Arrive · Beijing
Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK)
PEK to central Beijing: a taxi or DiDi straight to the door, 40–70 minutes; the cheaper Airport Express train runs only until late evening, so treat the car as the plan.
Key facts
- Default ride
- Official taxi or DiDi to the door
- Ride time
- 45–70 min
- p50–p90
- Fare
- CNY 130 (≈ US$19)
- Late night after
- 22:00
- on demand
Rules in force · 10Hutong lanes are too narrow for cars and often unpaved or…
- East Asia ↗Every border in East Asia is a full international border, Hong Kong and Macau included: an entry permission for one never covers the next.
- East Asia ↗Ferries between Korea, Japan and China cancel in rough seas and typhoons; keep a flight or a spare day behind every sea leg.
- China ↗Most nationalities need a visa, a unilateral visa-free entry (the list and end dates change) or the transit exemption below. Confirm your route on the official sites before you buy a ticket.
- China ↗Transit stay without a visa: up to 240 hours (10 days) for citizens of about 55 listed countries who pass through China to a third country or region, with a confirmed onward ticket and a stay inside the permitted area (Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei count as one area). It replaced the 144-hour rule in December 2024, which some older pages still quote. Use the transit lane at immigration, show the onward ticket, and check the current nationality list. Hong Kong and Macau count as separate regions; check whether your ticket qualifies.
- China ↗Foreign visitors must register their address with the police within 24 hours; hotels do it at check-in with your passport. Carry the original passport at all times: hotels, trains, museums, Tiananmen Square and police checks ask for it.
- China ↗Set up Alipay or WeChat Pay with a foreign card before you fly. QR payment is the default in shops, taxis and many stalls, and some places refuse cash or a foreign card. Carry cash as a backup.
- China ↗Google, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and many news sites are blocked. Use an eSIM with roaming (it routes through your home network) or install and test a VPN before you fly; VPN sites and app stores are hard to reach inside China, and only government-approved VPNs are officially permitted.
- North China ↗Great Wall sections are exposed and steep: wind, ice and midday heat change the day. Go early and pick the section by the weather, not the brochure.
- Beijing ↗Hutong lanes are too narrow for cars and often unpaved or uneven: large suitcases go from the car to the door, never on a walk.
- Beijing ↗Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and many sights check the passport against the ticket at the gate; bring the original, not a photo.
--:--local time in Beijing
More
Map of the airport
Directions
Add your hotel to get directions from it. · stays in this browser; shared with the pocket card.
Plan
Your landing time, your bags, your bed
Lock your path to bed
feasibledesk 24hlandside ready ~23:20 (p90)
Take Official taxi or DiDi to the door at 23:20. Bed by ~00:37 (+1) (p90).
Last viable for this bed: 06:00 (+1) (land by 03:40 (+1))
Sleep area not decided? Check the area first.
On the groundHideSteps from the gate, and what to do if it breaks
On the ground
Step by step from the gate, and what to do if it breaks
Zero-brain vs precision
- Daytime default
- Official taxi rank or DiDi (with a foreign card linked to Alipay) from the pickup lane, straight to the door. Show the address in Chinese.
- Precision
- Terminal 3 handles most international flights; the taxi rank and DiDi pickup are outside arrivals (field-verify).
- Late-night threshold
- 22:00
Steps from landing
5 / 10 min
Gate to immigration
all arrivals30 / 75 min
Immigration (arrival card, fingerprints; use the transit desk for the 240-hour rule)
only intl checked, intl cabin15 / 30 min
Baggage claim + customs
only intl checked, domestic checked15 / 25 min
SIM or eSIM check, cash or QR, then the taxi rank
all arrivals45 / 70 min
Official taxi or DiDi to the door
on demand, any hour · CNY 130 (≈ US$19)
If it breaks
- Immigration queues at night can pass an hour; message the hotel with your flight number before you fly.
- Use only the official taxi rank or DiDi; decline drivers who approach in the hall.
- Airport Express train (to Dongzhimen) runs until late evening: check its last train before counting on it.
Other flights, questions and sourcesHideOther flights
Deep dive
Other flights
Still choosing flights? Compare inbound options before you lock this path.Google Flights ↗FlightConnections ↗
Sources
| Field | Value | Source type | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| primary.yen | ¥100–160 | secondary | 50% |
| ladder.1.valid_until | 22:30 | secondary | 30% |