Getting to Hong Kong
Getting to Hong Kong is easy: there are direct flights to Hong Kong from more than 150 other cities around the world, and hundreds more within one interchange.
Air travel
Hong Kong International Airport (IATA: HKG) is a leading air passenger gateway and logistics hub in Asia. Located on the island of Chek Lap Kok, 34 km/21 miles from downtown, HKG airport has scheduled non-stop flights to more than 150 cities. Regarded as a focus city or major transfer hub by major airlines, 85 airlines operate from the two-terminal airport; it is the primary hub of Cathay Pacific, Dragonair, Air Hong Kong, Hong Kong Airlines, and Hong Kong Express. Since 2001, the airport has been named the World’s Best Airport eight times in the annual passenger survey by Skytrax. 'Local' carriers, Cathay Pacific and Dragonair, were also rated by Skytrax the Best Airline of Year 2003, 2005 and 2009 and the Best Airline of Greater China region respectively. The airport itself operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Hong Kong International Airport is connected to the city by the MTR Airport Express train service; it reaches both Kowloon Peninsula and Hong Kong Island. Hong Kong Station is the terminus of the route and also of a number of local bus services. Both Hong Kong Station and Kowloon Station provide several feeder bus services between the station and various hotels of the city exclusively for Airport Express passengers. There is also an extensive Airport bus network served by both Citybus and Long Win Bus. These lines have A- or E-prefixes in front of their bus routes, and the bus network covers most urban areas including Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and most towns in the New Territories.
Air-travel costs (estimated)
Hong Kong is one of the dominant regional hubs in the Asia-Pacific with numerous carriers providing scheduled flight services to and from the city. The following table shows a selection of destinations and carriers with their associated fares. The fare is referenced with a departure date in 7 August 2013 from the origin airport, with a return trip leaving Hong Kong on the 12 August 2013.
| Asia-Pacific | |||||
| From | Airline | Price (USD) | Flight Time | Stops | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Tokyo (Narita) |
United Delta (DL) |
$577 $612 |
5.2hr 4.8hr |
0 0 |
|
| Tokyo (Haneda) |
All Nippon (NH) Korean (KE) |
$1,534 $1,069 |
4.5hr 7.4hr |
0 1 |
via Incheon |
 Dubai |
Emirates (EK) Qatar (QR) |
$1,143 $664 |
9hr 10.5hr |
0 1 |
|
 Singapore |
Jetstar Asia (3K) Singapore (SQ) |
$267 $496 |
3.8hr | 0 | |
 Seoul (Incheon) |
Asiana (OZ) China Eastern (MU) |
$594 $439 |
3.8hr 6.2hr |
0 1 |
via Shanghai (PVG) |
 Beijing |
China Southern (CZ) Air China (CA) |
$408 $440 |
3.6hr | 0 | |
| Shanghai (Pudong) |
China Eastern (MU) | $298 | 2.5hr | 0 | |
 Taipei |
EVA (BR) Cathay Pacific(CX) |
$502 $506 |
1.8hr | 0 | |
 Kuala Lumpur |
Malaysia (MH) | $390 | 3.9hr | 0 | |
 Manila |
Philippine (PR) | $322 | 2.2hr | 0 | |
 Jakarta |
Garuda Indonesian (GA) | $747 | 3.4hr | 0 | |
 Mumbai (Bombay) |
Jet Airways (9W) | $539 | 5.9hr | 0 | |
| Delhi |
Jet Airways (9W) Kingfisher (IT) |
$542 $601 |
3.4hr | 0 | |
 Bangkok |
Emirates (EK) | $274 | 3.0hr | 0 | |
 Bandar Seri Begawan |
Royal Brunei (BI) | $539 | 3.1hr | 0 | |
 Doha |
Qatar (QR) | $1,052 | 8.4hr | 0 | |
 Tel Aviv |
El Al (LY) Swiss (LX) Turkish (TK) |
$1,321 $1,299 $1,282 |
10.8hr 19.9hr 18.5hr |
0 1 1 |
via Zurich via Istanbul |
 Istanbul |
Turkish (TK) Qatar (QR) |
$1,753 $1,412 |
10.5hr 20.0hr |
0 1 |
via Doha |
 Riyadh |
Cathay Pacific (CX) Emirates (EK) |
$2,408 $863 |
9.8hr 12.5hr |
0 1 |
via Dubai |
 Amman |
Royal Jordanian (RJ) | $903 | 12.8hr | 1 | stopover at Bangkok at same flight |
 Auckland |
Air New Zealand (NZ) | $1,303 | 11.5hr | 0 | |
 Sydney |
Virgin (VS) | $990 | 9.5hr | 0 | |
| Melbourne |
Qantas (QF) | $1,069 | 9.5hr | 0 | |
| Perth |
Cathay Pacific (CX) Singapore (SQ) |
$2,148 $852 |
7.8hr 11.0hr |
0 1 |
via Singapore |
 Fiji |
Air Pacific (FJ) | $1,157 | 10.5hr | 0 | Twice per week |
 Vladivostok |
S7 (S7) Korean (KE) |
$484 $937 |
5.2hr 9.7hr |
0 1 |
via Incheon |
 Almaty |
Air Astana (ALA) | $900 | 7.1hr | 0 | Twice per week |
|
| |||||
| Africa | |||||
| From | Airline | Price (USD) | Flight Time | Stops | Notes |
 Cairo |
Qatar (QR) | $975 | 14.5hr | 1 | via Doha |
 Johannesburg |
South African (SA) Ethiopian (ET) |
$1,207 $897 |
13.3hr 18.7hr |
0 1 |
via Addis Ababa |
 Addis Ababa |
Ethiopian (ET) | $1,008 | 13.5hr | 1 | stopover at Bangkok at same flight |
 Lagos |
Qatar (QR) | $1,301 | 17.5hr | 1 | via Doha |
 Algiers |
Qatar (QR) | $936 | 18.0hr | 1 | via Doha |
 Nairobi |
Kenya Airways (KQ) Qatar (QR) |
$1,072 $1,131 |
13.8hr 16.3hr |
1 1 |
Stopover at Bangkok at same flight (3 Times per week) via Doha |
 Mauritius |
Air Mauritius (MK) Emirates (EK) |
$1,218 $1,230 |
9.8hr 16.8hr |
0 1 |
Twice per week via Dubai |
| Europe | |||||
| From | Airline | Price (USD) | Flight Time | Stops | Notes |
 London (Heathrow) |
Air New Zealand (NZ) Qatar (QR) |
$1,505 $861 |
12.1hr 16.6hr |
0 1 |
via Doha |
| London (Gatwick) |
Emirates (EK) | $1,030 | 18.5hr | 1 | via Dubai |
 Paris (CDG) |
Air France (AF) Emirates (EK) |
$1,347 $1,107 |
11.5hr 15hr |
0 1 |
via Dubai |
 Amsterdam |
KLM (KL) Areoflot (SU) |
$1,978 $995 |
11.1hr 16.0hr |
0 1 |
via Moscow (SVO) |
 Madrid |
Qatar (QR) | $968 | 17.5hr | 1 | via Doha |
| Barcelona |
Emirates (EK) | $862 | 16.5hr | 1 | via Dubai |
 Lisbon |
Emirates (EK) | $927 | 20.9hr | 1 | via Dubai |
 Berlin |
Qatar (QR) | $918 | 15.8hr | 1 | via Doha |
| Frankfurt |
Cathay Pacific (CX) China Eastern (MU) |
$1,631 $872 |
12.0hr 16.5hr |
0 1 |
via Shanghai (PVG) |
 Brussels |
British (BA) | $965 | 15.6hr | 1 | via London (LHR) |
 Rome |
Cathay Pacific (CX) Qatar (QR) |
$1,955 $809 |
12.3hr 20.5hr |
0 1 |
via Doha |
 Helsinki |
Finnair (AY) | $1,753 | 10.0hr | 0 | |
 Stockholm |
Turkish (TK) Qatar (QR) |
$873 $882 |
16.5hr 16.5hr |
1 1 |
via Istanbul via Doha |
 Copenhagen |
Qatar (QR) | $1,017 | 16.5hr | 1 | via Doha |
 Oslo |
Aeroflot (SU) Qatar (QR) |
$960 $1,242 |
15.3hr 17.4hr |
1 | via Moscow (SVO) via Doha |
 Zurich |
Swiss (LX) Aeroflot (SU) |
$1,495 $1,087 |
12.1hr 14.1hr |
0 1 |
via Moscow (SVO) |
| Geneva |
Swiss (LX) Aeroflot (SU) |
$1,643 $1,065 |
14.8hr 15.1hr |
1 1 |
via Zurich via Moscow (SVO) |
| Moscow (SVO) |
Aeroflot (SU) | $744 | 9.5hr | 0 | |
| Moscow (DME) |
Cathay Pacific (CX) | $2,741 | 9.5hr | 0 | |
 Vienna |
Turkish (TK) | $948 | 18.5hr | 1 | via Istanbul |
 Prague |
Finnair (AY) | $839 | 12.9hr | 1 | via Helsinki |
 Warsaw |
Aeroflot (SU) | $873 | 16.7hr | 1 | via Moscow (SVO) |
 Budapest |
Qatar (QR) | $778 | 17.5hr | 1 | via Doha |
 Belgrade |
Aeroflot (SU) | $983 | 14.6hr | 1 | via Moscow (SVO) |
 Athens |
Turkish (TK) Emirates (EK) |
$1,100 $1,104 |
15.0hr 18.0hr |
1 1 |
via Istanbul via Dubai |
| Americas | |||||
| From | Airline | Price (USD) | Flight Time | Stops | Notes |
 New York (JFK) |
Cathay Pacific (CX) | $1,640 | 15.9hr | 0 | |
| New York (Newark) |
Continental (CO) | $2,987 | 15.9hr | 0 | |
| Los Angeles |
Cathay Pacific (CX) | $1,478 | 14.7hr | 0 | |
| San Francisco |
Singapore (SQ) | $1,053 | 14.3hr | 0 | |
| Chicago |
Cathay Pacific (CX) | $1,658 | 15.7hr | 0 | |
 Toronto |
Air Canada (AC) | $1,643 | 15.3hr | 0 | |
| Vancouver |
Air Canada (AC) China Eastern (MU) |
$1,379 $1,235 |
13.1hr 17.5hr |
0 1 |
via Shanghai (PVG) |
| Montreal |
American (AA) Air Canada (AC) |
$1,607 $1,634 |
21.3 hr 18.3hr |
1 | via Chicago via Toronto |
 Mexico City |
Aeromexico/Cathay Pacific (AM/CX) | $1,725 | 22.5hr | 1 | via Los Angeles |
 Bogota |
Air Canada (AC) | $2,303 | 33.5hr | 1 | via Toronto |
 Caracas |
American/Cathay Pacific (AA/CX) | $2,918 | 30.5hr | 1 | via New York (JFK) |
 São Paulo |
South African (SA) Qatar (QR) |
$1,993 $2,449 |
31.3hr 24.5hr |
1 | via Johannesburg via Doha |
| Rio de Janeiro |
Emirates (EK) | $2,369 | 32.5hr | 1 | via Dubai |
 Santiago |
Air Canada (AC) | $2,355 | 30.8hr | 1 | via Toronto |
 Buenos Aires |
British (BA) United/Continental (UA/CO) |
$2,422 $2,792 |
36.0hr 36.5hr |
1 1 |
via London (LHR) via Newark |
 Lima |
LAN/Cathay Pacific (LA/CX) United/Continental (UA/CO) |
$2,880 $2,626 |
29.8hr 31.8hr |
1 1 |
via New York (JFK) via Newark |
 Montevideo |
Iberia/British (IB/BA) | $2,555 | 36.3hr | 2 | via Madrid, London (LHR) |
Flight taxes and fees are included, however, additional airline fees for baggage or fuel may apply.
Latest update on 23FEB2012.
Rail
Inter-city train services crossing the Hong Kong-China boundary are known as Intercity Through Trains. Currently, Hung Hom Station (Kowloon/Jiulong) is the only station in Hong Kong where passengers can catch these trains. Passengers have to go through immigration and custom inspections before boarding. There are currently three through train routes:
| Fare & Travel time of Intercity Through Trains
From Hung Hom Station | ||||||
| From | Price | Travel Time | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HKD | USD | € | £ | |||
| Beijing West (Peking) | $934 | $120.24 | 94.41 | 76.09 | 24hrs | once two days, soft sleeper price |
| Shanghai | $825 | $106.22 | 83.40 | 67.21 | 20.6hrs | once two days, soft sleeper price |
| Guangzhou East (Canton) | $190 | $24.46 | 19.21 | 15.48 | 2hrs | 13 trains a day |
| Dongguan (Changping) | $145 | $18.67 | 14.66 | 11.81 | 1.2hrs | 11 trains a day |
| Foshan | $210 | $27.04 | 21.23 | 17.11 | 3hrs | once a day |
| Zhaoqing | $235 | $30.26 | 23.76 | 19.14 | 4hrs | once a day |
Additionally Lo Wu Station is interchangeable with the Shenzhen Station of CRH intercity train network of the Mainland China across the border, which runs a more frequent services between Shenzhen and Guangzhou, as well as some other cities in China.
However, one needs to take the East Rail Line, one of the metro lines inside the Hong Kong's Metro network (MTR), in order to get to HK downtown from the boundary control point in Lo Wu. A journey from the border to Hung Hom Station takes approximately 40 minutes, and costs $35 HKD ($4.50 USD/ €3.54 / £2.92, from stations in Kowloon, 2nd class).
| Fare & Travel time of Trains from/to Shenzhen Station
as of 20 May 2012, for reference only | |||||||
| From | Price | Travel Time | Notes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CN Yuan | HKD | USD | € | £ | |||
| Guangzhou East (Canton) | 80 | 98.22 | 12.65 | 9.89 | 7.99 | 1.3 hrs | price for 2nd class 88 Trains a day according to schedule some trains may be cancelled |
| Beijing West (Peking) | 720 | 884.01 | 113.82 | 89.04 | 71.95 | 23.8 - 29hrs | twice a day, Soft Sleeper |
| Jiujiang, Jiangxi | 446 | 547.59 | 70.50 | 55.16 | 44.57 | 14.5 hrs | once a day, Soft Sleeper |
| Xi'an | 671 | 823.85 | 106.07 | 82.98 | 67.05 | 30 hrs | once a day, Soft Sleeper |
| Yueyang, Hunan | 486 | 596.71 | 76.83 | 60.10 | 48.57 | 11.8 hrs | once a day, Soft Sleeper |
| Changsha, Hunan | 446 | 547.59 | 70.50 | 55.16 | 44.57 | 10.7 hrs | once a day, Soft Sleeper |
| Changde, Hunan | 563 | 691.25 | 89.00 | 69.63 | 56.26 | 14 hrs | once a day, Soft Sleeper |
| Hengyang, Hunan | 385 | 472.70 | 60.86 | 47.61 | 38.47 | 8.3 hrs | once a day, Soft Sleeper |
| Shanghai South | 640 | 785.79 | 101.17 | 79.15 | 63.96 | 19.3 hrs | Twice a day, Soft Sleeper |
| Wuchang (Wuhan) | 506 | 621.26 | 79.99 | 62.58 | 50.56 | 12.7 hrs | Twice a day, Soft Sleeper |
| Shengyang North | 890 | 1,092.73 | 140.69 | 110.07 | 88.94 | 35.8 hrs | once a day, Soft Sleeper |
| Shaoguan East | 129 | 158.38 | 20.39 | 15.95 | 12.89 | 4 hrs | once a day |
| Jinggangshan | 357 | 438.32 | 56.43 | 44.15 | 35.68 | 10.8 hrs | once a day, Soft Sleeper |
| Meizhou | 108 | 132.60 | 17.07 | 13.36 | 10.79 | 4.8 hrs | once a day |
| Huaihua, Hunan | 560 | 687.56 | 88.52 | 69.26 | 55.96 | 15.3 hrs | once a day, Soft Sleeper |
| Guilin | 444 | 545.14 | 70.19 | 54.91 | 44.37 | 13.3 hrs | once a day, Soft Sleeper |
| Fuzhou | 444 | 545.14 | 70.19 | 54.91 | 44.37 | 18.2 hrs | once a day, Soft Sleeper |
| Nanjing (Nanking) | 640 | 785.79 | 101.17 | 79.15 | 63.96 | 24.5 hrs | once a day, Soft Sleeper |
| Zhengzhou | 693 | 850.86 | 109.55 | 85.70 | 69.25 | 25.2 hrs | once a day, Soft Sleeper |
Sea
Two main ferry terminals serve the Hong Kong-China boundary crossing ferries services:
- Macau Ferry Terminal – Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
- China Ferry Terminal – Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon
and these two ferry terminals are accessible with MTR and local buses services.
Notwithstanding their names, both terminals provide extensive networks of ferry services to Macau and various cities in Guangdong Province. However services from China Ferry Terminal are more frequent and the network towards China is more extensive than its counterpart, while only Macau Ferry Terminal provides a 24 hours ferry service to Macau. Some ferry routes, from/to either Macau or Shenzhen, terminate at Hong Kong International Airport. These are only available at the Skypier, accessible from the departure hall of the airport (as for flight transfers).
Cruise ships also serve Hong Kong. The cruise terminal of Hong Kong – Ocean Terminal – is located at Tsim Sha Tsui on the Kowloon Peninsula.
Land
Hong Kong has convenient cross-border bus services to many cities in Guangdong province including Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Dongguan. Tickets are purchasable either in mainland China or Hong Kong, services and operators vary depending on the exact location and destination of travel. Road connections across boundary check-points are possible and vehicles with specialised licenses are allowed across the border. Several check-points connect with the expressway network of Hong Kong including Lok Ma Chau-Huanggang and Shenzhen Bay Port. Additionally most cross-border buses use these two particular ports on their journey.