Hong Kong Palace Museum: Tickets, Exhibitions, Tips & More

Haven’t yet been to the Hong Kong Palace Museum? We went on a little field trip to give you first-hand info on museum tickets, exhibitions and also things to do at West Kowloon Cultural District afterwards!

Whether you’re travelling to Hong Kong or simply looking for a shaded activity to shelter yourself from the rain or sweltering heat, Hong Kong museums offer an inexpensive gateway to history, arts and more. The Hong Kong Palace Museum houses stunning artefacts from the national Palace Museum at the Forbidden City in Beijing. Expect everything from detailed paintings to intricate craftsmanship and interactive booths – plus plenty of seating areas! Set aside about two hours to explore this museum at the West Kowloon Cultural District with our tips below.

Read More: The Best Museums In Hong Kong

Hong Kong Palace Museum – Tickets, transport and opening hours

We’ll admit, we were initially confused about the ticketing for the Hong Kong Palace Museum so we’re here to guide you through. There are three main types of tickets; General Admission Ticket which grants access to Galleries 1 to 7, Special Exhibition Ticket to either Gallery 8 or 9 and the Full Access Ticket to view all the galleries.

The special exhibitions in Galleries 8 and 9 rotate from time to time in collaboration with museums across the globe – check ahead in the Hong Kong Palace Museum website to see if it tickles your curiosity. There have been Van Gogh paintings and ancient gold collections in the past.

The tickets are further divided into “Flex entry” and “Timed entry”, the only difference being that the flex one allows you entry on any day of the month you purchase the tickets in and timed is for those of you who are set on which date and time you’re going for. See the full breakdown of ticketing here – do note some exhibitions may be closed temporarily, you’ll find the notices here.

Editor’s Note: It’s best for you to purchase the tickets ahead of your visit as there’s no guarantee for at-the-door tickets and special exhibitions may be sold out for the particular time you’re looking for.

How To Get To Hong Kong Palace Museum

The West Kowloon Cultural District isn’t the most convenient of places to get to, but it’s definitely worth the commute! From the Island side, the quickest way is to take the train from Hong Kong Station and alight at Kowloon Station and walk over through ELEMENTS, and as for Kowloon, there are a number of KMB and minibus routes, see which mode of transport fits you best here.

Hong Kong Palace Museum Opening Hours

Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday: 10am to 6pm
Friday, Saturday, and Public Holiday: 10am to 8pm

The museum is closed on Tuesdays (except public holidays) and the first two days of the Lunar New Year – at-the-door tickets will close one hour before the museum closes.

Read More: Your Guide To The West Kowloon Cultural District

Hong Kong Palace Museum Exhibitions And Our Personal Favourites

There are a total of four floors, with Gallery 1 on the ground floor, Gallery 2 on the first, Galleries 3 to 5 on the second, Galleries 6 to 8 on the third and Gallery 9 at the top along with a restaurant and viewing deck. It doesn’t quite matter where you start but making our way up seemed the smoothest with pit-stops at the viewing decks on the second and fourth floors.

There are plenty of seats and foldable chairs all around the museum so you can take a break whenever. Don’t forget to stop by the museum shop on the ground floor to bring home a keepsake! 

Editor’s Note: There’s no re-entry once you exit the museum on the ground floor.

Gallery 2 – From Dawn to Dusk: Life in the Forbidden City

Gallery 2 is the largest in the museum and showcases everything from traditional attire, antique clocks and utensils and paintings. Take your time to marvel at the craftsmanship and a taste of royalty with over 300 pieces owned by the emperors and empresses of the Forbidden City in the 18th century.

Gallery 5 – The Quest for Originality: Contemporary Design and Traditional Craft in Dialogue

Bringing about 100 exquisitely designed pieces to the Hong Kong Palace Museum from Beijing, Gallery 5 is a feast for the eyes with contemporary pieces shaped by time-honoured traditions. From vases to candle holders and more clocks (we couldn’t get enough of them!), we loved the spotlight on artisans.

Gallery 6 – Passion for Collecting: Founding Donations to the Hong Kong Palace Museum

Explore prized treasures donated by local collectors and artists ranging from painted ceramics of the Neolithic period from a thousand years ago to gold ornaments, porcelains and more.

Gallery 7 – Dwelling in Tranquility: Reinventing Traditional Gardens

Traditional Chinese gardens have been around for centuries and serve as inspiration for plenty of literature and arts – Gallery 7 takes a more contemporary approach whilst echoing traditional garden philosophy. Though modern, we still found a sense of peace and quiet here.

Read More: Things To Do Indoors When It’s Raining In Hong Kong

Things To Do Near The Palace Museum

If you’re looking to extend your day at West Kowloon, look to exploring the M+ museum for contemporary visual arts or pack a picnic to lounge in the gorgeous grassy areas. Stay until the evening and grab a bite at one of the diners or attend an event at Freespace – see our guide to the West Kowloon Cultural District for more inspo!