Route guide · High-speed rail
Chengdu to Chongqing by High-Speed Train (2026)
308 km, about 1h 15m, 143+ trains a day — two 20-million-person cities run like one metro line. The one thing to check: whether your train ends at Chongqing North or the newer Chongqing West.
China for Travelers EditorialUpdated Published Rail data refreshed monthly
- 2nd class
- ¥85 – ¥191
- what everyone buys
- Frequency
- 143/day
- 06:10 – 22:15
- Train types
- G
- G = fastest
- Day trip
- Doable
- a night is better
Prefer a train ending at Chongqing North 重庆北站 — trains split with the newer Chongqing West 重庆西站 (~15 km across town, ~30 min farther from the centre), so check your ticket.
The route at a glance
Chengdu and Chongqing are only 308 km apart, but for a decade the train took half a day. The high-speed line collapsed that to about 1h 15m on the fastest G-trains, and now runs on the order of 143 trains a day each way from roughly 06:10 – 22:15. For a foreign visitor it is arguably the best short HSR experience in the country: cheap, frequent enough that you don’t need a reservation, and short enough to slot into any itinerary. Arriving from further afield first? See the Chengdu East station guide.
The one decision: which Chongqing station
Chongqing has more than one high-speed station, and they are far apart — about 15 km across this hilly, multi-level city. Both are real and in use on the Chengdu line, so match the station printed on your ticket:
Chongqing North 重庆北站prefer this
The established hub on the Jiangbei side, Metro Lines 4 & 10, with separate North and South squares — about 8 km from Jiefangbei (~20–35 min by metro). The more central of the two, and the one the arrival times below assume.
Chongqing West 重庆西站just as common
A newer station to the southwest, Metro Line 5 & the Loop line (环线), about 21 km out (~50–60 min to Jiefangbei). On a typical day slightly more Chengdu trains actually end here than at North — fine if that is your ticket, just allow more time and don’t assume Chongqing North.
The counter-intuitive part: more Chengdu trains actually terminate at Chongqing Westthan at North on a typical day, with a handful at Shapingba (沙坪坝) — so this is a decision to make at booking, not an assumption. Travellers consistently recommend choosing a Chongqing North arrival when you can, simply because it is closer to the centre; West and Shapingba both work, they just add metro time.
One more wrinkle at Chongqing North itself: it has a North Square (北广场) and a South Square (南广场), about 14 minutes apart on foot but connected inside, with different metro exits and taxi ranks. The official taxi rank is on the North Square; for Guanyinqiao, Metro Line 3 runs direct from the South Square. Your ticket info in the 12306 app lists the correct square — check it before you head out. Full layout, metro exits and onward transport are in the Chongqing North station guide.
Classes and price
For a ride of about an hour and a quarter this is barely a decision, but:
| Class | Price | Worth it? |
|---|---|---|
| Second classmost buy | ¥85 – ¥191 | Perfectly comfortable — what everyone buys for this leg. |
| First class | ¥135 – ¥305 | A 2+2 layout and more quiet — pleasant, not essential. |
| Business class | ¥527 – ¥668 | Skip it on this route; spend it on hot pot instead. |
Doing Chongqing as a day trip
The honest version first: Chongqing is a destination in its own right, and most people pairing it with Chengdu give it a night or two — the sights sprawl across a steep, multi-level city and a same-day trip means rushing. But it does work as a long day out. Leave Chengdu East around 8 AM and you’re at Chongqing North by roughly 9:30. Spend the daylight hours on the sights that show best by day — Ciqikou Ancient Town, the Liziba monorail threading through a residential tower, and the Yangtze cable car — with hot pot for lunch around Jiefangbei.
Save Hongyadong for the evening, and treat it as a view rather than a place to wander: the magic is the lit façade seen from outside, not the mobbed interior, so skip the elevator queue (well over an hour at peak). The lights come up around 20:00 in midsummer (down to ~18:30 in winter, tracking sunset) — be in position about half an hour ahead for the blue-hour window. The classic panorama is mid-way along Qiansimen Bridge; for the full mirror-reflection across the Jialing, cross to the Grand Theatre riverside park (Metro Line 6, Dajuyuan station exit 4), which is also the easier side to find a taxi or head back. Chengdu-bound trains run until past 22:00, so allow about 50 minutes back to Chongqing North — roughly half an hour on the metro plus station time — and confirm whether your train uses the North or South square. In summer that last train is tight, so many travellers stay one night instead; on weekends and Chinese holidays, book the return ahead.
How to book with a foreign passport
12306 English app — the official China Railway channel: face-value fares, no booking fee. The trade-off is hassle — passport registration must be approved before you can buy (often slow), and customer service is Chinese-first and limited if a booking goes wrong.
Trip.com ↗ — the same China Railway seats, booked in English with a foreign Visa or Mastercard, no verification wait and 24/7 multilingual support. It sells at the same 12306 face fare with no booking fee, and new-customer promotions can bring a first trip below face price. As China’s largest OTA you can also add hotels, attraction tickets and tours to the same trip. See the booking walkthrough.
Real-name rule — the name and passport number on the ticket must match what you present; e-tickets are scanned at the gate, no paper pickup needed.
Book on Trip.comNASDAQ: TCOM
The international arm of Ctrip — one of the few platforms selling real China Railway tickets in English, to a foreign passport and card. (Is it legit? — 12306 vs Trip.com )
Booking through our Trip.com links costs you nothing extra and helps fund our independent research — we earn a small commission. How we’re funded.
Arrived at Chongqing North — getting to your hotel
Chongqing North 重庆北站 sits on the Jiangbei side, a short metro ride from the riverside downtown. Remember the North-Square / South-Square split — follow the platform signs to the right square, as the metro entrances differ. Times below assume Chongqing North. Picking an area first? See where to stay in Chongqing.
| City area | Metro / Bus | Taxi / DiDi |
|---|---|---|
| Jiefangbei 解放碑 (downtown) | Metro Line 10 → Line 2 (change at Zengjiayan), exit Linjiangmen. ~31 min, ¥5–7. | ¥23–28, ~25 min (9.2 km) |
| Hongya Cave 洪崖洞 (riverside, by Jiefangbei) | Line 10 → Line 2 to Linjiangmen, then a ~700 m downhill walk. ~32 min, ¥5–7. | ¥23–28, ~35 min (9.4 km) |
| Guanyinqiao 观音桥 (Jiangbei shopping) | Metro Line 3 direct from the South Square. ~20 min, ¥4–6. | ¥22–27, ~33 min (8.8 km) |
Ignore the touts outside the squares offering a cheap lift or claiming “you can’t get a taxi here” — they run unlicensed cars that quote low then re-price. Use the official taxi rank (down at the North Square, level B1, usually no queue) or a DiDi; the metro is inside the building. The two squares are connected, so the “you must drive round to the other square” line is false.
Metro routings, exits and driving distances via Amap (高德地图) routing, checked 2026-06-27; Chongqing metro is distance-based ¥2–10 and traffic in the hilly city can stretch taxi times. The square layout, the taxi-rank level and the tout warning are cross-checked against recent traveller reports (小红书).
Frequently asked questions
How far is Chengdu from Chongqing?
About 308 km (191 miles) across the Sichuan basin — close enough that the high-speed train takes only about 75 minutes.
How do I get from Chengdu to Chongqing?
By high-speed train. G-trains run Chengdu East to Chongqing North about 143 times a day, taking ~1h 15m, from ¥85 in second class — roughly one every 15 minutes. Book on the official 12306 app or on Trip.com, or simply walk up at the station.
Do I need to book Chengdu–Chongqing in advance?
No — with around 143 trains a day, same-day tickets are almost always available except on major holidays. Walk-up booking at the station works; for the Sunday-evening or holiday return, book a day ahead.
Should I book to Chongqing North or Chongqing West?
Chengdu trains split between the two, and on a typical day slightly more actually terminate at Chongqing West (重庆西站) than Chongqing North (重庆北站) — with some at Shapingba (沙坪坝). But Chongqing North is the one to prefer when you have the choice: it is about 8 km from the Jiefangbei centre (~20–35 min by metro) versus ~21 km from Chongqing West (~50–60 min). Check the arrival station on your ticket; if it is West or Shapingba, that is fine, just allow more time.
Can I do Chongqing as a day trip from Chengdu?
You can, but Chongqing rewards a night or two. The sights are spread across a hilly, multi-level city, so a same-day trip means rushing: leave Chengdu ~8 AM, arrive ~9:30, and you have time for Ciqikou, the Liziba monorail and hot pot, but little slack. Hongyadong is an after-dark sight (lights ~20:00 in midsummer, ~18:30 in winter), so see it last and ride a late train back — Chengdu-bound trains run past 22:00. Most travellers pairing the two cities give Chongqing 1–2 nights.
North or South square at Chongqing North station?
Your ticket tells you — look for 北广场 (North Square) or 南广场 (South Square) in the arrival info. They are about 14 minutes apart on foot but connected inside, and the metro entrances and taxi ranks differ. The official taxi rank is on the North Square; for Guanyinqiao, Metro Line 3 runs direct from the South Square. Check before you walk out the wrong door.
Is it worth flying Chengdu–Chongqing?
No. The flight is 50 min airport-to-airport, but both airports are 45+ min from downtown. The train is faster door-to-door, half the price, and runs every 15 min.
Verification scope
Route data — distance, journey time, fare bands and daily frequencies — is sampled from China’s national rail system and refreshed monthly; the which-station split (Chongqing North vs West vs Shapingba) was cross-checked on 12306 (2026-06-27). Chongqing metro lines, exits and transit times are from Amap (高德地图) routing, checked 2026-06-27. Hongyadong’s façade-light hours follow official Chongqing notices and shift with the season — check the day before you go; the viewpoint, blue-hour, taxi-rank and crowd notes are cross-checked against recent traveller reports (小红书) and Amap.
Confirm before booking: exact schedules and fares vary by train and season — check whether your train terminates at Chongqing North (重庆北站) or Chongqing West (重庆西站) at booking time, as they are far apart.
Once the train gets you to Chongqing
The corridor is the easy part — here is what to do with the day at the other end.
