How to Transfer from Beijing Airports to Beijing Downtown

Currently there are 2 major airports in Beijing serving passengers, namely Beijing Capital International Airport and Beijing Daxing International Airport, 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 book a flight to Beijing Capital Airport if possible.

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, private transfers arranged by travel agencies, etc.

Beijing Capital International Airport Location Map

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 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 for domestic flights of China Southern Airlines Company only; 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…

Beijing Capital International Airport Beijing Mutianyu Great Wall (2019)

By Private Transfer of China Discovery - Most Recommended

We at China Discovery provide confortable and efficient private airport pick up service for our clients usually 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 sigh with your name and welcome you at the arrival hall with, then escort you to your hotel or any location you want to visit with an air-conditioning and non-smoking vehicle. They will also always put your safety and comfort at first during every minute of the transfer. After the tour, they will also drop you off at the airport on time.

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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) and Dongzhimen Station(东直门). Note the Terminal 1 is not linked to the Airport Express. Every 10 minutes, there is a train departing from T3, and arriving at T2 after 10mins, Sanyuanqiao after 25mins and Dongzhimen after 30mins. 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(F2 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.

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 more than 15 bus lines connecting Beijing Capital international Airport with the major districts of Beijing. Their departing hours are varied by routes, usually during 7am~12am. For middle night flight arrivals, you can take the Night Bus Express to Downtown which operates from 9pm to 4am, and departs once it has at least 6 passengers collected. The price of one-way tickets of Airport Shuttle Buses vary from ¥20 to ¥50.

Where to Take Shuttle Bus:

T1: Gate No. 7 (inside) on F1
T2: Gate No.11 (outside) on F1
T3: Gate No.7 or No.9 (outside) on F1

Beijing Capital International Airport Shuttle Bus Lines and Timetables >>

By Taxi - 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 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 Taxi:

T1: Outside Gate 1 on F1
T2: Outside Gate 1 on F1
T3: Please refer to the signs inside the terminal building

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

To Distance Available Transportations
Tian’anmen Square/Forbidden City about 30km (18miles)/1 hour’s driving 1. Airport Express Train – Metro Line 10 / Line 2 – Metro Line 1
2. Shuttle Bus Line 13 – Sightseeing Bus 2
3. Taxi
Mutianyu Great Wall about 70km (43miles)/1h 15m’s driving 1. Airport Express Train – Bus 916 – Bus H23/H24/H35/H36/H07
2. Shuttle Bus Line 4 – Bus 916 – Bus H23/H24/H35/H36/H07
3. Taxi
Summer Palace about 40km (24miles)/1 hour’s driving 1. Airport Express Train – Metro Line 10 / Line 2 – Metro Line 4
2. Shuttle Bus Line 5 – Bus 601
3. Taxi
Beijing South Train Station about 45km (27miles)/about 1h 10m’s driving 1. Shuttle Bus Line 3
2. Airport Express Train – Metro Line 2 – Metro Line 4
3. Taxi
Beijing West Train Station about 30km (18miles)/1 hour’s driving 1. Airport Express Train – Metro Line 2 – Walking 1km
2. Shuttle Bus Line 4 – Change to Bus 394
3. Taxi
Temple of Heaven about 35km (21miles)/about 50m’s driving 1. Shuttle Bus Line 13 – Bus 128/684
2. Airport Express Train – Metro Line 10 / Line 2 – Metro Line 5
3. Taxi

Transfer from Beijing Daxing Airport to Downtown

A fully connected transportation network consisting of highways, high-speed railway and subway will support 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 from a reliable agency like 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

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 - Most 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.

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By High Speed Train - Top-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.

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.

By Airport Express

There are 6 local shuttle bus (express) lines connecting Daxing Airport to Beijing City center, and you can take one bus every 30 minutes during the day time usually.

Bus Line From To First Route Last Route
Line 1 Daxing Airport Beijing Main Railway Station 6:00am 11:00pm
Line 2 Daxing Airport Beijing West Railway Station 6:00am 11:00pm
Line 3 Daxing Airport Beijing South Railway Station 6:00am 11:00pm
Line 4 Daxing Airport Tongzhou 7:45am 11:15pm
Line 5 Daxing Airport Fangshan 7:30am 12:15am
Line 6 Daxing Airport Xuanwu Gate 8:15am 11:15pm

Note: The information above are listed only for your reference.

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 Xuanwumen Station (宣武门站) after 5 stopover stations, and then Line 2 to Qianmen Station (前门站). Get out the station via E2 exit. Then, you will walk about 700 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.

How to Plan Beijing Tours

As the capital city of China for centuries, Beijing is an internatinal metropolis with numerous historic scenic sites. You can visit the Forbidden City to witness the royal buildings of the ancient China empire, hike on the incredible Great Wall, and wander along the traditional hutongs to experience the authentic local life...all of your dreams about Beijing can be tangible in our Beijing tours.

Please do not hesitate to contact us. We are also specialized in tailor-made tours that fit you best according to your own interests, requirement, traveling time, etc.

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