Which Shenzhen border is fastest from where you're staying?
Updated
Updated 19 Oct 2026. Times and fares are from our planner for a weekday at 10am, adult Octopus, door to the Hong Kong control point. Queues at the border are extra; check them live.
Quick answer
| Staying in | Fastest crossing | Time | Fare | Also good |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central / Admiralty | Lo Wu or Lok Ma Chau (East Rail Line from Admiralty) | 51 min | HK$52.2 | High-speed rail from West Kowloon, 17 min away |
| Causeway Bay / Wan Chai | Lo Wu or Lok Ma Chau (East Rail Line from Admiralty or Exhibition Centre) | 51 min | HK$57 | — |
| Tsim Sha Tsui | Lo Wu or Lok Ma Chau (Tuen Ma Line to Hung Hom + East Rail Line) | 49 min | HK$44.3 | West Kowloon high-speed rail, 10 min away |
| Mong Kok | Lo Wu or Lok Ma Chau (via Kowloon Tong or Mong Kok East) | 44 min | HK$41.6–45.4 | Shenzhen Bay, 95 min, from HK$31.1 |
| Sha Tin | Lo Wu or Lok Ma Chau (East Rail Line, no change) | 28 min | HK$33 | Heung Yuen Wai, 62 min, HK$17.6 |
| Tsuen Wan | HZMB port (48 min) or Lo Wu / Lok Ma Chau (57 min) | 48–57 min | HK$42.6 to Lo Wu | Shenzhen Bay, 74–77 min, from HK$26.9 |
In short: from almost anywhere in the city, the East Rail Line to Lo Wu or Lok Ma Chau is the fastest crossing. Choose Lo Wu for Luohu and Lok Ma Chau for Futian. Shenzhen Bay (for Nanshan, Shekou and Qianhai) takes 70–100 minutes from the city but is often the cheapest. To go further than Shenzhen, the high-speed rail from West Kowloon is within 50 minutes of every district here.
Full table
| From ↓ / To → | Lo Wu | Lok Ma Chau | Shenzhen Bay | Heung Yuen Wai | West Kowloon (high-speed rail) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central | 51 min · HK$52.2 | 53 min · HK$52.2 | 87–93 min · from HK$40.5 | 83 min · HK$32.1 | 17 min · HK$10.6 |
| Causeway Bay | 51 min · from HK$52.2 | 53 min · from HK$52.2 | 97 min · from HK$40.6 | 85 min · HK$32.1 | 20–46 min · from HK$12.2 |
| Tsim Sha Tsui | 49 min · HK$44.3 | 51 min · HK$44.3 | 80 min · from HK$33.4 | 81 min · HK$24.8 | 10 min · HK$4.9 |
| Mong Kok | 44 min · from HK$41.6 | 46 min · from HK$41.6 | 79–95 min · from HK$31.1 | 76 min · from HK$21.1 | 13 min · from HK$4.9 |
| Sha Tin | 28 min · HK$33 | 30 min · HK$33 | 87 min · HK$33.4 | 62 min · HK$17.6 | 25–42 min · from HK$8.1 |
| Tsuen Wan | 57 min · HK$42.6 | 59 min · HK$42.6 | 74 min · from HK$26.9 | 80–95 min · from HK$23.5 | 27 min · from HK$11 |
Opening hours: Lo Wu and Shenzhen Bay 6:30am–midnight; Lok Ma Chau (Spur Line) 6:30am–10:30pm; Heung Yuen Wai 7am–10pm.
District by district
- Central, Admiralty, Causeway Bay, Wan Chai: take the Island Line to Admiralty and the East Rail Line all the way to Lo Wu or Lok Ma Chau. From Wan Chai, Exhibition Centre station is also on the East Rail Line. The First Class car costs more but is quieter with luggage.
- Tsim Sha Tsui: walk to East Tsim Sha Tsui, take one stop on the Tuen Ma Line to Hung Hom, then the East Rail Line. For Shenzhen Bay, stay on the Tuen Ma Line to Yuen Long and take bus B2.
- Mong Kok: walk to Mong Kok East for a direct East Rail Line train (about 49 min, the cheapest), or take the Kwun Tong Line to Kowloon Tong and change (44 min).
- Sha Tin: the East Rail Line goes straight to the border, 28 minutes with no change. For Heung Yuen Wai (Liantang, east Luohu), change at Sheung Shui to green minibus 59S, or take the direct bus B8.
- Tsuen Wan: none of the crossings is close. For the East Rail Line, green minibus 481 to Fo Tan is quicker than the MTR. For Shenzhen Bay, bus 57M to Tuen Mun and then B3X is the cheapest (HK$26.9). For Macau or Zhuhai, the HZMB port is about an hour via the Airport Express from Tsing Yi.
Late at night, or with a lot of luggage
Huanggang is open 24 hours. Cross-border coaches and buses run there from several districts all night. See Huanggang Port: buses from every district.
Going beyond Shenzhen?
The high-speed rail from West Kowloon goes to Futian (HK$79) and Shenzhen North (HK$87), and continues to Guangzhou and beyond. Every district on this page is within 50 minutes of the station.
Tips
- Octopus works on every leg on this page, including the minibuses.
- Check the queue before you leave: on holiday mornings the wait at Lo Wu can be longer than the ride there. Live border queues.
- Mobile data: set up a roaming or China eSIM before you cross, as many mainland apps need it.
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Also see: Shenzhen border crossings compared · Airport straight to Shenzhen or Macau
FAQ
What's the fastest way from Mong Kok to Shenzhen?
The East Rail Line to Lo Wu or Lok Ma Chau: about 44 minutes via Kowloon Tong (HK$45.4), or about 49 minutes direct from Mong Kok East (HK$41.6).
What's the fastest way from Causeway Bay to Shenzhen?
The Island Line to Admiralty, then the East Rail Line to Lo Wu or Lok Ma Chau, about 51 minutes and HK$57.
Which border crossing is closest to Sha Tin?
Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau, both 28 minutes on the East Rail Line with no change (HK$33). Heung Yuen Wai is about an hour away by East Rail Line and minibus 59S.
How do I get from Tsuen Wan to Shenzhen?
To Lo Wu or Lok Ma Chau in about 57 minutes, by green minibus 481 to Fo Tan and the East Rail Line (HK$42.6). Or to Shenzhen Bay in about 77 minutes by bus 57M and B3X, the cheapest at HK$26.9.
Is Shenzhen Bay or Lo Wu better from Tsim Sha Tsui?
Lo Wu (or Lok Ma Chau) is faster, about 49 minutes. Shenzhen Bay takes about 80 minutes but suits Nanshan, Shekou and Qianhai, and costs a little less (from HK$33.4).
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.