Hong Kong Outlying Islands Ferries: Cheung Chau, Lamma, Lantau & Macau
Ferries from Central to Cheung Chau, Lamma, Mui Wo (Lantau), Peng Chau and Ma Wan, plus Tai O and Macau: piers, crossing times, frequency and operators.
📋 Essential Pre-Departure Checklist
- ✓Outlying island ferries leave the Central Ferry Piers; Macau ferries leave the Hong Kong–Macau Ferry Terminal in Sheung Wan
- ✓Choose fast or ordinary ferry on the Cheung Chau and Mui Wo routes: the fast ferry saves about 20 minutes
- ✓For Lamma, arrive at one village and walk the Family Trail to the other
- ✓Weekend and public-holiday timetables differ from Monday–Saturday ones; check the Transport Department’s service details
Central’s outlying island piers
Most outlying island ferries leave the Central Ferry Piers on Hong Kong Island. Sun Ferry runs to Cheung Chau and Mui Wo on Lantau, and Hong Kong & Kowloon Ferry (HKKF) runs to Lamma (Yung Shue Wan and Sok Kwu Wan) and Peng Chau. Park Island Transport sails to Ma Wan. These are frequent, passenger-only services used by commuters as well as day-trippers.
Fast or ordinary ferry?
On the Cheung Chau and Mui Wo routes Sun Ferry runs both fast ferries and slower ordinary ferries. Cheung Chau takes 35–40 minutes by fast ferry or 55–60 minutes by ordinary ferry, and Mui Wo 35–40 or 50–55 minutes. Cheung Chau ferries run about every 30 minutes from early morning to around midnight, with extra overnight departures at 01:30 and 04:15 from Central.
Lamma Island: two villages, two piers
Lamma has two ferry villages. Yung Shue Wan in the north is about 27 minutes from Central, with around 30 sailings each way Monday to Saturday (every 20 minutes in the morning peak). Sok Kwu Wan in the east is 30–40 minutes from Central, with 11 sailings each way Monday to Saturday. Both villages also have ferries from Aberdeen on the south side of Hong Kong Island (about 35 minutes), and the Lamma Family Trail between them makes a popular walk: arrive at one village and leave from the other.
Tai O, Ma Wan and Macau
Fortune Ferry links Tuen Mun with Tai O on western Lantau (about 70 minutes by fast ferry, 98 by ordinary ferry), calling at Tung Chung and Sha Lo Wan. Ma Wan is about 22 minutes from Central. For Macau, Cotai Water Jet sails from Sheung Wan to Taipa roughly every 30–60 minutes from 07:30 to 22:30, taking about an hour; TurboJET also sails to Taipa and to Zhuhai.
Hong Kong outlying island ferries
Based on the Hong Kong Transport Department’s ferry service details and operator pages (checked 29 September 2026). Weekend and holiday timetables differ.
| Route | Operator | Frequency (Mon–Sat) | Crossing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central → Cheung Chau | Sun Ferry | about every 30 min, plus overnight sailings | 35–40 min fast; 55–60 min ordinary |
| Central → Mui Wo (Lantau) | Sun Ferry | about 30 a day each way | 35–40 min fast; 50–55 min ordinary |
| Central → Yung Shue Wan (Lamma) | HKKF | around 30 a day each way | about 27 min |
| Central → Sok Kwu Wan (Lamma) | HKKF | 11 a day each way | 30–40 min |
| Central → Peng Chau | HKKF | about 25 a day each way | 25–30 min |
| Central → Ma Wan | Park Island Transport | every 30–60 min weekdays | about 22 min |
| Aberdeen → Yung Shue Wan / Sok Kwu Wan | Tsui Wah / Chuen Kee | roughly hourly / regular | about 35 min |
| Mui Wo → Cheung Chau | Sun Ferry | every 1–2 hours | 31–35 min |
| Tuen Mun → Tai O | Fortune Ferry | 6–7 a day each way (weekdays) | 70 min fast; 98 min ordinary |
| Sheung Wan → Taipa (Macau) | Cotai Water Jet | every 30–60 min, 07:30–22:30 | about 1h |
Checked 2026-09-29 against: Hong Kong Transport Department: ferry service details · Sun Ferry routes and fares · HKKF · Cotai Water Jet Hong Kong–Taipa schedule. Policies change; confirm with the operator before booking.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is the ferry from Central to Cheung Chau?
About 35–40 minutes by Sun Ferry’s fast ferry or 55–60 minutes by ordinary ferry, with departures about every 30 minutes (September 2026).
Which Lamma pier should I go to?
Yung Shue Wan has the most ferries from Central (around 30 a day, about 27 minutes). Sok Kwu Wan has 11 a day from Central (30–40 minutes). Both have ferries from Aberdeen too.
How often are ferries from Hong Kong to Macau?
Cotai Water Jet sails from Sheung Wan to Taipa roughly every 30–60 minutes from 07:30 to 22:30, taking about an hour (September 2026).