Skip to content
Voykit
Set your trip — dates, party, bagsPlanner

Draft data. Times, fares and step counts are desk estimates awaiting field checks. Unknown times stay unknown. How we verify

Major city · China

Kaifeng开封

Make Kaifeng an overnight from Zhengzhou: one night and one full day covers the walled old city, and two nights only pays off if you add the Yellow River or the chrysanthemum festival. A same-day return is possible but tight.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
CNY
Best months
Apr–May, Sep–Oct
avoid Jul–Aug (hot, wet), late Jan–Feb (cold, Spring Festival crowds)
Airport
CGO
Nights
1
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.

Kaifeng was the Song-dynasty capital and probably the largest city in the world in the 11th century; its central axis has never moved and each city sits on the ruins of the last. Today it is a compact, low-rise old town inside a rebuilt wall, 30 minutes by high-speed rail from Zhengzhou. Come for one day of temples, pagodas and night-market food, not for a long stay.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Kaifeng, 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.

  • Street or quick mealNight-market snack plate (baozi, peanut cake, sesame cake)¥10–30 (≈ US$2–5)
  • Beerdraught in a bar / can at a convenience store¥15–30 (≈ US$3–5)¥5–10 (≈ US$1–2)
  • Taxi, about 5 km5 km taxiStarts at ¥8 for 2 km, then about ¥1.8 per km.¥13–18 (≈ US$2–3)
  • Metro or bus rideCity bus ride¥1 (≈ under US$1)
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a week¥50–100 (≈ US$7–14)
  • Museum or sight ticketTemple or pagoda entry¥15–120 (≈ US$3–17)
  • Budget bedHostel or guesthouse bed, a night, per personCN¥60 (≈ US$9)
  • Mid-range bedMid-range double room, a night, per roomCN¥300 (≈ US$45)
  • High-end bedMid-range double room, a night, per roomCN¥600 (≈ US$85)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget CN¥200 (≈ US$30) · Mid CN¥450 (≈ US$65) · High CN¥900 (≈ US$130)

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.

Song-dynasty capital and the Qingming scrollIron Pagoda (1049)Daxiangguo TempleGulou night market foodChrysanthemum festival
Airports
CGO Zhengzhou Xinzheng International (About 1 h by taxi (¥160, check) or the airport shuttle to Zhengzhou East then high-speed rail to Songcheng Lu, about 30 min; a shuttle to the Civil Aviation Hotel plus a local bus is the cheap route (check current service))

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Kaifeng: 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

5°C

−3°C

4 rd

Feb

9°C

0°C

5 rd

Mar

15°C

5°C

6 rd

Apr

22°C

11°C

7 rd

May

27°C

17°C

7 rd

Jun

32°C

21°C

8 rd

Jul

32°C

24°C

11 rd

Aug

31°C

23°C

10 rd

Sep

27°C

18°C

8 rd

Oct

22°C

12°C

6 rd

Nov

14°C

5°C

5 rd

Dec

7°C

−1°C

4 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

The old city is flat and walkable; most sights sit within 3 km of Gulou Square. City buses cost ¥1 and bus 20 links the main sights. Motorised rickshaws (bengbeng) run short hops for ¥2–3 and the length of the city for about ¥6. Taxis start at ¥8 for the first 2 km, then about ¥1.8 per km. High-speed trains use Kaifeng North (long-distance) and Songcheng Lu (Zhengzhou shuttle), both well west of the wall.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Zhengzhou

go

Door to door: About 1.5 h (check)

High-speed rail from Kaifeng North or Songcheng Lu to Zhengzhou East, about 30 min (check)

Use it as the airport leg or a half-day for the Henan Museum; the Songcheng Lu shuttle runs roughly every 90 min (check).

Yellow River bank

caution

Door to door: About 1 h (check)

Taxi, or bus 6 from near the north entrance of Iron Pagoda park (check)

The river runs above the city behind its dykes; there is little riverside infrastructure, so go for the view, not a full day.

Zhoukou

skip

Door to door: 3 h+ (check)

Long-distance bus or rail via Zhengzhou (check)

No direct fast link confirmed; not worth a day from a one-night Kaifeng stop.

Shangqiu

caution

Door to door: About 1.5 h (check)

High-speed rail east on the Xuzhou line (check)

Only if you are heading east anyway; the old city here is the stronger half-day.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

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

Gulou Square and Shudian Jie

Centre of the old city, walkable to the night market, Daxiangguo Temple and the Drum Tower; best for a one-night stop.

Longting (Dragon Pavilion area)

North of the centre, next to Dragon Pavilion and Qingming River Garden; quieter, 10–15 min by taxi from Gulou.

Kaifeng Station area

Cheapest beds and the main bus terminal; 15–20 min by bus or bengbeng into the old city, useful for early trains.

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
¥150–300 (≈ US$25–45) excl. bed (2026 estimate, check)
Mid
¥300–600 (≈ US$45–85) excl. bed (2026 estimate, check)
High
¥600 (≈ US$85)+ excl. bed (2026 estimate, check)

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Mid-range double room1 × 1 night × CN¥300CN¥300
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × CN¥450CN¥900
High-speed rail Zhengzhou East ↔ Kaifeng, both ways2 × CN¥60 · 2026 estimate, checkCN¥120
City bus rides, one day2 × CN¥4 · 2026 estimate, checkCN¥8
eSIM, about a week of data2 × CN¥70 · 2026 estimate, checkCN¥140
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeCN¥147
Trip total≈ CN¥808 per person per day, bed includedCN¥1,615≈ US$250

2026 estimate, check

2026 estimate in yuan, all figures check; long-distance transport excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Night-market snack plate (baozi, peanut cake, sesame cake)¥10–30 (≈ US$2–5)
Noodle or mutton soup bowl¥15–35 (≈ US$3–5)
Beer: draught in a bar / can at a convenience store¥15–30 (≈ US$3–5) / ¥5–10 (≈ US$1–2)
5 km taxiStarts at ¥8 for 2 km, then about ¥1.8 per km.¥13–18 (≈ US$2–3)
City bus ride¥1 (≈ under US$1)
Bengbeng rickshaw, short hop¥2–3 (≈ under US$1)
Temple or pagoda entry¥15–120 (≈ US$3–17)
eSIM or data SIM, about a week¥50–100 (≈ US$7–14)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Kaifeng sees little violent crime and the old town is busy in the evening, but take the usual precautions: watch your bag in markets, use licensed taxis or ride-hailing at night, and treat bengbeng and scooter traffic as the main everyday risk. Ask the total at night-market stalls before you order.
  • Two rail stations serve different lines: Kaifeng North for long-distance high-speed trains, Songcheng Lu for the Zhengzhou shuttle — check your ticket before you leave.
  • Songcheng Lu is 15–30 min from the old city by bus or taxi (¥20–25 (≈ US$3–4)); allow time on the return leg.
  • Some sights are reconstructions built for coach groups; decide per site rather than buying every ticket.
  • Summer is hot and humid with most of the year's rain in July–August; winter is cold and dry.
  • Temple halls often post a no-photo rule that is loosely enforced; follow the posted sign.

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.

Kaifeng开封

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

请到这个地址To this address, please

Emergency

  • Police110
  • Fire119
  • Ambulance120

Embassy

No embassies in Kaifeng; most countries keep embassies in Beijing and consulates-general in Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu. US citizens: American Citizen Services in Beijing.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Songcheng Lu → old city, taxi: ¥20–25 (≈ US$3–4), 15–30 min
  • Kaifeng → Zhengzhou East, high-speed rail: about ¥30 (≈ US$5), 30 min
  • Taxi start, first 2 km: ¥8 (≈ US$2), then about ¥1.8 (≈ under US$1) per km

Say or show

  • 你好 — Hello (nǐ hǎo)
  • 谢谢 — Thank you (xiè xie)
  • 多少钱？ — How much is it? (duō shao qián)
  • 要这个 — This one, please (yào zhè ge)
  • 可以刷卡吗？ — Can I pay by card? (kě yǐ shuā kǎ ma)
  • 洗手间在哪里？ — Where is the toilet? (xǐ shǒu jiān zài nǎ lǐ)

Alipay or WeChat Pay linked to a foreign card covers almost everything; keep a few ¥10 and ¥20 notes for market stalls and bengbeng.

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 Kaifeng. 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: Apr–May, Sep–Oct · avoid Jul–Aug (hot, wet), late Jan–Feb (cold, Spring Festival crowds) · month by month →
  2. 1 airport and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 4 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 CGO: last high-speed departure to Kaifeng North field-checked, taxi fallback, overnight rung.
  2. Four walking clusters with rescue anchors: Gulou and Shudian Jie, Daxiangguo Temple, Dragon Pavilion and Qingming River Garden, Iron Pagoda.
  3. Place pages with verified cutoffs (Iron Pagoda, Daxiangguo Temple, Kaifeng Museum, Dragon Pavilion) and eat pages with night-market hours.
  4. Festival and hostile-weather fixtures so gates A–D can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to China

Sources