Hong Kong in May

Heat and heavy showers begin; Cheung Chau Bun Festival; first rainstorm warnings.

May is rated mixed. These months rate higher:

• OctoberGreatClear, dry and warm: the best month, but Golden Week (1–7 Oct) fills the city.
• NovemberGreatClear skies and 20–25 °C; best hiking and harbour views; wine and dine festival (check).
• DecemberGreatCool and dry; Christmas lights; year-end hotel peak.
• JanuaryGoodCool, dry and clear (14–19 °C); good hiking; bring a jacket for evenings and the Peak.

• Hong Kong Island and Kowloon · Central, Tsim Sha Tsui, Mong Kok, the Peakhot

  Subtropical monsoon. Winter (Dec–Feb) is dry and 13–20 °C (55–68 °F); spring (Mar–Apr) is humid with fog that hides the Peak; summer (May–Sep) is 28–33 °C (82–91 °F) with heavy showers and typhoons; October–November are clear and dry — the best months.Subtropical monsoon. Winter (Dec–Feb) is dry and 55–68 °F (13–20 °C); spring (Mar–Apr) is humid with fog that hides the Peak; summer (May–Sep) is 82–91 °F (28–33 °C) with heavy showers and typhoons; October–November are clear and dry — the best months.

• New Territories, Lantau and the islands · Sai Kung, Tai Mo Shan, Lantau, Cheung Chau, Lammahot

  Same pattern, a few degrees cooler on the peaks in winter (frost on Tai Mo Shan some years). Ferries and the Ngong Ping cable car stop in strong wind and typhoon signals.

• Macau and the Pearl River Delta (add-ons) · Macau, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Guangzhourainy

  Almost the same weather; Guangzhou is a little colder in winter and hotter in summer. Typhoons close the HZMB and cancel Macau ferries.

• Hong Kong Island and Kowloon29 °C (84 °F) / 25 °C (77 °F), 15 rain days84 °F (29 °C) / 77 °F (25 °C), 15 rain days

Dates as our data lists them. Moving holidays (lunar and Islamic calendars, Easter) shift every year: check the date for your year before you build a trip on it.

• Labour Day

  1 May

  Mainland May Day holiday brings day-trippers; crowds at sights.

• Buddha's Birthday

  Buddha's Birthday — about 13 May 2027 (lunar — check)

  Cheung Chau Bun Festival the same days: island ferries full, queue hours ahead.

• Cheung Chau Bun Festival check

  Around late April to May · Hong Kong Island and Kowloon

  Bun towers and parades; ferries fill up

Crowds · Hong Kong

Medium

Prices · Hong Kong

Medium

Weather, crowds and prices for any two months in Hong Kong, side by side.

• Light, breathable clothes, a sun hat and sunscreen
• A rain jacket or umbrella and shoes that dry fast

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