Hong Kong Transit 1 city
The MTR is the benchmark every other network gets measured against: frequent, spotless, and it takes you from the airport to Central in twenty-four minutes.
How to ride
The full written guide for each city — fares, the interchanges that matter, rides worth planning around, and local etiquette. Tap a city to open its guide.
Hong Kong — the MTR
The MTR is the easiest world-class metro to ride: everything is in English, trains come every couple of minutes, and one card does it all. Buy a rechargeable Octopus card (or add it to your phone) — it taps you through every MTR gate, plus buses, trams, the Star Ferry, convenience stores and most fast food. Tap in and tap out; fares are by distance and cheap. The one splurge is the Airport Express, which is fast and comfortable but costs many times a normal fare.
What it costs (indicative)
| Ride | Typical fare | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| MTR journey (Octopus) | ~HK$5–15 | By distance; most city trips are under HK$12 |
| Airport Express | ~HK$115 | Central ↔ the airport in about 24 minutes |
| Star Ferry | ~HK$5 | Not the MTR, but the loveliest harbour crossing |
| Peak Tram | ~HK$88 return | From near Central up to Victoria Peak |
Fares are indicative and change with distance and promotions — treat them as ballpark, not gospel.
The interchanges that matter
- Central & Admiralty — the business core and the network's great hub, where the Island, Tsuen Wan, South Island and East Rail lines converge. Central also links by walkway to Hong Kong station for the Airport Express.
- Mong Kok & Prince Edward — the Tsuen Wan and Kwun Tong lines cross in the thick of Kowloon's markets.
- Kowloon Tong — the Kwun Tong line meets the East Rail line toward Sha Tin and the mainland border.
- Tai Wai & Diamond Hill — where the long Tuen Ma line crosses the East Rail and Kwun Tong lines in the New Territories.
Rides worth planning around
- Tsim Sha Tsui — the Tsuen Wan line to the harbourfront promenade, the museums, and the Star Ferry back to Central.
- Victoria Peak — Island line to Central, then the Peak Tram up for the classic skyline view.
- The Big Buddha — the Tung Chung line to its end, then the Ngong Ping cable car up to Lantau's giant seated Buddha.
- Theme parks — the South Island line to Ocean Park, or the pink Disneyland Resort line off Sunny Bay.
- The airport (HKG) — the Airport Express from Hong Kong or Kowloon station, ~24 minutes and with in-town check-in.
Etiquette & tickets
- No eating or drinking anywhere in the paid area — it's enforced with a fine.
- Stand on the right of escalators, and leave the priority seats free.
- Let passengers off before boarding; queue on the platform markings.
- Get an Octopus card — it's the key to the whole city, not just the MTR.