In short
Zhuhai station here is the southern terminus of the Guangzhou-Zhuhai intercity line, pressed right up against Gongbei Port, the busiest land crossing into Macao. Strictly speaking it is a few kilometres from the conventional city centre, but it is where almost every traveller leaving this airport actually wants to go, whether to change on a train to Guangzhou South, Zhongshan or Jiangmen, or to walk through the border into Macao. The recommended way to get there is one leg: follow the airport station signs in the Level 1 arrivals hall, walk about 500 m along the footway and go down through entrance 1A or 1B. That is Zhuhai Airport station, the underground terminus of the Zhuhai-Airport intercity, an extension of the Guangzhou-Zhuhai line opened on 3 February 2024. Since 5 January 2025 there have been 43 pairs of trains a day between Zhuhai Airport and Zhuhai station with 10-minute minimum headways, in two speeds: fast trains calling only at Zhuhai Chimelong and Hengqin take 35 minutes, while all-stations services take up to 52 minutes. Second class costs ¥26 for the full run and ¥17 as far as Hengqin. Ticketing is close to metro-like: tickets are valid once on the same day with identity and ticket checks combined, so there is no advance purchase, no fixed train and no reserved seat, and tapping an ID card or the Alipay 12306 travel code at the gate charges you automatically. There are two alternatives. The Airport Express Gongbei line costs ¥30 on a standard coach and takes about 35 minutes direct to Gongbei Port and Zhuhai station, with tickets sold inside the arrivals hall and boarding in Zone D, 40 m past Exit (03) on the right; it runs about 44 times a day from 07:30 to 22:30 at a minimum headway of 15 minutes, and it is the only city line whose journey time is published officially. The other is a taxi or a ride-hailing car from the city-side rank 20 m to the left outside Exit (03); the airport quotes 40 to 60 minutes into town but publishes no fare, and applying the tariff in force since 1 December 2017 — ¥12 for 2.5 km then ¥3 per km in Class 1 cars, ¥10 then ¥2.6 per km in Class 2 cars, 30% beyond 12 km and 30% on the whole fare from 23:00 to 06:00 — puts the 40 to 45 km run at roughly ¥130 to ¥150 by day and ¥170 to ¥190 at night before tolls, which is our arithmetic rather than an official price.
- What Zhuhai station is
- Southern terminus of the Guangzhou-Zhuhai intercity, beside Gongbei Port
- Walk to the train station
- About 500 m, enter via 1A or 1B
- Fare
- ¥26 second class, or ¥17 to Hengqin
- Fastest journey
- 35 min, stopping only at Chimelong and Hengqin
- Slowest journey
- Up to 52 min on all-stations trains
- Frequency
- 43 pairs a day, 10-minute headways since 5 January 2025
- Buying a ticket
- Same-day validity; ID card or Alipay 12306 code
- First and last (third-party)
- 06:35 and 20:55 — confirm on 12306 for your date
- Airport Express Gongbei line
- ¥30, about 35 min, 07:30 to 22:30
- Metro
- Zhuhai has no metro and no operating tram
How to take each option
Recommended: the direct intercity train to Zhuhai station
Time 35 min express, up to 52 min all-stationsFare ¥26First 06:35Last 20:55
- Leave the Level 1 arrivals hall and follow the airport station signs about 500 m along the footway; the path is flat and manageable even with luggage.
- Go down through entrance 1A or 1B into the underground concourse and check the departure board for your Zhuhai-bound train and platform.
- No ticket window needed: with same-day single-use tickets you simply tap an ID card or the Alipay 12306 travel code at the gate and ¥26 is charged automatically.
- Sit anywhere, since seating is unreserved. For speed pick the fast service marked on the board, which calls only at Chimelong and Hengqin and arrives in 35 minutes.
- Zhuhai station opens onto the Gongbei Port forecourt: follow the signs into the joint clearance building for Macao, or into the main hall to change onto Guangzhou-Zhuhai trains towards Zhongshan and Guangzhou South.
Two sources sit behind those numbers: the municipal government publishes 43 pairs a day, 10-minute minimum headways, 35 minutes fastest and 52 minutes slowest, while the 06:35 and 20:55 first and last departures come from a third-party timetable site because 12306 offers no quotable page. Confirm your own date there.
Airport Express Gongbei line: the same station for ¥30
Time About 35 minFare ¥30, or ¥55 in a business carFirst 07:30Last 22:30
- Buy your ticket at the Airport Express counter inside the Level 1 arrivals hall, asking for Gongbei Port; this counter is the only place to buy without leaving the building.
- Walk 40 m past Exit (03) and board the Gongbei line coach in the boarding area, Zone D, on your right.
- Roughly 35 minutes later you arrive at the Gongbei Port stand beside Zhuhai station, a short walk from the clearance building; services back leave from stands 8 to 9, first at 05:00 and last at 23:00.
Treat this as a genuine alternative rather than a fallback: it costs only ¥4 more than the train, takes about as long, and spares you the 500 m walk — plus its timetable runs to 22:30 rather than ending at 20:55.
Taxi or ride-hailing
Time About 40-60 min per the airport websiteFare Metered
- Follow the taxi signs out through Exit (03); 20 m ahead on the left is the city-side taxi queue, which covers Gongbei.
- Show the driver the Chinese characters for Gongbei Port or Zhuhai station, ask for the meter, and if you are heading into Macao make clear that the ride ends at the port.
- Pay the metered fare plus the expressway toll; runs via the airport expressway or Jinhai Bridge incur a toll, so keep cash or a QR wallet handy.
The advantage is door to door and the disadvantage is price: a taxi costs roughly five times the ¥26 train fare. Even for two or more people the maths rarely works unless it is late or you have a great deal of luggage.
Questions travellers ask
What is the fastest way from Zhuhai airport to Zhuhai station?
Walk about 500 m to Zhuhai Airport station and take the intercity: the fast service reaches Zhuhai station in 35 minutes for ¥26, while all-stations trains take up to 52 minutes. With 43 pairs a day and 10-minute headways you do not book ahead — any same-day train will do.
How much is the fare and must I buy in advance?
¥26 in second class, or ¥17 to Hengqin. No advance purchase is needed: tickets are valid once on the day with combined identity and ticket checks, there are no reserved seats, and tapping an ID card or the Alipay 12306 travel code charges you at the gate.
Where is Zhuhai station and is it in the city centre?
It is the southern terminus of the Guangzhou-Zhuhai intercity, right beside Gongbei Port, the busiest land crossing into Macao. The conventional centre is a few kilometres away, but this is where you change for Zhongshan and Guangzhou South or walk across into Macao.
What is the first and last train?
Third-party timetables show a first departure of 06:35, arriving 07:10, and a last of 20:55, arriving 21:30. Neither comes from an official 12306 page and both move with timetable changes, so check your own date there.
Where can I go on from Zhuhai station?
You can change here onto Guangzhou-Zhuhai services towards Zhongshan, Shunde and Guangzhou South. The official-style sum of the two legs is about ¥96 to Guangzhou South, being ¥26 to Zhuhai plus the second-class fare onwards, while a tiny number of through C trains start at Zhuhai Airport for Guangzhou South — check 12306 for your date.
What if I miss the last train?
Take the ¥30 Airport Express Gongbei coach, about 35 minutes to the same spot with printed departures to 22:30, or fall back on a taxi or a ride-hailing car.
How much is a taxi to Zhuhai station?
No official figure exists. Applying the current tariff — ¥12 or ¥10 for the first 2.5 km, then ¥3 or ¥2.6 per km, 30% beyond 12 km, 30% more from 23:00 to 06:00, tolls extra — puts a 40 to 45 km ride at roughly ¥130 to ¥150 by day and ¥170 to ¥190 at night, and that is our own arithmetic rather than a published price.
With heavy luggage, train or coach?
The 500 m walk is flat and step-free but involves an escalator or lift down to the platform, so with very heavy bags the ¥30 coach is better value.
Can I take a metro to Zhuhai station?
No. Zhuhai has no metro at all: the Guangdong development authority has answered that under the three thresholds of State Council document No. 52 of 2018 neither Zhongshan nor Zhuhai qualifies to apply, and tram line 1 has been dismantled. Reaching Zhuhai station means the intercity, an airport coach or a taxi.
I only want the border crossing into Macao — which stop is right?
For Gongbei Port ride to the terminus, Zhuhai station, ¥26 and 35 minutes, which puts you at the crossing. If you want the Cotai hotel strip, ride instead to Hengqin station, ¥17 and about 20 minutes, which is both quicker and cheaper.