Hong Kong
Use Octopus to pay, Citymapper to travel, and MyObservatory for official weather warnings
A physical Octopus card is still the lowest-friction way to use Hong Kong's MTR, buses, trams, ferries and many small merchants.
The essentials
What to know before you go to Hong Kong
Contactless Visa, Mastercard and UnionPay work at MTR gates, but they do not reproduce every Octopus concession or interchange rule and should not be assumed on every bus or minibus. The Octopus App for Tourists is useful only for compatible iPhone, Apple Watch and supported Huawei users; the ordinary Android Octopus product requires a compatible phone sold through an authorised Hong Kong retailer and a local-style Octopus Wallet setup, so most overseas Android visitors should buy a physical card. Citymapper is the most useful single network planner, with MTR Mobile and the government HKeMobility app as operator and official-data checks. Public transport is normally better than a car.
Uber works in Hong Kong and its licensed Taxi option is the clear legal visitor fallback, while the private-car licensing transition is still under way in August 2026. For delivery use Keeta or foodpanda; Deliveroo ended Hong Kong operations on 7 April 2025 and Uber Eats is absent. Cards are common at larger businesses, but keep some HKD for traditional restaurants, markets and payment failures. Enable MyObservatory warnings for typhoons, rainstorms and extreme weather.
Hong Kong uses Cantonese in daily speech and Traditional Chinese in writing, while English is official and widely used. Call 999 for police, fire or ambulance; an app never replaces the call.
Ride Hailing
UberEssential
English-friendly fallback that can dispatch licensed metered taxis and also displays private-car options in Hong Kong.
FlyTaxi
Long-running local app for booking Hong Kong's licensed metered taxis, now being acquired by Uber.
Food Delivery
Payments
Messaging
Useful for confirmed Hong Kong accommodation, restaurant, guide and transfer contacts that explicitly offer WhatsApp.
Navigation
Google MapsEssential
Practical general map for Hong Kong accommodation pins, businesses, walking and an initial route.
Transit
CitymapperEssential
Best all-round Hong Kong journey planner for combining MTR, buses, minibuses, trams, ferries and walking.
MTR Mobile
Official MTR app for rail routes, fares, journey times, interchange platforms, service information and tourist tickets.
HKeMobility
Official Transport Department planner for public transport, walking, traffic, fares, arrivals and boundary-control information.
Language
Google Translate
Optional fallback for Traditional Chinese signs, menus and short written exchanges, with camera and downloaded-language tools.
Restaurants
OpenRice
Hong Kong dining guide for local restaurant listings, branch details, menu photos, reviews and supported reservations.
Utilities
MyObservatoryEssential
Official Hong Kong weather app with local forecasts, radar, tropical-cyclone information and severe-weather warnings.
HKSOS
Hong Kong Police outdoor-safety app linked to the 999 centre, designed to transmit a distressed user's precise location.
Internet in Hong Kong
Mobile internet eSIM Best option when traveling
Guac
RecommendedReliable mobile internet at better prices than most travel eSIMs, with polished iOS and Android apps and support for making and receiving phone calls.
Airalo
One of the biggest travel eSIM brands, with a very large destination catalog.
Holafly
Known for unlimited-data plans in many destinations, at a higher price per gigabyte.
Buying a local SIM card ID registration required
- Bring your passport; the seller registers the prepaid SIM during activation.
- CMHK tourist prepaid includes 7 GB and costs around 78 HKD ($10).
- Airport counters and city carrier stores are the easiest places to buy; confirm activation before leaving.
- Local eSIM is available and follows the same identity rules as a physical SIM.
Some mainland-owned carrier plans may filter internet services; choose another network if open access matters.
Local carriers
csl
Best choice for broad coverage, including rural areas.
SmarTone
A solid alternative; compare current prepaid offers before buying.
3HK
Good-value option when price matters most.
China Mobile Hong Kong
Good-value option when price matters most.
Birdie
Good-value option when price matters most.
Frequently asked questions
What are the must-have apps for traveling in Hong Kong?
The essential apps for Hong Kong are Uber, Keeta, Google Maps, Citymapper, MyObservatory.
How many travel apps does Hong Kong have?
We've curated 14 apps across 9 categories for traveling in Hong Kong, including 5 essential apps.
What is the best ride hailing app in Hong Kong?
Uber. English-friendly fallback that can dispatch licensed metered taxis and also displays private-car options in Hong Kong.
Keep exploring
Also traveling in East Asia?
Japan
Rail-first travel, flexible IC cards, official Shinkansen booking, and disaster alerts
South Korea
Use Naver Map, visitor-ready taxi and dining apps, and a separate transit balance
Macau
Official bus tracking, metered taxis and typhoon alerts for Macau
Taiwan
Cash, a physical EasyCard and a few well-chosen apps cover most trips
China
Set up payments, maps and transport before entering mainland China