Getting Around Hong Kong
AUTHOR EXPERIENCE
Hong Kong is one of the few major cities where we never even consider hiring a car. Between the MTR, ferries, trams and buses, it is possible to reach almost every corner of the territory quickly, cheaply and with remarkably little stress.
Visited: 2026
Stayed In: Sha Tin
Perspective: Independent Traveller
Best
transport:
MTR
airport transfer:
Airport Express
Tourist essential:
Octopus Card
daily
cost:
HK$30–60
navigation
app:
Citymapper
Car
needed:
No
Choose your transport
Hong Kong’s transport system is extensive, but most visitors only need to understand a handful of options. Start with the Octopus Card, then choose the transport mode that best suits your journey.
Octopus Card
Essential to buy when you arrive. Works across almost every form of public transport.
MTR
Fast, cheap and reliable. The backbone of travel around Hong Kong.
Trams & Peak Tram
One practical, one iconic. Both types of tram are worth experiencing.
Star Ferry
The most enjoyable way to cross Victoria Harbour.
Buses & Minibuses
Reach beaches, parks and places the MTR doesn’t serve.
Airport Transfers
Airport Express, buses and taxis from the Airport.
start here
Start with an Octopus Card and you're done
The short answer: get an Octopus card the moment you arrive. It works on every train, bus, tram and ferry in the city — tap on, tap off, no fumbling for exact change, no buying individual tickets. Once you have one, Hong Kong’s public transport does the rest. It is one of the best transit systems in the world and it will take you virtually everywhere you want to go quickly, cheaply and without a car. When we are in Hong Kong we don’t drive. We rely on public transport – a mini bus ride from a Kowloon Tong apartment to Shek Kip Mei MTR station, a MTR journey to the Admiralty station; a number 15 bus journey from the Admiralty to Victoria Peak. The Octopus Card deals with it all.
The Octopus card is a reloadable contactless smart card — Hong Kong’s equivalent of London’s Oyster card. It works on the MTR (metro), all Kowloon Motor Bus and Citybus routes, the trams on Hong Kong Island, the Star Ferry, the Airport Express, the Peak Tram, and most outlying island ferries. It also works in 7-Elevens, McDonald’s, Park’n Shop supermarkets, and many other shops — so it doubles as a general payment card for small purchases.
Where to get one: any MTR Customer Service Centre or convenience store (7-Eleven, Circle K) at the airport or in the city. The standard Tourist Octopus costs HK$39 (HK$9 deposit + HK$30 stored value); you recover the deposit when you return it. There is also a 24-Hour and 48-Hour pass for unlimited MTR travel — worth considering if your days are packed, but for most visitors the pay-as-you-go Tourist Octopus is better value.
Top up: at any MTR station add-value machine, or at 7-Eleven. Keep an eye on your balance — a low-balance warning beeps at the gate. You can dip negative by HK$35 and still exit; just top up before your next trip.
A note on contactless: most MTR gates now accept Visa/Mastercard contactless and Apple/Google Pay, so technically you can get by without an Octopus card. In practice, the Octopus is faster, works everywhere (including buses and trams where card readers are less reliable), and earns small discounts on some routes. Get one.
The MTR: Hong Kong's excellent metro system
The MTR (Mass Transit Railway) is fast, air-conditioned, clean, frequent and covers almost every corner of the urban area. It runs from roughly 5:30am to 1:00am. Fares are low — most journeys in the tourist core (Central to TST, Central to Causeway Bay, TST to Mong Kok) cost HK$5–12 with an Octopus card.
Key lines to know:
The Tsuen Wan Line (red) is the workhorse — Central, Admiralty, Tsim Sha Tsui, Jordan, Mong Kok. It runs under the harbour and connects the two sides in under three minutes. This is the line you’ll use most.
The Island Line (blue) runs along the north shore of Hong Kong Island — Kennedy Town, Sheung Wan, Central, Admiralty, Wan Chai, Causeway Bay, all the way east. If you’re based on the Island, this is your daily commute.
The Tung Chung Line (orange) connects the airport island (Lantau) with the city — not the Airport Express (below), but the slower, cheaper MTR option if you’re not in a rush.
The East Rail Line (light purple) runs into the New Territories and connects to Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau for the Shenzhen border crossings. You’ll use it if going to Sha Tin or crossing to the mainland.
Navigation tip: use Citymapper — it handles Hong Kong exceptionally well, gives platform numbers, exit numbers and walking instructions. Far more useful than Google Maps for public transit in HK.
Trams: the slow, joyful way to see Hong Kong Island
The trams run east–west along the northern shore of Hong Kong Island, from Kennedy Town in the west to Shau Kei Wan in the east, with a branch to Happy Valley. They are old, double-decker, narrow, and wonderful. A single ride costs a flat HK$3.00 regardless of distance — paid on exit (tap your Octopus card when you get off, not on).
They are slow. The tram does not hurry for anyone. In peak hour they lumber through the traffic, swaying gently, and this is precisely why you should use one: sitting on the upper deck is one of the best free (almost free) ways to see Central, Wan Chai and Causeway Bay. Take the tram when you have twenty minutes and nowhere urgent to be.
Tram quirk: tap your Octopus card on the reader when you **alight** (get off) at the rear, not when you board. This is the opposite of the MTR and catches people out.
The Peak: The East-West tram on the shore of HK Island does not go to Victoria Peak — the Peak Tram is a different vehicle entirely. The Peak Tram is a funicular railway (steep cable car on rails) that climbs from Central (Garden Road terminus) to Victoria Peak. Octopus accepted. The views on the way up are excellent; the summit itself is a shopping mall at the top of a mountain. Go up late afternoon, stay for sunset and the harbour lights.
The Star Ferry: transport and experience in one
The Star Ferry crosses the harbour between Tsim Sha Tsui (Kowloon) and Central or Wan Chai (Hong Kong Island). The crossing takes about eight minutes and costs HK$2.70 (lower deck) or HK$3.40 (upper deck) — Octopus accepted. The upper deck, open-sided, with the skyline ahead of you, is one of the great short journeys anywhere.
It runs frequently during the day (roughly every 6–12 minutes) and less so in the evening. The last crossing is around 11:30pm. For most visitors it is quicker to use the MTR under the harbour, but the Star Ferry is the better experience — use it at least once in each direction. The TST to Central crossing gives you the Island skyline; the return gives you the Kowloon neon.
Buses
Buses are extensive, air-conditioned and cheap — good for reaching places the MTR and tram don’t directly serve. Fares are paid on boarding with Octopus (not exact change, not on exit). The system is complex and routes aren’t always obvious, but Citymapper handles it well.
The Peak bus: Route 15 runs from Exchange Square (Central) to the Peak via a scenic route. Route 15C is the open-top sightseeing version from Edinburgh Place (also Central). If you want the views without the funicular queue and price, the bus is the move. The route taken to the Peak climbs up an amazing series of roads with jaw dropping views of the Island and the harbour and Kowloon beyond. If you have the courage, sit on the front seat on the upper deck as the bus navigates its way on narrow steep roads.
Tip: Take the 15 bus up to the Peak and the Peak Tram down or visa versa.
Minibuses: These are green- or red-roofed and carry about sixteen people. They run different routes throughout Hong Kong often connecting housing areas to shopping malls or stations. Their stops on the side of the road may coincide with the larger normal bus stops or be placed elsewhere. I think the their timetable are very unclear, but they are fast and fill some of the transport gaps inevitably found in a city of this size and complexity. Payment is made on entry almost exclusively by an Octopus Card.
airport - City Transport
As Hong Kong International Airport is on Lantau Island, roughly 35km from the city, you have three realistic options:
Airport Express: It’s supplementary to and not part of the MTR system. It’s the fastest: 24 minutes to Kowloon station, 24 minutes to Hong Kong station (Central). Single fare HK$115 (Kowloon) or HK$115 (Hong Kong). Octopus accepted. Clean, frequent, reliable. This is the right choice for most visitors.
Tip: A number of hotel shuttles run to the AirPort Express Station in Kowloon to collect their hotel guests. Such services leave the station at certain times of the day and not all hotels participate. so check with your hotel.
One very useful feature: the Airport Express has an in-town check-in service at Hong Kong Station (which is not the same as Central) and Kowloon Station — you can check your bags in the morning and explore the city bag-free until your flight. Not all airlines participate; check before you go, but it’s excellent when it works.
Bus (A-routes): Citybus Airport routes A11, A21, A22 and others run direct from the airport to various parts of the city. Slower (45–60+ minutes depending on traffic) but far cheaper — roughly HK$33–48. Good if you’re not in a rush and your hotel is on the route.
Taxi: metered taxis come in three colours based on coverage: red (urban — Hong Kong Island and Kowloon), green (New Territories), blue (Lantau only). From the airport to TST or Central expect around HK$300–380 for a red taxi, plus toll surcharges. Fine for late arrivals with heavy luggage; otherwise the Express is better value.
Avoid: private transfer touts in the arrivals hall. Metered taxis are at the official taxi rank outside arrivals — join the queue.
Ferries to outlying islands
The outlying islands (Lamma, Cheung Chau, Lantau, Peng Chau) are served by ferries from Pier 4–6 at Central Ferry Piers, next to the Star Ferry terminal. Ferries run regularly during the day. Fares are low — typically HK$15–30 — and Octopus works on most routes. The ferry to Lamma (Yung Shue Wan or Sok Kwu Wan) takes about 30 minutes; Cheung Chau is about 40 minutes on the fast ferry.
Full detail on what to do on each island is in our guide Beyond the City: Trips from Hong Kong.
Street level Navigation
In Hong Kong you going to do walking on the streets. It can be confusing and in really busy places, overwhelming. So having a mobile phone available with a navigation app may help. TO make use of city mapper or google map and their route functionality your mobile is going to need to be connected to a network. Sims in Hong Kong are very cheap but they do need registration. MySIM from 7-Eleven costs around HK$33 and comes loaded with 60GB of local data – excellent value and available at every convenience store including the ones in the airport. Alternatively, an eSIM from your carrier before you travel works well. Free Wi-Fi is widely available in MTR stations, malls and many cafes, but a local data SIM makes navigation much smoother.
The bottom line
Hong Kong’s public transport is one of its genuine gifts to visitors. Buy an Octopus card at the airport, download Citymapper, and you have everything you need. The MTR is the workhorse; the tram is the pleasure; the Star Ferry is the experience. Expect to spend HK$30–60 (£3–6 / US$4–8) a day on transport once you’re in the city — less if you’re not crossing to Lantau.
External Links
Octopus Card Limited provides information here about Octopus cards including choices for tourists.
The MTR corporation website provides information on its services including ways of saving on travel.
The Star Ferry Company website has service routes, timetables and general information about the ferry’s background and services.
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