Chengdu Arrival Guide

Chengdu Tianfu International Airport · China · International Arrivals = Terminal 1 (T1)

✓ Hand-verified 8 Oct 2026 · Autumn now: 15–22 °C, mild and misty — hotpot weather

Chengdu moves at teahouse speed — but its airport does not. Tianfu International is one of China's newest and furthest airports, over 50 km from the pandas and the hotpot. This guide gets you from the arrivals hall to the city without stress: the metro line that beats the traffic, honest taxi prices, mobile payment setup, and the five places and five dishes that define this delicious, unhurried city.

BEFORE YOU FLY: visa check + FREE online arrival card

① Visa: many passports (incl. Singapore, Malaysia) get 30 days visa-free; 240-hr transit needs an onward ticket to a DIFFERENT country. ② Arrival card: fill it ONLINE within 72 hrs before landing — FREE OF CHARGE — at s.nia.gov.cn/ArrivalCardFillingPC (opens in any browser; no WeChat needed) or the “NIA 12367” app. Paper fallback exists at the border.

⚠ Beware fake sites that charge fees — the official arrival card is FREE OF CHARGE.

Official site (copy this exactly): https://s.nia.gov.cn/ArrivalCardFillingPC/

Visa note: Visa-free 30 days for many passports (check yours) · 240-hr visa-free transit needs an onward ticket to a DIFFERENT country · Hotel registers your stay automatically.

Your First 2 Hours, Step by Step

Immigration — 20–45 min · passport + arrival QR
Baggage — check carousel screens
Customs — Green Channel = walk out
Cash/SIM — ATMs + SIM counters, arrivals
Alipay — link your card on free WiFi
Go — metro: B1 (L18) · taxi: rank outside

≈60 km to city centre

Emergency Numbers in Chengdu

110	Police
120	Ambulance
119	Fire
12345	City Helpline
12308	China MFA Hotline (24/7)
028-85205555	Airport Hotline

Embassies (lost passport, 24-hr lines)

United States	+86-28-8558-3992 — U.S. Consulate General Chengdu — 4 Lingshiguan Rd
United Kingdom	+86-28-8523-6698 — British Consulate Chongqing / Embassy Beijing — serves Sichuan
Australia	+86-28-6323-8600 — Australian Consulate Chengdu — Chicony Plaza, Chunxi Rd

Other nationalities: find your embassy at embassy.goabroad.com. Save these numbers offline before you fly.

Getting From Chengdu Tianfu International Airport Into the City

Metro Line 18 ExpressCHEAPEST¥10 ≈ $1.50

T1/T2 station (B1) > South Railway Station in 33–40 min, then Line 1 to Tianfu Square. Every 8 min, 06:00–23:00. 63 km of city — the train beats traffic.

Airport BusNIGHT OPTION¥25 ≈ $3.70

To Chunxi Rd / city centre, ~80 min. Runs until after the last flight (night line every 60 min). Buy at the arrivals counters.

Metered TaxiEASIEST¥150–220 ≈ $22–33

Official rank, 24 hrs. ~50–70 min to Tianfu Square + tolls. Landed at SHUANGLIU instead? It's much closer: taxi ≈ ¥40–60, metro Line 10.

🌙 after 23:00: airport bus night line, taxi or DiDi

Money in Chengdu

1 USD ≈ ¥6.7 (7 Oct 26)

¥10 ≈ $1.50¥50 ≈ $7.50¥100 ≈ $15¥500 ≈ $75

China is nearly cashless: link your Visa/Mastercard to Alipay (and WeChat Pay) BEFORE you fly — even teahouses scan QR codes. Keep ¥200–500 cash backup (bank ATMs in arrivals).

Phone, WiFi & SIM

Airport WiFi: Free airport WiFi — SMS code needs a phone number; the info desk prints a login slip if yours can't receive one.

Tourist SIM: Tourist SIM in arrivals (China Unicom): 7 days ≈ ¥85 · 30 days ≈ ¥200 (20 GB). Easier: install an eSIM before you fly (≈ $8–16). Passport required for any local SIM.

Apps to install before you fly: Get 3 apps BEFORE flying: Alipay (pay + DiDi + metro) · Amap or Baidu Maps · translator with offline Chinese. Gmail/WhatsApp need a VPN — install before you fly.

8 Phrases That Open Doors

Hello	Ni hao	你好
Thank you	Xie xie	谢谢
How much?	Duo shao qian?	多少钱
Not spicy	Bu la	不辣
Where is the toilet?	Ce suo zai na li?	厕所在哪里
Sorry / excuse me	Bu hao yi si	不好意思
Delicious!	Hao chi!	好吃
The bill, please	Mai dan	买单

Mandarin (locals speak Sichuan dialect — standard Mandarin works) — and if pronunciation fails, point at the local script on your printed card.

Top 5 Must-Go Places in Chengdu

1. Panda Research Base大熊猫繁育研究基地

100+ giant pandas eating, climbing and tumbling. Go at 7:30 opening — they nap by noon.

¥55 · opens 7:30 · Metro Panda Avenue + shuttle

Book ahead via official WeChat or Trip.com; passport = ticket. · Open in Google Maps

2. Wuhou Shrine & Jinli Street武侯祠·锦里

Shrine to the Three Kingdoms heroes, opening onto lantern-lit Jinli snack street.

Shrine ¥50 · Jinli FREE · liveliest at dusk

Shrine first, then graze Jinli for dinner. · Open in Google Maps

3. People's Park Teahouses人民公园

Chengdu's living room — jasmine tea, mahjong, and the famous ear-cleaners.

Park FREE · tea ¥20–40 · Metro People's Park

Heming Teahouse, since 1923 — sit as long as you like. · Open in Google Maps

4. Kuanzhai Alleys宽窄巷子

Qing-dynasty lanes — courtyard cafés, crafts, Sichuan opera face-changing shows.

FREE · all day · Metro Kuanzhaixiangzi

Face-changing shows ≈ ¥40–80 at teahouses inside. · Open in Google Maps

5. Chunxi Road & Taikoo Li春熙路·太古里

The shopping heart — giant 3D screen, IFS panda sculpture climbing a tower.

FREE · all day · Metro Chunxi Rd

The climbing panda is on IFS Tower — free to see. · Open in Google Maps

Top 5 Must-Eat Dishes in Chengdu

1. Sichuan Hotpot	四川火锅	¥80–150	numbing-spicy broth, cook your own · Legend: Xiaolongkan
2. Dan Dan Noodles	担担面	¥12–25	chili-sesame minced-pork noodles · small bowls, big kick
3. Mapo Tofu	麻婆豆腐	¥25–45	silken tofu in numbing chili-bean sauce · Chen Mapo, est. 1862
4. Zhong Dumplings	钟水饺	¥15–25	sweet-spicy pork dumplings in red oil · Renmin Park
5. Chuanchuan Skewers	串串香	¥1–2/stick	skewers boiled in hotpot broth · street stalls at night

Beware: ALWAYS BEWARE: unlicensed drivers inside arrivals (official rank or DiDi only); panda-photo scams charging per pose; Sichuan food is HOT — say “bu la” for no spice. Full China safety guidelines → safety guide

Good to know: Carry your passport — it is your ticket at the Panda Base. TFU is 63 km out; Shuangliu (CTU) is the close-in airport — check your ticket. No tipping anywhere. “Bu la” (not spicy) is the most useful word in Sichuan.

Local tips: Metro QR: Alipay > Transport > Chengdu. Rides ¥2–9, ≈ 06:00–23:00. · Panda Base day: metro to Panda Avenue, shuttle to the gate, arrive 7:30, out by 11:00, teahouse nap after lunch.

Sources & Verification

Hand-verified on 8 Oct 2026 against official airport, metro, government and attraction sources, including:

Official arrival form: s.nia.gov.cn/ArrivalCardFillingPC/ (always free)
Travel safety guidelines: U.S. State Department — China
Exchange rate used: 1 USD ≈ ¥6.7 (7 Oct 26)

Prices and rules change — always check before you travel. Spot something that has changed? Tell us and we'll fix it — travellers' corrections make the next card better.

Take Chengdu With You — On Paper

Everything in this guide, condensed onto one printable A4 card that folds to pocket size — with your flight and hotel filled in, and a QR code back to this page. Works with a dead phone. Free forever.

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Compiled from public sources, verified 8 Oct 2026. Prices, rules and hours change without notice — check before you go. Not legal, visa or safety advice; not affiliated with any airport or the Chinese government. Ads are paid placements; no endorsement implied.