Hong Kong Getting There and Around in 2026: Airport, MTR and Ferry Fares

Short answer: the Airport Express is the fastest way from Hong Kong airport into the city - 24 minutes to Hong Kong Station, HK$115 per adult, every 10 minutes - while an Octopus card covers everything after that, from HK$5-15 MTR rides to a HK$3 tram. Hong Kong getting there and around comes down to those two purchases.

Hong Kong International Airport sits on Chek Lap Kok, about 34 km west of Central, and every arrival funnels through the same covered corridor beside the Terminal 1 arrivals hall. A few minutes' walk brings you to the Airport Express platform, with lifts, wide ticket gates and a space for a folded stroller beside every train door. The ride takes 24 minutes to Hong Kong Station in Central, 22 minutes to Kowloon Station in West Kowloon and 14 minutes to Tsing Yi. Adult singles cost HK$115, HK$105 and HK$70 for those three stations; children aged 3 to 11 pay about half, and under-threes ride free. Trains run roughly every 10 minutes, first from the airport at 05:54 and last at 01:13.

If price matters more than minutes, the Cityflyer buses leave from the same coach station on the arrivals level. The A21 to Tsim Sha Tsui and Hung Hom costs HK$33, the A11 to North Point HK$40 and the A10 to Ap Lei Chau HK$48. They run every 15-20 minutes, take a folded stroller in the luggage rack and stop within a few blocks of most Kowloon hotels, but allow 45-70 minutes in traffic. Metered taxis are the third door out: roughly HK$300-350 to Tsim Sha Tsui, HK$350-420 to Central, 30-45 minutes, plus HK$6 per piece of luggage. Hong Kong taxis are not required to carry child seats, so bring a booster if your child still needs one.

Choose by luggage and landing time. Arrive at 20:00 with two suitcases and the Airport Express wins: the platform is inside the terminal, the walk at the far end is short, and you are in Central before the jet lag lands. Land after midnight and the last train is at 01:13, the last A21 around midnight, with the NA21 night bus covering the gap. Before leaving the arrivals level, pick up an Octopus card at the MTR counter, the Airport Express desk or a 7-Eleven. HK$150 buys an adult card with HK$100 of stored value and a HK$50 refundable deposit; it works on the MTR, buses, the Star Ferry, the trams and most convenience stores.

Inside the city, the MTR does the heavy lifting. Ten lines and roughly 100 stations run from about 05:30 to just past midnight, with trains every 2-5 minutes at peak hours. Most urban trips cost HK$5-15, and a cross-harbour hop such as Tsim Sha Tsui to Admiralty runs about HK$11-13. Tap in and out with your Octopus and the child fare applies automatically for ages 3-11. For a heavy sightseeing day, the MTR Tourist Day Pass costs HK$65 for 24 hours of unlimited rides, excluding the Airport Express and first-class East Rail travel. Our Hong Kong destination hub covers the districts if you plan one area at a time.

The slow layer is the fun layer. The Star Ferry between Tsim Sha Tsui and Central costs HK$4.00-6.50 depending on deck and day, and its 8-10 minutes across the harbour is the best-value sightseeing in Hong Kong. On Hong Kong Island the double-decker Ding Ding tram charges a flat HK$3, HK$1.50 for children, and the Peak Tram climbs to Victoria Peak in about 7 minutes - the Sky Pass, return tram plus Sky Terrace 428, is HK$148 for adults and HK$75 for children. Ferries from the Central piers reach Cheung Chau, Lamma and Mui Wo for about HK$20-40 each way.

Taxis fill the gaps, especially late at night and on the steep Mid-Levels roads. Urban (red) taxis start at HK$29 for the first 2 km and then charge about HK$2.10 for every 200 m, plus HK$6 per piece of luggage and any harbour tunnel toll; a Wan Chai to Tsim Sha Tsui run usually lands around HK$100-120. Green New Territories taxis are cheaper but cannot pick up in the city, and blue Lantau taxis stay on the outlying islands. Most taxis are still cash-first, so keep small notes. Book through the HKTaxi app or DiDi, both of which work in English, or join the queue at a marked stand.

The same system crosses the border. From West Kowloon Station, high-speed trains reach Shenzhen's Futian in about 15 minutes from roughly HK$75 and Guangzhou South in about 47 minutes - our guide to buying China high-speed rail tickets as a foreigner explains the 12306 passport rules. The East Rail line to Lo Wu or Lok Ma Chau takes about 50 minutes from Admiralty. Hong Kong runs its own immigration, so US passport holders get 90 days visa-free, while mainland entry needs a separate China visa or the 240-hour visa-free transit, and every child needs their own passport. If the trip is a family one, our 4-day Hong Kong family plan and our family travel guides on pacing, strollers and nap windows are the next reads. Your next step: open the Hong Kong Airport to the city guide and lock in the Airport Express or the A21 before you book your flights.