Distance from Hong Kong to Shenzhen. How to get from Hong Kong airport to Shenzhen
The border between Shenzhen and Hong Kong can be crossed in 15 minutes if there are no crowds of Chinese there. There are several border crossings between the special economic zone in southern China and its special administrative region, and on one side or the other, the city center can be reached by different routes.
Shenzhen metro map. You can get there by car, by ferry, or by bus, but we will only tell you about our short experience of crossing the border at the land border crossing, and most importantly, we got to the border by metro. You can walk, for example, along the Luohu - Lo Wu crossing; there is also a train station on the mainland side, but according to our host, this crossing is very busy.
Therefore, we decided to go to the Futian Checkpoint station, where there is a bridge across the small Shenzhen River with checkpoints on both sides. This crossing is less crowded, the terminal is modern and quite spacious. When we rise from the metro, passport control counters are waiting for us on the third floor.
There you need to fill out a departure card; the Chinese looked at our photos and work residence permit stickers for a long time and stamped our departure next to them. With these residence permits, we can freely cross the border, but unlike residents of Shenzhen living in the border area, we do not need to obtain a visa to Hong Kong, which is quite difficult for them.
Next we walked across the bridge (cover photo). Convenient passenger conveyors speed up the journey, we fill out the arrival card and the special region stamp is already in our passport, and we arrived at the Lok Ma Chau metro station, the eastern line of the Hong Kong metro. The exchange office is on the ground floor, where we changed a small amount so that it would be enough for travel to our hostel.
How to get from the Chinese border to central Hong Kong
For those who do not want to waste time, we advise you to immediately go up to the second floor and jump on the MTR metro, which will take you directly to the Kowloon area, the fare is 38 Hong Kong dollars and in an hour you can already get to the surface in the hostel area. And for those who have time and want to save a couple of tens of dollars, we advise you to go to the center by bus.
We had time and we chose this path, it will take more time, about two hours. The first thing that had to be done was to find a way out of the border zone. Everything is done so that passengers would move without hesitation to the entrance of the metro line, which is on the second floor. The exit from the terminal to the street is inconspicuously hidden on the left, immediately after the exit beyond the border control line.
Bus terminal. Bus stop B1 On bus stop we first jump into double-decker B1 for HKD 12$, which will take us to Yuen Long (it’s better to immediately change the money into coins so that you have something to throw in on the bus).
We are immediately surprised, we see that we are in a special place - left-hand traffic, crowds of expats, and many Chinese who speak English, free access to all sites blocked in mainland China.
In the Yuen Long area, you need to change to the next bus - 268B, it goes directly to Kowloon, for example, Tsim Sha Tsui East metro station.
The main secret is that it goes to the center not from the same stop where the B1 bus brings us, but from the opposite side (approximately from McDonald's).
Bus stop 268B The fare costs HKD 17$. In the evening we arrived at the metro station, exchanged yuan for local dollars (if you change amounts from 1000 yuan, the rate will be close to the official bank rate) and checked into the New China Guesthouse, which is located in the Chungking Mansion building. We can only hope that crossing the border from Hong Kong to Shenzhen on the way back will be just as easy.
Having received our luggage, we headed out to the arrivals lounge.
Following the signs for Arrivals Hall Exit and Civic Aviation Airport Bus, we walked past the crowd of people greeting us into the waiting room.
In the waiting room we saw a sign to the left with the coveted inscription Airport Bus Station. Looking to the left, we saw a small fenced area - a bus waiting room. There was also ticket office, in which they explained to us that the bus stop to the border is located on the street, tickets must be purchased directly at that stop. The exit from the airport building was located a few meters away from us. Above the exit there was another Bus Station sign.
We went out into the street and a few steps away on the right we saw the stop we needed. Here is the stop itself in the photo. This is the ticket office. Boarding the bus is to the right of it. The young man standing in front of the cash register turned out to be very kind, cheerful, and knowledgeable. English language, a native of Hong Kong who was traveling on new year holidays home to his parents from Shanghai, where he lives and works. He showed us how to get to Hong Kong from bus station, where we went by bus from Shenzhen airport.
Walks to the border route 330. The border is at the final stop. The fare is 20 yuan. In general, route 330 is an express train from the airport to the railway station. He makes only one or two stops along the way. We reached the final point in about an hour. There were no traffic jams, since the streets of Shenzhen were also empty due to the Chinese New Year, which was only a few hours away. The final stop is the bus station. There is a train station right across the street from it. The railway station building props up the border. There he settled down transfer to Hong Kong. This transition point is called Luohu (罗湖 LuoHu). Line 330, the first line (Line 1), goes to the border. Be careful, buy tickets to the final route 330 first line, and when boarding the bus, check with the conductor that it goes to the Luohu border.
When we arrived at the bus station, we discovered that it was completely invisible from the front side. Our bus simply drove from the street into a small parking lot in front of some shops, guarded by a guard at a barrier.
When the bus pulled into the parking lot at the entrance to the bus station, we got out and looked around. There was a railway station right across the road. Our Hong Kong friend pointed to a massive building across the road and said that the border crossing point was set up there. A sign with the inscription Luohu Customs ( Luohu Customs Station).
We left the parking lot onto the street and followed the sign to the right towards the pedestrian viaduct, which was about 200 meters away, and which is above the street and by rail leads to the railway station building.
Visible from the viaduct Railway to Hong Kong. According to our friend, the distant buildings in the background of the photograph are already in Hong Kong.
We walked along a rather long viaduct, without turning anywhere, all the way to the dead end where this sign hangs, on which in Chinese it says “Eastern” in Chinese. station square”, and below it says “Hong Kong”.
Having gone down the flights of stairs, we continued our journey following the signs, which were now in English.
A minute later we were already walking along this long corridor, at the end of which is the exit from mainland China.
The procedure for crossing the border is absolutely the same as at other points, such as in Manchuria, for example.
We left China, went through Duty stores Free and walked along the corridor towards Hong Kong. Along the way, there is a view of the border between the People's Republic of China and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. On the left in the photo is China, on the right is Hong Kong.
Upon entering Hong Kong, at passport control, we filled out the arrival forms. One copy of the arrival slip is left for you to show when leaving Hong Kong. We were given stamps in our passports with the date of arrival and stamps on which it was said that the holders of these passports could stay in Hong Kong for a period of time. two weeks from the date of arrival. By the way, Hong Kong customs officers speak English, and all the inscriptions on the walls and documents are duplicated in two languages. Russian citizens do not require a visa to Hong Kong. I wonder how things are going with this for citizens of other CIS countries? After passing through Hong Kong customs, we immediately got to one of the stations. From here you can take the metro to any area of Hong Kong. You can view a map of the Hong Kong subway.
P.S. We also flew back to Beijing from Shenzhen. To get to the airport by bus, we returned from the border to the bus station through the familiar pedestrian viaduct. This entrance under the lights is the entrance to a fairly large bus station. Upon returning to Beijing, we discovered that tickets for the 330 express train to Shenzhen Airport were not purchased here, but in a nearby building in the same parking lot.
To buy tickets for the 330th express, you need to go to this room. The entrance is located a few meters to the left of the entrance to the bus station.
Upon entering, we saw a cash register to the left of the entrance. The ticket also costs 20 yuan per person. This time the cashier explained to us that the 330th express train would make a stop at a large hotel on its way, where we would transfer to another bus on the same route. And so it happened, at some hotel we were asked to transfer to a nearby bus of the same type, and without additional payment we took it to the airport.
The express service between the airport and the railway station in Shenzhen runs quite frequently. Here is the bus schedule from the bus station to the airport.
We hope that our experience will be useful to you.
The former British colony is full of history, boasts spectacular harbor views and is a foodie’s haven. From picturesque hiking trails to museums and street markets, Hong Kong has much to offer. Get on the Star Ferry and take in the views of Victoria Harbour, or stretch those muscles with a hike up to Victoria Peak – you'll be rewarded with views over Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, Victoria Harbour, and, if you're lucky , Kowloon's eight mountains. Meander through street markets and bazaars selling everything under the sun, reward yourself with Michelin-starred dim sum and then party hard with the locals in Lan Kwai Fong.
Things to do in Hong Kong
Central
Central (also Central District;) is the central business district of Hong Kong. It is located in Central and Western District, on the north shore of Hong Kong Island, across Victoria Harbor from Tsim Sha Tsui, the southernmost point of Kowloon Peninsula. The area was the heart of Victoria City, although that name is rarely used today.
Tsim Sha Tsui
Tsim Sha Tsui, often abbreviated as TST, is an urban area in southern Kowloon, Hong Kong. The area is administratively part of the Yau Tsim Mong District. Tsim Sha Tsui East is a piece of land reclaimed from the Hung Hom Bay now east of Tsim Sha Tsui. The area is bounded north by Austin Road and in the east by Hong Chong Road and Cheong Wan Road.
Victoria Peak
Victoria Peak (, or previously) is a mountain in the western half of Hong Kong Island. It is also known as Mount Austin, and locally as The Peak. With an elevation of 552 m, it is the highest mountain on Hong Kong island, ranked 31 in terms of elevation in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (Tai Mo Shan is the highest point in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region with an elevation of 957 m).
A trip to the "jewel of the world economy" - Hong Kong - is a must if you want to see Asia at its best.
We live in Shanghai, so we will tell you in detail about the optimal route to Hong Kong through China.
There are 2 optimal ways for real travelers:
1. Direct flight from any large city world, or China, to Hong Kong.
2. Flight from any major city in China to Shenzhen, and then cross the border on foot.
Let's consider the first option.
It is suitable for those who:
1. Located outside of China and who does not have a Chinese visa
2. Limited in time
3. Has no desire or opportunity to load up your trip with additional activities
4. It’s better to overpay for comfort than for adventure.
5. Doesn’t want to “fight the Chinese system” without knowing Chinese
Direct flights to Hong Kong are naturally more expensive. The difference in ticket price, on average, can range from 50 to 150$.
This option is the simplest, does not require any effort, just money, as they say.
We have a lot of free time, a desire to see China far and wide, a desire to save money and a lot of living energy, so we chose the second option, which is full of adventures and new discoveries.
How to plan a trip through Shenzhen?
1. Book a hotel in Shenzhen, near the metro station bordering Hong Kong, in advance through booking.com.
2. Prepare a list of top places that you definitely want to visit in Shenzhen on the day of your arrival.
3. Plan your visit to Hong Kong in terms of time and order of visiting attractions (since unnecessary travel around the city will cost you VERY EXPENSIVE, and spending time choosing an attraction already in Hong Kong is somehow stupid)
After landing at Shenzhen Airport at 11:00 on Friday, we immediately went to our hotel, which we had pre-booked through booking.com. When leaving the airport, you need to follow the signs; here you have to make a choice: use a taxi, or take the metro, which can be reached by bus, which runs every 10-15 minutes. The bus fare is 2 yuan. The trip takes about 10 minutes.
It took us about 1.5 hours to get from the airport to the hotel (located near the border crossing with Hong Kong) (bus + metro + walking from the metro to the hotel). But, living close to the border with Hong Kong, you will not need to waste precious energy on exhausting trips on the Shenzhen subway. You will really need them in Hong Kong!)
Cheapest option how to get from Shenzhen to Hong Kong- Metro.
The most optimal border crossing point, in terms of congestion, is Luo Hu (Chinese: 罗湖). Luo Hu is one of the Shenzhen MRT stations, so getting there is easy. The border checkpoint is open from 06:40 to 24:00.
You can find out more about the main border points in China.
There are dozens of currency exchange points at the subway exit that will help you exchange Chinese Yuan for Hong Kong Dollar. I don’t recommend changing money at the first exchange office, which has the longest queue of Chinese people - you should go further and exchange money without a queue and at a more favorable rate.
Always follow the direction of the signs located literally at every step. The next point of your transition is a huge queue of Chinese - checking documents before leaving Chinese territory. Here I would like to say a special thank you to the Chinese government; to the left of the Chinese queue there is a special queue for foreigners, which is several times smaller than the Chinese one. So, having passed this point, you just have to go through the second passport control, in order to get to the territory of Hong Kong.
Most often, foreigners living in China travel to Hong Kong for the purpose of affixing a customs stamp, since the maximum period of residence for business and tourist visas in China is about 1-3 months. This is the so-called “visa wound”, that is, a departure to update the visa corridor. Usually, to renew a visa, people travel to the following destinations: Macau, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Korea, Thailand, Vietnam. But the most popular and convenient route is still traveling to Hong Kong via Shenzhen.
Shenzhen is a city bordering Hong Kong with several checkpoints, both land and sea. The bulk of all tourists enter Hong Kong through this city.
Let's consider the main checkpoints and transitions from China to Hong Kong, their pros and cons.
Border crossings Shenzhen - Hong Kong
There are 6 points between Shenzhen and Hong Kong border control:ShenzhenWan / 深圳湾口岸
At the port of Shenzhen, you can purchase a bus ticket and go directly to Hong Kong via the road bridge. Bus services connect the port to all areas of Hong Kong, including the Airport and Disneyland.Nearest metro: Dengliang
Opening hours are from 6:30 to 0:00.
Huanggang port /皇岗口岸
The only 24-hour checkpoint from Shenzhen to Hong Kong.The disadvantage of this port is that the port does not have a metro station, and you will have to get to the city by bus or taxi. Bus service to the port is also 24 hours (including Hong Kong Airport.)
Opening hours: 24 hours.
Luohu / 罗湖口岸
The most popular crossing through which the main passenger flow to and from Hong Kong passes. Located in close proximity to railway station Shenzhen. During peak hours and holidays Long queues are possible.Subway station: Luohu station, In Hong Kong, transfer from – LoWu station.
Opening hours: 6:30 to 0:00
Shatou jiao port/ 沙头角口岸
Located in the eastern part of Shenzhen, 25 km from the city center.In Hong Kong, the crossing is in the Sha Tau Kok area.
The crossing's opening hours are from 7:00 to 22:00.
Wenjindu Port / 文锦渡口岸
The quietest of all the crossings, even on holidays it is not quite crowded. There are practically no queues as such. Located in the Luohu area.The subway station in ShZh is Wenjin station, in Hong Kong the transition in the area is Man Kam To.
Opening hours from 7:00 to 22:00.
Futian port / 福田口岸
The second most popular passenger crossing. It is located relatively close to the city center.Subway station in Shenzhen: Futian port. In Hong Kong, exit to the station is Lok Ma Chau.
Opening hours: from 7:00 to 22:00.
Other checkpoints
- Shenzhen BaoAn airport - flights and buses
- Fuyong port - ferry.
- Shekou port - speed boat Lux class.
- Shenzhen North station and Futian railway station - high-speed train.
