In short
Start with the date, because it matters here: the cruising-taxi tariff now in force comes from the Notice on Adjusting Yinchuan Cruising Taxi Fares, issued jointly by the municipal Development and Reform Commission and Transport Bureau, cleared after a public tariff hearing and approved by the municipal government, and in force since 4 May 2023. Both the city government portal and Ningxia Daily reported it on 25 April 2023 with identical wording. Its terms are these: RMB 9 for the first 3 kilometres; beyond that RMB 1.50 per kilometre for engines under 1.6 litres and RMB 1.70 for new-energy cars and cars of 1.6 litres or above; a waiting charge under which the first three minutes are free and every further 1.5 minutes adds half a kilometre at the per-kilometre rate; a single-trip empty-running surcharge adding 50 per cent of the per-kilometre rate to every kilometre past 10; and a night supplement of 20 per cent between 23:00 and 06:00. The old RMB 0.90 per-trip compressed-natural-gas surcharge was abolished at the same time and a fuel-linkage mechanism was introduced: benchmarked on a three-year average gas price of RMB 2.58 per cubic metre, the flag fall rises RMB 1.00 for every RMB 1.00 rise in the non-residential gas price. Expressway and bridge tolls are paid on top, and runs into the city normally use the G85 Yinchuan to Kunming or G20 Qingdao to Yinchuan expressway. For the pick-up points we follow the wording published by the traffic police detachment of the Ningxia airport public security bureau: for a taxi, leave the terminal through door 3 on the ground floor, turn left and walk about 50 metres, where the boarding point is across the road beside the transport enforcement post; for ride-hailing, leave from the same place, walk straight across the ground-floor footbridge and turn right into the ground transport centre. Pay what the meter shows and ask for a receipt: cash and WeChat or Alipay QR codes are accepted, but the airport publishes no payments page and nothing confirms international cards work, so carry some cash, and call the national transport service hotline on 12328 for refusal, detours or a driver who will not use the meter. On price, no official airport-to-centre reference fare or official distance exists: the ¥50 to ¥90 quoted by third-party travel sites to the People’s Square and Gulou area, and the about 40 minutes from a routing app’s 30.3 kilometres in 38 to 39 minutes, are reference values rather than published prices, and cover neither tolls nor the night supplement. One honest gap deserves stating plainly: the tariff was published as applying to the three urban districts of Xingqing, Jinfeng and Xixia, whereas the airport sits in Linhe town in Lingwu outside that area, and nothing official explains which scale governs taxis queueing at the airport, so this page makes no claim either way and simply flags the risk of a higher figure.
- Tariff document
- Notice on Adjusting Yinchuan Cruising Taxi Fares, in force since 4 May 2023
- Flag fall
- ¥9 for the first 3 km
- Per-kilometre rate
- ¥1.50/km under 1.6 L; ¥1.70/km for new energy and 1.6 L and above
- Waiting charge
- Free for 3 min, then 0.5 km per 1.5 min
- Empty-running surcharge
- Plus 50% per km beyond 10 km
- Night supplement
- 20% added between 23:00 and 06:00
- CNG surcharge
- The RMB 0.90 per-trip surcharge was abolished
- Taxi pick-up
- Out of door 3, left 50 m, across the road by the enforcement post
- Ride-hailing pick-up
- Over the ground-floor footbridge, right into the transfer centre
- Reference range
- ¥50–90 per third-party sites, not an official price
- Complaints
- 12328, the national transport supervision hotline
How to take each option
Finding the taxi rank
Fare Metered
- Follow the taxi signs after claim and ignore anyone approaching you inside the terminal offering a ride: airport police urge passengers to refuse unlicensed cars and use licenced transport such as the airport bus, taxis or ride-hailing.
- Leave Terminal 3 through door 3 on the ground floor, turn left and walk about 50 metres; the boarding point is across the road next to the transport enforcement post. This is the wording issued by the airport traffic police detachment.
- Show the driver your hotel name and address in Chinese, say clearly that you want the meter and refuse any flat-price offer, and before moving off ask to see the fare card displayed on the vehicle and confirm the meter has been reset.
- Pay on arrival: cash, WeChat Pay and Alipay QR codes all work, and any tolls incurred are charged separately. Keep the receipt and cab number in case you need to complain later.
The parent page describes the rank as about 20 metres north of Exit 3 on Level 1, which conflicts with the airport police wording of leaving through ground-floor door 3, turning left for about 50 metres and boarding across the road. This page follows the police release, the discrepancy is recorded in the gaps below, and it should not be resolved by editing this page.
Ride-hailing: a different spot, do not join the wrong queue
Fare Priced by the app
- Set the airport pick-up point in the app first, then walk to the physical spot: both the price and the plate come from the platform, so nothing needs negotiating at the kerb.
- The route is described as crossing the ground-floor footbridge and turning right into the ground transport centre: leave Terminal 3 at ground level, walk straight over the footbridge, then turn right.
- It is not the same place as the taxi rank: if you have already joined the queue across the road, step out again and head back towards the footbridge.
Use the same entrance at night: the transfer centre is lit and signed, safer than hailing a car outside the terminal, and it is the route drawn in the airport police travel notice.
Working out your own fare from the formula
Fare Metered under the 2023 tariff
- Start with the flag fall: ¥9 covers the first 3 kilometres regardless of the hour or the vehicle.
- Next apply the per-kilometre rate for the vehicle: ¥1.50 for engines under 1.6 litres and ¥1.70 for new-energy cars and cars of 1.6 litres or above, which differs by a few yuan over the same distance.
- Then add the distance and waiting components: beyond 10 kilometres another 50 per cent of the per-kilometre rate is charged on every further kilometre, and after three free minutes every 1.5 minutes of waiting is billed as half a kilometre.
- Then check the clock: between 23:00 and 06:00 another 20 per cent goes on the fare. Finally add the toll, since runs into the city usually use the G85 or G20 expressway.
- This formula no longer includes the old RMB 0.90 per-trip gas surcharge, abolished alongside the 2023 document; if a vehicle still carries an old sticker, the metered amount is what counts.
The tariff was published as applying to the three urban districts of Xingqing, Jinfeng and Xixia, while the airport lies in Linhe town in Lingwu outside that area. Nothing official explains which scale governs taxis queueing at the airport, and no separate tariff for Lingwu could be found, so anything computed from the formula is an indication rather than a promise of what you will pay.
Paying, receipts and complaints
- Pay what the meter shows and ask for a receipt. Tolls incurred on the trip are charged to the passenger separately, so a driver asking for that cash is not out of line.
- Cash and WeChat or Alipay QR codes are the working payment methods. The airport publishes no dedicated payments page and nothing official confirms that international credit cards can be tapped directly, so carry a little cash.
- For refusal, detours or a driver unwilling to use the meter, call the national transport service hotline on 12328. Photograph the plate or keep the receipt and your complaint will be handled far faster.
The airport enquiry line is 0951-96111 and the coach hotline 0951-6912480, both of which can also be used to confirm that day’s pick-up arrangements.
Late-night and early-morning arrivals
The night supplement runs from 23:00 to 06:00 and adds 20 per cent to the fare, which is set out officially; on top of that comes the inevitably long haul to the city, past the 10 kilometre threshold where another 50 per cent per kilometre applies, with tolls paid separately. Landing late, the two cheaper routes still have their own windows: airport bus line 1 has no fixed last departure towards the city and follows the day’s final arrival, and the last train towards Yinchuan leaves Hedong Airport station around 22:42 per third-party data, to be confirmed on 12306. Only when neither fits does a taxi come into play, and it is at its most expensive then: the ¥9 opening stretch is unchanged, but both the long-distance and night components land at once. The pick-up spots do not move — taxis still board about 50 metres to the left after leaving through door 3, across the road by the enforcement post, and ride-hailing meets over the footbridge in the transfer centre — and there are cars as long as flights are landing.
Questions travellers ask
How much is a taxi from Yinchuan airport to the city centre?
There is no such reference fare, and no official distance either. What can be checked is the 2023 tariff: ¥9 covering the first 3 kilometres, then ¥1.50 per kilometre for engines under 1.6 litres and ¥1.70 for new-energy cars and cars of 1.6 litres and above, three free minutes of waiting followed by half a kilometre charged per further 1.5 minutes, a 50 per cent empty-running surcharge beyond 10 kilometres, and 20 per cent from 23:00 to 06:00. Third-party travel sites quote ¥50 to ¥90 and routing apps about 40 minutes to the People’s Square and Gulou area; both are reference data covering neither tolls nor the night supplement.
When did this taxi tariff take effect?
It took effect on 4 May 2023 under the Notice on Adjusting Yinchuan Cruising Taxi Fares, issued by the municipal Development and Reform Commission and Transport Bureau after a public tariff hearing and approval by the municipal government. Both the city government portal and Ningxia Daily reported it on 25 April 2023 with identical wording. Note that the parent page says 4 May 2025, which conflicts with those two official sources; this page uses 2023 and the discrepancy has been reported.
Do I still have to pay the gas surcharge?
No. The old RMB 0.90 per-trip gas surcharge was abolished alongside the 2023 document, together with the notice that created it, and replaced by a linkage with the non-residential natural gas price: benchmarked on a three-year average of RMB 2.58 per cubic metre, the flag fall rises RMB 1.00 for every RMB 1.00 rise in the gas price. If a driver still adds RMB 0.90 on the strength of an old sticker, pay the metered amount and ask for the receipt.
Where is the taxi pick-up point?
According to the traffic police detachment of the Ningxia airport public security bureau: for a taxi, leave the terminal through door 3 on the ground floor, turn left and walk about 50 metres, and the boarding point is across the road next to the transport enforcement post. The parent page’s "about 20 m north of Exit 3" conflicts with this, and this page follows the police release with the difference reported.
Where do ride-hailing cars pick up?
Not the same place as the taxi rank. The airport police release says: leave through ground-floor door 3, walk straight across the ground-floor footbridge and turn right into the ground transport centre. Set the airport pick-up point in the app first, then walk there; the price and plate both come from the platform.
Is it much more expensive after 23:00?
It is. A 20 per cent supplement applies from 23:00 to 06:00, and because the run into the city usually exceeds 10 kilometres the 50 per cent empty-running surcharge applies on top, with tolls also payable. If you actually want Yinchuan station, the last train around 22:42 per third-party data, or the ¥20 line 1 coach, will usually work out better.
Does the city tariff actually apply at the airport?
This is a genuine gap. The published scope covers the three urban districts of Xingqing, Jinfeng and Xixia, whereas Yinchuan Hedong Airport sits in Linhe town in Lingwu, outside that area. Nothing official explains which tariff governs taxis queueing at the airport, and no separate tariff for Lingwu was found. This page therefore describes the 2023 city formula without claiming it necessarily governs airport journeys.
What if the driver refuses the meter or refuses me?
Insist on the meter, keep the receipt and refuse any flat-price offer. Airport police urge passengers to reject unlicensed cars and use licenced transport: airport bus, taxi or ride-hailing. For refusal, detours or refusal to use the meter, call the national transport supervision hotline on 12328 with the plate and receipt to hand; the airport enquiry line 0951-96111 can also help.
Is there an official airport taxi price or distance?
No. Chinese authorities generally publish only the tariff formula rather than an airport-to-centre reference fare or official distance, and Yinchuan is no exception. The ¥50 to ¥90 here comes from third-party travel sites and the roughly 40 minutes from a routing app’s 30.3 kilometres in 38 to 39 minutes; neither is official, and neither covers tolls or the night supplement.
Is there a metro I could use instead?
No. The municipal development and reform commission replied on 25 August 2025 that Yinchuan fails the thresholds in State Council document No. 52 of 2018 for building a metro and that light rail is not yet viable. The only rail in service is Yunngui Line 1, a 9.7 kilometre, eight-station line confined to the Yinchuan China Flower Expo Park in Jinfeng district: a park ride that does not serve the airport. Use the high-speed station below ground west of Terminal 3, the ¥20 coaches or a taxi instead.