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Soon I need to get from Guangzhou to Hong Kong as this entry of my China visa will expire.

I'm totally ignorant of Hong Kong. Is there only an island or is part of it also on the mainland you never hear about that has a land border?

If there is a land border can I cross on foot or must I take a train or bus? (I like to cross land borders on foot.) If there is only an island part are there are multiple places in nearby mainland China that I can board a ferry to Hong Kong? For instance straight from Guangzhou vs from Shenzen?

I don't care if I would be arriving right in the city of Hong Kong or somewhere in the countryside - if there is such a thing there. I just want the cheapest.

My preference is to hitchhike as far as possible before I must take public transport due to laws or regulations. If I can hitchhike to the China checkpoint and walk to the HK checkpoint but can't proceed further on foot. Or maybe there's some bus or train that one must board on the China side and continue on into HK after passing the checkpoint(s).

If there are multiple land border crossings I want the one that has the shortest mandatory public transport section and/or the lowest fare for the mandatory transport.

The point is to undertake the minimal crossing in terms of both charges incurred and going not under my own steam.

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    Maybe it's time for a HK meetup? Anybody interested?
    – Peter Hahndorf
    Commented Jun 28, 2015 at 14:41
  • @PeterHahndorf sure! Wed is holiday. Lunch?
    – uncovery
    Commented Jun 28, 2015 at 16:25
  • @PeterHahndorf: A great idea!
    – hippietrail
    Commented Jun 28, 2015 at 16:29
  • @PeterHahndorf: where?
    – Him
    Commented Jun 29, 2015 at 3:00
  • Downvotes received: 2, constructive criticisms received: 0.
    – hippietrail
    Commented Jun 29, 2015 at 5:29

2 Answers 2

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The area next to Hong Kong-China Boundary in Hong Kong is Frontier Closed Area. Only permitted people can access it. If you want to cross the boundary, the cheapest way is Huangbus (皇巴士) from Huanggang Port to San Tin Public Transport Interchange. It costs $9 HKD, paid by cash or Octopus card.

Dont expect to hitchhike in GuangDong. Each year many drivers were murdered or lost property in the highway because of this, so they just will ignore you. By the way, if you wish to walk from Guangzhou to Shenzhen, there is not much information, but there is a fundraising program called "Walk to Guangzhou" (行路上廣州), in which the participants walked 3-4 days from Hong Kong to Guangzhou. That's all what I know.

Hitchhiking in HK.

Same as in Guangdong, it is unlikely that hitchhiking would work in HK. The transport network in Hong Kong is good but they are not very pedestrian-friendly.

New Territories and Kowloon are on the same piece of land next to Shenzhen and you can go there on foot. However, not many islands in HK are connected by tunnel/bridge available for pedestrians, even with Lantau Island (the largest Island in HK) and Hong Kong Island (CBD and urban area).

Between New Territories and Kowloon

When you search for a walking route from Lok Ma Chau to Kowloon in Google Maps, there are three options. I recommend the one though Tai Po Rd because it has fewer hiking routes. If you wish to walk/cycle between Kowloon and Yuen Long or Tuen Mun, following Castle Peak Road is the best option.

Between New Territories/Kowloon to Hong Kong Island

There isn't a pedestrian/cycling route between them, but there are a lot of transport options. The cheapest option from Kowloon to Hong Kong Island is from Tsim Sha Tsui Ferry Pier to Central or Wan Chai. It costs $2.5/$3.4 and there are departures every 10-20mins.. In addition, there is a ferry service from Kwun Tong/Hung Hom to North Point.

Between New Territories/Kowloon and Lantau Island

There is bus, MTR (metro/subway), and Ferry services from New Territories/Kowloon to Lantau Island. However, most bus services and MTR only travel to Tung Chung or the airport. You have to transfer to New Lantau bus bus services between Lantau. The only ferry services to Lantau Island are Fortune Ferry from Tuen Mum to Tai O, via Tung Chung and Sha Lo Wan. However, it is possible to walk/cycle between the tourist spots in Lantau Island. Bus and ferry tickets are purchased on board, while MTR tickets are purchased in the station.

Other Islands

All other Islands except Tsing Yi, Ap Lei Chau and Chek Lap Kok (Airport) are connected by ferry only. Most ferry services depart at Central Ferry Pier, although some services depart in Sai Kung Ferry Pier (mainly to island in Sai Kung region) or Ma Liu Shui Ferry Pier (to those in the northwest).

Cycling

Cycling is available on most roads, except highways, tunnels and country parks. There are also cycle tracks which are mainly located in the New Territories. You can find cycle shops easily in the New Territories region.

Check here for further details.

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  • This would be a great answer to a different question, but @hippietrail was specifically asking for the cheapest option.
    – lambshaanxy
    Commented Jun 28, 2015 at 11:01
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    @CGCampbell I rated downgraded to DJ answer because he does not answer the question. Actually you cant pass through hk boundary on foot. It is law, not physcial constraints
    – Him
    Commented Jun 28, 2015 at 13:46
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    If I follow the links from Wikitravel to the official websites of the crossing points, several explicitly talk about crossing on foot. However it very much reads as if you are expected to then take public transport to Hong Kong 'proper'. They all have notes saying (for example) "Lo Wu Control Point is located inside the Frontier Closed Area. Cross-boundary visitor should possess a valid travel document. Non-cross-boundary travelers should possess a valid Closed Area Permit.". Presumably the Frontier Closed area is closed only to those not crossing the border (at least legally).
    – DJClayworth
    Commented Jun 28, 2015 at 22:59
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    Technically you can "walk" from Shenzhen to Hong Kong, but after you passed the passport control in Hong Kong, you will find the control point is enclosed by a fence which prevent you from visiting the remaining parts of the Frontier Closed Area. You will need to go into the city, depends on which control point you are using, by bus / train / car.
    – KH.Lee
    Commented Jun 29, 2015 at 3:30
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    @hippietrail The boundary is enclosed by Fence and separated by river, and there is many Hong Kong and Chinese immigration officers patrolling there. Anyone crossing the boundary not in the point of control will be considered as illegal immigration. You will enjoy free residence and food in HK and a free single flight ticket (probably Cathay) to your home country.
    – Him
    Commented Jun 29, 2015 at 4:17
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Hong Kong consists of a number of islands, and also a sizeable chunk of mainland, called the New Territories. The New Territories are the larger part of Hong Kong, but also the least densely populated, least interesting and least visited. Kowloon is a more populated and residential area, also part of the mainland, surrounded by the New Territories.

Shenzhen is the city of mainland China that borders Hong Kong. There are a number of crossing points nearby, and an excellent train service from the border to central Hong Kong. There are no ferries that I know of - most people coming to Hong Kong from China (and there are lots of them) use the train or fly. (There is an excellent if very short ferry ride from Kowloon to Hong Kong Island, which is well worth the 75c it costs, despite the fact that a train will do the same trip in a tenth the time for not much more.)

I'm afraid I have no knowledge at all of hitchhiking in the area. However Hong Kong transit is both incredibly efficient and very cheap. It's best to get an Octopus card as soon as you get there and use it all the time. You can use them in vending machines as well as on transit.

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  • Cool. I was slowly piecing some of this together but with the VPN getting cut off again and again trying to Google from zero knowledge was surprisingly tricky. But it looks like I can easily hitchhike from here to the border, walk across the border, and within HK hitchhiking is both not legal and not gonna work. Thanks for confirming some of the key steps!
    – hippietrail
    Commented Jun 27, 2015 at 16:52
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    Yep my visa is sorted. I probably can't afford HK for more than a few days anyway so it will be basically a visa run unless I can find some rain-free or undercover camping.
    – hippietrail
    Commented Jun 27, 2015 at 17:00
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    Minor nit- the Star Ferry is much cheaper than the MTR train - about 1/3. Eg. TST to Wanchai is about HKD 10 on the MTR and 2.80 or 3.40 on the Star Ferry. The mtr is zone based and crossing the harbour costs more. Train from the border to TST is around 35 HKD, buses might be cheaper but you will have to take the train one relatively expensive stop from lo wu- the area is controlled and without a residency permit you can't leave the station.
    – Spehro 'speff' Pefhany
    Commented Jun 27, 2015 at 18:19
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    @KH.Lee Yes, but population density is (very roughly) 5-10% of HK Island/Kowloon respectively. Almost room to breathe.
    – Spehro 'speff' Pefhany
    Commented Jun 28, 2015 at 8:14
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    If you need help in HKG, let me know, I am at home the next two weeks.
    – uncovery
    Commented Jun 28, 2015 at 14:16

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