Hong Kong ferry timetables — every pier & outlying island

Hong Kong is a ferry city like few others. Wedged between Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and 260-odd outlying islands, its harbour and island crossings are woven into daily life — from the 130-year-old Star Ferry gliding across Victoria Harbour to the high-speed jetfoils racing across the Pearl River Delta to Macau. Ferries here fall into three worlds: the well-known harbour shuttle, the outlying-island lifelines, and the fast cross-boundary services to Macau.

Star Ferry — crossing Victoria Harbour

The Star Ferry has connected Central and Wan Chai on Hong Kong Island with Tsim Sha Tsui in Kowloon since 1888. The green-and-white double-ended boats take about ten minutes and cost only a few Hong Kong dollars, making the ride one of the world's great-value harbour journeys — National Geographic once named it among the most rewarding. The upper deck has a front-row view of the skyline and, in the evening, the Symphony of Lights show.

Outlying-island ferries

From the Central piers, Sun Ferry and the Hong Kong & Kowloon Ferry (HKKF) run the lifeline routes to the car-free outlying islands: Cheung Chau (about 55 minutes), Mui Wo on Lantau (around 50 minutes), Peng Chau, and the two Lamma Island piers of Yung Shue Wan and Sok Kwu Wan. These beach-and-seafood escapes have no private cars, so the ferry is the only way in — ordinary or fast-boat sailings run throughout the day and late into the evening.

Ferries to Macau and the Greater Bay Area

Fast catamarans and jetfoils cross the Pearl River estuary to Macau in about an hour. TurboJET sails to Macau's Outer Harbour, while Cotai Water Jet serves the Taipa terminal beside the Cotai casino strip; Fortune Ferry also runs cross-harbour and Greater Bay Area links. Services run frequently by day with reduced overnight sailings. Remember that Macau is a separate customs and immigration zone, so bring your passport for these crossings.

Fares, frequency and tips

Almost every ferry accepts the Octopus stored-value card, the same card used on the MTR and buses. Harbour and island ferries are cheap and run every few minutes to every half-hour; the Macau ferries are pricier and worth booking ahead on weekends and holidays. For the Star Ferry, ride at dusk for the skyline and the nightly light show.

Visa and entry

Hong Kong maintains its own entry rules separate from mainland China and grants visa-free entry to well over 150 nationalities for stays ranging from 7 to 180 days — most European, North American, Australasian and many Asian travellers included. Macau operates its own visa-free policy, so a separate short-stay entry applies when you take the ferry across. Always check your own nationality's allowance before travelling, and carry your passport for any Hong Kong–Macau crossing.