A Star Ferry ride across Victoria Harbour costs HK$5 on a weekday. That’s about PHP 40, and it gives you one of the best skyline views in Asia. Hong Kong has a reputation for being expensive, and parts of it are. But the things most Filipinos actually want from a long weekend there (the harbour, the dim sum, the Peak, the night markets) cost far less than people assume.

This guide plans a Hong Kong budget trip from Manila for three days, with every cost in Hong Kong dollars and pesos: flights from Manila, Clark and Cebu, the 14-day visa-free entry, the cheapest ways in from the airport, a day-by-day plan, where to sleep, and a full budget table. There is also a section for anyone flying in to watch Alex Eala at the Hong Kong Tennis Open, which starts on 2 November.

All prices were checked on 18 October 2026. Conversions use HK$1 = PHP 8.02 and US$1 = PHP 62.97 (ECB reference rates, 16 October 2026).

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Quick answer: what a Hong Kong budget trip from Manila costs

The short version: you don’t need a visa, the flight is about two and a half hours, and a tipid three days costs roughly PHP 23,300 per person including flights and travel tax. A more comfortable version with the Peak Tram and the Big Buddha comes to about PHP 33,000. The flight is the biggest single cost, so your dates matter more than anything you do on the ground.

Flights from Manila, Clark and Cebu

Six airlines fly Manila to Hong Kong: HK Express, Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific, Cathay Pacific, Greater Bay Airlines and China Airlines. The average flight time is 2 hours 24 minutes, according to Trip.com’s route data.

Here’s what was actually on sale when we checked on 18 October 2026:

• Manila, cheapest one-way: PHP 3,755 on HK Express nonstop, for 25 November or 2 December.
• Manila, round trip: PHP 9,799 for 3 to 9 November and PHP 8,316 for 2 to 5 December, both HK Express.
• Clark, round trip around Undas: PHP 9,114 on HK Express, out on Sunday 1 November and back early on Tuesday 3 November, so you’d need Tuesday morning off. Clark to Hong Kong is the shortest hop at about 2 hours 13 minutes.
• Cebu: nonstop round trips on Cebu Pacific from about PHP 13,800. The flight takes about three hours.

Trip.com also publishes monthly averages, and November shows the lowest one-way average from Manila at PHP 1,792. Treat that as a floor, not a quote. Nothing close to it was actually bookable when we checked, because the average is dragged down by promo seats sold months ahead.

Check current Manila to Hong Kong fares on Trip.com

Watch the baggage rules. HK Express’s cheapest fare, Ultra Lite, includes only one personal item under the seat, 7 kg maximum, and no checked bag, as listed on the airline’s fare page. Cebu Pacific raised its hand-carry limit to 10 kg in total from 15 September 2026, as reported on 12 September; check the allowance on your own booking. If you’re bringing pasalubong home, a prepaid 20 kg bag on Cebu Pacific’s short-haul international routes costs PHP 2,000, while the airport counter charges PHP 3,500. Our breakdown of what a piso fare really costs once fees are added has the full fee list.

Don’t forget the Philippine travel tax: PHP 1,620 for economy, paid separately from most fares, as set by TIEZA.

Visa and entry for Philippine passport holders

Filipinos can visit Hong Kong visa-free for up to 14 days. The Hong Kong Immigration Department’s visit visa table lists the Philippines at 14 days. Have your return ticket and proof that you can pay for your stay ready, since officers can ask for them.

One rule matters more for Filipinos than most visitors: visitors may not work, paid or unpaid. If a relative or friend in Hong Kong suggests you “help out” while you’re there, don’t. Our full guide on Hong Kong visa-free entry and extensions for Filipinos covers longer stays.

Getting from the airport and around the city

The airport is on Lantau Island, so your first decision is how to get into Kowloon.

Cheapest: the A21 bus. Citybus A21 runs from the airport through Mong Kok and Tsim Sha Tsui to Hung Hom for HK$34.6 (PHP 278), taking about 84 minutes end to end, based on Transport Department data. If you’re staying in Mong Kok or Jordan, it drops you close to your door.

Fastest: the Airport Express. It costs HK$120 (PHP 963) to Hong Kong Station or HK$105 (PHP 842) to Kowloon Station with an Octopus or contactless card, as shown on MTR’s fare page. The trick for barkadas and families is the group ticket: four people travelling together pay HK$280 to Hong Kong Station, which is HK$70 each (PHP 562), under MTR’s group ticket offer. Two people pay HK$170 together. If you’d rather sort it before you fly, you can buy an Airport Express QR e-ticket on Klook and scan it at the gate.

The Octopus card. Octopus offers visitors three options:

• Octopus App for Tourists on an iPhone X or later: no physical card, top up with a Philippine credit or debit card, and get your refund through the app.
• Sold Tourist Octopus: HK$39 (PHP 313), no deposit, yours to keep as a souvenir.
• Standard On-Loan Octopus: HK$200, of which HK$50 is a refundable deposit and HK$150 is stored value. Returning it within 90 days costs an HK$11 handling fee.

Inside the city, everything is cheap. Tsim Sha Tsui to Central on the MTR is HK$10.6 (PHP 85). The ding-ding tram on Hong Kong Island is a flat HK$3.3 (PHP 26), since May 2025. The Star Ferry is HK$5 upper deck on weekdays and HK$6.5 on weekends, going by Star Ferry’s fare table, though it has applied for a fare rise of about 30% that was still under review at the time of writing.

Photo: Evancyk / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

A 3-day plan for a Hong Kong budget trip

It assumes a morning arrival and an evening flight home on day three, with the money going into food rather than tickets. If your flight home leaves early, as the cheapest Clark fare does, move day three’s sights to day two.

Day 1: Kowloon, the harbour and the night market

Walk the Tsim Sha Tsui promenade and the free Avenue of Stars. Take the Star Ferry across to Central and back for the view. Be on the Kowloon side by 8pm for A Symphony of Lights, the free nightly light show across the harbour that lasts about 10 minutes, says the Hong Kong Tourism Board.

Photo: Alexkom000 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)

Then head north to Temple Street Night Market in Yau Ma Tei. It officially opens at 2pm, but most stalls only set up around 4pm and the market runs until midnight. Haggle, and skip the electronics.

Photo: ZhuWahDaSeeMcYanSze / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)

Day 2: Hong Kong Island, the Peak and Central

Ride the tram through Causeway Bay and Wan Chai for HK$3.3. Then go up the Peak.

Peak Tram or bus? The Peak Tram costs HK$116 return (PHP 931), or HK$182 (PHP 1,460) with the Sky Terrace 428 viewing deck, since The Peak’s fare change in December 2025. Citybus 15 from Central Ferry Piers goes to the same place for HK$13 (PHP 104) in about 47 minutes. Our pick: the bus up, then the flat Lugard Road walk for the classic view, free. If you do want the tram and the deck, you can book the Peak Tram and Sky Terrace 428 ticket on Klook and skip the ticket queue.

Photo: GAOSJ kwoaM MAOWE / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)

If it’s a Sunday, spend an hour in Central. Hong Kong had 205,764 Filipino domestic workers at the end of 2025, according to Immigration Department figures, and Sunday is their day off. Chater Road is closed to traffic and fills with picnics on cardboard, and World-Wide House is packed with Filipino-run shops. If you want to hear Mass in Tagalog, St Joseph’s Church on Garden Road holds Tagalog Masses at 1pm, 2:30pm and 4pm on Sundays, going by its October 2026 schedule; check the November schedule before you go. If you have family working in Hong Kong, this is the day to plan around.

Day 3: the Big Buddha or the Dragon’s Back

Option A, Lantau: the MTR from Tsim Sha Tsui to Tung Chung is HK$18.7 (PHP 150). The Ngong Ping 360 cable car costs HK$295 (PHP 2,367) round trip in a standard cabin, based on Ngong Ping 360’s ticket page. Climbing the 268 steps to the Tian Tan Buddha is free. It’s on the airport side, so it fits well before an evening flight.

Option B, free: the Dragon’s Back hike. Take the MTR to Shau Kei Wan, Exit A2, then bus 9 towards Shek O (HK$9.4) to the trailhead.

For reference, Hong Kong Disneyland’s one-day adult ticket runs HK$669 to HK$939 (PHP 5,368 to 7,534) depending on the date, and Ocean Park is HK$538 (PHP 4,316).

If you’re going for Alex Eala: the Hong Kong Tennis Open

The Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open runs 2 to 8 November 2026 at Victoria Park Tennis Stadium in Causeway Bay, with qualifying on 31 October and 1 November, according to the organisers. Alex Eala is on the entry list and is projected to be the third seed, based on the rankings of 12 October, according to the 2026 tournament page. Official seeds are set at the draw. Entries can still change before the event, so check the WTA tournament page before you book anything around her.

What a Filipino fan needs to know:

• Tickets cost HK$180 to HK$1,070 (PHP 1,444 to 8,585) on Ticketflap, and Category 2 is half price for full-time students and seniors, as listed on the official ticket page.
• The top four seeds get first-round byes, as the WTA confirmed. If Eala is seeded in the top four, her first singles match will be in round two, from Tuesday 3 November at the earliest. An Undas trip that flies home on 2 November will miss her singles.
• Free day: in 2025 the opening “People’s Monday” was free, and some Filipino fans arrived two hours early to see Eala play doubles on a court of about 300 seats, as Spin.ph reported. Free days for 2026 hadn’t been announced when this was written.
• Times: main-draw play starts at 2pm from Monday to Friday, the semifinals at 2pm on Saturday and the final at 1:30pm on Sunday 8 November. The final falls on a Sunday, when most Filipino domestic workers in Hong Kong have their day off.
• Getting there: MTR Tin Hau Exit A2 or Causeway Bay Exit E. Only water bottles are allowed in, and e-tickets scan once.

For the rest of her season, see our Alex Eala tournament schedule.

Photo: Nath87 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Where to stay on a budget

Hong Kong rooms are small and priced per room, so pairing up is the single biggest saving. Kowloon is usually cheaper than the Island, and the A21 airport bus runs right through it.

• Mong Kok and Yau Ma Tei: the A21 bus stops here, Temple Street is walkable, and budget hotels run roughly HK$550 to 750 a night (PHP 4,413 to 6,017) according to 2026 budget guides. Compare budget hotels in Mong Kok.
• Tsim Sha Tsui: best for the harbour and the Star Ferry. The cheapest private rooms are the guesthouses inside Chungking Mansions, roughly HK$350 to 500 (PHP 2,808 to 4,012) a night for a tiny room. Basic, but central. See rooms in Tsim Sha Tsui.
• Sham Shui Po: YHA Mei Ho House is a youth hostel in a restored 1950s housing estate. Member rates need a YHA or Hostelling International card, and non-members pay a little more, so check current rates before you count on it.

Our list of the best hostels in Hong Kong has more options. The map below shows live prices around Yau Ma Tei, Jordan and Mong Kok:

Budget breakdown in HKD and PHP

Per person, three days and two nights. The tipid column assumes a solo traveller in a guesthouse room; the comfortable column assumes two people sharing a budget hotel room and splitting an Airport Express group ticket to Kowloon Station (HK$150 for two).

Flight figures are round trips showing on 18 October 2026: Clark, 1 to 3 November for the tipid column, and the higher Manila fare (3 to 9 November) for the comfortable one. Fares move daily, so check yours before you book. Food assumes a cha chaan teng breakfast set at about HK$40 to 55, a dim sum lunch at about HK$70 at a place like Tim Ho Wan, and wonton noodles at about HK$50 to 58 a bowl, based on 2026 price reports. Our guide to must-try food and drinks in Hong Kong tells you what to order.

Photo: N509FZ / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Practical tips before you fly

Weather. Late October and November are the best months to go. Hong Kong Observatory’s 1991 to 2020 averages put November at a mean of 22.2°C with 39.3 mm of rain, against 25.7°C and 120.3 mm in October (see the Observatory’s table). Pack a light jacket for the evenings. Typhoons can still happen in November (there were three typhoon-signal episodes in November 2024), so book flights you can rebook.

Mobile data. Philippine roaming adds up fast. An Airalo Hong Kong eSIM costs US$12.50 (PHP 787) for 3 days of unlimited data; see Airalo’s Hong Kong eSIM plans.

Insurance. It isn’t required for entry, but a typhoon can cancel your flight home. See what SafetyWing costs for a short trip.

Money. Octopus covers transport and works at convenience stores and most fast-food chains. Keep some cash for dai pai dongs, Temple Street stalls and small shops.

Wine & Dine Festival. If you’re there over the Undas weekend, the Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival runs 29 October to 1 November at the Central Harbourfront and Tamar Park. On-site entry is HK$40 (PHP 321), says the Tourism Board’s ticket page.

FAQ

Do Filipinos need a visa for Hong Kong?
No. Philippine passport holders can stay visa-free for up to 14 days as visitors, according to the Hong Kong Immigration Department. You can’t work during that stay.

How much is a 3-day Hong Kong trip from Manila?
About PHP 23,300 per person on a tipid plan and about PHP 33,000 on a comfortable plan, including the round-trip flight and the PHP 1,620 travel tax, based on prices checked on 18 October 2026.

What is the cheapest way from Hong Kong airport to the city?
Citybus A21 at HK$34.6 (PHP 278) to Mong Kok and Tsim Sha Tsui. For groups of four, the Airport Express group ticket is HK$70 each to Hong Kong Station.

Which long weekends work for a Hong Kong trip?
Undas (31 October to 2 November 2026) and Bonifacio Day (28 to 30 November 2026) both give you a three-day weekend. December 8 is a Tuesday, so it only becomes a long weekend if you file one day of leave.

Will I see Alex Eala if I go over Undas?
Probably not in singles. If she is seeded in the top four, she gets a first-round bye, so her first singles match will be from 3 November at the earliest.

The bottom line

Hong Kong rewards people who plan the flight and wing the rest. Lock in a long-weekend fare first, sleep in Kowloon, ride the tram and the Star Ferry, and spend on dim sum instead of theme parks. Three days covers the harbour, the Peak, a night market and Central on a Sunday, with pasalubong still in budget.

If you’re going for the tennis, aim for 3 to 8 November instead of the Undas weekend, and check the WTA site for the order of play the night before.

About the Author

Bianca Rei is a Filipino traveler, entrepreneur, and problem-solver who has called Serbia home for many years. She has been following Two Monkeys Travel Group since 2014, back when she was simply a reader dreaming, traveling, and collecting stories of her own, so being able to contribute to the blog now feels a little like coming full circle.

Bianca runs Rodi Solutions, where she helps people and businesses navigate life and business in Serbia, alongside website design, development, and management. When she is not working, she is usually traveling, boxing, chasing another adventure, or spending time with her family.

Find her work at rodi.consulting, or get to know her beyond work at biancarei.net.