Hong Kong airport - Big Buddha - Kai Tak Terminal

[eblackberry]

Hi,

Our flight arrives HKIA at 7 AM. We plan on visiting the Big Buddha in Lantau and Po Lin Monastery before heading to Celebrity cruise terminal (Kai Tak?) Any suggestions on the best way to get there?

Would it be better to leave our luggage at the airport or use luggage storage facilities at the Ngong Ping 360 (cable car) Tung Chung Terminus?

[mking8288]

When are you cruising / visiting HK ? NP 360 cable car is closed for major renovation thru this May - anyone planning to go & visit Po Lin & the Budda statue on the hilltop will need to take/share a taxi ride to go up there; or, go to Tung Chung MTR and catch the bus there to reach the NP Village. Are you arriving the day of embarkation & sailing out of HK out of the old airport, KTCT ?

 

 

Simplicity, store luggage at airport, taxi from there to your stops and back - retrieve luggage & take Airport Express into Kowloon AE Station and taxi to pier. Time-wise, could be tight depending on ... also, check weather & visibility first on arrival, for clouds, etc.

[eblackberry]

When are you cruising / visiting HK ? NP 360 cable car is closed for major renovation thru this May - anyone planning to go & visit Po Lin & the Budda statue on the hilltop will need to take/share a taxi ride to go up there; or, go to Tung Chung MTR and catch the bus there to reach the NP Village. Are you arriving the day of embarkation & sailing out of HK out of the old airport, KTCT ?

 

 

Simplicity, store luggage at airport, taxi from there to your stops and back - retrieve luggage & take Airport Express into Kowloon AE Station and taxi to pier. Time-wise, could be tight depending on ... also, check weather & visibility first on arrival, for clouds, etc.

 

Thanks mking8288.

We are planning for the first weekend of January 2018 cruise. :) We plan on arriving the day of embarkation as the ship docks overnight and departs the next day at 8 PM. We think Po Lin and the Big Buddha are close to the airport, so maybe it’s doable on the first day? Do I take a taxi to Tung Chung MTR to get to the NP 360 cable car ride station? I wonder if weather in January is usually too windy for NP 360 cable car ride?

[mking8288]

... We are planning for the first weekend of January 2018 cruise. :) ... arriving the day of embarkation as the ship docks overnight and departs the next day at 8 PM ... Po Lin and the Big Buddha are close to the airport, so maybe it’s doable on the first day? Do I take a taxi to Tung Chung MTR to get to the NP 360 ... wonder if weather in January is usually too windy ...

NP360 will suspend operations due to weather/wind & for safety reasons, year-round. Check their website for update on morning of arrival, HKIA has free and excellent WiFi for use. Jan. is winter in HK and Lantau Island at higher elevations can be rather cold, windy & possibly frosty, especially in the early - dress in layers.

 

Tung Chung MTR/bus terminal is about 15 minutes from the A/P by taxi, less by island (green color) taxi - as the red ones go to Kowloon & HK Island (the "city") It's inexpensive - on arrival, you might want to do breakfast at the A/P first, plenty of choices at various food courts.

 

As far as storing luggage, NP 360 has really, really limited locker facility so I wouldn't bet on it and same for Tung Chung's CityGate Outlet Mall - where it is supposed to be self-service lockers (might not fit 22" rollaboard, let alone bigger 25" spinners or rollers) - airport's luggage storage is staffed & very reasonable prices, you best bet to store it there & get back there at the end of your tour.

 

We did this several years ago as extended family wanted to go up there, cable car is a nice ride - you don't need to spend extra money for the crystal (glass bottom) or private cabin, lines should be short at the morning hour ... mainland tourists won't get there to mob the place that early. If your flight (CX ??) lands early/on-time, you will out of immigration & custom in 45 to 60 minutes.

 

When you are finished at the Po Lin & NP Village with the tourist shops, you have the option to return by cable car, take the next bus downhill to Tung Chung (check the bus schedule, they are 15 to 30 minutes apart, as I recall ... 40 to 45 minutes ride time, or, taxi is a little faster, maybe 30 minutes by will cost much more - still "cheap" by U.S. standards & fare is metered, as you can go directly back to the A/P to get your luggage.

 

Flying from the West Coast, your jetlag & recovery might be a little easier, not by much as it's still a 9 to 10 hours zone difference after a long 15+ hours non-stop flight.

 

From the A/P, AE Express train is the fastest way into Kowloon, but you will still need a taxi direct to KTCT or transfer to MTR with luggage and then still a shorter taxi ride for that last 5 km distance to the good old runway/terminal piers to check-in. Some folks wanted to travel in style & luxury, others are more frugal and don't mind a little walking, as they pack light.

 

Last time we went to HKG & landed in the afternoon, we took CityFlyer's A21 bus to one of the Nathan Road's limited stop, 50 ft. away from our hotel - a nice 40 minutes ride & cheap, about $5 USD p/p - a scenic ride, upper deck & air-conditioned. This also depend on your luggage & whether you can manage them - A22 is the bus route that bring you close to KTCT at one of the nearest MTR station, with taxis available for a short connection/ride to the pier. http://www.nwstbus.com.hk/routes/airport-bus/route/index.aspx?intLangID=1

 

There are local bus routes to/from Tung Chung and the airport and it's close enough, not much slower than taking a taxi ... once you store your heavier luggage inside the A/P storage facilities. Still plenty of time to research your options and come up with contingency plans ... i.e. what to do if NP360/Po Lin is closed last minute for whatever reasons.

[eblackberry]

NP360 will suspend operations due to weather/wind & for safety reasons, year-round. Check their website for update on morning of arrival, HKIA has free and excellent WiFi for use. Jan. is winter in HK and Lantau Island at higher elevations can be rather cold, windy & possibly frosty, especially in the early - dress in layers.

 

Tung Chung MTR/bus terminal is about 15 minutes from the A/P by taxi, less by island (green color) taxi - as the red ones go to Kowloon & HK Island (the "city") It's inexpensive - on arrival, you might want to do breakfast at the A/P first, plenty of choices at various food courts.

 

As far as storing luggage, NP 360 has really, really limited locker facility so I wouldn't bet on it and same for Tung Chung's CityGate Outlet Mall - where it is supposed to be self-service lockers (might not fit 22" rollaboard, let alone bigger 25" spinners or rollers) - airport's luggage storage is staffed & very reasonable prices, you best bet to store it there & get back there at the end of your tour.

 

We did this several years ago as extended family wanted to go up there, cable car is a nice ride - you don't need to spend extra money for the crystal (glass bottom) or private cabin, lines should be short at the morning hour ... mainland tourists won't get there to mob the place that early. If your flight (CX ??) lands early/on-time, you will out of immigration & custom in 45 to 60 minutes.

 

When you are finished at the Po Lin & NP Village with the tourist shops, you have the option to return by cable car, take the next bus downhill to Tung Chung (check the bus schedule, they are 15 to 30 minutes apart, as I recall ... 40 to 45 minutes ride time, or, taxi is a little faster, maybe 30 minutes by will cost much more - still "cheap" by U.S. standards & fare is metered, as you can go directly back to the A/P to get your luggage.

 

Flying from the West Coast, your jetlag & recovery might be a little easier, not by much as it's still a 9 to 10 hours zone difference after a long 15+ hours non-stop flight.

 

From the A/P, AE Express train is the fastest way into Kowloon, but you will still need a taxi direct to KTCT or transfer to MTR with luggage and then still a shorter taxi ride for that last 5 km distance to the good old runway/terminal piers to check-in. Some folks wanted to travel in style & luxury, others are more frugal and don't mind a little walking, as they pack light.

 

Last time we went to HKG & landed in the afternoon, we took CityFlyer's A21 bus to one of the Nathan Road's limited stop, 50 ft. away from our hotel - a nice 40 minutes ride & cheap, about $5 USD p/p - a scenic ride, upper deck & air-conditioned. This also depend on your luggage & whether you can manage them - A22 is the bus route that bring you close to KTCT at one of the nearest MTR station, with taxis available for a short connection/ride to the pier. http://www.nwstbus.com.hk/routes/airport-bus/route/index.aspx?intLangID=1

 

There are local bus routes to/from Tung Chung and the airport and it's close enough, not much slower than taking a taxi ... once you store your heavier luggage inside the A/P storage facilities. Still plenty of time to research your options and come up with contingency plans ... i.e. what to do if NP360/Po Lin is closed last minute for whatever reasons.

 

Thanks so much for the detailed information. Much appreciated!

Would you recommend to go from the airport to the cruise terminal first so we could check-in our luggage, then do Lo Lin and the Big Buddha the next day?

[mking8288]

Would you recommend to go from the airport to the cruise terminal first so we could check-in our luggage, then do Lo Lin and the Big Buddha the next day?

Hmmm, not an easy answer - you'll have about 36 hours in HK with the ship docked overnight before it sail on afternoon of day 2. If you're to go the KTCT first to check-in with your luggage, you would end up spending about 4 or 5 hours to round-trip to Tung Chung (but without looping to the airport again & paying storage fees for baggage) again, before taking the cable car up to NP360 & Po Lin.

 

Logistics isn't fun - from pier, shuttle to MTR, MTR w. 2 to 3 transfers (across train platforms) to Tung Chung, walk another 10 minutes to NP cable car terminal / lines & ride up, walk thru village, walk thru Po Lin & more steps to Giant Budda statue (lots of steps ... you can checkout Youtube vidoes for a virtual tour first). Return to Tung Chung (cable car, bus or taxi) and then reverse route to pier. Rather time consuming. But, you will probably be more rested but still struggle with jetlag effects by the afternoon, regardless but key is not late in getting back to the ship & miss the sailaway. Check the weather ahead before you leave & make a last minute decision on day 1 or day 2 (but, I think I would lean toward day 1 and get it done if it is a MUST see for the trip). Day 2, Victoria Peak & Harbour's Star Ferry, walk thru Nathan Road & Tsim Sha Tsui are much easy, plus time for a Dim Sum lunch.

 

Say there's 2 of you, you can hail a taxi once you can get from Po Lin, retrieved luggage & go direct to the pier (skip the trains & transfers) for about $400 HKD or less, including toll & small tip for driver - or equivalent of $55 USD in total, not too bad ... as you would likely be feeling tired & effects of jetlag by the late afternoon/evening (take a nap in the taxi instead of worrying about which exit to use from train to street to find taxi, then to pier)

 

Look at all these on Google Map to see, A/P is on northwest section of Lantau island, Tung Chung further northeast, NP360/Tung Chung on southwest hillside of island. Kowloon, the city is 30 minutes+ by train east of Lantau in the middle and Kai Tak is 15 to 30 minutes from Kowloon's tourist center/AE station. The navigation function will show you time/distance & mass transit option in getting around, not as accurate as the local (free) MTR & bus apps, but reasonably close enough.

 

Here's one of the NP360 cable car video, airport/runways on the right as you ride higher & across the Pearl River delta/inlet below (Macau in the far distance, to the east, way out of sight). If you can board and sit on the left side of the cabin, you will get a good view of the giant Budda statue on the final segment coming into NP with the village just below, both on the left side & zoom in close for a few good pictures.

 

You will also find some good info on TripAdvisors - to help research & plan, feel free to come back with questions. For some that disembark in HK and flying home or onward to the next stop, the best strategy is to do in-town check-in for the bigger luggage, take the AE train out to the airport, then either doing the bus transfer to Tung Chung for the cable car - returning to the airport afterward, depending on time ... taxi would be faster w/o the extra stop or transfer, for those with flights in the late afternoon or evening, etc. CityGate is a multi-story outlet mall, next to the MTR and NP360, not for travelers from the Americas to shop (Nike, Coach, etc.) but upstairs, has a very good food court with variety of decent food, place to rest those tired feet, eat & watch the frenzy mainland shoppers on the run to madly fill their suitcases.

[eblackberry]

Hmmm, not an easy answer - you'll have about 36 hours in HK with the ship docked overnight before it sail on afternoon of day 2. If you're to go the KTCT first to check-in with your luggage, you would end up spending about 4 or 5 hours to round-trip to Tung Chung (but without looping to the airport again & paying storage fees for baggage) again, before taking the cable car up to NP360 & Po Lin.

 

Logistics isn't fun - from pier, shuttle to MTR, MTR w. 2 to 3 transfers (across train platforms) to Tung Chung, walk another 10 minutes to NP cable car terminal / lines & ride up, walk thru village, walk thru Po Lin & more steps to Giant Budda statue (lots of steps ... you can checkout Youtube vidoes for a virtual tour first). Return to Tung Chung (cable car, bus or taxi) and then reverse route to pier. Rather time consuming. But, you will probably be more rested but still struggle with jetlag effects by the afternoon, regardless but key is not late in getting back to the ship & miss the sailaway. Check the weather ahead before you leave & make a last minute decision on day 1 or day 2 (but, I think I would lean toward day 1 and get it done if it is a MUST see for the trip). Day 2, Victoria Peak & Harbour's Star Ferry, walk thru Nathan Road & Tsim Sha Tsui are much easy, plus time for a Dim Sum lunch.

 

Say there's 2 of you, you can hail a taxi once you can get from Po Lin, retrieved luggage & go direct to the pier (skip the trains & transfers) for about $400 HKD or less, including toll & small tip for driver - or equivalent of $55 USD in total, not too bad ... as you would likely be feeling tired & effects of jetlag by the late afternoon/evening (take a nap in the taxi instead of worrying about which exit to use from train to street to find taxi, then to pier)

 

Look at all these on Google Map to see, A/P is on northwest section of Lantau island, Tung Chung further northeast, NP360/Tung Chung on southwest hillside of island. Kowloon, the city is 30 minutes+ by train east of Lantau in the middle and Kai Tak is 15 to 30 minutes from Kowloon's tourist center/AE station. The navigation function will show you time/distance & mass transit option in getting around, not as accurate as the local (free) MTR & bus apps, but reasonably close enough.

 

Here's one of the NP360 cable car video, airport/runways on the right as you ride higher & across the Pearl River delta/inlet below (Macau in the far distance, to the east, way out of sight). If you can board and sit on the left side of the cabin, you will get a good view of the giant Budda statue on the final segment coming into NP with the village just below, both on the left side & zoom in close for a few good pictures.

 

You will also find some good info on TripAdvisors - to help research & plan, feel free to come back with questions. For some that disembark in HK and flying home or onward to the next stop, the best strategy is to do in-town check-in for the bigger luggage, take the AE train out to the airport, then either doing the bus transfer to Tung Chung for the cable car - returning to the airport afterward, depending on time ... taxi would be faster w/o the extra stop or transfer, for those with flights in the late afternoon or evening, etc. CityGate is a multi-story outlet mall, next to the MTR and NP360, not for travelers from the Americas to shop (Nike, Coach, etc.) but upstairs, has a very good food court with variety of decent food, place to rest those tired feet, eat & watch the frenzy mainland shoppers on the run to madly fill their suitcases.

 

Excellent info and advice! Thanks a million!

We will do it on day 1 as you suggested. We might have 3 more adults joining us but just 2 for now. Planning is part of the fun. :)

[mking8288]

Excellent info and advice! Thanks a million! We will do it on day 1 as you suggested. We might have 3 more adults joining us but just 2 for now. Planning is part of the fun. :)

Just extra FYI, HK's taxi will seat up to 5, 3 in back and front has 2 sets of seat belts for 2 pax + driver (on right side) as long as everyone is slim enough to fit, especially up front - traveling without big luggage & just smaller bags for this day trip.

 

 

Say from NP360 village transportation center going downhill back via Tung Chung by (green - island only) taxi, save 15 minutes and w/o doing bus transfer back to airport, retrieve airport. Then, take A22 bus to East Kowloon (for Kai Tak terminal) with "manageable" luggage (airporter bus has luggage rack for storage onboard, downstairs on double decker ones) - then, split to 2 taxis for that last 2 miles to the pier. Or, take AE train to Kowloon Station (there's a group discount for 2 or more travelers using one ticket, ask at the AE ticket counter/help kiosk - higher % off for more travelers) and then split for 2 taxis. CityFlyer's A21 or A22 buses will give you a free, scenic ride above ground to go into the city & admire its elevated highways cleverly build to solve urban congestions, etc. - East Kowloon is the new urban high-rise satellite cities, once mainly industrial & commercial in nature, and under-developed 20 to 30 years ago.

 

From airport/Tung Chung, taxis in red color are urban/city ones that will go to Kowloon & H.K. Island - many are "full-size" Toyota 4 door sedan (similar to Camry) but some are smaller and can only seat 4 - skip those if there are 5 of you going. And, please do tip the driver a little extra/more as you are saving $$ on not taking 2 taxis instead - especially on a these longer 30 to 45 or 60 minutes trip. Loose change up to 10% is generally good, and 15% would be nice for an exceptional ride - fares are always metered & by law, you must be given a receipt at the end of the trip - keep it for your records and note the license plate & driver info if necessary (a quick smartphone camera shot is what we do)

[bonsai3s]

eblackberry...thank you so much for asking the questions. We will also be arriving early in the morning (November) in Hong Kong and decided we will visit the Giant Buddha from the airport.

 

mking8288...thank you for your always outstanding responses. We were planning of taking the airport express to our hotel near Nathan Road, but love your suggestion of using the CityFlyer A21...thanks again!

[mking8288]

... We were planning of taking the airport express to our hotel near Nathan Road, but love your suggestion of using the CityFlyer A21...thanks again!

Everyone is welcomed to give & get help, mutual sharing - that's the sprirts behind CC. I posted some details info last year for others going to HKIA, taking the airporter bus to town ... should be easy to find - feedback afterward, they worked out great. Happy to know.

 

Here's a newer one about walking from Arrival Hall (before you exit that secured area - MTR has a staffed help counter/self-service kiosk, Currency Exchange is available - at typical airport rates, change as little as needed if you plan to be in town longer; OR, use of the many bank ATM's (it's easy, just alert your home bank before leaving - very nominal convenience fee (or free) at interbank exchange rate).

 

This is the one I like - has all the stops along the A21 route, that serve mainly the Nathan Road corridor, including Tsim Sha Tsui's hotel districts, all within 2 to 4 blocks walk, some stopping literally in front of or around the corner from major hotels recommended/used by oversea visitors. Best views are upstairs, sit forward if those aren't taken already & video monitors help keep track of luggage stored on racks downstairs, behind the bus driver.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJvRo-V7nHg

 

This is a short video about the famous Octopus Card - what and how to use it, where to buy & helpful tips. Enjoy - uniformed MTR employees working on the stations platform & behind the help counter tend to speak some/limited English, don't be afraid to ask for help when unsure.

 

To keep traffic moving, taxis are prohibited by law to pickup and drop off passengers along busy Nathan Road and other major roadways, signal & tell the driver where you need to get off, s/he will turn off to a side street corner where stopping is permitted & let you off, or haul them on those side roads. Taxi stands are marked & easy to spot as well.

 

The last stop for A21 is Hung Hom Station, for the KCR Railroad and MTR station, a very busy terminal along with numerous bus routes - and taxis & PMB (public mini-buses, 16 seaters). Trip time is about 1 hour depending on traffic & time, from/to the airport - it is also a good place to transfer to pickup a taxi to Kai Tak Cruise Terminal, at the end of your "free" scenic self-guided, non-narrated tour of Kowloon (see, you've save on taking the Hop On, Hop Off tourist buses ;p ) Taxi fare for this short trip should be no more than $80 to $100 HKD, no tolls and 20 minutes or less (that's $11 to $14 USD).

 

Fall is a popular time for cruising to/from & out of HKG, no wonder this Fall - I am finding higher hotel prices ... so, start booking & do your best price comparison and lock in something nice that you are happy with. Salisbury YMCA is nice & everyone recommending it, except it has only 300+ rooms at any given time. Put on those comfortable shoes & do a little walking, evenings are cool & nice to walk around in the Fall ... can still be humid & quite warm, nothing like going in July or August, however.

[eblackberry]

bonsai3s, you are welcome.

mking8288 is an invaluable source of information. I will make sure I have access to mking8288's responses on my phone or print out a copy before my trip. :)

[angeleyes27]

Very good information!! We go in less than 2 weeks!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums