# Beijing Airports: PEK vs PKX and How to Get to the City > Tell Beijing's two airports apart — Capital (PEK) versus Daxing (PKX) — with metro, fares and tips for reaching the city and your hotel. _Category: transport · Reading time: 4 min read_ Beijing has two international airports, and mixing them up is the single most common arrival mistake. Here is how to tell them apart and get into the city. ## Beijing Capital International (PEK) The older, larger airport in the northeast, handling the bulk of international and domestic flights. Bigger, busier, and a longer ride into town. - Metro: Airport Express to Dongzhimen / Sanyuanqiao, connecting to Lines 2, 10 and 13 - Opening hours: First and last trains roughly 06:00 to 23:00 (confirm current timetable) - Tickets: Airport Express about ¥25 to ¥35 per trip (confirm) - How long: About 30 to 40 minutes to the city centre ## Beijing Daxing International (PKX) The newer, striking starfish-shaped airport far to the south, opened in 2019. Sleeker and less crowded, but farther from the traditional city centre. - Metro: Daxing Airport Express to Caoqiao (Line 10), about 19 minutes, then connect to the metro - Opening hours: First and last trains roughly 06:00 to 23:00 (confirm current timetable) - Tickets: Airport Express about ¥35 (confirm) - How long: About 19 minutes to Caoqiao, then metro to the city ## Which one should you use? Your airline and ticket decide — you usually don't choose. PEK is northeast and closer to the classic centre; PKX is south. For our southern KOULING Donggaodi hotel, PKX is often the nearer of the two; for central and western stays, PEK can be comparable. Check your ticket's airport code before you set off. ## Getting to KOULING hotels From either airport, allow about 50 to 65 minutes to our hotels by taxi or ride-hail, longer in rush hour. The metro is cheaper but involves transfers; Didi or a taxi is simplest with luggage. Have your hotel's Chinese address ready to show the driver. ## Cost breakdown: taxi, metro or airport express From PEK, the Airport Express costs 25 yuan to Sanyuanqiao or Dongzhimen, where you transfer to Line 2 or Line 10; a metered taxi into the city typically runs 100–140 yuan plus a 10 yuan fuel surcharge and expressway tolls. From PKX, the Daxing Airport Express costs around 35 yuan to Caoqiao, and the Beijing–Xiong'an intercity rail also links the airport to Beijing West station in roughly 30 minutes for similar money; a taxi from PKX covers more kilometres, so expect 150–200 yuan depending on where in the city you are headed. Ride-hail (Didi) usually prices out slightly below or near the taxi meter but can add wait time at the designated pickup zones. For one or two travellers with light luggage the rail links win on price; for three or more people with suitcases, splitting a taxi often costs about the same and gets you door to door. Fares are reviewed periodically, so treat these as ballpark figures. ## Common mistakes at both airports The most expensive error is going to the wrong airport: Beijing's terminals are 60–100 km apart, and a same-day switch between them means at least two hours and 150–250 yuan by taxi. Check the airport code on the booking, not just the airline. Second, assume the last train is late enough — the PEK Airport Express and PKX airport line stop service around 22:30–23:00, so late arrivals should pre-book a taxi or hotel shuttle. Third, forget cash entirely: card and mobile payments are widely accepted, but small taxi operators and some shuttle counters may still want cash or a local payment app, so keep a few hundred yuan in notes. Finally, at PEK remember that Terminal 3 is a long walk or short shuttle ride from the railway station concourse — allow 15–20 minutes between train and check-in when planning a tight connection. ## Related Beijing guides If you found this useful, these cover the next question most visitors ask: - **Transport** — /guides/china-train-tickets-sold-out-what-to-do/ - **Itineraries** — /guides/guangzhou-vs-shanghai-march/ - **Attractions** — /guides/forbidden-city/ ## Timing your departure and arrival - **Arrive 2.5–3 hours before international flights** — Security and passport checks at PEK Terminal 3 can queue badly between 07:00–09:00 and around 13:00; PKX is faster but still peaks at midday. - **Domestic is fine at 90 minutes** — Both airports handle domestic check-in quickly; mobile boarding passes work for most carriers, but have your passport at every checkpoint. - **Avoid the evening taxi rush** — Between 17:30–19:30 the expressways into the city crawl; if you land at that time, the airport express plus metro is often 20–30 minutes faster than a car. - **Winter arrivals, buffer more** — Snow and haze cause rolling delays from December to February — check flight status the night before and keep the airline's rebooking line handy. - **Last metro connections** — Line 10 and Line 2 stop shortly after midnight but the airport rail links stop much earlier; confirm the final departure on the day at the station. ## Airport arrival tips - **Check the airport code** — PEK vs PKX — confirm before you travel. - **Arrive 2 to 3 hours early** — For international departures, security and document checks take time. - **Grab a SIM or eSIM on arrival** — Airport kiosks sell tourist SIMs; see our internet guide. - **Have the Chinese address** — Show it to the taxi or Didi driver. - **Keep small cash** — For tolls or a receipt if needed. ## Where to stay **KOULING Ruiyue Hotel** — 5m from Guogongzhuang Metro Station · 9.6/10 · US$26 View hotel: https://12001.net/hotels/ruiyue/ KOULING Ruiyue is 5 metres from Guogongzhuang Metro (Line 9 / Fangshan Line), accepts international cards and registers foreign passport holders on the spot — a calm, central base whether you flew into PEK or PKX. ## Where to stay **KOULING Hotel Beijing Donggaodi** — 7 min walk to Wufutang Metro Station (Line 8) · 9.4/10 · US$19 View hotel: https://12001.net/hotels/donggaodi/ KOULING Donggaodi has free Wi-Fi, free laundry and parking, a 7-minute walk from Wufutang Station on Line 8, rooms from US$19 and rated 9.4/10 — and being in the south, it is often the nearer of our two hotels to Daxing (PKX). --- Source: https://12001.net/guides/beijing-airports-pek-pkx/ © KOULING Hotels