Guangzhou Baiyun (CAN) to City — Metro, Taxi, Didi (2026)

Route options

Metro Line 3 (north extension)

Direct rail from CAN T1/T2 to central Guangzhou via Tiyu Xilu and Tianhe districts.

≈ 55–65 min to Tianhe

¥7–10

Airport Express bus

Multiple lines connecting CAN to hotel zones across Guangzhou, plus inter-city routes to Foshan, Shenzhen, Dongguan.

≈ 60–90 min

¥20–40

Taxi (metered)

Use the official queue outside arrivals. Avoid taxi touts inside the terminal.

≈ 45–60 min to Tianhe

¥120–160

Didi (via Alipay)

Foreigners book via the Didi mini-program inside Alipay; pickup at the designated rideshare bay.

Similar to taxi

Taxi or slightly higher

Guangzhou hosts the Canton Fair in April and October — book accommodation early in those windows; airport traffic and queue times spike.
Metro Line 3 has two branches in central Guangzhou — confirm direction at the platform; the airport line specifically is the north extension.
Activate your eSIM before landing; metro QR gates, Didi, and maps all need data.
CAN is the gateway for travelers continuing into Shenzhen, Hong Kong, or Macau via Pearl River Delta high-speed rail.
Didi pickup at CAN for foreigners: open the Didi mini-program inside Alipay, set your pick-up to CAN arrival floor, confirm your car, then exit the arrival hall and follow rideshare signage to the designated pick-up bay (Level 1, north side of T2 and T1 departure kerb area — follow the green "Online Car-Hailing" (网约车) boards). Your driver will share their plate number in the app; match it before getting in.
Metro Line 3 service to the airport ends around 23:00 (operator schedule — verify the exact last departure at the station or on the Guangzhou Metro official site before relying on it). If you arrive after midnight, taxi from the official metered queue or Didi are your practical options.
Metro Line 3 splits in central Guangzhou into two branches — at Tianhe Coach Terminal station, confirm you are on the north extension toward the airport, not the south branch toward Panyu Square.

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.

Shanghai Maglev — operator information— Shanghai Maglev Transportation Development Co.· Reviewed 2026-05-18
Shanghai Maglev — ticket prices— Shanghai Maglev Transportation Development Co.· Reviewed 2026-07-10
Beijing Capital Airport Express— Beijing Subway· Reviewed 2026-05-18
About Subway Fares— Beijing Municipal People's Government (english.beijing.gov.cn)· Reviewed 2026-07-10

Last updated: 2026-06-23