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Major city · China

Chongqing重庆

Give Chongqing 2–3 nights: one for Jiefangbei and Hongyadong after dark, one for Ciqikou and the river, and one spare for a Yangtze or Dazu run.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
CNY
Best months
Mar–May, Sep–Nov
avoid Jul–Aug (hot and humid), Oct–Mar (smog)
Airport
CKG
Nights
2–3
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 7
  • East Asia ↗Every border in East Asia is a full international border, Hong Kong and Macau included: an entry permission for one never covers the next.
  • East Asia ↗Ferries between Korea, Japan and China cancel in rough seas and typhoons; keep a flight or a spare day behind every sea leg.
  • China ↗Most nationalities need a visa, a unilateral visa-free entry (the list and end dates change) or the transit exemption below. Confirm your route on the official sites before you buy a ticket.
  • China ↗Transit stay without a visa: up to 240 hours (10 days) for citizens of about 55 listed countries who pass through China to a third country or region, with a confirmed onward ticket and a stay inside the permitted area (Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei count as one area). It replaced the 144-hour rule in December 2024, which some older pages still quote. Use the transit lane at immigration, show the onward ticket, and check the current nationality list. Hong Kong and Macau count as separate regions; check whether your ticket qualifies.
  • China ↗Foreign visitors must register their address with the police within 24 hours; hotels do it at check-in with your passport. Carry the original passport at all times: hotels, trains, museums, Tiananmen Square and police checks ask for it.
  • China ↗Set up Alipay or WeChat Pay with a foreign card before you fly. QR payment is the default in shops, taxis and many stalls, and some places refuse cash or a foreign card. Carry cash as a backup.
  • China ↗Google, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and many news sites are blocked. Use an eSIM with roaming (it routes through your home network) or install and test a VPN before you fly; VPN sites and app stores are hard to reach inside China, and only government-approved VPNs are officially permitted.

Chongqing is China's only western coast municipality, a hilly river city of about 8.8 million in the urban core and the launch point for Three Gorges cruises and the Dazu Rock Carvings. Its centre is vertical, not flat: the ground floor of one building can sit level with the 20th floor of the next. Most travellers use it as a 2–3 night stop between Chengdu and the Yangtze, not as a long stay.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Chongqing, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • Coffee¥20–40 (≈ US$3–6)
  • Street or quick mealNoodle soup (xiaomian)¥10–20 (≈ US$2–3)
  • Taxi, about 5 kmTaxi, 5 kmMeter starts at ¥8; higher after midnight.¥15–25 (≈ US$3–4)
  • Metro or bus rideMetro ride¥2–7 (≈ under US$1)
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a week¥100–200 (≈ US$14–30)
  • Budget bedHostel dorm bed, a night, per personCN¥60 (≈ US$9)
  • Mid-range bedMid-range double room, a night, per roomCN¥350 (≈ US$50)
  • High-end bedMid-range double room, a night, per roomCN¥700 (≈ US$100)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget CN¥250 (≈ US$35) · Mid CN¥500 (≈ US$70) · High CN¥1,100 (≈ US$160)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Hongyadong night skylineJiefangbei and the Yangtze–Jialing confluenceHotpotCiqikou old townThree Gorges cruises and the Dazu Rock Carvings
Airports
CKG Chongqing Jiangbei International (About 21 km northeast of the centre; Metro Line 3 and Line 10 link the terminals to town.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Chongqing: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

10°C

6°C

10 rd

Feb

14°C

8°C

10 rd

Mar

19°C

12°C

12 rd

Apr

24°C

16°C

14 rd

May

27°C

19°C

15 rd

Jun

30°C

22°C

15 rd

Jul

34°C

25°C

13 rd

Aug

34°C

25°C

11 rd

Sep

29°C

22°C

13 rd

Oct

22°C

17°C

14 rd

Nov

17°C

13°C

11 rd

Dec

12°C

8°C

9 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

Metro is the default: cheap, air-conditioned, English announcements, and it reaches the airport, both main rail stations and the sights. Line 2 is a monorail. Buses are frequent but need Chinese route reading. Taxis start at ¥8 and are metered; few drivers speak English, so show your destination in Chinese. Walking means stairs and steep lanes — plan short hops, not long walks.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Dazu Rock Carvings

go

Door to door: About 3 h each way

High-speed train or bus west, then a local bus or taxi to the carvings

UNESCO-listed Buddhist carvings; a full day, leave early.

Wulong

overnight

Door to door: 3–4 h each way

Train or bus southeast, then shuttle to the karst park

Too far for a comfortable return day; sleep one night.

Fuling

go

Door to door: About 1 h

High-speed train down the Yangtze

River town and the 816 nuclear plant site.

Wanzhou

go

Door to door: About 1.5 h

High-speed train east along the Yangtze

Gateway to the Three Gorges; pairs with a cruise.

Tongnan

caution

Door to door: 1.5–2 h

Train or bus northwest

Best in spring for the rapeseed fields; check the season.

Qianjiang

caution

Door to door: About 2 h

Train southeast into the municipality

Useful as a stop on the way to Wulong or Zhangjiajie.

Qijiang

skip

Door to door: About 1 h

Train south from Chongqing West

Little for a short trip unless you have a specific reason.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Jiefangbei / Yuzhong

Downtown core: walk to Hongyadong, the monument and the riverfront; most expensive beds.

Guanyinqiao / Jiangbei

North-bank shopping and nightlife; Metro Line 3, good mid-range hotels.

Shapingba

University district; Metro Line 1 to Ciqikou and the centre, cheaper rooms.

Nan'an / Nanping

South bank with skyline views across the river; Metro Loop Line and Line 3.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
¥250–450 (≈ US$35–65) excl. bed
Mid
¥450–900 (≈ US$65–130) excl. bed
High
¥900 (≈ US$130)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Mid-range double room1 × 3 nights × CN¥350CN¥1,050
Food, local transport, entries2 × 3 days × CN¥500CN¥3,000
Airport metro to the centre, one way2 × CN¥10 · checkCN¥20
Taxi CKG to downtown1 × CN¥80 · checkCN¥80
eSIM, about a week of data2 × CN¥150CN¥300
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeCN¥445
Trip total≈ CN¥816 per person per day, bed includedCN¥4,895≈ US$700

2026 estimate in yuan; flights and rail passes excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee¥20–40 (≈ US$3–6)
Noodle soup (xiaomian)¥10–20 (≈ US$2–3)
Hotpot, per person¥60–120 (≈ US$9–17)
Metro ride¥2–7 (≈ under US$1)
Taxi, 5 kmMeter starts at ¥8; higher after midnight.¥15–25 (≈ US$3–4)
Raffles City observation deckcheck¥180 (≈ US$30)
eSIM or data SIM, about a week¥100–200 (≈ US$14–30)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Chongqing is generally safe for tourists; the real risks are summer heat and humidity, smog from October to March, steep stairs and confusing multi-level streets, and unlicensed taxis at stations — use the metro and metered yellow cabs.
  • Summer heat and humidity (Jun–Sep) plus smog from Oct–Mar; people with respiratory problems should plan around it.
  • The city is built on hills and two rivers: a 500 m walk on the map can mean several flights of stairs.
  • Empty taxis are hard to find on very hot days; use the metro instead.
  • Biking is not a practical way to see the centre.
  • Terminal 1 at CKG is closed for renovation; check which terminal your flight uses.

Emergency numbers

Police
110
Fire
119
Ambulance
120

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

Chongqing重庆

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

请到这个地址To this address, please

Emergency

  • Police110
  • Fire119
  • Ambulance120

Embassy

The US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand have embassies in Beijing and consulates-general in Chengdu or Shanghai; check the nearest for your passport.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • CKG → downtown, metro: about ¥10 (≈ US$2), 40–60 min (check)
  • CKG → downtown, taxi: ¥40–80 (≈ US$6–12)
  • Chongqing North → Chengdu, high-speed: about 1.5 h (check)

Say or show

  • 你好 — Hello (nǐ hǎo)
  • 谢谢 — Thank you (xièxie)
  • 多少钱？ — How much is it? (duōshǎo qián)
  • 可以刷卡吗？ — Can I pay by card? (kěyǐ shuākǎ ma)
  • 洗手间在哪里？ — Where is the toilet? (xǐshǒujiān zài nǎlǐ)
  • 不要辣 — Not spicy, please (bù yào là)

Metro and most sights take Alipay or WeChat Pay; carry some cash for small shops.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Chongqing. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Mar–May, Sep–Nov · avoid Jul–Aug (hot and humid), Oct–Mar (smog) · month by month →
  2. 1 airport and 4 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 7 day-trips, door to door
  6. 5 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for CKG: last metro departures, taxi fallback, overnight rung.
  2. Four walking clusters with rescue anchors: Jiefangbei and Hongyadong, Chaotianmen and Raffles City, Ciqikou, Shibati and the south bank.
  3. Place pages with verified cutoffs (Hongyadong, Raffles City deck, Great Hall, Ciqikou) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Yangtze cruise and Dazu fixtures so gates A–D can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to China

Sources