How to Get From Hong Kong Airport to Your Hotel

Getting from Hong Kong International Airport to a hotel on the island, in Kowloon, or near the airport on Lantau Island is quite easy. 

The most popular options include a private car transfer, taxi, or the Airport Express train. Which Hong Kong Airport transportation you choose depends on how much luggage you have, time of day and personal preferences.

I’ll outline the popular options all here.

We can help you save on tickets, tours, and hotels. If you purchase through some of the links below, we may be compensated. Thank you for supporting our small business! Our editorial guidelines.

How Far Is Hong Kong From the Airport?

The answer is that it depends on where you’re going. Central Hong Kong is about 40 km from the airport. Kowloon is about 32 km from the airport. Hong Kong Disneyland is about 18 km away.

Hong Kong International Airport is located on Lantau Island.

Airport Express Train 

The most popular Hong Kong airport transportation is the Airport Express train.

From the airport, it takes a mere 24 minutes to arrive in Central Hong Kong, shorter if stopping at Tsing Yi or Kowloon.

Exit the Arrivals Hall and signage will lead you to the Airport Express train. No reservation is required. Just board the train with a valid ticket or Octopus card loaded with the appropriate fare.

I like the Airport Express, and it’s rare that I don’t take it. It runs consistently, without delay, every 12 minutes.

Trains run every seven minutes between the hours of 05:50 to 01:15 daily. 

Airport Express Tickets

Purchasing Airport Express tickets is easy. Here are the most common ways:

• Queue at the Airport Service Desk (pictured above) and purchase them with cash or credit card
• Load an Octopus Card (the refillable debit card used at convenience stores, MTR and other places around Hong Kong) with enough money. 
• Buy in advance at a discount on Klook (recommended), download their app and scan a QR code for entry.
• Buy a Hong Kong Pass for sightseeing. Round trip Airport Express tickets are included with the pass (HKD 205 value).

Tip: Always check the Airport Express website to see if a promotion is happening for seniors or children during your stay. My daughter has been free on the Airport Express twice in the last few years.

How to Use an Airport Express Ticket

When departing the airport, you will not need to present or scan a ticket to board the train. After exiting at your preferred station, you’ll scan the ticket or QR code at the exit turnstiles.

On the way to the airport, you’ll scan the ticket at turnstiles upon entering the Airport Express boarding platform. Simply exit at the airport and be on your merry way.

Tip: Arrows above the train point to the direction that the train will move. Take a look at the train cars to see which seats are facing in the direction you prefer, given the direction the train is headed. The cars are split so that half face forward and half face backward. It’s a relatively smooth ride.

Also, cars one and seven have plugs for devices. All train cars have complimentary Wi-Fi.

Airport Express Hotel Transfers

After disembarking at Central, Kowloon or Tsing Yi station, you still need to get to your hotel. All of these stations connect to the MTR subway system and have taxi queues.

However, you may also take advantage of the Airport Express bus service to major hotels close to these stations. Take a look at the bus routes and schedules.

Hong Kong is not a big place so if traveling with kids, luggage or time constraints; it will most likely be inexpensive to hop into a taxi at these stations if you don’t want to wait for a bus.

Private Car Transfers

Private car transfers can be arranged in several ways. It’s important to forward-think how much luggage you’ll be traveling with in addition to the number of passengers before booking.

Car seats are not required in Hong Kong though hotel cars and other car services may have them.

Note that large SUVs like Yukons and Escalades do not exist in Hong Kong. If luggage and passengers do not fit into a Mercedes sedan (or similar), the other choice is a 7-seater van like a Toyota Alphard.

Arrange Through Your Hotel

Hong Kong hotels can arrange private car transfers. Many Hong Kong luxury hotels have their own cars. One of the poshest airport transfers in the world is the Rolls-Royce airport transfer offered by The Peninsula, Hong Kong.

I am a fan of hotel-arranged airport transfers also because most luxury Hong Kong hotels have desks at the airport. The risk of a mix-up is low (I haven’t yet heard of one).

Based on lots of comparisons for clients over time, rates through hotel concierges are about the same if you were to hire a non-app-based private car service.

Through the Airport

Hong Kong International Airport offers a 4-seater Mercedes-Benz option or a 7-seater MPV van. Arrange through the airport.

Blacklane

We use Blacklane worldwide for black car transfers between airports, hotels, restaurants — you name it. They are available in Hong Kong.

I like Blacklane’s all-inclusive rates and being able to control my reservations through their app. Their rates are lower than private car services. In addition to Hong Kong Airport transfers, you can also reserve them for sightseeing.

Is Uber in Hong Kong Airport?

Uber is available in Hong Kong. It works just as it does in any other city worldwide. Where you meet the driver depends on whether you are at Arrivals Hall A or Arrivals Hall B. Note that estimated car arrival on the app is notoriously off.

In the past, UberX has claimed to be less expensive than a taxi. Due to recent price hikes, this is no longer the case.

Taxi From Hong Kong Airport

Taxis in Hong Kong are three colors: red, blue and green. Which taxi queue to choose at the airport depends on where you are going.

All three taxis will take guests from the airport to Hong Kong Disneyland. Here is the general rule of thumb:

• Red taxis are Urban taxis and go to Hong Kong Island and Kowloon.
• Blue taxis are Lantau Island taxis so will take you to the Big Buddha and other places on Lantau Island.
• Green taxis service the New Territories.

How Much Do Taxis Cost in Hong Kong?

Taxi fares are regulated by the government, metered, and non-negotiable.

Be mindful that you may incur a fee per bag and stroller (HKD 6) that is put in the trunk and additional fees for toll bridges and tunnels. The driver will add these on at the end of your ride. The list of taxi fares is here.

Here are some sample taxi fares from Hong Kong International Airport:

• Central: HKD 370
• Kowloon (Tsim Sha Tsui/Tsim Sha Tsui East): HKD 270
• Mongkok: HKD 265
• Hong Kong Disneyland: HKD 140

Expect the fare to run higher if traffic lengthens the journey.

It is not customary to tip a taxi driver unless he or she went out of his way for you. If the fare involves change, do round up to the next dollar.

How Much Luggage Fits Into a Hong Kong Taxi?

It depends on what else the driver has in the trunk and the dimensions of your suitcase.

Most Hong Kong taxis are Toyota Crown Comfort cars that can take either seat four or five people (green signage near the taxi’s bumper indicates the number of people a taxi can seat). You’ll see a handful of newer, larger Ford Connect taxis that can handle a bit more luggage in the back. It would be a gamble to wait for one of these at the airport.

My daughter and I usually travel with one large suitcase, one medium suitcase, and two carry-ons. This does fit in the trunk of a Toyota Crown Comfort, but the driver holds the trunk down with a bungee cord. 

The bungee cord technique is not at all uncommon. I don’t mind it for short distances, but it would be a smidge unnerving all the way from the airport (though doable).

How Do I Get From Hong Kong Airport to Disneyland?

The easiest thing is to hop into a taxi for the approximately 10-minute ride to Hong Kong Disneyland Resort.

Or, take the Airport Express to Tsing Yi. You can board the MTR Tung Chung line at Tsing Yi station to Sunny Bay station. At Sunny Bay, switch to the Disneyland Resort line which takes you straight to the park. If your final destination is Disney’s Hollywood Hotel, Disney Explorer’s Lodge, or Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel, turn left after exiting the station to where you catch the Disneyland Resort shuttle buses. This method takes no less than 30 minutes to reach Disneyland Resort.

Speed up Airport Transfers With Meet and Greet Service

Airport Meet and Greet service is handy for families with young kids who might be tired after a long flight or anyone who might have a tough time with a long walk.

We’ve used it many times. The airport offers two levels of meet and greet services: VIP and Standard.

With VIP Meet and Greet, a representative with an electric cart meets you at the air bridge a few steps from where passengers disembark from the plane. You’ll ride swiftly to customs, beating the rest of the plane to the line. The same representative meets you on the other side of customs to help collect baggage and make the transition to your preferred mode of airport transportation.

If this involves the Airport Express, they’ll guide you through the ticket buying process (if you don’t have them already) and help place bags on the train. Otherwise, they’ll help find a driver or lead you to the taxi queue.

Standard Meet and Greet service includes the above though without the electric cart. You’ll walk instead. You can also skip the meet and greet and reserve the electric cart only.

Though travelers can lead themselves through the same process, it’s faster to have someone take the lead especially when unfamiliar with the airport.

Note that if your flight lands closer than gate 25, the cart service will not be available (as it’s a short walk). Standard wait time at customs and immigration should be expected.

Arrange these services through the airport or your hotel concierge. I would check pricing via both. 

Other Hong Kong International Airport services you might want to consider include stroller rentals, baggage delivery services, and wheelchair services. Check the full list.

Other Hong Kong Airport Transfer Considerations

Hong Kong International Airport offers free Wi-Fi so that you can connect your phone to retrieve important details or request an Uber. All you need to do is keep your phone charged.

Which mode of transportation you choose can depend on what time of day you’re arriving. It’s not usually an issue for planes that arrive in the early mornings (as many long-haul flights do) as few cars are on the road. It can be problematic in the evenings especially if traveling between Kowloon and the island. Going between Central and Causeway Bay is also problematic.

Which mode of Hong Kong Airport transportation do you prefer?