Flying from London to Beijing: what you need to know
When organizing a flight from London to Beijing, you'll have a good selection of airports to jet out of. Check out London Heathrow Airport (LHR) and London Gatwick Airport (LGW) for your departure. Other possibilities include Stansted Airport (STN), London Luton Airport (LTN) and London City Airport (LCY).
Arrive in Beijing at Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) or Daxing International Airport (PKX).
Book a direct London to Beijing flight and you'll be in transit for an average of 10 hours.
Beijing's timezone is UTC+8, making Beijing eight hours ahead of London.
The most popular route for flights from London to Beijing is from London Heathrow Airport (LHR) to Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK). Choose from 14 services every week between these two airports. If you'd like to get going as soon as possible, the earliest flight from LHR to PEK is the 17:40 Air China service. If you prefer traveling later, the final scheduled service is at 22:40 with Air China.
Allow plenty of time to make your London to Beijing flight. As a general rule, arrive at least two hours before international departures and an hour ahead for domestic flights.
Flying during a popular month such as July? Major public holidays and other popular seasons can mean longer queues at security. Play things extra safe and get there up to four hours ahead of international flights and two hours before a domestic departure.
How to find the cheapest flights from London to Beijing
Book one month before your departure date. Pricing trends suggest that this is the ideal window for finding cheap London to Beijing flights.
Plan your trip for April. That's the best month for scoring an incredible deal on plane tickets from London to Beijing. If you're open to different travel dates, use the 'Whole month' tool to find the lowest price across each month.
There's no need to check back in every day to find out if fares have dropped when you create a Price Alert. We'll notify you the moment a better deal is available on cheap flights from London to Beijing.
Save money on your London to Beijing flight with the help of our filters. Select your ideal times, number of stops and airlines, then sort the results by 'Cheapest' for the best deals.
Flying from London
London Heathrow Airport (LHR)
Depart from London Heathrow Airport (LHR) and fly straight through to Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) or Daxing International Airport (PKX). If you're searching for a direct flight from London to Beijing out of LHR, those are your landing points.
Choose from a range of carriers offering direct London to Beijing plane tickets with departures from LHR, including:
Consider adding a stopover to potentially save money on your London to Beijing flight. Just deselect 'Direct flights only' when searching for departures from London Heathrow Airport. Take a pause at one of these airports:
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS)
Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG)
Hamad International Airport (DOH)
The journey from central London to LHR takes around 1 hour on public transport. If you drive, ride-share or grab a cab, you'll cover the 26 kilometers in 55 minutes or so, depending on traffic.
After a relaxed start to your break? Stay near London Heathrow Airport. Whether you have an early flight from London to Beijing or just don't want to be rushed, these hotels are the answer:
Of all flights leaving London Heathrow Airport, 68.18% arrive on time at their destination.
London Gatwick Airport (LGW)
Rather fly from London Gatwick Airport (LGW)? This popular hub offers nonstop flights from London to Beijing, seamlessly connecting to Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK).
Book your direct London to Beijing plane ticket with Air China. This is one of the main carriers operating this route out of LGW.
Get the most out of your vacation with a stopover on your London to Beijing flight. Visit friends or family or tick a new city off your list. Whatever your plans, here's where you can stop between London Gatwick Airport and Beijing:
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS)
Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG)
Hamad International Airport (DOH)
Using public transport, you can travel from central London to LGW in around 30 minutes. The airport is roughly 40 kilometers away. Driving will take you about 1 hour 20 minutes.
Want to enjoy an extra night away before catching your flight from London to Beijing? Check in to a hotel near London Gatwick Airport before your adventure officially starts. These stays are calling your name:
London Gatwick Airport has an on-time performance rate of 69.26%. This figure reflects how frequently flights departing from this airport arrive on time.
Stansted Airport (STN)
Searching for a ticket from London to Beijing with one or more stops can give you more choice of departure times along with better fares. When leaving from Stansted Airport (STN), here's where you can detour to on your way to Beijing:
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS)
Stockholm Arlanda Airport (ARN)
Vienna International Airport (VIE)
STN is roughly 48 kilometers from central London. Driving from the city center to the terminal takes about 1 hour. If you're planning to take public transport, expect a journey of around 1 hour 25 minutes.
Make taking an early London to Beijing flight the easiest part of your trip. Stay at one of these accommodation options near Stansted Airport and head to your check-in counter with time to spare:
Airports have an on-time performance rating that measures how often flights land as expected. At STN, that figure is 64.73%.
Arriving in Beijing
Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK)
The distance from Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) to central Beijing is roughly 26 kilometers. It'll take you about 40 minutes to reach the center driving.
If you're coming in on a late flight from London to Beijing, nothing beats the convenience of staying near the terminal. Grab your bags from the carousel and then be showered and sleeping soon after at one of these hotels near PEK:
Grab a Beijing Capital International Airport rental car and explore parts of Beijing that aren't on a typical itinerary. Browse the options available from Hertz.
Increase your likelihood of snagging the best rate by booking as early as you can. Reserving your vehicle from Beijing Capital International Airport at least a few weeks ahead is a wise move.
PEK is situated at Capital Airport Rd.
Daxing International Airport (PKX)
Once your flight from London to Beijing has hit the runway, you can get to the city center in about 1 hour 5 minutes by car. Central Beijing is roughly 40 kilometers from Daxing International Airport (PKX).
Place the 'Do not disturb' sign on your door and relax at a hotel near PKX. Here are a few options where you can put your feet up after your flight from London to Beijing:
Best time to go to Beijing
It's time to work out your trip dates for your flight from London to Beijing. April is the busiest month to visit Beijing. If you want a quieter atmosphere, go in February.
When booking your London to Beijing tickets, consider the kind of weather you prefer. July is the warmest month in Beijing, with temperatures ranging from 21ºC (70ºF) to 35ºC (95ºF).
Look for cheap flights from London to Beijing in January if you like traveling in cooler conditions. Temperatures are at their lowest then, ranging between -11ºC (12ºF) and 3ºC (37ºF) on average.
More about Beijing
Start your Beijing trip off on the right foot by choosing the perfect place to stay. Once you've booked your flight from London to Beijing, browse our selection of accommodation options including:
There are so many things to explore in this city it can be hard to work out where to begin. Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven and Tiananmen Square are popular attractions which should feature on any well-planned Beijing itinerary.
Explore more of China
Beijing has plenty to offer, but there are so many other corners of China just waiting to be discovered. Around 113 kilometers south-east of Beijing, a visit to Tianjin will fill your itinerary to the brim. Don't miss top attractions like Ancient Culture Street, Porcelain house and Haihe River.
If you're ready to explore another side of China, head for Tai'an, roughly 418 kilometers south of Beijing. Sanyi Cypress, Xixi Stone Pavilion and Qiuxian Cave are key reasons to visit.