Hello Chengdu🛬
Your first 30 minutes after landing
Phone, money, ride, hotel: do these four in order and you are set.
1. Phone (before you leave the terminal)
- ●Turn off airplane mode and switch on your eSIM or roaming. Check that Google, WhatsApp or Instagram load before you go on.
- ●Airport Wi‑Fi in China often asks for a passport scan at a machine or a local phone number. Mobile data is easier.
- ●Open Alipay or WeChat and check that your foreign card is linked (see 'Paying in Chengdu').
2. Money (optional)
- ●If you want cash, use a Bank of China or ICBC ATM in the arrivals hall. Small bills (¥10 / ¥20) are the most useful.
- ●Do not exchange money with people offering rates in the hall.
3. Getting to the city
- ●Tianfu (TFU): Metro Line 18. Shuangliu (CTU): Metro Line 10. Both run until late evening; check the last train if you land late.
- ●Taxi: only from the official taxi rank. Show your hotel's Chinese address (save it in 'My trip'). DiDi inside Alipay also works.
- ●See 'Airport to city' for prices and times.
4. At the hotel
- ●Check in with your passport: the hotel registers you with the police for you.
- ●Ask for the hotel's business card with the Chinese address, so you can show it to a taxi driver for the way back.
- ●First evening: eat nearby, walk a little, sleep early. Pandas are best seen at opening time.
➡️ What to do next
Info checked: 2026-11. Policies change — confirm with official sources before you travel.