New North Terminal — old maps are wrong
All flights moved to the North Terminal on 17 April 2025 (T1/T2/T3 closed; the airport is now Ürümqi Tianshan International). Ignore old app pins and T2/T3 directions — follow the on-site 交通中心 signs.
Metro: it isn’t inside the terminal
Line 1 doesn’t reach the North Terminal directly — a free shuttle bridges the one stop, 国际机场北站 to 国际机场站 (about 3 minutes). From there Line 1 runs one direction only, toward 三屯碑, passing 二道桥 and 南门 into downtown — fare ¥2–7 by distance, shuttle free; first 07:40, last 23:40.
Keep your passport in hand
Travelers report ID and passport checks at Xinjiang stations and security — keep your passport and a Chinese hotel address within reach, not buried in checked luggage.
Plan before you land
Which way into the city?
Pick by your arrival time, luggage, budget and destination.
Metro — Line 1 via the free Airport ExpressDaytime arrival, light luggage, a hotel near a Line 1 stop, cheapest ride→Official taxiLate or night arrival, heavy luggage, family, weak data, a hotel far from the metro→Ride-hailing (DiDi / Amap)Working data and a saved Chinese address; roughly taxi-level cost→Airport bus — to the railway stationsConnecting to a train, or a budget ride if your stop is on the route→
Metro — Line 1 via the free Airport Express
- Last train
- 23:40
- First train
- 07:40
- Fare
- ¥2–7
- Airport Express
- Free
Where & how to board
- Line 1 does not reach the North Terminal directly. From arrivals, follow 机场捷运 / Airport Express signs and take the free shuttle one stop (国际机场北站 → 国际机场站, about 3 minutes).
- At 国际机场站, board Metro Line 1 (地铁1号线). From the airport there is one direction — toward 三屯碑 — and it passes 二道桥 and 南门 on the way into downtown.
- If your hotel is not near Line 1, ride to the nearest stop, then switch to a taxi or Didi.
机场捷运 · Airport Express地铁 · Metro Line 1国际机场站 · Airport Station三屯碑方向 · toward Santunbei
Fare & cautions
- Line 1 costs ¥2–7 by distance; the 机场捷运 shuttle is free (Ürümqi metro operator).
- The Airport Express shuttle runs first train 07:40, last train 23:40, synced with the metro. After that the metro is not an option — use a taxi or Didi. Confirm the last shuttle on the day.
- Pay with an Alipay transit QR (live), the 乌鲁木齐地铁 / 丝路 app, a mainland transit (Hongshan) card, or cash at the ticket machine.
Metro Line 1 — airport to downtown
- 国际机场Int'l Airport
- 大地窝堡Dadiwopu
- 宣仁墩Xuanrendun
- 三工Sangong
- 迎宾路口Yingbin Jct
- 植物园Botanical Garden
- 体育中心Sports Center
- 铁路局Railway Bureau
- 小西沟Xiaoxigou
- 中营工Zhongyinggong
- 新疆图书馆Xinjiang Library
- 八楼Balou
- 王家梁Wangjialiang
- 南湖北路Nanhu North Rd
- 南湖广场Nanhu Square
- 新兴街Xinxing St
- 北门Beimen · North Gate
- 南门Nanmen · South Gate
- 二道桥Erdaoqiao
- 新疆大学Xinjiang University
- 三屯碑Santunbei
From the airport, board toward 三屯碑 (Santunbei). Highlighted stops are the downtown ones this page mentions; confirm the full stop order on the in-station map.
Show this on your phone
请问机场捷运（去地铁）怎么走？Which way to the Airport Express shuttle for the metro?
Source: Ürümqi metro operator (2025).
Official taxi
- To city center
- ≈ ¥30
- Night fare
- ≈ ¥50–70
- Meter
- ¥10 + ¥1.3/km
- Distance
- 17–18 km
Where & how to board
- From the 交通中心, follow 出租车 / Taxi signs to the staffed taxi rank on the terminal ground floor (one level down from arrivals).
- Use only the staffed rank — 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.
出租车 · Taxi打表 · metered
Fare & cautions
- Metered: ¥10 flagfall (first 3 km) then ¥1.3/km. Travel guides report about ¥30 to the city center by day (roughly 17–18 km), rising to roughly ¥50–70 with a night surcharge (about 23:00–06:00) — these are media/traveler estimates, not an official tariff, so watch the meter.
- Pay by meter; have Alipay / WeChat Pay ready plus a little cash as backup.
Show this on your phone
请带我去这个地址，麻烦打表，谢谢。Please take me to this address and use the meter.
请问官方出租车排队在哪里？Where is the official taxi rank?
Source: travel guides / traveler reports.
Ride-hailing (DiDi / Amap)
- Per km
- ≈ ¥2+/km
- Distance
- 17–18 km
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 the domestic listing is Chinese-first; install the separate AMap Global edition for English.
- Follow 网约车 signs to one of the airport’s two designated ride-hailing pickup zones — go to the exact floor and zone the app names, not a guessed spot.
- Match the car plate to the app before you get in.
网约车 · Ride-hailing
Fare & cautions
- No fixed airport fare — the app quotes before you confirm. Urumqi ride-hailing rates are reported among China’s highest (about ¥2+/km), so expect roughly taxi-level or a little more.
- In-app payment; the quote, driver and plate appear after you land.
Show this on your phone
我在到达层，请告诉我具体上车点。I am at arrivals — please tell me the exact pickup point.
Source: media-reported rate (~¥2+/km).
Airport bus — to the railway stations
- Fare
- ¥20
- Frequency
- ≈ 20 min
- Hours (Line 2)
- 10:00–01:30
- Rail stations
- 乌鲁木齐站 / 南站
Where & how to board
- Inside the 交通中心, follow 机场巴士 / 城际快线 signs to the ticket counter.
- Line 1 runs to Ürümqi Railway Station (乌鲁木齐站, north / downtown). Line 2 runs to South Railway Station (乌鲁木齐南站) via 红山 and downtown stops.
- They are two different stations — confirm on the counter board which one your train uses before you buy.
机场巴士 · Airport Bus城际快线 · Intercity
Fare & cautions
- Both lines are ¥20 (a local transit listing, Aug 2025; an older ¥120 “民航快线” figure appears stale). Line 1 departs roughly every 20 minutes; Line 2 is listed as running about 10:00–01:30.
- Exact first/last departure times for the current routes were not confirmed on an official page — check the counter board on the day. Pay cash or mobile at the counter.
Show this on your phone
请问去火车站的机场巴士在哪里买票？Where do I buy a ticket for the airport bus to the railway station?
Source: local transit listing (Aug 2025).
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
You've picked your ride — now make sure you can pay for it
Both the metro and taxis in Urumqi expect Alipay or WeChat Pay for payment. Set these up before you land so you're not stuck figuring it out at the taxi rank.
See how to pay in China →
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
- Xinjiang Airport Group — Urumqi Tianshan International Airport official hub— Xinjiang Airport Group· Reviewed 2026-06-28
- 2025 National Civil Transport Airport Production Statistics— Civil Aviation Administration of China· Reviewed 2026-06-28
- Urumqi Tianshan International Airport North Terminal opening— Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region People's Government· Reviewed 2026-06-28
- Urumqi Metro — ticketing information— Urumqi Urban Rail Transit Group· Reviewed 2026-06-28
- Urumqi Metro — train timetable— Urumqi Urban Rail Transit Group· Reviewed 2026-06-28
- Urumqi Metro — route map— Urumqi Urban Rail Transit Group· Reviewed 2026-06-28
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