Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK, 首都国际机场) is northeast of the city. It is a different airport from Beijing Daxing (PKX): check the airport code and terminal on your booking before planning a journey. Once you have collected your luggage, choose between the airport railway, a licensed taxi, an airport bus or a pre-arranged transfer according to your destination and arrival time.
Choose by your final destination
Beijing has no single downtown stop that suits every hotel. Find your hotel's Chinese address and nearest metro station first. A railway connection can work well for a solo traveller with manageable bags; a taxi or transfer may be easier for a family, a late arrival or a courtyard hotel some distance from a station. Compare the whole journey, including changes and the final walk, rather than the airport leg alone.
The Airport Express station at Capital Airport Terminal 3. Leave time to follow the terminal signs and reach the rail platform. Photograph: Tour Beijing.
Allow time for immigration, baggage collection, finding the transport area and station security. A scheduled landing time is not the time you will reach the platform or vehicle. Keep your accommodation's telephone number available if you need help locating a small hutong entrance.
Capital Airport Express and metro connections
Follow the Airport Express / 首都机场线 signs from Terminals 2 or 3. The line connects the airport with Sanyuanqiao, Dongzhimen and Beixinqiao. Useful onward connections include Line 10 at Sanyuanqiao, Lines 2 and 13 at Dongzhimen, and Line 5 at Beixinqiao. Choose the interchange that best fits your destination; Dongzhimen is not the only city-side option.
An Airport Express train at Capital Airport Terminal 3. Use current signs for the platform and onward metro connections. Photograph: Tour Beijing.
The municipal Capital Airport rail information lists the boarding areas at T2's parking building, basement level 2, and T3's parking building, level 2. Follow current terminal signs if access arrangements change. The airport service and onward metro journey have separate fare arrangements; check ticket instructions before entering.
Consult the official subway station information for connections and operating notices. The airport railway and connecting lines have their own first and last trains, so allow a transfer margin rather than relying only on the airport train's departure. A recently announced station or extension is not necessarily open.
Licensed taxis and booked cars
Use the signed taxi queue or your booked car's designated meeting area. Show the driver the hotel's Chinese name and address, and request a receipt. Ask about the applicable fare and any tolls rather than relying on an old flat-price example; the road journey changes considerably with your destination and traffic.
For an app-based car, confirm the registration, pickup location and booking details in the app. For a private transfer, agree the meeting point, luggage capacity, child-seat requirements if relevant, waiting allowance and late-flight arrangements before travel. Driver-only and English-speaking escort services are different products.
Tour Beijing, Beijing Page's associated travel service, describes its options on the airport transfer page. Ask for a current quote for your exact airport, hotel and party rather than treating an old guide's price as an offer.
Airport buses
An airport bus can be convenient when a stop is close to your hotel, but it is less useful if it leaves a difficult final connection. Check the route, direction, stopping point and current departure pattern at the ticket counter or official booking platform. Do not assume that a service shown in an old hotel directory still operates or stops at every terminal.
The municipality's 2026 airport-bus update records route and service changes. For help buying airport bus or railway tickets, the Beijing Service airport counter provides passenger assistance.
Late arrivals and the return journey
If your flight arrives close to the last public transport services, have a road-transfer alternative ready. Leave extra time for a journey between Capital and Daxing airports; they are not neighbouring terminals.
Before returning to PEK, recheck the airline's terminal, check-in deadline and transport operating notice. A hutong hotel may require a short walk to a vehicle pickup point. The Beijing transport guide covers city journeys, while airport pickup planning explains what information to give a transfer operator.