In short
Here is the whole picture: seven paid express lines plus a free one. The paid fares and journey times come from the timetable the operator published on 11 March 2026. The Shantou east line is ¥30 and about 70 minutes, running via the agricultural wholesale market and the Shantou city check-in terminal to the Golden Gulf Hotel; the Shantou west line is ¥30 and about 70 minutes, reaching the Overseas Chinese Building by the national highway; the Chenghai line is ¥30 and about 70 minutes; the Chaozhou line is ¥22 and about 60 minutes and calls at Chaoshan high-speed station on the way; and the Jieyang old town line is ¥22–25 and about 60 minutes, finishing at the Orange Hotel by Jinxianmen with just three departures a day at 10:00, 13:10 and 15:20. All five are sold at the Airport Express counter inside Gate 6, enquiries on 0663-3828788, and board at the signed airport bus pick-up point on the ground floor. A sixth, the Chaoyang and Chaonan line to Xiashan, is ¥40 to Chaoyang and ¥45 to the Yueyun Chaonan terminal at about 120 minutes, but it does not appear in the operator’s March 2026 timetable and its fares and departures come only from third-party sources, so phone and check it still runs before relying on it. A seventh, the Dongshan Island direct coach, opened on 13 February 2026 and boards at its own point outside Gate 7, leaving the airport at 11:00, 14:00 and 18:00 and Dongshan at 08:00, 12:00 and 16:00, using seven-seat vans and 19 to 56-seat coaches over about 70 minutes; no fare appeared in the reports, so this page does not invent one. The eighth, and the best value here, is the free shuttle between the airport and Chaoshan high-speed station: ¥0, every 20 minutes from 08:00 to 21:00, boarding outside Exit 8 of the ground-floor arrivals hall with nothing to buy. Three things are worth flagging up front. The free bus is not sold at the Gate 6 counter; it has its own spot at Exit 8. Apart from the published journey times above, the airport has never published a journey time for the free shuttle, so this page gives it no minutes. And at night only the Shantou east line after 17:30 and the west line after 16:00 dispatch to match arriving flights, with a guaranteed last coach before 02:00. Finally, there is no metro in this region — Shantou, Chaozhou and Jieyang have no urban rail — so beyond the coaches you have the train and the taxi.
- Number of routes
- Eight: seven paid express lines plus one free shuttle
- City line fares
- ¥22–30 depending on the city
- Cheapest route
- The free Chaoshan station shuttle, ¥0
- Journey times
- 60–70 min, about 120 to Chaoyang and Chaonan
- Ticket counter
- Airport Express counter inside Gate 6; hotline 0663-3828788
- Boarding for paid lines
- Signed airport bus pick-up point, ground floor
- Free shuttle boarding
- Outside Exit 8, no ticket needed
- Dongshan coach boarding
- Own point outside Gate 7; 11:00, 14:00, 18:00
- Night service
- East line after 17:30, west after 16:00, last coach before 02:00
- Free shuttle hours
- 08:00–21:00, every 20 minutes
- Metro
- None — no urban rail in any of the three cities
How to take each option
Buying a ticket and boarding: the paid express lines
Fare ¥22–30 by destination
- After baggage claim go to the Airport Express counter inside Gate 6 and name your destination: Shantou east or west, Chenghai, Chaozhou, Jieyang old town, or Chaoyang and Chaonan. The enquiry number is 0663-3828788.
- Follow the airport bus pick-up signs to the ground floor and check the destination board on the front before queuing; the Jieyang old town line runs only at 10:00, 13:10 and 15:20, so do not miss it.
- Stow big bags in the hold and keep valuables with you; if you plan to get off at an intermediate stop such as Chaoshan station, tell the driver in advance.
- Keep your ticket and the counter number, and remember that return journeys into the airport keep different times from the airport end, so arrive early at the city stop listed for your line.
Two fare versions of the same 11 March 2026 timetable are in circulation: the operator’s own account gives ¥30 on the Shantou and Chenghai lines, ¥22 on the Chaozhou line and ¥22–25 on the old town line, while some republications show ¥28 and ¥20. This page follows the operator’s version, and the discrepancy is recorded in the gaps at the foot of the file.
The free shuttle: outside Exit 8, no ticket
Fare ¥0
- Stay on the ground-floor arrivals level and follow the free airport bus signs to Exit 8. Do not go to the Gate 6 counter, which sells only the paid lines.
- Simply get on: no ticket, no boarding pass, every 20 minutes from 08:00 to 21:00 with the last coach from the airport at 21:00.
- Alight at the Yueyun coach terminal on the north square of Chaoshan station, walk into the station square and follow the departure signs to your high-speed train.
This is the best-value route here: free and frequent, with aviation press reporting more than 76 runs a day in October 2026. The only uncertainties are that no journey time is published and that it closes at 21:00, so allow twenty minutes waiting, the ride itself, and half an hour for security.
Catching a coach after dark
- Check the clock first: the free shuttle has closed by 21:00 and most other lines finish their scheduled runs between 16:40 and 17:20.
- Only the Shantou east line after 17:30 and the west line after 16:00 still dispatch to match arriving flights, with a guaranteed last coach before 02:00, so ask at the Gate 6 counter whether anything is still running that night.
- If neither line is running, take a taxi or a ride-hailing car, or have your hotel send one: Jieyang has only 57 cruising taxis in operation, so the app is usually quicker.
Flight-led departure means the runs are not fixed and only the counter knows that night’s plan, so do not wait around using the daytime timetable’s last departure.
The Dongshan Island coach: Gate 7, book ahead
Time About 70 min
- Board at the dedicated point outside Gate 7, which is not the same place as the other express lines, so check the gate number.
- Three departures leave the airport at 11:00, 14:00 and 18:00, with 08:00, 12:00 and 16:00 from Dongshan, and booking ahead online, at a station counter or by phone is recommended.
- It calls at Tongling visitor centre, Gu Wenchang Cadre College, the Maluan Bay visitor centre, a city check-in terminal with left-luggage, and Xipu bus terminal. No fare appeared in the reports, so take the price quoted at the counter or in the app.
This is a cross-province route between Jieyang in Guangdong and Dongshan in Fujian that only opened on 13 February 2026, so times and fares may move with the season and are worth reconfirming with the operator.
Late-night and early-morning arrivals
Only two coaches run at night: the Shantou east line after 17:30 and the west line after 16:00, both dispatching to match arriving flights with a guaranteed last coach before 02:00, which is the only public transport here that puts a guaranteed last departure in writing. The free shuttle closes at 21:00, the last run toward the station at 20:30; the Chaozhou line finishes its scheduled runs at 16:40 with flight-dependent coaches around 19:00 and 20:00; the Chenghai line ends at 17:20 with one around 20:30; and the Jieyang old town line is done by 15:20. If nothing is running when you land, take a taxi or a ride-hailing car: all three cities surcharge at night, Jieyang by 30% from 22:00 to 07:00 and Shantou and Chaozhou by 20% from 23:00 to 06:00, and with only 57 cruising taxis in Jieyang an app is the safer choice.
Questions travellers ask
How much is the airport bus?
¥30 on the Shantou east and west lines and the Chenghai line, ¥22 on the Chaozhou line, ¥22–25 on the Jieyang old town line, ¥40 to Chaoyang and ¥45 to Chaonan, no published fare for the Dongshan Island coach, and ¥0 on the free shuttle to Chaoshan station. Fares follow the operator’s timetable of 11 March 2026; some republications of the same table show ¥28 and ¥20, and this page uses the operator’s figures.
Which line goes to central Shantou?
Both the east and west lines cost ¥30 and take about 70 minutes. The east line finishes at the Golden Gulf Hotel via the city check-in terminal while the west line runs by the national highway to the Overseas Chinese Building, so choose by where you are staying: east for the Golden Gulf area, west for the older central districts.
What time does the last airport bus leave?
It varies by line: 17:20 on the Shantou east line, 14:00 on the west, 17:20 on the Chenghai line, 16:40 on the Chaozhou line and 15:20 on the Jieyang old town line. The east line after 17:30 and the west after 16:00 then follow arriving flights with a guaranteed last coach before 02:00, while the free shuttle closes at 21:00.
Where do the airport buses leave from?
For the paid lines, buy at the counter inside Gate 6 and board at the signed airport bus pick-up point on the ground floor. The free shuttle has its own place outside Exit 8 of the arrivals hall with no ticket, and the Dongshan Island coach boards outside Gate 7. Three different doors, so check the number.
Is there a free bus?
Yes: the shuttle between the airport and Chaoshan high-speed station, ¥0, every 20 minutes from 08:00 to 21:00, boarding outside Exit 8 of the arrivals hall. It serves only the railway station, not Shantou, Chaozhou or Jieyang city centres.
Coach or train to Chaoshan station?
Take the free shuttle first, ¥0 and every 20 minutes, or the train if you are in a hurry: 10 km in as little as 9 minutes at ¥10–12. After 21:00, when the free bus has closed, the Chaozhou express line still calls at the station at ¥22 and about 60 minutes, and the last train leaves at 22:59.
Does the Chaoyang and Chaonan line still run?
We cannot confirm it. The line, ¥40 to Chaoyang and ¥45 to Chaonan at about 120 minutes, does not appear in the operator’s timetable of 11 March 2026 and its fares and departures come only from third-party sources, so call 0663-3828788 before travelling.
How much is the Dongshan Island coach?
No fare appeared in the launch reports, so this page gives none. What is known is the 13 February 2026 opening, the roughly 70 minute ride, boarding at Gate 7, departures at 11:00, 14:00 and 18:00, and that you book through a platform, a counter or by phone.
Is there a metro I could use instead?
No. None of Shantou, Chaozhou or Jieyang has urban rail, and the Shantou transport bureau has stated that the city does not yet qualify to apply for a metro or light-rail project. The only rail at the airport is Jieyang Airport station on the Meizhou–Chaoshan railway, from which trains run to Chaoshan, Shantou and Jieyang stations.