Day trips and outlying islands
This guide says how to reach Hong Kong's outlying islands and what official pages list on each. Checked against official pages on 27 October 2026; where pages disagree or say nothing, we say so.
Sources checked ·
Which pier do I use in Central, and who runs the ferry?#
Central Pier No. 3 is for Discovery Bay (Discovery Bay Transportation Services Limited). Pier No. 4 is for Lamma, to Yung Shue Wan and Sok Kwu Wan (Hong Kong & Kowloon Ferry, HKKF). Pier No. 5 is for Cheung Chau (Sun Ferry). Pier No. 6 is for Mui Wo (Sun Ferry, Eastern Berth) and Peng Chau (HKKF, Western Berth).
The Transport Department (TD) lists all four on Man Kwong Street, with routes effective from 1 April to 10 August 2026. Timetables and fares are on the operators' pages and Neihou's ferries page. Octopus use is on the Octopus page.
What is the difference between ordinary and fast ferries?#
On Central to Cheung Chau, Sun Ferry says both ordinary and fast ferries run. TD gives about 55 to 60 minutes by ordinary ferry and about 35 to 40 minutes by fast ferry. Sun Ferry says the ordinary ferry has an ordinary class and a deluxe class, and the deluxe cabins and the fast ferry are air-conditioned.
Seats are first-come-first-served, and Sun Ferry says passengers wait for the next sailing when one is full. A ticket is valid for the current sailing only. TD also gives fast and ordinary times for the Tuen Mun to Tai O route. The HKKF pages we read do not say ordinary or fast.
Where do I find the last ferry, and is the printed time firm?#
The last ferry is on the operator's timetable page, and we do not copy timetables. On HKKF's Lamma and Peng Chau pages (effective 1 April 2026), last sailings are marked ^, the stated schedule is "pier gate closing time", and the schedule may change without prior notice.
Smaller islands finish earlier. TD's kaito page prints the last return from Tung Lung at 5.30 or 5.40 p.m., and from Po Toi between 3.30 and 6.00 p.m., depending on the day. Neihou's ferries page links each route to its official timetable.
Do island ferries and the cable car run in a typhoon or bad weather?#
Neihou's guide to typhoons, rainstorms and public holidays holds the standing rules, and says it found no standing official rule for ferries. Sun Ferry says its coxswains judge each case from conditions such as gales and storm tides, and it announces arrangements on hotline 2131 8181, its website, its app and the media. It says the Home Affairs Department emergency hotline, 2835 1473, is activated when Signal No. 8 or above takes effect.
Ngong Ping 360 says bad weather may suspend the cable car. Its guest hotline is (852) 3666 0606.
Sources & data2
What is on Cheung Chau, and how do I get there?#
Sun Ferry runs from Central Pier No. 5 to Cheung Chau Ferry Pier. The Islands District Office's Islands Story describes a dumbbell-shaped island of about 20,000 residents. It lists Yuk Hui (Pak Tai) Temple, built in 1783, Tung Wan and Kwun Yam Wan, Cheung Po Tsai Cave, the Mini Great Wall, and Tai Hing Tai Road and Tai San Praya Road.
The Antiquities and Monuments Office says the Rock Carvings at Tung Wan, a declared monument since 1982, have no path to them. Beaches and heritage are on Neihou's beaches and heritage pages.
What is on Lamma, and which ferry goes to which village?#
HKKF runs from Central Pier No. 4 to Yung Shue Wan (about 27 minutes, TD says) and to Sok Kwu Wan (about 30 to 40 minutes). From Aberdeen, Tsui Wah goes to Yung Shue Wan via Pak Kok Tsuen and Chuen Kee goes to Sok Kwu Wan via Mo Tat, each about 35 minutes.
Islands Story calls Lamma the third-largest island, about 14 square kilometres with about 6,500 residents. It lists Yung Shue Wan Main Street and Tin Hau Temple, Sok Kwu Wan Tin Hau Temple, a family trail between the two villages, Hung Shing Yeh Beach and Kamikaze Cave.
What is on Peng Chau, and how do I get there?#
HKKF runs from Central Pier No. 6 (Western Berth) to Peng Chau Ferry Pier at Lo Peng Street, about 25 to 30 minutes by TD's figure. Sun Ferry's inter-island route links Peng Chau, Mui Wo, Chi Ma Wan and Cheung Chau. That route is on temporary service adjustments from 26 October 2026, see Sun Ferry's notice.
Islands Story lists Tai Lei Island and Tai Lei Bridge, the Leather Factory (Secret Garden), Finger Hill and Ngan Chau Tsai Pavilion, Tung Wan, Tin Hau Temple and Lung Mo Temple. HKKF's Peng Chau page says visitors can follow a family trail to the sights.
Can I visit Hei Ling Chau?#
Only authorised persons, HKKF's page says. HKKF runs a Peng Chau to Hei Ling Chau service, and passengers change ferry at Peng Chau (page effective 1 April 2026). The page says the area is under the control of the CSD and only authorised persons can visit. It does not spell out CSD, and says there is no freight service.
Islands Story's Peng Chau page does not mention Hei Ling Chau as a place to visit.
How do I reach Lantau, and how do I get around it?#
The MTR system map lists Tung Chung station on the Tung Chung Line. By ferry, Sun Ferry runs from Central Pier No. 6 to Mui Wo (about 35 to 40 minutes), Discovery Bay Transportation Services runs from Central Pier No. 3 to Discovery Bay (about 25 minutes), and Fortune Ferry serves Tung Chung and Tai O.
The Government said on 10 June 2026 that South Lantau is served by 13 franchised bus routes, four ferry routes and Lantau taxis. We could not read a bus operator page. Lantau taxis are covered in Neihou's guide to arriving in Hong Kong.
What do official pages list at Mui Wo, Tung Chung and Discovery Bay?#
Islands Story lists at Mui Wo: Silver Mine Bay Beach, Silver Mine Cave and Waterfall, the Mui Wo Mountain Bike Practice Ground, and three temples. At Tung Chung: Tung Chung Fort, Tung Chung Battery and Fu Tei Wan Lime Kiln, Hau Wong Temple and the Tung Chung East Promenade.
It describes Discovery Bay as on the northeast coast of Lantau, about 649 hectares with roughly 20,000 residents, with Tai Pak Beach and hiking trails. None of the three pages gives ferry or vehicle information.
How do I get to Tai O, and what is there?#
Fortune Ferry runs Tuen Mun - Tung Chung - Sha Lo Wan - Tai O, from the eastern berth of Tung Chung Development Pier to Tai O Promenade Landing Steps (route effective 17 August 2026). Islands Story describes Tai O as a fishing village on western Lantau, known for stilt houses along the shore.
Yeung Hau Temple at Po Chue Tam was declared a monument in 2017. The Antiquities and Monuments Office gives no fixed visiting arrangements for it. We found no operator page for bus routes to Tai O.
How do I reach Ngong Ping, and when does the cable car run?#
Ngong Ping 360 says its Tung Chung terminal is next to Tung Chung MTR Station, a 5-minute walk from Exit B. The ride is about 25 minutes over 5.7 kilometres. AFCD tells Lantau Peak hikers to take the New Lantao Bus for Ngong Ping at Tung Chung.
Sources differ on hours. Its Guest Services page says 10:00 to 18:00 on weekdays and 9:00 to 18:30 on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. Its FAQ says 10am to 6pm. On servicing days the cable car stops and the village stays open. Ngong Ping 360 says the next is 10 November 2026.
Can I go to Tung Lung Island on a weekday?#
Not by the regular kaito services on TD's list. Both run only on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays: Sam Ka Tsuen to Tung Lung (Coral Sea Shipping) and Sai Wan Ho to Tung Lung (Blue Sea Ferry), which does not run on the first two days of Lunar New Year. The last returns are 5.30 and 5.40 p.m. On the Sam Ka Tsuen service, passengers buy the return ticket with the departure ticket.
The Antiquities and Monuments Office says Tung Lung Fort, at the north-eastern tip, was declared a monument in 1980.
How often does the ferry to Po Toi run?#
Not daily. TD's kaito list shows Tsui Wah's Aberdeen and Stanley service to Po Toi on Tuesdays and Thursdays, on Saturdays (public holidays excluded), and on Sundays and public holidays. The last return from Po Toi is 3.30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 4.00 p.m. on Saturdays and 6.00 p.m. on Sundays and public holidays.
Piers are Aberdeen, Blake Pier at Stanley and Po Toi Public Pier. Children under 3 are free if accompanied and taking no seat. The Antiquities and Monuments Office says the Rock Carvings at the southern part of Po Toi were declared monuments in 1979.
How do I get to Ap Lei Chau from Aberdeen?#
A kaito ferry runs daily between Aberdeen and Ap Lei Chau, about 4 minutes, every 5 to 8 minutes, TD says (Eastern Ferry Company Limited). It leaves from a landing step at Aberdeen Promenade or a vessel outside the Aberdeen Wholesale Fish Market, and arrives at a pontoon outside Marina Habitat.
Hung Shing Temple on Hung Shing Street, thought to date from around 1773, was declared a monument in 2014. We did not open a page that ties Ap Lei Chau to a particular MTR station.
Where are hiking, beaches, heritage and markets covered?#
Neihou's Trails, Beaches, Heritage and Markets pages hold them, and the outdoor rules guide has the hiking rules. They are not repeated here.
Two official facts help to place them. AFCD (page dated 17 August 2026) says Lantau South Country Park covers 56.4 square kilometres and holds the 70 km, 12-stage Lantau Trail, whose first 5 stages are treacherous paths on rugged slopes and ridges. The Antiquities and Monuments Office lists nine declared monuments on the outlying islands, including Fan Lau Fort (1981), Tung Chung Fort and Tung Chung Battery.
Which islands are car-free?#
Official pages say little. HKKF's own page calls Lamma "a car-free island", and its Peng Chau page says "There is no transportation available on the island." Both are the operator's wording, not a government statement.
TD says all roads on South Lantau are closed roads. Private cars need a Lantau Closed Road Permit and may enter from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday to Friday except public holidays, with 50 daily quotas. We found no official statement on cars for Cheung Chau or Discovery Bay.
What do operators say about children, strollers and luggage?#
Sun Ferry says children under three, accompanied by an adult and not taking a seat, may travel free. On Central to Cheung Chau and Central to Mui Wo it asks passengers to fold a baby buggy and keep belongings clear of the passageway.
Ngong Ping 360 says children under 12 must be accompanied by a person aged 15 or above, and children below 3 travel free. Luggage over 48cm x 34cm x 23cm or above 4 kilograms may not go on board, and left luggage at the terminal costs HK$100 per piece.
Sources & data2
What do operators and the Government say about wheelchair access?#
Ngong Ping 360 says wheelchair users must board with an able-bodied person, and its Guest Services Operators assist boarding. The Government said on 21 February 2024 that it provides piers for 16 of 21 licensed ferry routes, with waiting areas and barrier-free facilities. The other five routes use public piers or public landing steps.
Sun Ferry's passenger notes give no wheelchair boarding rule. From 26 October 2026 Sun Ferry is replacing the supporting structure of the lift and ramp system at the Northern Berth of Mui Wo Ferry Pier, for about two and a half months, with temporary service adjustments on its inter-islands route.
Can I take a bicycle, a pet or luggage on the ferry?#
Rules differ by operator. HKKF says pets, subject to fare, are allowed on all sailings in a secure container or restrained and muzzled. It says bicycles, subject to fare, can be carried, but without advance booking a bicycle might not be carried; the Lamma pages ask for at least one day.
Sun Ferry bars pets from the deluxe class on Central to Cheung Chau, allows a folded bicycle only on its fast ferries with a luggage area, after the freight fare is paid, and limits each passenger on its Central routes to two travelling cases or bags. Ngong Ping 360 allows no pets except guide dogs and therapy dogs.
What could we not confirm?#
Missed last ferry: no official page we opened says what to do. Bus routes to Ngong Ping, Tai O and Mui Wo: the bus operator's site could not be opened. Hong Kong Tourism Board pages: refused access (HTTP 403), so none is used.
Older, partly confirmed: GovHK pages (revised 2022 and 2024) give the Lamma family trail as 7 km and the Big Buddha pedestal as 268 steps up.