In the sultry heat of Hong Kong, all one wants is to jump into cool water, enjoying slow lazy laps. We are lucky that we have a number of natural pools and waterfalls, and several building complexes and clubs have their own pools. But if you don’t have access to these, don’t worry! On weekdays, rates are HK$17, and on weekends, they are HK$19, unless you are eligible for the concessionary rate (aged above 60, below 13, students and individuals with disabilities), or free rate (toddlers under the age of 3).
Most outdoor pools operate from mid-April until the end of October, and indoor pools close for maintenance for approximately three weeks during the year. So what are you waiting for? Grab your swimsuit, towel and sunscreen and head on over to your nearest neighbourhood pool.
Kowloon Park Swimming Pool
One of the most kid (and adult!) friendly public swimming pools is this large leisure facility in Kowloon Park. With three outdoor leisure pools and a toddler pool, all interconnected with footbridges, rocks and waterfalls, there are tons of places to explore for a summer day out! You can also head out for a picnic, visiting the resident flamingos and turtles of the park situated between Jordan and Tsim Sha Tsui stations. And in winter, you are also covered. With another indoor pool with a diving platform, there are a grand total of FOUR pools to help you keep up your laps and diving skills in the off-season.
Opening hours: 6:30am to 10pm, with breaks from 12-1pm and 5-6pm. Closed for cleaning on Tuesdays.
Kowloon Park Sports Centre, No. 22 Austin Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui | +852 2724 3577
Kennedy Town Swimming Pool
K-town doesn’t only have some of the best restaurants and bars, it also has the gorgeous public promenade and an architectually astounding family-friendly swimming facility. Their outdoor pools, including one irregular shaped leisure pool, have exceptional views of Victoria Harbour! Their heated indoor pools on the other hand, are 50m and 25m in length respectively, perfect for getting in those laps. Other facilities include seating stands for competitions, family changing rooms and even a JACUZZI!
Opening hours: 6:30am to 10pm, with breaks from 12-1pm and 5-6pm. Closed for cleaning on Wednesdays.
Kennedy Town Swimming Pool, 2 Sai Cheung St, Kennedy Town | +852 2817 7973
Sai Kung Swimming Pool
Decked out for your little ones to have a ball, the Sai Kung public swimming pool has fountains, water slides and colourful, fun games! The outdoor leisure pool is between 0.1m – 1.1m in depth, safe and convenient for kids of all ages. If you are instead looking for somewhere to train or just get some laps in, you can head to the main pool which is Olympic-sized, or the training pool which is 20m long. They don’t have an indoor pool, but open earlier for the year than most other gazetted pools, on the 1st of April.
Opening hours: 6:30am to 10pm, with breaks from 12-1pm and 6:30-7:30pm. Closed for cleaning on Wednesdays.
Sai Kung Swimming Pool, Wai Man Rd, Sai Kung | +852 2792 7285
Victoria Park Swimming Pool
Located in the heart of Hong Kong, Victoria Park is not only Hong Kong’s largest public park, it is also home to a number of their recreational facilities, including swimming. With expansive indoor pools, swimmers have a variety of options to choose from. The Olympic-sized pool is also accompanied by a spectator stand with 2,500 seats and an electronic scoreboard, perfect for hosting sports events! They also have a smaller 33m-long multipurpose pool. With family changing rooms and baby care rooms, it is an especially convenient pool to bring your kids.
Opening hours: 6:30am to 10pm, with breaks from 12-1pm and 5:00-6:00pm. Closed for cleaning on Mondays.
Victoria Park Swimming Pool, 1 Hing Fat St, Causeway Bay | +852 2570 8347
Hammer Hill Road Swimming Pool
If you can’t make it to Ocean Park’s newly opened water park, your kids will still be satisfied visiting the Hammer Hill Road swimming pool. Their pirate ship with water cannons is a true aquatic attraction, and there are a number of waterslides, fountains and games for your kids to engage in, so they’re bound to have a great time! The outdoor pools have not only the leisure pools, but also a toddler pool for you and your kids to explore. There is a reason this is the most popular public swimming pool in Hong Kong for families!
Opening hours: 6:30am to 10pm, with breaks from 12-1pm and 5:00-6:00pm. Closed for cleaning on Mondays.
Hammer Hill Road Swimming Pool, 30 Lung Cheung Rd, Diamond Hill | +852 2350 6062
Tseung Kwan O Swimming Pool
There are a grand total of EIGHT pools in the Tseung Kwan O swimming complex. Other than the Olympic-sized main pool, they have a training pool, two teaching pools, a diving pool, a toddler pool and two leisure pools! If you get tired from pool hopping, there is also a lovely sunbathing area. With family changing areas and a couple of child-friendly water slides, this one is also great for families with young kids.
Opening hours: 6:30am to 10pm, with breaks from 12-1pm and 6:30-7:30pm. Closed for cleaning on Mondays.
Tseung Kwan O Swimming Pool, 9 Wan Lung Rd, Yau Yue Wan | +852 2706 7646
Tai Po Swimming Pool
If slides are what you want from a swimming day, you have to check out the Tai Po Swimming Pool. With the longest and highest water slides in Hong Kong, this place is packed both during the weekdays and especially the weekends. They also have one of the most extensive set of swimming pools among all the government-owned pools, with seven pools including teaching, diving, children’s and leisure pools. If you need to re-energise in between laps, as with all the public pools, you can grab water or a drink from the vending machines. Note that Tai Po pool only has outdoor pools, which open from 1st April till the end of October.
Opening hours: 6:30am to 10pm, with breaks from 12-1pm and 6:30-7:30pm. Closed for cleaning on Mondays.
Tai Po Swimming Pool, 11 Ting Tai Rd, Tai Po | +852 2661 2244
Ma On Shan Swimming Pool
Another great spot for water slides, out in Sha Tin is the Ma On Shan swimming pool. It has four giant slides, including Hong Kong’s fastest slide which is 9m high. If your tot is still a bit young for this level of adventure and thrill, they can find the iconic mushroom and tree-shaped fountains across the three leisure pools. They also have a toddler and round stepping pool along with the regular teaching, training and Olympic pools. So there is something for everyone!
Opening hours: 6:30am to 10pm, with breaks from 12-1pm and 6:30-7:30pm. Closed for cleaning on Tuesdays.
Ma On Shan Swimming Pool, 33 On Chun St, Ma On Shan | +852 2641 0776
Kwun Tong Swimming Pool
Opened in 2013, the Kwun Tong pool is not only fun with a ton of great facilities, it is also designed to adopt various energy efficient features such as solar water heating and park lighting as well as a rain water recycling system. If you’re not sure that the weather is going to hold up, this is a great option as it has both indoor and outdoor pools. In the indoor area there are two pools with plenty of spectator seating, whereas the outdoor area boasts a secondary pool, two teaching pools and a sunbathing area.
Opening hours: 6:30am to 10pm, with breaks from 12-1pm and 6:00-7:00pm. Closed for cleaning on Wednesdays.
Kwun Tong Swimming Pool, 2 Tsui Ping Rd, Kwun Tong | +852 2717 9022
Tai Wan Shan Swimming Pool
To enjoy the pool while still admiring the Hong Kong skyline, Tai Wan Shan swimming pool has an incredible 150-degree sea view, where you can admire boats and ships passing by. It also has incredible facilities including three teaching and leisure pools respectively. They also have the main pool, a secondary Olympic pool, and a diving pool. It truly is an ideal spot to train, learn or just have a fun afternoon!
Opening hours: 6:30am to 10pm, with breaks from 12-1pm and 5:00-6:00pm. Closed for cleaning on Thursdays.
Tai Wan Shan Swimming Pool, Wan Hoi St, Hung Hom | +852 2333 1335
Header image credits: Chius Oilwua Makrai via Wikimedia Commons
