The quickest way to get from the airport to the centre of Hong Kong is by the Airport Express train. However, if you’re staying right next to an airport bus stop, the bus is usually more practical and significantly cheaper.

The Airport Express runs to Central station 120 hkd, whilst the A11 bus takes only 41,90 hkd and the cheapest option is a combination of the S1 bus and the MTR 27,30 hkd.

You can pay for the train, the underground and the main airport buses using a contactless card. An Octopus Card is therefore no longer required for the journey from the airport.

Find a hotel near the Airport Express

Transport	Where it’s best to use	Journey time	Price
Airport Express	Hong Kong Station / Central	approx. 25 minutes	120 hkd
Airport Express	Kowloon Station / West Kowloon	about 20 minutes	105 hkd
Bus A11	Central, Admiralty, Wan Chai, Causeway Bay	45 to 70 minutes	41,90 hkd
Bus A21	Mong Kok, Jordan, Tsim Sha Tsui	60 to 75 minutes	34,60 hkd
Bus E11	A cheap way to get to Hong Kong Island	70 to 100 minutes	21,70 hkd
Bus S1 + MTR	The cheapest way to get to Central	50 to 60 minutes	27,30 hkd
Taxi / Uber	Direct to your hotel in Kowloon or Central	30 to 60 minutes	260 to 400 hkd

What to choose depending on your destination

I always choose my transport based on where my hotel is.

I certainly don’t automatically take the fastest underground line, because it isn’t actually the fastest to all destinations.

• Central and Sheung Wan:the Airport Express is the quickest, whilst the A11 bus is cheaper and takes you directly to many hotels without having to change.
• Wan Chai and Causeway Bay:the A11 bus takes you there directly. The Airport Express metro requires a change or a taxi from Hong Kong Station.
• Mong Kok, Jordan and Tsim Sha Tsui: I usually choose the A21 bus. The Airport Express station called Kowloon is in West Kowloon, not in Tsim Sha Tsui.
• If you’re travelling in a group of 2 to 4 people: ask for a group ticket before boarding the Airport Express. Two people travelling to Central pay a total of 170 hkd, not 240 hkd.
• Ifyou have a lot of luggage or live far from the station: the most convenient option is a taxi, Uber or a pre-booked transfer.

You can find details on connecting metro, tram, ferry and city bus services in the Hong Kong transport guide.

An Octopus Card or a standard payment card?

You don’t need an Octopus Card for a single journey from the airport. The Airport Express, the MTR and Citybus all accept contactless bank cards.

An Octopus Card is worth having if you’ll also be using certain long-distance ferries or minibuses frequently. You can also use it to pay in shops and restaurants, and it has a wider range of uses than a standard bank card.

A physical tourist Octopus card costs 39 hkd, comes with no initial credit and requires no refundable deposit. You can buy it at the airport, for example, at 7-Eleven shops or at MTR ticket offices. The physical card is usually topped up with cash.

On an iPhone or Apple Watch, you can create a digital card via the Octopus App for Tourists and top it up using a foreign Visa, Mastercard or UnionPay card. A single Octopus card cannot be shared amongst multiple passengers on the same journey.

You can find further details on the official Octopus website. We’ve summarised practical information on payments, cash machines and currency exchange in our guide to money in Hong Kong.

Airport Express: the fastest way to the city centre

The Airport Express is a train service operated by the MTR. It runs from the airport, avoiding traffic jams, to Tsing Yi, Kowloon and Hong Kong stations.

The station at the airport is directly connected to the terminals and is clearly signposted from the arrivals hall. Trains run every 10 minutes.

Stations	Journey time	card / Octopus / QR	Paper ticket
Tsing Yi	14 minutes	73 hkd	80 hkd
Kowloon	22 minutes	105 hkd	115 hkd
Hong Kong / Central	24 minutes	120 hkd	130 hkd

At the ticket barrier, you can tap your contactless Visa, Mastercard or UnionPay card, or your phone or watch with Apple Pay or Google Pay.

Use the same card or device when entering and exiting. Each passenger needs their own card or device.

Paying by bank card costs the same as using an Octopus card. Personally, I no longer use an Octopus card at all in Hong Kong.

However, children aged 3 to 11 will be charged the adult fare when paying by bank card. For child fares, use a child’s Octopus card or a child’s ticket.

Group tickets for 2 to 4 people

If you’re travelling with a group, don’t automatically buy four separate tickets. The group fare can be cheaper than a taxi.

Destination	2 people	3 people	4 people
Hong Kong Station	170 hkd	230 hkd	280 hkd
Kowloon Station	150 hkd	210 hkd	250 hkd
Tsing Yi	100 hkd	140 hkd	170 hkd

The group must travel together. Please purchase your ticket on the day of travel at the Airport Express Customer Service Centre counter before passing through the ticket barriers.

Free transfer to the MTR

Upon arrival on the Airport Express, you can continue your journey on the standard MTR metro within one hour without paying any further fare.

Use the same Octopus card, bank card or device. Only the metro journey immediately before or after your Airport Express journey is free of charge.

This is useful, for example, if you’re travelling on from Hong Kong Station or Kowloon Station.

The transfer between Tsim Sha Tsui and East Tsim Sha Tsui is subject to special rules and, when paying by bank card, counts as a new journey.

Free return to the airport on the same day

When travelling from the airport to the city and back on the same operating day, you’ll only pay for one journey on the Airport Express.

This offer applies when using the same Octopus card, contactless card, device or relevant return ticket.

If using a bank card, do not use the same card for any other MTR journeys between the two trips. Otherwise, the free return journey may not apply. For onward travel within the city, please use a different card or an Octopus card.

Opening hours and check-in at the centre

• The last train from the airport leaves at 00:48.
• The first train from Hong Kong Station departs at 5.50.

At Hong Kong and Kowloon stations, passengers travelling with selected airlines can check in and drop off their luggage before heading to the airport.

You can find the latest timetables, fares and terms and conditions on the official MTR website. We also describe the standard network in our guide to the Hong Kong MTR.

Buses: cheaper and often taking you straight to your hotel

Airport buses depart from the Ground Transportation Centre near the terminals.

They’re slower than the train, but serve many more neighbourhoods. If the bus stops at your hotel, you won’t need to change buses or drag your suitcase on the underground.

You can pay the fare:

• contactless Visa, Mastercard or UnionPay card
• an Octopus Card
• by mobile via Apple Pay, Google Pay or Samsung Pay
• exact cash (no change given)

Foreign contactless cards generally work.

CityFlyer buses provide connections to Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. Services toNew Territories are operated by Long Win Bus.

Official information and detailed timetables can be found on the following websites:

• CityFlyer: citybus.com.hk/routes
• LWB: kmb.hk

A list of all bus routes can be found on the map below or on the airport’s website:hongkongairport.com/public-buses.

Express A buses

Routes marked with the letter A are the main airport buses. The following routes are important for most tourists:

Route	Main districts and stops	Fare
A10	Kennedy Town, Pok Fu Lam, Aberdeen, Ap Lei Chau	49,70 hkd
A11	Central, Admiralty, Wan Chai, Causeway Bay, North Point	41,90 hkd
A12	North Point, Quarry Bay, Sai Wan Ho, Chai Wan	47,10 hkd
A21	Mong Kok, Yau Ma Tei, Jordan, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hung Hom	34,60 hkd
A22	Jordan, Kowloon City, Kwun Tong, Lam Tin	40,80 hkd
A25	Tsim Sha Tsui, Hung Hom, Kai Tak	40,80 hkd

Most routes run every 15 to 30 minutes. Journey times are significantly affected by traffic and the number of stops.

If you take the Cityflyer bus from the airport to the city and back on the same day, you’ll receive a 50 per cent discount on the return journey when you pay with the same Octopus card or your own contactless card.

Cheaper E buses

The E routes pass through Tung Chung and the airport operational areas. They are cheaper, but the journey takes longer.

• E11: Sheung Wan, Central, Admiralty, Wan Chai, Causeway Bay and Tin Hau, fare 21,70 hkd.
• E23 / E23A: Jordan, Hung Hom, Kowloon City and other parts of Kowloon, fare 18,60 hkd.

The E bus is mainly worth taking if it stops near your hotel and you’re not in a hurry. Otherwise, the A bus or the Airport Express is usually quicker.

"S" and "B" routes

The shortest journeys are provided by lines “B” and “S”, which operate only in the vicinity of the airport. You’ll most often use them to travel to Tung Chung MTR station, from where you can get to the city centre more cheaply than by a direct train or bus service.

• S1– the fastest route to Tung Chung MTR station (journey time 10 minutes, fare 3,70 hkd)
• S56, S64– alternative connections to Tung Chung MTR station (journey time 15 minutes, fare 3,80 hkd)
• B4– service to the HZMB bus terminal, from where buses run to Macau and the Chinese city of Zhuhai (journey time 10 minutes, fare 9,10 hkd)

The cheapest route: the S1 bus and the metro from Tung Chung

The cheapest reasonable journey to the city centre costs a total of 27,30 hkd:

1. From the airport, take the S1 bus to the Tung Chung terminus for 3,70 hkd.
2. Change to the yellow Tung Chung Line.
3. At Hong Kong Station, you will pay 23,60 hkd.

The whole journey takes about 50 to 60 minutes.

The S1 line runs frequently and the journey to the underground station itself takes about 10 minutes. Alternatively, you can take the S56 or S64 lines for 3,80 hkd.

You can pay on both sections using an Octopus card or a contactless card. If you have a large suitcase, bear in mind that you’ll need to change trains and use the regular city underground, which can be crowded during rush hour.

Tung Chung is also the starting point for the cable car to the Big Buddha. To get to Hong Kong Disneyland, change from the Tung Chung Line at Sunny Bay station.

Night transport

Regular bus routes A, E, S and B, as well as the MTR, run from around 6.00 am to 12.30 am.

At night, many bus routes marked ‘NA’ run to various parts of Hong Kong at 40- to 60-minute intervals.

Fares are similar to those on ‘E’ routes and range from around 25 hkd to 30 hkd for journeys to the city centre.

• Central Hong Kong – routes NA11, N11
• Kowloon (Tsim Sha Tsui) – routes N21, N21A

Public transport map

Take a look at the map of all underground and bus routes serving Hong Kong International Airport (HKG).

Taxis and Uber

Taxis and Uber operate from the airport 24 hours a day. For three to four passengers, the price per person may be similar to that of several separate Airport Express tickets, particularly if you were to continue your journey by taxi from the station.

The taxi rank is near the train station, about a 5-minute walk from the arrivals halls of both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2.

 

Taxis are organised by destination within the city, and everything is clearly signposted.

• Red taxis – city centre, Hong Kong Island, Kowloon
• Green taxis –New Territories (Sha Tin, Tuen Mun, Tai Po, Tin Shui Wan) and others
• Blue taxis – Lantau Island

Taxis canonly be paid forin cash; credit cards and Octopus cards cannot be used for payment.

The approximate taxi fares from the airport are as follows.

• Hong Kong, Central Piers – 335 hkd
• Hong Kong, Causeway Bay – 340 hkd
• Hong Kong, Aberdeen – 380 hkd
• Kowloon, Tsim Sha Tsui – 265 hkd
• Kowloon, Mong Kok – 260 hkd
• Kowloon, Kai Tak – 310 hkd
• Kowloon, High-Speed Rail Station – 250 hkd
• Lantau, Disneyland – 145 hkd
• Lantau, Mui Wo – 170 hkd
• Lantau, Tai O – 250 hkd
• Lantau, Big Buddha – 230 hkd
• New Territories, Sha Tin – 285 hkd
• New Territories, Tuen Mun – 150 hkd

Uber from the airport

Uber operates in Hong Kong. The app displays the standard options – UberX, the larger UberXL and UberXXL – as well as Meter Taxi, which are licensed Hong Kong taxis booked and paid for via Uber.

Depending on demand, expect to pay approximately 300 to 400 hkd to Central, and usually 250 to 350 hkd to Kowloon. You’ll see the exact price in the app before confirming your booking.

Uber does not pick up passengers at traditional taxi ranks:

• from Arrivals Hall A, head to Car Park 4
• from Arrivals Hall B, go to Car Park 1

The app will show you the exact meeting point. For more than four people or several large suitcases, book an UberXL or UberXXL.

If you want to have your car and price confirmed before you arrive, you should also compare private transfers.

Check the price of an airport transfer

Where to stay for the sake of transport to the airport

If you have an early flight, you don’t necessarily have to stay overnight near the airport. The first Airport Express departs from Hong Kong Station at 5.50 am and from Kowloon Station at 5.53 am.

A hotel right next to one of these stations can save you the trouble of a morning taxi ride and changing trains with your luggage.

• Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong – a premium hotel connected to the IFC complex near Hong Kong Station. The easiest option for Central and the first Airport Express.
• W Hong Kong – situated directly above Kowloon Station. Excellent connections to the airport and walking distance to West Kowloon Station.
• Regal Airport Hotel – you can walk to Terminal 1 via a covered walkway. The most practical option for long layovers or very early departures.
• Novotel Citygate Hong Kong – near Tung Chung MTR station, with a free airport shuttle. Also handy before a trip to the Big Buddha or Disneyland.

If you’d like to stay in a typical tourist area, look for accommodation in the Hong Kong hotel guide that’s right next to the A11 or A21 routes. Before booking, check not only the distance to the MTR but also the nearest airport bus stop.

Compare hotels near HKG Airport

Macau and mainland China

You can also travel directly from the airport to mainland China or the popular tourist destination of Macau.

You can choose between a shuttle bus journey across one of the world’s longest bridges (the Hong Kong–Macau–Zhuhai Bridge) or a trip on a high-speed ferry.

Without leaving the transit zone

On arrival, follow the signs for Mainland / Macao and proceed to the counters in Transfer Area E2.

Do not go through immigration control and do not collect your checked-in luggage.

This option is only available if you are transferring on the day of arrival, with a valid ticket and documents for your destination country. For checked-in luggage, present the luggage tag stub and staff will arrange for it to be transferred.

The most convenient connection to Macau is the Macau HK Airport Direct bus. The journey across the bridge takes around 45 to 50 minutes and the standard fare for an adult is 280 hkd. You can find current departure times and booking conditions on the website macauhkairportbus.com.

Ferries also run from SkyPier to ports in the Pearl River Delta, such as Shenzhen Shekou, Shenzhen Fuyong, Zhongshan and Guangzhou. Always check the specific service for your arrival date on the Hong Kong Airport website.

Ferry ticket prices are around 350 hkd.

The cheapest way to get to Macau after arriving in Hong Kong

If you have already cleared immigration or want to save money, take the public section of the HZMB border terminal:

1. From the airport, take the B4 bus to HZMB Hong Kong Port. The journey takes about 10 minutes and costs 9,80 hkd.
2. Go through Hong Kong’s exit control.
3. Take the shuttle bus across the bridge to Macau or Zhuhai.

The bus across the bridge runs 24 hours a day. During the day, the fare to both Macau and Zhuhai is 65 hkd and between midnight and 6.00 am 70 hkd.

The whole journey from the airport costs 74,80 hkd, and at night 79,80 hkd, but you’ll have to go through immigration yourself and carry your own luggage.

You can find tickets and current waiting times at hzmbus.com.

We describe other options in our guide to transport between Hong Kong and Macau and in our overview of ferries to Macau.

Direct buses to mainland China

Cross-border buses depart from the Mainland / Macao Transport and Travel Services Centre in Terminal 2 to destinations such as Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Dongguan, Huizhou, Foshan, Zhongshan and Zhuhai.

Timetables and fares vary depending on the destination and border crossing, so please check at the ticket counters or on the airport’s website.

Further planning for Hong Kong

• The complete guide to Hong Kong
• Public transport, Octopus, the MTR, buses and ferries
• What to see and do in Hong Kong
• How to travel between Hong Kong, Macau and China