Star Ferry
天星小轮 Star Ferry · Yau Tsim Mong District (Tsim Sha Tsui), Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
Spend a few minutes on a century-old ferry across Victoria Harbour, sitting on a wooden bench as the skylines on both shores come toward you.
Know before you go
- Do not stop on the boarding gangway or ramp to take photos
- do not lean on or climb the ship's railings
- do not smoke on board
This article is Not yet verified. Please check official announcements for prices, opening hours and dates.
Culture
Culture & customs
Background
The Star Ferry is a long-established cross-harbor ferry service in Hong Kong. Its predecessor, the Kowloon Ferry Company, was founded in 1888 and renamed the Star Ferry Company in 1898, carrying passengers across Victoria Harbour between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. Its main routes today run from Tsim Sha Tsui to Central and Wan Chai, with a fleet of green-and-white double-deck ferries, most named with the word "Star". Although the harbor now has cross-harbor tunnels and the MTR, the Star Ferry remains popular with residents and visitors for its modest fares and open harbor views; in 2009 National Geographic Traveler listed it among the "50 Places of a Lifetime". The 1966 fare increase controversy is also an important event in Hong Kong's social history.
Local customs
- Passengers tap their Octopus card or buy a token at the pier and pass through the gates
- when the ferry arrives they board along the gangplank. The seat backs can be flipped back and forth so passengers can face the direction of travel. Upper and lower deck seating and fares may differ
- follow what is posted at the pier. The crossing is very short, so it works well as transport, and you can also ride it just for the harbor views.
Religion & beliefs
- Both sides of Victoria Harbour have folk religious sites such as Tin Hau temples, and fishermen and shipping workers have a tradition of worshipping the sea goddess
- the ferry itself has no religious rules, but please follow the onboard rules, do not eat or drink in the cabin and soil the seats, and give way to the elderly and passengers with small children.
Etiquette & taboos
Etiquette & taboos
Rules that apply here
China: At Qingming tomb-sweeping, no burning paper or open flames in wooded areas
Do
- Check whether the cemetery requires a reservation before you go
- Stay quiet while laying flowers, bowing and observing silence
- Consider flowers, tree planting or online memorials instead of burning paper
- Dress soberly for tomb-sweeping
- Take offering wrappers and rubbish with you when you leave
Don’t
- Don't burn paper, incense or candles, or set off firecrackers, in woods or grassland
- Don't talk loudly or joke around in the cemetery
- Don't block cemetery paths for long to take photos
During fire-prevention periods, burning paper, incense and candles is strictly banned in forest and grassland fire zones, and anyone who starts a wildfire may be held legally liable. Whether and where a cemetery allows burning is set by its own rules on site.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Xinhua: Two departments deploy safety measures for the Qingming holiday
China: Go through security before the metro, and park shared bikes in marked zones
Do
- Cooperate with the security check at the entrance and put bags through the scanner
- On the platform, wait beside the doors and let passengers off first
- Register with your real name in the app before riding a shared bike
- Park in a marked bay or an app-designated spot, and make sure the lock clicks shut
- If the brakes or lock don't work, switch bikes and report it in the app
Don’t
- Don't linger in the doorway or force your way through closing doors
- Don't leave bikes in traffic lanes, fire lanes or on tactile paving
- Don't let children under 12 ride shared bikes
If you refuse the security check you will not be let into the station. Badly parked bikes are removed, and riders may face action under local rules and the operator's terms.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: People's Daily Online: Beijing issues standards for shared bike technology, services, parking
China: No smoking anywhere on high-speed trains, and no phone calls in quiet carriages
Do
- Sit in the carriage and seat shown on your ticket
- Put large luggage in the racks at the carriage ends or overhead
- Use headphones for videos and music
- In a quiet carriage, step outside to make or take calls
- Before getting off, check around your seat and take your rubbish and belongings
Don’t
- Don't smoke anywhere on the train, including toilets and vestibules
- Don't take someone else's seat
- Don't choose a quiet carriage when travelling with babies or toddlers (12306 advises against it)
Smoking on a bullet train can set off smoke alarms and slow or even stop the train. Smokers are fined by the police and, according to reports, may also be barred from buying bullet-train tickets; official rules prevail. If someone breaks the quiet-carriage rules, tell the train staff.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Travel China Guide: Smoking on Chinese trains
China: Stay on open sections of the Great Wall and never carve the bricks
Do
- Walk only on open sections and marked routes
- On steep stretches, stop and steady yourself before taking photos, and watch your step
- Wear non-slip shoes, carry enough water, and turn back if you are tired
- Carry your rubbish down or put it in a bin
- Check opening arrangements before you go; official announcements prevail
Don’t
- Don't carve, write on or prise loose the bricks
- Don't climb over fences or onto closed, crumbling walls and watchtowers
- Don't run or push on steep sections
Carving the Great Wall counts as damaging a cultural relic: one visitor who carved his name at Badaling was given administrative detention and a fine by the police and was blacklisted by the scenic area. Closed sections are not maintained and can be dangerous.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: China News Service: Man detained for five days and fined 200 yuan for carving on the Badaling Great Wall
China: book popular sights in advance, under your real name, through official channels
Do
- Check the booking rules on the site's official website, mini program or account before you go
- Enter every companion's ID details in advance and pick an entry time slot
- Children, seniors and others with free or reduced tickets also book as required and show ID
- Book early for holidays and summer; popular dates often fill quickly
Don’t
- Don't trust third parties offering to grab tickets or sell 'insider' tickets
- Don't assume a free ticket means no booking is needed
- Don't count on buying tickets at the gate on peak days
Once a popular date is fully booked, you may be turned away. China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism requires sites to keep in-person ticket windows and to accommodate seniors and others, but on-site quotas are limited; booking windows, release times and visitor caps are subject to official announcements.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: China Daily: Ministry of Culture and Tourism requires all scenic areas to keep ticket windows
China: set up mobile payment before you go; hotels and tickets are booked under your passport
Do
- Link a foreign bank card to Alipay or WeChat Pay before departure
- Carry some cash in yuan for small stalls, remote areas or payment glitches
- Expect real-name checks at hotels, for train tickets and popular sights; use your passport
- Make sure the name and number on bookings match your passport exactly
- If a station gate cannot read your passport, use the staffed lane
Don’t
- Don't wait until you arrive to set up payment; verification can take time
- Don't assume cash alone or a bank card alone will work everywhere
- Don't book with details that differ from your passport
Without a working payment method, or with mismatched ID details, you may be unable to check in, buy tickets or enter sights. Payment limits, fees and platform rules are subject to official announcements.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Gov.cn: Payment services for foreign visitors to China
China: Queue, don't smoke where banned, and never carve on heritage sites
Do
- Wait your turn in line, and follow staff directions when it's crowded
- On buses and the metro, let passengers off first and offer seats to those in need
- Book popular sights and museums in advance, under your real name, through official channels
- Sort your rubbish into the right bins
- Use serving chopsticks and spoons, and order only what you can eat
Don’t
- Don't cut in line or walk side by side blocking the way
- Don't smoke where it is banned; many cities ban smoking in indoor public places and on public transport
- Don't carve or write on historic buildings or ancient trees, or climb on or touch relics
- Don't use flash or tripods in exhibition halls
- Don't talk loudly or play music out loud in public places
Staff will stop you from queue-jumping, smoking where banned or marking relics, and smoking in no-smoking areas or damaging relics can also lead to fines under the law. Fine amounts, booking methods and opening hours are as officially announced.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Palace Museum official site: Visit
Don’t DON'T
- Do not stop on the boarding gangway or ramp to take photos
- do not lean on or climb the ship's railings
- do not smoke on board
- do not push in against the flow at the pier gates
- do not insist on sailing when services are suspended due to bad weather
- do not play music or videos loudly in the cabin
- do not feed the seagulls from the boat
Locals appreciate DO
- Ride from Tsim Sha Tsui to Central at dusk to watch the sunset and city lights
- sit by the rail and watch the ferry dock
- time your crossing with the evening Victoria Harbour light show
- stroll along the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront promenade before or after
- tap your Octopus card for quick entry
- watch the crew throw the ropes and pull in the gangplank as the ferry berths
Plan your visit
Practical info
Travel tips
- The one-way crossing takes about ten minutes
- allow 30–45 minutes including waiting for the boat and taking photos, or half a day if you want to explore a stretch on each shore. The Tsim Sha Tsui Star Ferry Pier is on the waterfront at Salisbury Road, within walking distance of MTR Tsim Sha Tsui and East Tsim Sha Tsui stations
- the Central pier is around Central Piers 7 and 8, about a 10-minute walk from MTR Hong Kong or Central station. Schedules, fares and routes are as published on the Star Ferry official website
- service may be suspended during typhoons or severe weather. You can combine it with the Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade, the Hong Kong Cultural Centre and the Avenue of Stars, and on the opposite shore the Hong Kong Observation Wheel and the Central Harbourfront promenade, for a classic “see both shores by boat” route.
Photos
Photos
Alexkom000 · CC BY 4.0
颐园新居 · CC BY-SA 3.0
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