How much is the Airport Express from Hong Kong airport to Central?

HK$120 one way to Hong Kong Station by Octopus, contactless card or QR code (HK$130 on a single ticket), and the ride takes about 24 minutes. Kowloon Station is HK$105 and 22 minutes.

What is the cheapest way from Hong Kong airport to the city?

Citybus E-route buses, from HK$14.5 (E21, or E21D before 14:10, to Mong Kok) or HK$21.7 (E11 or E11A to Central and Causeway Bay), but they take 87 minutes or more end to end. The cheapest rail route is the S1 bus (HK$3.7) to Tung Chung plus the MTR, HK$24.3 by Octopus to Hong Kong Station or HK$18.7 to Kowloon.

How much is a taxi from Hong Kong airport to Tsim Sha Tsui or Central?

About HK$290 to Tsim Sha Tsui and HK$375 to Central in a red urban taxi, tolls included, per the Airport Authority, plus HK$6 for each bag in the boot.

What time is the last Airport Express from the airport?

00:48, with the first at 05:54 (timetable effective 13 September 2026). After that, take an overnight bus such as N21 to Tsim Sha Tsui or N11 to Central, or a taxi.

Can I pay for the Airport Express with a credit card?

Yes. Contactless Visa, Mastercard and UnionPay cards (not UnionPay debit) pay the Octopus fare, HK$120 to Hong Kong Station, but always at the adult rate, so children need a child Octopus or a child QR code.

Can I use a ride-hailing app from Hong Kong airport?

Hong Kong is still licensing ride-hailing: platform licence applications opened on 28 August 2026, and a compliant ride needs a licensed platform, car and driver. For now, use the airport's official taxi ranks.

Hong Kong Airport to City 2026: Every Option, Priced

Updated: 2026-09-23

As of September 2026, the fastest way from Hong Kong International Airport into the city is the Airport Express (HK$120, about US$15, and 24 minutes to Hong Kong Station in Central). Citybus E-route buses are the cheapest ride into Kowloon and Hong Kong Island, from HK$14.5; the S1 bus plus MTR via Tung Chung costs HK$28 to Central; and a taxi runs about HK$290 to Tsim Sha Tsui or HK$375 to Central.

Hong Kong Airport to City: Every Option Compared

HKIA is 35.3 km by rail from Hong Kong Station, and only the Airport Express avoids road traffic; everything else trades time for a lower fare or a closer drop-off.

Option	Adult fare, one way	Time	Where it drops you	Best for
Airport Express (MTR)	HK$120 Hong Kong / HK$105 Kowloon / HK$73 Tsing Yi (Octopus, card or QR)	24 / 22 / 14 min, about every 10 min	Hong Kong Station (Central), Kowloon Station, Tsing Yi	Speed; Central, Admiralty, West Kowloon hotels
Airport Express group ticket	HK$170 for 2, HK$230 for 3, HK$280 for 4 (Hong Kong)	Same	Same	2–4 people together
S1 bus + MTR Tung Chung Line	HK$3.7 + HK$24.3 (Hong Kong) or HK$18.7 (Kowloon)	Bus loop + 29–32 min train	Any MTR station	Lowest rail fare, light bags
Cityflyer A-bus (Citybus)	HK$34.6 (A21) to HK$49.7 (A10)	A21 84 min, A11 94 min end to end	Mong Kok, Tsim Sha Tsui, Central, Causeway Bay and more	Hotels far from a station; big bags
Citybus E-bus (E11/E11A, E21/E21D, E22)	HK$14.5–21.7	E21 87 min, E11 106 min end to end	Central to Causeway Bay (E11), Sham Shui Po and Mong Kok (E21), Lam Tin (E22)	Cheapest bus to Kowloon and Hong Kong Island; it detours via Tung Chung
Overnight N/NA bus	HK$23.8 (N21) to HK$54.4 (NA11)	After midnight	Tsim Sha Tsui, Central, Mong Kok and more	After the last train
Taxi (red, urban)	About HK$290 Tsim Sha Tsui, HK$375 Central, tolls included; HK$6 per bag	Depends on traffic	Your door	Groups, heavy bags, late nights

Adult fares, checked 23 September 2026; children aged 3–11 pay half on the Airport Express (HK$60 to Hong Kong Station).

Airport Express: Payment, Tickets and Group Fares

Airport Express train on the line between Hong Kong International Airport and the cityPhoto: LN9267 (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons

The platform is on the arrivals level, straight through the Greeting Hall.

Paying: Octopus, a contactless Visa, Mastercard or UnionPay card (not UnionPay debit) or a transit QR code such as AlipayHK or WeChat pays the table fare; single smart tickets cost HK$130/115/80. Bank cards always pay the adult fare.
Round Trip ticket: HK$215 to Hong Kong, HK$195 to Kowloon, HK$130 to Tsing Yi, valid 30 days.
Group tickets are sold at Airport Express customer service centres for same-day travel together; Kowloon is HK$150/210/250 and Tsing Yi HK$100/140/170 for 2/3/4 people.
Free MTR connection within one hour on the same Octopus, card or QR code.
Visitor cards: the Airport Station customer service centre sells the Tourist Octopus for HK$170 (HK$128 usable) or HK$260 with two Airport Express rides; the Airport Express Travel Pass (HK$220 with one ride, HK$300 with two) adds three days of unlimited MTR.
No MTR shuttle bus: only 11 hotels run their own shuttles from the city stations.

Airport Buses: Cityflyer, E-Routes and the S1

Citybus Cityflyer A21 double-decker bound for Hung Hom at the Hong Kong airport bus terminusPhoto: LN9267 (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons

Buses leave from the Airport Bus Terminus (Ground Transportation Centre), where Citybus and Long Win sell tickets.

Paying: exact cash (no change), Octopus or e-payment; Cityflyer also takes contactless Visa, Mastercard and UnionPay cards and Alipay, WeChat Pay or UnionPay QR codes.
A21 (05:30–24:00): Mong Kok, then Nathan Road through Yau Ma Tei, Jordan and Tsim Sha Tsui to Hung Hom Station.
A11 (05:35–00:30, HK$41.9): Central, Admiralty, Wan Chai, Causeway Bay, North Point.
Long Win runs to the New Territories (Tsuen Wan, Sha Tin, Tuen Mun, Yuen Long, Tai Po, Fanling): A-routes HK$15.7–32.4, E-routes HK$11.2–14.4.
S1 (05:30–24:00) stops on Cheong Tat Road outside Terminal 1 and loops to Tung Chung Station, passing the Ngong Ping 360 cable car terminal.

Taxis: Red, Green or Blue, and What You Will Pay

Red Urban taxi sign at the Hong Kong International Airport taxi stand, listing Hong Kong Island and KowloonPhoto: LN9267 (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons

From Arrivals, follow the taxi signs down the ramp on the left; each colour queues separately.

Red (urban) serves everywhere except Tung Chung Road and south Lantau: the queue for Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. Green covers the north-west and north-east New Territories, blue only Lantau and the airport.
Meter (tariff since 14 July 2024): HK$29 for the first 2 km, then HK$2.1 per 200 m, HK$1.4 past HK$102.5.
Extras: HK$6 per bag in the boot, HK$5 per animal or phone booking, plus tunnel tolls (cross-harbour: HK$25 and a HK$25 return toll).
Other airport estimates: Mong Kok HK$285, the West Kowloon high-speed rail station HK$265, Wan Chai or Causeway Bay HK$370.
Paying: since 1 April 2026 taxis must offer two or more e-payment methods, including a QR code; drivers need not change HK$500 or HK$1,000 notes.
Ride-hailing is mid-licensing: platform applications opened on 28 August 2026, and a compliant ride needs a licensed platform, car and driver. Use the official rank for now.

Landing Late, and Your Departure Day

Last train: 00:48 from the airport, first 05:54 (timetable effective 13 September 2026); most Cityflyer routes stop around midnight.
Night buses: N21 to Tsim Sha Tsui Star Ferry 00:20–04:40, N11 to Central 01:50–04:50, NA21 to Mong Kok nine times between 00:50 and 04:50.
In-town check-in: on departure day, drop bags at Hong Kong Station 24 hours to 90 minutes before your flight (within airline counter hours) if you fly Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong Airlines, Qantas, China Airlines, Mandarin Airlines or Singapore Airlines with an e-passport (the first three also at Kowloon).

Settled in? Our Peak Tram price comparison covers the next ticket most visitors buy.

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FAQ

How much is the Airport Express from Hong Kong airport to Central?
HK$120 one way to Hong Kong Station by Octopus, contactless card or QR code (HK$130 on a single ticket), and the ride takes about 24 minutes. Kowloon Station is HK$105 and 22 minutes.
What is the cheapest way from Hong Kong airport to the city?
Citybus E-route buses, from HK$14.5 (E21, or E21D before 14:10, to Mong Kok) or HK$21.7 (E11 or E11A to Central and Causeway Bay), but they take 87 minutes or more end to end. The cheapest rail route is the S1 bus (HK$3.7) to Tung Chung plus the MTR, HK$24.3 by Octopus to Hong Kong Station or HK$18.7 to Kowloon.
How much is a taxi from Hong Kong airport to Tsim Sha Tsui or Central?
About HK$290 to Tsim Sha Tsui and HK$375 to Central in a red urban taxi, tolls included, per the Airport Authority, plus HK$6 for each bag in the boot.
What time is the last Airport Express from the airport?
00:48, with the first at 05:54 (timetable effective 13 September 2026). After that, take an overnight bus such as N21 to Tsim Sha Tsui or N11 to Central, or a taxi.
Can I pay for the Airport Express with a credit card?
Yes. Contactless Visa, Mastercard and UnionPay cards (not UnionPay debit) pay the Octopus fare, HK$120 to Hong Kong Station, but always at the adult rate, so children need a child Octopus or a child QR code.
Can I use a ride-hailing app from Hong Kong airport?
Hong Kong is still licensing ride-hailing: platform licence applications opened on 28 August 2026, and a compliant ride needs a licensed platform, car and driver. For now, use the airport's official taxi ranks.