Arrive
Airport to town: Express, bus, ordinary MTR, taxi
Express if rushed; A21 for Kowloon; LWB A-routes for the western NT; S1 plus Tung Chung Line for cheap ordinary MTR. District-by-district and overnight options.
Notes dated 2026-09
Ask three things: time of day, number of bags, which district. Airport Express is not ordinary MTR; A is not E; S1 is the bridge to the Tung Chung Line. Layout, McDonald’s, and taxi colours are on the airport page.
Thirty-second pick
- Catching a ferry or a meeting, two large cases: Airport Express.
- TST / Mong Kok / Jordan, not rushed: Citybus A21.
- Causeway Bay / Wan Chai / Central, not rushed: Citybus A11.
- Tseung Kwan O: Citybus A29. Do not hop off at random in Kwun Tong.
- Tuen Mun / Yuen Long / Tsuen Wan / Fanling: the matching LWB A-route in App 1933. Do not detour via Kowloon.
- Tight budget, light bags, willing to change: S1 then ordinary Tung Chung Line.
- After the last train, three splitting, hotel door: official taxi rank.
Four modes compared
| Mode | Time | Adult | Best when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airport Express | ≈24 min to Hong Kong Station | Octopus: Hong Kong $120 / Kowloon $105 / Tsing Yi $73. Paper about $10 more. | Rush, bags. Same-day return on the same card can be free. Free ordinary MTR within one hour (not Light Rail, MTR Bus, East Rail First Class). |
| Citybus / LWB A-routes | 40–100 min depending on route | A21 $34.6; A11 $41.9; A29 $44.0; A33X Tuen Mun about $15.7. Cityflyer same-day Octopus return to town can be half price. | Drops near the hotel. Board the matching GTC bay. Bags on the lower deck. |
| S1 + Tung Chung Line (ordinary MTR) | ≈50–70 min to core Island / Kowloon | S1 about $4 plus ordinary Tung Chung Line (about $24–28 more to Hong Kong Station) | Willing to change, not much luggage. This is the cheap ordinary MTR — not the Express gates at Airport station. |
| Urban taxi (red) | Kowloon ≈30–50 min | Into Kowloon from about $280 plus tunnels and bags. Island often $350–400+. | Late night, three-plus, hotel door. Official rank only. |
By destination
| Going to | How | Roughly | Watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hong Kong Island | Express to Hong Kong Station; or A11; or S1 + Tung Chung Line then Island line. | Express 24 min; A11 70–90 min | Hong Kong Station serves Central and Admiralty. Causeway Bay: stay on A11 or change to the Island line. |
| Kowloon along Nathan Road | A21 is the obvious one. Express to Kowloon then taxi/shuttle. | A21 70–90 min | Watch stop names: Mong Kok, Jordan, TST, Hung Hom. Citybus app. |
| Tseung Kwan O | A29, or into town then Tseung Kwan O line. | 80–100 min | Look for Po Lam, Hang Hau, Tseung Kwan O stops. |
| Tai Po | No star A-route. A41 to Sha Tin then East Rail, or Express then East Rail to Tai Po Market. | 90 min+ | East Rail is more predictable than a long bus. |
| Fanling / Sheung Shui | LWB A43 / A43P. | 70–90 min | Connects to East Rail north. |
| Tuen Mun | A33 / A33X via the Tuen Mun–Chek Lap Kok tunnel. | 40–55 min | Faster than via Kowloon. Light Rail at Tuen Mun station. |
| Yuen Long / Tin Shui Wai | A36 / A37. | 50–70 min | Tuen Ma Line nearby. |
Overnight and bad weather
- After the last Express, Citybus N21 (cheaper, TST Star Ferry) or NA-routes (dearer, more direct). Infrequent — check the app first.
- Signal No. 8: franchised and Lantau buses stop; the Express can be hit too. Do not assume a bus. Taxi queues get very long.
- Red or black rain can stop public transport. Check the Observatory on landing.
Fares, frequencies, and border hours change. Recheck App 1933, Citybus, MTR Mobile, or the ImmD app before you go.
Questions
I am staying in Tsim Sha Tsui. What do I take?
Not rushed: Citybus A21 from the GTC along Nathan Road, HK$34.6. Rushed: Express to Kowloon HK$105, then taxi or hotel shuttle. Cheapest: S1 to Tung Chung then ordinary MTR — tiring with big cases.
Four of us to Central: Express or taxi?
Four Express tickets are about HK$480, then you still walk or ride from Hong Kong Station. A red taxi to a Central hotel is often about HK$350–400 plus tunnels — often better late at night. Two people in a hurry still usually take the train.