How to get to Chengdu
As one of the most visited cities, Chengdu is very well connected and easily accessible from all corners of the world. Below, you can find your best way to travel to Chengdu.
By Plane
There are more than a hundred air carriers traveling to Chengdu City from all over China and the world. Air travelers to Chengdu will arrive at Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport or Chengdu Tianfu International Airport. Visitors can reach their hotels from the airports by using taxis, airport shuttle buses, subways, or DiDi. For those interested, there are a number of hotels conveniently located near the airport.
By Train
Train connections are available from most cities to Chengdu, such as Beijing, Shanghai, Xi'an, Chongqing, Kunming, Guiyang, Guilin, Changsha...There are four major passenger stations servicing Chengdu. They are Chengdu Railway Station (commonly referred to as the "North Station"), Chengdu South Railway Station (Chengdu nan Railway Station), Chengdu East Railway Station (Chengdu dong Railway Station) and Chengdu West Railway Station (Chengdu Xi Railway Station).
Chengdu North Railway Station
It is called Chengdu Station on railway ticket, but is usually referred as "North Railway Station(Huo Che Bei Zhan)" by local people and some maps. Handles most long distance services. The North Railway Station was Chengdu's original port-of-call for the city's newcomers. Now there are newer and more convenient railway stations, but the North is the oldest and biggest in Chengdu. In recent years the North Railway Station has alleviated lines and waiting times by introducing automatic ticket dispensing machines which allow travelers to purchase ticket quickly and without the need of a human attendant. Trains to Dujiangyan(the city that holds Qingchengshan-Dujiangyan National Park) also depart from this station.
Chengdu East Railway Station
The East Railway Station was opened in 2012. Not to be confused with an old freight station, which is slightly east of Chengdu North Station. If you go to the wrong station, you will miss the train which you want. Chengdu East Railway Station offers regular service to dozens of destinations across China as well as bullet train access to Chongqing in just over 90 minutes, the East Railway Station looks and functions much like an airport than a train station, with multiple security checks as well as x-ray scans. The facility is clean and is subway accessible, with a station on the Line 2. Tickets can be bought at the East Railway Station via automated machines or human tellers, although the former can save you quite a bit of time. For booking tickets on the weekend it’s best to book in advance either through a travel agent or one of the dozens of rail ticket outlets spread across Chengdu.
Inside the East Railway Station are a number of small shops and restaurants, including a KFC, McDonalds, and a Dico’s in addition to coffee and tea shops. Trains begin boarding approximately 15 minutes before departure and they depart exactly on time, so try to arrive about 15 minutes before your departure time.
Chengdu South Station (Chengdunan Railway Station)
This station operates bullet trains running on the Chengdu-Mianyang-Leshan Intercity High Speed Railway, intercity trains to/from Chongqing and ordinary ones to/from Chongqing, Kunming, and Dazhu. Tourists can reach there by Taxi, Didi, subway Line 1 and Line 7, or public bus route 16, 19, 49, 112, 76, 99, 111, 133, 187, 188, 236, 153, 1055, 298, 1055, 1055, 1074.
Chengdu West Railway Station (Chengduxi Railway Station)
The west railway station was opened on December 28, 2018.Tourists can reach there by Taxi, Didi or public bus route 6, 32, 35, 142, 228, 338,904, and 772.
By Long Distance Bus
There are a number of affordable, convenient bus lines that travel to Chengdu City from around Sichuan province and other provinces. Travelers to Chengdu by long distance bus will arrive at some of below major and frequently used bus stations.
Xinnanmen Bus Station (xīn nán mén qì chē zhàn 新南门汽车站 )
It plays a role as a Tour Bus Center of the city and provides service to renowned scenic spots, including Jiuzhaigou, Leshan Giant Buddha, Mt. Emei, Mt. Qingcheng, Stone Elephant Lake, etc.
Location: No.57, Linjiang Road, Xinnanmen, Wuhou District
Transportation: Bus no. 28, 48, 82, 237, and 904; subway line 1 (Huaxiba Station)
Opening Time: 06:30 – 19:30
Chadianzi Bus Station (chá diàn zi kè yùn zhàn 茶店子客运站)
Buses here mainly run to Tibetan areas in west and north Sichuan, as well as famous scenic spots like Jiuzhaigou, Dujiangyan, Songpan Ancient Town, Four Maiden's Mountain, and Xiling Snow Mountain. It is a branch of the city’s Tour Bus Center (Xinnanmen Bus Station).
Location: No.289, Fifth Section, West Third Ring Road, Jinniu District.
Transportation: Bus no. 4, 62, 82, 86, 310, 338, 341, 716, and 805; subway line 2 (Chadianzi Bus Station)
Opening Time: 06:00 – 19:30
Wuguiqiao Bus Station (wǔ guì qiáo qì chē zhàn 五桂桥汽车站 )
The station is also known as Chengdu General Bus Station. It is near Tazishan Park, east of the city. It provides transport service mainly to places along the Chengdu-Chongqing expressway and Neijiang-Yibin expressway such as Chongqing, Fuling, Yibin, Zigong, and Nanning.
Location: No. 194, Yinghui Road, Chenghua District
Transportation: Bus no. 2, 4, 10, 58, 71, 81, 92, 122, 219, 223, 819, 856, 857, and 858
Opening Time: 06:30 – 20:30
Tip: As the station is located near exit/entrance of Chengdu-Chongqing Expressway, it is more time-saving to start a journey here rather than from other stations, whose buses need a longer time to get free from downtown traffic.
Airport Bus Station (jī chǎng kè yùn zhàn 机场客运站)
Airport Bus StationLocated just inside Shuangliu International Airport, it is a transfer station for flight passengers. Currently, there are buses to Mianyang, Nanchong, Zigong, Luzhou, Yibin, Deyang, Dujiangyan, Ya’an, Leshan, Anyue, Meishan, Suining, Neijiang, Longchang, and Ziyang, etc.
Location: Between T1 and T2 of Shuangliu Airport
Transportation: Airport shuttle bus lines 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5; Bus no. 804 and 826
Opening Time: 07:30 – 21:00
North City Bus Station (chéng běi qì chē zhàn 城北汽车站 )
It has buses to Dujiangyan, Xinjin, Gonglai, Deyang, Langzhong, Shifang, Mianzhu, Tumen, Mianyang, Santai, Jianyang, Lezhi, Anyue, Neijiang, Zizhong, Meishan, Danling, Qingshen, Hongya, Chongqing, and Xi'an, etc.
Location: No.85, North Second Section, Second Ring Road
Transportation: Bus no. 2, 9, 11, 16, 24, 36, 55, 57, 65, 73, 80, and 98; subway line 1 (North Railway Station)
Opening Time: 06:00 – 20:00
Tip: This station is only about 1,094 yards (1000 meters) away from Chengdu Railway Station. Passengers who arrive at or depart from Chengdu Railway Station are advised to make a transfer here rather than other
coach stations.
East Railway Station Bus Station (dōng zhàn qì chē zhàn 东站汽车站)
This is the supporting station of Chengdu East Railway Station. Transfer passengers of that railway station are recommended to arrive or depart here. Currently, it has buses to Gonglai, Dayi, Xinjin, Pujiang, Pixian, Xindu, Xichang, and Anshun, etc.
Location: South Side, East Square of East Railway Station
Transportation: Bus no. 4, 40, 47, 71, 121, 817, 2, 38, 91, 101, 147, and airport bus line 3; subway line 2 (East Railway Station)
Opening Time: 07:00 – 19:30
North Gate Bus Station (běi mén qì chē zhàn 北门汽车站)
It mainly operates buses to south and northeast Sichuan, including Zhongjiang, Santai, Yanting, Shehong, Nanbu, Langzhong, Bazhong, Yilong, Tongjiang, Nanjiang, Zigong, Yibin, Rongxian, and Fushun.
Location: No. 195-197, North Fourth Section, First Ring Road
Transportation: Bus no.1, 27, 28, 32, 34, 53, 64, 65, 73, 80, 99, 106, 113, 154, 342, 650, and 802
Opening Time: 06:00 – 19:30
Tip: As the station is located in an urban area, it usually takes more time to reach the highway. Hence, it is advisable to take buses from other stations if there is any.
East City Bus Station (chéng dōng kè yùn zhàn 城东客运站)
Buses to Renshou, Wengong, Jiajia, Qingshui, Wangyang, Fujia, Zhangjia, Shijian, Hejia, Zhongnong, Beidou, Lujia, Guanyin, Jingyan, Zhenjin, and Sancha. Guanyin, Jingyan, and Sancha, are available here.
Location: Second Section, South Third Ring Road, Jinjiang District
Transportation: Bus no. 3, 23, 65, and 137
Opening Time: 06:30 – 18:50
Tip: Most of the above mentioned destinations are towns in Renshou County of Meishan City. Passengers to Renshou direction should consider departing from this station first.
Shiling Bus Station (shí líng kè yùn zhàn 十陵客运站)
Buses departing here mainly run to Nanchong, Suining, Guang’an, and Quxian, etc.
Location: South Outer Side of Chengnan Overpass, Shiling Street, Longquanyi District
Transportation: Bus no. 5, 85, 120, 122, 136, 137, 854, 867, and 869
Opening Time: 06:30 – 19:30
Shiyangchang Bus Station (shí yáng chǎng kè yùn zhàn 石羊场客运站 )
Buses here mainly run to south and southwest Sichuan, including Ya’an, Leshan, Meishan, Muchuan, Mabian, Jinyang, and Yushu, etc.
Location: Group 6, Sanyuan Village, Shiyang Town, High-tech Industrial Development Zone
Transportation: Bus no. 11, 28, 100, 823, and 804
Opening Time: 07:00 – 19:00
Wukuaishi Bus Station (wǔ kuài shí qì chē zhàn 五块石汽车站)
It mainly operates short-distance buses to Pengzhou, and Huayang, etc; inter-zone buses to Ziyang, Lezhi, and Jianyang, etc; long-distance buses to Fushun, Yibin, Pingchang, Hangzhou, and Jinan, etc.
Location: No.157, Zhanbei Road, Jinniu District
Transportation: Bus no. 24, 57, 59, 70, 80, 103, 123, 316, 651, and 763
Opening Time: 06:00 – 19:30 (summer); 06:00 – 19:00 (winter)
International Commerce City Bus Station (guó jì shāng mào chéng chē zhàn 国际商贸城车站)
Designed to serve Chengdu International Commerce City, it is located in the central area of that large wholesale market. It has buses to not only places within Sichuan, including Nanxi, Banqiao, Daying, Xiangshan, and Xinshi, but also areas outside the province, like Ningbo in Zhejiang; Zhenxiong, Weixin, Yongshan, Shuifu, and Suijiang in Yunnan; Bishan, Dazu, Tongliang, Tongnan, and Rongchang in Chongqing.
Location: No. 1, Huixing Road, Tianhui Town, Jinniu District
Transportation: Bus no. 38, 46, 50, 103, 110, 129, 527, 651, 667, 683, and Dafeng Line 1
Opening Time: 06:10 – 18:30
Zhaojue Temple Bus Station (zhào jué sì qì chē zhàn 昭觉寺汽车站)
Named so for it is located beside the front gate of Zhaojue Temple. Built as a supporting station of Chengdu-Mianyang Highway, it operates most buses to Mianyang direction.
Location: No. 166, Zhaoqingheng Road, Jinniu District
Transportation: Bus no. 1, 49, 53, 63, 69, 71, 83, 85, 87, 156, 527, and 530
Opening Time: 06:20 – 20:00
By Car
Use Google Maps, Gaode Maps, or Baidu Maps for driving directions to Chengdu. Also, make sure you know where to park: you may want to use an APP like Gaode Map (English version) to find and compare parking spots and locations.