Getting Around Hong Kong: Transport Guide

You can travel between the various territories that make up Hong Kong by sea, by rail and by road. Ferries and hydrofoils connect the outlying islands as well as Kowloon and Lantau and Hong Kong Island. While ferries run between 6:30 am and 11:30 pm smaller boats called wallah wallah run around the clock. In the typhoon season between May and November these services are often suspended.

Hong Kong has a very efficient Mass Rapid Transport system. There are 4 lines and one mainline that connects Kowloon with Hong Kong Island. The Kowloon-Canton Railway has 13 stops within Hong Kong.

Traffic drives on the left in Hong Kong. It’s easy to hire a car with or without a chauffeur. If you are planning to drive yourself have your paperwork in order: an international drivers license is not mandatory as per the rules but it is recommended that you get one anyway. What the laws require is a national drivers license that is valid for the following 12 months. Third party insurance is compulsory. Permissible minimum age for drivers is 18 years.

Taxis are plentiful in Hong Kong and Kowloon and are conveniently colour coded to indicate which area they serve: red for Hong Kong and Kowloon, blue for Lantau and green for the New Territories. If you are taking one through the Cross Harbour travel, there is an extra charge. Most drivers know only a smattering of English so get someone to help you write out your destination in Chinese.

Double Decker Buses are economical and connect run in all the territories. They have their destinations marked in Chinese as well as English. It is possible to cross through the Cross Harbour tunnel by bus. Some buses are air-conditioned. Maxicabs and minibuses augment the road public transport system. Rickshaws are on the wane and available only in certain areas.

A good investment, if you are spending a while in Hong Kong is the Octopus Card, which is valid on the MRT, some buses and ferries and on the KCR (Kowloon-Canton Railway). All your fares are deducted from this card and at the end of the day you can get what’s left refunded. There is a huge effort on to integrate all services under one system and maybe by the time of your trip the card will be valid on all public transport.