Getting Around Chengde
Chengde is a compact city, and most of what a visitor comes to see — the Mountain Resort and the surrounding temples — sits close enough together that you can cover a lot of ground on your own two feet. For everything else, the city has a straightforward mix of buses, taxis, and long-distance rail links to Beijing.
On Foot and by Bike
Much of Chengde is accessible by foot or bike, and the city is small enough that you can walk from one end to the other in about an hour. If your sightseeing is focused on the Mountain Resort and the temples just outside its walls, walking is often the simplest option and saves you the trouble of finding correct change for the bus.
Buses
Local buses are the main public transport option for visitors. Fares are low — a flat rate on most routes, with a slightly higher fare on longer routes, including the buses that serve South Station. Note that there is no attendant on board, so you will need correct change if you are paying cash.
- Buses accept T-Union cards and Alipay, which saves you from carrying coins.
- Signage on the buses has no English and little pinyin, so it helps to know your route number in advance.
- Bus 118 runs from Chengde to the temples in the north, and bus 119 serves the temples in the east.
- Apps such as Amap can show you bus routes, making them useful for planning a trip even without reading the on-board signs.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
Most taxis in Chengde are metered, and short hops around town are inexpensive; a small gas surcharge is added on top of the meter. Crossing from one side of the city to the other costs only a little more, and a trip out to the temples from the city centre is still a modest fare. For a group or for reaching the temples without navigating bus routes, a taxi is a convenient and reasonably priced choice.
Rail Connections
Chengde is linked to Beijing by both high-speed and conventional rail, and the train is the quickest way to arrive from the capital. High-speed G-trains run between Beijing Chaoyang station and Chengde South Station on the Beijing–Shenyang line, cutting the journey to roughly an hour. Slower K trains are still available and take considerably longer, but they depart from Beijing's main railway station, which sits on metro line 2 and is convenient if you are already in central Beijing.
Once you arrive at Chengde South Station, you can reach the city centre by bus. Buses serving the station fall into the longer-route fare category, so plan on the higher fare and have your payment method ready.
Arriving by Air
Chengde's airport is a small one, located northeast of the city centre in Tougou Town, Chengde County. It opened in 2017 and handles only occasional charter flights, including shuttles between Beijing and Chengde, so it is not a major gateway for most visitors.
Because flight options are limited, many travellers fly into Beijing instead and continue overland. Beijing Capital International Airport is a long way from Chengde, and the practical approach is to take a coach to Beijing and connect with your flight there. Coaches depart for Beijing frequently — roughly every twenty minutes — which makes this connection convenient.
Arriving by Long-Distance Bus or Car
Frequent coaches also run between Beijing and Chengde, departing about every twenty minutes. The fare is modest, but travel time varies widely depending on whether you are on a direct service. One caution: if you board at the bus's origin point in eastern Beijing, you may spend over an hour just getting across the city to Dongzhimen before the journey proper begins. For the return leg, buses to Beijing depart frequently from outside Chengde's train station.
Another option is a shared unofficial taxi, known as a heiche, which carries the driver and three passengers. It costs more than the coach but is faster. Finding one from Chengde to Beijing is easy — ask at any hotel if you have trouble — while arranging one in the opposite direction may take more asking around.
Practical Tips
- Carry small change or set up Alipay before relying on the buses, since there is no attendant to make change.
- Use Amap to look up bus routes, as on-board signage is not in English.
- Remember that buses 118 and 119 are your direct links to the northern and eastern temple clusters.
- If you are heading to or from South Station by bus, expect the higher fare tier.
- For the airport, plan on connecting through Beijing rather than counting on flights from Chengde itself.