Short answer
Beijing has two international airports and they are not interchangeable. PEK — Beijing Capital — is the older one, roughly 25–30 km north-east of the centre, in Shunyi district. PKX — Beijing Daxing — opened in 2019 and sits about 46 km south of Tiananmen. The two are around 60 km apart with no fast rail link between them, so arriving at the wrong one is not a small mistake.
The rough rule: Air China and most Star Alliance carriers fly from PEK, Lufthansa, United, ANA, Singapore Airlines, Asiana, EVA and the long-haul group. China Southern, China Eastern, Xiamen Air, China United and the SkyTeam side fly from PKX. Never rely on the alliance rule alone: read the three-letter code on your booking, because PEK terminal assignments also change with the airline timetable season.
Into the city, each airport has its own dedicated express line. From PEK the Capital Airport Express runs to Dongzhimen for a flat ¥25 in about 25 minutes. From PKX the Daxing Airport Express reaches Caoqiao in about 20 minutes at up to 160 km/h for ¥35. Both shut down around 23:00.
First: which airport are you actually flying into?
| PEK — Beijing Capital | PKX — Beijing Daxing | |
|---|---|---|
| Position | About 25–30 km north-east of the centre, Shunyi district | About 46 km south of Tiananmen, Daxing district |
| Terminals | Terminal 2 and Terminal 3 handle passengers; the old Terminal 1 is no longer a normal standalone passenger terminal | One very large terminal, opened September 2019 |
| Who flies here | Air China and most Star Alliance partners; T3 takes the bulk of long-haul carriers, T2 takes much of the SkyTeam and domestic traffic | China Southern (the dominant carrier), China Eastern, Xiamen Air, China United, Beijing Capital Airlines, and much of the SkyTeam side |
| Rail into town | Capital Airport Express to Sanyuanqiao, Dongzhimen and Beixinqiao | Daxing Airport Express to Caoqiao, plus the Jingxiong intercity railway to Beijing West |
PEK: the Capital Airport Express
The Capital Airport Express is a dedicated line with five stations: Beixinqiao, Dongzhimen, Sanyuanqiao, Terminal 3 and Terminal 2. It is the right answer for most arrivals.
- Fare: a flat ¥25 one way whatever the distance, charged separately from the rest of the metro network; there is no free transfer in or out.
- Time: roughly 20 minutes from Terminal 3 to Sanyuanqiao and around 25 minutes to Dongzhimen, with trains about every 10 minutes.
- Interchanges: Sanyuanqiao connects to Lines 10 and 12, Dongzhimen to Lines 2 and 13, Beixinqiao to Line 5. From Dongzhimen you are typically one metro hop from most central hotels.
- Where to board: at Terminal 2 the station is in the parking building on level B2; at Terminal 3 it is in the T3 parking building on level 2. Follow the rail signs, not the taxi signs.
- Terminal 1: the express has no station there, walk or take the free inter-terminal shuttle to T2.
One useful addition: Dongzhimen now offers city check-in and bag drop for Air China domestic flights departing from Terminal 3, accepting bags up to a few hours before departure. If your flight qualifies, you can drop your luggage downtown and ride out hands-free. Confirm the current hours and eligibility at the station counter.
Trains run from early morning until roughly 23:00, with the last departures from the airport shortly after 23:00 and the first from the city end around 06:00. Those times shift with timetable revisions, so check the first and last train for your direction on the day.
PKX: the Daxing Airport Express, and the train to Beijing West
Daxing has two rail options, and which one you want depends entirely on which part of the city you are heading for.
The Daxing Airport Express, the default
- Route: Daxing Airport, Daxing Xincheng, Caoqiao. Only three stations, running at up to 160 km/h, which is why it covers the distance in around 20 minutes.
- Fare: ¥10 up to 20 km, ¥25 for 20–30 km and ¥35 beyond, so the full run to Caoqiao is ¥35 in ordinary class. Business class is a flat ¥50. There are air-rail combination discounts for flight passengers, on the operator's conditions.
- Interchange: Caoqiao connects to Line 10 and Line 19. Line 10 is the big ring and reaches most hotel districts; Line 19 runs north toward Mudanyuan.
- Where to board: level B1 of the terminal; the station is inside the building, so there is no shuttle.
- Hours: roughly 06:00 to 23:00 from the airport, and about 05:41 to 22:30 from Caoqiao. A northern extension toward the Lize business district has been under construction, check whether it is open before you plan around it.
The Jingxiong intercity railway, for the west side
The Beijing–Xiong'an intercity line stops at Daxing Airport on its way to Beijing West Railway Station, which it reaches in around half an hour. Second class runs in the low tens of yuan. The station is underground in the terminal complex.
This is the cleanest option if you are staying on the west side or connecting to a high-speed train from Beijing West. Departures are spread across the day at intervals measured in tens of minutes, so check times for your date rather than expecting a metro-style service.
Taxi, ride-hailing and buses
| Option | From PEK | From PKX |
|---|---|---|
| Airport express rail | ¥25 flat, about 25 minutes to Dongzhimen | ¥35 to Caoqiao, about 20 minutes |
| Taxi to the centre | Roughly ¥100–150, 40–60 minutes in normal traffic | Roughly ¥180–250, 60–90 minutes |
| DiDi or ride-hailing | Usually cheaper than the meter, same journey time | Same, and the app quote is the best live estimate |
| Airport shuttle bus | Around ¥20–40 depending on the route, 60–90 minutes | Around ¥30–40, 75–110 minutes |
| Pre-booked private transfer | From roughly ¥250 | From roughly ¥450 |
Beijing's metered flag fare is ¥13 for the first 3 km and about ¥2.3 per km after that, plus a small fuel surcharge, with extra for waiting time and late-night rides; airport runs also involve tolls. Treat every figure above as a range, not a quote, traffic swings the total more than distance does.
PEK to PKX: the transfer nobody plans for
The two airports are about 60 km apart with no fast rail connection between them. If you have booked a self-transfer, landing at one and departing from the other, treat it as a half-day project, not a connection.
There is an airport-to-airport shuttle bus, and a taxi across the city costs several hundred yuan and over an hour in normal traffic. Routing through the city instead, the express lines to Dongzhimen and Caoqiao, then the metro between them, is slower on paper but far more predictable than a cross-city road transfer.
Arrival practicalities
- Set up payment before you land. Bind a card to Alipay or WeChat Pay at home, you will want it for the express line, a taxi, and everything after.
- File the digital arrival card. The paper arrival card is gone; the online version is what the border expects.
- Check your visa-free status. Visa-free transit applies at both Beijing airports, but the rules differ by nationality and route, check before you fly, not at the counter.
- Know where to leave restricted items. Capital Airport stores security-restricted items you cannot take on board but want to keep, generally up to 30 days, less for power banks. The passenger service centres are in the Terminal 3 parking building, first floor west side, and the Terminal 2 basement; the airport service hotline is +86-10-96158, which also handles lost property.
- Plan for the metro closing. Neither express line runs all night. Land late and your options are a taxi or a pre-booked car.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if I am flying into PEK or PKX?
Read the three-letter airport code on your booking: PEK is Capital, PKX is Daxing. As a rough guide, Air China and most Star Alliance carriers use PEK, while China Southern, China Eastern, Xiamen Air and China United use PKX. The code on the ticket is the only answer that matters, alliance rules have exceptions and airline airport assignments change.
Which airport is closer to central Beijing?
Capital (PEK) is closer, roughly 25–30 km north-east of the centre, against about 46 km south for Daxing (PKX). In practice the difference is smaller than the distances suggest, because the Daxing Airport Express is faster per kilometre than the Capital line. Door to door, PEK is usually the quicker arrival.
How much is the airport express train?
The Capital Airport Express from PEK is a flat ¥25 regardless of distance, and does not include a free transfer to the rest of the metro. The Daxing Airport Express from PKX is charged by distance, ¥10, ¥25 or ¥35, with ¥35 the fare for the full run to Caoqiao, and a flat ¥50 in business class.
Can I get between the two airports by train?
Not directly, and not quickly. There is no dedicated rail link between them. The practical routes are an airport-to-airport shuttle bus or a cross-city taxi, or routing through the city on the two express lines and the metro. Any of them takes the better part of half a day once you count the transfer and security.
Do the airport express lines run all night?
No. Both run from around 06:00 until roughly 23:00, with the exact first and last departures varying by direction and station. If your flight lands after that, take a taxi or a pre-booked car, and check the last train time for your line before you travel rather than after you land.
How do I pay for a taxi at the airport?
Metered taxis take cash and increasingly accept QR payment through Alipay or WeChat Pay. Ride-hailing through DiDi is charged to the card bound to your account and gives you a fare estimate before you accept. Carry a few tens of yuan in small notes as a fallback for the moment a scan fails.
Which airport should I choose if I have a choice?
If your hotel is in the north or east, Sanlitun, Wangfujing, the embassy district, Dongzhimen, Capital is the easier airport, because the express line ends at Dongzhimen. If you are staying in the south or west, or connecting to a high-speed train from Beijing West, Daxing's express and intercity rail are competitive. Otherwise take the flight that suits your schedule and plan the transfer properly.
Related reading
Airport positions, terminal arrangements, express-line routes and fares, the Jingxiong intercity railway and the temporary-storage service and hotline at Capital Airport were compiled from the Beijing municipal government's English portal, the airports' and operators' published information, and independent 2026 airport guides, cross-checked against each other. Where sources disagreed, notably on taxi ranges, Daxing express hours and intercity departure windows; the spread is shown rather than averaged. Terminal assignments, fares, first and last train times and service frequencies change with each timetable season and are set by the operators: confirm the current details on the airport's or operator's own channel before you rely on any figure here. Current as of September 2026.