Arrival at Beijing Airport
International flights arrive at Beijing Capital International Airport, about 26 km from the city center. If you're on a group tour or visiting business partners, you'll usually be picked up. Otherwise, taxis to the city center cost around 150 yuan.
Exchanging money at the airport
Several banks at the airport let you exchange euros, dollars or travelers' checks into Chinese currency (renminbi/yuan). Keep your exchange receipts — you'll need them to convert renminbi back into foreign currency later.
Taking a taxi into the city
Airport taxi touts have a notorious reputation in China for overcharging unsuspecting foreign tourists. Crowds of drivers wait inside the terminal to steer travelers toward their cars.
As of 2025, the simplest way to avoid unlicensed taxi touts altogether is to book a ride through the Didi app (China's equivalent of Uber) directly from the airport, which shows the fare upfront and doesn't require negotiating in Chinese.
The situation has improved considerably at the newer airports in Beijing and Shanghai, and is well organized in Beijing in particular. If you want an official taxi, head past the touts to the marked taxi stand, where staff assign you to a car and help explain your destination to the driver in Chinese. Make sure the driver starts the meter.
Subway
Since the Olympics, a subway line also runs directly from the airport into the city — a fast way to reach downtown. It connects at Dongzhimen station to lines 2 and 13; line 2 runs along the second ring road around the city center.
Airport bus
A recommended alternative to a taxi is the airport bus, which departs at regular intervals. For 16 yuan you travel in a modern coach through several stops in the city center, ending at the main railway station. From a stop near your destination — or from the easy-to-find main station stop — you can then take a taxi onward to your hotel. The journey takes about 90 minutes.
Hotels in Beijing
Beijing has hotels in almost every price range, from luxury hotels like the Sheraton to low-budget options from around 200 yuan a night. In smaller cities you can usually find a room without a reservation; in Beijing, given the larger distances involved, this takes more effort. It's worth booking a hotel for your first few nights and then looking for something cheaper once you've arrived.
A good travel guide such as Lonely Planet China lists a range of hotels for Beijing and other Chinese cities, with address, phone number and an approximate price.
Best time to visit Beijing
Winters in Beijing are extremely cold, summers are hot and dry, and spring brings sandstorms. Autumn is therefore the best time to visit — a particularly good season for trips to the parks or to Xiangshan (Fragrant Hills).
