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Chengdu — Airport to city

Chengdu has two airports — Shuangliu (CTU) close to the city, and Tianfu (TFU) about 50 km southeast. Both connect to the metro network: Line 10 from CTU, Lines 18 and 19 from TFU. Taxi and Didi work from both terminals.

Route options

ME
Metro Line 10 (from CTU)
Direct from Shuangliu Airport (CTU) into the city; interchange to lines 3/7 for downtown.
≈ 30 min to Taipingyuan
¥4–5
ME
Metro Line 18 / 19 (from TFU)
Tianfu (TFU) is connected by Line 18 (express) and Line 19. Faster to the southern districts and Tianfu Square via transfer.
≈ 40 min to South Railway Station
¥8–10
TA
Taxi (metered)
Use the official queue. TFU is much farther; allow more time and budget for late arrivals.
CTU ~30 min · TFU ~60–80 min
CTU → Tianfu Square ≈ ¥60 · TFU → city ¥120–150
DI
Didi (via Alipay)
Foreigners book via the Didi mini-program inside Alipay; pickup at designated rideshare bay.
Similar to taxi
Taxi or slightly higher

Practical notes

  • TFU opened in mid-2021 and handles most newer international routes; CTU still serves many domestic flights — confirm your terminal by IATA code.
  • Metro Line 18 to TFU is an express line with limited stops — it is the fastest public route from TFU into central Chengdu.
  • Activate your eSIM before landing; metro QR gates, Didi, and maps all need data.
  • Late-night arrivals at TFU often have only taxi or Didi as a viable option — metro service ends around 23:00.
  • CTU (Shuangliu) or TFU (Tianfu)? CTU is closer to the city and serves mainly domestic and some international routes; TFU is ~50 km away and handles most newer international flights. Check the IATA code on your ticket — CTU or TFU — to confirm which airport your airline uses.
  • Didi for foreigners at CTU and TFU: open the Didi mini-program inside Alipay, set pick-up to the arrivals floor, then follow "网约车 (Online Car-Hailing)" signage to the designated rideshare bay outside arrivals. Driver plate numbers appear in the app — verify before getting in. Didi fares are broadly similar to metered taxi, or slightly higher.
  • Late-night arrivals at CTU: Metro Line 10 service ends around 23:00 (operator schedule — confirm the exact last service at the station or on the Chengdu Rail Transit official site). After the metro closes, taxi from the official metered queue or Didi are your options. At TFU, metro service also ends around 23:00 — allow extra time and budget for the longer distance if arriving after midnight.

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.

Airport and transport sources

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