Written by Ivy Dong |
As China’s capital, Beijing is one of the country’s most important transportation hubs, connecting travelers with major cities worldwide and across China.
The two international airports in Beijing make flying into the city very convenient, with direct flights from many significant cities around the world and all provincial capitals and major cities in China.
Also, its highly developed rail and road transportation infrastructure ensures convenient access to/from cities and regions throughout the country.
Traveling around Beijing is also very convenient and comfortable thanks to the extensive metro network, numerous bus routes, taxis, ride-hailing services, and shared bicycles within the city.
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- Get to Beijing
- Travel to Beijing from Major Cities
- Get Around Beijing
- Get to Popular Attractions
- Travel with China Xian Tour
How to Get to Beijing
By Air
Currently, Beijing has two major civil airports: Beijing Capital International Airport and Beijing Daxing International Airport. Both of them have designated 240-hour visa-free entry permit application areas. They are important gateways to the world, and most other cities across the country.
Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK)
Located about 25 kilometers northeast of the city center, Beijing Capital International Airport is the busiest civilian airport in China and Asia. It has three terminals – T1, T2, and T3. Terminal 2 and 3 primarily serve passengers and both handle international and domestic flights.
Its air routes cover over 55 countries across Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, etc. Main cities with direct international flights to/from the airport include Los Angeles, London, Melbourne, Bangkok, etc.
To travel between the airport and downtown area, Metro Beijing Capital Airport Express Line, dozens of airport shuttles buses and taxis/ride-hailing cars are all available.
Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX)
Beijing Daxing International Airport is 46 km from Beijing city center. It has only one terminal which is shaped like a phoenix spreading its wings and has 82 boarding gates. This design ensures all boarding gates are about 8-minute walking distance from any area.
Now, the airport operates domestic flights to 133 cities and regions, and international flights to 26 regions across Europe, Asia, Africa and Middle East, etc. Passengers can fly to Beijing from Frankfurt, Kuala Lumpur, Tashkent, Doha, etc, directly.
Also, Metro Daxing Airport Express Line, several airport shuttles buses and taxis/ride-hailing cars can transport you between the downtown area to airport. Besides, there are three intercity railways connecting the airport to Beijing West Railway Station, Tianjin and Xiong’an.
By Train
For tourists travelling to Beijing by train, the first thing you should know is which train station you will arrive at.
Now, a total of 8 train stations are in operation in Beijing and all are connected by metro. Among them, Beijing South, Beijing West and Chaoyang Railway Stations are the three major high-speed train stations most commonly used by travelers taking high-speed trains.
- Beijing South Railway Station: This train station has frequent trains to/from Tianjin and operate direct trains to cities in East China, such as Shanghai, Nanjing and Hangzhou. Both Metro Line 4 and 14 can take you to the train station.
- Beijing West Railway Station: Trains from Central China, South China, Southwest China and Northwest China all arrive at this station. Major destinations include Wuhan, Guangzhou, Changsha, Chengdu, Xi’an, etc. Also, 2 subway lines have a stop here – Subway Line 7 and 9.
- Beijing Chaoyang Railway Station: Chaoyang Station is the hub for the high-speed rails to all cities in Northeast China, including Harbin, Changchun, Dalian and more. To get to the train station, you can take Metro Line 3.
Besides the three stations, Beijing also boasts Beijing Railway Station, North Station, Fengtai Station, Qinghe Station and Tongzhou Station.
How to Get to Beijing from Major Cities in China
If you are travelling from other major cities in China, below is table for your reference to choose from flights and high-speed trains.
Cities |
Flight |
High-speed Train |
Shanghai |
About 200 direct flights from 07:00 to 22:30 daily
Total Travel Time (including airport transfers and check-in procedures): about 5.5 – 6.5 hours Price for economy class: CNY 400 – 2,200/USD 59 – 323 |
Over 50 departures from 06:30 to 21:15 daily
Travel Time: about 4.5 – 6.5 hours Price for second-class seat: CNY 600 – 680/USD 88 – 100 |
Xi’an |
About 50 direct flights from 06:30 to 22:00 daily
Total Travel Time: about 5.5 – 6.5 hours Price for economy class: CNY 400 – 2,500/USD 59 – 367 |
Over 35 departures from 07:00 to 02:00 daily
Travel Time: about 4 – 6.5 hours Price for second-class seat: CNY 540 – 600/USD 79 – 88 |
Chengdu |
About 120 direct flights from 07:00 to 19:20 daily
Total Travel Time: about 5.5 – 6.5 hours Price for economy class: CNY 500 – 1,700/USD 73 – 250 |
Over 10 departures from 07:00 to 19:30 daily
Travel Time: about 7.5 – 11.5 hours Price for second-class seat: CNY 850 – 920/USD 125 – 135 |
Zhangjiajie |
About 5 direct flights from 10:20 to 22:30 daily
Total Travel Time: about 5 – 6 hours Price for economy class: CNY 800 – 1,300/USD 117 – 191 |
1 departure daily at 07:39
Travel Time: about 10.5 hours Price for second-class seat: CNY 935/USD 137 |
Guilin |
About 6 direct flights from 09:00 to 20:05 daily
Total Travel Time: about 5.5 – 6.5 hours Price for economy class: CNY 600 – 2,000/USD 88 – 294 |
2 departures daily at 12:45 and 14:37
Travel Time: about 8 hours Price for second-class seat: CNY 950/USD 140 |
Hong Kong |
Over 35 direct flights from 07:30 to 22:20 daily
Total Travel Time: about 7 – 8.5 hours Price for economy class: CNY 800 – 3,500/USD 117 – 514 |
1 departure daily at 11:19
Travel Time: about 8 hours Price for second-class seat: CNY 1250/USD 184 |
Get Around Beijing – Transportation within Beijing
Beijing boasts a highly convenient and diverse public transportation system, with various travel modes available, such as subway, bus, taxi, ride-hailing services, shared bicycles, etc.
Subway
As of 2026, a total of 30 subway lines are in operation in Beijing. This extensive subway system covering both urban and suburban areas, making it efficient for tourists to reach airports, train stations and almost all the major attractions in the city.
Especially during peak hours, it can avoid the traffic congestion, thus recognized as the fastest and most convenient mode of transportation when traveling in Beijing.
Generally, the operational hours of the subway are from 05:30 to 23:00, with the intervals ranging from 3 – 5 minutes. The fare varies based on the distance, usually ranging from CNY 3 – 10/USD 0.4 – 1.
Visitors can scan the transport QR code in WeChat or Alipay or buy the tickets through automatic ticket machines and service windows.
Bus
Beijing boasts the most bus routes in the world. Till 2026, the bus network has expanded to more than 1200 routes, including Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), regular bus lines, express lines, sightseeing lines, night buses, and regional bus lines. Depending on the route and distance, most bus rides take about CNY 2 – 4/USD 0.3 – 0.6.
For tourists, the popular bus lines include “Beautiful Central Axis” Sightseeing Bus, Tongyou Special Lines, bus lines 1, 5, 44, and 107. These routes cover some iconic attractions inside the city.
To travel to scenic spots in farther suburban areas, like the Great Wall, there are also tourist direct buses.
Taxi and Ride-hailing Services
Taxis and ride-hailing services should be the most convenient options for visitors to get around Beijing as long as traffic congestion during peak hours (7:00 – 9:00 & 17:00 – 20:00) is avoided.
For your convenience, it’s recommended to download the English version of the DiDi app, which is similar to Uber and Lyft in the United States, and can be used to call for taxis and private cars.
The fare for Beijing taxi is CNY 14/USD 2 for the initial 3 kilometers, and CNY 2.3/USD 0.3 for each additional kilometer during the day, or CNY 3.3/USD 0.5 at night (11 PM to 5 AM).
Generally, a short-distance travel in the downtown area takes about CNY 20 – 30/USD 3 – 4 and a trip from airport to the city center takes about CNY 80 – 100/USD 12 – 15.
Note that, during peak hours, there may be traffic jams and extra charges in certain areas of the city.
How to Get to Popular Attractions in Beijing
Attractions |
How to Get to |
Tiananmen Square & Forbidden City |
Metro Line 1: Tian’anmen East Station Exit A or Tian’anmen West Station Exit B
Metro Line 2 or 8: Qianmen Station Exit A |
Temple of Heaven |
Metro Line 5: Tiantan Dongmen Station Exit A1 or A2 |
Summer Palace |
Metro Line 4: Beigongmen Station Exit D or Xiyuan Station Exit C2. The north entrance and east entrance of Summer Palace are 5 – 10 minutes’ walking, respectively.
Metro Xijiao Line: West Gate of Summer Palace Station |
Older Summer Palace |
Metro Line 4: Yuanmingyuan Park Station Exit A or B |
Nanluoguxiang |
Metro Line 6 or 8: Nanluogu Xiang Station Exit E or F |
Yonghe Temple (Lama Temple) |
Metro Line 2 or 5: Yonghegong Lama Temple Station Exit F |
National Museum of China |
Metro Line 1: Tian’anmen East Station Exit C or D |
Beihai Park |
Metro Line 6: Beihai North Station Exit D |
Bird’s Nest, Water Cube and Olympic Park |
Metro Line 8: Olympic Green Station Exit C, D, E, I, G, or Aoti Zhongxin Station Exit B1 or B2
Metro Line 15: Olympic Green Station Exit C, D, E, I, G |
Wangfujing Pedestrian Street |
Metro Line 1 or 8: Wangfujing Station Exit A, B1, C1, C2, E1, E3 or F1 |
Badaling Great Wall |
Take Metro Line 2, 4, or 13 to Xizhimen Station, exit via A2 and walk to Beijing North Train Station, or take Metro Line 13 or Changping Line to Qinghe Train Station. Then take the high-speed train to Badaling Great Wall Station in about 30 minutes. A single ride costs about CNY 15 – 30/USD 2 – 4. Finally, walk to the entrance. |
Mutianyu Great Wall |
Tourist Direct Buses are more worry-free options for travelers to visit Mutianyu. Mubus, Busda and Qianmen Tourist Bus Lines are popular with a round-trip ticket price of CNY 80 /USD 12 and a travel time of about 2 hours. |
Explore and Cultural and Historical Sites in Beijing with China Xian Tour
Now, you have known everything about the transportation in Beijing and it’s time to plan your own trip. The major problem you will encounter is how to include these scattered attractions into an itinerary reasonably.
China Xian Tour has over 20 years of experience in tailor-made China tours, so we can offer support. Our travel experts will provide 1-to-1 planning and promise the best possible value. Just contact us now.
