With the service life of over 100 years, Star Ferry is the most common vehicle shuttling between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. It has been plying the short route since colonial times. From the ferry, one can take in the famous view of the harbor and the Hong Kong skyline. A crossing of Victoria Harbor on a Star Ferry has been named by the National Geographic of Traveler as one of the 'fifty places of a lifetime'.
The origin of the company can be traced back to 1880, when the Parsee merchant Dorabjee Nowrojee Mithaiwala opened the Kowloon Ferry Company. He began the ferry service across Victoria Harbor with his steamboat, the Morning Star. In the next ten years, his business developed quite well. Each boat had a capacity of 100 passengers, and the boats averaged 147 crossings each day. The business was incorporated into 'Star Ferry Co Ltd' in 1898. Star Ferry has witnessed the rise and decline of Hong Kong in the long course.
Now it boasts 12 double-deck ferries and each ferry has a cabin on the upper deck that is equipped with air conditioning. It is the distinctive feature that all of its ferries bear the word 'star' in its name like Night Star, Morning Star, Shining Star, and Twinking Star etc.
The fleet of twelve ferries carries over 70,000 passengers a day, or approximately 26 million a year. In spite of the opening of the Cross Harbor Tunnel and MTR, the Star Ferry continues to be the main means of public transportation due to its efficiency, popularity and cheapness when crossing the harbor.
Star Ferry is the most popular among the locals and tourists because it is cheap, convenient and easily available. It is nearly the must for any comers to Hong Kong. The evening ferry-taking is more charming as you can not only take in the splendid night harbor view but also feel the sea breeze in this cosmopolitan city.
Detailed Charges for the Star Ferries (HKD):
between Tsim Sha Tsui and Central
Faretable | Weekdays (Except Public Holidays) |
Saturday, Sunday & Public Holidays |
Upper Deck | ||
Adult | 2.5 | 3.0 |
Child (between 3 - 12 years old) | 1.5 | 1.8 |
Passengers with disabilities (upon production of Registration card for people with disabilities) |
1.5 | 1.8 |
Lower D eck | ||
Adult | 2.0 | 2.4 |
Child (between 3 - 12 years old) | 1.4 | 1.7 |
Passengers with disabilities (upon production of Registration card for people with disabilities) |
1.4 | 1.7 |
Passenger aged 65 or above | Free | Free |
between Tsim Sha Tsui and Wan Chai
Faretable | Weekdays (Except Public Holidays) |
Saturday, Sunday & Public Holidays |
Adult | 2.5 | 3.0 |
Child (between 3 - 12 years old) | 1.5 | 1.8 |
Passengers with disabilities (upon production of Registration card for people with disabilities) |
1.5 | 1.8 |
Passenger aged 65 or above (upon production of HKID card or senior citizen card) |
Free | Free |
between Central and Hung Hom & between Wanchai and Hung Hom
Fare Table | Price |
Adult | 6.3 |
Child (between 3 - 12 years old) | 3.2 |
Passengers with disabilities (upon production of Registration card for people with disabilities) |
3.2 |
Passenger aged 65 or above (upon production of HKID card or senior citizen card) |
Free |
Tips:
The Star Ferry has the regular shuttle through four routes: between Tsim Sha Tsui and Central, Tsim Sha Tsui and Wan Chai, Hung Hom and Central, Hung Hom and Wan Chai.
The star ferries commuting in Tsim Sha Tsui don't stop operating until about 23: 00, while for those commuting in Hung Hom, they stop running at about 19: 00. On some significant holidays, star ferries are here offering service around the clock.