Chengdu Layover Guide: Things to Do & Transit Tips

A layover in Chengdu can be a great chance to get a small taste of this cosy city. Chengdu Tianfu International Airport (TFU) and the older Shuangliu (CTU) handle a huge number of flights, so transit stops here are very common. If you have a few hours between flights, you can take the express train or the metro into the city centre — the journey takes around 40–50 minutes. In this article, we have put together everything you need to know about transiting in Chengdu.

Photo source: unsplash

Which airports does Chengdu have: Chengdu Shuangliu and Chengdu Tianfu

Chengdu has two main airports. It is really important to check which airport you arrive at and which one you depart from!

Chengdu Shuangliu (CTU): the older airport, but fully modernised. Closer to the city centre. It mainly handles domestic flights, plus some international ones.

Chengdu Tianfu (TFU): a brand-new, enormous airport. Further from the centre. It takes the majority of both international and domestic flights.

Connecting between flights at the same airport

If both flights are with the same airline or alliance (for example Sichuan Airlines or Air China):

Follow the “Transit” signs.

You do not need to collect your bags or go through customs and passport control. Your luggage will be transferred to the next flight automatically.

You do need to go to the departure area and find the gate for your next flight. There are often dedicated counters for transit passengers.

If the flights are with different, unconnected airlines (for example, booked separately):

You will most likely have to collect your luggage.

Go through passport control and customs (if it is an international flight).

Go up to the departure level, check in for your next flight and check your bags in again.

Clear security and head to the boarding gate.

Recommended time for this kind of connection: at least 2–3 hours.

Transferring between airports (Chengdu Shuangliu CTU ↔ Chengdu Tianfu TFU)

The two airports are around 80 km apart.

Transfer options

Metro

Route from Shuangliu Airport:

Head to “Shuangliu Airport Terminal 2 East” station (双流机场2航站楼东) and board Line 19, the airport express line. The station is on level B2 of Terminal 2 and is linked to the Line 10 platforms by an underground walkway.

Stay on the train — Line 19 runs straight through to Tianfu Airport. Look out for the non-stop direct train (直达车): it skips every station in between.

Get off at “Tianfu Airport Terminal 1 & 2” (天府机场1号2号航站楼). The station is inside the GTC (Ground Transportation Centre).

Total travel time: around 30 minutes on the direct train, or around 40 minutes on the regular service.

Cost: around CNY 10.

Pros: fast, no traffic jams, cheap.

Cons: you will be hauling your luggage through stations, and it can get very crowded at peak hours.

Shuttle bus:

There is a direct shuttle between the two airports.

Travel time: around 1.5–2 hours depending on traffic.

Pros: direct route.

Cons: you can get stuck in a traffic jam.

Taxi:

Travel time: from 1 to 1.5 hours.

Cost: CNY 250–400.

Pros: comfortable.

Cons: expensive, risk of traffic jams.

Recommended time for this kind of connection: at least 6–8 hours between flights.

Photo source: unsplash

Connecting from plane to train (or the other way round)

Travellers often fly into Chengdu in order to continue their journey by train (to Xi’an, Chongqing or Tibet, for example).

From Chengdu Shuangliu Airport.

Take metro Line 10 to Taipingyuan (太平园), then change to Line 7: the inner loop runs to Chengdu North Railway Station and the outer loop to Chengdu East Railway Station, both in around 45–50 minutes. If you are heading to Chengdu East, there is also a high-speed train from Shuangliu Airport railway station that takes about 10 minutes.

From Chengdu Tianfu Airport.

Take metro Line 18 to Chengdu South Railway Station (about 33 minutes on the direct train), then change to other lines for North Railway Station or wherever else you need to go.

Recommended time: allowing for baggage collection and the trip to the station, leave at least 4–5 hours between landing and your train’s departure.

What to do if you have a long layover (6 to 24 hours)

Chengdu is one of the best cities for a long layover!

Option A: stay at the airport

Both Chengdu airports have good facilities: capsule hotels, paid lounges, plenty of restaurants and duty-free shops.

Option B: head into the city (highly recommended!)

How to get from Chengdu Shuangliu Airport to the city centre

Taxi

Where to find it: the official taxi ranks are at the exits of the arrivals halls in Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. Follow the signs. Please note: only use official taxis from the queue.

Travel time: 30–60 minutes, heavily dependent on traffic.

Cost: roughly RMB 50–100 to the centre (Chunxi Road / Tianfu Square area). Metered rides.

Metro (Line 10) (recommended)

This is the most efficient, cheapest and most reliable option, because it does not depend on traffic.

Line: Line 10 (the blue line), which stops at both airport terminals and runs into the city as far as Taipingyuan (太平园).

Stations at the airport:

Terminal 1 (T1): “Shuangliu Airport Terminal 1”

Terminal 2 (T2): “Shuangliu Airport Terminal 2”

Where to go: Line 10 passes through key transport hubs and city centre areas:

City centre (People’s Park, Chunxi Road): change to Line 3 at Taipingyuan (太平园) and get off at “Chunxi Road” (春熙路); for “Tianfu Square” (天府广场), continue on Line 3 to Shengtiyuguan (省体育馆) and change to Line 1. Allow around 45–60 minutes.

South Railway Station (火车南站): change to Line 7 at Taipingyuan (太平园); the station is a major interchange for high-speed trains.

Travel time to the centre: 30–50 minutes.

Cost: RMB 4–7 depending on distance.

Photo source: Trip.com

Shuttle bus

Handy if you would rather not take the metro but a taxi is too expensive.

Where to find it: the airport bus counters are on level 1 of both terminals. Follow the “Airport Bus” signs.

Main routes:

Route 1: North Railway Station – Tianfu Square – Shuangliu Airport.

Route 2: Chunxi Road – Shuangliu Airport.

Route 3: South Railway Station – Shuangliu Airport.

Travel time: 40–70 minutes.

Cost: RMB 10–20.

Pros: direct route to key spots, inexpensive.

Cons: can get stuck in traffic.

How to get from Chengdu Tianfu Airport to the city centre

Taxi

The official taxi rank is on level 1.

Travel time: 50–80 minutes.

Cost: roughly RMB 120–200 to the city centre.

Metro

The cheapest and most reliable option, unaffected by traffic.

Line 18 is the express line linking Tianfu Airport with the city.

Follow the signs to “Tianfu Airport Terminal 1 & 2”. The station is in the GTC (Ground Transportation Centre) zone.

Train types:

Regular service: stops at every station.

Direct train (直达车): calls only at Chengdu South Railway Station, Tianfu Airport Terminals 1 & 2 and Tianfu Airport North, cutting about 10 minutes off the trip.

Where to go: Line 18 runs to Chengdu South Railway Station, where you can change to other metro lines (1, 7 and 18).

Travel time: around 33 minutes to Chengdu South Railway Station on the direct train, or around 44 minutes on the regular service.

Cost: RMB 10 to Chengdu South Railway Station.

Pros: cheap, no traffic jams.

Cons: can get crowded, and awkward with very bulky luggage.

What you can fit in during a 6–8 hour layover in Chengdu

A classic route covering the most iconic spots in central Chengdu.

Kuanzhai Alley (宽窄巷子)

What to do: soak up the atmosphere of old Chengdu. Photograph the traditional Qing-era architecture, browse the souvenir shops and pick up local snacks. Right on Kuanzhai Alley you can try street food: dan dan noodles, dumplings and sweet pancakes. Or settle into one of the little courtyard restaurants.

People’s Park (人民公园)

What to do: see how locals really live. Watch the older residents dance, sing karaoke and play mahjong.

Have tea at the teahouse here: it is a huge, noisy and incredibly atmospheric open-air teahouse. Just sit down at a table and someone will bring you tea and a thermos of hot water.

Wenshu Monastery (文殊院)

What to do: reset after the noisy park in the calm of an ancient Buddhist monastery. Wander the beautiful halls and watch the monks go about their day.

Bonus: try the vegetarian food in the temple canteen, or have tea in its quiet teahouse.

Getting around: all of these spots sit close together in the city centre. It is easy to hop between them by taxi (10–15 minute rides) or on foot (15–25 minutes).

If your layover is even longer (say 10+ hours), you will also have time for the panda base.

Photo source: Trip.com

Tips for a short visit to Chengdu

Luggage: as soon as you get into town, drop your bags at a left-luggage facility at the station or in the metro. Or leave them at your hotel if you have already checked in.

Getting around: taxis or Didi (China’s equivalent of Grab) are your best friend for quick hops between places. The metro works brilliantly too.

Payment: make sure Alipay or WeChat Pay is set up with a linked card, or carry some yuan in cash.

Navigation: install Gaode Maps or Apple Maps (Google Maps is unreliable in China).

Transiting in Chengdu is quick and convenient. Chengdu has two airports: Chengdu Shuangliu (the older airport, closer to the city centre) and Chengdu Tianfu (the new airport, further from the centre). Shuttle buses, a convenient metro network and fast taxis link the two airports, the airports and the railway stations, and the airports and the city centre. If your layover is only a couple of hours, you can grab a bite at a café or rest in the waiting areas. And if your layover is a long one, you will have time for a stroll through the centre, a taste of the famous Sichuan hotpot (huǒguō), or a visit to People’s Park, where locals drink tea and play mahjong. Even a short stop in Chengdu leaves you with vivid impressions of its hospitable atmosphere.