Hong Kong Ferry

Hong Kong - Getting Around

Hong Kong Island Star Ferry. Photograph by alaw

Being a port city with a number of outlying islands, Hong Kong's ferry system plays a major role in the Hong Kong transportation network.  The most famous ferry in Hong Kong, and one that is on the to-do list for many tourists, is the Star Ferry that runs from Central District on Hong Kong Island to Tsim Sha Tsui (TST) or Hung Hom on the Kowloon Peninsula.

Traveling between these points by boat offers a unique view of the city on both sides of the harbor, and the trip is rather quick and cheap.  Aside from the Star Ferry, one of the most frequented boats is the high-speed Turbojet that goes to Macau.

The ride is about one hour long and boats can be boarded in Sheung Wan on Hong Kong Island or TST.  Each of these piers also has services to a few locations in the southern part of Mainland China, such as Zhuhai and Guangzhou.

Other ferries go from Central to the outlying islands of Cheung Chau, Peng Chau, Lamma Island, and Lantau Island.  Ferries to most of these destinations are not very frequent and do not run late into the evening.

Lantau Island is the only exception as there is a 24-hour, high-speed ferry service from Discovery Bay to Central.

Macau Turbojet. Photograph by Daryl Chapman