Whether your situation calls for a short nap or an overnight slumber, this sleep guide will give you the essential information needed to prepare you for sleeping in Hong Kong Airport.
Our guide is updated with the help of airport sleepers who tell us about their experiences at Hong Kong Airport. If you have a tip to share, write a review to help us keep this sleep guide up-to-date!
Covid-19 Update: This sleep guide was written before Covid-19, so the information may have changed. In October 2021, we will be starting our first guide update since March 2020. A lot has changed, so it’s going to be a massive update. If you are interested in helping, click here to add or update information or write a review to add tips or share photos to help future travellers .
This guide was last updated: 29 August 2019. Read the latest traveller reviews.
Sleeping in Hong Kong Airport
Locations & Seating
This airport gets very busy with travellers, so arrive early in the evening if you want to grab a good spot to rest. Seating is limited in the pre-Secure, public areas, but much more plentiful inside Security. You’ll find numerous seats and benches, and a good amount without armrests. There are some nooks and crannies that offer a bit of privacy, but you’ll have to seek them out specifically. If you prefer to sleep on the floor, there are decent spots away from foot traffic. Bring an extra layer to serve as some cushion on the hard floors.
Here are good sleep spots that travellers have reported:
- Take the stairs near Gate 23 to a relaxation room with comfortable reclining seats. It is often crowded, so keep your eyes peeled for a seat to open up.
- A relaxing bed near Gate 214.
- Terminal 1, at Gate 26, there are some permanently-reclined lounge chairs located behind the bathrooms and water station, facing the tarmac.
Rest Zones
Hong Kong Airport offers designated zones with comfortable rest chairs, perfect for tired travellers looking to relax and enjoy some stress-free time before their flight. Locations: Departures Level near Gates 21, 34, 31, and 61.
Temperature
At the time of this update, we have not received reports from travellers related to terminal temperature. Still, you can likely expect the airport to cool down at night, as air conditioning continues to run and fewer people are inside. Arrive prepared with a blanket or even a sleeping bag. A hoodie provides extra warmth if the terminal gets even colder.
Lighting
At the time of this update, we have not received reports from travellers related to terminal brightness. Come prepared with eyeshades or something else to cover your eyes, such as a shirt or towel.
Noise
This busy airport is loud 24-hours a day, thanks to flights coming and going. Even in the wee hours of the morning, you’ll hear plenty of announcements and noise from TVs and other travellers. Nightly cleaning crews do make the rounds too. Any relative nighttime quiet is pretty much gone by 5:00 AM. Definitely come prepared with earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones.
Showers
Freshen up (and loosen those stiff muscles) with a shower before your flight. Shower facilities are available in four Plaza Premium Lounge locations. See our Hong Kong Airport Guide for more details.
Food & Drink
When you get the midnight munchies or give up trying to sleep and need a coffee to stay awake, 24-hour food concessions are available. Check out these vendors:
- Terminal 1 – Airside: Moon Thai Express (Level 7, food court) • Putien (Level 7, food court) • Starbucks (Level 6, near Gate 15 and near Gate 21) • Tasty Congee & Noodle Wantun Soup (Departures Level, L7)
- Terminal 1 – Landside: 7-Eleven (Check-in Aisle F) • Cafe de Coral (Check-in Aisle F) • Hung Fook Tong (Check-in Aisle F) • McDonald’s (Check-in Aisle F) • Starbucks (Level 7, Check-in Aisle A)
- Terminal 1 – Arrivals: 7-Eleven (before Immigration Hall • Arrivals L5) •Tonkotsu 8 (Level 5) • Tai Hing (Level 5)
- Terminal 2 – Landside: 7-Eleven (Check-in Hall, Departures 5 • Mainland/Macau Transport Center) • Hung Fook Tong (Level 3)
Hotels
Prefer some privacy and comfort? If you would like a good solid sleep between flights without the stress of going far from the airport, you can head to Refreshhh by Aerotel to rent a private relaxation cabin. Or for a more traditional hotel room, you’ll find the Regal Airport Hotel, which is connected to Terminal 1 via an air-conditioned pedestrian bridge. The hotel offers day rooms and free airport shuttle service.
A few more hotels are location within a 5-minute drive of the airport. See the hotel section of our Airport Guide for locations or visit Tripadvisor to find hotels deals at Hong Kong Airport.
Lounges
If you are looking for a private place to nap for a few hours in between flights, check out any of the Plaza Premium Lounges (4 locations), open 24-hours. In addition to offering a comfortable environment to hang out, each location offers a few private sleep rooms that can be rented. Book a private room at the lounge door. For details and locations, check out our Hong Kong Airport Guide.
Security & Safety
Airport staff are tolerant of sleepers, no matter the time of day or night. In general, there seems to be an overall feeling of safety and security on the areas inside Security, which are the more comfortable areas, especially for overnight sleeping.
We have received a couple reports from travellers who dealt with some sketchy characters in the pre-Secure, public areas of both Terminals 1 and 2. One person in particular seems to be a sort of con-man, looking for free beer, money, handouts, and even perhaps inviting people to his home.
As a precaution, here are a few tips to ensure you have a safe airport sleeping experience:
- Know Where Security is Located. Whether you are sleeping in the airport by yourself or with friends, it is good to know where security is. Know where their office is located and look for video cameras in the spot you decide to stay the night. Ask security where it is safe to spend the night. They’ve probably seen many airport sleepers before you and they will direct you to a safe spot.
- Don’t Seclude Yourself. If you are travelling alone we recommend that you sleep near other travellers or close to security.
- Hide Your Valuables. Don’t leave all your mobile devices out in plain view. We have received reports from people who woke up with earphones and no ipod and a laptop bag strap and no laptop bag (or laptop). Same goes with important documents and money. Keep these secure on your body, so that no one can get them without waking you up.
- Secure Your Bags. If you are a deep sleeper, you may want to padlock your bag to something. If your bags have zippers turn the bag upside down (zippers to the floor) or sleep with your bag up against the wall, so that it would be hard for someone to access.
- Choose to Stay Alert. If you don’t feel safe, drink coffee and stay awake and be alert. You can always sleep on the plane!
Pro-tip: If you are sleeping in the public zone, don’t be surprised if you receive an early morning wake-up call. Security is known to make the rounds waking people up as travellers begin to arrive for morning flights.
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