Star Ferry

Above: Star Ferry at TST pier with HK Island in the background.
Above: Star Ferry at Tsim Sha Tsui pier with Hong Kong Island in the background.


Above: a Star Ferry boat painted with the bright Hong Kong promotional logo colors.
Above: a specially colorful Star Ferry


Above: Passengers enjoying the view of the Hong Kong Exhibition and Convention Center from the lower deck of Star Ferry.
Above: passengers enjoying view
of HK Exhibition & Convention Ctr


Above: Inside a ferry crossing the Victoria Harbor
Above: Inside a ferry crossing the Victoria Harbor


Above: The century-old TST clock tower viewed from inside the Star Ferry pier.
Above: TST clock tower viewed from ferry pier.


Above: Star Ferry with cruise ship in the background across the Victoria Harbor
Above: Star Ferry with cruise ship in background

It is a leisurely 5-minute ride across the Victoria Harbor for at most just HK$3 (~US 40cents, weekend & public holidays). Locals still take it routinely. (Weekday adult upper deck fare: HK2.50)

There's one just about every 5 or 10 minutes, operating from early in the morning till a bit after 11 o'clock at night.

There are three routes: one between Tsim Sha Tsui and Central, one between Tsim Sha Tsui and Wan Chai, and one between Hung Hom and Wan Chai. They're all short routes of under 15 minutes or so.

A good thing to do will be to take it from Central to Tsim Sha Tsui, and then take the one from there to Wanchai. Arriving at Wanchai, you can walk around the Golden Bauhinia Square & HK Convention and Exhibition Center where the 1997 handover ceremonies were held.

The ferry has two decks. The bottom deck is cheaper, but riding even the upper deck won't break your piggy bank. The bottom deck is not as nice and if you don't like diesel fumes, upper deck is your choice. But then, for some reason, the ferries between Wan Chai and Tsim Sha Tsui only take passengers on the upper deck.