Arriving in Chengdu

From TFU: Metro Line 18 express runs to the city centre (Century City and Tianfu Square) in about 30–40 minutes (¥21–30). From CTU (Shuangliu): Metro Line 10 runs to Tianfu Square in about 50 minutes (¥9–14). Taxis from TFU cost ¥130–180 to the city centre. The ride-hailing app Didi works from both airports. Airport shuttle buses run between the two airports as well as to major hotel zones.

China Mobile and China Unicom tourist SIMs are available at both airport arrivals halls. Staff at Chengdu airports are accustomed to international visitors due to the panda tourism trade. Install your VPN app before arriving — common apps such as ExpressVPN and Astrill work in Chengdu but must be set up outside China. Public WiFi in hotels and cafes is available but requires a local phone number registration.

Alipay and WeChat Pay are used at the great majority of Chengdu businesses including hotpot restaurants, street food vendors, and the Giant Panda Base ticket office. Set up Alipay international before travel. Some tourist sites such as the Panda Base and Jinsha Museum accept major international credit cards directly at the ticket counter — useful if mobile payment setup proves difficult on arrival.

ATMs with Visa/Mastercard support are at both airports and at Bank of China and ICBC branches throughout the city. Currency exchange counters are in the airport arrivals area. Carry ¥300–500 for markets, hotpot stalls, and transport in areas outside the tourist circuit. The Jinli and Kuanzhai alley areas have many small vendors who are cash-only.

Chengdu is UTC+8. The city's teahouse culture encourages afternoon rest (mahjong and idle conversation in open-air gardens) which aligns well with the afternoon energy dip that jet-lagged visitors often experience. Evening hotpot is a social anchoring ritual that helps with the first night.

English-language capability in Chengdu is improving but limited outside hotels and established tourist sites. Hotel concierge services in 4-star and above properties can book restaurants and transport with Chinese-language calls on your behalf. The Panda Research Base ticket staff and major museums have some English-speaking guides available. Keep a translation app (DeepL or Google Translate with offline packs downloaded) active on your phone.