Star Ferry Price in Hong Kong: Fares, Passes & the $2 Octopus Trick

The star ferry price in Hong Kong is one of the last genuine bargains left in the city: a harbour crossing with a skyline view for less than the price of a bottle of water. But the exact number depends on which deck you sit on, which route you're taking and whether it's a weekday. There's a real discount trick worth knowing too, even though it isn't aimed at tourists.

Star Ferry fares by route, deck and day

On the main Central–Tsim Sha Tsui route, the lower deck is cheaper than the upper deck in every category, every day. That's not a typo: it's just how the fare table is set.

• Weekday (Mon–Fri, not a public holiday), adult: HK$4.0 lower deck, HK$5.0 upper deck.
• Weekend and public holidays, adult: HK$5.6 lower deck, HK$6.5 upper deck.
• Child (3–11), senior (65+) or disabled concession: HK$2.8 lower / HK$2.9 upper on weekdays, HK$3.7 lower / HK$3.9 upper on weekends and public holidays.

On the Wan Chai–Tsim Sha Tsui route there's a single flat fare instead of a deck split (the lower deck here carries bicycles, not passengers): HK$5.0 adult / HK$2.9 concession on weekdays, HK$6.5 adult / HK$3.9 concession on weekends and public holidays. Bringing a bike costs an extra HK$25, with a maximum of ten bikes per sailing.

Either way, a Star Ferry crossing is one of the cheapest things you'll do in Hong Kong, and up to two children under three travel free per paying adult, as long as they're under 95cm tall and don't take a seat. These are the fares Star Ferry currently publishes on its own site; operators here do revisit pricing from time to time, so if you're reading this well after publication, a glance at the fare board on the pier costs nothing and confirms you're not off by a few cents.

The four-day tourist pass

If you're going to be crossing the harbour more than a couple of times, Star Ferry sells a four-day tourist pass for HK$50, giving unlimited rides on both the Central–Tsim Sha Tsui and Wan Chai–Tsim Sha Tsui routes for four days. It's sold at the Tsim Sha Tsui pier control centre near Mammy Pancake. Do the math for your trip: at the weekday adult upper-deck fare of HK$5.0, you'd need to cross ten times in four days just to break even, so it only pays off if the ferry is genuinely part of your daily routine rather than a one-off photo stop.

How to pay: Octopus, cash or card

Tap an Octopus card at the gate the same way you would on the MTR or a tram. There's no separate discount for using Octopus over cash on the standard fare. Cash is also accepted directly at the turnstile: HK$10 and HK$20 notes, plus 1, 2 and 5 cent coins and HK$1, $2, $5 and $10 coins, with change given. If you'd rather pay by phone or card, self-service ticket machines at each pier take WeChat Pay, Alipay, UnionPay QuickPass and credit cards; you buy a ticket there and use it to get through the gate. There's no assigned seating on board, so however you pay, just find a spot once you're through.

The $2 Octopus trick (who it's actually for)

Here's the detail most visitors never hear about: Hong Kong runs a government-wide $2 Concession Scheme for elderly residents and eligible persons with disabilities, and the Star Ferry is one of the transport operators that honours it. Under the scheme, an eligible Hong Kong resident tapping a personal or elderly Octopus card pays a flat HK$2 per crossing, cheaper than the standard senior/disabled concession fare listed above. It isn't something a short-term tourist's own Octopus card qualifies for: it requires a Hong Kong resident identity card or elderly card plus a registered personal or elderly Octopus, checked at the point of use. Worth knowing anyway if you're travelling with an older relative who lives in Hong Kong, or if you're a longer-term visitor who's registered one.

Quick answers

How much is the Star Ferry in Hong Kong? HK$4.0–$6.50 for an adult on the standard commuter crossing, depending on the route, the deck and whether it's a weekday or weekend.

Can I use an Octopus card for the Star Ferry? Yes, tap it at the gate like any other Hong Kong transport, and it's accepted on both routes. There's no fare discount for using it over cash.

How do I pay for the Star Ferry if I don't have an Octopus card? Cash is accepted directly at the turnstile, and self-service machines at each pier also take WeChat Pay, Alipay, UnionPay QuickPass and credit cards.

Is there a cheaper Star Ferry fare for seniors? There's a standard concession fare for anyone 65+, plus a further $2 flat fare under the government's concession scheme, but only for Hong Kong residents with a registered elderly Octopus card, not visiting tourists.

For the full rundown on routes, first and last sailings and which side of the boat to sit on for the view, see the Star Ferry guide. If you're after the sightseeing cruise rather than the commuter crossing, that's a different ticket entirely at a different price. See whether the Star Ferry Harbour Tour is worth it. Heading further out on the water, the outlying islands ferries run on a separate fare system entirely, and if you want the other classic cheap ride in the city, there's also the Hong Kong tram guide.