By Blaise Jaeger · Updated October 21, 2026

Hong Kong is one of the easiest cities in the world to get around: the MTR covers almost everything, the trams and the Star Ferry cost less than a dollar, and taxis are cheap by any Western standard. We spent five days there in October 2026, staying in Admiralty, and used almost every form of transport the city has. This page lists what we took, what it cost and what we would do differently. For the itinerary itself, see our 5 days in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong Transport at a Glance

Transport	What we paid	How we paid
MTR (metro)	HK$5 for short rides to HK$20 for the longest	Single journey tickets (contactless works too)
Tram (“Ding Ding”)	HK$3.50, any distance	Contactless card
Star Ferry	HK$6.50	Contactless card
Green minibus	HK$13	Cash
Citybus E11 to Tung Chung	About HK$22	Contactless card
Red taxi, airport to Admiralty	HK$390	Cash
Blue Lantau taxi, Tai O to Tung Chung	HK$230	Cash
Airport Express from Kowloon	HK$120	Contactless card
Mid-Levels Escalator	Free	—

One card does almost everything: we tapped a contactless credit card on the trams, the Star Ferry, the buses and the Airport Express. The MTR gates take contactless Visa, Mastercard and UnionPay cards too, which we only found out after the trip. Cash is still useful for taxis and green minibuses.

From the Airport to the City

We landed in the morning. Immigration took 15 minutes, with no fingerprints, and our bags arrived 15 minutes later. You then have two real choices: the taxi or the Airport Express.

By Taxi

The taxi rank is well signposted, and a sign tells you which color of taxi to take depending on where you are going. Red taxis serve Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, green ones the New Territories, blue ones Lantau. There are two lines, cash and card: the cash line was much shorter.

The ride to our hotel in Admiralty took 40 minutes and cost HK$390, tolls included. For two people with luggage, that is not much more than the Airport Express plus a taxi from the station.

By Airport Express

We took the Airport Express on the way back, from Kowloon Station: HK$120 per person, 20 minutes to the airport, trains every 10 minutes or so. We tapped a contactless card at the gate; you can also buy a QR ticket in advance on Klook and scan it at the gate.

In-town check-in, where you drop your bags at the station, is back since 2023 but only for a handful of airlines, Cathay Pacific first. We traveled with cabin bags only, and spent our last afternoon at M+ after leaving our bags in the museum lockers: HK$10 an hour for a large locker.

The MTR

The MTR is the backbone of Hong Kong: clean, frequent and signposted in English. Its lines cover Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, the New Territories and Lantau, and most places you will want to see are within a few minutes’ walk of a station.

We bought single journey tickets from the machines, which cost from HK$5 for short rides to HK$20 for the longest. We only found out afterwards that the gates now take contactless Visa, Mastercard and UnionPay cards at the adult fare. You just tap in and out, as in London.

Octopus or Contactless Card?

The Octopus card is Hong Kong’s stored-value card, also accepted in convenience stores and some restaurants. Visitors can now add one to an iPhone with a foreign Visa, Mastercard or UnionPay card, with a HK$50 refundable deposit. For a short stay, a contactless bank card does the same job on the MTR, trams, Star Ferry and most buses, without any setup. Check what your bank charges for foreign transactions.

The Trams

The double-decker trams, known as “Ding Dings” for their bell, run along the north shore of Hong Kong Island from Kennedy Town to Shau Kei Wan. A ride costs HK$3.50 whatever the distance: you board at the back and pay at the front when you get off, by contactless card or Octopus.

They are slow, which is the point. We took one from Admiralty to Quarry Bay on October 19, sitting at the front of the upper deck: it is the cheapest sightseeing tour in Hong Kong.

The Star Ferry

The Star Ferry has crossed Victoria Harbour between Central and Tsim Sha Tsui since 1888. The crossing costs HK$6.50 by contactless card and takes less than 10 minutes, with one of the best skyline views in the city. Take it at least once by day and once at night.

Buses and Minibuses

Buses to Lantau

To go to Lantau, we took the Citybus E11 from Admiralty to Tung Chung: about 80 minutes and around HK$22. It is slower than the MTR, but you sit on the upper deck and cross the Tsing Ma Bridge. Get off at Tung Chung Fire Station for the Ngong Ping 360 cable car.

From Tai O back to Tung Chung, the line for the NLB bus 11 was so long that we took a blue Lantau taxi instead: HK$230 for the ride.

Green Minibuses

Green minibuses carry 19 passengers on fixed routes. After the Dragon’s Back hike, we took one from the end of the trail down to Shau Kei Wan MTR: HK$13 in cash. Have coins or small notes ready, and call out your stop to the driver if nobody else does. The start of the hike, at To Tei Wan, is reached by bus 9 from Shau Kei Wan.

Taxis in the City

Inside the city, red taxis are cheap: the flagfall is HK$29 for the first two kilometers. From our hotel in Admiralty to the Peak Tram terminus we paid HK$30. Green taxis (New Territories) start at HK$25.50 and blue ones (Lantau) at HK$24. Have the address written in Chinese: not all drivers speak English.

The Peak Tram, the Escalator and Other Rides

The Peak Tram

The Peak Tram climbs to Victoria Peak from Central. A round trip on the tram alone costs HK$88 on weekdays and HK$108 on weekends and public holidays; the Sky Pass, with the Sky Terrace 428 viewing deck, costs HK$158. The line can be long at sunset: Klook sells a fast-track ticket with the round-trip tram and Sky Terrace 428.

The Mid-Levels Escalator

The Central–Mid-Levels Escalator is the longest outdoor covered escalator system in the world, 800 meters from Central to the Mid-Levels. It is free, runs downhill in the morning rush and uphill the rest of the day, and passes right by Tai Kwun and the bars of SoHo.

The Ferry to Macau

TurboJET ferries leave from the Hong Kong–Macau Ferry Terminal in Sheung Wan, on the MTR Island Line. We paid HK$350 per person for the round trip. All the details are in our one day in Macau guide.

FAQ: Getting Around Hong Kong

What is the best way to get around Hong Kong?

The MTR for distances, the trams and the Star Ferry for sightseeing, and taxis when you are tired. A contactless bank card works on almost all of them.

How much does the MTR cost?

From HK$5 for short rides to HK$20 for the longest, more to the airport. Single journey tickets are sold in every station, but a contactless card is simpler.

Do I need an Octopus card?

Not for a short stay. Contactless Visa, Mastercard and UnionPay cards now work on the MTR, trams, Star Ferry and most buses. The Octopus is still handy for convenience stores and green minibuses.

Taxi or Airport Express from the airport?

For two people with bags going to Hong Kong Island, a taxi at HK$390 to Admiralty is door to door and costs about the same as two Airport Express tickets plus a taxi from the station. Alone or going to Kowloon Station, take the train.

Are taxis in Hong Kong expensive?

No. A ride across Central costs HK$30 to HK$60. Only long rides through tunnels or to the airport get expensive.

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