Chengdu Tianfu International Airport (TFU) Guide for Beginners
Chengdu Tianfu International Airport is a massive, ultra-modern aviation hub newly built in Chengdu. For complete beginners, although it is located quite far from the city center, its transportation network is incredibly comprehensive and multi-layered, so you don’t need to worry about getting lost even on your first visit. Below is a detailed, beginner-friendly bilingual guide to transportation and facilities.
How to get from Tianfu Airport to downtown Chengdu and surrounding areas?
City Rail Transit (Subway) This is the most cost-effective and traffic-jam-proof option for beginners:
- You can choose to take Metro Line 18 or Metro Line 19 to head into the city.
- What’s especially friendly for beginners is that Metro Line 18 has launched a direct express route running straight from the South Railway Station to Tianfu Airport without stopping at intermediate stations, which significantly reduces travel time.
Railway Transportation (Air-Rail Link) Tianfu Airport is directly integrated with its own high-speed railway station—Tianfu Airport High-Speed Railway Station. After getting off the plane, you can seamlessly transfer to a high-speed train without even leaving the airport building, heading to:
- Within Sichuan Province: Destinations include Chengdu East, Shuangliu Airport, Meishan East, Leshan, Weiyuan, Yibin (East/West), Nanxi North, Yantan, Zigong, Fushun, Luxian, Changning, Xingwen, Luzhou, Ziyang West, and Zizhong West.
- Outside Sichuan Province: Destinations include Chongqing North, Bijie, and Tongnan. You can check specific operating schedules and fares directly on the official railway 12306 website or APP.
City Airport Buses and Customized Express Vans If you have a lot of heavy luggage and want to avoid carrying it up and down the subway stairs, airport buses and customized commercial vans are excellent choices.
- Around-the-clock Airport Buses: Tianfu Airport operates Line 1, Line 2, and Line 3 without interruption, 24 hours a day.
- Night and Special Lines: There are night-operating lines including Line 5 and Line 6 (Line 6 is the Huanqiu Center special line), as well as Line 4, which synchronizes perfectly with the train schedules at Chengdu East Railway Station.
- Kuanzhai Alley City Terminal Bus: If you are touring the city’s core tourist areas, you can take a bus from the terminal located at No. 19 Xia Tongren Road, Qingyang District. It operates from 08:00 to 21:30 but requires a phone booking 4.5 hours in advance. Buses depart 1 hour after your reservation, costing 78 RMB per ticket, providing a comfortable commercial vehicle ride.
- Highly Recommended “Customized Express” for Beginners: If you are completely unfamiliar with local routes or are traveling with elderly relatives or children, we strongly recommend booking the 16-seat minibus “Customized Express” (定制快客). It offers 24-hour door-to-door pick-up and drop-off in the main city and some suburbs! The trip takes about 70-130 minutes. The base fare is only 49 RMB per person (with an extra 10 RMB for Shuangliu/Shangmaocheng areas, and 20 RMB for Gaoxin West/Wenjiang areas), and there is a 20 RMB discount on your first order. You can easily search and book this via the “天府行” WeChat mini-program.
Intercity Buses (Traveling to other cities in the province) If your final destination is not Chengdu, Tianfu Airport’s vast intercity passenger network can take you to many surrounding cities in Sichuan.
Boarding Options: This includes fixed-station buses as well as commercial express vans that offer direct door-to-door service. Beginners can conveniently check schedules and purchase tickets via the “团子出行” or “天府行” WeChat mini-programs.
Wide Coverage: Routes include Jianyang, Zigong, Deyang, Anyue, Renshou, Neijiang, Lezhi, Meishan, Zizhong, Mianyang, Nanchong, Leshan, Ya’an, Zhongjiang, Hongya, Qingbaijiang, Longchang, Dujiangyan, Ziyang, Wangyang, Santai, Qianwei, Luzhou, Weiyuan, Shehong, and Jintang.
Comprehensive Services at Tianfu Airport
Where can I eat at Tianfu Airport?
The dining options at Tianfu Airport are extremely abundant, often affectionately referred to as a “food city.” Various terminals feature not only affordable fast-food chains like Starbucks, KFC, and McDonald’s, but also highly authentic Sichuan cuisine, such as Zhong Dumplings, Long Chao Shou (Sichuan wontons), Dan Dan Noodles, and various local restaurants. Whether before or after security, beginners will find plenty of choices across different price ranges.
Are there vegetarian or Halal restaurants?
Large Chinese restaurants inside the airport typically offer dedicated pure vegetarian dishes on their menus. Additionally, to cater to travelers with different religious beliefs, there are specialized restaurants with clear Halal certification logos within the terminals. You can easily locate them using the interactive electronic directory boards situated throughout the airport.
Where can I stay near Tianfu Airport?
If you need to catch a very early flight or arrive late at night, there are two highly convenient star-rated hotels located directly inside the airport: Joyhub Air Hotel and Joyhub Cheer Hotel. They are situated right next to the Ground Traffic Center (GTC) between the two terminals. You can simply push your luggage cart straight to the hotel lobby without even stepping outdoors, which is incredibly friendly for beginners.
Where can I shop at Tianfu Airport?
Tianfu Airport boasts a massive commercial area. In addition to local specialty stores (where you can easily purchase Sichuan hotpot base, Zhangfei beef, Sichuan embroidery, and other souvenirs) and convenience stores, the restricted international departure and arrival areas feature large duty-free shops. Here, you can purchase a variety of tax-free cosmetics, perfumes, liquors, and international boutique items.
Where can I get a SIM card or portable Wi-Fi device?
Telecommunication service counters and vending machines are conveniently set up near the exits of the international arrival hall. Overseas travelers can easily purchase local prepaid SIM cards or rent portable Wi-Fi devices here. The staff will gladly assist beginners with activation and setup.
Where can I exchange currency or find ATMs?
Highly visible foreign currency exchange counters are available in both the international arrival and departure halls. Furthermore, automated teller machines (ATMs) from major Chinese banks are widely distributed throughout all areas of the terminals. Beginners can easily withdraw RMB cash using bank cards bearing Visa, MasterCard, JCB, or UnionPay logos.
