Short answer
The Beijing Subway is the fastest way across the city and the only transport in Beijing that is immune to traffic. It runs 30 lines and more than 500 stations, everything is signed in English as well as Chinese, and a ride starts at ¥3 and rarely costs more than ¥10.
The simplest way to pay is to tap a contactless Visa, Mastercard, JCB, American Express or UnionPay card directly at the fare gate. Beijing's rail network is the first city rail system in the world to accept all five major card networks at the gates. No app, no registration, no queue at a counter.
If your card does not read, the fallbacks are the Beijing Metro Ride Code inside Alipay or WeChat, a Yikatong transit card from a station counter, or a single-ride ticket from a machine. And at every station, without exception, you pass a security screening before you reach the gates — so allow a few extra minutes.
What a ride costs
Fares are charged by distance, not by zone or number of stops. You tap or scan on the way in and again on the way out, and the system works out the difference — transfers inside the paid area are free.
| Trip distance | Fare | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Under 6 km | ¥3 | Two or three stops in the old city |
| 6–12 km | ¥4 | Tiananmen to the Temple of Heaven area |
| 12–22 km | ¥5 | Across the centre to the Summer Palace |
| 22–32 km | ¥6 | Long cross-city runs |
| 32–52 km and beyond | ¥7–¥10 | Out to the far suburbs |
Two things sit outside that table. There is a monthly loyalty discount: once your spend in a calendar month passes ¥100 you get 20 percent off the rest, rising to 50 percent after ¥150, up to a monthly cap. And the two airport express lines have their own fares with no free transfer — the Capital Airport Express is a flat ¥25, and the Daxing Airport Express is ¥10, ¥25 or ¥35 by distance, or ¥50 in business class.
Buses use a different scale: from ¥2 for the first 10 km, then ¥1 per additional 5 km, with a 50 percent discount when you tap or scan. You need them for the Great Wall routes, which have no rail equivalent.
The five ways to pay
| Method | Best for | The catch |
|---|---|---|
| Foreign contactless card, tapped at the gate | Short stays and anyone who does not want another app | Needs a contactless chip card; reader support can vary between gates, so have a backup |
| Alipay / WeChat Metro Ride Code | Three days or more, especially if you already pay with the app | Needs a real-name verified account and a linked card; the code is city-specific and the bus code is separate |
| Yikatong transit card | Five days or more, frequent riding | A refundable deposit at a station counter, plus top-up; refunds only at designated stations, and there is a balance cap |
| Beijing Pass | Arriving at the airport and wanting one card for everything | A visitor card sold at the airport service counters; rechargeable at metro stations |
| Single-ride ticket from a machine | One or two rides only | You must insert the plastic card into the gate slot on exit — not tap it — or the gate will not open |
Security screening, every single time
This is the part foreign visitors do not expect. You cannot simply walk to the gates: at every station your bags go through an X-ray scanner and you walk through a metal detector. It is routine, it applies to everyone, and it adds a minute or two to each journey.
The published limits are worth knowing before you get stopped:
- Size and weight: items over 30 kg, over 1.8 m long, or over 0.5 m in width or height are barred from stations.
- Animals: no live poultry, and no cats or dogs other than guide and police dogs.
- Wheels: folding bikes, scooters, self-balancing boards, skates and skateboards are all barred. Powered wheelchairs are the exception.
- Misc: inflated balloons are not allowed in, and playing music or talking loudly is prohibited.
With a large suitcase, expect the X-ray belt to be your slowest step at a big interchange in the morning peak.
Getting through the gate, step by step
- Find the entrance and read the signEntrances are lettered A, B, C and so on, each serving a different side of the street. Getting the letter wrong at a big junction costs a ten-minute walk.
- Clear securityBag on the belt, walk through the detector, collect your bag. Liquids are not an issue; this is a station check, not an airport check.
- Tap or scan inCard on the circular reader, or phone screen to the QR scanner. A single-ride ticket is tapped here too.
- Read the exit letters before you surfaceBoards inside the station list which street or landmark each staircase leads to. Five seconds here saves a long walk above ground.
- Tap or scan outThe same action as entry, except for a single-ride ticket; that one goes into the slot, not on the reader.
First and last trains
First trains generally leave the termini between roughly 05:00 and 06:00, and last trains run between roughly 22:00 and 23:30. That range is wide because it is real: the last train depends on the line, the direction and the station, and an interchange you can make at 22:45 may be impossible ten minutes later.
- Check the last train for your specific journey, not the network in general. Stations display first and last times, and the operator publishes timetables per line.
- Allow for the walk and the transfers. Being on a train is not the same as being able to finish the trip.
- Expect late service around the big holidays. Around Chinese New Year and National Day, lines serving railway stations and airports routinely run later.
- After the metro stops, it is taxis and ride-hailing. Plan that before midnight, not after.
The lines that matter for a visitor
You will use a handful of lines for almost everything on a short trip.
| Line | Why you would use it |
|---|---|
| Line 1 | The east–west spine: Tiananmen East and West, Wangfujing, Dongdan, Guomao in the CBD, and Universal Resort at the eastern end |
| Line 2 (loop) | Around the old city: Qianmen, Yonghegong, Dongzhimen, Xizhimen, Beijing Railway Station |
| Line 4 | North–south through the west: Beijing South, Xidan, Xizhimen, Beijing Zoo, the National Library, Yuanmingyuan and Beigongmen for the Summer Palace |
| Line 5 | Tiantan Dongmen for the Temple of Heaven's East Gate, Yonghegong, Beixinqiao |
| Line 6 | Nanluoguxiang, Beihai North, and out east toward Tongzhou |
| Line 8 | Shichahai and the lakes, Nanluoguxiang, the Olympic Park, and Beitucheng for bus 877 to Badaling |
| Line 10 (loop) | The big ring: Sanyuanqiao, Guomao, Beitucheng, and Caoqiao for the Daxing Airport Express |
| Line 13 | Xizhimen, Dongzhimen and Qinghe — the link for the Badaling high-speed line |
| Capital Airport Express | PEK Terminals 2 and 3, Sanyuanqiao, Dongzhimen, Beixinqiao — flat ¥25, separate fare |
| Daxing Airport Express | PKX, Daxing Xincheng and Caoqiao — up to 160 km/h, separate fare |
Line 3 now serves Beijing Chaoyang railway station and Line 12 adds another east–west option across the north. New lines and extensions open most years, so treat a map more than a year old as a starting point.
Metro or taxi?
Use the metro for anything on this list; it is cheaper, faster and predictable. Use a taxi or DiDi for short hops where the walks at both ends would exceed the ride, for late nights after the last train, and when you are carrying more than you can manage through a security check. Beijing's metered flag fare is ¥13 for the first 3 km then about ¥2.3 per km, plus a small fuel surcharge; the app quote is the best live estimate you will get.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use a foreign credit card on the Beijing metro?
Yes. Beijing's rail network accepts contactless Visa, Mastercard, JCB, American Express and UnionPay cards at the fare gates, and the same cards can be used to buy tickets and top up a transit card. It is the first city rail system to cover all five card networks. Carry a backup method in case a particular gate will not read your card.
Do I need a Chinese phone number or bank account?
Not for the metro. Tap-to-go with a foreign contactless card needs neither, and a Yikatong card or single-ride ticket can be bought at a station counter with cash. A Chinese number only becomes relevant if you want to set up the Alipay or WeChat ride code, which needs a real-name verified account, a foreign number that can receive SMS is usually enough.
Why is there a security check to enter a metro station?
It is a citywide requirement for the Beijing Subway, not something aimed at tourists. Bags go through an X-ray and passengers walk through a metal detector at every station. It is quick, but it is not skippable, so build a couple of minutes into every journey.
How do transfers work? Do I pay again?
No. Transfers inside the paid area are free and you are charged once for the whole journey based on the distance travelled between the station where you tapped in and the station where you tapped out. You only pass through the gates at the start and the end.
Are there day passes for the metro?
Yes, as e-tickets inside the Yitongxing app, with validity periods ranging from one day to seven. They are sold only in that app, they are not available as physical cards at a station, and they do not cover the two airport express lines. For most short trips, tapping a bank card is simpler and cheaper.
Does the metro run to both airports?
Yes, with two separate dedicated lines and separate fares. The Capital Airport Express links PEK Terminals 2 and 3 to Sanyuanqiao, Dongzhimen and Beixinqiao for a flat ¥25. The Daxing Airport Express links PKX to Caoqiao, where you change to Line 10 or Line 19, for ¥35 in ordinary class. Neither is included in a day pass.
What time is the last train?
It varies by line, direction and station, generally falling between about 22:00 and 23:30. Do not rely on a single network-wide figure, check the first and last train times displayed at your station for the specific direction you need, and allow time for transfers before the connections stop running.
Related reading
Fare bands, distance-based pricing and the monthly discount follow the published Beijing fare schedule. Card-network acceptance at the fare gates is taken from the Beijing government's English portal announcement on tap-and-go payments, and the security rules and item limits from the Beijing Subway's published passenger regulations. Fares, line numbers and first/last train times change with each network revision, check the operator's timetable for your specific journey. Current as of September 2026.