🛫 Terminal 3 (Norman Foster Mega-Terminal)

Airlines: Air China (the dominant carrier), Lufthansa, BA, Air France-KLM, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, ANA, Star Alliance carriers, plus most international long-haul.

Layout: Three concourses (T3-C, T3-D international, T3-E). Connected by a free subterranean people-mover running every 2 minutes. Walk from T3 entry to far gates can take 15–20 minutes.

🛩️ Terminals 1 & 2 (Older, Star Alliance + Domestic)

T1: Small, used by some low-cost domestic. T2: Domestic + select international (Russian, Korean Air, Japan Airlines, some Star Alliance overflow).

Free shuttle bus connects T1, T2, T3 every 8–10 minutes. Allow 30+ min for inter-terminal transfers including security re-check.

30-Day Visa-Free for 11+ Nationalities

Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg + Malaysia, Brunei, Thailand, Singapore: 30-day visa-free entry for tourism, business or family visits. Expanded from earlier policies in 2023–2024. UK, US, Canada, Australia still need full visa or e-Visa for tourist stays beyond 240-hour transit.

240-Hour Transit Visa-Free

Travellers from 54 countries (including UK, US, Canada, Australia, NZ) connecting through Beijing to a third country can stay up to 240 hours visa-free (extended from 144 hours in late 2024). Onward ticket to a third country required; multi-leg domestic travel within China allowed.

Customs & e-Visa Reality

For longer stays, apply at a Chinese embassy in advance — single-entry tourist L visa typically $100–150. Some nationalities can apply via e-Visa portal. Customs declaration required for over $5,000 USD equivalent in cash or 20,000 CNY. Drone restrictions vary; declare on arrival.

⭐ PEK Airport Express — ¥25 to Dongzhimen

The PEK Airport Express (Line 25 / Beijing Subway extension) runs from T3 and T2 to Sanyuanqiao (Line 10) and Dongzhimen (Line 2 / Line 13) in central Beijing. Trains every 10 minutes, ride ~25 minutes from T3 to Dongzhimen. ¥25 single fare; pay via the Beijing transit card (Yikatong) or Alipay/WeChat Pay QR code.

📱 Didi Chuxing — The Chinese Uber

Didi Chuxing is the dominant Chinese rideshare (after Uber sold its China operations to Didi in 2016). Pickup zones at the kerb outside arrivals. The Didi app interface is in Chinese — use Didi Foreign / Didi Pax (English) or DiDi via Alipay-WeChat. Fares 30–40% cheaper than licensed taxi.

🚖 Licensed Taxi — Use the Official Rank

Licensed Beijing taxis at the kerb outside arrivals. Metered ¥3 per km starting after the first 3 km; airport surcharge ¥30. Cash + Alipay / WeChat Pay accepted. Don’t accept “greeter” offers inside the terminal — those are unlicensed black cabs that overcharge by 3–4x.

✨ Air China First Class Lounge T3 (T3 International, status only)

If you eat once at PEK, eat Peking duck at Quanjude Express in T3 — ¥80–120 (~$11–17) for the proper sliced-duck-with-pancake-and-hoisin combo. Skip the airport McDonald’s and KFC. Peking duck was invented in this city; eating it at the airport version is honest tradition.

Loose-leaf Chinese tea at PEK duty-free is the underrated take-home: Pu-erh from Yunnan (¥80–200 per 100g), Longjing green tea (¥120–300), Tieguanyin oolong (¥150–400). Buy at airport duty-free — quality is verified, prices comparable to Beijing tea markets, and customs exit is easier with sealed packaging. Skip the “tourist tea” at Tiantan — those are commercial-grade.

Take-home picks: Loose-leaf tea (above), silk scarves from the airport Silk Road shop (verify pure mulberry silk certification), jasmine pearls, baijiu (Chinese white spirit) from duty-free, chopsticks sets. Avoid airport-priced jade — the duty-free jade has high markup, and authenticity is hard to verify; buy in Beijing’s Liulichang antique street if you’re serious. Chinese mooncakes (around mid-autumn festival) are a great seasonal carry-home.

China blocks Google, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Twitter/X, YouTube, Gmail, Google Maps, Wikipedia and many more. Install a VPN BEFORE arriving — once in China, app stores can’t install VPN apps without one. ExpressVPN, NordVPN, Astrill are the most reliable. The Great Firewall is real and constant. Use WeChat for messaging while in China; locals use it for everything.

Modern China is mobile-payment dominant — restaurants, taxis, museums, vending machines, even the Airport Express expect Alipay or WeChat Pay QR. Set up Alipay or WeChat Pay BEFORE arrival; both now accept foreign credit cards (Visa/MC) under their tourist programs. Cash is technically legal but rapidly becoming inconvenient; some shops now refuse cash. ATMs still work but expect ¥3–5 per transaction.

Beijing air pollution has improved substantially since 2013 but PM2.5 spikes still occur, particularly winter (heating season Nov–Feb) and during dust storms (Mar–Apr). Bring N95 masks if you’re sensitive; check the AQI app pre-departure. Indoor air at PEK and most hotels has filtration. Severe pollution days can affect flight visibility; rare but real cause of delays.

Beijing tap water requires boiling before drinking; locals universally use boiled or bottled water. Hotels provide kettles for boiling. At PEK, free hot-water dispensers exist at most washrooms (Chinese tradition: travellers carry thermos cups for hot water/tea). Bottled water at the kiosks runs ¥10–15 for 500 ml.

China Mobile, China Unicom, China Telecom all sell tourist SIMs at PEK arrivals — ¥200–300 for a 30-day plan. BUT Chinese SIMs are also Great-Firewall-restricted. Tourist eSIMs from Airalo / Holafly that route via Hong Kong bypass the Great Firewall — set up before landing for unrestricted Google/Facebook access. 5G coverage is universal across Beijing.

Beijing has very low violent crime rates and is generally among Asia’s safer big cities for solo female travellers. The Airport Express, subway, and Didi rideshare are CCTV-monitored. For arrivals after 23:00, prefer Didi over flagging a kerbside cab — black cab scams are the main risk, not crime. Hotels offer 24-hour reception.

Tipping is NOT customary in China — restaurants, taxis, hotel staff don’t expect tips. International hotels in Beijing’s tourist areas may have evolved to accept tips, but locally it’s neither expected nor offered. Don’t over-tip — it can be confusing or even slightly insulting in casual contexts. Service charge sometimes auto-added to high-end restaurants (10–15%).