Written by Holly Booth
There are many ways to get around Hong Kong at almost any hour of the day, but if you’re looking for a unique and quintessentially Hong Kong experience, hop on a minibus.
These small, almost toy-like vehicles zip through the city’s bustling streets at breakneck speeds, offering a faster and more flexible alternative to regular buses and the MTR. But for first-timers, minibuses can be a bit intimidating. Fear not! Our handy guide will drive you through everything you need to know about taking Hong Kong’s minibuses so you’ll be riding them like a local in no time.
Not up for riding a minibus yet? Check out our full guide to Hong Kong public transport to find an alternative way to get around.
What are minibuses?
Minibuses, or public light buses (PLBs), are 16-seater vehicles that operate on mostly fixed routes across almost all of Hong Kong, Kowloon and the New Territories. They’re smaller than regular buses, making them perfect for navigating narrow streets and reaching areas that larger buses can’t. They also don’t stop unless asked to (we’ll come back to this), making them faster, more frequent, and often more direct than other forms of public transport and therefore a popular choice for locals.
Green or red?
There are two types of minibuses in Hong Kong; red and green but other than the colour of their roofs, it’s not particularly obvious what the differences are.
Green
Green minibuses are the more common of the two. They operate on fixed routes, at fixed fares, with designated stops and can only be flagged down at these stops. Their hours of operation are also regulated and they are typically more predictable as to when they will arrive.
The number of the bus route is displayed at the front of the bus, and fare prices are displayed in the window or on the Octopus card machine. All green minibuses accept Octopus cards but you can still pay in cash if your card has run out.
Red
Red minibuses are privately owned and therefore operate on semi-fixed routes, meaning drivers have some flexibility in choosing their path. They generally follow a set direction but may take detours or alternate routes depending on traffic, weather or passenger requests. These slightly chaotic buses don’t always have fixed stops and you can get on and off pretty much anywhere as long as it’s legal for the bus to stop.
Whilst some red buses accept Octopus cards, a lot of them are still cash only (exact change is preferred but not required) so always keep a few small notes and coins on you just in case. Red minibuses don’t usually have a route number displayed, but the name of the destination instead.
They often wait at the beginning of their route until they are full before departing but once they get going, they really get going, so they may not be your best option if you’re prone to travel sickness.
How to get on and get off
To flag down a green minibus, you need to wait at an actual bus stop. If there are a few of you and the bus driver starts wildly waving 1 or 2 fingers at you, he’s telling you there’s only 1 or 2 seats left on the bus. If that’s the case, step aside and let anyone behind you get on instead.
Minibuses are all about efficiency so don’t mess around trying to find your Octopus. Get on, beep your card, and if you’re lucky, the driver might wait until you find a seat before he zooms off again. Some minibuses have seatbelts, some don’t. Strap in if yours does.
Getting on a red minibus is almost the same except that you can flag one of these down even if you’re not at a bus stop, as long as traffic permits. As mentioned, many of these buses still don’t have Octopus card machines so have your cash ready. If the driver starts shouting things to you as soon as you get on, he probably wants to know where abouts you’re looking to get off so be prepared to say the area or landmark you are traveling to. Most locals will help you out in this situation if the driver really can’t understand you.
If you’re starting to think it’s the seemingly reckless driving or hurtling speeds that will make your minibus experience daunting, think again. Now you need to try and get off the bus.
Most green minibuses now come equipped with a bell to let the driver know when you get off which is a game changer, just be sure to give your driver enough notice.
However, you don’t usually get this luxury on a red minibus and need to yell out to the driver that you want to get off. You can do this in English and shout ‘bus stop please’ before your bus stop comes up, but to achieve true pro status, read below for some useful Cantonese phrases.
If your driver has heard you, he will raise his hand to let you know he will stop. If your request doesn’t get acknowledged, accept that the locals will be secretly laughing at you, so sit with your embarrassment until the next bus stop and try again.
Useful Phrases
- “Hui mm hui ______”: do you go to _____.
Use this if you know the Chinese name for where you’re going to ask the driver if it’s included in the bus route.
- “Yau lok mm goi”: getting off please.
The most basic way to let the driver know you’d like to get off at the next stop. Works best when there actually is a bus stop or clear stopping place coming up.
- “Tseen been yau lok mm goi”: I’d like to get off up ahead please.
This gives your driver notice that you want him to pull over at the next available spot he can.
- “Baa si zaam yau lok”: I want to get off at the bus stop.
- “Juen wan yau lok”: I want to get off at the turn.
- “Lo hau yau lok”: I want to get off at the junction.
Basically, just add a ‘yau lok’ after a location and an ‘mm goi’ to be polite and you should be ok.
How to pay
As mentioned, Octopus cards are your go to for all forms of public transport in Hong Kong. Check out our full guide to the Octopus card for more information on how to purchase one and top it up. If your bus is cash only, your driver will likely give you change if you need it but try to stick to $20 or $50 notes to make their life easier.
Which routes to take?
There are hundreds of minibus routes across the different districts in Hong Kong so when planning your itinerary for the day, use something like Citymapper to see which forms of transport are available for you and which ones you want to try. The official website with both green and red minibus routes can be found here.
Some routes to popular destinations include:
Green
- 1 – HK station to the Peak. Starting from the bus station next to IFC (HK Station MTR, exit E) and ending at the Peak bus terminus. A much faster option (but less scenic) than the number 15 big bus or the PeakTtram.
- 40 – Causeway Bay to Stanley Market. Starting close by to Times Square and finishing closeby to Stanley Market. This route goes past Deepwater Bay Beach and Repulse Bay Beach. Bear in mind it is very popular with the locals during peak travel times.
- 4C – Causeway Bay to Aberdeen. Starting near Times Square, finishing in Aberdeen. A speedy way to get from busy Causeway Bay to the old fishing village of Aberdeen. The bus also stops closeby to Aberdeen Reservoir which is a great spot for hiking.
- 3 – Tsim Sha Tsui to Cosmopolitan Estate. Starting closeby to the Star Ferry and going via Mongkok. A handy option for exploring Mongkok after taking the Star Ferry as opting for the MTR involves more walking.
- 1A – Choi Hung to Sai Kung. From Choi Hung MTR station to Sai Kung public pier. A super convenient way to explore Sai Kung. Note: this route is a commuter’s favourite and queues for the bus in Choi Hung are huge around 6-7pm.
Red
- Mongkok – Sai Kung. Colloquially referred to as the ‘Kok-rocket’, this speed demon of a bus helps locals get from rural Sai Kung to the heart of Kowloon side in record time. Just be sure to hold on.
- Causeway Bay (Tang Lung St) – Sai Kung. Round the corner from Times Square all the way to Sai Kung. This bus only starts running after 6pm on weekdays and 5pm on weekends but it’s a super handy way to get to or from Sai Kung to HK island.
- Central – Mongkok. Also known as the party bus, this route doesn’t start operating until 11:55pm and is perfect for those stumbling down from Lan Kwai Fong to get back to their beds on Kowloon side.
- Kennedy Town – Mongkok. Starting near the Kennedy town MTR station and ending across the harbour to closeby to the Ladies Market.
