The best things to do in Hong Kong today

The ever-popular White Christmas Street Fair is back! This year, the market is turning Taikoo Place into a love letter to Hong Kong’s iconic neon signs. Under the theme ‘Colour the Season’, the White Christmas Street Fair will illuminate Tong Chong Street, Taikoo Square, and Taikoo Park in electric pinks, blues and golds, starting the moment you step out of Taikoo MTR and into a glowing urban light tunnel. Expect more than 40 retail and F&B stalls, including new fusion spot Cooshti and a dozen Taikoo Place restaurants serving limited-edition neon-inspired dishes and festive classics. Everything will run on digital food-and-drink coupons to cut paper waste, and visitors are encouraged to bring their own containers or rent reusable ones on-site. Even the giant neon wreath, handcrafted by neon master Wu Chi-kai, will be upcycled into table lamps after the event. Beyond shopping and eating, there will also be a two-metre Christmas gift box arena for rhythm-and-light team games, a Friday-night Cantopop disco with Cantomania, and an interactive theatre piece blending community stories with a colour-changing tree. This year’s proceeds will go to Operation Santa Claus, and for every dollar raised, Swire Properties will also match the amount with a dedicated contribution to the Tai Po relief effort.

The Winter Wonderland has moved from its home on the West Kowloon waterfront to Island side this year, so Statue Square Garden will be home to not only the tallest Christmas tree in town, but also a seasonal Christmas town, a joyous Christmas market, and enough lights, baubles, globes, and illuminated decorations to rival the traditional Christmas markets of Austria, Switzerland, and Germany!  Meanwhile, nearby Chater Road will transform into ‘Starlight Boulevard’ through dazzling decorations and light displays, an homage to six decades ago when Hongkong Land put on a seasonal light display on the same road – the city’s earliest recorded one, in fact.

The China Hong Kong City Car Boot Christmas Market returns to its prime harbourfront spot in Tsim Sha Tsui for 10 days across December! Working in collaboration with local woodworking brand Start from Zero, this year’s market features over 100 stalls and a strong local line-up that includes independent fashion labels, handmade accessories, celebrity brands, vintage finds, and classic car displays. As you shop around and enjoy food and drink ranging from satay bites to craft coffee, a six-metre-tall Christmas tree will light up the space while local bands and DJs turn up the energy with live music on selected nights.

“Choo choo” goes the festive train at Christmas Grand Central this holiday season! Pacific Place and Starstreet Precinct are presenting ‘Ticket to Christmas’ from now until January 2, 2026, and this merry yuletide voyage is poised to take visitors on a ride to experience Christmas magic. Expect cute photo ops, whimsical installations, immersive ‘train’ journeys, and even a ‘Santa Express’ where you can meet Santa Claus and snap a photo with the man himself – ticket sales for this meet-and-greet will go toward a good cause, too, as a donation to Operation Santa Claus. Afterwards, shop for a souvenir at the ‘Wonderbox’ merchandise store, watch live performances, or join an interactive workshop to craft Christmas cake candles, timepieces, and Christmas wreaths! You can register for Santa Express and festive workshops through the Pacific Place website.

In a landmark collaboration between the Hong Kong Palace Museum (HKPM) and the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) of Egypt, 250 treasures and relics from the land of the Pharaohs will be on display in Hong Kong for nine and a half months. Named ‘Ancient Egypt Unveiled’, this exhibition is the largest, most comprehensive, and longest-running display of ancient Egyptian artefacts Hong Kong has ever seen, displaying archaeological finds loaned straight from Egypt, many of which are being shown outside of their home country for the very first time. Some of our favourite highlights include a set of canopic jars used to store internal organs in the mummification and burial process; statues of the female pharaoh Hatshepsut and Rameses II; painted coffins of wood and stone; a Book of the Dead papyrus scroll; and even an ancient Egyptian toilet seat. Swing by the gift shop to find a wide range of Egypt-related merch, including an adorable series of blind box plushies created by HKPM which depict pharaohs, canopic jars, mummies, and more.

Landmark never disappoints when it comes to annual Christmas displays, and this year’s installation ‘Noëlia’ is no different. We’ve got gingerbread men, we've got an airship, and we’ve got… a whale breaching water? It’s a fantastical scene, to be sure. Noëlia will feature a winter village, a lighthouse, and an interactive wishing lake called Lake Lumière that welcomes visitors to share their heart’s desires, which will then be magnificently displayed.  After making your wish, you can meet the charming cast of characters at Noëlia, explore their homes and workshops, and take part in even more interactive experiences on-site. Photo opportunities abound, and will surely enchant and delight visitors of all ages.

A new exhibition at M+ showcases 12 immersive installations by pioneering women artists from Asia, Europe, and the Americas, including three new works by Asian artists. Dream Rooms: Environments by Women Artists 1950s–Now emphasises the multisensory experience of art and highlights women’s contributions to installation art, a field often overshadowed by male artists. Visitors can actively engage with the environments, which include nine historic pieces that have been painstakingly reconstructed, such as Aleksandra Kasuba’s Spectral Passage (1975), which invites individuals to journey through interconnected nylon structures as a metaphor of the life cycle; Judy Chicago’s Feather Room (1966), an all-white space filled with 300 pounds of feathers; and more. M+ will also host talks with co-curators Andrea Lissoni and Marina Pugliese to discuss the concept behind the exhibition, and a panel discussion with the three Asian artists whose new, commissioned work is part of Dream Rooms. Additionally, M+ Cinema will screen three documentaries about some of the exhibited artists to supplement the show.

Black Sheep Restaurant’s winter-exclusive Chalet des Alpes has returned to Central for the third time, transforming the space on 18 Shelley Street into a warm, cosy retreat, much like traditional Alpine chalets. From now until January 15, diners can indulge in a hearty menu ($1,088 per person) that’ll burst your belly. From festive appetisers such as salade de Mâche, assorted charcuterie boards, and ooey-gooey raclette, to their irresistible fondue of gruyère and Emmental cheese, this is the epitome of winter comfort food, even if you’re not leaving town for colder climes this year.  Additionally, the Chalet will be giving away nightly prizes to the dining group with the best après-ski outfits, so be sure to don your overalls, fuzzy hats, and obnoxiously large ski goggles.

Disneyland is the happiest place on Earth, and Christmastime is the most magical time of the year, so put the two together, and what do you get? Only the most fabulous festive event of all time! Until January 4, 2026, visitors can step into a world of Christmas magic at Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, featuring magical ‘snow’ and brightly decorated Christmas trees at World of Frozen, Disney characters dressed in cosy yuletide styles, a ‘Holiday Wish-Come-True’ tree lighting ceremony to capture the jolliness of the season, and the unmissable ‘Disney Christmas Live in Concert!’ to spread the joyous spirit.  Coinciding with the release of Zootopia 2, beloved characters Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde will be making appearances at Hong Kong Disneyland Resort’s Adventureland from November 27 onward. Emporium at Main Street, U.S.A. will be stocking a collection of Zootopia-themed products – there’s an adorable doughnut shop whose stock might not be what they seem… The most terrible thing that can happen here is not being able to choose between the recording carrot keychain or the recording carrot pen!

American fast food chain Shake Shack has teamed up with Regent Hong Kong for a limited-time menu, and it’s nothing like your usual Shake Shack fare! Get ready for the world-exclusive Foie Gras Shack ($195), available only from November 12 to December 12 at the Lobby Lounge, which features a potato bun, an Angus beef patty, melted Gruyere, caramelised onion, black truffle mayonnaise, and foie gras torchon. No Shake Shack meal is complete without crinkle-cut fries, and Regent Hong Kong’s thought of something spectacular for that too: the luxurious Shack Caviar Fries ($225), served with crème fraîche bavarois, chives, and irresistible caviar. You can also opt for Dom Pérignon White Luminous Vintage 2015 ($398 per glass, or $2,280 per bottle) to go with the meal. If you’re lucky enough to be among the first 100 guests to get your hands on the Foie Gras Shack, not only will you walk away with bragging rights, but also a special-edition collector’s goodie bag that commemorates this first-of-its-kind collaboration. Make your reservations here to be the first to try this exciting launch!