PEK / Airport to city
Beijing Capital Airport
to central Beijing
Take the Capital Airport Express into the subway network, choose a city-bound coach if its stop suits your hotel, or use the official taxi rank for a direct ride. Check your arrival terminal before planning the pickup.
Compare your options
- 4 options
- Night arrivals
- Official sources
01 / Choose your journey
Which transfer suits you?
Comparison point: Dongzhimen interchange; onward travel to your hotel. The CNY 25 fare covers the Airport Express, not the rest of Beijing’s subway network. Coaches serve their named stops; taxis serve your exact address. Add immigration, baggage, queueing and the final hotel connection to every option.
- Capital Airport Express
- Cost
- CNY 25 + onward farePer person for the Airport Express; other subway lines cost extra
- Journey
- Rail + city connectionAllow for interchange walking and the final hotel journey
- Airport coach
- Cost
- Check route farePer person; ask for the fare to your actual stop
- Journey
- Traffic dependentWaiting time and intermediate stops add to the road journey
- Metered taxi
- Cost
- Metered farePer vehicle; tolls and the applicable tariff affect the total
- Journey
- Traffic dependentAllow time for the official taxi queue
- Prebooked private car
- Cost
- Provider quoteConfirm the whole vehicle price and included charges
- Journey
- Road dependentMeeting time, traffic and the hotel address determine the total
Reference fares and journey estimates from the official sources below, checked 11 November 2026. These are not live quotes. All times are local to Shanghai.
02 / The details
Your transfer options
01 / A hotel reached through the subway network
Capital Airport Express
This dedicated airport railway connects T2 and T3 with three useful city interchanges. Choose the interchange for your hotel rather than assuming the final stop is closest to every central address.
Sanyuanqiao, Dongzhimen or Beixinqiao
- At T2, follow Airport Express signs to B2 of the parking building; at T3, follow them to level 2 of the T3 parking building.
- Use Sanyuanqiao for Line 10, Dongzhimen for Lines 2 or 13, or Beixinqiao for Line 5.
- Buy the onward subway journey to the station nearest your hotel and check its exit before leaving.
When it runs: Check the terminal’s current departure board. The airport railway is not an all-night service, and T2 and T3 have different last departures.
The fixed airport-rail fare is separate from the distance-based city subway fare. Do not buy a ticket for the Daxing Airport Express when you are arriving at PEK.
Sources: Airport Express · Subway fares · Airport transport and boarding points
02 / A useful direct stop or a late arrival
Airport coach
A coach can remove a subway change if its stop is near your hotel. The July 2026 city update lists the Beijing West Railway Station route as an around-the-clock service, with central stops including Chongwenmen West.
Named city stops, including the Beijing West Railway Station route
- At T2, find the airport-bus counter outside first-floor Gate 11; at T3, find it inside first-floor Gate 1.
- Show your hotel address and ask which current city-bound route and drop-off stop fit it.
- Confirm the next departure, fare and final walk or taxi ride before buying.
When it runs: The Beijing West route is published as a 24-hour service. Confirm the next departure and the stops being served; this does not mean a bus is waiting continuously.
Beijing West, Beijing South and Beijing Railway Station are different destinations. A railway-station coach is not automatically the best route to a city-center hotel.
Sources: July 2026 airport coach changes · Airport transport and boarding points
03 / A direct trip to a precise hotel address
Metered taxi
Choose a taxi when the last connection would be difficult with luggage or when several people share the cost. Use the terminal’s official queue and give the driver the full Chinese hotel address.
Your hotel in Beijing
- At T2, follow Taxi signs to the middle roadway outside first-floor Gates 5–9; at T3, follow the signs to the B1 taxi waiting area.
- Confirm the correct hotel branch and check that the meter is used.
- Keep the receipt and check that you have all your bags before leaving the vehicle.
When it runs: Ask staff for the active taxi queue after you leave arrivals, especially when several flights land together late at night.
App-booked cars use separate pickup areas. A driver meeting point in a parking building is not the same as the public taxi rank.
Sources: Taxi pickup
04 / An agreed meeting point and vehicle size
Prebooked private car
Arrange a car before flying if you need a specific vehicle, a child seat or help finding a driver at Beijing Capital Airport. Ask your hotel or chosen provider for written pickup instructions.
Your agreed address in Beijing
- Send the flight number, arrival terminal, passenger count and luggage details before booking.
- Save the meeting point and driver contact offline, including what to do if the flight is delayed.
- Check waiting time, tolls, parking, cancellation terms and any night surcharge in the final quote.
When it runs: Available only for the time agreed in your booking; confirm flight-delay handling and overnight pickup.
A booked driver does not necessarily meet you at the public taxi rank. No live private-car price or availability is supplied here.
03 / After baggage claim
Find your pickup point
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Start with T2 or T3
The Airport Express boarding locations differ: T2 uses the parking building’s B2 level and T3 uses level 2 of its parking building. Follow the service signs from your own arrival terminal.
Separate taxis from app pickups
The official taxi rank is outside Gates 5–9 on T2’s first floor or at T3 B1. If you booked a car through an app, follow the pickup instructions in that booking instead of joining the taxi line.
Sources: Taxi pickup
Use the Beijing Service counter
The airport’s Beijing Service counter offers assistance with Airport Express and airport-bus ticket purchases. Keep your identification and destination details ready if you need help with the machines.
Sources: PEK arrival assistance
04 / Arriving late
Plan your late-night arrival
Check the next coach, not just the route name
The city publishes a 24-hour Beijing West Railway Station airport-coach service. Ask the counter for the actual next departure and a stop near your hotel, rather than relying on a headline that says buses run all night.
Sources: July 2026 airport coach changes
Plan the last few streets
A coach arriving near a railway station may still leave a difficult walk with luggage. If the hotel is far from the stop, compare the combined coach and short taxi cost with one direct airport taxi.
05 / Ready to go
Tickets, payment and your address
Airport rail and city rail are separate fares
Budget CNY 25 for the Capital Airport Express, then the applicable fare for any onward city subway journey. The Beijing Service counter can help with the airport ticket purchase.
Sources: Subway fares · PEK arrival assistance
Have a payment backup
Confirm your payment method before setting off and carry some renminbi cash as a backup. Do not assume that a foreign bank card can be used directly in every taxi. Keep the receipt after paying.
Save your exact address
Keep your Beijing hotel’s Chinese name, street address, phone number and map pin offline. Check the branch name and the nearest station or bus stop before leaving arrivals.
06 / Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Does the Capital Airport Express go to central Beijing?
It reaches the subway interchanges at Sanyuanqiao, Dongzhimen and Beixinqiao. Choose the interchange for your hotel: Line 10 at Sanyuanqiao, Lines 2 and 13 at Dongzhimen, or Line 5 at Beixinqiao.
Is CNY 25 the total fare to my Beijing hotel?
No. CNY 25 is the Capital Airport Express fare per person. Any onward city subway trip, taxi or other connection is extra.
Where is the official taxi queue at PEK?
The airport lists T2’s taxi queue outside first-floor Gates 5–9 and T3’s taxi waiting area on B1. Follow current terminal signs if access arrangements change.
What should I do if I land after the Airport Express finishes?
Check the next city-bound airport coach or use the official taxi queue. Beijing’s July 2026 update lists the Beijing West Railway Station coach as a 24-hour service; confirm the actual departure and final connection to your hotel.
07 / Check the details
Sources and updates
Reviewed . Fares and operating windows are published reference information, not a live feed. Recommendations reflect the tradeoffs described above; check the official operator before traveling.
- Beijing Capital Airport · Airport Express
Airport Express stations and terminal rail access.
- Beijing government · Subway fares
CNY 25 Capital Airport Express fare and separate city subway fares.
- Beijing Tourism · Airport transport and boarding points
T2 and T3 rail boarding levels, subway interchanges and bus ticket counters.
- Beijing government · July 2026 airport coach changes
Around-the-clock Beijing West route and central drop-off stops.
- Beijing Capital Airport · Taxi pickup
Official T2 and T3 taxi queue locations.
- Beijing government · PEK arrival assistance
Airport transport ticket assistance at the Beijing Service counter.