Star Ferry

The Star Ferry has carried passengers across Victoria Harbour since 1888 (as the Kowloon Ferry Company, renamed Star Ferry in 1898) and remains one of the cheapest, most scenic ways to cross between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. Two routes currently operate. The classic Central to Tsim Sha Tsui crossing, per the operator's own published fare table (starferry.com.hk), charges an adult HK$5.0 for the upper deck and HK$4.0 for the lower deck on weekdays (Monday-Friday, excluding public holidays), rising to HK$6.5 (upper) and HK$5.6 (lower) on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays — fares current as of September 2026; children aged 3-11, seniors 65+ and registered disabled passengers pay HK$2.9/HK$2.8 (upper/lower) on weekdays and HK$3.9/HK$3.7 on weekends, with eligible elderly/disabled Octopus holders able to use the government's HK$2 concession scheme instead. Sailings run roughly every 6-12 minutes depending on time of day, with a first departure around 06:30 and last around 23:30 daily. The second route, Wan Chai to Tsim Sha Tsui, charges a single adult fare of HK$5.0 on weekdays and HK$6.5 on weekends with no upper/lower deck price split, because the lower deck on this route does not carry passengers at all (up to ten bicycles only, HK$25.0 per bicycle); sailings run every 8-20 minutes and the corridor operates roughly 07:20-23:00. A Four-Day Tourist Pass (HK$50.0) gives unlimited rides on both routes, and a monthly pass costs HK$190.0. All fares apply equally whether paid by Octopus, HKD cash (notes and coins accepted, change given) or contactless/QR payment (WeChat Pay, Alipay, UnionPay QuickPass, major credit cards) at the self-service ticket machines - there is no separate cash-vs-Octopus pricing tier as on some other Hong Kong transport. The ferry earns its place on any cost-per-km ranking because a same-route MTR journey plus station access time is often no faster and always loses the view: for a Central-TST hop it is frequently cheaper and just as quick door-to-door as taking the Tsuen Wan Line one stop underground, with the added benefit of an open-air harbour crossing that was named among the world's most exciting ferry rides by the Society of American Travel Writers in 2009. It's worth choosing over the MTR whenever you're already at a harbourside pier, want the skyline view (especially near dusk), or are travelling with a bicycle on the Wan Chai crossing. It is not the right choice, however, when the Hong Kong Observatory has raised Typhoon Signal No. 8 or above, since ferry services are typically among the first public transport modes suspended in rough harbour conditions; sailings can also be adjusted at short notice for marine traffic or sea conditions even below that threshold. There is no reserved seating, boarding queues can back up with tour groups at peak times, wheelchair capacity is capped at four per sailing on the lower deck, and the last sailing around 23:00-23:30 rules it out as a late-night option.