Chengdu for First-Time Visitors: Airport, Metro, Payments & Tickets (2026)

Short answer: Check which airport you land at: Tianfu (TFU) is about an hour out, Shuangliu (CTU) is close. And get to the panda base early, before 9:00, when the pandas are most active.

Visa-free entry and 240-hour transit

Chengdu's airports are designated ports for 240-hour visa-free transit. If you fly on to a third country or region, you can stay up to 10 days and travel across the 24 permitted provinces (Tibet, Xinjiang and a few other regions are not included). In Sichuan only Chengdu and 10 other cities count, incl. Leshan, Meishan and Ya'an. Jiuzhaigou is not included.

Not sure which rule applies to you? Check your passport in 10 seconds or see rules by country.

Airport to the city

Chengdu Tianfu (TFU)

Option	Time	Cost
Metro Line 18 Express trains are faster; change lines for most hotels	40–60 min to the city	~¥10–30 (depends on train type)
Taxi / Didi	60–70 min	~¥200

Chengdu Shuangliu (CTU)

Option	Time	Cost
Metro Line 10 Change to Line 3 or 7 for most hotels	20–40 min to the centre	A few yuan
Taxi / Didi	40–50 min	~¥100

Landing late, with luggage or kids? A pre-booked car meets you in arrivals with a name sign, at a fixed price: Chengdu Tianfu (TFU) transfer · Chengdu Shuangliu (CTU) transfer. (affiliate links)

Times and fares change. Check Amap or the airport's official site on the day. First time landing in China? Read arriving in China step by step.

Metro and taxis

Metro: Every metro station takes contactless Visa, Mastercard and Amex at the gates (the card needs contactless payments enabled). Alipay's metro QR code works too. Set up Alipay with your foreign card before you fly as a backup.

Didi: Didi is cheap and easy in Chengdu. For the panda base, a Didi from Chunxi Road is about ¥40 and 25–35 min. See how to use Didi as a foreigner.

Hotels in Chengdu

Check in with your passport: hotels register foreign guests with the police automatically at check-in, so there's nothing else to do. Compare hotels in Chengdu on Trip.com (affiliate link): the site is in English, shows prices in your currency and takes foreign cards. Save the hotel's address in Chinese characters to show taxi drivers.

Top sights: do you need to book?

Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda BreedingBooking: Book ahead, especially weekends and holidays; arrive 7:30–9:00Passport: Yes, bring the originalHow: Metro Line 3 to Panda Avenue, then shuttle bus 408 to the South Gate · Book tickets

Kuanzhai AlleyBooking: Free, no bookingPassport: Not neededHow: Metro Line 4 to Kuanzhai Alley station

People's Park teahouseBooking: Free entry; pay for tea at the tablePassport: Not neededHow: Metro Line 2 to People's Park

Leshan Giant Buddha (day trip)Booking: Real-name ticket; book ahead in peak seasonPassport: Yes, bring the originalHow: Train to Leshan, then 30 min by taxi · Book tickets

"Book tickets" links are affiliate links: we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Day trips from Chengdu

Leshan Giant Buddha: Train from Chengdu East, about 50–70 min, then 30 min by taxi
Dujiangyan and Mount Qingcheng: About 1 h by train or car

Where to go next

Chongqing: 1.5–2 h by high-speed train
Xi'an: 3–4 h by high-speed train

Booking trains: how to book China's high-speed trains as a foreigner. All cities: China city guides.

Next steps for your trip

1. Fill in the arrival cardOnline, free, within 72h before landing 2. Set up AlipayLink your Visa or Mastercard before you fly 3. Get a China eSIMGoogle, WhatsApp & Instagram keep working · affiliate link Stuck? Ask a real personWhatsApp / WeChat · paid help from $15

FAQ

Can I use 240-hour visa-free transit in Chengdu?

Yes. Tianfu and Shuangliu airports are designated ports. You can stay up to 10 days and travel across the 24 permitted provinces, but in Sichuan only Chengdu and 10 other cities count, including Leshan. Jiuzhaigou is outside the permitted area.

Which Chengdu airport is closer to the city?

Shuangliu (CTU) is much closer: 20–40 min by metro or about ¥100 by taxi. Tianfu (TFU) is 40–60 min by Metro Line 18 or about ¥200 by taxi.

When is the best time to see pandas in Chengdu?

Early morning. Arrive between 7:30 and 9:00, when the pandas are feeding and most active. By midday many are asleep.

Last verified 24 October 2026. Sources: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] . Rules, fares and booking windows change often — confirm on official channels before you travel.