Beijing public transport: tickets, passes and apps

Beijing metro fares are distance-based: a short hop inside the second ring costs the minimum, and a long cross-city ride costs more. Buses are a flat fare on most routes, cheaper than the metro, and slower in traffic. Both are paid with the same QR or card, so you rarely need cash.

The Airport Express is a separate ticket, not covered by the metro fare. Buy it at the station machine or with your transit QR where supported.

These are 2026 estimates. Fares change rarely, but confirm at the station machine or in the Alipay transit screen before you commit to a multi-day plan.

The simplest route for a short visit is the transit QR inside Alipay or WeChat Pay. Set it up before you fly: both apps need a linked foreign card and a passport check, and neither can be fixed at the airport. Once it works, you scan at the gate and the fare is deducted in yuan.

A Yikatong stored-value card is the other main option. Buy it at a metro station service window with your passport, top it up at machines or windows, and tap in and out. It works on buses too, and the deposit is refundable at selected stations — ask at the window where you bought it before you rely on a refund.

Contactless bank cards and phone wallets issued outside China are not a dependable way through the gates. Some readers accept them, many do not, and the rule changes. Treat it as a backup, not a plan.

Beijing does not use numbered fare zones the way some European cities do. The metro is priced by distance travelled, so the fare is calculated when you exit. Buses charge a flat fare on most city routes, with a higher fare on longer suburban lines.

For a visitor this means one thing: you almost never need to think about zones. Tap or scan on the way in, tap or scan on the way out on the metro, and the system works out the rest. On buses you usually scan once, on entry.

Capital Airport (PEK) has the Airport Express, a dedicated rail line to the city, about ¥25 and roughly 25–30 minutes to Dongzhimen where you change to the metro. It runs from early morning to around 23:00; check the last train on your arrival day.

Daxing Airport (PKX) is 46 km south of the centre. The Daxing Airport Express links it to the city in about 20–30 minutes, and a car takes 60–95 minutes to the centre depending on traffic. Confirm the current fare and last train at the station.

For both airports, a DiDi or taxi is the fallback if you land after the last train. Use the official rank or the app; ignore touts in the arrivals hall.

Every metro station has a bag scan at the entrance. Allow a few extra minutes at big interchanges, and do not carry anything you would not want inspected.

The metro stops around 23:00. After that, DiDi is the practical option; it takes foreign cards and translates messages, which makes it easier than hailing a taxi on the street.

Rush hour is genuinely crowded on lines 1, 2, 4, 5, 10 and 13. If your plans are flexible, travel between 10:00 and 16:00 or after 19:30.

Keep your passport with you. It is needed to buy a Yikatong card and may be checked at stations during major events.