Octopus card & getting around — Totally Hong Kong

The Octopus card is the single most useful thing a visitor can buy in Hong Kong. It's a rechargeable stored-value card accepted on almost every form of transport — and at convenience stores, supermarkets, and many restaurants.

Getting an Octopus card

Buy one at any MTR station customer service counter or from the airport arrivals hall. Tourist versions exist, but even a standard card works fine and any unused balance (minus a small deduction) can be refunded before you leave.

The MTR

The MTR (Mass Transit Railway) is fast, frequent, spotlessly clean and the backbone of getting around — it reaches Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and most of the New Territories. Signage and announcements are in Cantonese, Mandarin and English.

Trams, buses and ferries

The Hong Kong Tramways ("Ding Ding") run along the north shore of Hong Kong Island and are one of the cheapest and most scenic ways to see the city street level. Double-decker buses and minibuses cover routes the MTR doesn't reach, and the Star Ferry across Victoria Harbour is both practical transport and one of the best-value views in the city.

Tip. Tap in and out on the MTR and buses — the fare is calculated on distance, so forgetting to tap out charges the maximum fare.