 and the Hong Kong Palace Museum from HK$70 are good choices; check their holiday hours.
- Rain on parade night: it usually goes ahead, so bring a jacket with a hood. Umbrellas are unpopular in a dense crowd.
- Too many people: take a ferry to Lamma or Cheung Chau.
#Safety & Health
Dial 999 in an emergency. Crowd control on parade and fireworks nights is firm: follow police directions and agree a meeting point. Incense-filled temples can bother anyone with asthma. Carrying a vape in a public place is also an offence, with a HK$3,000 fixed penalty. National security laws here are strict and cover visitors too: see First Time in Hong Kong.
#What's New for February 2027
- Lunar New Year: Saturday 6 February 2027, the Year of the Goat
- Public holidays: 6, 8 and 9 February, with the Sunday in between
- Lantern Festival: Saturday 20 February 2027
- Silk Roads: at the Hong Kong Palace Museum to 5 May 2027
#About This Guide
By Harry Nara (founder of WhenToWander), written in November 2026 for February 2027. Climate figures are Hong Kong Observatory 1991–2020 normals; the holiday sequence is the established pattern, and the Tourism Board publishes the programme nearer the time. Daily budgets are our estimates.
- GovHK for the 2027 public holidays
- Hong Kong Observatory for the lunar table
For the month before, see Hong Kong in January, and for the month after, Hong Kong in March. For the whole season, see Hong Kong in Winter.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is February a good time to visit Hong Kong?
For the festival, yes. Lunar New Year opens on Saturday 6 February 2027, with flower markets, a parade and fireworks by custom. Weather is cool, at 15–19°C. The second half of the month is calmer and cheaper, though cloud and damp start to build.
What happens on each day of Lunar New Year in Hong Kong?
By custom the flower markets peak on the eve, the night parade runs on the first day, fireworks light the harbour on the second, and Sha Tin holds its races on the third. The Tourism Board confirms the programme a few weeks ahead.
What is closed in Hong Kong in Lunar New Year week?
Small shops, market stalls and many family-run restaurants close for several days, and banks and offices shut on the public holidays of 6, 8 and 9 February. Malls, hotels and big attractions mostly stay open, though some keep shorter hours.
How much does a February trip to Hong Kong cost?
Allow about HK$850–1,400 a day on a budget and HK$2,200–3,500 mid-range in holiday week, when rooms are the dearest of the winter. The second half of the month is much cheaper, and the parade and fireworks are free from the street.
What’s the weather like in Hong Kong in February?
Hong Kong in February typically sees temperatures of 15–19°C with around 8 days of rain across the period. Pack lightweight layers that suit both cooler mornings and warmer afternoons.