Which airport · Beijing
Beijing Capital vs Daxing: PEK or PKX — and why the 70 km between them matters
Beijing’s two airports sit ~70-80 km apart on opposite corners of the metro area — the widest dual-airport split in China. One is the long-haul workhorse near the Great Wall side of town; the other is the Zaha Hadid starfish with a bullet-train station inside it. The decision, in one table.
China for Travelers EditorialUpdated Published Fares & timings re-verified Jul 2026
Capital International 北京首都国际机场
~30 km NE · Airport Express 24 min ¥25
Star Alliance/oneworld at T3 · 24 h immigration
Daxing International 北京大兴国际机场
~46-50 km S · Express to Caoqiao 20 min ¥35
HSR station in the terminal — Beijing West 28 min
The one-line rule: most long-haul lands at PEK (northeast, closer in) · PKX earns the pick for south-side stays or an onward bullet train from its in-terminal station. They are NOT interchangeable — 70-80 km and half a day apart.
Flying into Beijing — PEK or PKX?
On most long-haul routes the airline decides for you. Where both airports show up — domestic legs, SE-Asia routes, a few Europe services — here is the split:
Pick PEK (Capital) when: Most international long-haul (Europe/N-America/Japan/Korea) lands here — closer in (~30 km NE), mature 24 h immigration, best if you stay in the north/center (Chaoyang, Dongcheng, Haidian). Ground detail — express timetables, the T3-C/T3-E APM flow, late-night reality — in the PEK airport guide.
Pick PKX (Daxing) when: Domestic + SE-Asia/Middle-East routes and some Europe long-haul; best if you stay in the south/Fengtai or want the newest terminal experience. And it has the unique card: an in-terminal HSR station with Beijing West ~28 min away. See the PKX airport guide.
Booking tip: fares from PKX often undercut PEK on overlapping routes — but price the ground legs too. From a north-side hotel, PKX’s cheaper fare can evaporate into a ¥150-250 taxi or an extra hour on trains.
PEK vs PKX, side by side
| PEK · Capital | PKX · Daxing | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | ~30 km NORTHEAST of the center (Shunyi/Chaoyang side) | ~46-50 km SOUTH (Daxing, by the Hebei line) |
| What lands there | Most international long-haul — Star Alliance/oneworld at T3, SkyTeam side at T2; mature 24 h immigration | Big domestic operation + SE-Asia/Middle-East + some Europe long-haul, in one Zaha-Hadid terminal |
| Airport express | Capital Airport Express — Sanyuanqiao ~24 min, ¥25 flat (codes ~¥15.9); last trains T3 22:52 / T2 23:10 | Daxing Airport Express — Caoqiao ~20 min, ¥35, then Line 10/19 onward |
| Taxi to the center | ¥100-150 off-peak · ~45-70 min | ~¥150-250 · ~60-90 min |
| Onward high-speed rail | No in-airport station — hourly bus to Beijing-Chaoyang HSR, or metro chains (~75 min to Beijing South) | HSR station INSIDE the terminal — Beijing West ~28 min |
| Terminal layout | T2 + T3 (~3 km apart, free Door-7 shuttle); T3-C check-in, international gates at T3-E via APM | One starfish terminal, five piers, no satellite — every gate walkable from the core |
| After the trains stop | Airport buses run until the last flight lands; ride-hail queues spike after 23:00 | Taxi / pre-booked car — the express is done by late evening |
| Best for | North/central stays (Chaoyang, Dongcheng, Haidian) · Great Wall side · most long-haul arrivals | South/Fengtai stays · onward HSR from Beijing West · the architecture itself |
Same verified bands as the two airport guides (July 2026). PEK note: T3-D gates currently add ~30 min while its airside APM is upgraded — detail in the PEK guide.
Which airport by scenario
First trip, long-haul arrival. Odds are it is PEK — most Europe/North-America/Japan/Korea services land there, immigration runs 24 h, and the Airport Express has you at Sanyuanqiao in ~24 min. Everything door-by-door in the PEK guide.
Staying north or central (Chaoyang · Dongcheng · Haidian). PEK, clearly — it is on your side of the city. A PKX arrival from these areas means ~¥150-250 by taxi or an extra transfer hour by rail.
Onward bullet train the same day. PKX holds the ace: the HSR station inside the terminal reaches Beijing West in ~28 min — from there, Xi'an and the Hong Kong-corridor trains. From PEK, budget an hourly airport bus to Beijing-Chaoyang or ~75 min of metro to Beijing South.
Great Wall on the itinerary. PEK shares the northeast side with Mutianyu (~50-70 min by car — the PEK guide maps the corridor). From PKX the Wall is a full cross-city expedition; Badaling by rail is covered in the Badaling train guide.
Late-night landing. At PEK the airport buses keep running until the last flight lands (the express stops 22:52/23:10, ride-hail queues spike after 23:00). At PKX the late window is taxi or pre-booked car territory. Either way, a red-eye is the strongest case for booking the transfer before you fly.
Landing at either after a long flight? A pre-booked private transfer beats the post-23:00 ride-hail queue at PEK and the long taxi line at PKX:
Between PEK and PKX — the transfer nobody should improvise
~70-80 km by road — allow half a day for any inter-airport transfer. A wrong-airport booking here is not a Shanghai-style ¥26 train fix — it is a half-day recovery. The three real options:
Taxi ~1.5 h (~¥300) · direct bus from PEK T3 Level-1 Door 7 (¥55, ~2 h, a few fixed departures daily) · metro chain ~2 h (~¥60). The direct bus is the value pick but runs only a few fixed departures a day — miss it and the choice is the ¥300 taxi or the 2-hour metro chain with luggage.
Connection maths: a same-day PEK↔PKX connection needs 5-6 hours minimum between flights — an hour to clear arrival, up to two crossing, and international check-in margin. Anything tighter, change the routing. When booking “Beijing” flights on separate tickets, keep both legs at ONE airport.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Beijing Capital (PEK) and Daxing (PKX)?
Geography and airline camps. Capital (PEK) is the long-standing hub ~30 km northeast of the center: Star Alliance and oneworld carriers concentrate at its T3, SkyTeam's China Eastern side at T2, and most international long-haul from Europe, North America, Japan and Korea lands there with mature 24-hour immigration. Daxing (PKX, opened 2019) is the Zaha Hadid 'starfish' ~46-50 km south: one vast terminal, no satellite buildings, hosting a large domestic operation plus Southeast Asia/Middle East routes and a growing set of Europe long-hauls. Same city, 70-80 km apart by road — always check the airport code, not just 'Beijing'.
How far apart are PEK and PKX — can I transfer between them?
About 70-80 km by road, diagonally across the whole metro area — this is the widest dual-airport split in China. A taxi takes ~1.5 hours and ~¥300; a direct inter-airport bus leaves from PEK T3 Level 1 Door 7 (¥55, ~2 h, a few fixed departures a day); the metro chain takes ~2 hours and ¥60+. Never book a same-day connection across the two airports with less than 5-6 hours between flights — half a day is the honest budget.
Which Beijing airport is closer to the city and the Forbidden City?
Capital (PEK) — ~30 km northeast, with the Airport Express reaching Sanyuanqiao in ~24 minutes (¥25 flat, e-ticket codes from ~¥15.9) and connecting into Lines 10/2/13/5 for Dongcheng and the Forbidden City area. Daxing is ~46-50 km south; its own express is fast (~20 min) but lands at Caoqiao in the southwest, still a Line 10/19 transfer from the sights. Staying anywhere north or central — Chaoyang, Dongcheng, Haidian — PEK wins on ground time.
Which airlines fly from Daxing vs Capital?
Rule of thumb for 2026: Star Alliance and oneworld international (Air China, United, Lufthansa, ANA, British Airways, Cathay and partners) = PEK T3; China Eastern/SkyTeam = split, with a big China Eastern and China Southern presence at PKX alongside SE-Asia and Middle-East carriers and some Europe long-haul. Airline assignments shift with seasons — the booking confirmation is authoritative, and the airport code (PEK vs PKX) is printed on every ticket.
Which airport should I use for a Great Wall trip?
Capital (PEK) — it sits on the same northeast side as Mutianyu: ~40 km, a ~50-70 min drive, so a Wall visit can even bookend a long layover. From Daxing, Mutianyu is 90+ km diagonally across the city. (Badaling by train leaves from Qinghe/Beijing North stations — reachable from either airport, but still shorter from the PEK side.)
I am connecting onward by high-speed rail — does that change the pick?
It can flip it to Daxing. PKX has an HSR station inside the terminal: Beijing West in ~28 minutes, with through-trains onward toward Xiong'an and the south — the fastest airport-to-HSR link in Beijing. From PEK there is no in-airport railway: the Beijing-Chaoyang HSR hub is an hourly airport bus away, Beijing South is ~75 min by metro chain. Flying into PKX and training out of Beijing West is a genuinely smooth combination.
Related Beijing guides
- Capital Airport (PEK) guide — express timetables, terminals, the 2026 T3 works.
- Daxing Airport (PKX) guide — the starfish, its express and the in-terminal HSR.
- Beijing to Badaling Great Wall — the train route, reachable from either airport.
- Where to stay in Beijing — pick the neighbourhood, then the airport.
- Beijing city hub — attractions, transport, essentials.
Verification scope
Editorially verified (not first-hand): this page renders the same verified dataset as our PEK and PKX airport guides — express fares/last-train times and inter-airport options from operator tables and aggregated 2026-07 traveller reports, road distances from Amap (高德地图) routing, terminal roles from official announcements. Blocks re-dated 2026-07-24.
Not verified first-hand: airline airport/terminal assignments shift with seasonal schedules — the booking is authoritative; PEK T3 renovation works (to ~2028) move facilities — follow on-site signage.