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Beijing Daxing Airport (PKX) to the City: Transfer Guide & Prices
Beijing Daxing International Airport opened in 2019 as the city's second major airport, and it sits a long way south of everything — far enough that ground transport planned for Beijing Capital is no help to you here. This guide covers the PKX/PEK distinction, how far Daxing actually is, what its single-terminal layout means when you land, your real transport options into the city, and what a pre-booked private transfer costs. If you haven't sorted out payments and connectivity yet, run our free readiness check before you fly.
PKX or Beijing Capital (PEK)? Check before you book.
Beijing has two major airports on opposite sides of the city: Beijing Daxing (PKX), covered on this page, and Beijing Capital (PEK) to the northeast. They are roughly 70km apart — arranging a pickup at the wrong one is an expensive mistake, not a short detour. Check your boarding pass or airline confirmation for the three-letter airport code before you arrange any ground transport.
About PKX
Daxing sits roughly 46km south of central Beijing — noticeably further out than Capital, and far enough that every trip into the city is a genuine journey rather than a quick hop. Budget more time than you would for an airport closer in, particularly if you're arriving during rush hour.
Unlike airports split across several buildings, Daxing operates from one very large terminal with concourses radiating out from a central hub. That's convenient in one sense — there's no inter-terminal shuttle to catch and no risk of ending up at the wrong building — but the flip side is that walking distances inside are substantial, and the trip from a far gate to immigration can take a while on its own.
What to expect when you land
Foreign passport holders go through a separate immigration line from Chinese nationals and returning residents — have your passport and any required entry documentation ready. How long this takes depends heavily on how many flights landed around the same time as yours, so build in a buffer rather than planning anything tight immediately afterwards.
After immigration, screens in the baggage claim area show which belt serves your flight, and customs follows. The arrivals area is where a pre-booked driver waits with a name sign, alongside the taxi queue and the routes down to the airport railway and coach services. Because of the terminal's size, give yourself a little longer than you'd expect between landing and actually reaching the arrivals hall.
Getting from PKX to Beijing: your options compared
| Option | Time | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Private transfer / taxi | ~60–90 min, door to door | No connections, luggage, jet lag, late/overnight arrivals |
| Daxing Airport Express | ~20 min to Caoqiao, plus a connection | Speed, if your destination is near the connecting metro lines |
| Intercity railway | Varies by service | Onward travel rather than central Beijing itself |
| Airport coach | Varies by route | Budget, if a route serves your area directly |
Private transfer or taxi — ~60–90 minutes, door to door
The most predictable option from Daxing, and the distance is exactly why: this is a long enough trip that a connection going wrong costs you real time. A pre-booked private transfer fixes the price before you land and tracks your actual flight, so a delayed arrival doesn't turn into a negotiation at the taxi rank at midnight.
Daxing Airport Express — ~20 minutes to Caoqiao
The dedicated airport rail link covers the distance to Caoqiao station quickly, and it's the fastest way to close most of the gap. The catch is the same one the Maglev has at Pudong: Caoqiao is still south of the city center, so unless your destination is right by a connecting metro line you'll be changing trains with your luggage and adding time on the far end.
Intercity railway
Daxing is also served by an intercity railway line, which is more useful for onward travel beyond Beijing than for reaching a hotel in the city center. Worth knowing about if your plans continue past Beijing, less so for a standard arrival.
Airport coaches
Coach services run from Daxing to various parts of Beijing and can be a reasonable budget option if a route happens to serve your area. Check current routes and timetables when you arrive rather than assuming a specific line — these change, and the last departure matters on a late arrival.
How it works
1. Book in advance
Enter your flight details and pickup time. Price is fixed the moment you book, not negotiated on arrival.
2. Your driver tracks your flight
Landing late or early adjusts pickup automatically — no need to notify anyone or renegotiate.
3. Meet at arrivals
Your driver waits in the arrivals hall with a name sign — one terminal, so there's no wrong building to end up at.
Tips for arriving at PKX
- Double-check PKX vs. Beijing Capital (PEK) on your ticket before arranging any ground transport — see the callout above. This is the single most common planning mistake in Beijing.
- Save your accommodation address in Chinese characters (a screenshot works) — most drivers and taxi staff won't reliably read an English address, and translation apps can mangle hotel names specifically.
- Allow extra time inside the terminal. Daxing is very large, and the walk from a distant gate to immigration is longer than most airports.
- Charge your phone before landing, and carry a portable charger if you have one — you'll want it for maps, translation, and payment apps.
- If you haven't set up Alipay or WeChat Pay yet, do it before you land — see our FAQ for how.
Private transfer from PKX
$690.00
Fixed at booking — no meter, no on-arrival haggling, no surge pricing for a late landing. Final price depends on your exact destination. Want a real person checking your setup and on call for your first 48 hours? Add VIP concierge when you book.
Book your PKX transferPKX-specific questions
Is Daxing the same airport as Beijing Capital?
No, and they are not close together. Beijing Daxing (PKX) is roughly 70km from Beijing Capital (PEK), on the opposite side of the city. Travelling between the two is a serious journey in its own right, so if you have connecting flights assigned to different Beijing airports, treat that as a full transfer with hours of margin rather than a quick hop.
How long does it take to get from PKX into central Beijing?
Plan for roughly 60 to 90 minutes door to door by car, depending on your destination and traffic. The airport railway covers part of the distance faster, but you'll be adding a connection and the time it takes to get from the connecting station to where you're actually staying.
Which terminal will I arrive at?
Daxing operates from a single main terminal, so unlike Beijing Capital there's no risk of arranging a pickup at the wrong building. What it does mean is long internal walking distances — allow more time between landing and reaching the arrivals hall than you might at a smaller airport.
What if my flight is delayed or lands early?
A pre-booked private transfer tracks your actual flight rather than a fixed clock time, so a delay doesn't strand you and an early landing doesn't leave your driver waiting for nothing. That matters more at Daxing than at a close-in airport, because the alternatives all take longer to fall back on.