How to Get Around Hong Kong| Octopus Card and Public Transport

Getting around Hong Kong is much easier than it might seem at first. The city has an incredibly efficient underground railway network, buses reaching almost every corner, lovely double-decker trams, ferries crossing the harbour and some of the best public transport connections I’ve come across while travelling.

In Hong Kong, combining different modes of transport is part of the experience. Sometimes taking the ferry is far more interesting than hopping on the MTR, while on other occasions a bus saves you an unnecessary change. And then there are places like Tai O and Stanley, where you simply won’t get to without taking a bus.

How does public transport in Hong Kong work?

You don’t need to buy a separate ticket for every journey. With an Octopus Card, you can pay for most of your trips without worrying about carrying cash or working out the fare every time you board.

Before we look at how to get around, let’s understand the city first.

How is Hong Kong divided?

Hong Kong Island: Home to Central, the financial district and some of the city’s best-known attractions.

Kowloon: Directly across Victoria Harbour from Hong Kong Island. This is where you’ll find Tsim Sha Tsui and Mong Kok, two lively neighbourhoods with a very different personality.

New Territories: Stretching north towards the border with mainland China and Shenzhen. It’s less touristy but has temples, viewpoints and plenty of nature.

Outlying Islands: Including Lantau, Lamma and Cheung Chau. Here you’ll find beaches, traditional villages, local festivals and a completely different pace of life.

The Octopus Card: Is it worth getting?

If there’s one thing I’d recommend getting to make travelling around Hong Kong easier, it’s an Octopus Card. In fact, you can download one directly onto your phone, so you don’t even need a physical card.

There are two main options: you can get a physical card or use a mobile Octopus directly from your smartphone.

Mobile Octopus Card on Apple Pay

Having your Octopus Card in your phone’s digital wallet is probably the most convenient way to get around Hong Kong. You don’t need to queue at top-up machines, and you can check your balance whenever you want.

How to add an Octopus Card to Apple Pay

First, download the Octopus App for Tourists. Make sure you get the tourist version of the app. Then, create an account using your Apple account and select the option to add a new card.

From the app, you can choose how much credit to add and pay using Apple Pay. Once you’ve set it up, you can add the card to your Apple Wallet and top it up directly from there. Issuing a new mobile Octopus Card requires a HKD 50 deposit and a minimum initial top-up of HKD 100.

Once everything is set up, you don’t even need to unlock your phone to use it. And here’s something I found particularly handy: it even worked when I tapped my phone with the screen off and the battery completely flat! During my previous visit to Hong Kong, I’d bought a physical Octopus Card, and this mobile option is so much more convenient.

HOWEVER, for this to work, you need an iPhone X or later, or an Apple Watch Series 3 or later. You also need a payment card issued outside Hong Kong that is compatible with Apple Pay.

Physical Octopus Card

You can buy a physical Octopus Card at several locations, including Hong Kong International Airport, MTR stations and transport customer service centres. As with the mobile version, you need to pay a HKD 50 deposit and add HKD 150 in initial credit (EUR 5.6 and EUR 17 respectively).

The deposit and any remaining balance can be refunded when you return the card at a customer service point. There’s one at the airport, and the staff there were incredibly friendly when I visited.

Paying for public transport in Hong Kong with a contactless bank card, without the Octopus Card.

Yes, you can also pay using a contactless bank card, although acceptance varies depending on the type of transport. Personally, I wouldn’t rely on this as my main way of paying for public transport. You also don’t get the same discounts and fare concessions available with an Octopus Card.

The main disadvantage is that contactless bank cards aren’t accepted on every bus, minibus or Ding Ding tram, which can limit your options when getting around.

How to get from Hong Kong Airport to the city by public transport

Hong Kong International Airport is located in Chek Lap Kok, on Lantau Island. From there, you have several options for getting to Kowloon or Hong Kong Island. The best option depends on where you’re staying, how much luggage you have and what time your flight lands.

Airport Express | The fastest option

The Airport Express is a train connecting the airport with central Hong Kong in approximately 25 minutes (22 minutes to Kowloon). The current fares are HKD 105 to Kowloon and HKD 120 to Hong Kong Station (EUR 12 and EUR 13.6 respectively). The service starts at 05:54, and the last train leaves the airport at 00:48.

Local airport buses | The cheapest option

If you’re not in a hurry and would rather save some money, local buses are a great alternative for travelling from the airport to different parts of Hong Kong. There are several routes, but these two are particularly useful for visitors:

• A21: Connects the airport with Hung Hom, stopping at Mong Kok, Yau Ma Tei, Jordan and Tsim Sha Tsui along the way. It’s particularly convenient if you’re staying in Kowloon, especially around Tsim Sha Tsui, as you can get there without changing buses.
• A11: Connects the airport with North Point, passing through Sheung Wan, Central, Wan Chai and Causeway Bay. A good option if you’re staying on Hong Kong Island.

The journey can take around an hour or longer, depending on traffic and where you get off. The A21 costs HKD 35, while the A11 costs HKD 42 (approximately EUR 4). You can pay using your Octopus Card, and both buses have dedicated luggage storage areas.

Something that really caught my attention was that the buses have a camera showing the luggage compartment on a screen on the upper deck. So you can actually keep an eye on your suitcases throughout the journey! 😂😂

Getting around Kowloon | MTR, buses and walking

Kowloon is one of the easiest areas to explore using public transport. If you’re staying in Tsim Sha Tsui, you’ll have several MTR stations nearby, as well as buses connecting different neighbourhoods and the Star Ferry, which takes you across the harbour to Central.

Hey hey, if you haven’t booked your accommodation in Hong Kong yet, I’m working on a guide to the best areas to stay in the city.

The red MTR line (Tsuen Wan Line) is one of the most useful routes for getting around Kowloon. It stops at Tsim Sha Tsui, Jordan, Yau Ma Tei and Mong Kok before continuing to Central on Hong Kong Island.

But it’s not the only line worth knowing about:

• Tung Chung Line (orange): Connects Kowloon with Lantau Island and Tung Chung, where you can take the Ngong Ping 360 cable car or transport towards Disneyland.
• Tuen Ma Line (brown): Crosses Kowloon and connects areas such as East Tsim Sha Tsui, Hung Hom, Kai Tak and Diamond Hill. It’s also useful for reaching other parts of the New Territories.
• Kwun Tong Line (green): Connects Mong Kok with neighbourhoods in eastern Kowloon and takes you to Wong Tai Sin, home to one of Hong Kong’s best-known temples.

If you’re still figuring out how to organise your sightseeing and which attractions are worth visiting, I’d recommend reading my 4-day Hong Kong itinerary for first-time visitors.

Getting around Hong Kong Island| Buses, MTR and Ding Ding trams

Hong Kong Island is much bigger and more diverse than you might imagine. The MTR mainly covers the northern part of the island, while you’ll need to use buses to reach some of the southern areas, including Stanley and Shek O beaches.

Ding Ding: Hong Kong’s historic double-decker trams

One of the most characteristic (and touristy) ways to explore Hong Kong Island is by hopping on one of its historic double-decker trams, locally known as Ding Ding. They run along the northern coast of the island, between Kennedy Town and Shau Kei Wan, passing through Causeway Bay and Quarry Bay.

They’re certainly not the fastest way to get around, but they’re a lovely way to explore the city at a slower pace and watch everyday life unfold from the upper deck.

💸 A single journey costs 3.3 HKD (0.30 EUR), regardless of the distance travelled, and you pay when getting off. Contactless cards are accepted, as well as, of course, the Octopus Card.

Getting around Lantau Island | Ngong Ping, the Big Buddha and Tai O

Lantau Island is one of those places where you’ll be particularly glad to have an Octopus Card. The island is quite extensive and, although there are several ways to explore it, you’ll need to combine different forms of transport.

If you’re planning to visit Ngong Ping, the Big Buddha, Po Lin Monastery and Tai O, you can organise your day using the cable car and local buses (or the MTR to reach the bus connections). I explain exactly how to organise this visit on day two of my 4-day Hong Kong itinerary.

Tung Chung is the final stop on the orange MTR line. There’s a small bus terminal and the cable car station in the same complex, making it a convenient starting point for exploring this part of the island.

The cable car isn’t part of the public transport network and has a separate fare. You can check the different ticket options here.

Is a Hong Kong transport pass worth it?

Besides the Octopus Card, there are several tourist transport passes offering unlimited travel for a set period. However, they don’t all include the same transport services, and they aren’t necessarily the cheapest option.

MTR Tourist Day Pass

The MTR Tourist Day Pass allows unlimited travel on the MTR, Light Rail and MTR Bus for 24 consecutive hours from your first journey. It costs HKD 75 (EUR 8.50). This pass is designed for tourists, so you’ll be asked to show your passport to prove your visitor status.

It doesn’t include the Airport Express or first-class travel on the East Rail Line (how crazy is it that you can get a VIP section on an underground train, right?).

Four-Day Tourist Ticket for the Star Ferry

For HKD 50, you can travel unlimited times for four consecutive days on the Central–Tsim Sha Tsui and Wan Chai–Tsim Sha Tsui routes. However, considering that a single journey is usually so cheap (around EUR 0.50), I wouldn’t bother buying this pass unless you’re planning to use the ferry several times a day.

Taxis and apps in Hong Kong | When are they worth using?

Hong Kong has an extensive taxi network, and taxis can be useful for specific journeys, particularly if you’re travelling with luggage, heading back late at night or trying to reach somewhere that requires several public transport connections.

Taxis are colour-coded depending on the areas they serve; red taxis the Urban areas, including most of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. Green taxis for the New Territories and blue taxis Lantau Island.

You can also use apps such as Uber, depending on availability in the area. For most visitors, though, public transport is more than enough to explore the city. I wouldn’t make taxis part of your everyday transport budget.

How to travel from Hong Kong to Shenzhen and Macau

If you’re planning a trip around southern China, you’ll probably want to take advantage of Hong Kong’s location and visit Shenzhen or Macau. Both destinations are relatively easy to reach, but you’ll need to plan your border crossing and choose the right transport option.

Trains to Shenzhen depart from Hong Kong West Kowloon Station, which is very close to Tsim Sha Tsui. To get to Macau, you can take a ferry or use the land transport crossing the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge. The best option will depend on where you’re staying and which part of Macau you’re planning to visit.

Frequently Asked Questions [FAQ]: Getting around Hong Kong

What is the cheapest way to get around Hong Kong?

Public transport in Hong Kong is generally affordable, although fares vary depending on the service and distance travelled. If you’re unsure which option to take, simply enter your destination and starting point into Google Maps. It will show you different routes, transport options and estimated fares. I’ve found the suggested prices to be pretty accurate!

Do I need to buy an Octopus Card at the airport?

No, you can set up a mobile Octopus Card before travelling. There is also an official service counter in the airport arrivals area where you can get one. However, you don’t necessarily need an Octopus Card to travel from the airport to the city centre.

Can you explore Hong Kong without using Uber?

Absolutely! Hong Kong has an extensive public transport network connecting its main areas, including Kowloon, Hong Kong Island and Lantau. For most travellers, taxis and ride-hailing apps aren’t necessary to visit the city’s main attractions.

Where to next?

Hong Kong is a city that deserves to be explored on foot. But with so many hills, steep streets and places to discover, understanding how public transport works is essential if you want to make the most of your time here.

If you’ve already decided to visit Hong Kong and are trying to organise your days, I’d recommend following my step-by-step 4-day Hong Kong itinerary. If your journey continues through China or Taiwan, you can explore my other travel guides too. Or perhaps Japan? You never know!

See you in the next destination!

Guadi.