Unless you plan to just stay and do your business in Hong Kong International Airport, the first thing you do would probably be to look for a way to get you from the airport to downtown.

In this page we show you the different modes of transportation to take you to your ultimate destination in Hong Kong.

The most effective way to get from the airport to downtown. This train has a few stops, with the final stop being your most likely destination, which is Central district, Hong Kong.

Trains run every 20 minutes or even more so no need to worry.

You can pay by credit card.

Hours of Operation:
05:54 to 23:28 and approximately 12-minute intervals from 23:28 to 00:48 daily

Not interested in taking the Airport express or other public transportation methods? You can always opt for a taxi. You will find them lined up to the left door just before entering the Airport Express. Here are some tips they tell taxi passengers, and I’ll break it up into various sections on this guide

If you take a red or green taxi from the airport, all passengers will receive a taxi information card. An official airport staff will issue this card to you.

This has the rules of the taxi, the laws. Keep in mind, it has the date and time of the ride, as well as the taxi number. You do NOT need to give this to the taxi driver after the ride. This is for you to be able to file a complaint and track the taxi later if needed – such as for lost and found.

There are 3 kinds of taxis in Hong Kong, classified by the color. You won’t see all color taxis at the same time, but because we’re at the airport hub you need to choose them based on your final destination. Here is each one:

Red – Most common – called the Urban Taxi. This is if you are going to Hong Kong island, such as Central and Wan Chai district, or to Kowloon side as well such as Tsim Tsa Tsui or Mong Kok. Most business travelers and tourists will go to these destinations.

Green – New Territories Taxi – Most likely only for locals or students. This taxi operates in a bit further out from downtown – the northeastern (Sha Tin) and northwestern (Tsuen Wan) parts of the New Territories. Because of this, the taxi companies decided to make it under a separate classification. The taxi fare is also a bit less, and the distance is short as well.

Blue – Lantau Taxi – This one I never knew about until writing this guide! This is a local taxi that is only for those who live pretty close to the airport – just around Chek Lap Kok and Lantau Island.

How much does it cost to get to downtown Hong Kong from the airport? Common, logical question, and the airport has provided a list of average taxi fares for reference. Fares differ based on the specific destinations in the following areas:

Here is a quick list of people to call if you have problems or questions with the taxis. Not just for dealing with the airport, you can use these contacts anywhere in Hong Kong for the taxi service.

1823 Hotline – dial 1823
Transport Complaints Unit – 2889 9999
Police hotline – 2527-7177
Hong Kong Tourism Board – 2508-1234
Airport Authority Hong Kong – 2181-8888
Lost and Found hotline – 187 2920

Want to take the ferry to China or Macau? You can only do this BEFORE you go through HK customs. So if you “stamp your passport” into Hong Kong and then want to turn around and get on the ferry, no can do.

The ferry is a pretty high class way of doing it, but one of the most VIP and comfortable.

Why would you choose to take the ferry? Well, one is it is convenient. The other is if you cannot enter Hong Kong, as you are still in “limbo” or in transit. For example, many Mainland Chinese have issues getting a visa or allowed entry into Hong Kong. HK Customs may deny them entry (if they even attempt to enter). So taking the ferry direct to China from the airport lets them skip entering HK SAR.

Checked luggage?

Make sure to tell the cashier you will have your bags checked. They will have a worker go to the luggage claim area on your behalf to fetch it and get on the boat.

Went through HK customs and now want to backtrack to the ferry? Sorry, no can do. But if you do make the mistake and go through Hong Kong customs first, no problem. There are other ways to get into China and Macau via bus, Skylimo, etc.

Check out our Hong Kong / China border guide where we listed extensive ways to cross from Hong Kong to China and vice versa.

Where to bus buy tickets: Terminal 2, Arrivals Level 3, Coach station, counters C01 – C09

Operating Hours:

• Lok Ma Chau (Huanggang) Port (06:15 am to midnight)
• Shataukok Port (07:30 am to 07:40pm)
• Shenzhen Bay Port (06:50 am to 10:30 pm)
• Macao Port (08:50 am to 09:10 pm)
• Zhuhai Port (06:40 am to 11:00 pm)

Frequency every 7 to 60 minutes

Coaches are also available for travel to the following areas in PRD, past the Shenzhen border:

Operating Hours:
6:50 am to 10:40pm

Frequency
-depends on which operator and destination.

There are 4 operators in HKIA that provide transport services to and from Mainland/Macao and you can get your tickets from their designated counters:

These are the ones I always take. There are 6 different companies who offer the Skylimo service. Before researching this guide I thought Skylimo was a private company, not a “Code name”.

Where to buy China city destination tickets:
Terminal 2, Coach station, counters C01 – C09
Frequency – depends on which city / province.
Hours for these buses: 7am to midnight
Cost 150 HKD
Can use credit card.