How to get to China: airports, flights and border crossings

Pick the airport that matches the trip you have already planned, not the cheapest fare on its own. Beijing and Shanghai are the two hubs with the widest long-haul choice, and both connect to the rest of the country by high-speed rail. If your itinerary is Beijing plus Shanghai, fly into one and out of the other; the rail link between them takes about 4.5–6 hours and saves a backtrack.

Beijing has two big airports. Capital (PEK) is older, closer to the city centre and the usual choice for the Forbidden City and hutongs. Daxing (PKX) is south of the city, newer and used by several international carriers; the express rail into the centre takes roughly 20–30 minutes to Caoqiao and longer with a connection. Check which one your airline uses before you book a hotel.

Shanghai Pudong (PVG) handles almost all long-haul traffic; Hongqiao (SHA) is closer in but mostly domestic and regional. Pudong is about 30 km from the Bund, and the Maglev plus metro or a taxi takes 45–75 minutes depending on traffic. Guangzhou Baiyun (CAN) is the practical gateway for Hong Kong-adjacent Guangdong and for connections into Southeast Asia. Chengdu Tianfu (TFU) is the new Sichuan hub, with Shuangliu (CTU) now mostly domestic. Hong Kong (HKG) is a separate entry with its own immigration rules and is often the cheapest way into the region, but you cross a border to reach the mainland.

There are nonstop flights to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and sometimes Chengdu from major hubs in the US, Canada, the UK, Australia and New Zealand, but not from every city, and the list changes with the season. If there is no nonstop from your airport, one connection in Seoul, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Doha, Dubai or Istanbul usually adds 3–6 hours of total travel.

Fares move a lot by season. Chinese New Year, the first week of May and the first week of October are the peaks, when domestic travel surges and inbound fares rise; late January to March and November are usually cheaper outside the holiday weeks. Book 6–10 weeks ahead for the best balance of price and choice, and check whether your fare includes a checked bag, since some Asian carriers sell it separately.

China has long land borders and several of them take foreign travellers. From Hong Kong you can cross at Lo Wu, Lok Ma Chau, Shenzhen Bay and the high-speed rail terminus at West Kowloon; from Macau, the Gongbei and Hengqin crossings into Zhuhai. These are the easiest land entries because the transport on both sides is frequent and well signed.

Further afield, the crossings are fewer and slower. Vietnam connects at Dong Dang (for Hanoi to Nanning trains), Lao Cai (for Kunming) and Mong Cai. Laos connects at Mohan (for the Boten–Vientiane railway) and at Mohan's road counterpart. Mongolia connects at Erlian (Zamyn-Uud) for the Ulaanbaatar train, and Kazakhstan at Khorgos and Alashankou for Almaty. The Russia crossings in the northeast, such as Manzhouli and Suifenhe, are open but services are limited; check current train and bus schedules before you commit, because some routes run only a few days a week.

By sea, international cruise ships call at Shanghai, Tianjin (for Beijing), Xiamen, Sanya and Hong Kong, and some nationalities can use visa-free transit for short cruise stops; the rules are narrow and change, so confirm with the cruise line and the Chinese embassy before you sail. Ferries from Japan and South Korea have been reduced since 2020; treat any schedule you find as unconfirmed until the operator lists it.

Sort out three things before departure, because none of them is easy to fix on arrival. First, your entry status: visa-free lists, transit exemptions and visa types depend on your passport, and the rules have changed several times in recent years. Check the Chinese embassy site for your country and apply early if you need a visa.

Second, payments. Alipay and WeChat Pay accept foreign cards in most cases, but you must set them up and verify your identity before you land; many shops, taxis and ticket machines take only a QR code. Carry some yuan in cash as a backup for small vendors and rural areas.

Third, connectivity. A local SIM or eSIM bought before you fly gives you data on landing, and many travellers also need a VPN installed in advance, since some apps and sites are not reachable on Chinese networks. Install and test it at home, not at the airport. Travel insurance is worth arranging at the same time, particularly for medical cover and trip cancellation.

All the big Chinese airports have metro or express rail links, and they are usually the fastest option in rush hour. Beijing Capital connects by the Airport Express to Dongzhimen, Beijing Daxing by express rail to Caoqiao, Shanghai Pudong by the Maglev to Longyang Road plus metro line 2, and Chengdu Tianfu by metro line 18. Signage is in English and ticket machines take QR payment or cash.

Taxis are metered and reasonably priced, but queues at peak times can be long and drivers rarely speak English; have your hotel name and address written in Chinese. Ride-hailing through Alipay or WeChat works at most airports and is often the simplest option if you have data. If you land late, book a hotel near the airport for the first night rather than pushing into the city.

Prices and schedules in this guide are 2026 estimates and change often, especially for flights and cross-border trains. Treat every timetable here as a starting point and confirm with the airline, railway or embassy before you pay.

If you are combining China with Hong Kong or Macau, remember they are separate immigration areas with their own visa rules; a mainland visa does not cover them and vice versa. For most first trips, flying into Beijing or Shanghai and out of the other is the simplest structure, with high-speed rail in between.