Macau and Shenzhen Day Trips from Causeway Bay: Ferries, Trains and Border Closing Times

From a Causeway Bay hotel you can be sitting in a Macau casino or a Shenzhen shopping mall by lunchtime and back in your room the same night. Both trips are genuinely doable in a day, because Causeway Bay sits on the Island Line with fast connections to the Sheung Wan ferry piers and to the East Rail Line and high-speed rail that run north. But the whole day hinges on one thing: the last crossing back. Miss it and a day trip becomes an unplanned overnight stay, so plan the return before you plan the outbound.

This guide sets out both routes from a Causeway Bay hotel — Macau by ferry or by the bridge, Shenzhen by East Rail or high-speed rail — and pairs each one with the official border closing times from the Hong Kong Immigration Department and the ferry operators' own schedules. Every hour and fare below is taken from those primary sources, with a live link so you can confirm the current figure before you book.

Decide first: which crossing, and when it closes

Hong Kong has several control points to the mainland and to Macau, and they do not close at the same time. The table below is the single most useful fact on this page: what time each crossing shuts for the night and, for the ferries, when the last scheduled sailing leaves. Arrive at the border well before the closing time — the counters close at the hour shown, not after the last person has cleared.

Two of these are easy traps. The Lok Ma Chau Spur Line — the fast rail link to Futian in Shenzhen — closes at 10:30 pm, two hours earlier than Lo Wu. And while the Macau ferry terminal's immigration counters run 24 hours, the ferries themselves stop far earlier, so your real deadline in Macau is the last sailing, not the terminal's opening hours. Border hours are published on the Immigration Department's control point page.

Macau in a day: the ferry from Sheung Wan

Macau is the classic day trip: about an hour each way by fast ferry, a historic centre and Cotai's casino resorts at the other end, and no visa paperwork for most visitors beyond a valid passport. The ferries leave from the Hong Kong–Macau Ferry Terminal inside Shun Tak Centre in Sheung Wan, which is where the Causeway Bay route begins.

Step by step

1. Causeway Bay to Sheung Wan. Take the MTR Island Line from Causeway Bay station westbound towards Sheung Wan (the ferry terminal is directly above Sheung Wan station, inside Shun Tak Centre). Your ride passes through Causeway Bay–Central and Causeway Bay–Admiralty, which the site's own Causeway Bay transportation guide times at about 6 minutes and 4 minutes for HK$6.00 each.
2. Clear Hong Kong immigration in the terminal. Check in, show your passport, then clear departure at the terminal's own immigration hall before you board. Arrive 30 to 45 minutes before departure to allow for this.
3. Choose your Macau terminal against your plan. Taipa (Cotai Water Jet) puts you next to the Cotai strip and the casinos; the Outer Harbour (the classic TurboJET route) is closer to the historic centre, Senado Square and the Ruins of St Paul's. Pick by where you actually want to spend the day — the two terminals are not walkable to each other.
4. Crossing time is about one hour. Both operators quote roughly 60 minutes for the Hong Kong–Macau run.
5. Clear Macau immigration on arrival and keep your passport with you all day.
6. Watch the clock on the way back. Come back to the terminal in good time for the last sailing (see the table below and the operator pages).

Ferry options, fares and schedule

The two operators publish differently, so read the fare lines carefully. Cotai Water Jet's Hong Kong–Taipa page currently lists Cotai Class at HKD 192 on weekdays, HKD 209 on weekends and holidays, and HKD 242 for night sailings, with the first Hong Kong departure at 07:30 and the last at 22:30; its last return sailing from Taipa to Hong Kong is 23:59. Holiday fares apply on Hong Kong or Macao public holidays, so check the official general holidays list before you assume a weekday price. Macau citizens, seniors aged 60 or above and children under 12 may get HKD/MOP 20 off per ticket, excluding the VIP cabin.

TurboJET runs the same Shun Tak Centre crossing from 07:30 with economy fares that its own fares page prints as low as about HKD 175. Because fares are revised from time to time and different sources quote different figures, treat that as a starting point only: check the operator's current fare before you book rather than budgeting from a single number.

Macau by the HZMB bridge

If you miss the last ferry, or you would rather not be tied to a sailing time, the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge (HZMB) is the land option. It is the only Macau route that never closes: the HZMB Hong Kong Port control point is open 24 hours. Cross-border coaches and the bridge shuttle run to Macau from the Hong Kong Port on Lantau, and because the fixed link is open around the clock, this is the route that lets you stay late in Macau and still come back the same night. Timings and tickets for the bridge shuttle are set by the operator, so check its own site for the current schedule.

Shenzhen in a day: East Rail Line or high-speed rail

Shenzhen is the closer of the two destinations and the one most day-trippers choose for shopping, electronics and food. You reach it two ways from Causeway Bay, both starting on the MTR.

Route A: East Rail Line to Lo Wu or the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line

1. Causeway Bay to Admiralty. Two stops west on the Island Line — about 4 minutes and HK$6.00 according to the site's transportation guide.
2. Change to the East Rail Line towards the northern border.
3. Choose your crossing. Lo Wu is the major land crossing, with a purpose-built visitor clearance hall — and it closes at midnight. The Lok Ma Chau Spur Line (to Futian) closes at 10:30 pm, so if your day is running late, aim for Lo Wu.
4. Clear both sides and you are in Shenzhen. Carry your passport; this is an international border crossing.
5. Return well before the closing time. Lo Wu shuts at midnight and the spur line at 10:30 pm, and peak-hour queues are longest in the evening, especially on holidays and weekends.

Route B: high-speed rail from West Kowloon

1. Causeway Bay to West Kowloon Station. Take the MTR across to Kowloon and West Kowloon Station, the terminus of the Express Rail Link high-speed rail.
2. Clear immigration at the station. West Kowloon runs both Hong Kong and mainland clearance on site; the control point is open from 6:30 am to 11:30 pm.
3. Ride to Futian or Shenzhen North in a few minutes of running time — the high-speed line is the fastest way across.
4. Return before the station's last trains, and remember the West Kowloon control point closes at 11:30 pm. Check MTR High Speed Rail for current fares and timetables before you travel.

Do you need a visa for Shenzhen?

Visa and entry rules for mainland China vary by nationality and change from time to time, so this page does not quote a fee or a permitted stay. Check the current requirement for your own passport on the China National Immigration Administration site (en.nia.gov.cn) and the Hong Kong Immigration Department before you travel. British, most Western and many Asian passport holders should confirm their individual eligibility rather than assuming the rules that applied on a previous trip still apply.

Which one should you pick?

• Choose Macau if you want a change of scene and a different culture: Portuguese-era streets, the Ruins of St Paul's and Senado Square in the historic centre, or the Cotai casino resorts. You get there by ferry (about an hour) or by the 24-hour bridge, and it genuinely feels like a different city.
• Choose Shenzhen if you want shopping, electronics, malls and mainland food, and the shortest possible journey. The MTR plus East Rail or high-speed rail is the fastest crossing, and it is the cheaper of the two days out.
• Doing both in one day is not realistic. Each destination deserves a full day once you add the crossing, the border queues and the return. Pick one.

Practical tips for a same-day border crossing

• Carry your passport. Both trips cross an international border; a Hong Kong ID card alone is not enough for most visitors.
• Use an Octopus card for the Hong Kong legs. The MTR, East Rail and buses all take it; you pay the ferry and the high-speed rail fare separately.
• Arrive at the terminal or station early. Ferries want you there 30 to 45 minutes ahead, and border halls are busiest in the evening.
• Avoid returning at the end of a public holiday. The last hours before a border closes are the worst for queues, especially at Lo Wu and Shenzhen Bay. Check the site's events calendar and the public holiday list before you pick your day.
• Build in a buffer. Treat the closing time in the first table as your hard deadline, not the time you plan to leave the shopping mall.

Frequently asked questions

Can I visit Macau as a day trip from Causeway Bay?

Yes. Take the MTR Island Line from Causeway Bay to Sheung Wan, where the Hong Kong–Macau Ferry Terminal sits inside Shun Tak Centre, then a roughly 60-minute fast ferry to Macau. You can be there for lunch and back the same night if you catch the last return sailing.

What is the last ferry back from Macau?

Cotai Water Jet's last sailing from Macau Taipa to Hong Kong is 23:59. TurboJET publishes its own last sailing on its schedule page, so confirm it when you buy your ticket. Note that the Macau ferry terminal's immigration counters run 24 hours, but the ferries stop much earlier.

What time does Lo Wu close?

Lo Wu is open from 6:30 am to midnight. The nearby Lok Ma Chau Spur Line closes earlier, at 10:30 pm, so if you are running late, return through Lo Wu.

Do I need a visa for Shenzhen?

That depends on your nationality, and the rules change, so check the current requirement for your passport on the China National Immigration Administration site (en.nia.gov.cn) and the Hong Kong Immigration Department before you travel. This page does not quote a fee or a stay length.

Where do I catch the Macau ferry?

From the Hong Kong–Macau Ferry Terminal inside Shun Tak Centre, Sheung Wan — above Sheung Wan MTR station, a direct Island Line ride from Causeway Bay. TurboJET and Cotai Water Jet both sail from here.

Can I go to Shenzhen by high-speed rail from Causeway Bay?

Yes. Take the MTR to West Kowloon Station, clear immigration there, and board the Express Rail Link. West Kowloon's control point is open from 6:30 am to 11:30 pm, so plan your return before it closes.

Whichever you choose, the trip starts the same way: out of your Causeway Bay hotel and onto the MTR. See the Causeway Bay transportation guide for the local legs, and how to get to Causeway Bay for airport and harbour connections.