Are you thinking of planning a Beijing subway tour, visiting Beijing by using the rapid transit rail network? The subway is the fastest, cheapest way around Beijing in comparison with taxis, buses, private cars, and bicycles.
Below are some instructions and tips on how to take the subway in Beijing for your reference:
1. Subway fare in Beijing
The subway fare in Beijing may be lowest in the world, only costing you RMB 2.00 for any rides for all subway lines with unlimited transfers in Beijing except Beijing airport express trains. It is a one fare system. Children below 1.2 metres in height enjoy free rides accompanied by a paying adult.
2. Find a latest Beijing Subway map
Try to find a latest Beijing subway map, physical or online. Beijing subway is on a contact change. Very often either online subway maps or ordinary maps are hard to catch up with the latest version of Beijing subway.
3. Basic information on the subway lines in Beijing
Try to locate your hotel, attractions and your business places in Beijing with the help of Beijing subway lines. By 2010, there are 14 subway lines.
Subway Lines serving Beijing urban area
Line 1: a straight east-west line under Chang’an Avenue passing Tiananmen Square, dividing the city into two parts – north and south. Line 1 links major commercial centres - Beijing CBD, Dongdan, Wangfujing, Xidan and Financial Street.
Line 2: a rectangular loop line, almost circling non-existent Ming Dynasty city wall that once surrounded the inner city. The subway line 2 have many important stops like Lama Temple (interchange for line 5), Dongzhimen (interchange for airport exppress trains) Jianguomen (interchange for line 1), Beijing Railway Station, Xuanwumen (interchange for Beijing South Railway Station), Xizhimen (interchange for Summer Palace).
Line 4: one of a north-south lines, but maily running west of city centre with such important stops as the Summer Palace, Beijing University, Renmin University, Zhongguancun Technology Park, National Library, Beijing Zoo, Xidan and Beijing South Railway Station.
Line 5: one of straight north-south lines, but mainly running just east of the city centre. It has some important stops such as the Temple of Earth, Lama Temple, Dongdan and the Temple of Heaven.
Line 8: Phase I (Olympic Branch Line) branches off Baitucheng Stop of Line 10 with three stops in the Olympic Green.
Line 10: an inverted L-shaped line running east-west. Starting from the wst, it runs along the Yuan dynasty city wall in the north, passing by the south of the Olympic Green and runs south at Sanyuanqiao, following the eastern 3rd Ring Road passing through the embassy district and Beijing CBD.
Subway Lines serving Beijing suburbs
Line 13: an arcs line running the suburbs north of the city and takes commuters to Xizhimen and Dongzhimen where interchange for Line 2.
Line 15: extended from the Line 13 at Wangjing West, then running northeast to suburban Shunyi District.
Batong Line: extended from Line 1, running eastward from Sihui to suburban Tongzhou District.
Changping Line: extended from Line 13 at Xi’erqi, running north to suburban Changping District.
Daxing Line: branches off Line 4 south to suburban Daxing District.
Fangshan Line: is at the momment unconnected with the main lines in Beijing, standing alone line in southwest Beijing that linking Dabaotai in Fengtai District with suburban Fangshan District.
Yizhuang Line: extended from Line 5′s southern terminus to the Yizhuang Economic & Technological Development Zone in the southeastern suburbs.
Airport Express: linking the Beijing Capital International Airport ( 25 km northeast of the city), with Line 10 at Sanyuanqiao and Lines 2 and 13 at Dongzhimen.
Beijing Subway Map
Beijing Subway Map
4. Beijing Subway Operation Hours
The first trains depart terminals at around 5:00 am and the last leave at around 11:00 pm. The Airport Express train starts at around 6:00am.
5. Get to the Subway Station
Make sure you are heading to the closest station. The subway signs are easily to be recognized.
Beijing Subway Sign
6. Buy a subway ticket
You may buy a single-ride electronic ticket or use a Beijing Transportation (Yikatong) Card, similar to the oyster cards in UK. For all rides with unlimited transfers, you only have to pay RMB2.00! If you stay in Beijing for a longer period, it is advisable to buy Yikatong card.
Buying a ticket from a machine
1) You may buy a single ride ticket through automated machines which take coins and small bills. or you may buy it at the ticketing windows.
A single ride Electronic ticket
(2) If you stay in Beijing for quite a few days, or want to save money when you traveling Beijing by subway or bus, you are highly recommended to buy a Beijing bus IC card, a kind of transportation smart card. A bus IC Card can be also used to pay for taxi or subway. The correct name of the IC card is called “Yikatong”, which means “one card pass” in Chinese, similar to Hong Kong’s Octopus card, Singapore’s EZ-Link, or the Oyster Card used by TfL in London in United Kingdom.
Yikatong - One Card Pass in Beijing
7. Get to the platform and choose the right track
Swipe the card across the sensor, or insert the ticket in the turnstile to enter through the fare gate. Basically, there are two tracks for trains running for opposite directions, so you should follow the sign and choose the correct side of the tracks.
Waiting on the platform
8. Inside the Trains and transfer
Once taking the subway, the display screen inside the each car of the train will show arrival times, destination information, and show short television programs. If you want to transfer, just look for a sign that says “Transfer” and follow the directional arrow on the sign.
9. Leave the subway station
After you leave the train, you are required to insert the single-ride electronic ticket in the turnstile, or swipe the transportation card over the sensor. Next, look for the signs which indicate how to exit the station. Usually, there are four exits for each station; each exit leads to a different direction. Find the direction of your destination and choose the right exit to get out of the station.
10. Try to avoid taking the subway in Beijing during the peaks hours ( 07:00am – 09:00am), and 6:00pm – 08:00pm)
Try to avoid taking the subway in Beijing during the peaks hours ( 07:00am – 09:00am), and 6:00pm – 08:00pm)
Tags: Take subway in Beijing, Tips for taking subway in Beijing
I will be staying at the Park Plaza Beijing Wangfujing at 97 Jinbao Street, Dongcheng, Beijing 100005 from March 26 – 30. I would like to utilize the subway and bus system as much as possible. How much is the Beijing bus IC card or “yikatong”. Where can I get the latest subway and bus maps and schedules? I will be joining a tour group but will be going to some places on my own. Please help me get to the following places:
1. Days Inn Fobidden City Hotel, No. 1, Nanwanzi By Street, Dongcheng District
2. Panjiayuan Market
3. South Cathedral (St. Mary’s Church)
4. North Cathedral and Bei Hai Park
5. St. Michael’s Church and Legation Quarter
6. Lama Temple
7. Olympic Green
I would appreciate any assistance that will facilitate my visiting these places and thus make my visit even more pleasant.
Thank you.
1. About IC Card or Yikatong
1) Par value RMB100.00 + RMB20.00 deposit
2) When you leave Beijing or don’t want to use the card anymore, you can return it to places which are appointed by Beijing Municipal Administration and Communications Card Co. Ltd. Then they will refund you RMB20.00 if your card is not damaged.
3) You could refill the bus IC card from over 700 places – the ticket counters at Beijing subway stations, railway stations, most post offices, big supermarkets and so on.
2. Where to get a subway maps and bus maps
1) You may get them at Beijing airport or your hotel in Beijing
2) Check the Beijing Subway Official Site: http://www.ebeijing.gov.cn/feature_2/Subway_Tour/
3) Check the Beijing Bus Official Site: http://www.bjbus.com/home/index.php
3. Get around ( it is better to use subway, buses are too complicated even for the locals)
1) Lama Temple: take subway 5
2) Olympic Green ( see http://www.tour-beijing.com/blog/beijing-travel/how-to-visit-birds-nest-and-water-cube/ )
3) Days Inn Fobidden City Hotel( 20 -30 minutes walk from your hotel, ask your hotel for help, the walking route). It is next to Tiananmen Square.
Tips for Visiting Tiananmen Square http://www.tour-beijing.com/blog/beijing-travel/tips-for-visiting-tiananmen-square/
4) Panjiayuan Market is in the southwest of Beijing ( see http://www.tour-beijing.com/travel_blog/shopping/panjiayuan_flea_market.php )
5) South Cathedral (St. Mary’s Church): Walk south from Qianmen Street ( see Qianmen Street http://www.tour-beijing.com/blog/beijing-travel/beijing-attractions-tips/qianmen-street-a-famous-pedestrian-street-in-beijing/
6) Bei Hai Park ( you can walk to the southern gate of Beihi Park, 20-30 minutes, ask help from your hotel)
7) North Cathedral: next to the northen gate of Beihai Park.
8. St. Michael’s Church and Legation Quarter ( 20 – 30 minutes walk from your hotel, ask your hotel for help, the walking route)
I’ll arrive at Beijing international airport around 4pm, April 4. I plan to transfer to Line 2 at Dongzhimen from Airport Express Train. Do I have to come up to ground to transfer to Subway line 2 or I can transfer interiorly without coming up to the ground?
Also how long does it take to travel by subway line 2 from Dongzhimen to Beijing railway station?
And how long does it take to walk from Station 10 (Beijing railway station) to the entrance to the building of Beijing railway station? Thanks
I will be staying at the Ruierwai hotel near west rly station Beijing Wangfujing from about 3 to 6/7 June . I would like to utilize the subway . I will be joining a tour group but will be going to some places on my own. Please help me get to the following places:
1. Days Inn Fobidden City
2. Panjiayuan Market
3. Lama Temple
4. Olympic Green
5. other places that can be of interest
I would appreciate any assistance that will facilitate my visiting these places and thus make my visit even more pleasant.
Thank you.
1. Days Inn Fobidden City is just to the east of Tiananmen Square, take subway 1 and get off at the stop of Tiananmen East
2. Panjiayuan Market is in the southwest of Beijing ( see http://www.tour-beijing.com/travel_blog/shopping/panjiayuan_flea_market.php ) , take a taxi, no subway
3. Lama Temple is itself a subway hub, you take subway 2, and 5 and get off at the stop of Lama temple.
4. Olympic Green (see http://www.tour-beijing.com/blog/beijing-travel/how-to-visit-birds-nest-and-water-cube/ )
5. Please visit http://www.tour-beijing.com/blog/beijing-travel/ for more information.
have a nice trip in beijing!
Yes, you can interchange and don’t need to come up to ground. Dongzhimen – Beijing Railway Station subway ride about 20minutes. 5-10 minute walk from (Beijing railway station) to the entrance to the building of Beijing railway station.
No, you don’ have to book a private car or van since normally there are some taxis waiting outside the cruise hall. One taxi basically can hold two large suitcases and two persons. The taxi ride cost is sometimes not set, you may have to bargain with them.
How can I use the subway to get to the Badaling Wall area?
No subway from downtown to Badaling Great Wall. But you can a train from Beijing north railway station to Badaling. Please visit http://www.tour-beijing.com/blog/beijing-travel/how-to-visit-great-wall-by-train-visit-badaling-great-wall-by-train/ for more information.