Layover in Beijing
YasyaEiffel Tower, Disneyland, and skyscrapers. Do you think this is all about a trip to Paris? Not at all: this is Shenzhen, Hong Kong, and Macau. And the gateway to them is Beijing airport, where you'll have a layover. There are two of them here: Shoudu and Daxing. Both are among the largest in the world. So you'll need certain knowledge to navigate them, as well as the transit rules, if you've already bought tickets to Shanghai or another Asian city with a layover. Please return your seatbacks to their upright position, we are landing in Beijing. But not for long!
Shoudu Airport
Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) still remains the country's busiest air hub. It has been operating since 1958 and is the main hub airport for Air China. It is located 20 km from Beijing. The structure includes three terminals: T1 for domestic flights, T2 and T3 – for domestic and international flights.
Terminal 3 is also called Dragon Terminal (which is not surprising for China). The seven-story building has two underground and five above-ground levels, 66 jet bridges, and 120 boarding gates. It is divided into three waiting areas: T3-C, T3-D, and T3-E. Each of them, in turn, is divided into different levels. Boarding passes are color-coded to help passengers get to their waiting areas: T3-C is blue, T3-D is green, and T3-E is yellow. T3-C and T3-D serve domestic flights, T3-E serves international flights, as well as flights to Macau, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.
Terminals 1 and 2 are connected by a pedestrian walkway, and a shuttle bus also runs between them: from 06:00 to 23:00 every 10 minutes, and from 23:00 to 06:00 every 15-30 minutes. Terminal 3 is located approximately 5 km from them. It is important to consider this if you need to transfer from one to another. Terminal 3 has an Airport Express line: the journey takes only four minutes, and the interval between sectors C and E is three minutes.
Daxing Airport
By general standards, Daxing (PKX) is a relatively young airport: it only started accepting passengers in 2019. It is located 46 km from the capital of China, and the number of passengers is expected to reach 100 million per year. The building is designed in the shape of a giant "starfish", and its author was another star, an architectural one – Zaha Hadid and her renowned bureau. Everything here is designed for passenger convenience; for example, the distance from the central atrium to any boarding gate is no more than 600 meters or an 8-minute walk.
Types of Layovers
Since September 2025, entry rules for tourists from Russia have changed, and a visa is no longer required. This significantly simplifies getting to know the Celestial Empire or traveling to Asia. However, this regime has only been introduced for one year, and how the situation will develop further is unknown.
China is not simplifying its entry system for the first time. From December 2024, a permit was required for temporary stays in the country. The maximum duration of such a stop in 24 regions of the country was 240 hours (10 days), and one also had to proceed to a third country. This means it was not possible to fly to Shenzhen with a layover in Beijing. You can read more about the previous conditions in our article on transit visas to China.
What documents are needed to go into the city
You can enter China for up to 30 days with a regular foreign passport, including for transit. kupi.com on the main page knows this: you can always check with it when searching for tickets.
How many hours are needed for a layover
Of course, you don't personally determine the time, but if there are several flights, we recommend choosing an option with at least a three-hour layover. This is the optimal time to complete all control stages. Experienced travelers say that in three hours you can manage to exit the plane, cross the border, collect luggage, re-check in for the next flight, drop off luggage, and proceed to the correct gate.
The situation can be negatively affected by a delay in the first flight. If you have a short connection and then fly with the same airline, in principle, it's not a big deal – you'll simply be put on the next flight. To be safe, you can look for tickets with a layover of five hours or more.
How to get from Shoudu Airport to the city center
Airport Express
The fastest and most convenient way. The journey to Dongzhimen station takes only 20 minutes. Then you need to transfer to the subway or a taxi to reach your specific destination in the city center. The fare is 25 yuan. To get to the Airport Express at Shoudu Airport, simply follow the Airport Express signs.
Subway
You can also take the subway directly. The cost is approximately the same – 25 yuan per trip. However, during peak hours, the subway is crowded, which is not very comfortable for tourists. Terminals T2 and T3 are connected to the central subway line by the Airport Express branch and two key stations – Sanyuanqiao and Dongzhimen. The travel time to Dongzhimen station is approximately 30-40 minutes. The subway operates from 6:00 to 22:30, with trains running every 10-15 minutes.
How to find it: follow the Metro signs at the airport. First, take the Airport Express Train to Sanyuanqiao station (i.e., travel just one stop), and then transfer to Metro Line 10.
Bus
The Airport Shuttle Bus will take you to Beijing in an hour or two, depending on traffic. The ticket price is slightly lower – 20-30 yuan. However, there are express routes to central areas of the city, such as Tiananmen Square. It might seem that buses are inferior to the subway and Airport Express in every way, but that's not the case: buses run 24/7. So this is an excellent choice for those arriving at Shoudu Airport at night.
Taxi
A constant option. The price is higher – from 100 yuan per trip, but the comfort level is completely different. Taxi stands are available near each terminal. Choose official taxis, meaning yellow cars, and always check that the driver has turned on the meter.
How to get from Daxing Airport to the city center
Although Daxing is located further from Beijing, you can get to the city even faster.
Airport Express
It connects the airport with Beijing South Railway Station, where you can transfer to the subway or high-speed trains. The cost of such a trip is 35 yuan, and the travel time is 19 minutes to Caoqiao station. The advantage is that the Airport Express makes no stops along the way. It departs every 8-10 minutes during peak hours and every 15-20 minutes at other times.
Subway
This method will take more time – about an hour to reach the city center. The price depends on the distance, but on average, your expenses will be approximately the same 30-35 yuan. First, you need to take the Daxing Airport Express to Caoqiao station, then transfer to Line 10 and further, depending on your desired area. The subway operates from 6:00 to 22:30, with trains running every 10-15 minutes.
Bus
Everything is similar here: travel time will depend on traffic, and ticket price will depend on the destination. On average – 1.5-2 hours and 40-50 yuan. Buses run on several routes covering different parts of the city. There is also a 24-hour route No. 6. To find the stop, look for Airport Bus signs at the airport.
Taxi
Traditionally the most expensive option. To get to your destination will take an hour to an hour and a half and 150-200 yuan. Follow the Taxi signs at the airport and only use official taxi stands or order a car through an app, for example, Didi works here.
What to do during a layover at Shoudu Airport
What to do while waiting for your next flight?
Shopping
Terminal 2 has the Huizhi Guanghua bookstore, luxury boutiques Salvatore Ferragamo and Chopard, as well as other stores – Dasong Imperial Kiln, Fresh, Dao Xiang Cun. Since T3 is a newer and more international terminal, more well-known brands have chosen it for their outlets. Aigle, Hugo Boss, Salvatore Ferragamo, Cartier, Omega operate here.
Dining
Both local and world-renowned chains are represented in T2 and T3. Among the latter are Starbucks, KFC, Pizza Hut, McDonald's, Costa Coffee. But keep in mind that they are all closed at night: operating hours are from 7 AM to 11 PM.
Rest
Each terminal has its own list of lounges. In T3, which is more interesting for us, there are Sichuan Airlines First Class Lounge, ICBC VIP Lounge, several Air China lounges of varying premium levels and accessibility, and others.
Wi-Fi
Free and unlimited Wi-Fi is available at Beijing Airport. The network is called AIRPORT-FREE-WiFi. You can connect to it in two ways. The first is via SMS. Open any page in your browser, a window will appear where you need to enter your phone number with the country code. Then an SMS with a confirmation number will arrive. Enter it and you're all set!
The second option is via a Wi-Fi kiosk. English language skills will be useful here. Place the passport page with your personal data into the scanning port, press Scan, then create your account and print a receipt that will show your username and password for internet access. Remember that the Chinese network has many restrictions regarding Western social media.
What to do during a layover at Daxing Airport
The situation here is more interesting, as the airport project implied that passengers would spend a lot of time in it, meaning entertainment needed to be created for them.
Chinese Garden
At the end of all five "rays" there is a garden, each dedicated to its own theme – "Silk", "Tea", "Porcelain", "Rural", and "Chinese". If you have a few hours to spare, you can walk around and see them all. There are even guided tours of the airport. By joining a group, you can pass from half an hour to six hours of waiting.
Yoga
On the third floor in the international departures area, there is a yoga room. It's nice to stretch after long hours spent in the plane in one position. In yoga, they are much more varied!
Rest
Some airlines have their own VIP lounges at Daxing Airport, accessible to members of privilege programs. In some cases, membership is not required, and entry can be paid on site. The East Traveller Lounge operates on the third floor in the international departures area. Here you can have coffee, take a shower, and pay for your stay with a UnionPay card.
Wi-Fi
Daxing Airport has a 5G base station. Connection is similar to the system at the capital airport. And if your phone runs out of battery, there are workstations in the lounge area where you can charge your devices.
Overnight Layover in Beijing
If you have an overnight layover at Beijing Capital Airport, we recommend booking a hotel room nearby in advance, as there are no hotels within the airport building. However, all terminals have hourly-rate waiting lounges, and sleeping pods are available to passengers in Terminal 2 and Terminal 3.
The situation is better at Daxing Airport: Aerotel Beijing operates here. It is located in the northeastern part of the building on the second floor. There are a total of 215 rooms of various categories – from standard to deluxe. Each has Wi-Fi, a shower, and even a choice of pillows for sleeping. The hotel features a 24-hour lounge with a library, a fitness center, and a game room. Breakfast is served from 6:00 to 9:00, lunch from 11:00 to 14:00, and dinner from 17:30 to 22:00. The reception desk operates 24/7.
In addition to day use, there is a separate hourly rate.
