In short
Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport currently runs five airport coach lines, all of which you board at the coach station on Level 1 of the Ground Transport Centre. Since 5 September 2024 the previously scattered pickup points, including Door 4 of domestic arrivals, have been consolidated into this one place. The five are: Line 701 to the Olympic Sailing and Marine Culture Tourism Area, the only daytime line with a published fare, ¥30 and about 80 minutes, calling at East Bus Station North Gate, Dongcheng International, Lotus Supermarket, Hongshanpo, Fuzhou Road at Ningxia Road, Hongkong Middle Road at Xuzhou Road and Fuxin Building; Line 702 to the Guangxi Road stop at Qingdao Railway Station, calling at Guangchang Road, Xiaocunzhuang, the Qingdao long-distance bus station, Liaoning Road at Huantai Road and the municipal hospital, with neither fare nor journey time published; the Yangguang Shanse line to the Yangguang Shanse bus terminal via Chengyang district government on Zhengyang Middle Road and the Dongqiao stop, also with no published fare or timings; the night express to Fuxin Building, ¥30 and about 120 minutes, running towards the city from 23:00 roughly every 20-45 minutes until 30 minutes after the last flight lands, with the timetable listing departures up to 02:00, and back towards the airport from 03:30 to 06:30; and the West Coast line to West Coast New Area on the Huangdao side, using nine-seat new-energy vans on 36 round trips a day roughly hourly from 04:30 to 00:30 the next day, with no published fare and the option to alight at any bus stop along the fixed route when heading out from the airport. One caveat: coaches are not the main event in Qingdao. The airport is more than 45 km from the built-up city and road traffic is heavily exposed to weather and congestion, so both the airport and the municipal government recommend Metro Line 8 first, which reaches the centre in about 40 minutes. The real value of the coaches is late at night and in the small hours, when they keep running to the flight schedule after the metro has stopped.
- Number of lines
- 5
- Boarding point
- Coach station, Level 1 of the GTC
- Line 701 fare
- ¥30, about 80 min
- Night express
- ¥30, from 23:00, about 120 min
- West Coast line
- 36 trips daily, 04:30 to 00:30
- Lines with no published fare
- Line 702, Yangguang Shanse, West Coast
How to take each option
Where to board and how to buy a ticket
- After baggage claim stay on Level 1, take the escalator or lift down to Level B1 of the Ground Transport Centre, then follow the coach station signs to the ticket counter on Level 1.
- Buy your ticket at the counter by destination; if you cannot pronounce it, show the Chinese name to the staff, or just give the line number: 701, 702, night express or West Coast.
- Go to the bay shown on your ticket, stow your bags in the luggage hold and keep the ticket stub once on board.
- Note that since 5 September 2024 every coach leaves from the Level 1 coach station of the GTC; older guides telling you to board at Door 4 of domestic arrivals are out of date.
All five lines share the same set of counters and bays, each signed with its route. If you are unsure, show the Chinese address of your hotel or destination to the staff — it works better than reading out an English place name.
Line 701: the only daytime line with a published fare
Time About 80 minFare ¥30Last 22:00
- At the Level 1 coach station, find the Line 701 counter signed for the Olympic Sailing Centre.
- Pay ¥30 and confirm the direction and last departure: the daytime service towards the city finishes at about 22:00.
- Alight at the stop nearest your hotel: East Bus Station North Gate, Dongcheng International, Lotus Supermarket, Hongshanpo, Fuzhou Road at Ningxia Road, Hongkong Middle Road at Xuzhou Road or Fuxin Building, with the terminus at the Olympic Sailing Centre.
Line 701 takes about 80 minutes, roughly twice the metro, but you get a seat and a luggage hold and no changes inside the GTC. Towards the airport the first departure from the city is 07:20, with pickups at Fuxin Building, Hongkong Middle Road at Xuzhou Road, the Regent Hotel and Golden Lion Plaza.
Line 702 and the Yangguang Shanse line
- For Qingdao Railway Station and the old town around the pier, take Line 702: it calls at Guangchang Road, Xiaocunzhuang, the long-distance bus station, Liaoning Road at Huantai Road and the municipal hospital, ending at the Guangxi Road stop.
- For Chengyang or the area behind Fushan, take the Yangguang Shanse line: it calls at Chengyang district government on Zhengyang Middle Road and the Dongqiao stop, ending at Yangguang Shanse.
- Neither line has a published fare or journey time, so this page leaves them blank; departure times follow the notices at the counter, so ask before you commit.
Both are daytime lines finishing towards the city at about 22:00. The collected timetable only gives the first departures from the city back to the airport, 14:00 for Line 702 and 20:00 for the Yangguang Shanse line; the full airport-to-city timetable has to be confirmed at the counter.
The night express and the West Coast line
- Landing after 23:00: take the night express, ¥30 and about 120 minutes to Fuxin Building, running until 30 minutes after the last flight lands.
- For Huangdao and West Coast New Area: take the West Coast line, nine-seat vans running 04:30 to 00:30 the next day, roughly hourly, 36 trips a day.
- Heading out to the new area you can alight at any bus stop along the fixed route, which is more flexible than a single terminus.
The West Coast fare is not published officially, so this page leaves it blank. The night express is the only public transport still running in the small hours, though it heads for Fuxin Building and reaching Qingdao North still means another change; between 03:30 and 06:30 it runs back from the city to the airport.
Late-night and early-morning arrivals
The last regular Metro Line 8 service towards the city leaves at about 22:05, with late expresses to 23:15 in peak season, and the daytime coaches finish at about 22:00. After 23:00 the night express takes over, running towards the city roughly every 20-45 minutes for ¥30 and about 120 minutes until 30 minutes after the last flight lands. The West Coast line runs through to 00:30 the next day. Later than that only taxis and ride-hailing remain, around the clock, with a night surcharge of ¥0.4 per km between 22:00 and 05:00. The airport hotline is 0532-96567.
Questions travellers ask
How many bus lines does Qingdao Jiaodong Airport have?
Five: Line 701 to the Olympic Sailing Centre, Line 702 to Qingdao Railway Station, the Yangguang Shanse line, the night express to Fuxin Building, and the West Coast line. All of them leave from the coach station on Level 1 of the GTC.
How much do the airport buses cost?
Only two have published fares: Line 701 and the night express, both ¥30. Line 702, the Yangguang Shanse line and the West Coast line publish no fare, so this page gives no estimates — ask at the counter before boarding.
Where do the airport buses leave from?
The coach station on Level 1 of the Ground Transport Centre. Since 5 September 2024 the scattered pickup points, including Door 4 of domestic arrivals, were all consolidated here, so just come down to the GTC after baggage claim.
Is there a bus to Qingdao Railway Station?
Yes, Line 702, which finishes at the Guangxi Road stop by Qingdao Railway Station, calling at Guangchang Road, Xiaocunzhuang, the long-distance bus station, Liaoning Road at Huantai Road and the municipal hospital. Its fare and journey time are not published.
Is there an airport bus late at night?
Yes, the night express: towards the city it runs from 23:00 roughly every 20-45 minutes, ¥30 and about 120 minutes, until 30 minutes after the last flight lands, with the timetable listing departures up to 02:00. The West Coast line also runs through to 00:30.
Bus or metro?
By day and in the evening take Metro Line 8: about 40 minutes into the centre for ¥7, immune to traffic, which is what both the airport and the city recommend. The coach takes about 80 minutes for ¥30 and only makes sense if your hotel sits right on its route, you have a lot of luggage, or the metro has stopped after 23:00.
Bus or taxi?
Travelling alone with light bags and time to spare, the ¥30 coach is far cheaper than the estimated ¥150-190 of a taxi. With three or four people, heavy luggage or a late arrival, a metered taxi door to door is simply easier.
Is there a coach to Huangdao or West Coast New Area?
Yes, the West Coast line: nine-seat new-energy vans on 36 round trips a day, roughly hourly from 04:30 to 00:30 the next day, and heading out you can alight at any bus stop along the fixed route. The fare is not published.
Can I pay for the coach with my phone?
There is no official page on payment methods. In practice the coach station counters normally take cash as well as WeChat Pay and Alipay QR payment; carry some cash just in case a counter or driver is cash-only.
Does any coach go to Qingdao North railway station?
None of the five lines terminates at Qingdao North: the night express finishes at Fuxin Building, while the daytime lines finish at the Olympic Sailing Centre, Qingdao Railway Station and Yangguang Shanse. For Qingdao North, take Metro Line 8, 28 minutes for ¥7.