“The city never sleeps” is probably the biggest fallacy about Hong Kong. The city does go to sleep, just later than the others.
If you are planning for your next trip to Hong Kong, make sure you refer to this article in order to grab some sense of the business hours in Hong Kong. Especially if you are a spontaneous traveler, putting a few areas on itinerary instead of exact locations or shops to visit, this is going to be helpful for you to roam freely in the city without paying a visit in vain.
Restaurants and Bars
Most restaurants in Hong Kong open from day to night, 7 days a week (only some take one day off per week). Normally speaking, 11 AM to 3 PM are lunch hours and 6 PM to 11 PM are dinner hours. Local food shops mostly stay open between lunch and dinner hours, some of them serve “afternoon tea”, which are smaller-portion dishes at cheaper prices. Serving breakfast is another way for restaurants to maximize their income, depending on the location and food type. Cafes, or coffee shops, usually open between 8 AM to 11 AM, close from 5 PM to 11 PM. On a side note, Japanese restaurants are likely to take an afternoon break between 2 PM to 6 PM.
It will not be surprising to have Lan Kwai Fong or Knutsford Terrace on your list. Bars in Hong Kong generally open from 6 PM until 6 AM, those in Wan Chai tend to open the latest. Bistros, which serve both food and alcoholic drinks, open from noon until late.
Do keep in mind, most bars and restaurants close for the first and second day of Chinese New Year, some would take a longer break because it is the only time throughout a year to do so. Do look up for business hours if you are traveling during CNY. Now with the popularity of social media, businesses usually put a note online when they plan to temporarily close.
Shopping areas
Opening hours of retail shops are slightly varied depending on the location. Unlike restaurants, retail shops usually open 7 days a week. Here are the business hours in the main shopping areas in Hong Kong:
Central: generally 10 AM to 8 PM
Causeway Bay: 11 AM to 9:30 PM or 10 PM
Tsim Sha Tsui: 11 AM to 8 PM
If you are looking for some good deals during your visit, note that summer sales are in late June – early July; winter sales are in January.
You may also want to note the opening hours of services you could use during your visit. Banks in Hong Kong in general open from 9 AM to 4:30 PM (some 5:30 PM) from Mondays to Fridays, 9 AM to 12:30 PM on Saturdays, and close on Sundays. If you look to post something in the post office, only the General Post Office operates 7 days a week, and the Tsim Sha Tsui Post Office opens full day from Mondays to Saturdays. Others usually run shorter hours on weekdays, half day on Saturdays, and close on Sundays. Government-owned museums normally open from 10 AM to between 5 PM to 9 PM, often close on Tuesdays (some Thursdays).
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