Hong Kong in cash.
The Octopus card tops up with cash and opens metro, ferries and convenience stores. Dai pai dong and markets stay cash-first — keep small notes for neighbourhood dim sum.
Helvetica Exchange prepares your HKD travel envelope at Rue Pierre-Fatio 19, 1204 Geneva (Rive district) — the posted rate, no separate commission, Monday–Friday 08:30–18:30 and Saturday 09:00–17:00. Reserve and your rate is held for 3 hours during opening hours; ID from the LBA thresholds.
The cities, chosen.
Hong Kong Island
Skyscrapers pinned to the mountain, double-decker trams and jungle trails above Central.
Peak Tram & terrace — The century-old funicular, then the whole bay at your feet.
Starred dim sum — Tim Ho Wan: the cheapest Michelin star on Earth — the baked pork bao is compulsory.
Kowloon
Neon, night markets and the skyline opposite — the Hong Kong of the movies.
Temple Street Night Market — Fortune tellers, peppered clams and cheerful counterfeits.
Symphony of Lights from TST — The harbour ignites at 8 pm — free.
Lantau
The great Buddha in the clouds and stilt fishing villages.
Ngong Ping 360 & the Big Buddha — A cable car over the sea, then 268 steps to the bronze giant.
Getting around.
The MTR is impeccable and the Octopus universal; the Star Ferry crosses the harbour for pennies — the world's finest HK$5 journey. Macau is an hour away by fast ferry.
Cash & banknotes.
The Octopus (cash top-ups) covers daily life; keep HK$600–1'100 a day for the tables and markets that take nothing else. In Macau your HK dollars pass at par — but change comes back in patacas, so spend it before you leave.
| Rate reservation | held 3 hours, during opening hours |
| Counter hours | Mon–Fri 08:30–18:30 · Sat 09:00–17:00 |
| Commission | none — the margin lives in the posted rate |
Before you go.
HKD or card in Hong Kong?
The Octopus (topped up in cash) covers the everyday; keep HK$600–1'100 a day for cash-only tables and markets.
Can you use HKD in Macau?
Yes, at par with the pataca — but your change returns in MOP: spend it before heading back.
Indicative amounts — rate reservable for 3 hours · Rue Pierre-Fatio 19, Geneva · Guide complet en français