The fastest and by far the clearest transport option for foreign visitors is the metro.
There are also many taxis available, and there are also several bus routes to the airport, but these are very infrequent.
Metro Line 3
The airport is served by the orange metro line 3. Stations are in front of both terminals:
- Airport North - Station at Terminal 2
- Airport South - Station at Terminal 1
Line 3 from the airport goes to Tiyu Xilu station in the northern part of downtown, where you transfer to other Line 3 trains that run from the direction of "Tianhe Coach Terminal" further into downtown.
You can take the metro to Guangzhou East Railway Station, for example, without changing trains.
- Frequency - 2 to 6 minutes
- Travel time - 45 minutes to Tiyu Xilu Station
- Last metro from the airport - 23:15
- First metro from Tiyu Xilu station - 6:00
Tickets and prices
Tickets can be purchased from the ticket machine at the station. You can pay in cash or via various mobile apps such as Alipay or WeChat.
Regular Visa or MasterCard cards are not accepted for ticket payment.
Fares are calculated according to distance. You can select any station on the Guangzhou metro network on the machine screen (it doesn't have to be just on line 3 - there are no turnstiles when changing trains).
The ticket is used in the form of a chip token, which you attach to the turnstile reader when entering the station and drop into the turnstile when exiting the station.
- Guangzhou East Railway Station – 7 cny
- Tiyu Xilu – 7 cny
- Canton Tower – 8 cny
The official website, ticket prices and a map of the metro can be found at: gzmtr.com.
Taxi
There are a huge number of official taxis at Guangzhou Airport, yet you can spend upwards of 45 minutes in the taxi queue, especially during the evening arrivals rush.
Taxis can be paid for via the likes of Alipay or WeChat or in cash.
It's always a good idea to have the address in Chinese ready on your mobile phone to show the kiosk and possibly the driver when ordering a taxi.
The price is always calculated according to the taximeter and you will pay about 170 cny.
Taxi via mobile app
The popular Chinese mobile apps DiDi or My China Taxi are available in Guangzhou.
The price to Guangzhou city centre via these apps can be significantly lower than regular taxis (from 100 cny).
The locations of the cars running for the mobile apps are as follows:
- Terminal 1 - Zone A, parking lots P2 and P3
- Terminal 1 - Zone B, car park P5
- Terminal 2 - car parks P6, P7 and P8
Intercity train
In addition to the subway, the "Guangdong Intercity" train also stops at Terminal 1 (Airport North).
The train goes to the nearby city of Huadu, which is more than 40 km away from Guangzhou, but has an important station for the Guangzhou North high-speed long-distance train.
Trains run from 6:30am to 9:00pm with a frequency of about 15 minutes.
A ticket to Huadu (Guangzhou North Railway Station) costs 8 cny.
Buses
The city's buses are a not-so-practical complement to the subway. Although they run to multiple destinations without changing buses, the number of connections is very small.
Buses are also several times more expensive than the metro and it is often very difficult to find a stop in the city.
- Line 1 - runs to the Civil Aviation Living Area housing estate in the north of the city, only 3 times a day during the night
- Line 2 - goes to the Huashi area in the east of the city
- Every 20 to 40 minutes, only runs at night
- Price 35 cny
- Line 3 - goes to the Pearl Hotel in the city centre, but only 3 times a day, including 2 times during the night
- Line 7A - goes to the Panda and Panyu hotels in the south of Guangzhou
- 6 times a day
- Price 38 cny
- Line 7C - goes to the Jiaomen bus terminal on the southeastern edge of the city
- 4x daily
- Price 65 cny
For the most comprehensive information on buses, visit the airport website at baiyunairport.com.
