How to Get to and around Qingdao & Qingdao Transportation 2023

Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport (IATA: TAO)

Location: Qiandiankou Village, Jiaodong Street, Jiaozhou City, Qingdao City (山东省青岛市胶州市胶东街道前店口村), about 60 km, 1.5 hour's drive to Qingdao downtown (May Fourth Square); 70 km, 1.5 hours' drive to Laoshan Mountain; and 55 km, 1 hour's drive to Qingdao Beer Museum.

Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport (青岛胶东国际机场) now operates 182 airlines connecting 107 cities in 8 countries and regions. It is available for the 144-Hour Visa Free Transit Policy, which makes it easier for foreign tourists to have a Qingdao tour. You can take direct flights from domestic cities such as Beijing (1.5h), Shanghai (1.5h), Xian (2h), Luoyang (1.5h), Zhengzhou (1h45min), Chengdu (2h40min), Guangzhou (3-3.5h), etc. and cities abroad like Seoul (1.5h), Tokyo (3.5h), and Osaka (3h). Read more about Qingdao Airport & Flights>>

Beijing is the capital of China and frequently chosen as the first city to start a China tour. When you finish visiting the Forbidden City, Great Wall, Tian'anmen Square, Summer Palace and other attractions in Beijing, you can take a high speed train (3~8 hours) or non-stop flight (1.5 hours) to Qingdao.

They are about 660 km away and conveniently connected. There are around 10 high speed trains and 13 flights a day. Considering the time you need to transfer between the airports and the downtown area, as well as the time for security check, there will only be a slight difference on the time taken between the two transportation means. You can choose one that suits your itinerary best.

• Useful Links: Travel from Beijing to Qingdao | Beijing to Qingdao Flight Schedule

• Recommended Tour: 6 Days Beijing & Qingdao Tour by High Speed Train

Get from Xian to Qingdao

Xian is the capital of Shaanxi Province and the home to the world-famous Terracotta Warriors. It is in northwest China, about 1200 km to Qingdao.

Both flights and trains are available. There are about 4 direct flights a day and it will only need 2 hours, which makes it the most recommended way. High speed trains run 4 times a day and it takes 8-9.5 hours. For normal trains, it will need 18.5-22.5 hours and you will spend a night on the train, so a soft sleeper ticket is more recommended.

• Useful Links: Xian to Qingdao Flight Schedule | Xian to Qingdao Train Schedule

By subway: As of October 2020, there are 4 metro lines in Qingdao that can take you to many landmarks such as May Fourth Square, Zhanqiao Pier, Qingdao Railway Station, and Qingdao North Railway Station. Six other lines are under construction and it will be a complete subway network in the future.

By taxi: Taking a taxi to tour around Qingdao city can save you much time. Generally speaking, the fare is CNY9 for the first 3 kilometers, then charging CNY2.1 for each additional kilometer. The taxi fare will be a little higher at night.

By bus: There are about 350 bus routes in Qingdao with more than 8000 buses in service, covering literally every corner of Qingdao.

By ferry: In coastal city Qingdao, you can take a ferry to Huangdao during the daytime. The travel distance is about 84 km and takes 20-30 minutes one way. Sightseeing boat (usually takes 30 minutes) is another kind of boat for visitors to enjoy Qingdao Bay, Zhanqiao Pier, Qingdao Naval Museum, and more. There are also international sea routes from Qingdao to South Korea & Japan.

How to Get to Laoshan Mountain

Laoshan Mountain is located at No. 29 Meiling Road, Laoshan District, Qingdao City (青岛市崂山区梅岭路29号), in the eastern part of Qingdao. It is a little far from Qingdao downtown near May Fourth Square, which is about 22 km, 1 hour by car and at least 1.5 hours by bus. So it is more recommended to get there by taxi if you want to save some time.

How to Get to Qingdao Beer Museum

Qingdao Beer Museum is located at No. 56 Dengzhou Road, Shibei District, Qingdao City (青岛市市北区登州路56号), about 7 km (30 minutes by car or subway, 45 minutes by bus) to Qingdao downtown (May Fourth Square), 25 km (1 hour by car, 7 km (30 minutes by car, 40 minutes by bus) to Qingdao Railway Station, and 16 km (0.5h by car, 1h by subway) to Qingdao North Railway Station. The specific bus route and metro line are changeable. You can check them after you arrive in Qingdao.

Get from Qingdao to Mount Tai

Mountain Tai, or Taishan Mountain, is a world cultural and natural heritage site which enjoys a high status in China's history as 13 reputed emperors, including Emperor Qinshihuang, has mounted the mountain. It is in Taian city, about 350 km (5 hours' drive) from Qingdao.

There are 6 high speed trains (3.5 hours) a day from Qingdao to Taian Railway Station (18 km, 50 minutes' drive to Mount Tai) and about 10 normal trains (5.5 hours) to Taishan Railway Station (5 km, 20 minutes' drive to Mount Tai). So you need to make sure which train station you are arriving at.

• Useful Links: Qingdao to Taishan Trains | Taishan to Qingdao Trains

• Recommended Tour: 4 Days Qingdao, Qufu & Mount Tai Essence Tour