SZX now runs everything through T3 — the old T1 and T2 were demolished, and new T1/T2 buildings are under construction, planned to open in 2026. T3's departures level has been under renovation since January 2026 (construction hoarding on the departures side); if you're landing, this affects the departures side, not the arrivals floor you walk through.
The Fuyong ferry pier (福永码头) route to Hong Kong Airport's SkyPier (海天码头) has been suspended since 16 March 2026 — the Macau ferry route from the same pier was suspended the same day — with no restart date announced as of this update, though a resumption could come with little notice. Don't plan on ferrying to Hong Kong's airport from Shenzhen — use the metro plus a land border crossing, or another route, and confirm current status before you travel.
Plan before you land
Which way into Shenzhen?
Pick by your arrival time, luggage, budget and destination — then jump to that section for the exact steps, fares and signs.
Best for · Daytime arrival, light luggage, a hotel near a Line 11 stop, cheapest ride
Metro — Line 11 to Futian
- Fare
- ¥7
- Rail stations
- 机场站 → 福田
Where & how to board
- From arrivals, follow 地铁 / Metro signs about a 3-minute walk to 机场站 (Airport Station) and board Metro Line 11 (机场线) toward 福田 (Futian).
- Line 11 runs into downtown via 宝安, 前海湾, 南山, 后海 and 车公庙 before reaching 福田 — check your hotel against these stops.
- Don't confuse Line 11 with Line 20 — Line 20 only reaches 会展城 (the exhibition center) and does not continue into the city, so it's the wrong line for downtown Shenzhen.
Fare & cautions
- A regular seat to 福田 is ¥7; the business carriage (商务车厢, extra legroom in a separate section) is about ¥21 — buy it at the ticket machine or window.
- Reported first/last train times and frequency conflict across sources (some list roughly 6:30–23:00 at about every 10 minutes; others report a last train close to midnight) — check the platform display for the current schedule.
- Travel time to Futian runs roughly 30–60 minutes depending on your stop. Pay with an Alipay/WeChat transit QR code, a Shenzhen Tong card, or cash at the machine.
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Best for · Late or night arrival, heavy luggage, family, a hotel far from the metro
Official taxi
- Meter
- ¥10 + ¥2.7/km
- Night fare
- ¥13 + ¥3.51/km (23:00–06:00)
- To city center
- ≈ ¥90–130
Where & how to board
- Follow 出租车 / Taxi signs to the staffed rank on GTC (Ground Transportation Centre) level 2, east side, near gate 13.
- Only red-bodied (红的) or pure-electric taxis serve the airport rank — use only the staffed queue, and decline anyone offering a ride inside the hall or at the curb.
- Show your hotel address in Chinese and confirm the meter is running before you move.
Fare & cautions
- Metered by day: ¥10 flagfall then ¥2.7/km. At night (23:00–06:00): ¥13 flagfall then ¥3.51/km.
- An extra ¥15 airport surcharge applies 23:30–06:00, on top of the night meter rate.
- Travel guides report roughly ¥90–130 to Futian and ¥110–134 to Luohu — these are estimates, not a published fixed tariff, so watch the meter. Pay by meter; have Alipay / WeChat Pay ready plus a little cash as backup.
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Best for · Working data and a saved Chinese address; no metered surprises
Ride-hailing (DiDi / Amap)
Where & how to board
- Set your destination in DiDi before you walk out — DiDi has an English app that works with a foreign card, so it’s the ride-hailing option most usable for visitors. Locals also use 高德地图 / Amap, but Amap’s interface is Chinese-only.
- Follow 网约车 signs to Zone A (GTC south side, outdoors) or Zone B (GTC level 1, indoors) — both are reached via gate 15.
- Match the car plate to the app before you get in. Since February 2026 the airport has applied a time-limited access rule for the ride-hailing pickup zones — the exact details were not confirmed on an official page, so check the signage on the day.
Fare & cautions
- No fixed airport fare — the app quotes before you confirm.
- In-app payment; the quote, driver and plate appear after you land.
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Best for · A budget ride if your stop is on the route, or connecting elsewhere downtown
Airport bus — to Hualian Building
- Fare
- ¥20
Where & how to board
- Follow 机场巴士 signs to gate 17 for the ticket counter and long-distance/citywide buses — this is a separate gate from gate 16, which serves only the airport's local shuttle transfers, so double-check you're at the right one.
- Route 330 runs to 华联大厦 (Hualian Building), starting at 07:30.
- Other routes were not confirmed on an official page for this update — check the current route list at the counter.
Fare & cautions
- Route 330 costs ¥20 and takes roughly 35 minutes to Hualian Building.
- Fares and schedules for other routes are unconfirmed — check the counter board and pay cash or mobile there.
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Navigate to your hotel
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
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.
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