Select Airport
PEK Beijing Capital International
75 min to city
PKX Beijing Daxing International
85 min to city

Beijing

Beijing has two international airports: Capital Airport (PEK), 25 km northeast of the city, and Daxing Airport (PKX), 46 km…

How much time do you have?
Our recommendations take into account your actual arrival and departure times, airport processing, and transit friction.
From PEK
🏢
Under 3h
Stay airside
🚕
3–6 hours
Quick city stop
🗽
6–10 hours
Full exploration
🌃
10+ hours
Multi-neighborhood
IMMIGRATION70m
TRANSIT75m
EXPLORE0m
RETURN75m
BUFFER60m
Recommended Itinerary

Your layover plan

Arrive & Immigration
~70 min · PEK
  • Follow signs to passport control immediately on landing
  • Have onward boarding pass and hotel/address ready for questions
  • e-Channel auto-gates are open to most developed-passport holders (fingerprint capture on arrival). A dedicated lane handles 240-hour visa-free transit applications; fill the temporary-stay form airside before joining the queue. Expect 30–60 min at peak arrival banks.
Transit into the city
75 min

Capital Airport Express (¥25, 20 min) runs from T2 and T3 to Dongzhimen, every 10–15 min, 06:30–22:30, scan Alipay or WeChat at the gate. Metro Line 15 is slower but ¥7. Taxi to city centre ¥100–150 and 40–60 min depending on traffic — use the official taxi queue, not touts.

Explore Beijing
~0m of free time
With TWOV status, take the Airport Express from PEK to Dongzhimen (16 min, CNY 25), then Metro Line 2 two stops to Gulou Dajie for Houhai Lake and Nanluoguxiang hutong area. Total commute: 35 to 40 minutes each way. You have roughly 60 to 90 minutes in the area before heading back. Skip any site that requires a ticket purchase or long queue. If departing from PKX, the extra 20 minutes of transit makes a 3 to 6 hour exit very tight.
Return to PEK
75 min back to airport
  • Leave enough buffer - trains run to a schedule and can be delayed
  • Buy your return ticket in advance if possible
  • Set an alarm 135 min before your departure gate closes
Back through security
~60 min buffer before gate
  • Re-entry security at PEK typically takes 10-20 min
  • Check your gate - it may have changed while you were out
  • Liquids bought in the city cannot pass security - finish or bin them
Where to Eat

Best eats for a layover

What to See

Top sights for your time window

Practical Info

What you need to know

Currency
Chinese Yuan (CNY, ¥). Cash is fading fast. Alipay and WeChat Pay dominate everywhere, and both apps now accept foreign Visa/Mastercard through their in-app Tour or International wallets. ATMs at PEK and PKX dispense yuan; Bank of China has the best rates. Small stalls and markets may refuse cards and foreign cash.
Language
Mandarin Chinese. English is limited outside PEK, PKX, luxury hotels, and upscale malls. Have your destination written in Chinese characters or shown on a phone map, since drivers rarely read pinyin. Google Translate's camera mode handles menus well and works offline if you pre-download the Chinese pack.
Visa
240-hour (10-day) visa-free transit available at both PEK and PKX for 55 nationalities including US, UK, Canada, Australia, and all EU states. You need an onward ticket to a third country or region within 240 hours and must declare transit intent on arrival. The policy lets you move freely across 24 provinces. Verify before travel — visa rules change.
Transit
Capital Airport Express (PEK) runs to Dongzhimen in 20 min for ¥25, every 10–15 min, 06:30–22:30. Daxing Airport Express (PKX) runs to Caoqiao in about 19 min for ¥35, connecting to subway lines 10 and 19. Taxi from PEK to city centre costs ¥100–150 and takes 40–60 min depending on traffic. Pay gate fares by scanning Alipay or WeChat QR.
Weather
Four distinct seasons. Summer (Jun–Aug) is hot and humid at 30–35°C with thunderstorms. Autumn (Sep–Oct) is dry and clear at 15–22°C, the best window for a layover. Winter (Dec–Feb) is cold and dry at -5°C, with occasional smog. Spring brings short dust storms from the north.
Tipping
Not expected and not customary. Restaurants, taxis, and hotels do not add service, and a tip is sometimes politely refused. The only exception is high-end Western-branded hotels and tour guides working with foreign groups, where a small gratuity is welcomed.
Emergency
Police 110 · Ambulance 120 · Fire 119. Tourist English hotline 12301. Beijing United Family Hospital runs a 24-hour English-speaking ER on +86 10 5927 7000.
Time Zone
China Standard Time (UTC+8). No daylight saving. All of mainland China uses this single time zone.
Stay connected with an eSIM
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