Hong Kong Day Trips in 2 Days on a Budget
Two cheap days out of Hong Kong
Two days covers the two cheapest, most different side trips this family has: Macau’s free old town on day one, reached by the HK$65 bridge bus rather than the pricier ferry, and an outlying island on day two for less than HK$35 round trip. Both start from Hong Kong Island, both fit inside a single day with time to get back for dinner in town. Need more room for Lantau or Disneyland? Step up to the 3-day , 4-day , or 7-day version.
Book these before you go
- Macau day trip on GetYourGuide : a guided old-town walk if you’d rather not sort ferry or bus timetables yourself.
- Outlying-islands tour on Viator : the DIY ferry costs less, but this covers both islands in one booking if time is tight.
- Your Hong Kong base on Booking.com : Tsim Sha Tsui or Central, both within 20 minutes of every pier below.
| Day | Focus | Travel time from Hong Kong | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Macau: HZMB bridge bus, Ruins of St. Paul’s, Senado Square | ~45 min plus immigration each way | HK$65 regular hours, HK$70 midnight-5:59am |
| Day 2 | Cheung Chau: fishing village, Mini Great Wall hike, bike rental | 35-55 min ferry each way | HK$16.70-47.60 round trip |
Day 1: Macau on the cheap bus, not the ferry
Ride the HZMB “Golden Bus” from the Hong Kong port, HK$65 during regular hours or HK$70 overnight, about 45 minutes plus immigration each way. It’s less than half the ferry’s HK$194-242 fare and only marginally slower once the ferry terminal’s own check-in time is factored in. Walk the Ruins of St. Paul’s and Senado Square, the free, walkable heart of the Portuguese-colonial old town, and eat a Portuguese egg tart near the square before deciding whether the Cotai casino strip is worth the extra time. Head back on the same bus route; check current schedules on hzmb.gov.hk or hours on macaotourism.gov.mo before planning a late return.
Do I need my passport for the Macau leg?
Yes. Macau runs its own immigration control as a separate Special Administrative Region, distinct from Hong Kong even though HKD is widely accepted there. Carry the same passport used to enter Hong Kong, since both the outbound and return bus crossings are genuine border checks, just fast ones.
Day 2: Cheung Chau, the cheapest full day on this list
Ferry from Central Pier 5, HK$16.70 weekday or HK$24.80 weekend on the ordinary boat, HK$32.90 or HK$47.60 on the fast ferry, 35-55 minutes each way. Rent a bike near the pier and circle the car-free island at your own pace; check current sailings on Sun Ferry . Hike the Mini Great Wall coastal trail, stop at Cheung Po Tsai Cave, then have a seafood lunch harborside before catching a ferry back to Central in time for dinner.
Is 2 days enough to see Hong Kong’s day trips properly?
It covers the two cheapest and most contrasting legs, Macau and one outlying island, but it’s a sampler, not the full list. Lantau’s Tai O village, Disneyland, and Shenzhen all get cut entirely at this length. If any of those matter, budget at least 4 days.
Skip the Cotai casino floor on the Macau leg unless gambling is the actual point of the trip; the old town and the egg tarts are the reason this day beats what HK$65 buys anywhere else in the region.