Tips for Visiting Ocean Park Hong Kong With Kids

My husband and I were proud annual pass holders at Ocean Park Hong Kong long before our daughter was born. I’ve always enjoyed the pandas, and it was a fun thing to do in Hong Kong for few hours on the weekend.

Ocean Park Hong Kong is a sea-themed park that features animal exhibits, thrill rides, a playland for young kids, and a wide range of shows. A portion of ticket proceeds goes toward wildlife conservation programs in Hong Kong and Asia.

We don’t live in Hong Kong anymore but return for frequent visits. We always go to Ocean Park at least once per trip. My daughter still loves it, and because it’s on the island where we usually stay, it’s a little easier to get to than Hong Kong Disneyland, can be less expensive, and is usually less hectic.

This guide will help you navigate this famous Hong Kong attraction with kids in tow (and without).

Getting to Ocean Park Hong Kong

Getting to Ocean Park is far easier than it used to be. When we first had our annual passes, the way there was a bus from Admiralty. Since the MTR’s South Island Line opened in late 2016, Ocean Park has its own station, one stop from Admiralty, and that is how we go every time. The line starts deep underground at Admiralty station, handy if you are staying in the Pacific Place hotels, and drops you right at the park entrance.

A taxi from Central takes about 10 to 15 minutes depending on traffic, since the park sits on the south side of the island just past the Aberdeen Tunnel. Citybus route 629 still runs from the Star Ferry pier by way of Admiralty if you would rather take the bus, but with a station of its own now, the MTR is the simple answer.

Ocean Park Hong Kong Tickets

If you don’t have a SmartFun Annual Pass, general admission tickets can be purchased at the park or online:

• Adults: HKD 538
• Children ages 3 to 11: HKD 269
• Children under 3: free

I highly recommend buying Ocean Park tickets (that you don’t need to redeem at a ticket booth) in advance. The park is more crowded than it used to be, so the ticket booth lines can be quite long and are located in the direct morning sunlight. Plus, who wants to wait in line?

If you must wait in line, get there early. One can expect a decent queue at the opening. The park opens at 10:00 a.m. or 10:30 a.m. depending on the day. We arrived five minutes early on a weekday in August (when Hong Kong kids were in school), and there were enough tourists in Hong Kong to make the ticket line about a 20-minute avoidable wait in the hot sun.

Concierges at luxury hotels near Ocean Park Hong Kong (like at Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong) can presell tickets and bill them to your room.

Discount Ocean Park Tickets

Tip: You can also buy discounted Ocean Park tickets at Klook for admission and various experiences. The neat thing about Klook is that you earn points with every purchase. Points can be redeemed for future adventures. It is a popular site to buy tickets and tours in Asia.

Ocean FasTrack

We chose to purchase the Ocean FasTrack online before arriving at the park. To pick up your Ocean FasTrack if you buy it online anyway, enter the park and go left into the gift shop. They’ll redeem your pass at the second counter and give you a wristband to wear for the day.

Ocean FasTrack covers priority access on the park’s designated rides and attractions, split between the two areas:

• The Waterfront: Cable Car, Ocean Express, Giant Panda Adventure, Merry-Go-Round, and the Grand Aquarium
• The Summit: Cable Car, Ocean Express, Arctic Blast, Bumper Blaster, Ferris Wheel, Hair Raiser, South Pole Spectacular, Ocean Park Tower, Shark Mystique, The Flash, The Rapids, and Wild Twister

There are two tiers, priced the same for adults and children:

• Standard: seven priority accesses across the designated list, HKD 320.
• Pro: unlimited priority access to every designated ride, including The Flash and Bumper Blaster, HKD 580.

We were there midweek in March before local school holidays, and the Pro pass saved a ton of time.

Ocean Park Basics: There Are Two Levels

Ocean Park Hong Kong is divided into two parts: The Waterfront (near the park entrance) and The Summit (where the thrill rides and seals are).

The Summit is at the top of a mountain and not walkable from The Waterfront. Get there in one of two ways:

Ocean Park Cable Car: With unbeatable views, the Ocean Park Cable Car takes you up the steep mountain along the shoreline. People who are afraid of heights should give this a skip as it can be a windy ride (the cars are much smaller than Ngong Ping 360 at the Big Buddha). Kids love it, and it sure is easy and peaceful.

The Ocean Express: The Ocean Express is a funicular train that hurls guests up to The Summit through the mountain in just a few minutes. It’s air-conditioned. A little movie plays inside to make guests feel as if they are in a submarine.

During peak days, even in the morning shortly after park opening, the cable car line can be very long. The Ocean Express train line can look long, but they can fit a lot of people into each train. This is probably your best bet.

Alternatively, the Cable Car line going down the mountain isn’t usually crowded until the park closes. We take the Ocean Express train up and the cable car down almost every time.

Ocean Park Hong Kong Map

Now that you know there are two levels, it helps to take a look at the map to get an idea of where The Waterfront and The Summit are. You will need a map when touring The Summit as its hilly walkways and escalators can be confusing to find when mixed in with everything to do up there.

Our Favorite Parts

There’s a lot to do and you could spend the whole day here, but here’s what we usually see.

The Waterfront

Grand Aquarium: Near the entrance, the Grand Aquarium is quite impressive. Filled with 5000 fish from 400 species, it also has the world’s largest aquarium dome to peer into. Wind your way through tunnels and various exhibits while inside.

If you happen to be visiting the park in the evening, Symbio is a light-based water show set to a soundtrack that occurs in the giant lagoon outside of the aquarium.

Giant pandas: The pandas are a big reason families visit, and there is much more to see now than there used to be. Ocean Park is home to six giant pandas. Ying Ying and Le Le live at Giant Panda Adventure with their twin cubs, Jia Jia and De De, who were born in August 2024 and are the first giant pandas born in Hong Kong. Two more pandas gifted from the mainland, An An and Ke Ke, live nearby at the Hong Kong Jockey Club Sichuan Treasures exhibit. The adult pandas can be sleepy, but the cubs draw crowds, so check the day’s schedule and see them early. Their viewing area keeps shorter hours than the rest of the park.

Croco Land: Near the park entrance, this free exhibit opened in 2024 and is home to Passion, a rescued crocodile. It is a quick, easy stop on the way in or out, with a conservation message the kids pick up without much walking.

Nearby are the Asian otters (always a favorite, so cute), monkeys, and some crazy-looking little alligators. Asian Animals is in between the Grand Aquarium and Whiskers Harbour.

Whiskers Harbour: This is the play area for younger kids where there are carnival games, a small bouncy house, a sizable play structure and climbing wall, as well as age-appropriate rides.

Whiskers Theatre is an intimate little stage where there’s a great sea lion show (and others) suitable for young kids.

Old Hong Kong: If you take the Cable Car down from The Summit, you’ll walk through here anyway, but it’s modeled after Hong Kong in the 1950s and something cool to look at for a minute or two. Plenty of quick local food is available, and the carousel is here, too.

The Summit

Thrill rides: The Summit is where the coasters are, which makes it popular with tweens and teens. Hair Raiser, a floorless coaster, is the most extreme. It was closed for upgrades when we last visited and has since reopened. Arctic Blast, over in Polar Adventure, is the gentler family coaster. Several older favorites, including the Mine Train, The Dragon, and The Abyss, closed in 2021 during the park’s restructuring and have not returned, so check the day’s ride list before you promise a specific coaster.

On a hot day, The Rapids, the river-raft ride, is well worth the trek to the end of the park. You will get soaked, so go before you shop, and note there is nowhere to store belongings dry.

Carnival Games: Be prepared that the carnival games also take Octopus cards (the debit card most people use for MTR and other purchases around Hong Kong, eliminating the need to carry cash).

Pacific Pier: This is where the 20 seals and sea lions are. We usually spend a lot of time here because they’re active and cute. It’s shaded here, as well. Plan your visit here around the timed feedings.

Ocean Theatre: Here is where the big marine life shows are. Get there a little early for prime seating if the park is crowded. Show themes change, so check the day’s schedule for what is on when you visit.

And just because an attraction isn’t mentioned here doesn’t mean it’s not awesome. There is just a lot to do at Ocean Park. We usually stay for a half-day but a full day is possible.

Ocean Park Hong Kong Dining

The bottom line is that you’ll likely need to eat at some point during your Ocean Park Hong Kong visit. The food is fine though it won’t knock your socks off.

If visiting with kids, I would highly recommend a reservation at Tuxedos in The Summit.

The reason is that you’ll dine with more than 90 penguins swimming around in front of you. It’s adorable. It’s on one side of the penguin exhibit, so even if it’s a blazing hot Hong Kong summer, it’s cold in the restaurant.

Bring layers. They’ll tell you upfront about an HKD 100 minimum per person, but you’ll hit that between food and drinks. Wine, beer, and cocktails are also on the menu. People with reservations are typically seated closer to the penguins though we’ve managed to walk in at opening during a weekday and be seated in the second row of tables.

This is the only dining experience you’d need to plan your day around that I’d recommend with kids anyway.

Club Panda in The Waterfront services panda-shaped dim sum (subject to availability as they run out sometimes in our experience) and other Chinese favorites.

If you find yourself hungry at The Summit near Marine World, Café Ocean does a good Hainanese chicken rice and has a terrace with sea views.

If you want to eat local fare, it’s not bad around the park, especially in Old Hong Kong. It’s also one of the few places left where you can still get dragon beard candy, which is tedious to make.

Avoid Crowds With Ocean Park’s Special Experiences

If you’re visiting Ocean Park Hong Kong when it’s hot, on a weekend or during another peak time, consider booking a special experience.

Animal Encounters

My daughter and I recently experienced Ocean Park’s Honorary Panda Keeper program (my husband and I first did it together a decade ago). You go behind the scenes to learn more about the pandas in residence, make them biscuits, lay out bamboo, scoop poop, and see them up close (though behind glass).

Other experiences include behind-the-scenes tours of various exhibits, snorkel through the gigantic aquarium or even get up-close to the seals with a seal trainer. Most of the animal encounter experiences are for kids ages 8 and above. Check the website for age restrictions, current pricing, and other details.

Ocean Park VIP Experience

Ocean Park offers a private VIP tour with priority parking, priority ride access, reserved show seating, an up-close animal interaction, and a private guide. Pricing and details change, so check the official Ocean Park website for the current tour and rate when you plan.

Ocean Park Hong Kong in the Summer

A recent visit to Hong Kong fell at the end of August. I thought touring Hong Kong theme parks would be okay as the local schools were in session that week. I was totally wrong. The city was so chock full of tourists from mainland China that not only was it incredibly hot, it was also crowded.

Bring an umbrella for you and each child. Even if your culture isn’t the summertime umbrella-carrying type, get over it. It’s THAT hot. Ocean Park Hong Kong sells umbrellas, sunscreen, and handheld fans that they will pre-load with batteries for immediate use.

Some of the fans even mist water (highly recommend). Bottled water and drinks are everywhere. There is some shade provided by vegetation at The Summit, but there isn’t much shade around the park.

Be careful in Whiskers Harbour and anywhere there is metal. The play structure isn’t shaded, which means the slides and other play equipment can be hot for kids who aren’t wearing long pants, for example. Kids always seem to manage fine in the heat with a little guidance.

If you are visiting in summer, Ocean Park also runs Water World, a separate water park next door that opens seasonally for the warm months (it reopened in mid-May 2026). It needs its own ticket and leans toward older kids and teens more than toddlers, so check whether it is open for your dates before you count on it.

Where to Stay Near Ocean Park

Two hotels now sit right at the park, which was not the case when we lived in Hong Kong. Both work well if you want to be steps from the gate or spread a theme-park day across two visits.

The Hong Kong Ocean Park Marriott Hotel connects directly to the park, with a saltwater aquarium in the lobby and a lagoon-style pool the kids gravitate to.

The Fullerton Ocean Park Hotel Hong Kong is the more luxurious, oceanfront choice, with an infinity pool, a kids’ lagoon, and an indoor play zone.

For where families stay across the whole city, not just at the park, see my guide to the best family-friendly hotels in Hong Kong.

Use the Official Ocean Park Website

Ocean Park retired its mobile app on June 30, 2026. Everything the app used to handle, from show times and park maps to ticket purchases, now lives on the official Ocean Park website, so save it on your phone before you go. It is easy to get lost in The Summit, so keep the map handy.

FAQs About Ocean Park Hong Kong

Does Ocean Park Hong Kong Have Pandas?

Yes, and more than ever. Ocean Park is home to six giant pandas, including the twin cubs Jia Jia and De De, who were born in August 2024 and are the first giant pandas born in Hong Kong, plus An An and Ke Ke, gifted from the mainland. The cub viewing area keeps shorter hours than the rest of the park, so go early.

How Much Are Ocean Park Hong Kong Tickets?

General admission is HKD 538 for adults, and HKD 269 for children ages 3 to 11, and children under 3 are free. I buy through Klook, which offers discounted admission and lets you skip the ticket booth line with a mobile QR code.

Is Ocean Park Worth It With Kids?

For us, yes. We go at least once every trip to Hong Kong, and my daughter still loves it. It pairs a real aquarium and animal exhibits with a full slate of rides, so it works for a wide range of ages. We usually spend a half day, though you can easily fill a full one.

Have you been to Ocean Park Hong Kong? What are your tips?

For other advice for visiting Hong Kong with kids see:

• Best Things to Do in Hong Kong with Kids
• The BEST Guide to Hong Kong Disneyland
• Should You Book Hong Kong Disneyland Character Dining
• Bibbity Bobbity Boutique Review (Princess Dress-Up at Hong Kong Disneyland)
• Visiting Hong Kong Disneyland in the Summer
• Things to Do in Hong Kong with Kids when It’s Raining