Shenzhen Airport to Guangzhou: Train, Coach, Taxi
Last checked October 28, 2026 against official sources. How we check
Quick answer
Take the intercity train from Shenzhen Airport's own railway station. A Guangzhou government article (July 22, 2026) calculated the fastest trip between the Shenzhen and Baiyun airports at under 100 minutes; for central Guangzhou stops, times and the last train, check 12306 for your date. Taxis and ride-hailing cars are listed around the clock, with no published price.
Next steps
Key facts
| Price | Intercity train ¥48 to ¥81 on the airport's page, for its Xintang South to Guangzhou East row (archived January 18, 2026); check 12306 for your route and date |
|---|---|
| Time needed | Under 100 minutes between the Shenzhen and Baiyun airports on the fastest express, a calculated figure (Guangzhou government portal, July 22, 2026); central Guangzhou: check 12306 |
| Intercity train | From the airport's own railway station, level B1; 13 express trains a day on the Baiyun Airport North to Shenzhen Airport route from September 19, 2026 |
| Taxi and ride-hailing | Listed 24 hours, taxis at Gate 13 and ride-hailing at Gate 15 (airport page, archived July 11, 2026) |
| Metro to Shenzhen city | Line 11 last trains leave Airport station at 00:02 and 00:04 (airport page, archived May 20, 2026) |
| Entering China here | Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport is one of 10 Guangdong ports for 240-hour transit |
Which option fits when you land?
Your options depend on the hour you reach the terminal. The pages below were read on October 27 and 28, 2026, except where a date is shown.
| When you land | What to look at |
|---|---|
| Well before the evening | Intercity train from the airport’s own station |
| Evening, close to the last services | Check the train and the Nansha coach first, then the taxi and ride-hailing section |
| After midnight | Taxi or ride-hailing, or stay near the airport or in Shenzhen and take a train in the morning |
If you are starting from Guangzhou, read Guangzhou Airport to Shenzhen and Hong Kong by Train instead. If you are connecting through Hong Kong airport, read Hong Kong Airport to Guangzhou: Ferry, Train, Rules.
Intercity train from the airport station
The Guangzhou-Shenzhen intercity line (穗深城际) runs from Shenzhen Airport’s own railway station to Baiyun Airport and other stops in Guangzhou. Stops, times and the last train change with each timetable, so check 12306 for your date.
Photo: Junyi Lou · CC BY-SA 4.0. Shenzhen Airport Railway Station, not Guangzhou Details| What | What the sources say |
|---|---|
| Express stops | Zhuliao, Zhenlong, Xintangnan, Dongguan West, Humen North, Chang’an and Shenzhen Airport (Guangzhou government portal, July 22, 2026) |
| Baiyun Airport | Express trains run between Baiyun Airport North and Shenzhen Airport. If you miss one, change at Zhuliao, where the short train to Baiyun Airport North runs on average more often than every 15 minutes (same article) |
| Trains a day | From September 19, 2026: 41 all-stop trains on the Zhuliao to Shenzhen Airport route and 13 express trains on the Baiyun Airport North to Shenzhen Airport route (Xinkuaibao, September 18, 2026, quoting the operator) |
| Fastest trip | Under 100 minutes between the two airports, and 60 minutes between Pazhou and Shenzhen Airport once that express runs. Both are calculated figures from the July 22 article |
| Fare | ¥48 to ¥81 on the airport’s page, for its row from Xintang South to Guangzhou East (archived January 18, 2026) |
| Times and last train | 12306, the Guangzhou Metro app’s intercity assistant (城际出行助手), or the operator’s WeChat account of the same name (Xinkuaibao) |
Stops differ between our two sources: the airport’s older page ends the line at Guangzhou East via Xintang South. Confirm your Guangzhou stop on 12306 before you buy.
Photo: MNXANL · CC BY-SA 4.0. Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport, not Guangzhou DetailsHow to get on the train:
- Follow the intercity railway signs (城际铁路) to level B1. The airport’s page gives the boarding point as “B1 – Intercity Railway – Shenzhen Airport Railway Station”. It gives no walking time, so leave a margin.
- Pick your Guangzhou stop and train on 12306. For Pazhou, the July article said trains needed a change at Dongguan West until a link line opens. We could not confirm that it has opened, so look for a direct train on your date.
- Pay at the gate or on 12306. The government article says the operator’s lines take scan-and-go payment at the gate, with no assigned seat, as well as 12306 tickets. Xinkuaibao names the gate options as the Guangzhou Metro app’s intercity ride code or a registered transport card with a face check. For buying with a foreign passport, see China train tickets for foreigners.
- Plan the Guangzhou end. For metro payment there, see Guangzhou Metro with a foreign card. For the opposite direction, read the Guangzhou to Shenzhen guide and the Baiyun Airport to Shenzhen guide.
The Nansha coach
A coach runs from Shenzhen Airport to Guangzhou’s Nansha district, not to the city centre. These figures are from the Guangzhou government portal’s opening notice (Guangzhou Daily, October 31, 2024), so check the operator’s current timetable before you rely on them.
| Nansha coach | At opening, October 31, 2024 |
|---|---|
| From | Shenzhen Airport. Tickets on the second floor of the domestic arrivals hall, reached from Airport station on Line 11 |
| To | Jiaomen bus terminal (蕉门公交总站), Nansha |
| Hours from Shenzhen Airport | 07:10–22:10 |
| Fare | ¥60 one way |
The airport’s own page for routes to Guangdong does not list this coach in the copies we could open.
Taxi and ride-hailing after dark
The airport’s English page lists both services as running 24 hours a day: taxis pick up at Gate 13 and ride-hailing cars at Gate 15 (Shenzhen Airport, archived copy of July 11, 2026). Gate numbers can change, so follow the signs when you arrive. The page gives no prices and says nothing about trips to Guangzhou, so ask for the price in the app before you get in.
- To arrange a car, see Didi in Guangzhou and Guangzhou taxis. Both explain payment and complaints.
- Show a driver the address in Chinese with the show-your-driver cards.
- Before you get in, see the common scams, and agree how you will pay.
If you land after the last service
None of the night buses below goes to Guangzhou. They get you to a hotel in Shenzhen for a morning train; the alternative is a taxi or ride-hailing car.
| Option | Hours | Fare | Where to board | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metro Line 11 into Shenzhen | Last trains 00:02 toward Gangxia North and 00:04 toward Bitou | Not on the page | Airport station | Airport page, archived May 20, 2026 |
| Night airport express A2 to Longhua and A3 to Nanshan | 00:00–04:00; the last bus is adjusted to the latest flight | ¥25 (Longhua), ¥20 (Nanshan) | Airport express counter next to Gate 17, ground transportation centre | Airport page, archived June 20, 2025; Shenzhen Bus Group, November 6, 2023 |
| City bus M592 to Ping’anju Bus Station | 24 hours | ¥2 | Outside Gate 16, second floor of the ground transportation centre | Airport page, archived July 11, 2026 |
| Taxi or ride-hailing car | 24 hours | Not published | Gate 13 (taxi), Gate 15 (ride-hailing) | Airport page, archived July 11, 2026 |
Stay near the airport. We did not find an official list of airport hotels, so we do not name any. Ask the hotel to confirm a late check-in in writing, and read hotel check-in for foreigners for what the front desk will ask. For Guangzhou districts when you arrive, see where to stay in Guangzhou.
Do not plan to sleep in the terminal. We found no official source that says what the airport allows overnight.
Entering China at Shenzhen Airport
Entry rules come from the visa dataset behind our visa-free checker. Shenzhen Airport is one of the 10 Guangdong ports listed for 240-hour transit, and the permitted area in Guangdong is the whole province, so Guangzhou is within it. Hold an ordinary passport valid for at least 3 months and an onward ticket with a confirmed date and seat to a third country or region (not back to where you came from), and meet the entry requirements of that country or region. The NIA text does not name Hong Kong, Macao or Taiwan, but the Baiyun border station Q&A (undated) counts them as a third country or region, so rely on your airline and the border post at the airport. Enter through one of the 65 designated ports, stay inside the permitted areas, and leave within 240 hours, counted from 00:00 on the day after you enter (NIA, August 20, 2026; NIA Announcement No. 4 of 2025, November 3, 2025).
- Read 240-hour visa-free transit for the countries (57), the onward-ticket condition and the exit rules.
- Read China’s 30-day visa-free entry for the unilateral list (50 countries). For most of them the waiver ends on December 31, 2026, so check the end date before booking a trip that falls later.
- You can fill in the arrival card online before you travel, free, on the NIA website, 12367 app or WeChat and Alipay mini programs.. See the China arrival card guide.
Border officers make the final decision.
Before you land: pay, connect, call a car
- Alipay and WeChat Pay with a foreign card
- eSIM, roaming or local SIM
- No Chinese phone number?
- Apps you need in China
- Cash and ATMs
What we could not confirm
- The last intercity train from Shenzhen Airport to Guangzhou on any date, and whether a direct Pazhou train runs on your date.
- The current intercity stops and fare. The airport’s page we could open is a January 2026 copy, older than the September 2026 timetable change.
- How long the walk to the intercity station takes from your arrival hall.
- The current Nansha coach last departure and fare. We read only the 2024 opening notice.
- Taxi and ride-hailing: the price to Guangzhou and whether drivers accept the trip.
- Metro and taxi service in Guangzhou late at night after a late intercity arrival.
- Hotels near the airport, their prices and late check-in.
- Line 11 times for your date. We could not open Shenzhen Metro’s own timetable, so the times above come from the airport’s page.
Traps and how to avoid them
- Avoid Assuming a train or coach is waiting after you land
We found no source that gives a reliable last intercity train from Shenzhen Airport to Guangzhou for your date. Look up the last departure on 12306 before you book your flight, not after you land.
- Avoid Taking the Nansha coach when you want central Guangzhou
The airport coach to Guangzhou goes to Nansha's Jiaomen bus terminal. Nansha is a district of Guangzhou, so check on a map how far it is from your hotel.
- Avoid Relying on an old night-bus list
Shenzhen's night airport buses go to districts inside Shenzhen, not to Guangzhou, and the lists we read are from 2025 and 2026 copies of the airport's pages. Use them only to reach a hotel in Shenzhen.
- Avoid Treating the Line 11 time as exact
The airport's page lists the last trains from Airport station at 00:02 and 00:04 in a May 2026 copy, and timetables change. Do not plan to board in the last few minutes.
FAQ
What is the last train from Shenzhen Airport to Guangzhou?
We could not confirm a last departure for your date. The operator, Guangdong Intercity, points riders to 12306, the Guangzhou Metro app's intercity assistant and its WeChat account for times (Xinkuaibao, September 18, 2026). Check the day you travel, and treat any list without a date as out of date.
Can I take a taxi or ride-hailing car from Shenzhen Airport to Guangzhou?
The airport's page lists taxis (Gate 13) and ride-hailing cars (Gate 15) 24 hours a day in a copy archived July 11, 2026. It gives no price and says nothing about trips to Guangzhou, so ask for the price in the app before you get in.
Is there a coach from Shenzhen Airport to central Guangzhou?
We found an official coach from Shenzhen Airport to Nansha's Jiaomen bus terminal, not to central Guangzhou. We found no official coach to central Guangzhou.
Can I use visa-free transit if I land at Shenzhen Airport?
The visa dataset lists Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport among the Guangdong ports for 240-hour transit, and in Guangdong the permitted area is the whole province, so Guangzhou is within it. Only passports from the 57 eligible countries qualify. If you stay anywhere other than a hotel, you or your host must register with the local police within 24 hours of check-in; since September 21, 2026 this can be done online (NIA Announcement No. 7 of 2026). If sudden illness or force majeure means you must stay beyond the time allowed, apply to the local police exit-entry office for a stay permit (NIA interpretation, March 29, 2021). The conditions are in the linked transit guide, and border officers decide.
Where can I sleep near Shenzhen Airport if I miss the last service?
We did not find an official list of airport hotels, so we do not name any. Book a room that confirms late check-in, and see the hotel check-in guide for what the front desk asks of foreign guests.
Sources
- Consulate General of China in Guayaquil: Ecuadorian ordinary passports visa-exempt for up to 30 days, tourism or family visits (November 21, 2025, in Spanish)
- Embassy of China in Ecuador: Ecuadorian ordinary passports need no visa for up to 30 consecutive days (February 12, 2026, in Spanish)
- Embassy of China in Sweden: FAQs on Visa-free Entry into China (Ministry of Foreign Affairs text, updated May 25, 2026)
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs (China Consular Service): Mutual Visa Exemption List, July 2026
- National Immigration Administration: Visa-free transit policy (57 countries, 65 ports) (Chinese, August 20, 2026)
- National Immigration Administration: 240-hour visa-free transit policy interpretation (English, August 20, 2026)
- National Immigration Administration: Kyrgyzstan and Vietnam added to 240-hour transit and Hainan visa-free entry (English, August 20, 2026)
- MTR High Speed Rail: 240-hour visa-free transit (Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan as onward destinations; undated page)
- National Immigration Administration: Announcement No. 4 of 2025, Annex 1, conditions for 240-hour transit (Chinese, November 3, 2025)
- National Immigration Administration: Announcement No. 7 of 2026, online accommodation registration outside hotels (Chinese, September 21, 2026)
- National Immigration Administration: Interpretation of 24-hour Visa-free Transit Policy for Foreigners (English, March 29, 2021)
- China Southern: Chinese page on 240-hour transit via Baiyun, quoting the Baiyun border inspection station Q&A (undated; the web address carries the date December 30, 2024; still says 55 countries)
- Consulate General of China in Barcelona: visa-free measures summary (online arrival card, Hainan)
- National Immigration Administration: NIA Launches 10 New Measures to Support Expansion of Opening-up (online arrival card), November 3, 2025
- National Immigration Administration: Beware of Fraudulent Websites for Arrival Card Filling (free of charge), December 5, 2025
- Shanghai government (source: National Immigration Administration): China launches online arrival card for international travelers, with the seven exempt groups, November 20, 2025
- Consulate General of China in Toronto: visa-exempt cases (Greater Bay Area and Hainan tour groups, cruise groups)
- Xinhua: China extends visa-free entry for Russian ordinary-passport holders to December 31, 2027 (May 20, 2026, in Chinese)
- Embassy of China in Japan: notice extending unilateral visa-free entry to December 31, 2026 (November 7, 2025, in Chinese)
- Xinhua: China–Thailand mutual visa exemption in force, 30 days per entry and 90 days in any 180 days (March 2, 2024, in Chinese)
- Xinhua: China–Thailand agreement unaffected by Thailand's September 15, 2026 changes (September 2, 2026, in Chinese)
- Embassy of China in Germany: FAQ on visa-free travel (German, April 15, 2025; provisional passports and passport substitutes are not covered)
- Embassy of China in Germany: reminder on purposes that do not qualify for visa-free entry (German, February 16, 2026)
- German Federal Foreign Office: China travel and safety advice, entry and customs (German, status October 26, 2026; not a Chinese source)
- Shenzhen Airport, taxi and online car-hailing (English; archived copy of July 11, 2026; read October 28, 2026)
- Shenzhen Airport, to and from Guangzhou by intercity railway (English; archived copy of January 18, 2026; read October 28, 2026)
- Shenzhen Airport, airport express and night routes (English; archived copy of June 20, 2025; read October 28, 2026)
- Shenzhen Airport, city buses (English; archived copy of July 11, 2026; read October 28, 2026)
- Shenzhen Airport, subway (English; archived copy of May 20, 2026; read October 28, 2026)
- Guangzhou government portal (Guangzhou Daily, July 22, 2026): Guangzhou-Shenzhen intercity, express stops, calculated journey times, ticketing (read October 28, 2026)
- Xinkuaibao (newspaper, September 18, 2026) quoting the operator Guangdong Intercity: new timetable from September 19, trains a day, where to check times (read October 28, 2026)
- Guangzhou government portal (Guangzhou Daily, October 31, 2024): Nansha-Shenzhen Airport coach, hours and fare at opening (read October 27, 2026)
- Shenzhen Bus Group (November 6, 2023): night airport express routes, ticket counter at Gate 17 (read October 27, 2026)
Update history
- : First version, written from the Shenzhen Airport pages (archived copies), the Guangzhou government portal, Xinkuaibao quoting the operator, Shenzhen Bus Group and the NIA. Items the sources do not give are marked as not confirmed
Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we will check it.
