Hong Kong Star Ferry: Central, Wan Chai, decks and tickets

01Choose the destination beyond the pier

This guide covers the Central–Tsim Sha Tsui and Wan Chai–Tsim Sha Tsui franchised ferries. Harbour cruises, dining sailings and other operators’ sightseeing water taxis are different products. Their fares and boarding points do not describe an ordinary Star Ferry crossing.

The Transport Department’s route information gives approximate sailing times of nine and eight minutes respectively. Neither includes walking to the pier, waiting, boarding, disembarking or walking onwards. Central MTR station is not beside the boat, and a Wan Chai address is not necessarily close to the waterfront. Compare the complete route to your actual hotel, restaurant or appointment.

At Tsim Sha Tsui, seeing a Star Ferry vessel does not identify the correct queue. Read the Central or Wan Chai destination first; for Central, then use the entrance for your chosen deck. Both routes offer harbour views, so let the destination after disembarking determine the useful crossing. For a wider sightseeing plan, see the two-day Central, harbour and West Kowloon itinerary .

02Current adult fares: Saturday already counts as a weekend

These are adult single fares in Hong Kong dollars, checked on 27 October 2026. A public holiday falling on a weekday belongs in the right-hand column. Do not import the Monday-to-Saturday fare convention used by some outlying-island services.

For two adults taking the Central upper deck out and back on a non-holiday Wednesday, four single tickets total HK$20; on Saturday they total HK$26. If Saturday’s outward trip is Central to Tsim Sha Tsui and the return is Tsim Sha Tsui to Wan Chai, two adults still pay HK$26 in basic ferry fares. Add the separate land connections. These calculations exclude meals, sightseeing products and other transport. Current Star Ferry fares and payment information

The current four-day tourist ticket costs HK$50 and is for tourists permitted to enter Hong Kong under the Immigration Ordinance. It provides unlimited travel on the two franchised routes for four consecutive days starting on the date of purchase, and is sold at the Tsim Sha Tsui pier control centre. Do not buy it early assuming you can activate it on a later chosen day. It is not a harbour-cruise pass, and one return outing does not automatically make it good value: two upper-deck singles currently cost at most HK$13. Count the crossings you will actually use before buying a pass.

03A fare increase has been announced, but has not started

An HK01 report on the approved increase prompted this review. The government announcement of 21 October 2026 states that the approved new fares start on 25 January 2027. Adult fare ceilings will be HK$6 on weekdays and HK$8.30 at weekends, with the actual fare still depending on route and deck.

For travel up to 24 January 2027, use the current table above for planning and recheck before departure. For travel on or after 25 January 2027, reopen the operator’s fare table. An approved ceiling is not a uniform price for every ticket category. The future prices are deliberately kept out of the current-fare examples.

04Payment: tap Octopus, or buy a ticket first

Octopus can be tapped at the appropriate pier gate. Check the balance and passenger category first. Star Ferry does not sell Octopus cards, so do not arrive expecting to buy one as part of the boarding process.

For WeChat Pay, WeChat Pay HK, Alipay, AlipayHK, UnionPay QuickPass or credit cards, the operator directs passengers to the self-service ticket machines. Each passenger receives a ticket. This is different from presenting an arbitrary merchant-payment QR code at a gate. For a group, separate adult, child and applicable concession categories before purchasing.

Cash purchase accepts HK$10 and HK$20 notes issued by Hong Kong banks and the listed circulating coins, with change available. Do not rely solely on large banknotes. Check the route and deck before paying, and keep the ticket through entry. Seating is unreserved; boarding does not guarantee a particular side or a window view.

05Child and concession fares are not simply half the adult price

For children aged three to under twelve, the current Central upper-deck single fare is HK$2.90 on weekdays or HK$3.90 at weekends; lower-deck fares are HK$2.80 and HK$3.70. Wan Chai child fares are HK$2.90 and HK$3.90. Check age, height and proof requirements together rather than dividing the adult fare by two.

The operator permits each fare-paying adult to accompany two children free when they are under three, no taller than 95 cm and do not occupy seats. Where a child is taller than 95 cm and an age-based assessment is needed, bring proof of age and ask staff. Concessions for passengers aged 65 or above and disabled passengers have documentary and Octopus requirements. A resident government concession must not be assumed to cover every overseas visitor. If eligibility is unclear, show the documents before choosing a ticket at the gate.

06Large bags and wheelchairs need advance thought

The published passenger notice limits carried articles to 40 cm long, 40 cm wide and 17.5 cm high. An ordinary large suitcase is therefore not something to assume will be accepted. A short crossing does not remove the restriction. Ask the operator in advance about a pushchair or an item outside the stated size; if carriage cannot be confirmed, use an arranged storage facility and choose transport compatible with the remaining bags.

Wheelchair users can board on the lower deck, with a maximum of four wheelchair users on each ferry’s lower deck. This operational provision does not eliminate capacity limits, movement of the gangplank, gradients or the route between the street and pier. Tell the operator the date, direction, wheelchair and party size and ask about the actual arrangements. Other passengers should not treat the Wan Chai service as a product with unrestricted choice of either deck.

Wait until the gangplank is down, use the designated passage and watch its movement. The passenger notice prohibits standing on the upper deck or stairs. Stay seated until the ferry is secured at the pier, and keep your arms and body inside. The passenger notice also says not to eat or drink; save refreshments for the shore.

07Check the last departure in the correct direction

The Central–Tsim Sha Tsui route currently runs from 06:30 to 23:30 in both directions. Published intervals vary by time band, approximately six to twelve minutes. Wan Chai has its own first-departure and day-type patterns, so the Central timetable cannot be reused. Services currently run from Wan Chai towards Tsim Sha Tsui until 23:00 and from Tsim Sha Tsui towards Wan Chai until 22:50; late-evening intervals can be twenty minutes.

These are normal published service arrangements. Marine traffic, weather, sea conditions and vessel deployment can alter the actual service. The last sailing time is an unsafe target for reaching the pier. Choose a comfortably earlier return window and save an alternative public-transport route. For special events or changing weather, check Star Ferry notices and local instructions.

If the onward journey is a flight, train or fixed appointment, work backwards from that service’s requirements. An eight- or nine-minute crossing cannot establish that the entire connection is feasible. Rail or another land option may be more direct when you have bulky bags, are staying far from the waterfront or cannot comfortably use the boarding arrangements. Use the ferry for a convenient harbour crossing and experience, rather than forcing a photo opportunity into every day.