CTU · Layover Guide
Chengdu
Confirm visa rules before you plan Chengdu.
Best layover: 4–18h
LayoverScore™
Base city score. Your route score varies by savings and timing.
Exit realism
Comfortable window
Visa is not cleared for your passport in our data. Check requirements before you plan landside.
Enough room in Chengdu for a real stop. Keep the buffer at the end anyway.
Landside playbook
If time slips
- Drop the last stop. Go straight to the train, taxi rank, or ride pickup you already chose.
- Add 15 minutes to map ETAs for the return leg at rush hour.
- One ticket for the whole trip protects you when the inbound is late. Separate tickets do not.
Worth knowing
- Do not stack three stops. One solid block in the city beats a rushed loop.
- Do not treat one map time as gospel for immigration lines. Pad on your first pass through this hub.
Planning a stop in Chengdu?
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Places to stay
Search hotelsLayoverScore™ breakdown
Score 62 · Discover 49 · Ease 5
Why Chengdu scores 62
Getting there
Metro Line 10 $1 · Taxi/Didi $18
min to center
metro- 01Metro Line 10 to city center (50 min, ¥7)
- 02Airport Express Bus (40 min, ¥18)
- 03Taxi to Tianfu Square (45 min, ¥100-130)
- 01Giant Panda Breeding Research Base - see pandas up close in morning feeding
- 02Jinli Ancient Street - Qing dynasty-style shops and Sichuan snacks
- 03Wuhou Shrine - Three Kingdoms era temple complex
- 04Hot pot feast in Kuanzhai Alley historic district
- 05People's Park tea house - locals playing mahjong and ear cleaning services
Experiences in Chengdu
Timed tours and tickets for Chengdu are listed on our partner site.
Open listingsOpens in a new tab.
Need a room for your layover? Browse hotels near the airport.
Where to stay →Drop your luggage. Don't drag it around the city.
CTU Airport Left Luggage
Terminal 1 & 2 arrivals
$4/day
2 min walk
Chengdu Railway Station Lockers
North Railway Station
$2/day
5 min walk
From the terminal to the good part.
Metro Line 10
city center
Connects to Lines 1, 2, 4 at Taipingyuan
50 min
$1.00
Taxi/Didi
Tianfu Square
Use Didi app, cash or Alipay
45 min
$18.00
Airport Express Bus
city center
Multiple city center routes
40 min
$2.50
Chengdu Tourism Card
Panda Base, Wuhou Shrine, Du Fu Cottage
Available at tourist centers, saves ~40%
$25
per day
Getting there
Get an Uber from the airportAt the airport
- 01Sichuan cuisine restaurants in Terminal 2
- 02Traditional tea houses airside
- 03Panda-themed lounges and shops
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