Chengdu Layover Guide: Visa, Transport & Things to Do

A layover in Chengdu can be a fantastic opportunity to get a little taste of this cozy city. Chengdu Tianfu International Airport (TFU) and the older Shuangliu Airport (CTU) handle a huge number of flights, making it a common connecting hub. If you have a few hours between flights, you can hop on a high-speed train or the metro to reach the city center—the trip takes about 40–50 minutes. In this article, we’ve gathered everything you need to know about your layover in Chengdu.

What airports are in Chengdu: Chengdu Shuangliu and Chengdu Tianfu

Photo source: unsplash

Chengdu has two main airports. It's super important to double-check which airport you're flying into and out of!

• Chengdu Shuangliu (CTU): an older but modernized airport. It's closer to the city center and primarily handles domestic and some international flights.
• Chengdu Tianfu (TFU): a new, massive airport. It's further from the city center and handles the majority of international and domestic flights.

Connecting flights at the same airport

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

Follow the "Transit" signs.

• You don't need to collect your baggage or go through customs and passport control. Your luggage will be automatically transferred to your next flight.
• You'll need to head to the departure area and find the gate for your next flight. There are often special desks for transit passengers.

If the flights are with different, unrelated airlines (for example, purchased separately):

• You'll most likely need to collect your baggage.
• Clear passport control and customs (if it's an international flight).
• Head up to the departure level, check in for your next flight, and re-check your luggage.
• Clear security and head to your departure gate.
• The recommended time for a layover like this is at least 2-3 hours.

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

The distance between the airports is about 80 km.

Metro

Route from Shuangliu Airport:

1. Take Line 10 (blue line) from either "Shuangliu Airport Terminal 1" or "Terminal 2" station.
2. Ride to "Guangfu" station — a major transfer hub — and switch to Line 19 (Airport Express).
3. Continue to the final stop, "Tianfu Airport Terminal 1 & 2".

• Total travel time: about 45–55 minutes on the fastest Line 19 train (express, limited stops)
• Cost: about ¥10
• Pros: fast, no traffic jams, cheap
• Cons: you have to lug your luggage through stations, and it can get crowded during rush hour

Shuttle bus

There is a direct shuttle between the airports.

• Travel time: about 1.5–2 hours, depending on traffic
• Pros: direct route, no transfers
• Cons: you might get stuck in traffic

Taxi

• Travel time: from 1 to 1.5 hours
• Cost: ¥250–400
• Pros: comfortable
• Cons: high price, risk of traffic jams

Transferring from a plane to a train (or vice versa)

Tourists often fly into Chengdu to continue their journey by train (for example, to Xi'an, Chongqing, or Tibet).

From Chengdu Shuangliu Airport.

You can take the metro (Line 10) to Chengdu North Railway Station, the city's largest rail hub. The journey takes about 30-40 minutes.

From Chengdu Tianfu Airport.

Take the high-speed Maglev train to Chengdu South Railway Station, and from there, hop on the metro to the North Railway Station or wherever else you need to go.

Recommended time: considering baggage claim and travel to the station, allow at least 4-5 hours between your arrival time and the train's departure.

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

Start by counting the usable hours, not the gap. Immigration, baggage, getting to the next terminal, and re-check-in typically eat 2–3 hours, so a 6-hour layover is really about 3 hours of freedom. If you're switching airports, subtract another 1–2 hours of transfer.

6–8 hours

• Changing airports (Shuangliu ⇄ Tianfu): this is your whole window. 80 km, 45–55 minutes by metro, 1–1.5 hours by taxi — go straight across and wait at the next airport.
• Single airport: stay close. Both airports have lounges and hotels within or beside the terminal; book a few hours to shower and sleep rather than risk a missed flight.
• Bags: use left luggage at either airport so you're not dragging suitcases into the city.
• Exception: at Shuangliu, if your bags are checked through and you land off-peak, there's just enough time for one hotpot meal and back.

8–12 hours

• From Shuangliu: the better airport for a quick city visit — about 40–50 minutes to the centre with one metro transfer. A hotpot dinner plus a walk through Jinli is realistic.
• From Tianfu: roughly an hour each way into the city, so budget 4–5 usable hours. Pick one district — Kuanzhai Alley for food and atmosphere — and don't attempt two.
• Timing: aim to be back at the airport 3 hours before an international departure, 2 hours for domestic.

12–24 hours

• Panda Base early. The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding opens around 7:30, and the pandas are genuinely active before 10am — an afternoon visit in summer mostly means sleeping animals.
• Then hotpot, then a hotel. With this much time, book an airport hotel or one near a metro line rather than trying to sleep in a lounge.
• Allow for the return leg. From the panda base to Tianfu can take over an hour in traffic; from Shuangliu, about 40 minutes.

How to get from Chengdu Shuangliu Airport to the city center

Shuangliu (CTU) sits about 16–18 km southwest of downtown, which makes it the far more convenient of Chengdu's two airports — the metro, a shuttle bus and a taxi all get you into the city without the hour-plus slog from Tianfu.

Metro (Line 10)

The cheapest and most predictable option, and the one to default to in daylight hours.

1. Take Line 10 (blue line) from "Shuangliu Airport Terminal 1" or "Terminal 2" station — both are under the terminals.
2. Ride to Taipingyuan and transfer to Line 3 or the Line 7 loop, depending on where you're staying.
3. Get off at Chunxi Road for the city centre, Tianfu Square, or the Jinli/Kuanzhai area with a short walk.

• Travel time: about 45–55 minutes to the centre, including the transfer
• Cost: ¥5–6
• Pros: cheap, no traffic, easy with a light bag
• Cons: one or two transfers with luggage; last trains run around 23:00, so it's no use on a late arrival

Airport shuttle bus

Several routes run from outside the arrivals hall, with the most useful ones heading toward Chengdu North Railway Station and the city centre.

• Travel time: 45–60 minutes off-peak, longer in rush hour
• Cost: about ¥10–15
• Pros: no transfers, luggage goes underneath, seats are guaranteed
• Cons: departure times are infrequent and can mean a 20–30 minute wait; the routes don't always match where you're staying

Taxi

• Travel time: 30–45 minutes off-peak; 60+ minutes between 17:30 and 19:30
• Cost: about ¥60–100 to the centre
• Pros: door to door, the only sensible choice after the metro stops
• Cons: queue at the official rank can be long; unlicensed touts will approach you inside the terminal — ignore them and use the marked taxi line

Ride-hailing

DiDi (accessible in English, and through Alipay or WeChat mini-programs) works at both terminals with a designated pickup zone.

• Travel time: same as a taxi
• Cost: roughly ¥50–90, quoted upfront
• Pros: fixed price before you get in, no cash, no language barrier
• Cons: you need a working payment method; pickup zones are a few minutes' walk from arrivals and poorly signed

How to get from Chengdu Tianfu Airport to the city center

Tianfu (TFU) opened in 2021 and sits about 50 km southeast of downtown, in Jianyang — roughly three times the distance of Shuangliu. Everything here takes longer, and the difference between a good and a bad choice is much bigger.

Metro (Line 18, Airport Express)

The dedicated airport line, and the only option that reliably beats traffic.

1. Take Line 18 from "Tianfu Airport Terminal 1 & 2" station, directly beneath the terminals.
2. Ride to Chengdu South Railway Station, about 35–45 minutes on the limited-stop express services.
3. Transfer to Line 1 for Tianfu Square, Chunxi Road and the city centre — another 15–20 minutes.

Some services run through toward the centre, so check the destination board before boarding rather than assuming a transfer is required.

• Travel time: about 60–75 minutes door to door
• Cost: ¥8–10
• Pros: fast and traffic-proof, cheap, step-free access at the airport end
• Cons: one transfer with luggage; last trains leave around 23:00

Airport shuttle bus

Routes run from outside arrivals toward Chengdu East Railway Station and the city centre.

• Travel time: 60–90 minutes depending on traffic
• Cost: about ¥15–25
• Pros: no transfers, luggage stored underneath
• Cons: infrequent departures, and the routes only suit a handful of neighbourhoods

High-speed train

A limited number of trains run from the railway station attached to the airport to Chengdu East Railway Station in around 30 minutes.

• Pros: the fastest option if your hotel is near Chengdu East or you're continuing onward by rail
• Cons: few departures, and Chengdu East is not the city centre — you'll still need a taxi or metro at the other end

Taxi

• Travel time: 50–60 minutes off-peak; 90+ minutes in rush hour
• Cost: about ¥150–200
• Pros: door to door, the only real option for late arrivals
• Cons: the most expensive airport run in Chengdu; traffic on the airport expressway is genuinely unpredictable

Ride-hailing

DiDi (English interface, or via Alipay/WeChat) picks up from a designated zone outside arrivals.

• Travel time: same as a taxi
• Cost: roughly ¥130–180, quoted before you book
• Pros: fixed price, no cash, easier if you don't speak Chinese
• Cons: pickup zone is a walk from the terminal and poorly signed

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

A classic route that covers the most iconic spots in the heart of Chengdu.

Kuanzhai Alley

What to do: immerse yourself in the atmosphere of old Chengdu. Photograph the traditional Qing Dynasty architecture, browse the souvenir shops, and buy local snacks. Right on Kuanzhai Alley, you can try street food: dan dan noodles, dumplings, and sweet cakes. Or, sit down in one of the little restaurants with a courtyard.

People's Park.

What to do: See the real life of the locals. Watch elderly people dancing, singing karaoke, and playing mahjong.

Have some tea at the tea house located here. It’s a huge, bustling, and incredibly atmospheric open-air tea house. Just grab a table, and they’ll bring you tea and a thermos of boiling water.

Wenshu Monastery

What to do: recharge after the noisy park in the peaceful atmosphere of an ancient Buddhist monastery. Wander through the beautiful pavilions and observe the monks.

Bonus: try vegetarian food at the temple canteen or have some tea in its quiet tea house.

Logistics: all these spots are close to each other in the city center. It's easy to get between them by taxi (a 10-15 minute ride) or on foot (15-25 minutes).

If yours is even longer (for example, 10+ hours), then you can also manage to visit the panda base.