Located in southwestern China, Chongqing City is a comprehensive transportation hub that not only connects major cities in China but also cities in Southeast Asia, the US, and European countries. With the convenient Chongqing transportation, it’s easy to get there by flight or train and get around by metro or rail transit, bus, taxi, and some other distinctive ways of transportation.
Getting to Chongqing
By Air
Chongqing’s five airports are Jiangbei International Airport, Wanzhou Wuqiao Airport, Qianjiang Wulingshan Airport (also known as Qianjiang Zhoubai Airport), Wushan Airport, and Wulong Xiannüshan Airport, showing an improved airport transportation of Chongqing. As the largest airport in Chongqing, Jiangbei International Airport (CKG) is about 19 kilometers from the city center, and you can take the Rail Transit Line 10 to downtown Chongqing.
Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport offers airlines connecting major cities in China like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, and Macau, and international cities such as Tokyo, Seoul, Singapore, London, and Los Angeles. Besides, Chongqing has recently launched its first regular passenger route from/to Penang in Malaysia, which is currently the only direct regular passenger route from the central and western regions of China to Penang.
By Train
As for railway transportation in Chongqing, there are four major railway stations in this city connecting various parts of China.
- Chongqing North Railway Station: the largest railway station in Chongqing, linking major domestic cities such as Chengdu, Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou.
- Chongqing Railway Station: Being the oldest railway station in Chongqing, it operates conventional-speed trains and connects cities in southwest and south China.
- Chongqing West Railway Station: This newly-built modern railway station mainly connects Chengdu, Guiyang, Zhengzhou, and other places.
- Shapingba Railway Station: not only serves high-speed trains but also connects with the city’s urban rail transit.
Frequent trains can bring you to Chongqing from other cities in China. To start your Chongqing tours, take a high-speed train to Chongqing from Beijing (7-10 hours), Shanghai (12 hours), Shenzhen (6.5 hours), Xi’an (5.5 hours), Chengdu (1-2 hours), and cities.
By Ship
Located at the upper reach of the Yangtze River, Chongqing can also be reached by ship or cruise from Yichang and Shanghai, which is also an indispensable part of Chongqing transportation.
1. Yichang to Chongqing
There are two types of cruise to take to get from Yichang to Chongqing, that is the Three Gorges luxury cruise and the standard Three Gorges cruise. The former one takes five days and the latter one takes 3 days, during which you can enjoy the beautiful landscapes along the way. Generally, the prices for cabins range from 1,400-4,000 for the luxury cruise and 700-1,200 for the standard cruise.
2. Shanghai to Chongqing
To embark on a Yangtze River Cruise tour from Shanghai to Chongqing, you can take President No. 6 or Century Legend. Each cruise ship offers only two sailings, totaling four sailings, with a quite long route taking 12 to 15 days to complete. Both ships head to the same destination in Chongqing, but the services vary.
Recommended Yangtze River Cruise Tours
- 5 Days Yangtze River Cruise Tour from Yichang to Chongqing
- 12 Days Shanghai-Yangtze River-Xian-Beijing Tour
Getting around Chongqing
By Metro (Chongqing Rail Transit)
Chongqing has twelve rail transit lines: the Chongqing Rail Transit Loop Line, Line 1, Line 2, Line 3, Line 4, Line 5, Line 6, the Guobo Line, Line 9, Line 10, Line 18, and the suburban Jiangtiao Line. They are major public transport in Chongqing and cover the main area of the city and reach most tourist attractions.
You can find the RT transportation map of Chongqing in each station. Besides, all stations are equipped with UnionPay POS machines, supporting the use of UnionPay cards, Visa, MasterCard, JCB, American Express, and so on.
By Bus
Bus is also a common Chongqing transportation. It has a well-developed bus system, with extensive coverage and low fares, taking people to nearly every corner of the city. Besides, it has introduced several new sightseeing and special routes, including T002, T003, T005, T353, T359, T206, T228, and T259, which connect popular tourist sites such as Ciqikou, Jiefangbei, Three Gorges Museum, Hongya Cave, and more.
By the way, it would be more convenient if you own a Chongqing public transportation card, and you can enjoy discounts when using the card. Passengers can benefit from a free or discounted transfer for a fare of CNY 2 or less when transferring between buses or between bus and rail transit within a specified time (usually within 1 hour).
By Taxi
Taxi is also an integral Chongqing transportation. The fares for taxis are relatively reasonable, with a starting fare of CNY 10 during the daytime from 6:00 -23:00 and CNY 11 for the nighttime from 23:00-6:00. Typically, you can get a taxi online or on the street anytime and it will take you to any attractions you want to go as quick as possible.
By Cable Car
Located at the junction of the Yangtze River and Jialing River, it turns cable car as a unique way of Chongqing transportation. For instance, the Yangtze River Cableway is China’s first large-scale cross-river passenger cable car designed and manufactured domestically on the Yangtze River. It not only serves as a way of sightseeing but also as transportation that connects Yuzhong District and Nanan District.
By Escalator
Serving as a link between Lianglukou and Chongqing Railway Station, the Crown Escalator, the longest one-way escalator in Asia, is also a distinctive way of transportation in Chongqing. It operates at a speed of 0.75 meters per second, and the ticket price is CNY 2.
By Two-river Cruise
The Yangtze River and the Jialing riverboat cruise, namely the Two-river Cruise, is also an important way of Chongqing transportation. The route (Hongyadong – Jiangbeizui – Danzishi) stretches about 2 kilometers, and it takes about 10 minutes with a ticket price of CNY 15. By the way, you can enjoy the views of famous landmarks and buildings in the core areas of the two rivers, including Hongya Cave, Jiangbeizui Grand Theatre, Chaotianmen Square, and more.
Getting to Tourist Attractions in Chongqing
Chongqing to Ciqikou Ancient Town
With the well-developed Chongqing transportation, you can easily get to Ciqikou Ancient Town by Chongqing Rail Transit Line 1. Besides, many buses can take you to the Ciqikou Ancient Town with CNY 2, such as Bus No. 101, 105, 202, 220, 261, 467, 808, etc.
Chongqing to Hongya Cave
Chongqing’s transportation allows you to travel to Hongya Cave without any hassle. Take RT Line 1 and get off at Xiaoshizi Station or RT Line 2 and get off at Lingjiangmen Station, then walk for about 500 meters, and then you’ll be there. If you prefer bus travel, you can take Bus No. 111, 151, 181, 262, 466, 881, 866, and T480 there.
Recommended Chongqing Tours including Ciqikou & Hongya Cave
Chongqing to Dazu Rock Carvings
Located 95 kilometers from downtown Chongqing, the scenic area of Dazu Rock Carvings can be reached by bus. Make your way to Chongqing Bus Station and take a bus to Dazu County Bus Station. The ride will be about 2 hours. Then take bus No. 205 to Baodingshan Rock Carving Scenic Area.
Recommended Chongqing Tours including Dazu Rock Carvings
Chongqing to Wulong Karst Geological Park
Taking a train is the most convenient means of transportation from Chongqing to Wulong, which takes about 2 hours, then board a direct bus to Wulong Karst National Geology Park.
Recommended Chongqing Tours including Wulong
- 2 Days Chongqing Tour with Wulong Karst Geological Park
- 5 Days Chongqing Yangtze River Cruise Tour with Wulong
