There are two ways into the mainland from Hong Kong: take the high-speed train straight from West Kowloon (immigration happens inside the station), or cross on foot at a land border and continue by Shenzhen metro or train. Which is best depends on where in Hong Kong you start and where you’re heading.
Option A
High-speed train from West Kowloon
~15–20 min to Futian, ~20–25 min to Shenzhen North (plus ~45 min for check-in and immigration)
Buy tickets on Trip.com or the HK MTR/12306 app with your passport
Arrive at West Kowloon 45 min early
Clear HK exit and mainland entry inside the station
Ride to Futian (city centre) or Shenzhen North (for onward HSR)
Good: One seamless trip; ideal if you’re continuing by high-speed rail to Guangzhou, Xiamen, Changsha or beyond — many trains run from West Kowloon to those cities directly.
Watch out: Tickets can sell out at weekends; costs more than the MTR; West Kowloon is in Kowloon, not near the New Territories.
Option B
Walk across a land border, then Shenzhen metro/HSR
~45–60 min from Hong Kong's Kowloon Tong to Futian on foot through Lok Ma Chau (longer at peak)
Take HK MTR East Rail line to Lo Wu or Lok Ma Chau
Clear HK exit, walk across, clear mainland entry
Transfer to Shenzhen Metro (pay with Alipay)
For onward HSR, take Metro Line 4 to Shenzhen North
Good: Cheap, no advance tickets, runs all day; flexible if you’re staying in central Shenzhen.
Watch out: Queues at weekends and holidays can add an hour; you carry your bags through two checkpoints and the metro.
Our take: Heading further into China by train? Take the direct train from West Kowloon. Staying in Shenzhen, on a budget, or without tickets? Cross on foot at Futian or Luohu — and avoid Friday evenings and Sunday afternoons.
Best for: Late-night arrivals — it’s the one land crossing open 24 hours
Hours: 24 hours (being rebuilt; check status)
Reach it by cross-border coach or the Lok Ma Chau shuttle bus from San Tin. Huanggang is being redeveloped into a co-located port, so arrangements change — verify before relying on it.
Most foreigners meet Shenzhen at a border gate: in early 2026 around a million foreign visitors entered through its crossings in a single quarter, but fewer than half stayed the night. So this guide starts where you do — getting from Hong Kong into the mainland smoothly — then shows why the city is worth a day of its own: seaside parks, a buzzing design scene and the world’s biggest electronics market.
