When to Go

Hong Kong's high season, October through late December, sees sunny days and cool, comfortable nights. January, February, and sometimes early March are cool and dank, with long periods of overcast skies and rain. March and April can be either chilly and miserable or sunny and beautiful. By May the temperature is consistently warm and comfortable.

June through September are the cheapest months for one reason: they coincide with the hot, sticky, and very rainy typhoon (hurricane) season. Hong Kong is prepared for blustery assaults; if a big storm approaches, the airwaves crackle with information, and your hotel will post the appropriate signals (a No. 8 signal indicates the worst of winds, and a black warning is the equivalent for rain). This is serious business -- bamboo scaffolding can come hurtling through the streets like spears, ships can sink in the harbor, and large areas of the territory can flood. Museums, shops and transport shut down, too.