Ferry guide
The ultimate guide to taking pets on Hong Kong ferries
Every pet-friendly ferry route in Hong Kong, with real fares, the carrier-vs-leash rules, the September 2025 changes, and the land-transport gotchas at each pier.
Hong Kong is one of the few cities where you can genuinely take your dog on a public ferry — not a pet taxi, not a chartered boat, the same ferry everyone else is catching to Cheung Chau or Lamma. Eight operators run pet-friendly routes, from the big Sun Ferry and HKKF services out of Central to tiny kaitos out of Sai Kung. The rules are fiddly but they make sense once you know them: nearly everyone requires a carrier or a leash-and-muzzle, you pay a small pet fare, and your dog can't sit on a seat.
The golden rule across every operator: your dog travels either in a secure carrier (cage, bag, stroller) or on a leash and muzzled. "On a leash" alone is not enough anywhere — a muzzle is the dealbreaker if you go that route. Small dogs in a carrier skip the muzzle entirely, which is why most regulars just use a bag. Guide dogs are exempt from all of it, on every operator.
Ferry pet fares and rules at a glance
Fares and rules below are verified against each operator's published pet policy.
| Operator | Pet fare | Carrier rule |
|---|---|---|
| Sun Ferry | HK$19.30–26.30 depending on route (see routes); HK$11.00 on North Point inner-harbour routes | Leash + muzzle (or carrier) |
| Hong Kong & Kowloon Ferry (HKKF) | HK$14.00 per animal (flat across all routes) | Leash + muzzle (or carrier) |
| Discovery Bay Transportation Services | unknown (not listed in the TD fare-table CSV; confirm at pier) | Carrier or leash + muzzle |
| Tsui Wah Ferry Service (H.K.) | unknown (no published pet fare; confirm with operator) | Carrier or leash + muzzle |
| Chuen Kee Ferry | unknown | Carrier or leash + muzzle |
| Fortune Ferry Company | Equal to the adult fare for the sailing segment (one adult ticket per pet) | Leash + muzzle (or carrier) |
| Coral Sea Ferry Service | HK$20 per animal (Tung Lung Island trip) | Carrier / cage |
| Sai Kung kaito operators (subject to demand) | unknown (operator-discretion; typically no separate pet fare for small dogs) | Leash + muzzle (or carrier) |
A few routes deserve a closer look because they trip people up.
Routes that catch people out
- Sun Ferry Central–Cheung Chau: pets are NOT allowed in deluxe class of ordinary ferries — buy the ordinary class or fast ferry ticket. This is the one deluxe-class exception in the whole system.
- HKKF Central–Peng Chau: some sailings continue to Hei Ling Chau and you don't need to disembark at Peng Chau. Don't panic when the ferry keeps going.
- Discovery Bay ferry: you must fill in a pet-carrying form at the pier before boarding, and your dog stays in a designated Pet Zone — not wherever you like.
- Tsui Wah Aberdeen–Pak Kok–Yung Shue Wan: pets must stay in the non-air-conditioned cabin only. In summer that's the trade — you get the dog, you sit in the heat.
- Fortune Ferry: pet fare equals a full adult fare for the sailing segment — one extra ticket per pet. And pets are not allowed on the Central–Hung Hom route at all.
- Sai Kung kaitos to Sharp Island: Hap Mun Bay beach is gazetted (no dogs). Kiu Tsui beach on the other side is fine. Keep the dog leashed until you're past the lifeguard area.
- Tung Ping Chau (Tsui Wah): weekends and public holidays only. Departs Ma Liu Shui 9:00 and 15:30 Saturday, 9:00 Sunday, single return 17:15. Miss it and you're stranded.
Before you sail — a quick checklist
- Carrier that closes properly, or a leash plus a muzzle that fits. No muzzle, no leash-only travel.
- Exact pet fare in cash for the operators that don't take Octopus for freight tickets (Sun Ferry North Point routes pay at the freight office).
- A towel or mat — ferry decks get hot, and your dog will be on the floor, not a seat.
- Water and a collapsible bowl, especially for the kaito routes in summer (non-AC cabins).
- Check the operator's latest timetable the day before — kaito services in particular vary by day, weather and demand.
Fares and rules here are pulled live from our ferry data, which we check against each operator's published pet-policy page. The two legal bases you'll see cited are Cap. 104A §17 (the ferries regulation, HK$2,000 fine for a pet outside the rules) and Cap. 421 Rabies Ordinance §23 (HK$10,000 fine). They're why the carriers-and-muzzles rules aren't optional, even on a five-minute hop.
Sources
- Sun Ferry — carriage of pets notice
- HKKF — pet cargo fare and carrying instructions
- Discovery Bay Transportation — getting around
- Tsui Wah Ferry Service
- Coral Sea Ferry — pet policy
- Fortune Ferry — FAQ
- Transport Department — kaito services (subject to demand)
- Gov GIA annex — pet-allowing ferry routes (Nov 2022)
- Cap. 104A Ferries Regulations §17
- Cap. 421 Rabies Ordinance §23