Chongqing Arrival Guide

Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport · China · International Arrivals = Terminal 3 (T3)

✓ Hand-verified 8 Oct 2026 · Autumn now: 16–23 °C, mild — best months for the night views

Chongqing is the mountain city — a vertical maze of bridges, staircases and neon where the Yangtze and Jialing rivers meet, and the global capital of hotpot. Its monorail threads through buildings and its taxi drivers thread through everything else. This guide covers your first two hours: the free arrival card, every honest way downtown, money and SIM, and the stilted houses and spicy bowls waiting at the end of the ride.

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 (L10) · taxi: Exit 3/6

≈22 km to city centre

Emergency Numbers in Chongqing

110	Police
120	Ambulance
119	Fire
12345	City Helpline
12308	China MFA Hotline (24/7)
023-966666	Airport Hotline

Embassies (lost passport, 24-hr lines)

United States	+86-28-8558-3992 — U.S. Consulate Chengdu — serves Chongqing (24-hr)
United Kingdom	+86-23-6369-1500 — British Consulate General Chongqing
Australia	+86-28-6323-8600 — Australian Consulate Chengdu — serves Chongqing

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

Getting From Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport Into the City

Metro Line 10CHEAPEST¥5–10 ≈ $0.75–1.50

T3/T2 (B1) > transfer to Line 6 for Jiefangbei/Xiaoshizi. ~45–60 min total, 06:30–22:50. Flat fares, no traffic.

Airport Bus K01DIRECT¥15 ≈ $2.20

Straight to Jiefangbei (Guotai Plaza), ~65 min, every 30 min. Runs until 30 min after the last flight — the late-night saver.

Metered TaxiEASIEST¥50–90 ≈ $7.50–13

Official queue at Exit 3/6, 24 hrs. ~30–50 min to Jiefangbei. Meter starts at ¥10 — ignore hall touts quoting ¥150–300.

🌙 after 23:00: bus K01, taxi or DiDi

Money in Chongqing

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 noodle carts scan QR codes. Keep ¥200–500 cash backup (bank ATMs in arrivals). Taxi drivers rarely have change for ¥100.

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 (Chongqing dialect is loud and friendly — standard Mandarin works) — and if pronunciation fails, point at the local script on your printed card.

Top 5 Must-Go Places in Chongqing

1. Hongya Cave洪崖洞

11-storey stilted complex glowing over the river — straight out of Spirited Away.

FREE · lights 18:30–23:00 · Metro Xiaoshizi

Best photo: from the Qiansimen Bridge walkway. · Open in Google Maps

2. Jiefangbei Pedestrian Street解放碑

The city's beating heart — liberation monument ringed by skyscrapers and food streets.

FREE · all day · Metro Jiaochangkou/Xiaoshizi

Start here, then walk 10 min down to Hongya Cave. · Open in Google Maps

3. Yangtze River Cableway长江索道

Vintage 1980s cable car gliding over the Yangtze — the city's old commute.

¥20 one-way · ≈ 7:30–22:30 · book via WeChat to skip queues

Ride at dusk for the lights; queues peak 16:00–19:00. · Open in Google Maps

4. Ciqikou Ancient Town磁器口古镇

Porcelain-port old town — tea houses, peppery snacks, riverside temples.

FREE · ≈ 9:00–18:00 · Metro Ciqikou (Line 1)

Go before 10:00 to beat the tour groups. · Open in Google Maps

5. Liziba Station李子坝轻轨站

Watch a monorail train pass straight through a 19-storey apartment block.

FREE · viewing platform at street level · Metro Liziba (Line 2)

Trains pass every few minutes — have your camera ready. · Open in Google Maps

Top 5 Must-Eat Dishes in Chongqing

1. Chongqing Hotpot	重庆火锅	¥80–150	the original numbing-spicy broth · ask for yuan-yang (half mild)
2. Chongqing Xiaomian	重庆小面	¥8–15	breakfast noodles, chili-peppercorn punch · any corner shop
3. Suan La Fen	酸辣粉	¥10–18	sour-spicy sweet-potato noodles · street stalls
4. Lazi Chicken	辣子鸡	¥45–80	crispy chicken buried in dried chilies · hunt for the meat
5. Mouth-Watering Chicken	口水鸡	¥30–50	cold chicken in chili-sesame sauce · starter before hotpot

Beware: ALWAYS BEWARE: unmarked drivers inside arrivals quoting ¥150–300 (official queue at Exit 3/6 only); “paid fast passes” at Hongya Cave — entry is FREE; photo fees from costumed performers. Full China safety guidelines → safety guide

Good to know: Chongqing is an 8D city: your “ground floor” may be someone else's 11th. Maps get confused — ask locals, follow crowds. No tipping anywhere. Everything here is spicy by default — “bu la” (not spicy) is survival.

Local tips: Metro QR: Alipay > Transport > Chongqing. Rides ¥2–7, ≈ 06:30–23:00. · Evening plan: Jiefangbei at 17:00 > walk to Hongya Cave for the 18:30 lights > cross Qiansimen Bridge for the full view > hotpot dinner.

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 Chongqing 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.

Get My Free Chongqing Card →
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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.