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URC · arrival routes

Urumqi — Airport to city

URC's new North Terminal handles every flight. From the ground-transport level (交通中心) all four options branch off — but the metro is not at the terminal itself: you first ride a short free shuttle to reach Line 1. Below is each option with its real fares, times and the signs to follow.

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.

Not sure yet? Narrow it down — you can skip this.
Metro — Line 1 via the free Airport ExpressDaytime arrival, light luggage, a hotel near a Line 1 stop, cheapest rideOfficial taxiLate or night arrival, heavy luggage, family, weak data, a hotel far from the metroRide-hailing (DiDi / Amap)Working data and a saved Chinese address; roughly taxi-level costAirport 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

Daytime arrival, light luggage, a hotel near a Line 1 stop, cheapest ride

Fare
¥2–7
Runs
23:40
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
Ürümqi airport metro / Airport Express concourse with ticket machines and Line 1 wayfinding.
The metro / Airport Express concourse — buy your ticket at the machine or window, then check the Line 1 map for your stop. · Photo: HaziiDozen, CC BY-SA 4.0
Metro Line 1 platform at the airport, trains toward the city.
Line 1 platform. From the airport, trains run toward 三屯碑, passing 二道桥 and 南门 into downtown. · Photo: HaziiDozen, CC BY-SA 4.0
Step 1 of 2
Kids

One child under 1.3m rides the metro free per adult ticket; a second child, or one at or over 1.3m, needs a ticket.

Sources
Source: Ürümqi metro operator (2025).

Metro Line 1 — airport to downtown

  1. 国际机场Int'l Airport
  2. 大地窝堡Dadiwopu
  3. 宣仁墩Xuanrendun
  4. 三工Sangong
  5. 迎宾路口Yingbin Jct
  6. 植物园Botanical Garden
  7. 体育中心Sports Center
  8. 铁路局Railway Bureau
  9. 小西沟Xiaoxigou
  10. 中营工Zhongyinggong
  11. 新疆图书馆Xinjiang Library
  12. 八楼Balou
  13. 王家梁Wangjialiang
  14. 南湖北路Nanhu North Rd
  15. 南湖广场Nanhu Square
  16. 新兴街Xinxing St
  17. 北门Beimen · North Gate
  18. 南门Nanmen · South Gate
  19. 二道桥Erdaoqiao
  20. 新疆大学Xinjiang University
  21. 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?

Official taxi

Late or night arrival, heavy luggage, family, weak data, a hotel far from the metro

Fare
≈ ¥30
出租车 · Taxi打表 · metered
Elevated curb and drop-off lane outside the North Terminal of Ürümqi Tianshan International Airport, 2025
The elevated curb outside the North Terminal, photographed in May 2025 — from the 交通中心, follow 出租车 / Taxi signs down to the staffed rank one level below arrivals. · Photo: HaziiDozen, CC BY-SA 4.0

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.
Sources
Source: travel guides / traveler reports.

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?

Ride-hailing (DiDi / Amap)

Working data and a saved Chinese address; roughly taxi-level cost

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.
Sources
Source: media-reported rate (~¥2+/km).

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.

Airport bus — to the railway stations

Connecting to a train, or a budget ride if your stop is on the route

Fare
¥20
Runs
≈ 20 min
机场巴士 · Airport Bus城际快线 · Intercity
Overhead signs at the Urumqi North Terminal pointing to the airport bus and intercity express
Overhead signs at the North Terminal (May 2025) pointing to 机场巴士 / Airport Bus and 城际快线 / Inter-city Express. · Photo: Airportsimages, CC BY-SA 4.0

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.
Sources
Source: local transit listing (Aug 2025).

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?

Navigate to your hotel

Amap 高德Baidu 百度Google Maps

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

From the new North Terminal's ground-transport level (交通中心) you have four options: a free Airport Express shuttle to Metro Line 1 (¥2–7), an official metered taxi (about ¥30), Didi ride-hailing, or the ¥20 airport buses to the railway stations. Pick by your arrival time, luggage and budget.

Yes — Metro Line 1, but it does not reach the terminal directly. Follow 机场捷运 / Airport Express signs and ride the free shuttle one stop (国际机场北站 → 国际机场站, about 3 minutes), then board Line 1 toward 三屯碑. The fare is ¥2–7 and the last shuttle/train is about 23:40.

About ¥30 by meter to the city center (roughly 17–18 km); a night surcharge (about 23:00–06:00) can push it to ¥50–70. Use the staffed rank on the terminal ground floor and make sure the meter is running. These are media/traveler estimates — the airport publishes no fixed tariff.

Since 17 April 2025 all flights use the new North Terminal (the airport was renamed Ürümqi Tianshan International); T1/T2/T3 are closed. Old app pins and T2/T3 directions are stale — follow the on-site 交通中心 signs.

The metro. The 机场捷运 Airport Express shuttle is free and Metro Line 1 costs just ¥2–7. It is best for a daytime arrival with light luggage and a hotel near a Line 1 stop.

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, follow 网约车 signs to a designated ride-hailing pickup zone, and match the plate before you get in. There is no fixed airport fare — the app quotes; Urumqi rates run about ¥2+/km.

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

Last updated:

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