Kowloon Travel Risk — Moderate Risk (32/100)
Is Kowloon safe right now? Checked 16 October 2026
Kowloon scores 32/100 on our travel risk index (Moderate). The US State Department rates Hong Kong Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution, updated 4 Sep 2026); the UK has no advice against travel; Canada says: exercise a high degree of caution. No GDACS or USGS hazard events within 100 km in the last 14 days. No change in government advice in the last 7 days.
Disease & health (score 15)
Political instability (score 30)
September 27, 2026
Kowloon, Hong Kong has a current Travel Risk Calculator composite score of 32 out of 100 (moderate risk tier); the highest-rated risk category is political instability at 30/100; the lowest-rated category is disease & health at 15/100; last updated September 27, 2026. For official nationwide security advisories, entry requirements, and health notices, see the Hong Kong travel risk page. Real-time conditions below include live weather, official advisory levels, GDACS disaster alerts, and current news.
Get a personalized assessment for your tripHow safe is Kowloon to visit in 2026?
Kowloon currently sits at 32/100 on our composite travel-risk index, which puts it in the moderate-risk tier. Most travelers will be fine with normal precautions, but a few categories below score high enough that planning matters. The highest-rated risk category for Kowloon is political instability (30/100), and the lowest is disease & health (15/100). This page was last updated on September 27, 2026; the baseline category scores reflect analytical indicators, layered with live conditions throughout the day. Live conditions — weather and air quality every 30 minutes, US State Department advisory every 6 hours, GDACS disaster alerts every 30 minutes, CDC health notices every 12 hours, and news every hour — are cached at the source and refreshed automatically when stale.
Driven by: security (35/100) and natural hazards (54/100).
A score of 32 is higher than the scores of 36% of the 241 countries we cover.
AI safety snapshot · refreshed Oct 15, 2026
Kowloon, Hong Kong currently maintains a moderate baseline risk composite of 32 out of 100 with a US State Department Advisory Level 2. Additionally, travelers should be aware of the CDC Level 1 global health notice regarding Dengue.
AI-summarized strictly from the live public-source data below (US State Dept advisory, GDACS, CDC, Google News). Auto-refreshed at most once per day on the first visit. Not official advice.
Live conditions last refreshed: Oct 16, 2026 04:10 UTC
What should I do now?
- Run a real assessment. Open the calculator for live data (weather, advisory, news) layered onto this baseline.
- Political instability (score 30/100): Avoid demonstrations and political gatherings. Monitor news the morning of travel. Have a flexible departure plan.
- Government advisory (score 25/100): Read your country's current official advisory within 7 days of travel. Register with your embassy on arrival if available.
- Check your country's advisory. The single most authoritative live signal. Linked at the bottom of every real assessment.
Day vs Night Safety in Kowloon
Guidance based on our scores and official advice — not a measured score.
Daytime transit and exploration in central areas are generally safe and routine. Standard alertness in crowded transit hubs and tourist plazas is adequate.
After dark, keep to well-illuminated thoroughfares and busy dining/entertainment quarters. Use verified taxis or rideshare apps when returning late.
Safety by Traveler Type in Kowloon
Guidance based on our scores and official advice — not a measured score.
No group-specific warning is triggered in Kowloon for solo travelers (Crime 22/100 · Transport 15/100), women traveling solo (Crime 22/100), families with children (Health 15/100 · Natural disaster 15/100), older travelers (Health 15/100 · Transport 15/100), business travelers (Digital 20/100 · Money 25/100 · Transport 15/100) and lgbtq+ travelers (Advisory 25/100 · Political 30/100): these scores sit in the low-to-moderate range, so standard precautions apply. Local laws affecting LGBTQ+ travelers and gender-specific incident rates are not captured in our scores; check your government's travel guidance.
Score layers
Safety categories
Source: Grounded open data research & citations
Quick facts
| Hospital access | high |
|---|---|
| Airport risk | low |
| Road safety | low |
| Public transport | low |
| Tourist scam risk | medium |
| Night safety | low |
| Last updated | September 27, 2026 |
Live conditions in Kowloon
Real-time data refreshed from public sources — weather and air quality from Open-Meteo, official advisory from the US State Department, disaster alerts from GDACS, health notices from the CDC, news from Google News. For an AI-synthesized briefing tailored to your specific trip, run a personalized assessment.
Official travel advisory
Level 2 · Exercise Increased Caution
Hong Kong - Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution
Read full advisory → · US Department of State
Natural hazard calendar & history
5-Year Hazard Calendar (100 km Radius)
| Hazard | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floods | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
| Tropical Cyclones | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — |
Most tropical cyclone events within 100 km of Kowloon happened in September (2 of 6 in five years).
Source: GDACS, USGS; five years to October 2026.
For consular advice on women's safety, LGBT+ travel, and local laws, see the Hong Kong travel advice & laws.
Check the official entry requirements for your nationality before you travel. See the Hong Kong entry requirements.
Health notices
Health Notices for this Destination
-
Level 1 - Global Dengue WATCH · 2026-10-02
Dengue is a year-round risk in many parts of the world, with outbreaks commonly occurring every 2–5 years. Travelers to risk areas should prevent mosquito bites. Country List : Colombia, Vietnam, Maldives, Bolivia, Cambodia, Kenya, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Costa Rica, Mar
-
Level 2 - Global Polio ALERT · 2026-09-23
Some international destinations have circulating poliovirus. Before any international travel, make sure you are up to date on your polio vaccines. Country List : Afghanistan, Algeria, Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Democratic Republic of the Congo, Niger, Nig
-
Level 1 - Global Measles WATCH · 2025-05-28
Measles cases are rising in many countries around the world. All international travelers should be fully vaccinated against measles with the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, according to CDC's measles vaccination recommendations for international travel. Country List : Afghan
Source: CDC Travelers’ Health · fetched 2026-10-15 19:24:31 UTC
1991–2020 climate normals
Seasonal risk & best time to visit Kowloon
The most weather-stable two-month window for Kowloon is February–March, when typical daily temperatures run from about 15°C to 22°C and monthly rain averages 60 mm.
Seasonal planning flags include heavy rain season in May–August; typhoon season in May–November; monsoon in May–August. These are climate patterns, not forecasts.
Climate normals are planning context, not a short-range forecast. Source: Open-Meteo Climate API. Refreshed Sep 16, 2026.
Calculate risk for these travel dates Compare seasonal windows →
Practical safety map
Safety infrastructure nearby in Kowloon
Kowloon has 10 hospitals, 10 police stations, 5 embassies, 10 pharmacies and 5 fire stations within 7 km of the city center in the latest OpenStreetMap extract.
The interactive map loads when it approaches the viewport.
Facility list (works without JavaScript)
- Hospital: Evangel Hospital
- Hospital: Hong Kong Baptist Hospital
- Hospital: Hong Kong Buddhist Hospital
- Hospital: Hong Kong Eye Hospital
- Hospital: Kowloon Hospital
- Hospital: Kwong Wah Hospital
- Hospital: People's Liberation Army Garrison Hospital
- Hospital: Queen Elizabeth Hospital
- Hospital: Robert Black Health Centre
- Hospital: St. Teresa's Hospital
- Police: Unnamed police
- Police: Dyer Avenue Police Operational Facility
- Police: Hung Hom Police Station
- Police: Kowloon City Police Station
- Police: Kowloon West Regional Police Headquarters
- Police: Mong Kok Police Station Reporting Room
- Police: Shek Kip Mei Reporting Centre
- Police: Traffic Kowloon West Operational Base
- Police: Tsim Sha Tsui Police Station
- Police: Yau Ma Tei Police Station
- Embassy: Consulate General of Nepal
- Embassy: Consulate General of the Czech Republic
- Embassy: Consulate of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
- Embassy: Monaco Consulate
- Embassy: Turkish Consulate
- Pharmacy: Unnamed pharmacy
- Pharmacy: Jubilant Medicine Shop
- Pharmacy: Mannings
- Pharmacy: Mannings
- Pharmacy: Mannings
- Pharmacy: Mannings
- Pharmacy: Mannings
- Pharmacy: Watsons
- Pharmacy: Whampoa Pharmacy
- Pharmacy: 誠信大藥房
- Fire station: Hong Kong Fire Services Headquarters Building
- Fire station: Hung Hom Fire Station
- Fire station: Ma Tau Chung Fire Station
- Fire station: Tsim Tung Fire Station
- Fire station: Yau Ma Tei Fire Station
Map and facility data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Locations can be incomplete or outdated; confirm before relying on them. See this destination’s numbers or browse emergency numbers by country.
Emergency numbers (Hong Kong)
| Police | 999 |
|---|---|
| Ambulance | 999 |
| Fire | 999 |
| General | 999 |
See nearby hospitals, police, pharmacies, embassies, and fire stations on the safety map.
Medical access
| Hospital access | medium |
|---|---|
| Pharmacy access | medium |
| Emergency response | medium |
| English-speaking care | unknown |
| Evacuation complexity | medium |
The provided search results do not contain specific details regarding hospital access, emergency response quality, or English-language medical care for travelers in Kowloon.
Common scam patterns
- Investment and Romance Scams. Financial scams, including large-scale investment schemes and romance scams, have been reported involving significant monetary losses. Visitors should exercise caution regarding unsolicited financial offers or online relationships. Tip: Never transfer money or invest based solely on online contacts or unverified schemes.
- Petty Crime. Petty crimes such as pickpocketing and purse snatching can occur, particularly in crowded areas, public transportation, main shopping areas, markets, and tourist attractions. Travelers should remain vigilant in these environments. Tip: Stay aware of your surroundings and keep valuables secure in crowded places.
Area notes
- Tsim Sha Tsui. This area features prominent locations such as the Kimpton Tsim Sha Tsui Hong Kong by IHG and serves as a key destination for travelers.
- Main shopping areas and markets. These locations carry a higher risk for petty crimes like pickpocketing and purse snatching.
- Public transportation and airport areas. Crowded transit hubs and transportation networks require increased vigilance against petty theft.
Run a personalized assessment for Kowloon
Get a tailored briefing in ~15 seconds, with live weather, advisories, and recent news.
Calculate my trip riskScore history
| When | Score change | Tier | Reason / source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 15, 2026 | 31 → 32 | moderate | Method change (scoring v2) scoring v2 |
| Oct 15, 2026 | 0 → 0 | unknown | Data update Grounded open data research & citations |
| Sep 27, 2026 | 24 → 31 | low → moderate | Method change (scoring v2) scoring v2 |
Every editorial change to Kowloon's composite score is logged here, with the source and reason for the change. Live data overlays (weather, advisories, disaster alerts, news) refresh continuously on their own cadences and are not recorded as score changes — see the Live conditions section above for current overlay state.
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Transparency & Sources
We document the baseline sources, coverage scope, and data inputs for this destination below.
Sources used
- SimpleMaps World Cities (CC BY 4.0): Coordinates, region, population for Kowloon
- Travel Risk Calculator score (method v2): Security, crime and scams, health, natural hazards and current alerts for Kowloon, from US, UK and Canadian advisories, INFORM, World Bank, UCDP, CDC, GDACS, USGS and OpenStreetMap
- Editorial baseline (Travel Risk Calculator): City-level threat scoring across 9 categories (crime, health, advisory, political, disaster, transport, environmental, digital security, money safety)
Live data overlays on this page refresh asynchronously on the source cadences shown above. Run an assessment to create a trip-specific briefing using your dates and traveler profile.
Baseline scope
- Category scores represent an analytical baseline, updated from official feeds and public records.
Coverage notes
- Transport-hub safety notes (airport, train stations).
Methodology · Full data-source registry · Report a correction
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Disclaimer
Travel Risk Calculator provides estimated travel-threat information for preparation purposes only. It does not replace official government advisories, medical advice, emergency alerts, immigration rules, insurance advice, police guidance, embassy information, or professional security consultation.