The Kowloon Urban Tourist Service Bus Route HK1 is operated by Kowloon Motor Bus (KMB). It runs between Star Ferry and Mong Kok and Wong Tai Sin, via West Kowloon Cultural District, Jordan, Yau Ma Tei, Mong Kok, Sham Shui Po (Tai Po Road), Wong Tai Sin, Diamond Hill and Kowloon City in turn. A nightime service, which returns back to Tsim Sha Tsui via Nathan Road southbound after following daytime route to Mong Kok, is also provided.
This route is entirely operated with open-top buses, facilitating visits to multiple attractions along Kowloon with the specially-made tourist guide.
History[]
New route touring around Kowloon[]
In late 2001, KMB launched Route T1 which ran circular between Star Ferry and Wong Tai Sin, but the service was suspended in less than six months.
Twenty-three years later, in July 2024, KMB submitted a paper to the Yau Tsim Mong District Council's Task Force on Revitalisation of District Economy, proposing to introduce a tourist route K1, which would circulate between Star Ferry and Wong Tai Sin, linking up a number of major tourist attractions in Kowloon, including the West Kowloon Cultural District, Nathan Road, Chi Lin Nunnery, Kowloon City, etc. The proposed route would operate every 30 minutes after morning peak hours on daytime service. The proposed route will provide daytime service after the morning peak hours, with departures every 30 minutes, and will be operated by Star Line buses with no standees; the fare would be $19.1, and KMB monthly tickets and daily tickets for passengers will also be accepted. DC members queried that the frequency was too sparse and might affect passengers' experience, and reminded KMB to take into account the existing routes to avoid hindering the public's daily commute. KMB responded that there was room for frequency enhancement and double-deck electric buses could be deployed.[1][2][3]
When the route was launched, the stops at "Kowloon Central Post Office" on Nathan Road and "Sheung Li Uk Garden" on Tai Po Road were added, while the stop at "East Tsim Sha Tsui Station" on Salisbury Road was not discontinued, the fare was slightly adjusted to $19.0, and the route numbering was changed to HK1. KMB has also produced a special "Tour @Kowloon Guide" for its route, which is uploaded onto the website for travellers to read free of charge, thus facilitating the formulation of itineraries.
The "Tour @Kowloon" logo of KMB Route HK1
Conversion to open-top service, touring day and night[]
In June 2025, KMB issued a paper to consult District Council members on the introduction of a new tourist service route, HK1. The new route HK1 would operate from 10:00 to 18:00 daily, the same as the existing route, with a special departure from 18:30 to 22:00 to Nathan Road, via Argyle Street, Reclamation Street, Mong Kok Road, turn right to Nathan Road and return to Tsim Sha Tsui. Both trips are operated by double-deck open-top buses, and the full fare is increased to $40.0.[6] On 31 July, KMB held the launching ceremony for "KMB Tour Hong Kong" open-top bus route HK1 at the West Kowloon Cultural District, and invited Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Mable Chan, a self-proclaimed "real bus fan", to deliver a speech. Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan announced that the entire Route HK1 would be operated by open-top buses from August onwards, and new night tours would be introduced in September. Secretary Chan also praised KMB for its good branding and that Route HK1 is "very cost-effective" for travelling nearly half of Kowloon. She also considered that the Transport Department (TD) has provided a lot of flexibility in approving the routes, so that the bus companies can diversify their services, with a view to linking up the cultural, tourism and social landscapes of Hong Kong through public transport.[7][8]
- 3 August 2025:[9][10]
- The route category was changed to "Kowloon Urban Tourist Service Route" with conversion to a full open-top bus service and fare increase to $40;
- The service hour was adjusted to 10:00-18:00 daily, with new nightime trips introduced, which run circular between Star Ferry and Mong Kok with the service hour being 18:30-22:00.
- 28 September 2025: The daily last departure time for daytime trips was advanced to 17:00 and the service hour of nightime trips was extended to operate during 17:30 - 23:00.[11][12]
Historical route information[]
Details of the past service hours and headways, fares and other route information of this route are set out in the "Historical route information" sub-page of this article.
Service hours and headways[]
The latest update is on 9/2025, please refer to the link below for the official route information.
| From Star Ferry | |
|---|---|
| Service hours | Headways (mins) |
| Daily | |
| 10:00 - 17:00 | 30 |
| The following trips return at Mong Kok and will not proceed to Sham Shui Po, Wong Tai Sin and Kowloon City | |
| 17:30 - 22:00 | 30 |
Headways may be increased in response to demand.
- This route provides Estimated Time of Arrival enquiry Service.
Fares[]
| Journey/boarding stop | Air-conditioned fare |
|---|---|
| Full fare | $40.0 |
| Fare Remarks |
|---|
|
KMB Monthly Pass concessions[]
Passengers using a KMB Monthly Pass can travel on this route with the following fare concessions:
| Journey/Boarding stop | Fare |
|---|---|
| Full fare | $10.8 |
- Journeys taken at concessionary fares will not be counted towards the daily free rides of the KMB Monthly Pass, and such concessions cannot be paid in cash or other forms of payment.
Bus deployments[]
This route is served by a total of 4 Enviro500 MMC 12m (ATENU) double-decker open-top buses. Normal double-decker buses will be deployed if there is severe weather or a bus breakdown.
As this route passes through the Low Emission Zone for Franchised Buses, vehicles on this route must meet Euro V emission standards or above unless under special vehicle dispatchment changes.
| List of open-top buses on Route HK1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fleet no. | Plate no. | Depot | Remarks |
| ATENU485 | TH9170 | Lai Chi Kok Depot (L) | Beige and red "hot dog" non-air-conditioned bus livery |
| ATENU487 | TH9486 | Champagne gold air-conditioned bus livery | |
| ATENU489 | TJ409 | ||
| ATENU496 | TJ4530 | Red "Heartbeat of the City" livery | |
| ATENU497 | TJ5704 | ||
| ATENU521 | TK4304 | Beige and red "hot dog" non-air-conditioned bus livery | |
| ATENU522 | TK4426 | "Whiteboard" air-conditioned bus livery | |
| ATENU527 | TK7196 | ||
| ATENU531 | TK8569 | Beige and red "hot dog" non-air-conditioned bus livery | |
| ATENU562 | TL6239 | "Whiteboard" air-conditioned bus livery | |
The above list of scheduled buses are as of August 2025, forwarded from hk2007.buscess website (Chinese only). The above buses might not be listed according to running orders.
The related content is for reference only and will be updated according to fleet changes (check update list). To check scheduled bus changes, refer to detailed information on hk2007.buscess website.2825
Bus deployment evolution history[]
| Bus deployment evolution history of KMB Route HK1 |
|---|
|
At the initial stage of HK1 service, buses from two First-Class Service routes (P960 and P968) were deployed to operate the service, and the Volvo B8L 12m luxury version (V6P) has been used as the main vehicle. The last three trips on weekdays were operated by BYD B12D 12m (BED) or ordinary diesel buses. In view of the sale of the original fleet of First-Class Service routes to Long Win Bus (LWB), KMB arranged for the Enviro500 MMC 12-metre semi-luxury version (E5T) to be used on both routes, and the route was to be operated by the same model from 7 July 2025 onwards, as a transitional period before the switch to open-top buses. Less than a month later, the Enviro500 MMC 12m (ATENU), painted in four classic KMB colours, was adopted as the main vehicle for the route and debuted on 3 August. |
Routing[]
Daytime trips[]
The distance of this route is approx. 22.4km, and the journey time is approximately 80mins. (The average speed is 16.8km/h.)
Via: Salisbury Road, Kowloon Park Drive, Canton Road, Austin Road West, Museum Drive, Cultural Drive, Museum Drive (westbound), roundabout, Museum Drive (eastbound), Nga Cheung Road, Jordan Road, Nathan Road, Cheung Sha Wan Road, Tai Po Road, Lung Yuet Road, Lung Cheung Road, Tai Hom Road, Sheung Yuen Street, Fung Tak Road, Hammer Hill Road, Choi Hung Road, Prince Edward Road East, Prince Edward Road West, Ma Tau Chung Road, Ma Tau Wai Road, Chatham Road North, Hong Chong Road and Salisbury Road
| Kowloon Motor Bus Route HK1 (Star Ferry ↺ Mong Kok及Wong Tai Sin） | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Area | Road | Bus stop name | Remarks |
| 1 | Tsim Sha Tsui | Star Ferry | ||
| 2 | Canton Road | China Hong Kong City | ||
| 3 | Kowloon Station Residential and Commercial Area | Austin Road West | Austin Road West | |
| 4 | West Kowloon Cultural District | Cultural Drive | M+ | |
| 5 | Museum Drive | Hong Kong Palace Museum | ||
| 6 | Jordan | Jordan Road | Shanghai Street Jordan | |
| 7 | Yau Ma Tei | Nathan Road | Kowloon Central Post Office | |
| 8 | Mong Kok | Nelson Street Mong Kok  |
||
| 9 | Prince Edward Station |
|||
| 10 | Sham Shui Po | Tai Po Road | Pei Ho Street | |
| 11 | Sheung Li Uk Garden | |||
| 12 | Tai Wo Ping | Lung Cheung Road | Phoenix House | |
| 13 | Wong Tai Sin | Wong Tai Sin BBI - Wong Tai Sin Temple |
Circular route return point | |
| 14 | Diamond Hill | Fung Tak Road | Chi Lin Nunnery | |
| Choi Hung Road | ||||
| 15 | Kowloon City | Prince Edward Road West | Kowloon City BBI - Regal Oriental Hotel |
|
Ma Tau Chung Road, Ma Tau Wai Road;  Chatham Road North;  Hong Chong Road
| ||||
| 16 | Tsim Sha Tsui East | Salisbury Road | Wing On Plaza |
|
| 17 | Tsim Sha Tsui | Star Ferry | ||
Nightime trips[]
The distance of this route is approx. 10.4km, and the journey time is approximately 50mins. (The average speed is 12.5km/h.)
Via: Salisbury Road, Kowloon Park Drive, Canton Road, Austin Road West, Museum Drive, Cultural Drive, Museum Drive (westbound), roundabout, Museum Drive (eastbound), Nga Cheung Road, Jordan Road, Nathan Road, Argyle Street, Reclamation Street, Mong Kok Road, Nathan Road and Salisbury Road
| Kowloon Motor Bus Route HK1 (Star Ferry ↺ Mong Kok) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Area | Road | Bus stop name | Remarks |
| 1 | Tsim Sha Tsui | Star Ferry | ||
| 2 | Canton Road | China Hong Kong City | ||
| 3 | Kowloon Station Residential and Commercial Area | Austin Road West | Austin Road West | |
| 4 | West Kowloon Cultural District | Cultural Drive | M+ | |
| 5 | Museum Drive | Hong Kong Palace Museum | ||
| 6 | Jordan | Jordan Road | Shanghai Street Jordan | |
| 7 | Yau Ma Tei | Nathan Road | Kowloon Central Post Office | |
| 8 | Mong Kok | Nelson Street Mong Kok |
||
| 9 | Mong Kok Station |
Circular route return point | ||
| 10 | Yau Ma Tei | Pitt Street Yau Ma Tei |
||
| 11 | Tsim Sha Tsui | Cameron Road |
||
| 12 | Star Ferry | |||
Ridership[]
After the conversion to open-top bus service, Route HK1 is still slightly cheaper than its competitor, HK City Sightseeing, attracting Mainland tourists, with night-time trips being more popular than day-time trips.[13]
According to the relevant government documents, the ridership of this route is as follows:
- 2024: There were 26 passengers according to a field survey at 4pm on 2 November.[14]
Related incidents[]
Censoring of competitor's sightseeing bus routes on App1933[]
KMB claims that its App1933 Smartphone App covers all bus routes in Hong Kong. However, since the conversion of this route to an open-top bus service from 3 August 2025, many netizens found them unable to seach for open-top routes operated by its competitor, HK City Sightseeing under Citybus, on the App1933; only this route was searchable when "H" was keyed in on the route search page of App1933. This has aroused strong criticism from the users and thought that KMB's approach was very petty and overbearing. The Transport Department explained that there was no requirement for franchised bus companies to provide complete information on other operators in their apps, but it had advised KMB to actively explore the integration of information on other public transport services in its apps to facilitate passengers' trip planning and enhance their travelling experience.[13] Later, KMB resumed displaying all sightseeing routes operated by Citybus, but marked "Citybus [Full price $280]" below them while the description "Day Pass $98 covering all KMB and LWB routes" is marked for this route; when displaying route information for "HK City Sightseeing" routes, KMB "Tourist Day Pass Premium" and the advertisement for Route HK1 will be displayed as a pop-up covering the contents.[15]
Gallery[]
Remarks[]
Related articles[]
- KMB Route B1 (1st generation) (Cancelled)
- KMB Route T1 (Cancelled)
References[]
- ↑ "九龍區開辦新旅遊路線" (Introduction of new tourist route in Kowloon), Yau Tsim Mong District Council Task Force on Revitalising District Economy Paper No. 2/2024, July 2024
- ↑ "觀光巴士｜九巴擬申辦K1九龍循環旅遊線 途經西九, 志蓮淨苑 全程$19.1" (Sightseeing bus | KMB to apply for introduction of Kowloon circular tourist route K1 via WKCD, Chi Lin Nunnery with full fare of $19.1), Hong Kong Economic Times, 24 July 2024.
- ↑ "九巴申辦新路線途經九龍多個景點 區議員憂班次疏影響旅客體驗" (KMB applies for new route passing through multiple tourist spots in Kowloon, DC members worry that sparse headways affect tourist experience) now News, 24 July 2024.
- ↑ Transport Department HKSARG, "Introduction of Recreation Route in Kowloon" [Traffic Advice], 13 September 2024.
- ↑ The Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Limited, "Elevating tourists’ experience and to explore attractions with KMB brand new “Tour @Kowloon” Recreation Route HK1" [News Release], 16 September 2024.
- ↑ 香港特別行政區政府運輸署，"諮詢事項 建議開辦九龍旅客服務第HK1號線（尖沙咀 (天星碼頭) - 黃大仙（循環線））及第HK1號線(特別班次)(尖沙咀 (天星碼頭) - 旺角（循環線））" (Matters to be consulted - Proposal to introduce Kowloon Tourist Service Route No. HK1 (Tsim Sha Tsui (Star Ferry) - Wong Tai Sin (Circular)) and Route No. HK1 Special Service (Tsim Sha Tsui (Star Ferry) - Mong Kokj (Circular))), Sham Shui Po District Council Paper No. 44/2025, 30 June 2025.
- ↑ Government of the HKSAR, "運輸及物流局局長出席「九巴．遊香港」開篷巴士HK1啓動禮致辭" (Chinese only) [Press Releases], 31 July 2025.
- ↑ "KMB’s HK1 route to launch night sightseeing tours to boost night economy", The Standard (HK), 1 August 2025.
- ↑ The Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Limited, "九巴開篷巴士旅遊路線HK1登場 全新「九巴遊香港」推出夜遊班次 旅客日票尊尚版隨上隨落" (Chinese only) [News Release], 31 July 2025.
- ↑ Transport Department HKSARG, "Introduction of Kowloon Urban Tourist Service Route No. HK1 (Star Ferry – Wong Tai Sin (Circular)) & Route No. HK1 (Special Departures)(Star Ferry – Mong Kok (Circular))" [Traffic Advice], 1 August 2025.
- ↑ Transport Department HKSARG, "Amendments of Operation Hours of KMB Route No. HK1 (Star Ferry – Wong Tai Sin (Circular)) & Route No. HK1 (Special Departures)(Star Ferry – Mong Kok (Circular))" [Traffic Advice], 23 September 2025.
- ↑ The Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Limited, "「九巴遊香港」HK1周日起延長服務 國慶黃金周禮遇多 旅客 $55廿四小時任坐 微信支付單程享3元折扣" (Chinese only) [News Release], 26 September 2025.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 "九巴app無「觀光城巴」資料 運輸署：已建議積極研究" ("HK City Sightseeing" data deleted from KMB app, TD says already suggested KMB to include data actively), inmedia, 13 August 2025.
- ↑ Replies to initial written questions raised by Finance Committee Members in examining the Estimates of Expenditure 2005-06 Reply Serial No. SV-TLB004
- ↑ "九巴應用程式重現「觀光城巴」路線 惟附註較高價車票" (HK City Sightseeing routes re-appeared on KMB app but with "higher ticket price" reminder markings), inmedia, 13 August 2025.
External links[]
| Bus routes terminating or turning back in Yau Tsim Mong District (shown below are destination districts) | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hong Kong Island |
| ||||||||||||||||||
| Kowloon |
| ||||||||||||||||||
| New Territories East |
| ||||||||||||||||||
| New Territories West |
| ||||||||||||||||||
| Shenzhen Ports |
| ||||||||||||||||||
Italic - service during specified days/periods only; → - outbound service only; ← - inbound service only | |||||||||||||||||||
| Bus routes terminating or turning back in Wong Tai Sin District (shown below are destination districts) | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hk Island |
| ||||||||||||||||||
| Kowloon |
| ||||||||||||||||||
| New Territories East |
| ||||||||||||||||||
| New Territories West |
| ||||||||||||||||||
| Italic - service during specified days/periods only; → - Outbound service only; ← - Inbound service only; (#) - Return trip ends at Kwun Tong District | |||||||||||||||||||
| List of regular open-top bus routes | |
|---|---|
| Franchised buses | <Within HK Island> H3 (Coastliner) • H4 (Coastliner) <Cross-harbour to/from Kowloon> H1 (Heritage Route) • H1S (Art Discovery HK) • H2 (Cultural Route) • H2K (Night Scene HK) <Within Kowloon> HK1 (KMB Tour HK) |
| Non-franchised buses | <Within HK Island> Hong Kong Island Tour (Red Route) • Stanley Tour (Green Route) <Within Kowloon> Kowloon Tour (Blue Route) <Within Lantau Island> NP1 • NP2 |