Changsha Transportation: Get to/around Changsha, Hunan, China

Changsha, the capital of Hunan Province, is normally served as the vital landing and transportation hub of Hunan. Besides that, Changsha also earns its reputation among visitors for Mao Zedong, the great Chairman in modern history of China who once studied in Changsha, and Yuelu Academy, one of four most famous academies in China's history.

This bustling capital has a well-established transportation system. Visitors can get there by frequent international flight, domestic flight and bullet train in ease and convenience. To help you have a clear understating about Changsha Transportation, here we will show you the location of Changsha, how to get to Changsha from other cities in China, like Beijing, Shanghai, Xian, Guangzhou, Guilin, Tongren, and how to get from Changsha to nearby Zhangjiajie, Fenghuang Ancient Town, Shaoshan, Mount Heng, etc. and how to travel around Changsha.

Where is Changsha?

Changsha is located on the eastern edge of Hunan Province and on the southern part of China. It is adjacent Jiangxi Province to its east and Yueyang City to its north.

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Get to Changsha by Flight

The airport in Changsha is named Changsha Huanghua International Airport, which offers both international and domestic flight services and valid for Changsha 72-h Visa Free Policy. The connecting international cities include Bangkok, Los Angeles, Singapore, Seoul, Osaka, etc. And the connecting domestic cities include Beijing (3 hrs.), Shanghai (2~2.5 hrs.), Xian (2 hrs.), Guangzhou (1.5 hrs.), Chengdu (2 hrs.), etc.

The airport is about 33 km away from Changsha downtown, which needs about 1 hour by car. From the airport, you can ride a taxi, airport shuttle bus or a maglev train to the downtown area. Changsha airport shuttle bus runs between Changsha Railway Station and Changsha Huanghua International Airport. And the maglev train provides service between Changsha South Railway Station and Changsha Huanghua International Airport. After arriving at the train stations, you can then ask a taxi or city bus to your hotel or the tourist area you prefer.

Changsha Huanghua International Airport

Location: Jichang Avenue, Huanghua Town, Changsha County, Changsha City, Hunan, China (长沙市长沙县黄花镇机场大道,长沙黄花国际机场), about 35 km to Yuelu Academy.

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Changsha Huanghua International Airport

Changsha Huanghua International Airport

Get to Changsha by Train

Located at where Jingguang Railway (Beijing-Guangzhou Railway) that connects China's north and south meets Hukung Railway (Shanghai-Kunming Railway) that connects China's east and west, Changsha enjoys a really efficient railway network. You can easily find bullet trains to get to Changsha from Beijing (5.5~8 hrs.), Shanghai (4.5~7 hrs.), Xian (5.5~6.5 hrs.), Guangzhou (2.5~3 hrs.), Shenzhen (3~3.5 hrs.), Guilin (2.5~3.5 hrs.), Guiyang (3~4.5 hrs.), etc. Also, you can ride a bullet train from Changsha to nearby Zhangjiajie (2.5~3. hrs.), Yueyang (0.5~1 hrs.), etc.

Changsha now has two mainly used railway stations, namely Changsha Railway Station (长沙站) and Changsha South Railway Station (长沙南站). Changsha Railway Station is closer to the tourist sites and best hotels in Changsha, while Changsha South Railway Station has more daily bullet trains and has maglev trains to Changsha Huanghua International Airport.

Changsha Railway Station

Location: No.406, Chezhanzhong Road, Furong District, Changsha, Hunan, China (湖南省长沙市芙蓉区车站中路406号,长沙站), about 10 kilometers to Yuelu Academy and about 25 kilometers to Changsha Huanghua International Airport by car.

Changsha South Railway Station

Location: Huahou Road, Yuhua District, Changsha, Hunan, China (长沙市雨花区花候路,长沙南站), about 20 km to Yuelu Academy and about 18 km to Changsha Huanghua International Airport.

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Changsha High Speed Rail Map

Changsha High Speed Rail Map

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Get from Beijing to Changsha

  • Distance: 1,345 km
  • Duration: 3 hours around by flight or 5.5~8 hours by train

Changsha is about 1,345 kilometers northeast of Beijing, the capital of China. The two cities now are connected by both flight and bullet train. Every day from 7:00 am to 22:00 pm, there are over 20 direct flights for you to choose. The flight journey takes only about 2.5~3 hours. Both Beijing Daxing Airport (大兴机场) and Shoudu Airport (首都机场) offer such convenient flight service. And if you prefer to travel by bullet train, you can also find over 16 daily bullet trains running from Beijing West Railway Station (北京西站) to Changsha South Railway Station (长沙南站). The train ride costs about 5.5~8 hours.

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Beijing West Railway Station

Beijing West Railway Station

Get from Shanghai to Changsha

  • Distance: 880 km
  • Duration: 2~2.5 hours by flight or 4.5~7 hours by bullet train

Changsha is about 880 km southwest of Shanghai, the super-modern metropolis in China. These two cities are also well-linked by both flight and high speed train. Over 12 direct flights can be found every day from 7:00 am to 18:00 pm. The duration of the flight trip is about 2~2.5 hours. There are also more than 25 bullet trains running between Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station (上海虹桥站) and Changsha South Railway Station (长沙南站) from 6:00 am to 17:30 pm. The train ride takes about 4.5~7 hours.

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Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station

Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station

Get from Xian to Changsha

  • Distance: 786 km
  • Duration: 2 hours by flight or 5.5~6.5 hours by bullet train

The direct distance between Xian and Changsha is about 786 km, which needs about 2 hours by flight or 5.5~6.5 hours by bullet train to go between them. There are about 10 direct flights and 8 bullet trains a day. The flights are operated between Xian Xianyang International Airport (西安咸阳机场) and Changsha Huanghua International Airport (长沙黄花国际机场). And the bullet trains are served between Xian North Railway Station (西安北站) and Changsha South Railway Station (长沙南站).

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Xian North Railway Station

Xian North Railway Station

Get from Guilin to Changsha

  • Distance: 450 km
  • Duration: 2.5~3.5 hours by bullet train

Guangxi Province with world-famous Guilin as its capital is closely borders the southeastern edge of Hunan Province, where Changsha is served as the capital. Therefore, these two capital cities enjoy a relatively close distance, which measures for about 450 km. At present, there is no flight offered between these two cities. However, visitors can make transfers between these two cities by frequent bullet train. Every day from 7:00 am to 17:00 pm, there are over 15 bullet trains running between Guilin North Railway Station (桂林北站) and Changsha South Railway Station (长沙南站).

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Guilin North Railway Station

Guilin North Railway Station

Get from Guangzhou to Changsha

  • Distance: 570 km
  • Duration: less than 1.5 hours by flight or less than 3 hours by bullet train

Guangzhou and Changsha are 570 km around away. They are also well-linked by flight and high speed train. If you go with a flight, you can get from Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (广州白云国际机场) to Changsha Huanghua International Airport (长沙黄花国际机场) in less than 1.5 hours. And if you travel with a bullet train, the duration won't beyond 3 hours. The flight and bullet train options are also a lot. Every day, there are over 7 flights and as many as 97 bullet trains for your selection. Both Guangzhou South Railway Station (广州南站) and Guangzhou North Railway Station (广州北站) in Guangzhou offer such convenient high speed train service.

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Guangzhou South Railway Station

Guangzhou South Railway Station

Get from Chengdu to Changsha

  • Distance: 912 km
  • Duration: less than 2 hours by flight or 7~7.5 hours by bullet train

Changsha is about 912 kilometers southeast of Chengdu, the home to adorable pandas. Visitors can ride a flight or high speed train to travel between these two cities. The flight ride needs about 2 hours, while the bullet train ride needs 7~7.5 hours. Though it seems there is a big gap for the durations of the two means, the difference is not significant if you take the time to get to the airports into account. You can select the way you prefer. Usually, there is about 12 daily flights and about 9 bullet trains for you to choose.

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Chengdu East Railway Station

Chengdu East Railway Station

Get from Tongren to Changsha

  • Distance: 370 km
  • Duration: 3 hours around by bullet train

Tongren City, where the sacred Mount Fanjing is located, is very close to Changsha, with a direct distance for merely 370 km around. Thanks to the close distance, it is convenient enough to travel between them by bullet train, which needs only 3 hours around. However, the daily train is limited. At present, there is only one bullet train running between them. The train departs from Tongren in the early evening.

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Tongren Railway Station

Tongren Railway Station

Get from Changsha to Zhangjiajie

  • Distance: 262 km
  • Duration: 1 hour by flight, 2.5~3.5 hours by bullet train or 4~4.5 hours by car

Zhangjiajie and Changsha are two most popular tourist cities in Hunan Province. Zhangjiajie is located on the northwestern edge of Hunan Province, while Changsha is on the eastern edge. The driving distance between these two cities is about 321 kilometers, which needs about 4~5.5 hours by car. Taking a flight from Changsha to Zhangjiajie needs merely one hour around. There are about 2 daily flights running between them. High Speed Trains are also available. Every day from 8:00 am to 20:30 pm, there are over 16 high speed trains. The train ride takes about 2.5~3.5 hours.

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Zhangjiajie West Railway Station

Zhangjiajie West Railway Station

Get from Changsha to Fenghuang Ancient Town

  • Distance: 330 km
  • Duration: 5~6 hours by car

Fenghuang Ancient Town in Hunan's northeastern part is closer to Zhangjiajie than Changsha. Therefore, visitors usually visit Fenghuang and Zhangjiajie in one go instead of Changsha. However, there are also large groups of visitors prefer to visit Zhangjiajie, Fenghuang and Changsha together. If you go from Changsha to Fenghuang, you are suggested to hire a private car. The driving distance between these two cities is about 454 kilometers, which takes about 5~6 hours by car. If you are looking for private car service between Changsha and Fenghuan with unbeatable price, you can feel free to contact us for help!

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Fenghuang Ancient Town

Fenghuang Ancient Town

Get from Changsha to Shaoshan

  • Distance: 56 km
  • Duration: 1~1.5 hours by car

Shaoshan mainly gets its popularity for it is the birthplace of Mao Zedong, the great Chairman in China's history. The city is close to Changsha, and thus attracts many Changsha visitors to get there for a one-day side trip. The best way to get from Changsha to Shaoshan is by private car, which needs only about 1~1.5 hours.

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Former Residence of Mao Zedong in Shaoshan

Former Residence of Mao Zedong in Shaoshan

Get from Changsha to Yueyang

  • Distance: 128 km
  • Duration: 0.5~1 hour by bullet train or 2.5~3 hours by car

Yueyang City neighbors Changsha on its southern edge. Changsha visitors who plan to visit Yueyang Tower and Dongting Lake may feel curious about how to get from Changsha to Yueyang. At present, catching a bullet train is the best way. Every day, there are nearly 60 bullet trains running from Changsha South Railway Station to Yueyang East Railway Station from 7:00 am to 22:00 pm. The train ride takes less than 1 hour, which is really fast and convenient. In addition to the bullet trains, you can also ride a private car with a local guide and a driver. The car ride needs about 2.5~3 hours.

Changsha South Railway Station

Changsha South Railway Station

Get from Changsha to Hengshan (Mount Heng)

  • Distance: 120 km
  • Duration: 2 hours by car

Hengshan, or called Mount Heng, is one of the Five Sacred Mountains in China, together with Songshan in Henan, Huashan in Shaanxi, Taishan in Shandong and Hengshan in Shanxi. It is hidden in the mountainous region of Hunan Province, about 120 kilometers south of Changsha. At present, there is no bullet train or flight to get to Hengshan from Changsha. The best and most convenient way to get there is by private car. The driving distance is about 130 kilometers and the car ride needs about 2 hours. If you are interested in a one-day private car tour to Hengshan from Changsha, you can contact our professional travel consultant for help!

Hengshan (Mount Heng)

Hengshan (Mount Heng)

How to Travel around Changsha

By Private Car (Best Choice for Cultural Exploration)

Though it is very easy to get around the modern Changsha City, visitors are still suggested to book a private car service with an experienced local guide included. Changsha has more cultural treasures than natural sceneries to offer, and thus you are recommended to hire a local guide to accompany you and tell you the legends, historic stories and cultural basics. We China Discovery also offer such warm private car service in unbeatable price. If you are in need, please feel free to contact us.

By Taxi

Riding a taxi to get around Changsha City area is easy and affordable. Generally, the taxi fare is about CNY 6 for the first 2 kilometers, with CNY 1.8 added for further per kilometer. The taxi fee will be a little bit higher at night. If you ask a taxi to Changsha downtown from Changsha Huanghua International Airport, it charges about CNY 100 in the day and CNY 130 around at night.

By Metro

Changsha Metro System includes both metro and maglev train service. At present, Changsha has altogether 6 metro lines, including Line 1, Line 2, Line 3, Line 4, Line 5 and Maglev Express Line. The former 5 metro line can take you efficiently travel around Changsha downtown, while the Maglev Express Line can help you travel between Changsha South Railway Station and Changsha Huanghua International Airport in ease.

By City Bus

Changsha has a huge city bus system, with over 134 bus lines running every day. However, city buses are seldom chosen by visitors, because it is more convenient and time-saving to get around Changsha by taxi, metro or private car.

Shangsha Private Car Service

Shangsha Private Car Service

Changsha Taxi

Changsha Taxi

Changsha Maglev Train

Changsha Maglev Train

How to Plan a Changsha Tour?

How to Get to Changsha: Changsha can be easily reached by international flight, domestic flight and high speed train. Hot cities connected Changsha by bullet train include Shanghai (4~7 hrs.), Zhangjiajie (2.5~3.5 hrs.), Guilin (2.5~3.5 hrs.), Hangzhou (3.5~5 hrs.), and so forth.

Best Time to Visit Changsha: late September ~ next May, especially in autumn if you want to meet with the best golden autumn vista of Yuelu Mountain.

Top Changsha Attractions: Orange Island, Yuelu Mountain and Yuelu Academy, Hunan Provincial Museum, Huangxing Road Pedestrian Street, etc.

Changsha, the capital and transportation hub of China’s Hunan Province, is a national historical and cultural city that rich in historical monuments, ancient temples, academies and antediluvian traditions. Normally, tourists spend 1~2 days in Changsha to sample its highlights, like Yuelu Mountain, Yuelu Academy, Orange Island, Hunan Provincial Museum, Tianxin Pavilion, etc.

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In addition to the profound cultural flavor in Changsha, Hunan Province also boasts world-class natural landscapes, ancient towns and villages and man-made wonders. Almost all Hunan visitors would plan 3~4 days to Zhangjiajie to appreciate the Avatar mountains. And a one-day Fenghuang Ancient Town tour is also popular. Visit Changsha, Zhangjiajie and Fenghuang in one go takes about 6~7 days.

✔ 7 Days Hunan Discovery Tour from Changsha

✔ 6 Days Zhangjiajie, Fenghuang and Changsha Tour

✔ 5 Days Changsha & Zhangjiajie Avatar Scenery Tour by Bullet Train

If you have more days and are looking for an in-depth exploration of Hunan, you are suggested to spend 1 day to Shaoshan, the birthplace of the great leader in Modern China - Chairman Mao, 1 day to Yueyang, another famous cultural city with a long history of over 2500 years, or 1 day to Mount Heng, one of the Five Sacred Mountains in China.

✔ 3 Days Changsha & Shaoshan Essences Tour

Beyond Hunan, the diverse China has a lot to offer. You can extend your trip to explore sacred Mount Fanjing and the primitive minority villages in nearby Guizhou Province. Also, you can add a 5 Days & 4 Nights Yangtze River Cruise into your trip. Besides, you can travel further southwest to admire the marvelous Karst Landscape in Guilin and Yangshuo. Get further south to visit Guangzhou, Xiamen, Hong Kong is also great. If you like, you can also visit splendid Great Wall in Beijing, meet with historical Terracotta Warriors in Xian, date with adorable pandas in Chengdu and so on. Have your preference? Please feel free to tell us your likes, and our professional travel consultants will customize a perfect tour for you!

Yuelu Academy in Changsha Yuelu Academy in Changsha Zhangjiajie National Forest Park Anatar Mountain in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park Fenghuang Ancient Town Fenghuang Ancient Town

Travel Changsha with China Discovery

China Discovery is an experienced, professional and reliable travel companion devoted to offering high-quality and the best tour services for all travelers to China. In order to have a hassle-free travel and focus on the trip itself, it’s highly recommended travelling with China Discovery. So, you can enjoy convenient airport pick-up and drop-off service and transportation to all scenic spots in a safe, clean, comfortable, air-conditioned and non-smoking vehicle. Also, we will arrange knowledgeable local English-speaking tour guide, excellent accommodation and dining arrangements to ensure you rest well and get better understanding of highlights in Xiamen and Fujian. The tour can be tailor-made according to your interests, time, group size, budget and every special need. If you are interested, please feel free to contact us to customize your tour!

The Statue of Chairman Mao on the Orange Island The Statue of Chairman Mao on Orange Island in Changsha

Recommended Changsha Tours

Top 3 Changsha tours chosen by most customers to explore Changsha in the best way. Check the detailed itinerary, or tailor your own trip now with us.

Aiwan Pavilion on Mount Yuelu
2 Days Classic Changsha Tour

Changsha

Zhangjiajie National Forest Park
7 Days Hunan Discovery Tour from Changsha

Changsha / Shaoshan / Zhangjiajie / Fenghuang / Zhangjiajie

Orange Beach
6 Days Zhangjiajie, Fenghuang and Changsha Tour

Zhangjiajie / Fenghuang / Changsha

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