Hong Kong Island to Kowloon: Ferry, MTR, Bus or Taxi?
If you're wondering how to get from Hong Kong Island to Kowloon, you've got four real options: ferry, MTR, bus or taxi, and they trade off speed, price and view in different ways. There's no single right answer, it depends whether you're chasing a photo, a schedule or a budget, so here's what each one actually costs and how long it takes. If you're coming straight off a flight rather than already on the island, sort out the cheapest way from the airport to the city first; everything below assumes you're already in town.
The MTR: fastest, no view
The Tsuen Wan line runs Central station straight to Tsim Sha Tsui, one stop, no interchange. An adult Octopus tap costs HK$10.6; a single-journey ticket from the machines is HK$12.5 if you don't have a card. Trains run every few minutes, so there's no real waiting around. It's underground the whole way, so you get none of the harbour view the other options offer, but if you just need to be on the other side with minimum fuss, this is it. If you'll be making several MTR trips a day rather than just this one crossing, it's worth checking whether the MTR Tourist Day Pass is worth it before you tap in.
The Star Ferry: cheapest, and the one with the view
The Star Ferry's Central–Tsim Sha Tsui crossing takes about 10 minutes and is the cheapest way across: HK$4.0 lower deck / HK$5.0 upper deck on weekdays, HK$5.6 / HK$6.5 on weekends and public holidays. It's also the only option that gives you a proper look at both skylines while you're actually travelling between them, not just when you get there. If your route is Wan Chai to Tsim Sha Tsui instead, the ferry still runs it on a flat fare rather than a deck split. It's slower door-to-door than the MTR once you count walking to the pier, but for a short hop in good weather, slower isn't really a downside here.
Cross-Harbour Tunnel bus: useful if the MTR isn't an option
Dozens of franchised bus routes run through the Cross-Harbour Tunnel between the island and Kowloon, priced by distance: KMB's cross-harbour routes run HK$11.4–$43.6 and Citybus's run HK$11.4–$41.8, so a short hop sits toward the low end rather than the extremes. The bus is really the fallback option here: it makes sense once the MTR has stopped running for the night, if you're already standing at a bus stop and don't want to walk to a station, or if you've got heavy luggage and would rather stay on one vehicle than deal with MTR stairs and platforms.
Taxi: fastest door-to-door, priciest
A red taxi meter starts at HK$27 for the first 2km then HK$1.90 per 200m, and a Cross-Harbour Tunnel crossing adds a HK$25 toll on top of the metered fare, not included in it. For a short Central-to-Tsim-Sha-Tsui style hop, that puts a realistic all-in fare somewhere around HK$55–70 once the toll's added, more if traffic through the tunnel is heavy. It's the only option that goes door to door without you walking to a pier, station or bus stop, which matters more than the price difference if you've got bags, kids, or a flight to catch. Hailing one is easy on either side of the harbour: taxi stands sit outside most hotels and malls, and a free one will have its rooftop light lit. See the full Hong Kong taxi guide for how fares, tolls and luggage fees stack up for longer rides.
Which one should you actually take
If price is the only thing that matters, take the ferry's lower deck and enjoy the view for free. If you need to be somewhere on a schedule, the MTR is the one direct, no-interchange hop and the least likely to let traffic slow you down. If it's late and the MTR has closed, or you've got too much luggage to manage stairs, a tunnel bus or a taxi both still get you there, with the taxi being faster but meaningfully pricier once the toll's added. None of them are a bad choice for this particular crossing; it's a short trip either way, so pick on whichever factor you actually care about today. One Octopus card covers three of the four: tap it on the MTR gate, the ferry turnstile or the bus fare box, and since April 2026 most taxis take it too, so there's no need to juggle different payment methods depending which option you pick. And if Kowloon isn't your final stop, the same four-way trade-off doesn't apply once you're heading further afield, like getting from Hong Kong to Macau, which runs on ferries and a bridge bus instead.
Quick answers
What's the fastest way from Hong Kong Island to Kowloon? A taxi door-to-door, or the MTR's direct Tsuen Wan line hop from Central to Tsim Sha Tsui if you don't mind walking to a station on each end.
What's the cheapest way to cross the harbour? The Star Ferry's lower deck: HK$4.0 on weekdays, HK$5.6 on weekends, for the Central–Tsim Sha Tsui route.
How much does the ferry cost from Hong Kong Island to Kowloon? HK$4.0–$6.5 for an adult depending on deck and day, on the Central–Tsim Sha Tsui route.
Is the Star Ferry worth taking instead of the MTR? If you've got ten extra minutes and want the harbour view, yes. If you just need to get across fast, the MTR is the better pick.
