Is it worth going? Ultimate Hong Kong Ocean Park Review
EscapeWithAnnualLeave contains affiliate links. We may receive compensation at no extra cost to you. See our Disclosure Policy for more information.
Planning to travel to Hong Kong? Check out our Hong Kong Ocean Park Review!
Hong Kong Ocean Park is the oldest existing hybrid theme park in Hong Kong with animal encounters and different rides. Animal encounters, it is not only limited to marine life like penguins, dolphins, sharks, coral fishes, and jellyfish. It also includes mammals like pandas, kodaks meerkats, and different kinds of birds.
As a Hong Konger going to the park 10 + times, I would like to share my honest review of Hong Kong Ocean Park.
What to expect in Hong Kong Ocean Park
Hong Kong Ocean Park is open daily from 10:00 am to 7:30 pm. The Park is open in all weather except for extreme ones such as heavy rain or typhoons. You can check their public website (https://www.oceanpark.com.hk/en/park-information/useful-information) for the opening situation before going.
As mentioned, it is a hybrid park with thrilling rides and animal exhibitions. There are two sessions within the theme park itself namely “The Waterfront” and “The Summit”.Both sessions have animal exhibitions and attraction rides.
Most of the intensive rides such as “The Flash”, “Hair Raiser” and “Crazy Galleon” are at The Summit suitable for teenagers, adults, and thrill-seekers. On the other hand, there are only a few rides at the Waterfront such as such as Toto the Local and Merry-Go-Round and they are all for kids.
As for animal exhibitions, you can find all the Asian mammals such as Panda, Red Panda, Meekrats, and Sloths at the Water Front. Most of the land-based animals are located there. Other than you can also find the Grand Aquarium there housing over 5,000 fishes and 400 species in a 3 floor + Aquarium. Yet the specialized highlights of marine life such as dolphins, sea lions, penguins, jellyfish, and sharks, are all at the Summit.
The Waterfront and Summit are connected by Cable Car and Ocen Express Summit Station. You will first reach The Waterfront once entering through the main entrance. After that, you can take either the cable car or express to the Summit and vice versa.
Sounds complicated? Not, if you start at 10:00 am, you shall have more than enough time for the whole park. You can also check out the Hong Kong Ocean Park Map 2024 here or below.
Is Hong Kong Ocean Park worth going to?
The answer is definitely YES.
First, the Hong Kong Ocean Park ticket price is cheaper than a lot of similar theme parks worldwide. The official price for an adult ticket is 428 HKD ( ~54 USD), for kids aged between 3 – 11 is 239 HKD (~ 30 USD) and free for kids below 3. There are seasonal or credit card promotions on the official website. Also, you can have a 10% or so discount if you book via an online travel agency like Klook or KKday.
With the combinations of rides and animal encounters, the Hong Kong Ocean Park is suitable for family travel, couple travel, and other group travelers. Regardless of age group, you could find a way to spend a day there in the park.
You can hardly find another theme park in Asia equipped with both at similar prices.
Should I go to Hong Kong Ocean Park or Hong Kong Disneyland?
The official price for Hong Kong Disneyland Park ranges from 639 HKD ( ~ 81 USD) to 879 HKD (~ 112 USD) for adults, 475 HKD (~ 61 USD) to 659 HKD (~83 USD) for kids aged between 3 – 11 and free for kid aged below 3.
Of course, the franchise is a lot more popular than Ocean Park. However, it is a lot pricer than Ocean Park and also without any animal encounters.
So if you are looking for something with Hong Kong history (after all Ocean Park is the oldest existing theme park here), a more budget-friendly experience, and animal encounters, you shall choose HK Ocean Park over HK Disneyland.
Of course, if time and budget allowed, why not both?
How to get to Hong Kong Ocean Park
The easiest way to get to Hong Kong Ocean Park is by MTR (Metro System of Hong Kong). You just need to get to the “Ocean Park Station” under the MTR South Island Line via the “Admiralty” inter-change station.
The park is also reachable by multiple public buses but I would not advise taking it as a tourist (or even local), as it could be confusing.
Or else, you can take a cab, Uber or even drive there at a higher cost.
Hong Kong Ocean Park Best Rides
As mentioned earlier, HK Ocean Park is equipped with a range of rides. If you are a thrill-seeker like us, check out our Hong Ocean Park review for the top 5 best rides below. Most of them are located at the Summit.
1. Hair Raiser at Thrill Mountain of The Summit
The signature and probably the most intensive roller coaster in Ocean Park.
2. The Flash at Thrill Mountain of The Summit
A swing ride that will take you 22m into the air while spinning around at a top speed of 60km/h.
3. Crazy Galleon at Marine World of The Summit
A classic pirate ship tilting at a nearly 45 angle and 20m above the ground.
4. Ocean Park Tower at Marine World of The Summit
A family-friendly observation tower that will take you slowly to 72m enjoying 360 degrees of sun, sea, and sky view of the South China Sea in an air-conditioned room. It is also one of the tallest observation towers in Southeast Asia.
5. Merry-Go-Round at Whiskers Harbour of The Waterfront
Classic Merry-Go-Round is suitable for creating unforgettable memories for families and couples.
Hong Kong Ocean Park Best Animals Exhibitions
Other than the rides for fun, animal encounter is another main themes. Check out our Hong Ocean Park review for the top 5 best animal exhibitions below.
1. South Pole Spectacular at Polar Adventure of The Summit
My most beloved session of HK Ocean Park where you can watch over 90 penguins from three species. You can even feed them at an extra cost during the feeding session. The exhibition is extra species and you can see the penguins happily swimming and chilling around. You are reminded that the temperature there is around 8 Celsius degree in case you need a coat.
2. Giant Panda Adventure at Amazing Asian Animals of The Waterfront
The exhibition is for giant pandas and red pandas. One of the must-go sessions if you have never seen a panda before.
3. The Grand Aquarium at Aqua City of The Waterfront
The signature aquarium of HK Ocean Park (remember it is called Ocean Park). The 5.5m aquarium dome contains over 5,000 fishes from 400 species. There are over 3 floors there where you can enjoy the encounter of the marine life while enjoying the air condition.
4. Marine Mammal Breeding and Research Center at Marine World of The Summit
The center is where the dolphins live in Ocean Park. There is a dolphin feeding demonstration every day you can check out on their official website.
5. Little Meerkat and Giant Tortoise Adventure at Whiskers Harbour of The Waterfront
One of the latest exhibitions in HK Ocean Park, where you can see a bunch of meerkat chillings at a spacious playground with pipes. The exhibition also contains several giant tortoises.
Hong Kong Ocean Park Best Experiences & Shows
Besides the rides and animals, you shouldn’t miss other free experiences and shows the Park provides. Check out our Hong Ocean Park review for the top 5 experiences.
1. Cable Car
One of the ways to transit between the Waterfront and Summit, it is one of the oldest attractions in Ocean Park. Inside Ocean Park, you can enjoy the scenic view of the sea, sky, and surrounding hills plus the oldest HK Ocean Park logo.
2. Old Hong Kong at Aqua City of The Waterfront
An attraction decorated in the style of Hong Kong in 50 – 70s. It is an ideal place for you to take photos of the old Hong Kong. There are also several Hong Kong street foods and souvenirs available there.
3. Dolphin Explorations at Marine World of The Summit
Every day there will be an interactive program performed by the staff, sea lions, and dolphins with the theme of public education on the animals’ features and habits.
Multiple shows are running each week with schedule as below.
Weekday (except Tuesday and park rest days): 12:00 pm, 3:30 pm and 5:00 pm
Weekend and public holidays: 11:30 am, 2:00 pm, 3:30 pm, and 5:00 pm
4. Animal feeding session
Each animal exhibition would have its feeding schedule. You may choose to visit your favorite animal during feeding time.
5. Explorer R at Whiskers Harbour of The Waterfront
An education center about environmental protection via different fun games, mainly for kids.
Best tactics to avoid the crowds in Hong Kong Ocean Park
By now you should have an idea how the versatile attractions HK Ocean Park offers. It would be impossible to cover all the rides, animal encounters, and experiences in a day.
However, I would recommend you first take the Ocean terminal to the Summit once you enter the park. After exploring the attractions you like and taking a show at Dolphin Explorations, you can head back to the Waterfront via cable car to visit the remaining attractions.
This way you are more likely to avoid the crowd and have the most hassle-free journey.
Is Hong Kong Ocean Park ethical?
Yes. From their website, you can see a lot of focus on animal protection and environment protection education. The value is also embedded in their programs with the visitors.
You would not experience any animal show like the ones for example in Bangkok that would make you feel uncomfortable. It is one of the highest-standard animal theme parks in Asia.
Where to stay near Hong Kong Ocean Park
There are two Ocean Park hotels namely Hong Kong Ocean Park Marriott Hotel and The Fullerton Ocean Park Hotel Hong Kong. The Marriott one is close to the Hong Kong Ocean Park, while the Fullerton is near another newly established HK Ocean Park Water World (will include that in next review).
The HK Ocean Park Marriott hotel is quite decent with Ocean Park-themed rooms. It has a small aquarium in the lobby and a swimming pool. It includes a breakfast buffet at Marina Kitchen with nice choices of vegetables, protein, and pancakes. If you are planning to stay there, you may consider choosing the package that also includes HK Ocean Park admission tickets.
How about the restaurants in HK Ocean Park
There are several restaurants in the HK Ocean Park. It is in general pricer than the ones in the city center but it is still reasonable. There is even a McDonald’s at Marine World of The Summit.
If you are looking for some high-quality dining, there is a restaurant called Neptune’s Restaurant famous as the largest aquarium restaurant in Hong Kong, and also serves decent dishes.
Can I bring food and drinks to HK Ocean Park
Water and snacks are allowed but hot food is not okay.
Conclusion
I hope you enjoy our Hong Kong Ocean Park Review. It is probably one of the most underrated or even underpriced theme parks in Asia. With the combination of thrill rides and animal encounters, it is most suitable for families and couples. I highly recommend the theme park to you.
