In short
Start with the authority behind the numbers. Taxi fares in Haikou are set by the Notice on the Adjustment of the Haikou Taxi Fare Structure, document Hai Fagai Wujia [2016] No. 6, issued by the Haikou Municipal Development and Reform Commission and in force since 00:00 on 20 April 2016, and it has five parts. First, a flag fall of ¥10 covering the first 3 km. Second, a distance rate of ¥2.1 per km. Third, a low-speed or waiting charge of ¥0.5 per minute whenever the taxi runs below 12 km/h. Fourth, a long-distance return surcharge: beyond 15 km every extra kilometre is charged at 150% of the distance rate, which is ¥3.15 per km. Fifth, a night supplement: between 00:00 and 05:00 the flag fall rises by ¥1 to ¥11 for 3 km, and that is the whole night extra, since there is no percentage night surcharge. The rank sits outside Gate 3 of the Level 1 arrivals hall at both T1 and T2 and runs 24 hours; the airport notes it is about 100 m from Gate 4 at T1 and 70 m from Gate 3 at T2, roughly two minutes on foot, and a fare board is posted there so you can check the rates on the spot. For payment, the airport states that taxis accept cash, Alipay and WeChat Pay, and you should pay by the metre and ask for a receipt. Whether a foreign Visa or Mastercard works on board is not officially confirmed; a third-party travel site mentions a payment-help desk for international visitors near Exit 2 on Level 1 of T2, but no official airport page corroborates it, so this page does not state it as fact. Carry some cash, or link an international card to Alipay or WeChat Pay before you fly. On price: the airport publishes no airport-to-centre figure at all. Third-party travel sites quote a reference range of ¥65–100 and about 40 minutes over roughly 25 km, and working the official tariff ourselves gives ¥10 for the first 3 km, plus ¥2.1 times 12 km for the 3 to 15 km band, plus ¥3.15 times 10 km beyond 15 km, which comes to ¥66.7, about ¥67, before any low-speed waiting time or tolls. Neither figure is a price; only the meter decides. Complaints go to 0898-12345, the Haikou government hotline staffed 24 hours with English available, to 0898-66722791 at the Haikou comprehensive law-enforcement bureau, or to 0898-966114, the Meilan Airport hotline, also 24 hours with English.
- Tariff document
- Hai Fagai Wujia [2016] No. 6, in force since 20 April 2016
- Flag fall
- ¥10 for the first 3 km
- Distance rate
- ¥2.1 per km
- Low-speed and waiting
- ¥0.5 per minute below 12 km/h
- Return surcharge
- Plus 50% beyond 15 km, i.e. ¥3.15 per km
- Night supplement
- 00:00–05:00: ¥11 flag fall, ¥1 higher only
- Taxi rank
- Outside Gate 3, Level 1 arrivals, T1 and T2, 24 hours
- Ride-hailing pick-up
- Level 1 of the GTC at T1; zone C2 on level B1 of the T2 car park
- Payment
- Cash, Alipay and WeChat Pay per the airport
- Airport-to-centre price
- Not published; ¥65–100 is a third-party range, not a price
- Complaints
- 0898-12345 (24 hours, English available) or 0898-966114
How to take each option
How to get a taxi
Fare Metered
- After baggage claim follow the taxi signs out of the arrivals hall, ignore anyone who approaches you inside the terminal, and refuse unlicensed or shared rides.
- Join the queue at the official rank, outside Gate 3 of the Level 1 arrivals hall at both T1 and T2, open 24 hours. It is about 100 m from Gate 4 at T1 and 70 m from Gate 3 at T2, some two minutes on foot.
- Show the driver your hotel name and address in Chinese, ask for the meter and refuse any negotiated flat fare, then check the meter has started. A fare board is posted at the rank so you can verify the rates on the spot.
- Pay what the meter shows, ask for the receipt and keep the cab number. If anything goes wrong, call 0898-12345, staffed 24 hours with English available, or 0898-966114.
The airport asks plainly for metered payment, refuses negotiated fares, advises taking a receipt and warns against unlicensed or shared cars. A fare board stands at the rank.
How the fare adds up
- Start with ¥10 for the first 3 km, or ¥11 between 00:00 and 05:00.
- From 3 to 15 km the rate is ¥2.1 per km, so at 15 km the reading is ¥10 plus 2.1 times 12, which is ¥35.2.
- Beyond 15 km every kilometre carries a 50% surcharge, taking the rate to ¥3.15 per km.
- As an illustration rather than a quote: at roughly 25 km to the city centre the sum is ¥10 plus 2.1 times 12 plus 3.15 times 10, which is ¥66.7, about ¥67, before waiting time and tolls.
- Two more items can apply: ¥0.5 per minute whenever the cab drops below 12 km/h or waits, and ¥1 on the flag fall between 00:00 and 05:00.
The ¥67 produced by the tariff roughly agrees with the ¥65–100 quoted by third-party travel sites, but neither is an official price: the authorities publish the tariff and nothing else, and only the meter decides what you pay.
Ordering a ride-hailing car
- Place your order in the app and choose the pick-up point: Level 1 of the Ground Transport Centre beside the Aviation Tourism City at T1, about three minutes away, or zone C2 on level B1 of the T2 car park, five to eight minutes away.
- Walk out to that point following the signs before calling the driver, and tell him which door you are at, since ride-hailing cars cannot simply pull up at any arrivals door.
- Check the plate and the last digits of the driver’s phone number before getting in. Longer trips and late-night rides are priced dynamically by the platform rather than by the cruise-taxi tariff above.
Ride-hailing has its own pick-up areas, separate from the taxi rank: the airport states Level 1 of the GTC for T1 and zone C2 on level B1 of the T2 car park, with payment by Alipay and WeChat Pay.
If you would rather not take a cab
- Into the city: use Meilan station on level B1 first, five minutes on foot, then eight or nine minutes and ¥4 to Haikou East, or ¥10 to Haikou station.
- For Sanya, Wenchang, Qionghai or Wanning: the same Meilan station and the east-ring line, ¥113 to Sanya in second class and as little as 1h14, last southbound departure 22:51.
- For direct rides along a corridor: ¥20 on coach Lines 1 and 2 and ¥30 on Line 3, or the public buses charging by distance from ¥1 up to ¥5–10.
The taxi at this airport is a fallback rather than a first choice: in daylight the ¥4 suburban train is faster and cheaper, and the cab earns its keep at night, with heavy bags, door to door, and for three or four people travelling together.
Late-night and early-morning arrivals
Taxis and ride-hailing cars both run 24 hours and work as long as flights arrive, so they remain the reliable answer for late landings, with the flag fall at ¥11 between 00:00 and 05:00, one yuan above the daytime figure and with no percentage night surcharge. Note when everything else closes: the suburban service runs 07:10–22:33 with C7346 at 22:25 the latest in the airport’s own timetable, and the last southbound east-ring departure is 22:51; coach Line 1 keeps scheduled departures until 02:20 before switching to pre-booked rides, Line 2 until 00:30 and Line 3 until 23:00; and the public buses finish between 22:00 and 22:30. One more thing: traffic is light at night, but the meter still adds ¥0.5 per minute whenever the cab drops below 12 km/h.
Questions travellers ask
How much is a taxi from Haikou airport to the city centre?
That figure is not published. All you can check is the tariff: ¥10 for the first 3 km, then ¥2.1 per km, ¥0.5 per minute below 12 km/h, a 50% surcharge per kilometre beyond 15 km and an ¥11 flag fall between 00:00 and 05:00. Third-party travel sites quote ¥65–100 and about 40 minutes, and the official tariff works out at about ¥67. Neither is an official price.
Is there a night surcharge?
Yes, but only on the flag fall: between 00:00 and 05:00 it rises from ¥10 to ¥11, with everything else left to the meter and no percentage night surcharge. Separately, ¥0.5 per minute applies at any hour whenever the cab drops below 12 km/h or waits.
Where is the taxi rank at the airport?
Outside Gate 3 of the Level 1 arrivals hall at both T1 and T2, open 24 hours. The airport puts it about 100 m from Gate 4 at T1 and 70 m from Gate 3 at T2, roughly two minutes on foot, and the taxi signs will lead you there.
Can I pay with a foreign bank card?
Not officially confirmed. The airport states only cash, Alipay and WeChat Pay. A third-party travel site mentions a payment-help desk for international visitors near Exit 2 on Level 1 of T2, but no official airport page corroborates it and this page does not state it as fact. Carry some cash, or link an international card to Alipay or WeChat Pay before you fly.
Can I order a ride-hailing car at the airport?
Yes, but only from its own pick-up point: Level 1 of the Ground Transport Centre beside the Aviation Tourism City at T1, about three minutes away, or zone C2 on level B1 of the T2 car park, five to eight minutes away. It is a separate area from the taxi rank.
What if the driver takes a long route or overcharges me?
Board only at the official rank, insist on the meter and keep the receipt with the cab number. Complain on 0898-12345, the Haikou government hotline staffed 24 hours with English, on 0898-66722791 at the Haikou comprehensive law-enforcement bureau, or on 0898-966114, the 24-hour Meilan Airport hotline with English available.
Taxi, or the train at Meilan station?
In daylight with light bags the train wins outright: five minutes on foot, then ¥4 and 8–9 minutes to Haikou East. A taxi costs an order of magnitude more, at ¥65–100 per third-party sites, but it is the simplest choice door to door, at night, with heavy bags, or for three or four people together.
Are tolls included in the fare?
The airport does not state separately who pays tolls in a taxi; the usual practice is that road and bridge tolls are paid by the passenger on top of the meter, as are the low-speed and night surcharges. It is worth asking before you set off.
How much is a taxi to Haikou East station?
Not published. At roughly 20 km the tariff gives about ¥10 plus 2.1 times 12 plus 3.15 times 5, around ¥51 before waiting time, and third-party sites say about 40 minutes. Meilan station to Haikou East, by contrast, costs ¥4 and takes eight or nine minutes.
Is there a taxi if I land in the middle of the night?
Yes, taxis and ride-hailing run 24 hours and work as long as flights arrive, with an ¥11 flag fall between 00:00 and 05:00. By then the suburban trains (07:10–22:33) and most buses have finished, so a cab is essentially the only option.