● Currency HKD, pegged to the US dollar ● Visa-free stay up to 90 days for many nationalities ● Getting around Octopus card on MTR, tram & ferry ● Airport Express Central in 24 min ● Tap water boil before drinking ● Emergency number 999
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Day trips: Macau, Shenzhen & Guangzhou

Hong Kong's position at the mouth of the Pearl River Delta puts several major destinations within day-trip range, each a genuinely different experience from Hong Kong itself.

Macau

A roughly one-hour high-speed ferry from the Hong Kong–Macau Ferry Terminal in Sheung Wan (or from the airport's SkyPier) reaches Macau, the former Portuguese colony now known for its casinos, but also for a genuinely distinct old-town core of Portuguese colonial architecture, egg tarts, and a very different pace from Hong Kong.

Shenzhen

Just across the mainland border, Shenzhen has grown from a fishing town into a major tech and manufacturing hub within a few decades. Reachable by MTR to the border at Lo Wu or Lok Ma Chau, or by high-speed rail from West Kowloon.

Guangzhou

Further into the mainland, Guangzhou is reachable in under an hour by high-speed rail from West Kowloon Station, with immigration for both sides cleared in the same building before boarding.

Tip. Entry requirements for the mainland and for Macau are separate from Hong Kong's — check what applies to your passport well before travel, since rules differ from Hong Kong's own visa-free allowances.
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