Hong Kong's Outlying Islands: Cheung Chau and Aberdeen by Ferry

Why the ferry pier changes everything

Central Pier sits at the edge of Hong Kong Island's financial district, a ten-minute walk or a short MTR ride from most mid-range hotels in the area. Piers 5 and 6 handle the outlying island ferries — signage is clear, the terminal is air-conditioned, and the boarding process is unhurried enough to feel civilised even during a busy weekend morning. For travellers arriving from Australia who've spent fourteen-plus hours in the air and a recovery night in the city, stepping onto a ferry rather than into another underground train is a genuine pleasure.

The ferries themselves are double-deck vessels with indoor and outdoor seating. The upper deck outdoor area gives you the harbour views; the lower indoor cabin is cooler and quieter. Both classes are perfectly comfortable. Ordinary class fares are low enough that the Deluxe class upgrade — a few dollars more — is worth it for the slightly wider seats and less crowded feel. Pay with an Octopus card (the same card that works on the MTR and buses) or purchase a ticket at the pier window. Confirm current fares and timetables on the New World First Ferry website before your visit, as schedules shift seasonally.

Cheung Chau: the car-free island that earns its reputation

The crossing to Cheung Chau takes roughly 40 minutes on the standard ferry, a little under an hour on the slower route. You arrive at a waterfront promenade that would make any coastal town in regional Victoria feel self-conscious. There are no private cars on Cheung Chau — only small electric vehicles used by delivery services and emergency responders. The absence of traffic noise is the first thing you notice. The second is the smell of char siu wafting from bakeries along Praya Street before you've even cleared the pier.

The island's main village wraps around the ferry pier and is almost entirely flat along the seafront strip. Praya Street and Pak She Praya Road run parallel to the waterfront and are where you'll find most of the bakeries, seafood restaurants and small shops. The famous dumbbell shape of the island — two wider ends connected by a narrow isthmus — means you can walk from the busy harbour side to the quieter Tung Wan Beach in about ten minutes. That beach is broad, clean and backed by a low headland. Hire a beach chair, find a shaded spot and let the South China Sea do its work.

The Cheung Chau bakeries deserve their reputation. Kwok Kam Kee is the name that appears most consistently on food-focused travel writing about the island, known for its baked pineapple buns and cocktail buns filled with coconut and butter. Queues form, but they move. Sit with a paper bag of buns on the promenade wall and watch the fishing boats come in — that's the whole activity, and it's enough. For lunch, the seafood restaurants along the waterfront serve fresh catch at prices that feel almost nostalgic compared to Sydney or Melbourne. Point at what's in the tank if you're uncertain about the menu.

Aberdeen: a harbour that's still working

Aberdeen sits on the southern side of Hong Kong Island — not an outlying island at all, technically, but reached most enjoyably by ferry from Central Pier 4 or via a short bus or taxi ride from the MTR. The distinction matters mainly because it means Aberdeen can be combined with a half-day in Stanley or Repulse Bay if you're feeling energetic, though most travellers over 50 will find Aberdeen alone is a full and satisfying half-day.

What distinguishes Aberdeen is its working harbour. This isn't a reconstructed fishing village or a heritage attraction — families still live on boats here, though in smaller numbers than in previous decades. The most direct way to experience it is a sampan tour: small wooden motorboats operated by local women who have been ferrying visitors around the harbour for generations. The boats depart from the Aberdeen waterfront promenade and the fare is negotiated directly with the operator, typically around HKD 50–100 per person for a 20–30 minute circuit. Confirm current rates on arrival. The step from the dock onto the sampan is low but requires a moment of balance — anyone with significant knee or hip concerns should assess this honestly before boarding.

The harbour circuit takes you past the Jumbo Kingdom site — the famous floating restaurant that sank during a 2022 towing operation, and whose absence is now part of the story locals tell — and alongside the remaining boat dwellings, fish-processing vessels and small family craft. The sampan operator will narrate in Cantonese or basic English depending on who you get. It doesn't matter much. The visual narrative of the harbour speaks clearly enough. Back on shore, the Aberdeen Promenade is flat and walkable, with benches, and a fresh seafood market worth a slow wander.

Getting the timing right: morning departures and the evening timetable reality

Both islands reward an early-morning departure. Aim to be at Central Pier by 9am. This gets you ahead of the weekend day-tripper crowd from Hong Kong itself — and yes, these islands are popular with local families, not just visitors — and means you arrive as the bakeries are hitting their stride and the seafront restaurants are setting up for the lunch rush. By midafternoon the islands feel more crowded; by 4pm the light softens and the harbour views are at their best.

The evening timetable is where planning genuinely matters. Ferry services from Cheung Chau back to Central run reliably through the afternoon but become less frequent after around 8pm. The last ferry is not late. Check the New World First Ferry timetable before you leave the pier in the morning — photograph it on your phone — and build your return time around it rather than hoping for flexibility. Missing the last convenient ferry isn't a crisis (there are options, including a hovercraft service on some routes), but it adds unnecessary stress to what should be a relaxed day. The honesty of this is simply good planning, not a deterrent.

For Aberdeen, the return to Central is straightforward by bus or taxi, and the MTR's South Island Line has improved access significantly in recent years. Aberdeen does not require the same ferry-timetable vigilance as Cheung Chau, but do confirm your route back before committing to a late seafood dinner.

What Australian travellers need to know before they go

Australia to Hong Kong is a manageable long-haul flight — roughly 9 hours from Sydney, around 10 from Melbourne, with direct services on Cathay Pacific and Qantas. That's short enough to fly overnight and arrive in reasonable shape, though a recovery half-day before attempting any island excursion is sensible advice rather than overcaution. Jet lag from a northward flight to Hong Kong is typically milder than from flights to Europe, but it's still real. Book your first night near Central or Sheung Wan to keep the pier logistics simple.

Entry requirements for Hong Kong as an Australian passport holder have been straightforward in recent years, but visa arrangements can change. The only reliable source is Smartraveller at smartraveller.gov.au — check the Hong Kong destination page before finalising any booking, and register your travel plans on the site. Travel insurance is non-negotiable for any Australian traveller over 50 going overseas, and particularly important for those with pre-existing conditions. Policies vary significantly in what they cover; read the product disclosure statement rather than the summary page.

Hong Kong uses the Hong Kong Dollar (HKD). Most transactions in hotels and larger restaurants accept cards, but the outlying islands operate more on cash — particularly the sampan operators, seafood market vendors and smaller bakeries. Draw cash from an ATM at Hong Kong International Airport or from one of the many ATMs in Central before heading to the pier. The Octopus card, available at the airport and MTR stations, covers ferry fares, buses and most convenience stores, and is worth loading up from day one.

A note on pacing for the traveller who wants to do both

Cheung Chau and Aberdeen on the same day is technically possible but not advisable. Each deserves its own morning, its own rhythm. A sensible Hong Kong itinerary for a couple spending three nights in the city might look like this: arrival day and recovery evening in Central; Cheung Chau the following morning with lunch on the island and a slow afternoon return; Aberdeen the morning after, followed by an afternoon in Stanley or a walk along the Western District's famous cat street markets.

The islands are also a genuine antidote to the particular fatigue that can settle in after a few days of Hong Kong's density. The city is extraordinary, but it does not let up. The ferry to Cheung Chau is not an escape from Hong Kong so much as a different register of it — quieter, slower, saltier. For a traveller who has been to Hong Kong before and wants to move past the familiar loop of the Peak, Mong Kok and Victoria Harbour, the outlying islands are where the city starts to reveal something more considered about itself.

Practical details worth confirming before you travel

Ferry timetables, fares and pier allocations: New World First Ferry (nwff.com.hk) and the Hong Kong Transport Department (td.gov.hk) are the authoritative sources. Both have English-language versions of their websites. Timetables change for public holidays — Hong Kong's public holiday calendar includes several dates tied to the lunar calendar that shift year to year.

The Hong Kong Tourism Board (discoverhongkong.com) maintains useful practical information on island visits, including accessibility notes and suggested walking routes. For Cheung Chau specifically, the board's island map is worth downloading before departure as phone signal on the island, while generally adequate, can be inconsistent in the interior lanes. The island's narrow alleys between the main promenade and Tung Wan Beach are part of the experience — slightly uneven underfoot in places, but manageable with sensible footwear. Flat, closed-toe shoes are the right choice for both islands.