What to spend your dollars on
Ticket to Happy Valley Racecourse
10 HKD
A bottle of beer at a restaurant
30 HKD
A day pass on the MTR train network
55 HKD
Evening boat tour around Victoria Harbour
160 HKD
A day ticket for Hong Kong Disneyland
499 HKD (price for up to eight people)
Going back and forth
The HK dollar’s (HKD) history is long and varied, with an initial local version of the silver dollar introduced back in 1866. In 1935, the HK dollar was soon linked to pound sterling before floating freely in 1974. It was later linked to the US dollar in 1983.
Some stores and restaurants accept Chinese yuan as legal tender, but the HK Dollar is not accepted in even neighbouring parts of China.
Frequently used banknotes
Coins used commonly in Hong Kong are 1, 2, 5 and 10 HKD. When it comes to notes, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 500 HKD are used frequently, while 1,000 HKD notes are used only on occasion.
Loose change is only really needed for tipping taxi drivers and hotel staff; most restaurants add a 10% service charge onto your bill.
Buying Hong Kong dollar’s online is easy
Free next-day home delivery on orders over £600