The 9 Best Airports To Fly Into China in 2026 - Pros and Cons to help you decide!
Hi! I’m a native Chinese and the creator of this website.
With my airport guide, you will find it much easier to choose the right one!
Also check out my ultimate city guides!
Planning a trip to China? You should consider these 9 main airports that are located in different parts of China.
If you’re starting your trip in Northern China (e.g. Beijing, Tianjin) ⬆️
Pros:
Closer to the city, which makes it faster to get to downtown.
The airport express link also takes you further into the centre of the city.
Also the main hub for Air China. You can fly to pretty much any city with an airport in China.
Cons:
It’s definitely more crowded than Beijing Daxing (for the time being).
More traffic congestion if travelling by road.
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Pros:
Everything looks new because it only opened in 2019.
Its design minimises walking between concourse and gates because it’s shaped like a starfish. One of the most impressive airports in China in my opinion.
It’s the world’s largest single-building airport. There’s only one terminal so you don’t need to look for the right terminal.
Cons:
It’s much further from the city core than the other airport.
If you’re using the airport express link, you’ll likely need to transfer lines a couple of times. If you’re taking a taxi, it’ll take longer.
👉🏻 If both airports are available to you, it’ll come down to price for most people. If you’re not fussed about price and care more about time:
Compare flights to Beijing Capital if you’re staying in the central, northern, or eastern part of the city.
Compare flights to Beijing Daxing if you’re staying in the southern or southwestern part of the city.
📍Also check out my Beijing Ultimate Travel Guide
You could save money by:
If you’re starting your trip in Eastern China (e.g. Shanghai, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Nanjing) ➡️
Pros:
Has by far the most flights for international visitors to Eastern China.
The airport is very well connected by railway, with Line 2, maglev link, and airport link line.
It’s very close to Disneyland Shanghai.
Cons:
Even with the excellent public transport, it still feels a long way from the downtown area.
If you’re taking a taxi, it can take more than an hour in peak hours.
There might also be quite a bit of walking after you land, depending on your arrival gate.
👉🏻 Check prices for flights to Shanghai Pudong if you are visiting Eastern China for the start of your trip + there are no flights flying to other airports from your country.
📍Also check out my Shanghai Ultimate Travel Guide
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Pros:
It’s closer to other key cities such as Yiwu and Huangshan.
The airport is smaller compared to Shanghai Pudong, so there’s less walking around and it feels more manageable to me.
Cons:
Limited flight availability is the main thing. Not much else.
👉🏻Check prices for flights to Hangzhou if you are visiting this city or surrounding cities (e.g. Yiwu, Huangshan) for the majority of your trip.
📍Also check out my Hangzhou Ultimate Travel Guide
❗ Save money on flights by checking out my article How to Get The Best Deal For Flights to China
❗ Save money on hotels by checking out my article How to Get The Best Deal For Hotels in China
If you’re starting your trip in Southern China (e.g. Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Shenzhen) ⬇️
Pros:
Best connected internationally, especially to Europe, North America, Oceania, South East Asia, South Korea, Japan.
Many cities have multiple flights to Hong Kong every day, which potentially makes it the cheapest!
The airport is pretty amazing and there’s also plenty of choice for food inside the airport.
If you’re going to any other cities, book your high speed rail ticket from Hong Kong West Kowloon Station OR take cross-border buses/shuttle buses to the mainland border OR take a ferry.
Cons:
You’ll have to clear immigration twice (once for entering Hong Kong and once for entering the mainland).
There is an exception to this - if you’re not visiting Hong Kong but visiting either Guangzhou, Shenzhen, or Macao, you can consider taking the Skypier Ferry without clearing immigration in Hong Kong.
Otherwise, entering Hong Kong can take you an extra 2 hours to reach your target city in the mainland, compared to flying to that city directly.
👉🏻 Check prices for flights to Hong Kong if you’re visiting Hong Kong and nearby cities in Southern China
OR the flights are much cheaper compared to other cities in Southern China (I’ll leave you to decide how much cheaper is worth it for you)
OR is the only airport in China with a direct flight.
📍Also check out my Hong Kong Ultimate Travel Guide
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Pros:
Regular international flights to every continent.
It’s the closest major airport for Guilin and Yangshuo.
Line 3 takes you right into the centre of the city.
Cons:
If you are staying in the southern parts of the city, it will take more than 1 hour to get there. It definitely made me realise how big Guangzhou is!
👉🏻 Check prices for flights to Guangzhou if you’re visiting anywhere in Southern China (e.g. Guilin, Yangshuo, but not Hong Kong or Macau).
Look up high speed rail times to Guilin and Yangshuo here
📍Also check out my Guangzhou Ultimate Travel Guide
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Pros:
Excellent metro connections with the Line 11 express, Line 1, and Line 12.
Only around 30 minutes from downtown when using Line 11 so it doesn’t feel far. The airport looks very futuristic.
Cons:
Not many international airlines to this airport yet. Otherwise, go for it.
👉🏻 Check prices for flights to Shenzhen if you’re visiting this city or nearby cities, if the price is the cheapest (taking into account the additional transport costs).
📍Also check out my Shenzhen Ultimate Travel Guide
If you’re starting your trip in Western China (Chengdu, Kunming, Chongqing, Xi’an, Xinjiang, Tibet) ⬅️
Pros:
The airport with the most international flights in Western China.
It has the lightning fast metro line, Line 18, which can take you to the centre of the city in 30-40 minutes.
Cons:
It’s a long way away from downtown areas and you’ll feel it unless travelling by metro. If you take a taxi, it’ll take at least 1 hour.
👉🏻 Check prices for flights to Chengdu if you’re visiting this city, anywhere in Sichuan, Chongqing, Xi’an, or Guiyang. Take the metro to one of the high speed rail stations (mainly Chengdudong or Chengdunan), where you can transfer to a high speed train (remember to book the ticket in advance).
📍Also check out my Chengdu Ultimate Travel Guide
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Pros:
The closest airport to Tiger Leaping Gorge, Dali, Lijiang, Shangri-La, and numerous stunning locations in Yunnan Province.
You can also land here to kick off your journey to Laos along the China-Laos Railway, which opened in 2021.
Cons:
It doesn’t have that many international flights, so there is a high chance that you’ll need a transfer flight from another airport.
👉🏻 Check prices for flights to Kunming if you’re visiting this city, or anywhere in Yunnan.
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Chongqing and Xi’an both have their own airports. BUT👇🏻
As of summer 2026, there are limited international flights and airlines to Chongqing Jiangbei or Xi’an Xiaoyang airports.
But you might be one of the lucky ones. You can consider transfer flights from the major airports listed previously.
Remember you can fly into Chengdu and take the high speed train to either of these destinations.
1.5hrs to Chongqing, 3.5hrs to Xi’an. Most people who are visiting Chongqing or Xi’an are also visiting Chengdu anyway.
📍Also check out my
Chongqing Ultimate Travel Guide + Xi’an Ultimate Travel Guide
Zhangjiajie does have an airport but its flights are very limited.
If you can’t get a suitable one, book a flight to Chongqing instead and get the high speed train from Chongqing East (which takes 2-3 hrs). If you’re starting in Chengdu or one of the southern cities, the high speed train is also very feasible.
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Xinjiang and Tibet
None of the above airports are suitable if you’re travelling to these regions.
For Xinjiang, you should fly into Urumqi Tianshan either directly or through a transfer flight from one of the airports above. Then use additional transfer flights for other cities.
For Tibet, you should fly into Lhasa Gonggar from one of the airports above (NOTE: you need to join a tour and you need a Tibet Travel Permit so don’t book without getting these!)
NOTE FROM ME: This article covers the most well-connected airports in China. There are other airports available, but I have not covered them due to their extremely limited international flights. Remember to do your research if your destination is a smaller city and you are okay with transfer flights.
This article was written for YenKid In China, an original and independent practical guide for China travel. I write China travel guides to save you time, money and stress.
Embedded video credited to the unaffiliated YouTube channel "Walk East" in accordance with YouTube's fair use policy.
