Chengdu airport to the city centre: metro, bus or taxi
Which airport you land at decides the answer. Tianfu International (TFU) is about 50 km east of central Chengdu; Shuangliu (CTU) is roughly 16 km southwest. Both have a metro line into town, and neither journey costs more than ¥11 — but neither drops you at a hotel door, so budget one transfer.
| Option | Cost | Time | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metro Line 18, TFU → Chengdu South Railway Station | ¥10 (¥11 continuing to Tianfu Square on Line 1) | About 35 minutes on express trains, 45–50 minutes ordinary; around 75 minutes to Tianfu Square | Daytime arrivals, light luggage |
| Airport bus Line 1, TFU → Chunxi Road | ¥15 (06:00–23:30), ¥25 (23:30–06:00) | 60–90 minutes | Late arrivals, heavy bags, hotels around Chunxi Road |
| Taxi, TFU → city centre | ¥150–200 plus the expressway toll | Varies with traffic | Groups, midnight arrivals |
| Metro Line 10 + Line 3, CTU → Chunxi Road | ¥2–8 | About 40 minutes | Cheapest way in from Shuangliu |
| Taxi, CTU → city centre | ¥50–90 | 30–45 minutes | Door-to-door, three or four people |
Landing at Tianfu (TFU)
Follow the Metro signs down to the station inside the terminal. Line 18 runs from 06:00 to 23:30, trains every 4–10 minutes. Express departures cut the run to Chengdu South Railway Station to around 35 minutes; ordinary trains take 45–50. Change at South Railway Station onto Line 1 for Tianfu Square. Luggage space is limited, and a large suitcase is awkward at peak hours.
The bus is the better night option. Line 1 runs around the clock from T1 and T2, calling at Chengdu East Railway Station (west square) and finishing at Chunxi Road, under the IFS panda. Tickets come from the Chengdu Bus app or the counters; the app asks for a Chinese phone number, and staff at the stand will help.
If you are connecting to a rail leg, a high-speed train also runs from Tianfu Airport station to Chengdu East Railway Station in 26–30 minutes for ¥24–34, and it is worth compare all your booking options before you fly.
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Landing at Shuangliu (CTU)
Line 10 starts inside the terminal. Ride it to Taipingyuan and change to Line 3 for Chunxi Road — about 40 minutes, ¥2–8 depending on where you get off. The last trains are around 23:00. After that, a ¥2 night bus runs from T2 to Chunxi Road between 21:00 and 04:30.
Taxis queue outside arrivals and run on the meter, so the fare moves with traffic; expect ¥50–90 to the centre. Have your hotel address written in Chinese before you get in.
Connecting between the two airports, Line 19 links them directly in about 50 minutes for ¥10.
After the last train
Landing at TFU after 23:00 leaves the taxi rank or the 24-hour airport bus. Both keep running, and both are cheaper and calmer than arguing with an unlicensed driver in the arrivals hall.
Last checked: 2026-10-05
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