Airport Express or the Cityflyer bus?
Updated
Just landed at Hong Kong International Airport and choosing between the Airport Express and the Cityflyer buses? For most visitors it's simple: take the Airport Express if you want speed and a predictable journey; take bus A21 if your hotel is along Nathan Road and you'd rather pay less; take bus A22 if you're heading to East Kowloon (Kowloon City, Kowloon Bay, Kwun Tong, Lam Tin).
The short answer
- Fastest to Kowloon or Central: Airport Express · about 22–24 min · HK$105 to Kowloon, HK$120 to Hong Kong
- Best value to Nathan Road hotels (Mong Kok, Yau Ma Tei, Jordan, TST): bus A21 · about 45–90 min depending on traffic · HK$34.6
- Best for East Kowloon: bus A22 · about 70–90 min · HK$40.8
Door-to-door times and Octopus fares for each hotel area are on our airport route guides.
Side by side
| Airport Express | Bus A21 | Bus A22 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Speed, luggage, Central / West Kowloon | Nathan Road hotels | East Kowloon |
| Adult Octopus, one way | HK$105 Kowloon · HK$120 Hong Kong · HK$73 Tsing Yi | HK$34.6 | HK$40.8 |
| Typical time | 22–24 min to Kowloon / Hong Kong station | About 45–90 min (traffic) | About 70–90 min (traffic) |
| Changes | Often one or two more to reach your hotel | Usually none: street stops | Usually none: street stops |
| Luggage | Luggage racks; level boarding | Large lower-deck racks | Large lower-deck racks |
| Where you catch it | Airport station (follow the signs after arrivals) | Ground Transportation Centre (outside arrivals) | The same Ground Transportation Centre |
Children's fares are about half; on the buses, seniors pay the $2 concession fare. The planner shows today's exact fare to your stop for your whole group.
Pick by where you're staying
Nathan Road: Mong Kok, Yau Ma Tei, Jordan, Tsim Sha Tsui. Take the A21. It runs down Nathan Road, so you can get off close to many hotels without dragging bags through an MTR change. It costs about a third of the Airport Express to Kowloon, and outside rush hour the extra time is often acceptable.
If you'd still rather take the train: ride the Airport Express to Kowloon station, then a taxi or a short bus or MTR hop into TST or Jordan. (MTR's free Airport Express shuttle buses stopped in 2020; some hotels run their own.) Door to door: Hong Kong Airport to Tsim Sha Tsui: Airport Express vs A21 bus · Airport → Mong Kok.
Hong Kong Island: Central, Admiralty, Wan Chai, Causeway Bay. The Airport Express to Hong Kong station is usually cleanest: about 24 minutes, then a short walk or one MTR ride. The cheaper bus for the Island is the A11, not the A21 or A22: see Airport → Central and Airport → Causeway Bay.
East Kowloon: Kowloon City, Kowloon Bay, Kwun Tong, Lam Tin. Take the A22. It's built for East Kowloon and stops along the way to Lam Tin station; the Airport Express alone won't get you near.
Heavy luggage, a pram, or you just want it simple. The Airport Express: a predictable timetable, luggage space and step-free stations. The Cityflyer buses have big luggage racks too and are low-floor; the trade-off is traffic and a longer ride.
How to find each at the airport
- Airport Express: follow the Airport Express signs inside the terminal to Airport station. Trains leave every few minutes for Tsing Yi, Kowloon and Hong Kong.
- A21 / A22: leave arrivals and follow the signs to the Ground Transportation Centre; the Cityflyer A-routes leave from the bus stands there. Pay with Octopus (easiest), exact cash or a ticket from the bus company's counter.
No Octopus yet? See which Octopus to get: you'll use it for almost every ride in the city.
Good to know
- Going back to the airport the same day? On the same Octopus, the return Airport Express trip is free: a same-day return costs the single fare.
- With the same Octopus, changing between the Airport Express and the MTR at Hong Kong, Kowloon or Tsing Yi within an hour is free (not Light Rail or MTR Bus).
- Upstairs at the front of the A21 is the visitors' favourite seat: the Tsing Ma Bridge on the way in, then Nathan Road's signs.
- Traffic can slow the A21 and A22 badly at peak times and in the rain. Running late for a dinner booking in Central? Take the train.
- After the last Airport Express, night buses keep running: see night buses from the airport.
Is the Airport Express worth it compared with the A21?
Yes if you value time, don't want to risk traffic, or are staying near Kowloon or Hong Kong station. Take the A21 if your hotel is on Nathan Road and you'd rather spend the difference on dinner.
A21 or A22?
The A21 for Mong Kok to TST along Nathan Road. The A22 for East Kowloon, towards Kwun Tong and Lam Tin. The wrong bus usually means a long extra ride or a taxi at the end.
How much is the Airport Express?
Adult Octopus, one way: HK$105 to Kowloon, HK$120 to Hong Kong station and HK$73 to Tsing Yi. Children pay half.
How much are the A21 and A22?
Adult Octopus from the airport: HK$34.6 on the A21 and HK$40.8 on the A22. Children pay about half; seniors pay $2.
Can I take luggage on the Cityflyer buses?
Yes. The A21 and A22 are double-deckers with large luggage racks on the lower deck.
How this guide is made
Fares and the night-bus examples are worked out today from the Transport Department's and MTR's open data on DATA.GOV.HK, as in our planner; Octopus product details follow Octopus Cards Limited's tourist pages, which are the final word. The advice is ours.