How to Get from Shanghai to Jinan：By Flight or Train?

In East China, modern metropolis Shanghai displays the most prosperous city landscape promoted by the water transport. Going northward to Shandong, Jinan is a famous “City of Spring” which presents miraculous natural springs and stunning water scenery. Travelling from Shanghai to Jinan will let you jump from the urban skyscrapers to a lovely watery city. Are there flights or trains to get from Shanghai to Jinan? Which is better? Detailed flight and train information are given as follows to help you enjoy your Shanghai Jinan tour.

How Far is Jinan from Shanghai? | Shanghai to Jinan Distance

Shanghai Location: Shanghai is located on the south estuary of the Yangtze River, center of the Yangtze River Delta, East China. The city faces East China Sea to the east and borders Jiangsu and Zhejiang Provinces to the north and west. Shanghai is about 1,200 km (746 mi) southeast of Beijing and 1,350 km (839 mi) far from Xian.

Jinan Location: Jinan lies in the central Shandong Province of East China. This city is surrounded by Binzhou, Zibo, Laiwu, Tai’an, Liaocheng and Dezhou Cities in Shandong. And, Jinan is about 365 km west of Qingdao, 72 km north of Mountai, 150 km north of Qufu, 210 km west of Weifang.

Distance from Shanghai to Jinan: Jinan is situated around 840 km (522 mi) northwest of Shanghai with nearly 10.5 hours’ drive.

Shanghai to Jinan Travel Map

Option 1: Get from Shanghai to Jinan by Flight

● Flight Time: about 2 hours

● Frequency: over 5 non-stop flights per day

● From & To: Shanghai Hongqiao/Pudong International Airport (SHA/PVG) → Jinan Yaoqiang International Airport (TNA)

Taking a 2-hour direct flight is the most efficient way to get from Shanghai to Jinan. Every day, there are more than 5 flights departing Shanghai Hongqiao and Pudong International Airports to Jinan Yaoqiang International Airport. These flights are scheduled leaving Shanghai between about 07:00 and 23:00, and are executed by China Eastern Airlines, a major Chinese carrier and Shandong Airlines, a leading Shandong regional airline company. If you are in a tight schedule, and want to save time on sightseeing, or travel with kids or seniors with huge luggage, the air travel is the most recommended transportation.

Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport

Below is real-time Beijing to Jinan flight schedules. You can search flights offered on other dates and check to get more flight details.

Note: The above flight schedule is listed for reference only and is subject to seasonal adjustment by the airline accompanies. You can contact us to get updated and detailed flight information.

▶ Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport (SHA)

Address: No. 2250, Hongqiao Road, Changning District, Shanghai City (上海市长宁区虹桥路2250号)

▶ Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG)

Address: No. 300, Qihang Road, Pudong New Area, Shanghai (上海市浦东新区启航路300号)

▶ Jinan Yaoqiang International Airport (TNA)

Address: No.1 Airport Road, Yaoqiang Town, Licheng District, northeast suburb of Jinan City, Shandong Province (山东省济南市历城区遥墙镇机场路1号)

Transportation: about 33 km, 1 hour’s drive to downtown (Baotu Spring Park, Daming Lake); about 32 km, 50 minutes’ drive to Thousand Buddha Mountain; about 30 km, 1 hour’s drive to Shandong Museum

Useful Links:

>> Real-time Shanghai to Jinan Flight Schedules
>> More Domestic & International Flights to Jinan

Shanghai Shandong Tour with Jinan:

✔ 9 Days Beijing Shanghai Speed Train Tour with Confucianism Exploration

Jinan Yaoqiang International Airport

Jinan Yaoqiang International Airport Location and Transportation Map (click to enlarge)

Option 2: Get from Shanghai to Jinan by Train

Meanwhile, Shanghai delivers more than 60 trains to Jinan each day, including both many high speed bullet trains and some normal speed trains. The fastest high speed train only spends approximately 3 hours while a normal train requires at least 10 hours.

1.Shanghai to Jinan High Speed Train (More Recommended)

● Train Time: 3 hours - 4.5 hours

● Frequency: over 50 trains per day

● From & To: Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station/Shanghai Railway Station 上海虹桥站/上海站 → Jinan West/Jinan Railway Station济南西/济南站

● Running Speed: 300 km/h - 350 km/h (Fuxing Train)

Getting from Shanghai to Jinan by high speed train is also fast and convenient. Totally, there are more than 50 high speed trains (G trains) departing from Shanghai to Jinan. The trains set out from about 06:00 to 18:30 and all arrive on the same day after 3 to 4.5 hours’ ride. Most trains starts from Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station. Depending on your preference and budget, tourist can book a Second Class Seat, or a First Class Seat, Business Class Seat. Besides the short train journey and comfortable and advanced environment, tourists can also view various landscapes along the rail.

▶ Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station 上海虹桥站

Address: No. 1500, Mingui Road, Minhang District, Shanghai City (上海市闵行区申贵路1500号)

Transportation: about 25 km to the Bund (40 minutes’ driving); about 20 km to Shanghai Museum (40 minutes’ driving); about 25 km to Yuyuan Garden (about 45 minutes’ driving); about 25km to Lujiazui (about 50 minutes’ driving)

▶ Jinan West Railway Station 济南西站

Address: No.6 Qilu Avenue, Huaiyin District, Jinan City, Shandong Province（山东省济南市槐荫区齐鲁大道6号

Transportation: about 18 km (30 minutes’ drive) from the downtown (Baotu Spring Park); about 15 km (40 minutes’ drive) from Thousand Buddha Mountain; about 20 km (1 hour's drive) from Shandong Museum; about 46 km (50 minutes’ drive) from Jinan Yaoqiang International Airport

Useful Links:

>> Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station Location & Transportation
>> Jinan West Railway Station Location and Transportation Guide
>> Shanghai to Jinan Real-time High Speed Train Schedules

Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station

Jinan West Railway Station

High Speed Train Schedules between Shanghai and Jinan:

Please Note: Above train schedule is listed for reference only and is subject to change by seasonal adjustment by China National Railway Administration. You can cotact us to get updated and more available high speed trains from Shanghai to Jinan.

2. Shanghai to Jinan Normal Train

● Train Time: about 10 hours - 15.5 hours

● Frequency: about 10 trains per day

● From & To: Shanghai/Shanghai South Railway Station 上海南/上海站 → Jinan Railway Station 济南站

● Running Speed: 120 km/h

Normal trains from Shanghai to Jinan are also available. They run at a slower speed but sold at a lower price. Generally, Shanghai has almost 10 normal trains to Jinan daily. All the trains are overnight trains departing at afternoon hours or in the evening and getting to Jinan in the next morning. The majority of trains stop via Suzhou, Nanjing, Taishan before arriving in Jinan. And, the shortest ride needs about 10 hours while the longest journey takes nearly 15.5 hours long. Soft Sleeper Berth, Hard Sleeper Berth and Hard Seat are offered on the normal trains. Considering the long ride and comfort level, Soft Sleeper Berth is advised for you.

▶ Shanghai Railway Station 上海站

Address: No. 303, Moling Road, Jing'an District, Shanghai City (上海市静安区秣陵路303号)

Transportation: about 5 km to the Bund (about 20 minutes’ driving); 5 km to Shanghai Museum (about 15 minutes’ driving); about 7 km to Yuyuan Garden (about 20 minutes’ driving); about 10km to Lujiazui (about 25 minutes’ driving)

▶ Jinan Railway Station 济南站

Address: No.19 Chezhan Street, Tianqiao District, Jinan City, Shandong Province（山东省济南市天桥区车站街19号）

Transportation: just 3.5 km (15 minutes’ drive) from Baotu Spring Park and less than 3 km from Daming Lake; nearly 7 km (25 minutes’ drive) from Thousand Buddha Mountain; about 12 km (40 minutes' drive) from Shandong Museum; about 36 km (1 hours’ drive) from Jinan Yaoqiang International Airport

Shanghai Railway Station

Jinan Railway Station

How to Plan a Shanghai Jinan Tour

Tourists coming to Shandong seldom visit Jinan alone, but often travel with Qingdao, Mount Tai and Qufu. Generally, a classic Shanghai Shandong tour covering the four top destinations takes 7 to 8 days, 2 days for Shanghai, 1 day for Jinan, 2 or 3 days in Qingdao, and 1 day in Mount Tai and Qufu respectively.

During your 2-day Shanghai highlights tour, you can visit Shanghai Museum to get meaningful and interesting development background of Shanghai, visit Yu Garden to enjoy wonderful ancient Chinese gardens, go to Shanghai World Financial Center to capture fantastic panoramic view of modern look of Shanghai, walk on Nanjing Road to feel the city pulse and heartbeat and see other sites in Shanghai. Don’t forget to take a picture with the most famous landmark - the Bund.

√ 2 Days Classic Shanghai City Tour
√ 3 Days Shanghai Past and Present Contrast Tour

Later, you can fly to or take a train to Jinan from Shanghai and start your leisurely day tour in Jinan. The top attractions are Baotu Spring Park, Daming Lake, Black Tiger Spring and Qianfo Mountain (Thousand Buddha Mountain). You will stroll around the green lakes decorated by pretty willows, ancient-style buildings and lively local life scenes. From Jinan, you can travel to Qingdao to enjoy relaxing coastal sights and drink world-famous Tsingtao Beer, to Mount Tai to marvel at the sacred trails and sunrise, to Qufu to honor the great philosopher Confucius.

√ 2 Days Classic Jinan Tour - Watery Charms and Romance
√ 4 Days Cultural Discovery in Jinan, Taishan and Qufu
√ 6 Days Best of Shandong Tour (Jinan/Mount Tai/Qufu/Qingdao)

With a longer holiday, you can make an in-depth Shandong discovery tour to more destinations, such as, Weifang, Penglai of Yantai, Weihai, Zibo, etc. After that, you may transfer to Beijing, or nearby Tianjin, Luoyang, Shaolin Temple, Kaifeng (in Henan), Datong, Wutaishan & Pingyao (in Shanxi) and more else regions to explore diverse and magnificent landscape, culture and history of China.

√ 11 Days China World Heritage Tour in North China
√ 9 Days Beijing Shanghai Speed Train Tour with Confucianism Exploration

Our Cutomers Were in the Bund, Shanghai

Beautiful Daming Lake in Jinan

China Discovery Customized Shandong Tour to Temple of Confucius in Qufu

Travel Shanghai & Jinan with China Discovery

China Discovery is an experienced, professional and reliable travel companion devoted to offering high-quality and the best tour services for all travelers to China. In order to have a hassle-free travel and focus on the trip itself, it’s highly recommended travelling with China Discovery. You can select from our most popular Jinan tours, or contact our travel consultant to customize a special one based on your requirements. So, you can enjoy convenient airport pick-up and drop-off service and transportation to all scenic spots in a safe, clean, comfortable, air-conditioned and non-smoking vehicle. Also, we will arrange knowledgeable local tour guide, excellent accommodation and dining arrangements to ensure you rest well and get better understanding of springs in Jinan, Confucianism in Qufu and Mount Tai culture in Shandong.