Chongqing / itinerary

Where to Stay in Chongqing: Jiefangbei, Guanyinqiao or Nan'an

Q: How do you get from the airport to the city?

All passenger flights at Jiangbei Airport now use Terminal 3, which is on Metro Line 10. For Jiefangbei and Hongyadong: 1. Take Line 10 from Jiangbei Airport T3 toward Lanhua Road (兰花路). 2. Change at Hongtudi (红土地) to Line 6 toward Chayuan. 3. Get off at Xiaoshizi (小什字). Allow about an hour from the platform, more with the walk to your hotel. The airport lists Line 10's last city-bound train from T3 at 23:23. Airport bus K01 runs to Jiefangbei without a change; the airport lists it at ¥15 and about 65 minutes. Late at night, or with heavy bags, use the official taxi rank or Didi and ignore touts in the arrivals hall. Line 3 no longer serves the terminal you land at, so older guides that send you to it are out of date.

Stay in Jiefangbei for a first visit, Guanyinqiao for food and shopping, or Nan'an's Nanbin Road for the skyline view. Plus the metro route from Jiangbei Airport.

Published October 20, 2026

The Jiefangbei pedestrian street in Chongqing on a sunny day, with glass towers on both sides and the Liberation Monument clock tower at the far end.

For a first visit, stay in Jiefangbei (解放碑) on the Yuzhong peninsula: Hongyadong, the cableway and most of the hotpot streets are a walk or one metro stop away. Pick Guanyinqiao (观音桥) north of the Jialing if you care more about malls, cafés and late food, and Nanbin Road (南滨路) in Nan'an if you want to wake up to the skyline across the Yangtze.

How do the three areas compare?

| Area | Pick it for | Trade-off | Metro | |---|---|---|---| | Jiefangbei (Yuzhong) | first visits, walking to the main sights | crowded, steep stairs, busy at night | Xiaoshizi (1, 6), Jiaochangkou (1, 2), Linjiangmen (2) | | Guanyinqiao (Jiangbei) | shopping, dining, nightlife | a river crossing to most sights | Guanyinqiao (3, 9) | | Nanbin Road (Nan'an) | river-view rooms, quieter nights | many hotels are far from a station | Shangxinjie (6, Loop) near Longmenhao; Houbao (10) |

If you are catching an early train to Chengdu, a hotel by Shapingba station saves the morning. See Chengdu to Chongqing by train.

Why does the lobby floor matter?

Chongqing buildings often open onto different streets at different heights, so a hotel's reception can be on the 1st, 9th or 20th floor. Before you arrive, save the hotel's Chinese name, its full address, the lobby floor and the nearest metro exit. Check the district too: chains often have several Chongqing branches with near-identical names. With a suitcase, ask whether there is a lift from street level.

How do you get from the airport to the city?

All passenger flights at Jiangbei Airport now use Terminal 3, which is on Metro Line 10. For Jiefangbei and Hongyadong:

Take Line 10 from Jiangbei Airport T3 toward Lanhua Road (兰花路).
Change at Hongtudi (红土地) to Line 6 toward Chayuan.
Get off at Xiaoshizi (小什字).

Allow about an hour from the platform, more with the walk to your hotel. The airport lists Line 10's last city-bound train from T3 at 23:23. Airport bus K01 runs to Jiefangbei without a change; the airport lists it at ¥15 and about 65 minutes. Late at night, or with heavy bags, use the official taxi rank or Didi and ignore touts in the arrivals hall. Line 3 no longer serves the terminal you land at, so older guides that send you to it are out of date.

Who should stay where?

Choose Jiefangbei if you have two or three days and want to walk out of the door into the city. Choose Guanyinqiao if you are staying longer, eat late and don't mind one metro ride a day. Choose Nanbin Road for one special night with a view, and book a room that explicitly says river view. Then see the three-day itinerary.

Checked October 2026 (Asia/Shanghai). Airport times and fares come from the airport's published listings as reported by recent guides. The airport, Chongqing Rail Transit and your hotel win over this page.

Cover photo: HoweyYuan / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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