How to get from Hongqiao Airport to the city center
Take a taxi if you want the simplest ride, or the metro if you want to avoid traffic. Hongqiao Airport (SHA, 虹桥机场) is in western Shanghai, 13 km from the city center. Shanghai's government page says a taxi typically takes around 30 minutes and costs 100 to 150 yuan, depending on traffic. Metro Line 10 serves Terminal 1, and Lines 10 and 2 serve Terminal 2. Buses cost 2 yuan on most rows of the airport's list.
| Option | Where to find it | Time and cost on the official pages |
|---|---|---|
| Taxi | T1: outside Gate 1, arrivals floor. T2: outside Gate 4, arrivals floor | Around 30 minutes, 100 to 150 yuan, depending on traffic |
| Metro | T1: Line 10. T2: Lines 10 and 2 | The airport's Hongqiao Metro page does not give a fare or journey time to People's Square or the Bund |
| Bus | T1 table: Hongqiao Airport Terminal 1. T2 table: most lines leave from Hongqiao East Transportation Center (tables below) | 2 yuan on most rows; higher on some T2 lines |
Both the government and airport pages carry a "for reference only" note, and the government page adds that departure times may change with traffic. The government page says Hongqiao Airport primarily serves domestic flights and regional flights within East Asia. If you are arriving from abroad and need the entry form, see the China arrival card guide.
Hongqiao Terminal 1 or Terminal 2: which one is yours?
Use the terminal printed on your ticket. The airport's Airlines page lists airlines under each terminal, not individual flights, so it is a guide and not a promise.
- Listed under Terminal 1 (15 airlines): China Eastern (MU), Shanghai Airlines (FM), Air China (CA), Spring (9C), Hebei (NS), Xiamen (MF), China Airlines (CI), Air Macau (NX), Korean Air (KE), Cathay Pacific (CX), EVA Air (BR), Hong Kong Airlines (HX), Asiana (OZ), ANA (NH), JAL (JL).
- Listed under Terminal 2 (13 airlines): China Eastern, Shanghai Airlines, China Southern (CZ), Air China, China United (KN), Juneyao (HO), Shandong (SC), Hainan (HU), Chengdu (EU), Shenzhen (ZH), Tianjin (GS), Tibet (TV), Lucky Air (8L).
China Eastern, Shanghai Airlines and Air China appear on both lists. If you fly one of them, go by the terminal on your ticket or in the airline's notice. The foreign and Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan carriers on the page appear only under Terminal 1. The page does not say which flights use which terminal, so do not assume from this list alone.
Hongqiao Airport metro: which lines serve T1, T2 and the railway station
- Terminal 1: Metro Line 10 only.
- Terminal 2: Metro Lines 10 and 2. Line 2 gives direct access to the National Exhibition and Convention Center.
- Between terminals: Line 10 connects Terminal 1 and Terminal 2.
- Hongqiao Railway Station: Lines 2, 10 and 17.
So Lines 2 and 10 serve both the airport's Terminal 2 and the railway station. The airport page sends you to shmetro.com for route details. The government's Transportation at Shanghai airports page and the airport's Hongqiao Metro page do not give the metro fare or journey time from Hongqiao to People's Square or the Bund, or first and last train times for these metro lines. The fare and journey time on the government page belong to Pudong, a different airport; see our Pudong Airport to the city guide.
The government's Transportation at Shanghai airports page and the airport's Hongqiao Metro and Taxis pages do not say how foreign visitors pay for the metro or a taxi at Hongqiao. For the general cash question, see Is cash accepted in China.
Taxi from Hongqiao Airport: stands, cost and surcharges
Follow the arrivals signs to the taxi pick-up point. At Terminal 1 it is outside Gate 1 of the arrivals floor pick-up hall. At Terminal 2 it is outside Gate 4 of the arrivals floor pick-up hall. The Hongqiao entries on the airport's Taxis page do not say whether the stands run 24 hours.
For a trip to the city center, the government page's figure is the one to plan on: around 30 minutes and 100 to 150 yuan, depending on traffic. It does not say whether that includes surcharges. The airport's taxi page prints the city fare rules, and the same table is shown for both terminals. It was last updated 2024-04-16 and says the urban fare has been adjusted since January 15, 2022, so treat it as a guide.
- Start: 14 yuan for the first 3 km in regular vehicles; 16 yuan for TuAn and Roewe Ei5 pure electric vehicles.
- After 3 km: 2.7 yuan per km.
- Long trips: beyond 15 km, an extra 50 percent of the excess-mileage fare applies.
- Night: from 23:00 to before 5:00, the starting price and the excess-mileage fare rise by 30 percent.
- Holidays: an extra 10 yuan per trip in the Spring Festival holiday, and an extra 5 yuan per trip in the May Day and National Day holidays. The page says the exact dates follow the State Council's holiday arrangements.
- Weekday variation: on weekdays outside statutory holidays, city taxi operators may add 5 percent from 07:00 to 10:00 and from 16:00 to 19:00, or cut 5 percent from 10:00 to 16:00.
- Accessible taxis: priced by the operating companies; the page gives a starting fare of 19 yuan.
Hongqiao Airport bus: lines, hours and fares
The airport publishes bus tables for each terminal, last updated 2026-04-22. They are "for reference only", and departure times may change with traffic. Destinations are printed as on the airport page, so match the name to a map before you board.
Terminal 1
| Line | Hours | Destination | Interval | Fare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 807 | 05:30-23:00 | Qingjian Xincun | 20-30 min | 2 yuan |
| 176 | 07:00-09:30 and 17:00-19:30; not running on Saturdays, Sundays and national holidays | West Tianshan Road Fuquan Road | About 20 min | 2 yuan |
Terminal 2
The Terminal 2 table is longer and mostly lists district and regional lines. Most of them start at "Hongqiao East Transportation Center", a name the page does not explain, so the page does not tell you how it relates to Terminal 2 or the railway station. A few examples as printed:
| Line | Hours | Destination | Interval | Fare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Line 941 | 05:30-23:00 | Shanghai Railway Station (South Square) | About 20 min | 2-6 yuan |
| Hongqiao Hub Line 4 | 06:00-00:25 | Zizhu Science Park | About 10 min | 1-8 yuan |
| Line 316 | 23:00-5:00 | East Yan'an Road East Zhongshan No One Road | 30-40 min | 2 yuan |
| Hongqiao Overnight Scheduled Bus | 22:30-01:00 | Pudong International Airport (one way) | Departures 22:30, 23:10, 23:40, 00:30, 01:00 | 36 yuan |
If your hotel is not near one of the printed destinations, a taxi or the metro is easier.
Hongqiao Airport vs Hongqiao Railway Station: same place?
No. They are two different places with different names, even though both carry "Hongqiao" (虹桥). The airport has Terminals 1 and 2. Hongqiao Railway Station (虹桥火车站) is one of Shanghai's four major stations, located on Shengui Road in Minhang district, with metro lines 2, 10 and 17. Lines 2 and 10 serve both the station and Terminal 2.
The airport's Hongqiao Metro page and the government's Guide to railway stations in Shanghai do not give a walking route, walking time or metro route between Terminal 2 and the station. Follow the signs and the navigation below, and allow extra time if you are catching a train soon after landing. If a train ticket changes, see 12306 refund and change fees.
Shanghai has several stations, and the government guide tells you to confirm your station name before you travel. It lists the other three major ones as Shanghai Railway Station (Lines 1, 3 and 4), Shanghai South Railway Station (Lines 1, 3 and 15) and Songjiang Railway Station (Line 9).
Hongqiao Railway Station English navigation
A Shanghai government news item dated November 07, 2025 says an English navigation service for Hongqiao Railway Station was in its trial phase. The item comes from the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Transport. Treat it as a trial as of that item, not a permanent service.
- Open "SH MaaS" in your app store, or search for the "Suishenxing" mini-program in WeChat or Alipay. The news item also gives QR codes for Alipay and WeChat.
- Tap "Hub Connect".
- Switch to "Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station".
- Turn on "Indoor Navigation".
The service shows pick-up points and real-time information for the metro, buses, ride-hailing, taxis, parking and intercity coaches. You can also search for restrooms, elevators and restaurants, and share your live location with your group, up to five people. A car locator works for parking lots P9 and P10. The item says it launched to coincide with the 8th China International Import Expo. It says nothing about payment.
Hongqiao Airport to Pudong Airport
The government page puts Pudong airport about 40 km from Hongqiao. Two options appear on these pages.
- Airport Link Line: the government page says it cuts the travel time between the two airports to just 40 minutes. Its station here is Hongqiao Airport Terminal 2. The government's Airport Link Line page (updated March 31, 2026) gives the first train toward Pudong at 5:45 am and the last at 10 pm, every 15 minutes, and its fare table puts Hongqiao Terminal 2 to Pudong Terminals 1 and 2 at 26 yuan. The airport's own English Airport Link Line page for Hongqiao gives the first train as 6:00 am, so allow for that difference; its hotline is 64370000. For details it points to shmetro.com.
- Overnight bus: the Hongqiao Overnight Scheduled Bus to Pudong International Airport leaves from Hongqiao East Transportation Center (listed in the airport's Terminal 2 bus table) and runs one way at 22:30, 23:10, 23:40, 00:30 and 01:00, for 36 yuan. It is the later option, because the Airport Link Line page gives 10:00 pm as the last departure from Terminal 2 Station.
For the Pudong side, including its terminals and taxi stands, see the Pudong Airport to the city guide. If you are flying out of Hongqiao, the power bank rules for flights are worth reading before you pack.
After you arrive
For what to see and where to stay, start with the Shanghai travel guide. We do not book airport transfers, taxis or buses, but we can help you plan the day, and we can arrange a chartered car as part of a trip.
