PEK-Spot1 Alternative
Beijing Capital Intl. Airport Spotting Guide
- last modified on November 5, 2026
Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK/ZBAA) and handled 70 million passengers in 2025. The traffic is split on three runways. Even though arrivals are often split on all three runways, you will catch lots of movements, due to the extremely high traffic. With the opening of the new Daxin airport in China, lots of carriers moved away from PEK like China Southern, China United and more SkyTeam carriers.
Capital Airport is the main gateway to the Chinese capital city and a major hub for the four major Chinese airlines: Air China and Hainan Airlines. Of course you will see lots of international traffic from all over the world, with most major carriers flying at least once a day to PEK.
Cargo operations are not as strong as passenger traffic, but you can see a few local carriers like SF Airlines and China Postal, which mostly operate flights in the morning. Use the official airport website for scheduled and estimated times on these flights.
There is one major drawback to spotting in Beijing. Even though the weather is generally pretty good and the area enjoys a great deal of sunshine over the year, the city (and the airport as well) frequently suffers from extreme air pollution (smog), which makes spotting terribly difficult, as the sun can be blocked out and/or you will often only have a gray or white background in your images.
Most locations around the airport are on the south side, so when landings from the south are in progress. This is the best direction for spotting and this guide primarily deals with these ops. PEK mainly operates in the northernly direction (i.e. landings/take-offs from south to north) due to the restrictions of airspace. In general, Beijing is a very spotter friendly airport and you need not worry about getting into trouble with the police.
For flights inquiry, please install the BCIA app on your smartphone.
General tips for China
many foreign websites and apps are blocked and don’t work in China. Below you will find some helpful apps:
- WeChat: every Chinese use this app, it also has a good translation function that helps really a lot because the language is the main barrier. You can translate from Chinese writings and they can translate your English into Chinese characters. This is a must have. The common western messenger services like Facebook, WhatsApp etc. don not work in China!
- Alipay: it is a major Chinese App that can be registered abroad and almost all shops/stores/hotels etc. support it as an official payment. You can add your western credit card like Amex, VISA or Mastercard to Alipay in advance. Furthermore you can also book and pay flights, hotels, restaurants, didi etc. with the app. This app is a must have!
- Didi: the Chinese “Uber”. Very helpful to reach the spots which are not connected to the public transport.
- Baidu Maps or Gaode Maps: this is the chinese google/apple maps.
We recommend to buy a chinese eSIM in advance from airalo for example. It is cheap and simple to install.
Written by Jan Seba, Mao Ting, Martin Yu, Tanyang Hei, Thomas Okaty, Jasonxlin & Yixin Chen. Last Update: October 2026 – Spot 11 updated
| Rating | |
| Movements |  |
| Airline Variety |  |
| Photo Locations | |
| Weather |  |
| Airport Information | |
| Runways | |
| 18L/36R | 3.810 m (12.500 ft) |
| 18R/36L | 3.445 m (11.302 ft) |
| 01/19 | 3.810 m (12.500 ft) |
| Terminals | |
| Terminal 1 | Closed |
| Terminal 2 | Hainan and its subsidiaries, SkyTeam, Oneworld. And some more carriers |
| Terminal 3 | Air China and all Star Alliance carriers. And some more intl. carriers |
| Spotting Information | |
| Ladder | Not required and forbidden! |
| Car/Public Transport | Car is not required. Taxi is a good choice, but make sure the driver uses the taximeter. Most short drives around the airport are less than 2 Euros. It is advisable to prepare some maps at home to show to the taxi driver. Make sure the maps have the written name (in Chinese!) of the location (or streets) where you want to go. Do not expect taxi drivers to speak English. Though some of them know one or two words it will never be enough so that you explain where you want to go.
Another alternative to get around PEK is metro+bike. There are rental bikes distributed around the airport area, mostly MoBike and ofo. You can download their apps in advance and ride wherever you’d like to go. The cost is only 1 CNY per hour. Metro is also useful for spotting at PEK. For locations near T3, you can simply take Airport Express line to Terminal 3 and then walk/bike to those locations. For locations near the west runway, you can take Subway Line 15 to China International Exhibition Center or Hualikan and then ride/taxi to the locations. |
| Restrooms | The terminal is close to a few locations and offers restrooms. Otherwise there is nothing at most of the locations. |
| Drinks/Food | Take drinks and snacks with you, but you can buy things in the terminal if you are close. |
| Hotels | There are a few hotels in the area around the airport, but some of them are in an industrial area, where you will hardly find supermarkets and restaurants. The area to the southeast (where the CITIC is located) has some good opportunities. There’s also a spotting hotel near Terminal 2, see location #10. |
| Season | Season is a difficult topic in PEK. In recent years, the government in Beijing has made huge efforts in improving the air quality, especially in winter. Besides, Beijing usually witnesses strong wind in winter, which likely results in clear days. I would recommend winter although the days are relatively short. North-south operations often happen in spring and the weather in spring is not that bad. So spring is also a good season to visit PEK. The summertime from June to August records the highest amount of precipitation. Furthermore, Beijing is usually smoggy and way too hot in summer. Autumn (especailly late autumn) is simillar to spring, except less southernly operations. In summary, October – April are good months to visit PEK. |
| Security | In general, police patrol around ZBAA 24 hours a day. They also check the CCTV set at the spots frequently. Usually they don’t have too much interest on spotters, but they’ll expel spotters when big groups of spotters gather around, or when spotters use ladders. Please do not create any conflict on site, whether it is with police, security staff, or even between spotters themselves.
When there are foreign affairs activities here (such as foreign guests visiting China and international conferences), the police will be distributed around the airport and spotting is prohibited. Keep a low profile everywhere, and don’t show your camera for a long time xcept Location 5. Most importantly, don’t have any conflict with the police or PAP! When they ask you to delete the picture, please do not hesitate to delete it, and leave the spot IMMEDIATELY. |
| Runway Usage | |
| General Info | In general, all runways are used for arrivals and departures, though some carriers have preferences due to the location of their terminal, those are noted accordingly. If you are after a special movements, which is only once or a few times a week, look up aviation photos online of these specific movements in PEK, sometimes the uploader wrote a comment, which RWY was used and you can get a feeling, where it will most likely land. Air Kyoto nearly always uses 01 landing. Most of the governmental/military or any rare visitors use the middle runway for landings/take-offs. Remember all the comments from below are based on impressions and they can be false or the system in PEK might have changed over the time. Another tip worth mentioning is that even PEK sometimes operates southernly, the operation nearly only changes in the afternoons. |
| 18L/36R | Main departure runway, which is also used for landings in peak periods. In the morning it is very busy with departures and handles only a handful of arrivals and gets busier with arrivals starting noon. |
| 18R/36L | Preferred runway for Hainan and most Terminal 2 carriers. Also often used for international arrivals, regardless of terminal location, so you can see for example United or Turkish Airlines here. This is also the main cargo runway. Usually handles more arrivals than departures. |
| 01/19 | Preferred runway for Air China and often Star Alliance carriers. Seems to handle more arrivals than departures. |
Due to national security concerns, the use of geographic information in China is restricted and the layers in google maps don´t fit. The satellite images are correct but the street layers are displaced!
Please click on the link at each location (WHERE) to get to the chinese website baidu where you find an exact map with satellite and street view images. If you use a smartphone please download the Baidu App.
Field – 01 Arrivals Morning
| WHERE | The location is on Siwei Rd. From the airport it is about a 30 minute walk. If you feel confident enough to use a taxi, make sure to download the “Didi” app (similar like Uber and Lyft in the US or Grab in Southeast Asia) prior to your trip. This will ensure that the taxi driver will pick you up or drop you off at the exact location and the language barrier won’t become an issue. |
| WHAT | You can shoot the arrivals on RWY 01 here and you can vary your location according to your preferences for angle and distance. |
| TIME | Light conditions are good from sunrise until 11 AM. |
| MISC. | There is nothing here. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 110mm for a B772 and 190mm for an A320. |
Parking Lot – 01 Arrivals Evening
| WHERE | The spot is on a sidewalk next to a staff parking lot south of the termnal. It’s not possible to drive directly to this location, it is probably easier to let the taxi driver drop you off at the Terminal. From there descend (inside the terminal) to ground level and walk a small pathway towards the parking lot. Stay within the grass area and do not shoot from the parking lot itself, as people have been sent away from there.
Update June 2026: Spot 2 has been marked with a “No Photography” sign but still commonly used by local spotters, and the sign does not appear to be strictly enforced most of the time. Be cautious, especially when the area becomes crowded or when special government-related flight operations are taking place at PEK. |
| WHAT | You can shoot the arrivals on RWY 01. From the airport feeder ramp you could theoretically also shoot lineups, but they are very far away and pictures will be prone to heat haze. Furthermore you will have trouble shooting the aircraft without obstructions in your picture. |
| TIME | Light conditions are good from 2:30 PM until sunset. |
| MISC. | There are rubbish bins at the location and everything else is in the terminal. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 100mm for a B772 and 175mm for an A320. |
Screenshot
Bridge - 01 departures
| WHERE | There is a bridge that near to the Airport East Rd. with a sidewalk where you can spot from. As for transport, you could choose take a taxi here or take the bus Shunyi/Shun 22 and walk for about 500m here. |
| WHAT | Right banking planes taking off from RWY01. Sadly, only narrow body or heavy birds will have a significant banking angle. |
| TIME | Light conditions are good from sunrise until 11 AM. |
| MISC. | No any supplies here. Be careful of the cars on the road. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 400mm+ |
Park – 36R Arrivals Morning
| WHERE | Even though it’s possible to drive directly to this location, it is probably easier to let the taxi driver drop you off at Terminal 3. From there descend (inside the terminal) to ground level and walk a couple of small pathways to the park. Once you’re there just shoot over the water and you won’t have any obstructions.
Update Dec 2022: park is open for public and there are no restrictions anymore |
| WHAT | From here you can shoot the arrivals on RWY 36, but as mentioned under Runway Usage, this runway is not very busy in the morning, but if you are hoping for a special highlight, this might be the place to be. |
| TIME | Light conditions are good from sunrise until 11 AM. |
| MISC. | Shops and restrooms are in the terminal. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | Not tested, but should be less than 200mm for an A320. |
Park Hill – 36R Arrivals Evening, Lineups
| WHERE | In the small park south of the airport there is a hill, which offers a nice elevated location for you. The best way the get here is most likely by trying to show the taxi driver the crossing between Erwei and Yijing Rd. If that fails, just let him drive you to the Terminal and walk from there to the location, it’s not that far.
Update Dec 2022: park is open for public and there are no restrictions anymore or reservations needed |
| WHAT | Good for shooting RWY 36R arrivals in the evening, when the runway gets more traffic. But the airplanes are relatively high here, so the angle is worse compared to all the other locations. As a small bonus this is probably the best location to take lineup shots on 36R, but you will also face heat haze around noon for that. |
| TIME | Light conditions are good from 2:30 PM until sunset for arrivals and lineups can be good all day (except early morning) depending on how you like to shoot them. |
| MISC. | There are benches and rubbish bins in the park. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 50 – 300mm MU A330 = 60mm / CA B737 = 85mm / SDA B737 = 100mm / CA B737 = 300mm / CA B777 = 60mm / Private Jet = 155mm |
Road Intersection – 36L Arrivals Morning
| WHERE | You will find this location at a large intersection of the Tianbei Rd. Most taxi drivers will know this road, so it will be relatively easy to get here. You just have to tell them to stop once you are close to the spot. The best place to shoot is a small grass strip east of the intersection and behind the traffic lights, where you do not disturb anyone and the traffic and lamp posts don’t disturb you. |
| WHAT | Good location for shooting 36L in the morning, where you can catch most of the cargo arrivals. |
| TIME | Light conditions are good from sunrise until 11 AM all year round. |
| MISC. | It can happen that the security guard from the company next door approaches you and wants to know what you are doing, but they should be ok with you after they know that you are shooting pictures of the airplanes. Other than that, there is nothing useful at this location. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 130mm for a B744 and 240mm for an A320. |
China Inn Hotel - 36L arrivals
| WHERE | It is an alternative to spot 6. The intersection at spot 6 is a very traffic crowdy and noisy place with just a small place to stay over the grass, attracting the attention of the police. Moreover the aircraft are quite far away and long lenses are needed. Just walking 100 m on Tiambei Rd, there is a small road on the right called Tianzhou Rd. Still 100 m and on your right there a hotel/residence called China Inn. There you can stop and take photos at the landing planes from a very favourable angle, with shorter focals. |
| WHAT | 36L landings only. |
| TIME | Light conditions are good from sunrise until 11 AM all year round. |
| MISC. | There is the China Inn hotel next to you. It have windows openable but we did not try it. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | A20N = 155mm; A333 = 100mm |
Overpass Bridge - 36L arrivals
| WHERE | There is also a good spotting location for 36L arrivals from noon to sunset. Just follow Tianbei Rd (beginning at location #5) westwards until you see a pedestrian overpass. Climb up the ramp (or the staircase) to the overpass on the south side of Tianbei Rd. and position yourself right up on top of the ramp. Moreover, for people without private cars, this spot is easier to arrive by public transport than #9 which offers almost the same sight.
If you need help finding the location go to https://www.google.cn/maps and punch in (copy-paste) 天竺幼儿园停车场 (Tianzhu Kindergarten Parking Lot). It’s right next to the overpass (also on the south side). |
| WHAT | 36L landing |
| TIME | All year round, from noon to evening. |
| MISC. | Nothing nearby, bring everything you need. There is a pbulic toilet 50 meters to the west. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 772 = 140mm; A321 = 230mm |
Leisure Park/Storage hall - 36L arrivals
| WHERE | For 36L arrivals you have two options:
|
| WHAT | 36L landing and 18R takeoff. |
| TIME | All year round, from noon to evening. |
| MISC. | There are restaurants and hotels around here along the roads where you can find toilets. At both options normally no one will pay attention to what you are doing. You can stay here easily. On the meadows however, there will be 40cm tall grass in summer, so be sure to take some mosquito proof. Heat haze can be an issue at the storage halls due to the nearby roofs in summer, just walk a bit up and down and look for a position with lower roofs and less haze then. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 70-300mm Park: 787 = 85mm / A321 = 135mm Storage hall: Comac = 290mm / A359 = 140mm |
1. Leisure park:
2. Storage Hall:
Hospital - 18L departures
| WHERE | The spot place is near a hospital called “Peking university Third Hospital Capital int’l Airport Campus,write in Chinese is “北京大学第三医院首都国际机场院区” Stay at the red wall and not at the gate of the hospital. Not recommend to park your car in the hospital,because that will occupy public resources. the best way to get there is by bus, get off the bus at a bus station called beipingli,write in Chinese called “北平里”. |
| WHAT | 18L departures are visible from this spot |
| TIME | The best time to spot there is from noon to sunset. Both summer and winter are ok for there. There isn’t any heat haze during the year. |
| MISC. | Food and drinks are available in the hospital as well as restrooms. Sometimes when plenty of spotters gather there the police will coming. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 100mm-200mm |
Industrial Area - 36R departuresLast updated: November 3, 2026
| WHERE | This spotting location is in an industrial area next to the “Beijing Tianzhu Comprehensive Free Trade Zone” and the Hainan Airlines Headquarters, north of the airport between runway 18L and 18R. You can park as marked on the map and photograph the planes from there. Either stay at the parking lot (first three samples) or move a bit back close to the Gate for the Hainan Airlines HQ (last three samples). |
| WHAT | 36R departures only. |
| TIME | Light conditions are good from 2:30 PM until sunset. |
| MISC. | This is just an industrial zone so be prepared if you plan a longer stay. The administrator will not stop you from entering the parking lot, but sometimes they will call the police when you start spotting (especially when spotters gather together). Be aware of heat distortion due to the distance. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | A330/767 = 250-300mm |
Tianzhu Comprehensive Free Trade Zone Parking Lot - 18L arrivals
| WHERE | This spotting location is a bit north of the previous one but this time it is next to the entrance for the “Beijing Tianzhu Comprehensive Free Trade Zone”, north of the airport between runway 18L and 18R. You can park as marked on the map and photograph the planes from there. |
| WHAT | Useable for 18L arrivals only. |
| TIME | Light conditions are good from late noon until sunset. |
| MISC. | This is just an industrial zone so be prepared if you plan a longer stay. Be aware of heat distortion due to the distance. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 100-400mm C130=300mm |
Field - 18R Arrivals
| WHERE | This location can be found at the side of a sort of field clearing the view between all the trees in the forrest area here. The field is located just off Huandao E Rd northwest of the end of runway 18R. |
| WHAT | From here you can see the 18R Arrivals. |
| TIME | Later noon till sunset. |
| MISC. | There is nothing really around here. Stay off the sort of fields and private property here. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 30-200mm A350 = 60mm |
I have stayed at Golden Phoenix Hotel in Shunyi District. I can see planes flying past the western and eastern sides of the hotel before the hotel entrance. This hotel should be added to this spotter guide. Please refer to my review here : https://staygate.blogspot.com/2026/07/airport-hotel-review-golden-phoenix.html.
I cannot find China Inn Hotel (Spot 7) on room booking platforms. There is a hotel named Golden Phoenix Hotel which is of 940 m away from Siwei Road. Has anyone spot planes approaching Beijing Capital T3 at this hotel?
First, thanks for the guide. I noticed that Spot 2 was removed, apparently because there is now a “No Photography” sign at that location.
However, although the sign does exist, local spotters are still usually able to spot from there without issues. There are often quite a few people at that spot as well. From what I have seen, police only seem to appear when too many spotters gather there, rather than because photography is being strictly enforced at all times.
For example, on the afternoon of June 14, an Emirates A380 in the “Destination Dubai” special livery arrived at PEK. Both P7 and P8 car parks were very crowded with spotters that day. Based on my own observation, there was indeed a police car parked outside the car park, but no one was asked to leave, and all spotters were able to take photos without any issue. There did not seem to be any active restriction or enforcement at that time.
The “No Photography” sign does exist, so I agree that it should be mentioned clearly in the guide. However, in practice, the location is still commonly used by local spotters, and the sign does not appear to be strictly enforced most of the time.
Since the restriction was introduced in May, I have visited this spot twice. Based on my experience, it seemed safe during both visits. I did not see police officers get out of their car, control the crowd, or ask anyone to leave. That said, I am not sure whether the situation would be different when special government-related flights are arriving or departing at PEK.
So Spot 2 does not necessarily need to be completely removed from the guide. It may be more useful to keep it listed, but with a clear warning that there is a “No Photography” sign at the location and that spotters should be cautious, especially when the area becomes crowded or when special government-related flight operations are taking place at PEK.
One more thing, And this applies to all spotting locations, not only Spot 2: please do not create any conflict on site, whether it is with police, security staff, or even between spotters themselves.
Unnecessary arguments or trouble could easily draw attention, get a spot closed, or cause more serious consequences for everyone. Staying calm, respectful, and low-profile is probably the best way to keep these spots usable.
(I say this because similar situations have already happened several times before.)
I’ve been to Spot #2 on 28th and 29th May. The “No Photography” sign does exist, yet local spotters still used the spot with no police officer or security guard showing up, even with spotters sitting on some kind of foldable chair under the trees just next to the parking slots. I didn’t see any foreigner there, so I’m not sure if foreigners may draw attention or not. Keep low profile around ZBAA and do not conflict with anyone, otherwise there would be no spot for runway 01 arrival after noon time.
Hi, thanks for clarifying the situation around this location. I put it back, but left a note, based on your recommendation.
-Julian
Hi everyone, thanks for the guide. I was in Beijing last Dec and took a few days to explore PEK and did some spotting. Stayed at Capital Airport Residential District. At that time 01 was in use for international arrivals whereas 36L for domestic arrivals. Here is my personal opinion.
Spot 1 – Siwei Road. I was walking from Spot 4 towards runway 01 and found out that this happened to be the best spot for the morning. However, around 11AM the sun was behind the aircraft coming into landing.
As I walk back towards spot 4 along Siwei Road I came across plenty of bus stops. I stayed at one of the bus stops behind Air China building along the road for a few more photos.
Spot 4 – Xihu Garden is sandwiched between 36L & 36R, it offers very limited angle for a proper shot of the aircraft. The trees were tall and landing on the 36L was difficult to photograph. Aircraft on the tarmac is affected by heat haze and poles.
I tried to spot in the morning at Tianbei road by taking a bus from spot 4 without much success. Only managed a few shots while waiting at the first bus stop at Tianbei road (near a petrol station).
Overall the traffic at PEK was good with regular aircraft landing. However as you stay longer the pattern will repeat itself – Air China, 737 Max 8, C909 etc.
Due to the maintenance of ILS system, there will be no landing traffic on RWY01(RWY19 is still available for landing). According to the report currently, this situation will last until June.
Hi,
I just came back from a few days of spotting in China, including Beijing-Capital. Despite the earlier message from Li Yuki, I had no issues spotting at all. I was waved to by police and had very friendly talks with local spotters and other curious people.
For spot 6; the intersection of the Tianbei Highway looks a lot different now than in the picture shared. But the good thing is that on that corner, straight across the BMW dealer, a small park has been created. It features benches on which you can sit and see the approach for 36L in the morning. The newly planted trees are still small enough to not block the view. The spot is good until 11:30 in the morning before the sun is becoming an issue.
For spot 9: I would recommend to go into the leisure park and then go to the bridge towards the empty field. It’s in the northwest corner of the park. As the park now has many newly planted trees, the views are blocked by them. From the bridge to the open field you can have a good view and also use it as a bench to sit on. You can also venture into the open field but for photography it’s not really needed.
I stayed in the Hilton at the Capital Airport. If you’re a Honors member and use their app, you can select a room. Please choose a high enough room on the east side and you’ll have a good view on the approach to runway 01. You can photograph approaching aircraft from your room, or at the parking lot from the back of the hotel. That last thing didn’t cause any issue.
Traffic-wise, the variety is lacking a bit as PEK is mainly Air China, Hainan Airlines, and China Eastern. Some other bits are in the mix like Kunming Airlines and Shandong Airlines. But there seems to be a bit more variety at Daxing.
Nevertheless, I had a few enjoyable days at Beijing-Capital with some nice catches!
This’s really good news! I hope you enjoy your stay in Beijing.
I had a very nice stay in Beijing. Not only at the airport but also to the fascinating city!
there is also a location where you can see 18R departures
(For foreigners)Please avoid spotting at Beijing Capital (ZBAA,PEK).This is due to the increasing numbers and punishments of security rules from the authorities. If you want to spotting at Beijing Capital, please contact local spotter (with a car) and keep carrying your passport, visa, hotel order certificate and valid ticket certificate (for leave).In addition, it’s a choice to avoid using cameras for spotting.
The use of ladders is strictly forbidden at Beijing Capital (as are the locals).
Hi is there anywhere in terminal 3 to spot and also is this allowed? Thanks
It is definitely allowed and I strongly recommended you to bring an anti-reflective lens cover or even a huge jacket, to prevent reflection, especially at night. You can also find an example of the angle you will expect attached in my comment. Good luck and have fun!
Only the arrival layer can spotting, and frosted paper was pasted near a few boarding gates facing west in T3-C.
Does anyone know if spotting in terminal 3 airside is allowed as I will have a 9hr layover