International Flights to Beijing | Helpful Beijing International Flights Arrival Guide and Tips

Beijing Capital International Airport (北京首都国际机场 IATA: PEK)

There are three Terminals in Beijing Capital International Airport, but only Terminal 2 and Terminal 3 serve for international flights. Terminal 2 serves for international airlines of Sky Team while the Terminal 3 serves for international airlines of Star Alliance and One World Alliance…

Sky Team Members (T2)

-Aeroflot, Aerolíneas Argentinas, Aeromexico, Air Europa, Air France, Alitalia, China Airlines, China Eastern, China Southern, Czech Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Garuda Indonesia, Kenya Airways, KLM, Korean Air, Middle East Airlines, Saudia, TAROM, Vietnam Airlines, and XiamenAir.

Star Alliance Members (T3)

- Adria Airways, Aegean Airlines, Air Canada, Air China, Air India, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Avianca, Avianca Brasil, Brussels Airlines, Copa Airlines, Croatia Airlines, EgyptAir, Ethiopian Airlines, EVA Air, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, SAS, Shenzen Airlines, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, Swiss International, TAP Portugal, Thai Airways International, Turkish Airlines, United.

One World Alliance (T3)

- American Airlines, S7 Airlines, Qatar Airways, SriLankan Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Malaysia Airlines, Japan Airlines, LATAM Chile, British Airways, Royal Jordanian, Qantas, Iberia, Finnair.

Beijing Daxing International Airport (北京大兴国际机场 IATA: PKX)

Beijing Daxing International Airport has only 1 terminal – Terminal 1 which has 4 floors. The first floor serves for international arrival; the second floor serves for domestic arrival; the third floor is for domestic departure; the fourth floor serves for international departures. There are 82 boarding gates, but it takes less than 8 minutes for passengers to get to each boarding gate by walking from the departure hall. It also receives many international/regional flights which connect China with almost every continent of the world, as well as domestic flights from many capital cities and some other big cities, including, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Xiamen, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Chengdu, Chongqing, etc.

Beijing Capital Airport is 25.35 km away from Tiananmen Square, the center of Beijing. The most efficient way to get to downtown is taxi. You can easily find taxis queuing up outside the arrival halls of T1, T2, T3. But only take the legal taxis which have licenses. It takes about 30~60mins to get to the city center area of Beijing by taxi, and costs around CNY 80~120. Taking Airport Express (subway) is another good option, but it only has two stops in downtown – Dongzhimen (东直门) and Sanyuanqiao (三元桥). Shuttle buses are also available, with many different districts, commercial centers and railway stations of Beijing.

Generally, there are 9 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 07:30 and the last train departs around 17:20. 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. Learn more about How to Transfer from Beijing Airports to Beijing Downtown

How to Get to Great Walls

There are no direct buses or metros running between Beijing Capital International Airport (or Beijing Daxing International Airport) and the different sections of Great Wall, so you are suggested to travel Great Wall by private driving. You can travel with a travel agency like China Discovery who will offer convenient transfer as well professional tour guide to make your tour more enjoyable. The popular sections of Great Wall are located in the north outskirts of Beijing, and it needs about 1.5 ~ 3 hours to drive from Beijing Capital International Airport to one of them. As Beijing Daxing Airport is located in the far south outskirs of Beijing, driving from the airport to the different sections of Great Wall needs longer time (about 2.5 ~ 4 hours). Learn more about How to Get to Great Walls from Airport.

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

☛ 8 Days Best of China Tour (Beijing - Xian - Shanghai)

☛ 10 Days Classic China Tour from Beijing (Beijing - Xian - Guilin - Shanghai)

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!