Since 30 October 2025 nearly all domestic flights at Guangzhou Baiyun (CAN) use the new T3 terminal — T1 closed for renovation on 7 May 2026 (see the notes below for what that means for your route). Here is each way into the city, with real fares, connections and the signs to follow.
T1 is closed — check T2 vs T3, not T1
Nearly all domestic airlines moved to the new T3 terminal on 30 October 2025. Confirm T2 or T3 with your airline — the metro from T3 isn't a direct ride, so it changes your route.
Plan before you land
Which way into Guangzhou?
Pick by which terminal you land at (T2 or T3), your arrival time, luggage and destination.
Children under 6 who don't need their own seat ride free alongside a paying adult; free child seats are capped at 10% of a bus's rated capacity, and minibuses of 9 seats or fewer don't offer a free child fare — a half-price ticket applies instead.
Sources
Fare range and new T3 routes per local transit listings (2026).
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请问去市区的机场巴士在哪里买票？Where do I buy a ticket for the airport bus into the city?
Open the airport in your map app, then set your hotel as the destination. Amap and Baidu are the reliable maps inside China; Google Maps is limited on the mainland.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
It depends which terminal you land at. From T2, Metro Line 3 boards right at 机场北站 (¥7–10 to downtown). From T3 (most domestic flights since Oct 2025), take the free 空港2线支线 shuttle bus via 高增站, the ¥5 intercity-rail hop to 机场北站, or the free 24-hour inter-terminal shuttle bus (摆渡车) to reach T2's station. You can also take an official taxi (≈¥150–190 to Tianhe), Didi, or an airport bus (¥6–60).
Yes — Metro Line 3's North Extension, but it only reaches T2 directly (机场北站). T3 needs an extra step: the now-free 空港2线支线 shuttle bus via 高增站, the ¥5 广州东环城际 intercity-rail hop to 机场北站, or the free 24-hour inter-terminal shuttle bus (摆渡车). The same 广州东环城际 line also runs directly from 白云机场东站 (T3) to 广州南站 in about 37 minutes. Line 3 fare is ¥7–10 by distance.
Metered at ¥12 flagfall (first 3 km) plus ¥2.6/km, with a roughly 30% night surcharge (23:00–05:00) and a +50% 返空费 (empty-return) surcharge on trips over 25 km — T3 sits far enough out that this often applies. Travel guides report about ¥150–190 to Tianhe or Yuexiu — confirm on the meter, since the airport does not publish a fixed tariff.
T1 closed for renovation on 7 May 2026 (no reopening date announced) and its 机场南 metro station is suspended. Nearly all domestic airlines moved to the new T3 terminal on 30 October 2025; some flights still use T2. Confirm T2 or T3 with your airline — old guides that assume T1 are out of date.
The metro. Line 3 costs just ¥7–10 by distance from 机场北站 (T2). If you land at T3, the free 空港2线支线 shuttle bus via 高增站 to reach the metro costs nothing, though it is slower than a direct taxi or Didi.
Yes. Set your destination in Didi (it has an English app that works with a foreign card — use the separate AMap Global edition for English) before you walk out. At T3 the main pickup queue is on P12 level 2/1M, with a closer point near gate 72 since May 2026; at T2 follow 网约车 signs to that terminal's zone. There's no fixed airport fare — the app quotes, and rates run roughly taxi-level.
How we verify airport routes
We prefer airport, metro, rail, and government operator pages for route, ticketing, terminal, and schedule claims.
If an exact fare, pickup bay, or last-train time is not confirmed on an operator page, we tell travelers to check it instead of publishing a number.
Last-updated dates mark when source links and page claims were reviewed.
