In short
Start with the short answer, because it surprises most visitors: do not queue for a taxi, go down one level instead. Haikou Meilan has its own railway station called Meilan, on level B1 beneath Terminals 1 and 2 inside the rail corridor. The airport puts the straight-line distance from either terminal at about 400 m, a walk of five minutes, and the whole route is indoors: you go down from Gate 2 of the T1 arrivals level, from the atrium of the Ground Transport Centre, or from Gate 3 of the T2 arrivals level. There is no shuttle bus to catch, no kerb to stand at and no weather to fight. Ticket machines run in Chinese and English and take cash, WeChat Pay, Alipay and UnionPay cards, and a foreign passport works at the counter or at the machine. Two directions matter from Meilan. The suburban S-series trains run to Haikou East in 8–9 minutes for the official fare of ¥4, with the service window running 07:10–22:33; the same line continues to Haikou station, the city’s conventional rail terminus for mainland trains, six stops away via Haikou East, Chengxi, Xiuying and Changliu, for ¥10, and the airport’s own timetable shows train C7346 leaving Meilan at 22:25 and reaching Haikou station 32 minutes later. The C-series intercity trains on the Hainan Ring High-speed Railway cover Meilan to Haikou East in about eight minutes at ¥8 for second class. Haikou East sits inside the built-up south-east of the city, so for most visitors arriving here is the whole journey. If you actually want to ride all the way to Sanya, that is a different order of magnitude: ¥113 in second class, about 1h31 on C-series trains and as little as 1h14 on the fastest D-series service, which is D7477 leaving Meilan at 13:21 and arriving at 14:35, with the last southbound departure from Meilan extended to 22:51 in the 15 April 2026 timetable so late-arriving flights still connect. The second option is the airport coach: Line 1 towards the Xinyuan Hot Spring Hotel and Line 2 towards the West Bus Station both cost ¥20 for an adult, ¥10 for a child and ¥15 with a student ID, with Line 1 running scheduled departures from the airport between 07:40 and 02:20 the next morning and Line 2 between 08:30 and 00:30, after which the small hours are covered by pre-booked rides through the Haiqixing mini-program. Line 3 heads for Laocheng via the West Coast and the CDF International Duty Free City at ¥30. The third option is the ordinary airport public bus, routes 1, 2 and 3, which charge by distance from ¥1 up to ¥5–10 for a full ride: cheapest of all, but it stops everywhere. Finally there is the taxi, always metered: ¥10 covers the first 3 km, then ¥2.1 per km, then a 50% surcharge on every kilometre beyond 15 km, with the flag fall rising to ¥11 between 00:00 and 05:00. The airport publishes no airport-to-centre price at all; third-party travel sites quote a reference range of ¥65–100 over about 25 km and roughly 40 minutes, and working the official tariff ourselves gives about ¥67. Neither figure is an official price.
- Railway station at the airport
- Yes — Meilan station on level B1 of both terminals
- Walk from the terminals
- About 400 m in a straight line, a 5-minute indoor walk
- Ways down to the station
- Gate 2 of T1 arrivals, the GTC atrium, or Gate 3 of T2 arrivals
- Meilan to Haikou East
- 8–9 min at ¥4 on the suburban train; about 8 min at ¥8 by C-series
- Meilan to Haikou station
- ¥10 over six stops; C7346 departs 22:25 and takes 32 min
- Suburban service window
- 07:10–22:33
- Last southbound train
- 22:51 since the 15 April 2026 timetable
- Meilan to Sanya
- ¥113 second class, about 1h14 to 1h31
- Airport coach fares
- ¥20 adult on Lines 1 and 2; ¥30 on Line 3
- Airport public bus fares
- Distance-based, from ¥1 up to ¥5–10 for a full ride
- Taxi flag fall
- ¥10 for the first 3 km, then ¥2.1 per km
- Airport-to-centre price
- Not published; ¥65–100 is a third-party range, not a price
How to take each option
Go down one level: Meilan station into the city
Time A 5-minute walk plus 8–9 minutes on boardFare ¥4 to Haikou East, ¥10 to Haikou stationFirst 07:10Last 22:33
- After baggage claim, ignore the signs pointing outside to taxis and coaches and look for the rail symbols instead, then go down one level. The three ways down are Gate 2 of the T1 arrivals level, the atrium of the Ground Transport Centre and Gate 3 of the T2 arrivals level, all indoors, about 400 m and five minutes from either terminal.
- Buy your ticket at the machines or the staffed windows at the level B1 station entrance. The machines work in Chinese and English and take cash, WeChat Pay, Alipay and UnionPay, and a foreign passport is fine at the counter.
- Read the departure screens carefully. For Haikou East take an S-series suburban train, ¥4 and 8–9 minutes, or a C-series intercity train at ¥8 in second class and about eight minutes; for Haikou station, the mainland ferry-train terminus, ride the suburban service to the end, six stops for ¥10.
- Clear security, scan through the gate and board where the platform signs direct you. The suburban service runs like a commuter line with frequent departures, so missing one is not a disaster, but nothing runs after 22:33.
- From Haikou East, take a bus, a taxi or another train as you need. If Sanya is your real destination, board an east-ring train at Meilan itself and ride south instead: ¥113 in second class and as little as 1h14.
The great virtue of this route is that you never leave the building: no shuttle to wait for, no road to cross, no driver to negotiate with, and at ¥4 it is the cheapest ride at the airport. The only constraint is the suburban service window of 07:10–22:33, after which a taxi is the answer.
Airport coach Lines 1 and 2: ¥20 into town
Fare ¥20 adult, ¥10 child, ¥15 studentFirst 07:40Last 02:20
- Follow the coach signs to the boarding point. The airport’s own coach page says outside Gate 4 of the T1 arrivals hall and Gate 4 of the T2 arrivals hall, while its Spring Festival travel guide gives a different version, Gate 3 at T1 and between Gates 2 and 3 at T2, so trust the signs on the day.
- Buy your ticket at the desk, outside Gate 4 of the T1 arrivals hall or at Gate 3 on Level 1 of T2, at ¥20 for an adult, ¥10 for a child and ¥15 with a student ID.
- Check the destination board on the front before boarding. Line 1 finishes at the Xinyuan Hot Spring Hotel in the city and Line 2 at Haikou West Bus Station. From the airport, Line 1 runs scheduled departures from 07:40 to 02:20 the next morning and Line 2 from 08:30 to 00:30.
- Outside the scheduled windows, 02:20–07:40 on Line 1 and 00:30–08:30 on Line 2, you have to pre-book through the Haiqixing mini-program, because nothing is guaranteed at the kerb.
The airport publishes departure windows and fares but never a journey time, so this page quotes no minutes and ignores the 35–60 minutes claimed by third-party travel sites.
Airport public bus routes 1, 2 and 3: the cheapest option
Fare Distance-based, from ¥1 up to ¥5–10First 06:15Last 22:30
- Walk to the bus boarding points: the Ground Transport Centre opposite the Level 1 arrivals hall at T1, and Exit 3 of the T2 car park. The 24-hour enquiry line is 0898-66663066.
- Pick your route by destination. Airport Line 1 runs to Yintan Garden via Wugong Temple, Haikou East Bus Station, Haixiu Bridge and the West Coast between 06:30 and 22:00; Line 2 runs to Jinwaitan via Mingzhu Square, Haikou West Bus Station and Xiuying Port between 06:15 and 22:00; Line 3 runs to Xinhai Port via Guorui City, Holiday Beach and the CDF duty free city between 08:15 and 22:30.
- Pay by distance on board, from ¥1 on Lines 1 and 2 and ¥2 on Line 3 up to ¥5–10 for the full run. Have small change or a QR wallet ready, since drivers cannot change large notes.
These buses stop at every stop and have no luggage hold, so big suitcases are a struggle. They are nevertheless the cheapest way into the city, and Line 3 runs through to Xinhai Port, which is what you want if you are catching a cross-strait ferry.
Taxi or ride-hailing: door to door
Time About 40 min (third-party)Fare Metered
- Follow the taxi signs to the official rank, outside Gate 3 of the Level 1 arrivals hall at both T1 and T2, open 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.
- Show the driver your hotel name and address in Chinese and say clearly that you want the meter, refusing any negotiated flat fare. A fare board is posted at the rank so you can check the rates on the spot.
- Pay what the meter shows and ask for a receipt. The tariff is ¥10 for the first 3 km, then ¥2.1 per km, ¥0.5 per minute whenever the cab drops below 12 km/h, a 50% surcharge per kilometre beyond 15 km, and a ¥11 flag fall between 00:00 and 05:00.
- For ride-hailing, walk to its own pick-up area: 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, about five to eight minutes away.
No official airport-to-centre price is published. 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 about ¥67. Both are reference figures, not prices.
Late-night and early-morning arrivals
Two times matter if you land late. On rail: the suburban S-series runs 07:10–22:33, with the airport’s own timetable showing C7346 leaving Meilan at 22:25 and reaching Haikou station 32 minutes later, and the east-ring line’s last southbound departure from Meilan was extended to 22:51 in the 15 April 2026 timetable. After those there is no rail at all. On coaches: Line 1 keeps scheduled departures until 02:20, after which rides are pre-booked through the Haiqixing mini-program until 07:40, Line 2 runs until 00:30, and the public buses finish between 22:00 and 22:30. The reliable answers in the small hours remain the taxi rank and ride-hailing, both of which run 24 hours, with the flag fall rising to ¥11 between 00:00 and 05:00.
Questions travellers ask
What is the fastest way from Haikou Meilan airport to the city centre?
Go down one level and take the suburban train. Meilan station sits on level B1 beneath both terminals, five minutes on foot from either, and trains reach Haikou East in 8–9 minutes for ¥4. Even with ticketing and waiting it beats a taxi on both time and money, and it runs 07:10–22:33.
What is the cheapest way into Haikou?
The ¥4 suburban train to Haikou East is both the cheapest and the fastest. If you would rather travel by road, the airport public bus charges by distance from ¥1 to ¥5–10 for a full ride, and coach Lines 1 and 2 cost ¥20 for an adult.
What is the station inside the airport called, and how do I reach it?
It is called Meilan station and it sits in the level B1 rail corridor beneath Terminals 1 and 2. Three ways lead down to it — Gate 2 of the T1 arrivals level, the atrium of the Ground Transport Centre and Gate 3 of the T2 arrivals level — about 400 m in a straight line, five minutes on foot and entirely indoors.
Do the ticket machines have English, and can I buy with a foreign passport?
Yes. The airport states that the machines at Meilan station run in Chinese and English and accept cash, WeChat Pay, Alipay and UnionPay, and a foreign passport works fine at the staffed counter.
How much is a taxi from Haikou airport to the city centre?
That figure is not published. What 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 a ¥11 flag fall between 00:00 and 05:00. Third-party travel sites quote ¥65–100 over about 25 km and 40 minutes, and the official tariff works out at roughly ¥67. Neither is an official price.
How much is the airport bus and how long does it take?
Lines 1 and 2 cost ¥20 for an adult, ¥10 for a child and ¥15 with a student ID; Line 3 costs ¥30, or ¥15 with a military disability certificate or student ID. No journey time is published: the airport gives departure windows and fares only, so this page quotes no minutes and ignores the 35–60 minutes claimed by third-party sites.
I am heading to Sanya — can I get the train straight from the airport?
Yes, and this is exactly what Meilan station is for: east-ring trains run south from level B1 of the terminal direct to Sanya station at ¥113 in second class and ¥181 in first, taking about 1h31 on C-series services and as little as 1h14 on the fastest D-series, which is D7477 leaving at 13:21 and arriving at 14:35. The last southbound departure was extended to 22:51 on 15 April 2026.
Are Haikou East and Haikou station the same place?
They are different. Haikou East, code HMQ, is the main station for the ring railway and the suburban trains in the south-east of the city, while Haikou station, code VUQ, is the mainland and ferry-train terminus in the west. They cost ¥4 and ¥10 respectively from Meilan, so choose carefully.
Is there any public transport if I land late at night?
The suburban trains run 07:10–22:33, with the latest service in the airport’s own timetable being C7346 at 22:25, and the last southbound east-ring departure is 22:51. Coach Line 1 keeps scheduled departures until 02:20 and then switches to pre-booked rides. In the small hours the reliable answers are the taxi rank and ride-hailing, both running 24 hours with a ¥11 flag fall between 00:00 and 05:00.
Is the suburban train manageable with big suitcases?
Yes, and easier than a taxi: the way down to level B1 is indoors with lifts and escalators, the ride lasts only 8–9 minutes and you simply sit. The part to watch is the last leg after you leave Haikou East, where the lifts get busy.
I do not speak Chinese — will I find the railway station?
Yes. There are only three ways down — Gate 2 of T1 arrivals, the GTC atrium and Gate 3 of T2 arrivals — and you simply follow the rail pictogram and train symbol. Machines run in English and platform signs are bilingual. If you are still stuck, call the airport hotline on 0898-966114, staffed 24 hours with English available.