Ap Lei Chau got its first road link in March 1980 and a second bridge in July 1994, the Highways Department records, and on 28 December 2016 the MTR's South Island Line opened under the island with stations at Lei Tung and South Horizons. Alongside them, a licensed kaito crosses the water between the island and Aberdeen. It is route S 1 on the Transport Department's list of regular kaito services, run by Eastern Ferry Company Limited, and the crossing takes about 4 minutes.
The service runs every day with a boat every 5 to 8 minutes. From the landing step outside Aberdeen Promenade the first boat is at 07:10 and the last at 22:45; from the stationary vessel outside Aberdeen Wholesale Fish Market the hours are longer, 06:10 to 23:50. On Ap Lei Chau both services use the pontoon outside Marina Habitat.
An adult pays HK$3 a trip and a child under 12 HK$1.50. With an Octopus card the fare drops by HK$0.50 when you change to or from the MTR within 90 minutes using the same adult card.
HK$3 a ride, and 50 cents off with the MTR
The fare is charged per trip, at the same rate in each direction and from either Aberdeen boarding point. The Transport Department lists only two passenger fares, one for adults and one for children under 12.
Riders who use an Octopus card get HK$0.50 off when they change between this kaito and the MTR within 90 minutes, provided the same adult Octopus pays for both journeys. The department's Chinese-language page names Lei Tung station as the interchange. A Personalised Octopus that carries the disability status is excluded from this discount.
| Adult | HK$3 |
| Child under 12 | HK$1.50 |
Fare per trip listed by the Transport Department · checked 30 October 2026 Transport Department – kaito service details, fare per trip · 2026-10-30
Three landing points, two service windows
The route has two separately timed services that share the Ap Lei Chau pontoon. On the Aberdeen side, one starts from the landing step outside Aberdeen Promenade and the other from a stationary vessel moored outside Aberdeen Wholesale Fish Market, a short way along the same waterfront. The Fish Market service starts an hour earlier and stops about an hour later, which makes it the one to use for an early start or a late return.
The map marks the Promenade landing step (A) and the Ap Lei Chau pontoon (B). The Fish Market boarding point is not pinned; the Transport Department's open data places it at 22.247352, 114.152583, and the department's English page describes it as a stationary vessel rather than a pier building.
Aberdeen Promenade landing steps
Boats from this landing on the promenade run from 07:10 to 22:45; the Transport Department describes it as a landing step, not a pier building, so there is no ticket hall.
Ap Lei Chau pontoon, Marina Habitat
On the island side both services use one floating pontoon outside the Marina Habitat estate. Boats leave it for the Promenade from 07:00 to 22:50 and for the Fish Market vessel from 06:00 to 23:45, so check which landing a boat is heading for before you step aboard late in the evening.
Across the Aberdeen Channel
The kaito crosses the narrow strip of water that the Highways Department calls the Aberdeen Channel, between the Aberdeen waterfront on Hong Kong Island and Ap Lei Chau. All three landing points are in the Southern District and are marked on the map below; the Transport Department gives the trip as about 4 minutes and publishes no distance.
Small boat, short ride: what to expect
- No timetable to learn
Boats run every 5 to 8 minutes within the published hours; just turn up at the landing.
- Octopus for the MTR discount
The HK$0.50 interchange discount needs the same adult Octopus on the kaito and the MTR, within 90 minutes.
- Late at night
After 22:50 only the Fish Market service runs: its last boat from Ap Lei Chau is at 23:45 and from Aberdeen at 23:50.
- Steps and a pontoon
The official descriptions are a landing step at the Promenade, a moored vessel at the Fish Market and a floating pontoon on Ap Lei Chau. No accessibility information is published; ask the operator before travelling with a wheelchair.
- Storm signals
In a 2023 reply to the Legislative Council the Government explained that services on the water are normally halted while the No. 8 signal is up. The hours listed here describe an ordinary day.
Two bridges, one railway and the kaito alongside
The kaito's landings are on the Aberdeen waterfront and at Marina Habitat on Ap Lei Chau, and the Transport Department's fare rules link it to the railway: the HK$0.50 Octopus discount is given only when a trip on the boat and a trip on the MTR are paid with the same adult card within 90 minutes.
Unlike most ferries on this site, such as the North Point – Hung Hom harbour ferry with its departures at fixed minutes past each hour, the S 1 kaito has no list of departure times, only service hours and a frequency. The Wong Shek – Tap Mun kaito in the eastern New Territories shows the other side of the kaito world: a handful of fixed sailings a day and different fares at weekends.
Licensed vessels on route S 1
Aberdeen to Ap Lei Chau by kaito: questions
How often does the Aberdeen – Ap Lei Chau kaito run?
Every 5 to 8 minutes, every day, according to the Transport Department. There is no timetable of individual departures.
What is the latest boat back from Ap Lei Chau?
The service to the Fish Market vessel in Aberdeen runs until 23:45 from Ap Lei Chau. The service to Aberdeen Promenade stops earlier, at 22:50.
How much is the fare for a child?
HK$1.50 for a child under 12. Adults pay HK$3.
How does the MTR discount work?
Pay the kaito and the MTR with the same adult Octopus card within 90 minutes, in either order, and HK$0.50 comes off. Cards registered with the disability status do not get it.
Is there a senior fare?
The Transport Department lists no senior rate for route S 1, only the adult and child fares, so ask the crew or the operator on 2873 0310.
Which Aberdeen landing should I use?
Either: both go to the same pontoon on Ap Lei Chau. Before 07:10 or after 22:45, use the stationary vessel outside Aberdeen Wholesale Fish Market, which runs from 06:10 to 23:50.