The four options compared

Prices are adult fares from the airport to Central or Tsim Sha Tsui, checked on official pages on 8 October 2026.

Option To Central To Tsim Sha Tsui area Time Best for
Airport Express HK$120 HK$105 to Kowloon Station 24 min to Central Speed, solo travellers
Cityflyer bus HK$41.90 (A11) HK$34.60 (A21) About 85-95 min end to end Budget, hotel near a stop
S1 + Tung Chung Line HK$28.00 HK$22.40 One change Lowest price, light luggage
Red taxi About HK$375 About HK$290 Depends on traffic Groups, heavy bags, late night

The taxi figures are the Transport Department's estimates and include tolls but not the HK$6 baggage charge. A group of three paying Airport Express fares to Central spends HK$360, about the same as one taxi, so the taxi wins for groups once luggage and the final walk are counted.

Hong Kong International Airport

Airport Express

MTR publishes the current Airport Express fares on its Tickets and Fares page (checked 8 October 2026).

From the airport to Octopus, bank card or QR (adult) Single ticket (adult) Octopus (child 3-11)
Hong Kong Station HK$120 HK$130 HK$60
Kowloon Station HK$105 HK$115 HK$52.50
Tsing Yi Station HK$73 HK$80 HK$36.50

The Airport Authority's Airport Express page says trains run at about 10-minute intervals from 05:54 to 00:48 daily and reach Central in about 24 minutes, and its fare table now matches MTR's (checked 8 October 2026).

Contactless Visa, Mastercard and UnionPay cards (not UnionPay debit) work at the gates and pay the adult fare; MTR does not apply child fares to bank cards (MTR contactless page, checked 8 October 2026). A Round Trip ticket valid for 30 days costs HK$215 to Hong Kong Station or HK$195 to Kowloon.

For the return trip, MTR's In-town Check-in service at Hong Kong and Kowloon stations takes bags from 24 hours to 90 minutes before departure, but only for six airlines and only for holders of electronic travel documents; see Airport Express in-town check-in for the airlines and counter hours.

Cityflyer buses

Cityflyer buses leave from the Ground Transportation Centre on Cheong Tat Road, opposite Car Park 1. The Airport Authority's bus page says to pay the exact fare, use Octopus or use e-payment, and that tickets for "A" routes are sold at the Bus Customer Service and Ticket Offices. Fares below are from that page and the Transport Department's route and fare data, which agree (both checked 8 October 2026). Citybus's older route-search pages still show lower fares, so budget for the higher figure.

  • A21 to Hung Hom Station via Mong Kok, Yau Ma Tei, Jordan and Tsim Sha Tsui: HK$34.60 adult. The airport page lists departures from the airport from 05:30 to midnight; the Transport Department gives the end-to-end journey as about 84 minutes.
  • A11 to North Point via Sheung Wan, Central, Admiralty, Wan Chai and Causeway Bay: HK$41.90 adult. Departures from the airport run from 05:35 to 00:30; the Transport Department gives about 94 minutes end to end.

Citybus's A11 page states half fare for children under 12 and seniors 65 or over. Citybus and Long Win also run other A routes, for example the A22 to Lam Tin at HK$40.80; check the airport's route list for your area.

S1 bus and Tung Chung Line

Bus S1 runs a circular route between Tung Chung Station and the airport via Terminal 1 for HK$3.70 adult, from 05:30 to midnight (Airport Authority bus page and Transport Department route data, checked 8 October 2026). At Tung Chung you change to the ordinary Tung Chung Line.

MTR's open fare file gives Tung Chung to Hong Kong Station as HK$24.30 on an adult Octopus (HK$28 single ticket) and Tung Chung to Kowloon or Tsim Sha Tsui as HK$18.70 (file last modified 2 April 2026, read 8 October 2026). This route suits budget travellers with light bags and hotels near the Tung Chung Line. It is a poor choice with several large cases, because you change vehicles and walk through Tung Chung.

Central Government Complex in Tamar, Central

Taxi

All three taxi colours serve the airport, from the Taxi Station near the left-hand ramp outside the Arrivals Hall, where separate rows are designated for each type. For Kowloon and Hong Kong Island, only a red taxi can take you.

The Transport Department's airport taxi leaflet estimates red-taxi fares of about HK$375 to Central or Admiralty, HK$370 to Wan Chai or Causeway Bay, HK$290 to Tsim Sha Tsui and HK$285 to Mong Kok, including tolls (based on the fare table effective 14 July 2024, checked 8 October 2026). Add HK$6 for every bag in the boot. Trips to Hong Kong Island include a HK$25 tunnel toll plus a HK$25 return toll. Taxi stand staff can give you a "Passenger's record" with the taxi number and estimated fare.

For colour rules, payment methods and Lantau destinations, see Hong Kong taxi colours.

Arriving late at night

If you land after the last Airport Express (00:48 on the airport's page), you have two choices: a taxi or an overnight bus.

  • N21 to Tsim Sha Tsui (Star Ferry): HK$23.80 adult, from the airport between 00:20 and 04:40; Citybus's N21 page shows departures every 20 minutes.
  • N11 to Central (Macau Ferry): HK$32.10 adult. The airport page lists departures from the airport between 01:50 and 04:50, while Citybus's N11 page shows half-hourly departures from 00:50; check the Citybus app on the night.

Fares are from the Airport Authority and Transport Department data, checked 8 October 2026; Citybus's own pages still show lower fares. Both routes charge section fares, and Citybus asks Octopus users to tap the reader when boarding and again when getting off. The taxi fare table has no night surcharge.

To choose how to pay for all of this, see Octopus card or your own bank card. For MTR fares once you are in the city, see MTR fares and the exit gate.