Here’s a quick and simple guide to China flight times.
If you’re planning a trip to China, it’s a good idea to work out how long your flight is.
I mean, will you have enough time to eat, sleep, as well as watch every Harry Potter movie back-to-back?
Wonder no more with this straightforward guide!
(And, at the bottom I’ve included airport information and my best tips for flying to China.)
How long is a flight to China?
It depends on the city you’re departing from.
For example:
- New York to China is 14 hours
- Los Angeles to China is 13 hours
- London to China is 10.5 hours
- Frankfurt to China is 10 hours
- Sydney to China is 11.5 hours
- Singapore to China is 6 hours
These are approximate flight times to the nation’s capital, Beijing.
Are you departing from a different city? Or heading somewhere other than Beijing? Use the table below or keep scrolling to find all major direct flight routes.
US to China flight time
The flight time is about 13 to 16 hours depending on the route. You’ll get to China a little quicker if you leave from the west coast.
New York to China flight time
- New York to Beijing is 14 hours
- New York to Shanghai is 15 hours
- New York to Hong Kong is 16 hours
- New York to Guangzhou is 16.5 hours
LA to China flight time
- Los Angeles to Beijing is 13 hours
- Los Angeles to Shanghai is 13.5 hours
- Los Angeles to Hong Kong is 15 hours
- Los Angeles to Guangzhou is 15 hours
San Francisco to China flight time
- San Francisco to Beijing is 12.5 hours
- San Francisco to Shanghai is 13 hours
- San Francisco to Hong Kong is 14.5 hours
Chicago to China flight time
- Chicago to Beijing is 13.5 hours
- Chicago to Shanghai is 14.5 hours
- Chicago to Hong Kong is 16 hours
Dallas to China flight time
- Dallas Fort Worth to Shanghai is 15 hours
Book your US-China flight with Trip >
Canada to China flight time
The flight time ranges from 11.5 to 16 hours depending on the route. The shortest flights depart from Vancouver.
Toronto to China flight time
- Toronto to Shanghai is 14.5 hours
- Toronto to Hong Kong is 16 hours
- Toronto to Guangzhou is 16 hours
Vancouver to China flight time
- Vancouver to Shanghai is 11.5 hours
- Vancouver to Hong Kong is 13.5 hours
Book your Canada-China flight with Trip >
UK to China flight time
The average flight from the UK to China takes between 10.5 and 12.5 hours, depending on which Chinese city you fly into.
London to China flight time
- London to Beijing is 10.5 hours
- London to Shanghai is 12 hours
- London to Hong Kong is 12.5 hours
- London to Guangzhou is 12.5 hours
Book your UK-China flight with Trip >
Germany to China flight time
The average flight from Germany to China takes between 10 and 12 hours. Flight times are roughly the same whether you’re leaving from Frankfurt, Berlin or Munich.
Frankfurt to China flight time
- Frankfurt to Beijing is 10 hours
- Frankfurt to Shanghai is 11.5 hours
- Frankfurt to Hong Kong is 12 hours
Book your Germany-China flight with Trip >
France to China flight time
The average flight time from France to China takes between 10.5 and 12.5 hours.
Paris to China flight time
- Paris to Beijing is 10.5 hours
- Paris to Shanghai is 12 hours
- Paris to Hong Kong is 12.5 hours
Book your France-China flight with Trip >
Netherlands to China flight time
The average flight from The Netherlands to China takes about 10.5 to 12 hours.
Amsterdam to China flight time
- Amsterdam to Beijing is 10.5 hours
- Amsterdam to Shanghai is 11.5 hours
- Amsterdam to Hong Kong is 12 hours
Book your Netherlands-China flight with Trip >
Spain to China flight time
The average flight from Spain to China is about 12 to 13.5 hours.
Madrid to China flight time
- Madrid to Beijing is 12 hours
- Madrid to Shanghai is 13.5 hours
- Madrid to Hong Kong is 13.5 hours
Book your Spain-China flight with Trip >
Italy to China flight time
The average flight from France to China takes from 10.5 to 12 hours, whether you’re leaving from Rome or Milan.
Rome to China flight time
- Rome to Beijing is 10.5 hours
- Rome to Shanghai is 12 hours
- Rome to Hong Kong is 12 hours
Book your Italy-China flight with Trip >
Ireland to China flight time
The average flight from Ireland to China takes about 11 hours.
Dublin to China flight time
- Dublin to Beijing is 11 hours
Book your Ireland-China flight with Trip >
Sweden to China flight time
The average flight from Sweden to China takes about 9 hours.
Stockholm to China flight time
- Stockholm to Beijing is 9 hours
Book your Sweden-China flight with Trip >
Greece to China flight time
The average flying time from Greece to China takes about 10 hours.
Athens to China flight time
- Athens to Beijing is 10 hours
Book your Greece-China flight with Trip >
Turkey to China flight time
The average flight from Turkey (Türkiye) to China takes about 10 hours. If you’re in Europe and there are no direct flights to China from your city, Istanbul has good connections.
Istanbul to China flight time
- Istanbul to Beijing is 9.5 hours
- Istanbul to Shanghai is 10.5 hours
- Istanbul to Hong Kong is 10.5 hours
- Istanbul to Guangzhou is 10.5 hours
Book your Turkey-China flight with Trip >
Russia to China flight time
The average flight from Russia to China takes 8-9 hours.
Moscow to China flight time
- Moscow to Beijing is 8 hours
- Moscow to Shanghai is 9 hours
- Moscow to Guangzhou is 9 hours
Book your Russia-China flight with Trip >
Australia to China flight time
The flight time ranges from 9.5 to 12 hours depending on the route you choose.
Sydney to China flight time
- Sydney to Beijing is 11.5 hours
- Sydney to Shanghai is 10.5 hours
- Sydney to Hong Kong is 9.5 hours
- Sydney to Guangzhou is 10 hours
Melbourne to China flight time
- Melbourne to Beijing is 12 hours
- Melbourne to Shanghai is 10.5 hours
- Melbourne to Hong Kong is 9.5 hours
- Melbourne to Guangzhou is 10 hours
Book your Australia-China flight with Trip >
New Zealand to China flight time
The average flight from NZ to China takes about 12 to 13.5 hours.
Auckland to China flight time
- Auckland to Beijing is 13.5 hours
- Auckland to Shanghai is 12 hours
- Auckland to Hong Kong is 12 hours
- Auckland to Guangzhou is 12 hours
Book your NZ-China flight with Trip >
India to China flight time
The average flight from India to China takes 5 to 6 hours.
Delhi to China flight time
- Delhi to Hong Kong is 5 hours
Mumbai to China flight time
- Mumbai to Hong Kong is 6 hours
Book your India-China flight with Trip >
Singapore to China flight time
The flight time ranges from 3 to 6 hours depending on the route you choose. Singapore is a great place to stopover if you’re headed for a smaller Chinese city, as there are lots of options.
Singapore to China flight time
- Singapore to Beijing is 6 hours
- Singapore to Shanghai is 5 hours
- Singapore to Hong Kong is 3.5 hours
- Singapore to Macau is 3.5 hours
- Singapore to Guangzhou is 4 hours
- Singapore to Chengdu is 4.5 hours
- Singapore to Xi’an is 5 hours
- Singapore to Kunming is 4 hours
- Singapore to Nanning is 3.5 hours
- Singapore to Haikou is 3 hours
- Singapore to Fuzhou is 4.5 hours
- Singapore to Hangzhou is 5 hours
- Singapore to Ningbo is 5 hours
- Singapore to Nanjing is 5 hours
- Singapore to Zhengzhou is 5 hours
- Singapore to Qingdao is 5.5 hours
- Singapore to Tianjin is 6 hours
- Singapore to Shenyang is 6.5 hours
Book your Singapore-China flight with Trip >
Thailand to China flight time
The flight time ranges from 2 hours to 4.5 hours depending on the route.
Bangkok to China flight time
- Bangkok to Beijing is 4.5 hours
- Bangkok to Shanghai is 4 hours
- Bangkok to Hong Kong is 2.5 hours
- Bangkok to Guangzhou is 2.5 hours
- Bangkok to Chengdu is 3 hours
- Bangkok to Kunming is 2 hours
Book your Thailand-China flight with Trip >
Japan to China flight time
The flight time ranges from 2 to 4 hours depending on the route.
Tokyo to China flight time
- Tokyo to Beijing is 3 hours
- Tokyo to Shanghai is 2.5 hours
- Tokyo to Hong Kong is 4 hours
- Tokyo to Guangzhou is 4 hours
- Tokyo to Xi’an is 4 hours
- Tokyo to Hangzhou is 3 hours
- Tokyo to Qingdao is 2.5 hours
- Tokyo to Dalian is 2.5 hours
- Tokyo to Shenyang is 2.5 hours
Osaka to China flight time
- Osaka to Beijing is 2.5 hours
- Osaka to Shanghai is 2 hours
- Osaka to Hong Kong is 3.5 hours
- Osaka to Guangzhou is 3.5 hours
- Osaka to Hangzhou is 2.5 hours
- Osaka to Qingdao is 2 hours
- Osaka to Dalian is 2 hours
Book your Japan-China flight with Trip >
South Korea to China flight time
The flight time ranges from 1 to 3 hours, depending on the route. Given Korea’s close proximity to China, there are many different direct flights to choose from.
Seoul to China flight time
- Seoul to Beijing is 1.5 hours
- Seoul to Shanghai is 1.5 hours
- Seoul to Hong Kong is 3 hours
- Seoul to Guangzhou is 3 hours
- Seoul to Shenzhen is 3 hours
- Seoul to Xiamen is 2.5 hours
- Seoul to Changsha is 2.5 hours
- Seoul to Ningbo is 1.5 hours
- Seoul to Hangzhou is 2 hours
- Seoul to Nanjing is 1.5 hours
- Seoul to Xi’an is 2.5 hours
- Seoul to Qingdao is 1.5 hours
- Seoul to Weihai is 1 hour
- Seoul to Yantai is 1 hour
- Seoul to Tianjin is 1.5 hours
- Seoul to Dalian is 1 hour
- Seoul to Shenyang is 1 hour
- Seoul to Changchun is 1.5 hours
- Seoul to Harbin is 1.5 hours
Book your Korea-China flight with Trip >
Indonesia to China flight time
The flight time ranges from 4.5 hours to 7 hours depending on the route.
Jakarta to China flight time
- Jakarta to Beijing is 7 hours
- Jakarta to Shanghai is 6 hours
- Jakarta to Hong Kong is 4.5 hours
- Jakarta to Guangzhou is 4.5 hours
- Jakarta to Kunming is 5 hours
Book your Indonesia-China flight with Trip >
Philippines to China flight time
The flight time ranges from 2 to 4 hours depending on the route.
Manila to China flight time
- Manila to Beijing is 4 hours
- Manila to Shanghai is 3 hours
- Manila to Hong Kong is 2 hours
- Manila to Guangzhou is 2 hours
- Manila to Macau is 2 hours
- Manila to Xiamen is 2 hours
- Manila to Quanzhou is 2 hours
Book your Philippines-China flight with Trip >
Malaysia to China flight time
The flight time ranges from 3 to 6 hours depending on the route.
Kuala Lumpur to China flight time
- Kuala Lumpur to Beijing is 6 hours
- Kuala Lumpur to Shanghai is 5 hours
- Kuala Lumpur to Hong Kong is 3.5 hours
- Kuala Lumpur to Macau is 3.5 hours
- Kuala Lumpur to Guangzhou is 3.5 hours
- Kuala Lumpur to Chengdu is 4.5 hours
- Kuala Lumpur to Kunming is 3.5 hours
- Kuala Lumpur to Haikou is 3 hours
- Kuala Lumpur to Guilin is 4 hours
- Kuala Lumpur to Xiamen is 4 hours
- Kuala Lumpur to Hangzhou is 5 hours
- Kuala Lumpur to Zhengzhou is 5 hours
Book your Malaysia-China flight with Trip >
South Africa to China flight time
The average flight from South Africa to China takes about 14 hours.
Johannesburg to China flight time
- Johannesburg to Hong Kong is 14 hours
Book your SA-China flight with Trip >
Kenya to China flight time
The average flight from Kenya to China takes approximately 11.5 hours.
Nairobi to China flight time
- Nairobi to Guangzhou is 11.5 hours
Book your Kenya-China flight with Trip >
Egypt to China flight time
The average flight from Egypt to China takes about 10.5 hours.
Cairo to China flight time
- Cairo to Guangzhou is 10.5 hours
- Cairo to Hangzhou is 11 hours
Book your Egypt-China flight with Trip >
UAE to China flight time
The average flight from the United Arab Emirates to China takes about 8 hours, whether you’re leaving from Dubai or Abu Dhabi.
Dubai to China flight time
- Dubai to Beijing is 8 hours
- Dubai to Shanghai is 8.5 hours
- Dubai to Hong Kong is 8 hours
- Dubai to Guangzhou is 8 hours
- Dubai to Qingdao is 8.5 hours
Abu Dhabi to China flight time
- Abu Dhabi to Beijing is 8 hours
- Abu Dhabi to Shanghai is 8.5 hours
- Abu Dhabi to Guangzhou is 8 hours
Book your UAE-China flight with Trip >
Which Chinese airport are you flying into?
It’s worth getting acquainted with the airport you’re headed for. Here are the biggest international airports in China.
Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK)
Beijing Capital Airport is enormous. Image by Gauh_603424 from Pixabay.
Beijing is the country’s largest city and it’s home to two of the biggest airports.
Capital International Airport is about 25 km (16 mi) northeast of the Forbidden City – the cultural heart of Beijing. It’s easy to reach by taxi, train, and airport shuttle.
Like all the major Chinese airports, it’s huge, impeccably clean and shiny.
Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX)
Daxing opened in 2019 just before the pandemic.
Dubbed the ‘starfish’ for its aerial resemblance to the sea creature, the airport is located south of Beijing. Technically speaking, Daxing is not within the Beijing municipality – it’s in Hebei province.
Daxing is the biggest airport in the world, but passenger traffic is still higher at Capital Airport (where your international flight is likely to touch down).
If forecasts are correct, Daxing will eventually become China’s busiest airport.
Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG)
You can catch the Maglev train into Pudong Airport. Image by Moerschy on Pixabay.
Shanghai is one of the most popular arrival points in China.
It has two international airports: Pudong and Hongqiao. Pudong is the newer and bigger of the two, which is why you’re more likely to arrive at this one.
Getting to downtown is easy, especially with the magnificent Maglev train. It’s a super-quick train that’s run via magnetic levitation.
And, for just 50 yuan (US$7) it’s a great way to start your Chinese adventure!
Hong Kong International Airport (HKG)
The HK Airport is insanely busy and efficient. Image by Falco on Pixabay.
This famous airport is located on the island of Chek Lap Kok, about 34 km (21 mi) from the heart of the city.
It’s one of the most popular Chinese airports for foreigners – the people are friendly, everyone speaks English, and it’s a good gateway to the major cities in mainland China.
HK’s premiere airline, Cathay Pacific, is headquartered at HKG. But you’ll also find dozens of different airlines regularly flying here, including United Airlines, Japan Airlines and Air New Zealand.
Most of the smaller Chinese airlines don’t fly in and out of Hong Kong, but connections to the mainland are still OK with Cathay or Hong Kong Airlines.
Getting to Hong Kong Island or Kowloon from the airport is easy with the MTR, the city’s efficient subway.
Download the My HKG app if you want to look up flights on your phone as well as find the best way to your hotel.
Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN)
Guangzhou’s airport is huge and super-clean. Image supplied by Mike Cairnduff.
This is another super-sized Chinese airport, and the main airport in southern China.
Guangzhou Baiyun is the hub for China Southern Airlines, one of the country’s biggest international airlines (it also has the largest fleet in Asia).
You can easily get the subway from the airport into the heart of town.
Chengdu Tianfu International Airport (TFU)
Chengdu’s new international airport for foreign visitors opened in 2021.
It’s located in the southeast of the city. It’s quite far from the downtown area (about 60 km or 37 mi), so you’ll need to allow an hour of travel to reach your hotel.
The nearest airport to downtown is actually the city’s first airport, Shuangliu (CTU). It’s just 16 km (10 mi) from the city center, and now focuses on domestic flights.
My best tips for flying to China
Don’t expect amazing service from a Chinese carrier. Image supplied by Mike Cairnduff.
I’ve lived, worked, and traveled extensively in China, and I know how easy it is to trip up.
So, here are my top tips for flying to China:
1. Americans, watch the dateline
If you’re coming to China from the United States, you’ll fly over the international dateline. So don’t stress out if your on-flight TV screen says your flight is going to take 24 hours!
2. Don’t expect to be wowed by a Chinese carrier
In my opinion, there’s not a great deal of difference between the three largest Chinese carriers – Air China, China Southern Airlines and China Eastern Airlines. They’re all state-owned and fairly average, so don’t expect Singapore Airlines service.
3. Book with a China travel specialist
I always book my flights with Trip whenever I go to China. They specialize in China and you can get awesome deals, especially packages where you bundle the flight and hotel together. There are other good China hotel booking app specialists too.
4. Bring a laptop or tablet loaded with movies
I’ve always found the range of English movies on Chinese carriers to be underwhelming. There are hardly any new releases, and you won’t find anything slightly controversial because of Chinese government censorship. So, BYO movies!
5. Prepare for the Chinese internet
While this isn’t strictly a flying tip, you’ll want to make sure you can access all your favorite websites and apps on Wi-Fi in China. Most major sites are blocked, so you’ll need a VPN before you touch down – read my review of the best VPNs for China.
6. Beware of the cheapest flights
Sometimes, new routes open up to lesser-know Chinese cities. While these flights can be cheap because they’re often run by smaller airlines and they’re trialing how things go, just remember the saying, “you get what you pay for”.
7. Buy travel insurance
It’s a boring topic, I know, but it’s worth pointing out that medical care can be very expensive in China. So, if something were to happen to you, you’d be screwed without comprehensive travel insurance.
8. Book on the same ticket
If you need to book a domestic China flight in addition to your international flight, book it with the same airline at the same time. If you miss your connecting flight, and it’s with a different airline, you could be up for a big expense and even have to spend the night at the airport hotel.
9. Bring earplugs
The Chinese can be loud, even in business class, so don’t expect to get a lot of sleep on a Chinese airline. Bring industrial quality earplugs or noise-canceling headphones (and don’t forget your headphone adapter).
10. Avoid high season if you can
For a better chance of finding cheap flights, try to avoid booking flights for the summer, late spring, early fall, or public holidays like Chinese New Year. The best time is outside the peak season, where there will be fewer tourists at places like the Great Wall and Tiananmen Square.
11. Watch what you bring in
There are some things you shouldn’t bring on your long haul flight to China, like certain foods. And if you’re cashed up, don’t bring more than RMB 20,000 (US $5,000 or equivalent).
If you want tons more travel tips, go to this page.
Travel inspiration
Are you wondering what your Chinese destination is like?
In the main menu, go to Destinations and find out more about your city, like things to do, what to eat, where to stay, and much more.
It’s time to get excited!
So, how long does it take to get to China?
It takes up to 16 hours to fly from the US to China, or less if flying from elsewhere. Image by Anete Lusina on Unsplash.
It depends on what city you’re departing from, and which Chinese city you’re flying into.
From the US, it takes 13-16 hours, while from the UK it takes between 10.5 and 12.5 hours.
If you’re departing from a city in Asia or the Middle East, the duration is much shorter.
No matter where you’re flying from, you should have enough time to wind down and have something to eat, and hopefully get some sleep on the plane.
Have a pleasant flight!
And remember, if you want to access all your favorite sites and apps on Wi-Fi in China, you must get your China VPN before you arrive.
Keep discovering China
Here’s some more handy information for your trip:
- Packing list China
- Beijing Capital Airlines review
- List of Chinese airlines
- Largest airlines in China
Note: Only non-stop flights are shown above. Most seasonal routes are not shown. There are no direct flights to China from South America. Flight times are approximate only (rounded to the nearest half-hour) and include time for takeoff and landing. Some data was obtained from Travelmath and FlightConnections. Main image credit: Park Jinman on Shutterstock.
FAQ about how long is a flight to China
How long is the flight from London to Hong Kong?
The travel time is approximately 12.5 hours.
How long is the flight from LA to Hong Kong?
The travel time is approximately 15 hours.
How long is the flight from Vancouver to Hong Kong?
The travel time is approximately 13.5 hours.
How long is the flight from Sydney to Hong Kong?
The travel time is approximately 9.5 hours.
How long is the flight from New York to Beijing?
The travel time is approximately 14 hours.
How long is the flight from Chicago to Beijing?
The travel time is approximately 13.5 hours.
How long is the flight from London to Beijing?
The travel time is approximately 10.5 hours.
How long is the flight from San Francisco to Shanghai?
The travel time is approximately 13 hours.
How long is a flight from California to China?
The travel time is approximately 13 hours.
