Beijing Subway Travel Guide: Fares, Transfer Tips and Station Matching

How the Network Fits a Visitor's Day

By the end of 2024 the Beijing subway operated 27 lines, more than 800 kilometres of track and over 500 stations, which places it among the largest urban rail systems in the world. For visitors that scale translates into direct coverage of the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace and the Olympic Park, usually without a taxi ride at either end of the day.

Fares are distance based, and the system becomes easy to use once the payment method is settled. Trains run from early morning until roughly 22:30 to 23:30 depending on the line, so any evening plan should include a look at the last departure from the station nearest your hotel.

Signs and announcements appear in Chinese and English, and station names carry numbers on most maps, which helps when a platform is crowded and the departure board is hard to read. Learning the line numbers for the three or four stations you use most saves a surprising amount of time over a five-day stay.

One habit worth adopting early is to plan a route as a sequence of line numbers rather than station names. Once you know that the Forbidden City sits on Line 1 and the Summer Palace on Line 4, most of the city becomes a simple question of which interchange connects the two.

Tickets, Cards and Payment

Fares begin at 3 yuan for journeys within 6 kilometres and rise to 4 yuan for 6 to 12 kilometres, 5 yuan for 12 to 22 kilometres and 6 yuan for 22 to 32 kilometres. Beyond 32 kilometres the fare adds 1 yuan for every further 20 kilometres with no upper cap, though most trips inside the fifth ring land between 3 and 5 yuan.

A Yikatong card can be bought at staffed windows or self-service machines for a 20 yuan deposit, topped up as needed and returned at the end of the trip. The card also earns cumulative discounts: once monthly spending passes 100 yuan, fares drop by 20 percent, and above 150 yuan the discount reaches 50 percent.

Mobile payment works through NFC on phones configured with Apple Pay or Huawei Pay, and the Yitongxing app generates a QR code that opens the gates. Travellers without a local bank account often find the QR route simplest, since it avoids both the deposit and the queue at the ticket window.

The two airport lines sit outside the normal structure. The Capital Airport Express costs 25 yuan one way, and the Daxing Airport Express costs 35 yuan from Caoqiao, and neither counts toward the cumulative discount scheme that applies to the urban network.

• Buy a Yikatong card only if you plan several days of travel, since the deposit is refundable at the end.
• Top up in multiples of 20 to 50 yuan rather than carrying a large balance.
• Keep the card away from phones and magnets, which can damage the chip.
• Children below the height limit ride free when accompanied by an adult.

Which Station Serves Which Landmark

Matching a sight to a station is the most useful preparation of all, because the closest exit can sit several hundred metres from the gate you actually need. The list below covers the stops visitors use most often, with the walking distance from exit to entrance on foot.

• Forbidden City, Meridian Gate entrance: Tian'anmen East on Line 1, about 600 metres.
• Temple of Heaven, East Gate: Temple of Heaven East Gate on Line 5, about 200 metres.
• Summer Palace, North Palace Gate: Beigongmen on Line 4, about 300 metres.
• Yuanmingyuan: Yuanmingyuan on Line 4, about 100 metres.
• Bird's Nest and Water Cube: Olympic Park on Line 8 or Line 15, about 400 metres.
• Nanluoguxiang: Nanluoguxiang on Line 6 or Line 8, about 100 metres.
• Wangfujing: Wangfujing on Line 1, about 200 metres.
• Qianmen Street: Qianmen on Line 2, about 200 metres.
• Beihai Park: Beihai North on Line 6, about 300 metres.
• National Museum of China: Tian'anmen East on Line 1, about 300 metres.

Two of these stations deserve a note. Tian'anmen East is shared by the Forbidden City and the National Museum, and security screening around the square can add time, so arrive earlier than the walking distance suggests. Olympic Park is a large interchange, and the exit you choose decides whether you surface beside the stadium or across the road.

For travellers staying near a station rather than a landmark, the practical move is to identify the line that serves your hotel and then check how many changes each day requires. A hotel on Line 1 or Line 2 saves more time than one with a slightly lower room rate three changes away from everything.

Transfer Routes That Save Time

Beijing's network is radial, which means most long journeys involve one or two changes rather than a single ride. The four combinations below cover the trips visitors ask about most often, and each has been chosen for the number of changes rather than the shortest distance on a map.

From Capital Airport to the Forbidden City, take the Airport Express to Dongzhimen, change to Line 2 for Jianguomen, then Line 1 to Tian'anmen East. The whole trip takes about 70 minutes and involves two changes, both clearly signposted inside the stations.

From Daxing Airport to Wangfujing, ride the Daxing Airport Express to Caoqiao, change to Line 10 for Guomao, then Line 1 to Wangfujing, and budget around 80 minutes. From Beijing West Railway Station to the Summer Palace, Line 7 to Caishikou and then Line 4 to Beigongmen takes about 50 minutes.

From Beijing South Railway Station to the Temple of Heaven, Line 4 to Xuanwumen, Line 2 to Chongwenmen and Line 5 to Temple of Heaven East Gate takes roughly 30 minutes. All four routes avoid the busiest central interchanges during peak hours, which matters more to comfort than the raw distance does.

If a route offers two options with the same number of changes, pick the one whose interchanges have shorter internal walks. A five-minute corridor between platforms is easier with a suitcase than a ten-minute tunnel, and the difference becomes obvious at the end of a long sightseeing day.

Walking Times Inside Transfer Stations

Some interchanges in Beijing are large enough that the walk between platforms becomes part of the journey. Xizhimen, where Line 2, Line 4 and Line 13 meet, takes about five to eight minutes to cross, and the corridors stay busy through the working day.

Dongzhimen, connecting Line 2, Line 13 and the Airport Express, needs five to ten minutes because the airport platform sits well away from the main hall. Guomao, where Line 1 meets Line 10, is quicker at three to five minutes, and Songjiazhuang, serving Line 5, Line 10 and the Yizhuang line, runs about the same.

Xi'erqi, the link between Line 13 and the Changping line, is the shortest of the group at roughly three minutes, although platforms fill quickly in the morning. When a route gives you a choice, prefer the interchange with the shorter walk even if the train ride is slightly longer, since the gain in comfort is noticeable with luggage.

Stairs and escalators are not always where you expect them. Following the coloured line markers painted on the floor of the corridor is usually faster than stopping to read a map, and the exit letters printed above the platform doors tell you which end of the train to board.

Avoiding the Peak Crush

Weekday peaks run from 7:30 to 9:00 and again from 17:00 to 19:00, and several corridors become genuinely uncomfortable in those windows. Visitors with flexible schedules gain a great deal by starting after 9:30 and by delaying the return journey until after 19:00.

The heaviest morning flows run westbound on Line 1 between Sihui and Guomao, southbound on Line 5 from Tiantongyuan towards Lishuiqiao, southbound on Line 13 from Huilongguan to Xi'erqi, southbound on the Changping line from Shahe, and westbound on Line 6 from Caofang towards Hujialou.

Weekends and public holidays are generally lighter overall, but stations beside major sights such as Tian'anmen East and Olympic Park still fill up in the middle of the day. If a return trip coincides with the evening peak, a later dinner near the sight is often more pleasant than standing in a crowded carriage.

Last trains matter as much as first ones. Most lines finish between 22:30 and 23:30, and the airport lines close earlier than the urban network, so a late flight arrival may leave a taxi as the only realistic option. Check the departure time for your specific station rather than the line as a whole.

• Start after 9:30 to skip the morning peak entirely.
• Delay the return leg until after 19:00 when the day allows.
• Check the last train time for your line before a late dinner.
• Try the first or last carriage, which is often less crowded.

Airport Express Connections

The Capital Airport Express runs from Terminal 2 and Terminal 3 through Sanyuanqiao to Dongzhimen, costs 25 yuan one way and takes about 20 minutes from Terminal 3 to Dongzhimen. Trains from Terminal 2 start at 6:35 and finish at 23:10, while Terminal 3 runs from 6:20 to 22:50.

Sanyuanqiao connects to Line 10, and Dongzhimen connects to Line 2 and Line 13, so the airport train drops you into the urban network rather than a separate suburban service. That single change is why the express is usually quicker than a taxi during the morning and evening peaks.

The Daxing Airport Express links the airport with Caoqiao in about 19 minutes at a maximum speed of 160 kilometres per hour, for 35 yuan in a standard carriage. Trains leave Caoqiao and the airport between 6:00 and 22:30, and Caoqiao connects to Line 10 and Line 19.

Because the two airports sit on opposite sides of the city, check which one your flight uses before planning the first and last days. A hotel near Dongzhimen suits Capital Airport arrivals, while a hotel along Line 10 or Line 19 makes the Daxing connection far easier.

The airport trains carry luggage racks but no reserved seating, and the carriages fill quickly after a bank of arrivals. Allow an extra 15 minutes at the airport station for the walk from baggage claim, and buy a ticket at the counter rather than relying on a card that may not have enough balance.

Practical Habits for Riding

Download the Yitongxing app for live line information, arrival estimates and crowding indicators, which help when deciding whether to wait for the next train or take a different route. Station signage is consistent, and following the coloured line markers on the floor is usually faster than studying a map on the platform.

Accessible lifts exist at many stations, and they are the practical option when travelling with heavy luggage or a pushchair, even though they add a short walk. Eating and drinking are not permitted inside trains and fines can be issued, so finish snacks before passing through the gates.

Security screening is compulsory at every entrance, and the queue can add three to five minutes at busy times. Carrying identification is sensible because checks occur during certain periods, and keeping your card or phone in a pocket rather than a bag speeds up the gate and reduces the chance of a failed scan.

A well-planned day on the Beijing subway usually needs nothing more than two or three line numbers, a charged phone and a rough idea of which exit to use. Visitors who prefer the logistics handled can ask Beijing Wanyou Tianxia International Travel Agency to arrange transfers and itineraries that include public transport segments, which is a practical option for a first arrival with luggage.

• Keep your card or QR code ready before reaching the gate.
• Stand to the right on escalators and let others pass on the left.
• Note the exit letter before you board, not after you arrive.
• Allow extra time for security during holiday periods.

Finally, treat the subway as part of the sightseeing rather than only a way to move between sights. The stations around Qianmen and Nanluoguxiang surface into streets worth walking, and a short detour above ground often explains more about the city than another museum label.