Hong Kong Transportation

Hong Kong is compact and easy to navigate, with street, bus and subway signs clearly marked in English. Travelers can ride on subway trains, light rail, bus, minibus, ferry, tram and taxi to transport them.

There are three colours of taxi to indicate their areas of service, but all serve the airport:

Red taxis operate in most of Hong Kong, except for Tung Chung Road and the south side of Lantau Island.
Fare Table (HK$)
First 2 kilometres or any part thereof    HK$18
Every subsequent 200 metres or part thereof / Every period of 1 minute waiting time or part thereof
- For meter fare below $70.5HK: $1.50
- For meter fare of $70.5 and above: HK$1.00

Green taxis serve the rural areas of the New Territories.
Fare Table (HK$)
First 2 kilometres or any part thereof: HK$14.50
Every subsequent 200 metres or part thereof / Every period of 1 minute waiting time or part thereof
- For meter fare below $53.50HK: $1.30
- For meter fare of $53.50 and above: HK$1.00

Blue taxis operate only on Lantau Island.
Fare Table (HK$)
First 2 kilometres or any part thereof: HK$13
Every subsequent 200 metres or part thereof / Every period of 1 minute waiting time or part thereof
- For meter fare below $130: HK$1.30
- For meter fare of $130 and above: HK$1.20

Hong Kong International Airport is one of the world's best and most modern airports offering a comprehensive range of facilities and services to travellers entering and leaving Hong Kong. The airport offers arriving passengers direct access to train, bus, taxi and hotel transport, as well as high-speed ferries to Mainland China.

To go to Kowloon and Central from the airport, the easiest way is to take the Airport Express train, tickets are HK$100 and it doesn't take long to get to the destination.

Buses in Hong Kong are plentiful and comfortable, and most are air-conditioned. Especially popular are the double-deckers that offer great views of the surrounding city.

Bus routes cover almost all of Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories. Kowloon Motor Bus, New World First Bus and Citybus operate routes to cover Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories. New Lantao Bus mainly operates on Lantau Island and Long Win Bus provides bus services to north Lantau and the airport. Final destinations are prominently displayed in English and Chinese on the front of the bus.

Fares are based on distance travelled. Exact change is required. Octopus cards are accepted.

Minibuses

Minibuses are small passenger buses that carry about 16 people. Green minibuses operate on specific routes at fixed prices. Exact payment is required when getting on. Octopus cards are accepted. Red minibuses operate on routes that are not always fixed and passengers can get on and off anywhere along the route except where special prohibitions apply. Pay as you alight. The driver can provide change for small notes.

Once filled, minibuses won't stop until someone asks to get off. Please note that minibuses are best suited for people who can speak some Cantonese and who are familiar with Hong Kong. Passengers are required by law to wear seat belts where available.

Trams

Take a step back in time and explore the bustling north corridor of Hong Kong Island aboard one of the city's historic trams. These double-decker streetcars have been travelling through Hong Kong's busiest thoroughfares since 1904 and continue to be a great way to get around.

Sit next to the window on the upper deck to get the best views. Neighbourhoods along the way include some of Hong Kong's most colourful: Western district, Wan Chai, Happy Valley, Causeway Bay and North Point. Trams run from early morning until midnight.
The flat fare is HK$2 and exact change is required. You enter at the back of the tram and pay the exact fare when alighting at the front. Octopus cards are accepted.

Get around

Getting around Hong Kong and visiting the city's fantastic attractions couldn't be easier with the quick and efficient MTR rail system that covers all major districts in the territory, and includes stops at the boundary with Mainland China (Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau). The MTR consists of ten lines: Island, Tsuen Wan, Kwun Tong, Tseung Kwan O, Tung Chung, West Rail, East Rail, Ma On Shan and Disneyland Resort, as well as an Airport Express. In addition, The MTR operates a Light Rail system running between Yuen Long and Tuen Mun in the New Territories, plus an inter-city train service into Mainland China.

Ferry

A vast fleet of ferries plies between the many islands of Hong Kong. The granddaddy of them all and an attraction in itself is the Star Ferry, whose most popular line travels between Tsim Sha Tsui and Central from early morning until late at night, and offers amazing views (especially when coming from Tsim Sha Tsui). The Star Ferry is an icon of Hong Kong heritage and has carried passengers for over 120 years. Taking its eleven minute ride across the harbour and catching some misty breeze is considered a "must do" when visiting Hong Kong.

Upper deck seats cost $2.50 while the lower deck cost $1.80, both payable with Octopus, cash (change given) or by onsite vending machine. The Star Ferry also operates between Tsim Sha Tsui and Wanchai.

Ferries to Lamma, Lantau and other islands depart from a variety of ports, but the largest and most important terminal is at Central adjacent to the Star Ferry. Ferries are usually divided into fast ferries and slow ferries, with fast ferries charging around twice the price for half the journey time, although not all destinations offer both kinds of service. Example fares for trips from Central to Yung Shue Wan (Lamma) are $10/15 slow/fast, and to Mui Wo (Lantau) $10.50/$21. Note that all fares increase by around 50% on Sundays and public holidays.