Is it possible to walk across the border from Hong Kong into China and come back?

I'm going to Hong Kong for work. On the last day, I have the whole day free before flying out of HK late at night. All I want to do is to pass through the Chinese customs, get a stamp in my passport, then immediatly walk back into Hong Kong. What's the fastest way to do this?

I do have a valid entry visa for China in my US passport.

Thanks for your help! :)

Fastest and easiest is to take the KCR East Rail train from Kowloon up to Lo Wu. Exit Hong Kong immigration, walk across bridge, go through Chinese immigration to enter. Then turn around the do the same.

KCR East Rail cost: ~HK$30 each way from Kowloon.

just outta interest, why?

As an alternative, you can take the hydrofoil TurboJet (http://www.turbojet.com.hk/) directly to Shenzhen. It's quite an experience. The jetfoils are built by Boeing and have a jet engine strapped to the back. The whole boat lifts out of the water and you get a smooth fast ride (45 knots = ~51mph) across the water. The interior somewhat resembles the interior of an airplane.

Or you can take one from HK to Macau, a small former-portguese colony an hour away. You'll sail past Lantau Island (you can see the Big Buddha on the mountain) and fly past other fishing and cargo boats along the way. You can spend the day at the brand new casinos, try out some Macanese food - a natural fusion of Spanish/Portugese/Indian/Chinese foods and spices and then take a taxi/bus to the northernmost point. There's a pedestrian bridge you can walk across into ZhuHai and walk back. For the whole trip you'll get your stamp for China and as a bonus, 2 Macau entry stamps.

Take the jetfoils from Turbojet (not the slower catamarans). And don't let anyone talk you into taking FirstFerry - the other ferry company. Their fares are cheaper and they run out of TST but their boats don't have jet engines. The rough ride is enough to ruin your day (and the next couple of days if the boat loses power, which it frequently does).

If one takes that train you mean to say you need not apply for a PRC Visa which is $50 for a 1 time entry/

Otherwise thats a very expensive stamp if thats all the OP wants. But still 1/2 the rate for a Brazilian which is $100 , same by Chile. But at least by the last 2 its good for the Life of Ones Passport so it can be used numerous times , unlike the Chinese which is a 1 shot deal.

Whistler has the best idea. Taking the train is easiest but the city you arrive in, Shenzhen, is a dump. Macau, on the other hand, is a fascinating city and you can still get the Chinese stamp by walking across the border into Zhuhai which is much nicer than Shenzhen.

I think the boat trip to Macau costs around 200 HKD each way so it is more expensive than taking the train to Shenzhen but I would definitely do this. If you wake up early (around 7) you'll arrive in Macau by 9, spend some time looking around until 1 or 2, walk across border into Zhuhai then walk back to Macau and take the boat back to HK. You should be back in HK by 5:30 at the latest and you'll have had a great day of sightseeing and you'll be worn out so you can sleep on your flight!

Please note that you HAVE TO get a Chinese visa in HK, because US passport holders can no longer get a "landing" visa at the border. So if you insist on going to Shenzhen, first get your visa, then take train/ferry over to Shenzhen/Shekou and get your passport stamped.

As I said, the easiest way, fastest and one of the cheapest way to get the Chinese stamps is to take the KCR East Rail. HK$33 from Kowloon to Lowu ($36.5 from the new TST-E). Takes about 40 minutes (depending on where you get on).

The ferries are much more expensive from Kowloon to Shenzhen (Shekou) or to Macau. [HK-Macau is about HK$140 weekday, Kowloon-Shenzhen is about $190, both each way].

Other cheap ways to get to China is by bus, but more complicated than taking the KCR East Rail trains.

Anyways, if you're going to Macau, the First Ferry vessels from Kowloon are also jet-propelled, just that they are catamaran type with no foil. So, they are still suspectible to wakes. The Turbojet service from Hong Kong Island use 3 types of vessels, and you don't get to choose - you may get a jetfoil, a catamaran (called the Tri-cat) or a foilcat. Since they have more jetfoils than other types, you have the greatest chance of riding one, but a Tri-cat or foilcat is also possible. All take about 55 minutes. First Ferry's are a little slower, so maybe 60-65 minutes.

(you can see the Big Buddha on the mountain)

Photo (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/tom911/detail?.dir=2951&.dnm=ca5e.jpg&.src=ph) of me and him.

Note that the OP has already stated that she has an entry visa for PRC, so that won't be an issue.

Anyway, Macau is very interesting indeed, and makes an interesting side trip if you are up for it.

However, as someone who has done the walking border crossing between Macau and Zhuhai, let me tell you that it is not the most pleasant experience going. Crowded, long lines, long waits and hot. You'll have to fill out all the immigration material, including the SARS form and entry/departure card. Also, it's not a quick hop across the border--a rather "long" walk--not just walk over and come back.

Once you get through all that, though, you end up at a large shopping mall on the China side, which is interesting enough to spend at least an hour walking around. Zhuhai itself doesn't have much going for it except for this mall and the local market, to which you can take a cheap cab.