How to Transfer from Beijing Airports to Beijing Downtown

Currently, there are 2 major airports in Beijing serving passengers, namely Beijing Capital International Airport (北京首都国际机场) and Beijing Daxing International Airport (北京大兴国际机场), which was put into use by the end of September, 2019. Please note Beijing Capital International Airport is much closer to the downtown area, and we suggest to book a flight to Beijing Capital Airport if possible.

4 Days Classic Beijing Tour Package (Leisure Paced)

Itinerary: Beijing
Highlights: Forbidden City, Mutianyu Great Wall, Summer Palace, Local Family Visit

Transfer from Beijing Capital Airport to Downtown

Beijing Capital International Airport, the 2nd busiest airport in the world, offers a fully connecting transportation system that allows passengers to transfer to different areas in Beijing downtown conveniently and efficiently. You can choose accordingly from Airport Express Trains, taxis, shuttle buses, to private transfers arranged by travel agencies, etc.

Beijing Capital International Airport Location Map

Where is Beijing Capital International Airport

Address: Jichang West Rd, Chaoyang District, Beijing 北京朝阳区机场西路

Located in the northeast of Beijing, Beijing Capital International Airport is 25.35 km away from Tiananmen Square, the center of Beijing, and it takes at least 100 CNY to the downtown by taxi. As one of the largest and busiest international airport in the world, it serves numerous international/regional flights which connect China with almost every continent of the world. There are also lots of domestic flights from/to every provincial capital city and other major cities in China. There are three Terminals, namely the Terminal 1, Terminal 2, and Terminal 3. Terminal 1 is out of operation now. Both Terminal 2 and 3 serve domestic and international airlines. Terminal 2 serves for China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Xiamen Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Hainan Airlines (international flights) foreign airlines of SkyTeam, etc.; and Terminal 3 is usually for China Air, Sichuan Airlines, Shanghai Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, and foreign airlines of Star Alliance and One World Alliance…

By Private Transfer of China Discovery - Top Recommended

We at China Discovery provide comfortable and efficient private airport pick up service for our clients as a part of Beijing tour package. No matter when your flight arrives, and which terminal your flight lands, our friendly tour guide and driver will hold a sign with your name and welcome you at the arrival hall, then escort you to your hotel or any location you want to visit with an air-conditioning and non-smoking vehicle,and after the tour will drop you off at the airport on time. They will also always put your safety and comfort at first during every minute of the transfer. We will also provide well-organized itineraries, even assistance of Chinese Visa application, satisfactory accommodation and dining and so on. You can just focus on your sightseeing.

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Our Spanish Customers Visiting Mutianyu Great Wall

By Airport Express Train - Highly Recommended

The Airport Express Train is the fastest way to get to central Beijing area. It is a one-way loop with stops at Terminal 3(3号航站楼), Terminal 2(2号航站楼), Sanyuanqiao Station (三元桥), Dongzhimen Station(东直门) and Beixinqiao Station (北新桥). Every 10 minutes, there is a train departing from T3, and arriving at T2 after 10mins, Sanyuanqiao after 25mins, Dongzhimen after 30mins and Beixinmen after 40 minutes. Pleaste notice that the Airport Express trains don’t run all day. The earliest train departs at 6:20 from T3 (B2 of Parking Garage No. 2), and 6:35 from T2(B2 of Parking Garage No. 3). The last train departs from T3 at 22:50, and 23:10 from T2. If you miss the last train, you can take shuttle bus or taxi to the downtown area of Beijing.

The one-way ticket is ¥25 (about $4). You can purchase paper ticket at the manual ticket office or the ticket vending machines by cash. You should keep the paper ticket all the time because it will be reclaimed when you exist from the train station.

Traffic Information Index in Beijing Capital Airport

By Airport Shuttle Bus - Recommended for Budget Travellers

Taking the Airport Shuttle Bus is a great option if you want to transfer to the downtown area in a cheaper way than the Airport Express trains. Though not as time-efficient as the Express Train and taxi, the Airport Shuttle Buses offer covers much more areas of the city, including Fangzhuang, Beijing South Railway Station, Beijing Railway Station, Gongzhufen, Zhongguancun, Olympic Village (Shangdi), Beijing West Railway Station, Huilongguan, Tongzhou, Jinbao Street (Wangfujing), Shijingshan, Yanjiao and Changping, etc.

Currently there are 9 shuttle bus lines (5 daytime lines and 4 night lines) connecting Beijing Capital international Airport with the major districts of Beijing The departing hours of daytime lines are usually during 8:00 ~ 23:30. For middle night flight arrivals, you can take the Night Bus Express to Downtown which operates from 23:30 to end of domestic flights (late than 2:30), and departs once it has at least 6 passengers collected. The price of one-way tickets of Airport Shuttle Buses vary from ¥20 to ¥55.

Where to Take Shuttle Bus:

T2: Gate No.11 (outside) on F1
T3: Gate No.7 or No.9 (outside) on F1

☛ Click to see Beijing Capital International Airport Shuttle Bus Lines and Timetables

4 Days Beijing Essence Tour with Simatai Great Wall Night Sightseeing

Itinerary: Beijing / Jinshanling / Simatai / Gubeikou Water Town / Beijing
Highlights: Jinshanling Great Wall, Simatai Great Wall Evening Sightseeing, Gubei Water Town

By Taxi and Ride-hailing - If You Want to Get Rid of Hassle and Crowds

If you want to save time, or want to get rid of hassle and crowds of catching the Express train or shuttle bus, or arrive Beijing during 11pm~6am, taking a taxi or a ride-hailing is the best option. It takes about 40~60 minutes to transfer from the airport to downtown area, but may takes more time when the traffics are heavy during rush hours (8am~9:30am; 6pm~9pm). The prices depends on the distance to your destination, usually around ¥80 – ¥150.

It’s very important to choose a legal taxi because there are many illegal private cars or limo driver may try to promote their transfer to you but cost you usually double the prices charged by the legit taxis. Luckily, it is not difficult to find the legal taxis because there is an area outside the arrival hall where the official taxis queue in lines. And the license plates of all legal taxis in Beijing start with 京B.

Where to Take a Taxi:

T2: Gate No. 5 - 9 on F1
T3: B1 taxi designated waiting area

Where to Take a Ride-hailing:

T2: Southwest of Parking Garage No. 2
T3: Area H on B2 of Parking Garage No. 3

How to Transfer from Capital International Airport to Important Attractions in Beijing

Note: The information above are listed only for your reference. For real-time information, please check the official website.

5 Days Beijing Highlights Tour with Sidetrip to Chengde

Itinerary: Beijing / Chengde / Beijing
Highlights: Forbidden City, Jinshanling Great Wall, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, Hutong Rickshaw, Chengde Mountain Resort, Putuo Zhongcheng Temple, Puning Temple

Transfer from Beijing Daxing Airport to Downtown

A fully connected transportation network consisting of highways, high-speed railway and subway supports the operation of Daxing International Airport. After you land at Beijing Daxing Airport, you may get to your hotels in downtown Beijing or Beijing's top attractions. We suggest you use a comfortable private transfer service of China Discovery. For independent travelers who want to take full advantage of public transportation, it is also available to take a train, bus and taxi, but sometimes you may need to make several transfers.

Beijing Daxing International Airport Location Map

Where is Beijing Daxing International Airport

Beijing Daxing International Airport is located at the junction of Daxing District of Beijing and Langfang City of Hebei Province, about 50 kilometers south of Tian'anmen Square/Forbidden City, 28 kilometers west of downtown Langfang City, 80 kilometers northeast of Beijing Xiong'an New District, and 90 kilometers from Beijing Capital International Airport, 138 kilometers south of Mutianyu Great Wall.

By Private Transfer from China Discovery - Top Recommended

China Discovery provides customized Beijing city tour packages which include tour services as well as airport pick up and other necessary transfers to your hotels and attractions. Whenever you arrive at the airport, our hospitable tour guide and driver will wait for you at the arrival hall, and welcome you with a sign having your names, then escort you to visit Forbidden City or other attractions immediately, or take you to check in your hotel before the tour with an air-conditioning and non-smoking vehicle. After the tour, they will also drop you off at the airport or train station on time. Traveling with our Beijing tour package, all you need to do is to focus on enjoying the fun of exploring Beijing, the greatest city full of cultural and historical wonders.

Our Customers Visiting Tiananmen Square

5 Days Fantastic Universal Studios Beijing Tour - Best for Family

Itinerary: Beijing
Highlights: Universal Studios Beijing, Forbidden City, Mutianyu Great Wall, Kungfu Show, Hutong Local Family Visit, Beijing Zoo Panda

By High Speed Train - Highly Recommended

Daxing International Airport is the second stop of Beijing-Xiong'an Intercity Railway. This high-speed railway starts from Beijing West Railway Station, goes southward to Daxing International Airport with a scheduled speed of 250km/h, and keeps running to Xiong'an via Bazhou City. The price of Beijing-Xiong'an Intercity Railway ranges from ¥30 (about $4) to ¥90 (about $13).

Generally, there are 24 daily high speed trains running from Beijing Daxing Airport to Beijing West Railway Station, with a duration of 21 minutes. The earliest train departs at around 08:20 and the last train departs around 10:50. As you reach Beijing West Railway Station, you can easily travel around by metro, taxi or bus. To get to Tiananmen Square and Forbidden City (about 8 km away from Beijing West Railway Station), you can take metro Line 7 at Beijing West Railway Station, then transfer to Line 1 (Batong Line) at Military Museum Station and finally walk about 700 meters to Tiananmen Square.

Where to Take Shuttle Bus:

T2: Rail Transit Hall on B1 of Terminal

Traffic Information Index in Beijing Daxing Airport

By Airport Express

There are 6 local shuttle bus (express) lines connecting Daxing Airport to Beijing City center. Line 1 - 5 run from 7:30 to 23:00 in the daytime with a interval of 30 minutes while Line 6 runs from 23:30 to the arrival of the last flight. The price is from ¥70 (about $10) to ¥120 (about $17).

Note: The information above are listed only for your reference. For real-time information, please check the official website.

By Subway

It is available to get to Forbidden City from Beijing Daxing International Airport, but you need to transfer several times. You need to take Daxing Airport Line from Daxing Airport Station (大兴机场站) to Caoqiao Station (草桥站) after 2 stopover stations), Line 10 to Jiaomen West Station (角门西站) after 1 stopover station, Line 4 to Xidan Station (西单站) after 6 stopover stations, and then Line 1 Batong Line (八通线) to Tiananmen West Station (天安门西站). Get out the station via Northeast Gate of Exit B. Then, you will walk about 900 meters to Tiananmen Square, adjacent to Forbidden City.

By Taxi

Taking a taxi is a great choice if you want to travel by car. There are available taxis 24/7 at the airport and they will drive you to your hotel in Beijing City center in about 1 ~ 1.5 hours. But you need to know that the travel time may increase as well as the final taxi fare if you meet traffic jams.

6 Days Beijing Tianjin Chengde Visa-Free Tour

Itinerary: Tianjin / Beijing / Chengde / Beijing
Highlights: Forbidden City, Jinshanling Great Wall, Summer Palace, Chengde Mountain Resort

How to Plan Your Travel in Beijing

To explore Beijing's highlights, such as the Forbidden City, the Great Wall (with Mutianyu as the top recommendation), the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace, and the Beijing Hutongs - plan for about 4 days, including arrival and departure.

☛ 4 Days Classic Beijing Tour Package

☛ 3 Days Beijing Essential Highlights Tour

If you have extra days, consider hiking the scenic Jinshanling Great Wall, enjoying the stunning night views of Simatai Great Wall, or visiting other sections like Huanghuacheng, Gubeikou, and Juyongguan.

☛ 4 Days Beijing Essence Tour with Simatai Great Wall Night Sightseeing

☛ 4 Days Classic Beijing Tour with Jinshanling Great Wall Hiking

Families with children should not miss Universal Beijing Resort, while museum enthusiasts should visit the National Museum of China, home to the nation's most valuable treasures.

☛ 5 Days Beijing Family-friendly Tour with Universal Studios Fun

☛ 5 Days In-depth Beijing Tour with History and Culture Discovery

As a major transportation hub, Beijing offers easy access to other top destinations in China by flight or train, such as Xi'an, Shanghai, Guilin, Chengdu, and Tibet. China Discovery provides a variety of tour packages from Beijing, or we can customize an itinerary to suit your preferences.

Recommended Beijing Tours with Other Top Cities in China:

☛ 6 Days Classic Beijing Xian High-speed Train Tour

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We have helped many global travelers enjoy their memorable wonderful trips to Beijing for the past few years. Among them, a special team of over 50 VIPKID teachers from North America traveled with us to see their dear studends in China with amazing experience in Beijing and shared us their special travel story! Travel with China Discovery to create your great China trip memories!

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