Beijing has two international airports, and they are on opposite sides of the city. Which one you land at determines your route completely — so check your ticket before you start looking at transport.
Beijing Capital International (PEK)
The older and closer of the two, about 25 km north-east of the centre. Three terminals (T2, T3 for most international flights).
Airport Express train — Around 20 minutes to Dongzhimen. Cheap and fast.
Metro — Line 15 / Airport Line connections into the network.
Taxi — CNY 100–130 to the centre, 40–70 minutes depending on traffic.
Beijing Daxing International (PKX)
Opened in 2019, roughly 46 km south of the centre. Striking building, longer transfer.
Daxing Airport Express — About 20 minutes to Caoqiao, then transfer to Line 10 / 19.
Taxi — CNY 150–200 to central areas, 60–90 minutes.
Note for southern Beijing — If you are staying in Fengtai or Daxing districts, PKX is actually closer than PEK.
Arrival tips
Have your hotel address in Chinese — Show it to the driver rather than trying to pronounce it.
Use the official taxi queue — Ignore anyone approaching you inside the terminal offering a ride.
Buy a transport card or use QR metro payment — Saves queuing for single-journey tickets.
Avoid peak hours if you have luggage — Metro carriages at 08:00–09:30 are extremely crowded.
