Cityplaza Ice Palace

When the rain sets in and everyone has had enough of museums, Cityplaza Ice Palace is the most active thing on this list. The rink sits in the middle of Cityplaza in Tai Koo, the largest shopping mall on Hong Kong Island, and the mall connects directly to Tai Koo MTR Station. You can go from the platform to the ice without seeing the sky. The rink has been refitted with a refrigerant system that produces what it calls Fast Ice, along with upgraded lighting and sound. Getting on the ice is now largely self-service: you buy tickets at a kiosk, use a digital skate rental system that the rink describes as a first for Hong Kong, and store bags in digital lockers. Refreshments can be reached straight from the rink, so you can grab a drink without taking your skates off. Public skating runs in fixed blocks. On most weekdays the day is divided into sessions from 9:30am until 10pm, each about two to two-and-a-half hours long. At weekends, mornings are kept for the skate school, and public sessions start in the afternoon. Tickets for each session go on sale at set times on the day. Prices in the current timetable are HK$95 from Monday to Thursday, HK$105 on Fridays and HK$120 at weekends and on public holidays, and standard admission includes skate hire. The rink publishes a new timetable every two weeks, and some sessions share the ice with lessons, so check it before you set out. The rink also hosts ice hockey matches and figure skating shows, and Cityplaza's shops, restaurants and cinema are right outside when your session ends. For beginners, children and couples, it turns a washed-out afternoon into something to remember.