Hong Kong Public Holidays 2026: Plan Your Year

Hong Kong's Holiday Calendar Is Generous

Hong Kong has 17 statutory public holidays per year, blending Chinese traditional festivals with colonial-era holdovers like Easter and Christmas. For expats and newcomers, this calendar is one of the city's underappreciated perks — you get both Western and Chinese holidays, which means more long weekends and more opportunities to travel or explore.

Here is the complete list for 2026, along with practical advice on how to make the most of each one.

January to March: The New Year and Spring Window

1 January (Thursday) — New Year's Day. A single public holiday. Most people are recovering from New Year's Eve celebrations. The city is quiet, many businesses are closed, and it is a good day for a hike or a dim sum brunch.

17-19 February (Tuesday to Thursday) — Chinese New Year. The biggest holiday of the year. Three consecutive days off, and many people take additional leave around it. The city transforms — flower markets spring up across Hong Kong, buildings are draped in red decorations, and families gather for reunion dinners. Expect firecrackers, lion dances, and packed restaurants.

Travel tip: book flights and hotels well in advance if you plan to travel during CNY. Prices spike and availability drops across all of Asia. If you stay in Hong Kong, the CNY Night Parade in Tsim Sha Tsui and the fireworks over Victoria Harbour are worth experiencing at least once.

April: Easter and Ching Ming

4 April (Saturday) — Ching Ming Festival. A day for honouring ancestors. Families visit cemeteries and graves to clean them and make offerings. Cemeteries and the surrounding areas are very busy. It is a cultural experience worth understanding even if you do not participate — it reflects the deep respect for family that defines Hong Kong culture.

3-6 April (Friday to Monday) — Easter. Good Friday, the day after Good Friday, Easter Saturday (which coincides with Ching Ming in 2026), and Easter Monday give you a four-day weekend. This is one of the best travel windows of the year. Many expats head to Southeast Asia — Bali, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines — for a short holiday. Book early.

May: Labour Day and Buddha's Birthday

1 May (Friday) — Labour Day. A three-day weekend when combined with Saturday and Sunday. A good opportunity for a quick domestic trip — Cheung Chau Island, Sai Kung, or Lantau are popular choices. Or simply enjoy a quieter-than-usual Hong Kong.

24 May (Sunday) — The Birthday of the Buddha. Observed on the Monday (25 May) when it falls on a Sunday, giving another long weekend. This is a Buddhist holiday celebrated with ceremonies at monasteries across Hong Kong. The Po Lin Monastery on Lantau is particularly atmospheric. It coincides with the Cheung Chau Bun Festival in some years — one of Hong Kong's most unique local events, featuring a tower of steamed buns and a bun-scrambling competition.

June: Dragon Boat Festival

19 June (Friday) — Tuen Ng Festival (Dragon Boat Festival). Another three-day weekend. This festival celebrates the ancient Chinese poet Qu Yuan with dragon boat races across the harbour and sticky rice dumplings (zongzi) wrapped in bamboo leaves. The races at Stanley and Sai Kung are the most popular. The atmosphere is festive and distinctly local — a great holiday to experience as an expat.

Dragon Boat Festival marks the start of peak summer. Expect hot, humid weather and the beginning of the swimming and beach season. This is a good weekend for a beach trip or an island hop.

July: Hong Kong SAR Establishment Day

1 July (Wednesday) — Hong Kong SAR Establishment Day. Marks the anniversary of the handover from British to Chinese sovereignty in 1997. A mid-week holiday, which is great for a breather but less useful for travel. Some people take an extra day off to create a long weekend.

September and October: Mid-Autumn and National Day

22 September (Tuesday) — Day after Mid-Autumn Festival. The Mid-Autumn Festival itself falls on Monday evening (21 September), and the following day is the public holiday. This is one of Hong Kong's most beautiful celebrations — lanterns are lit in parks, mooncakes are shared, and families gather to admire the full moon. Victoria Park hosts the largest lantern display. The atmosphere is magical.

1 October (Thursday) — National Day. Celebrates the founding of the People's Republic of China. A single-day holiday, often paired with a fireworks display over Victoria Harbour. Taking Friday off creates a four-day weekend — a popular strategy for a short trip.

7 October (Wednesday) — Chung Yeung Festival. A day for visiting graves and hiking to high places. The tradition is to climb hills on Chung Yeung — the hiking trails are busy, and it is one of the best days of the year to be outdoors. The October weather is typically perfect for it.

December: Winter Holidays

25 December (Friday) — Christmas Day. Hong Kong celebrates Christmas with enthusiasm — elaborate light displays line the harbour, shopping malls go all out with decorations, and the social calendar fills up with parties. The Friday placement in 2026 creates a natural three-day weekend.

26 December (Saturday) — The day after Christmas. Boxing Day. Combined with Christmas and Sunday, this extends the break. Many businesses remain closed or operate with reduced hours through the weekend.

The Sandwich Day Strategy

Sandwich days are the single working days that fall between a public holiday and a weekend. By taking one or two days of annual leave on these days, you can turn a standard public holiday into a four- or five-day weekend. In 2026, the best sandwich day opportunities include:

Taking Friday 2 January off to extend New Year's Day into a four-day weekend. Taking Monday 20 February off after Chinese New Year for a full week. Taking Friday 2 October off after National Day for a four-day weekend. Planning ahead for these opportunities is how experienced Hong Kong residents maximise their time off.

What Is Open and What Is Closed

Hong Kong is a commercial city, and most things remain open on public holidays. Shopping malls, restaurants, and supermarkets operate as normal — some with reduced hours on Chinese New Year. Public transport runs on holiday schedules, which usually means slightly reduced frequency but full coverage.

Government offices, banks, and post offices close on all public holidays. If you need to handle administrative tasks, avoid scheduling them around holiday periods. Medical clinics may have reduced hours, though hospital emergency departments are always open.

Which Holidays to Travel and Which to Stay

The best holidays for travel are Easter (four days, April weather, Southeast Asia is accessible), Dragon Boat Festival (three days in June, beach weather), and any sandwich-day long weekend in October (perfect flying weather). The best holidays to stay in Hong Kong and experience local culture are Chinese New Year, Mid-Autumn Festival, and Chung Yeung — these are uniquely Hong Kong experiences that you will not get anywhere else.