Yichang Transportation Guide 2025
Yichang, one of the main ports of the Yangtze cruises, is the throat connecting the Eastern and the Western parts of China by air, railway, expressway and waterway. Our detailed Yichang transportation guide with clear direction will help you easily get to airport, railway station and ports in Yichang. There are also useful city-to-city transportation guide shows you how to get to Yichang from popular destinations like Shanghai, Zhangjiajie, Wuhan, etc. Worry about nothing and just start your lifetime getaway right now!
Top Yichang Yangtze Tour:
► 5 Days Yichang Tour with Yangtze Cruise Experience (Yichang / Yangtze Cruise)
► 7 Days Shanghai and Yangtze Upstream Cruiser (Shanghai/ Yichang / Yangtze River Cruise)
► 4 Days China Yangtze Tour with Chengdu Panda (Shanghai/ Yichang / Yangtze River Cruise / Chongqing / Chengdu / Xian / Beijing)
Click to Jump:
Three Gorges in Spring
| Get to & around Chongqing | ||
|---|---|---|
| Get to/from Yichang (Flight, Train, Ship) |
Get around Yichang (Car, Taxi) |
Get to Yichang Ports |
| Hot Destinations to Chongqing | ||
| Shanghai to Yichang | Guilin to Yichang | Zhangjiajie to Yichang |
Get to/from Yichang
Yichang, the second largest city in Hubei Province, is regarded as the best gateway to Three Gorges and Three Gorges Dam along Yangtze River. There are three common ways for travelers to get to Yichang, by air, by train or by ship.
Click to Jump:
| Get to Yichang by Air - Sanxia International Airport |
| Get to Yichang by Train - Yichang East Railway Station |
| Get to Yichang by Ship - Ports in Yichang |
Get to Yichang by Flight - Sanxia International Airport
- Location: No.8, Jichang Road, Xiaoting District, Yichang City (宜昌市猇亭区机场路8号 - 宜昌三峡机场)
- Distance to Yichang Downtown: about 28km, takes about 40 minutes to get to Yichang Three Gorges Cruise Terminal by car;
There is an airport - Sanxia International Airport in Yichang, 26 kilometers away from Yichang Downtown and 55 kilometers away from Three Gorges Dam Site. Frequent scheduled flights go to/from more than 20 domestic destinations including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Wuhan, and Xian etc.
► More information about get to Chongqing by air, please visit Yichang Airports & Flights | Yichang Transportation.
Yichang Flight
Get to Yichang by Train - Yichang East Railway Station
- Location: Huayan Section, Chengdong Avenue, Wujiagang District, Yichang City (宜昌市伍家岗区城东大道花艳段 - 宜昌东站)
- Distance to Yichang Downtown: about 9.5km, takes about 20 minutes to get to Yichang Three Gorges Cruise Terminal by car;
There is only one main railway station - Yichang East Railway Station (宜昌东站). Served by several railway lines, Yichang is well connected with Shanghai, Wuhan, Beijing, Xian, Chengdu, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. Travel by daily bullet CHR trains, it takes about 2.5 hours to Wuhan and 7.5 hours to Shanghai, 5 hours to Nanjing, etc., offering you great convenience to get to or away from Yichang.
Recently, there are no direct trains to Guilin at present, so you should transfer to Wuhan or Changsha first by bullet train and then take a flight or high speed train to Guilin.
Get to Yichang by Train
Get to Yichang by Ship - Ports in Yichang
As one of the most important river port city located in the boundary between middle reaches and the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, Yichang has 6 ports. Among all ports, the most frequently used two are Yichang Maoping Port and Sandouping Port. (Yichang Taohuacun Port and New Century Port are stopped using in 2020).
Yichang Maoping Port
- Location: 200 meters east from Binhu Road, Zigui County, Yichang City (宜昌市秭归县滨湖路东200米 - 茅坪码头)
- Distance to Yichang Downtown: about 55km, takes about 1-1.5 hours to get to Yichang Three Gorges Cruise Terminal by car
Situated in Zigui County of Yichang, Maoping Port is about 74km driving distance from Yichang Sanxia Airport and usually takes about 1-1.5 hours to get to by driving. The distance between Maoping Port and Yichang East Railway Station is about 61km, takes about 1-1.5 hours by car.
In 2020, all the cruise companies (Century Cruises, Victoria Cruises, President Cruises, Yangtze Gold Cruises, Yangtze Explorer and Yangtze 2) will use Maoping Port for embarkation and disembarkation instead of Yichang New Century Port and Yichang Taohuacun Port (except Yangtze 1 cruise continues to use Sandouping Port (三斗坪码头) ). So cruise travelers should board and leave your cruise at Maoping Port in Yichang. More detail information about Maoping Port, please visit Maoping Port Guide in 2025.
Click to Enlarge Yichang Maoping Port Location Map
Yichang Sandouping Port
- Location: about 150m from the junction of Longtan Road and Provincial Highway 334, Yiling District, Yichang City (宜昌市夷陵区龙潭路与334省道交叉口东150米 – 三斗坪码头)
- Distance to Yichang Downtown: about 47km, takes about 1-1.5 hours to get to Yichang Three Gorges Cruise Terminal by car
Sandouping Port is located at the south bank of the middle part of beautiful Xiling Gorge, about 70km away from Yichang Sanxia Airport and 51km from Yichang East Railway Station, takes about 2 hours and 1.5 hours by car separately. Because the port is a little bit far from the Yichang downtown, so it might be hard for you to find taxi around.
In 2020, only Yangtze 1 cruise is using this port. And if you travel with Yangtze 1 cruise, they will arrange a deluxe tourist coach to escort you to or leave the port.
Yichang Port
Get around Yichang
There is no subway in Yichang city, taxi and bus are the only two public transportations you can find in Yichang downtown. However most attractions in Yichang are little bit far from downtown area, some might not be reached by bus or taxi. To save your time and energy, you are recommended to book a private car service in advance to tour around Yichang.
Travel with yangtze-river-cruises.com by Private Car
Comparing with Chongqing or other hot destinations in China, public transportation system in Yichang is not developed that well. Moreover most ports and main attractions are far from Yichang downtown area in the west, right on the opposite direction of downtown area to the airport or railway station. Therefore, transferring between airport/ train station to ports and attractions in Yichang by private car is the most convenient way chosen by most of our customers.
Our www.yangtze-river-cruises.com also offer convenient private car service. No matter you are going to travel from Yichang Airport to Yichang downtown for accommodation, or to Maoping port to catch your cruise ship or make a return trip from the Three Gorges Center Cruise Terminal to airport/railway station after the cruise journey, we can help you make a travel as smooth and hassle-free as possible. Once you booking such a service, your English-speaking tour guide will be waiting for you at the airport or the dock, with a sign with your name on it holding in his/her hands. Your local driver will escort you directly to your destination in convenient. Along the way, your guide can also give you a brief introduction of Yichang city and share some insider tips. If you need such a service, please feel free to send us your group size, traveling date and time for enquiry.
Top Yichang Hubei Tours:
LOCAL TRANSFER Booking
In Chongqing, Yichang
and Shanghai, we also offer lcoal transfer services. By
Booking our transfer with your crusie,
you’ll get:
- Vehicle with experienced driver and local guide.
- Airport / Railway Stations / Hotels and Cruise Dock shuttle services
- More time enjoying your trip, instead of wasting on finding your way.
Get around Yichang by Taxi
Ports and attractions in Yichang are all little bit far from city center that not so well connected by city buses and taxis. The following is the referential taxi fee about the transfer between city center (Three Gorges Center Cruise Terminal) and attractions and ports in Yichang. The price and time may be different based on the real situation in Yichang.
(Note: Since the docks and scenic spots are far from the city, taxi drivers may be reluctant to go. So if you would like to travel by taxi, you are recommended to arrange and book in advance.)
| Type | Place | Distance | Estimated Time | Estimated Fare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airport | Sanxia International Airport | 28km | About 50-60 minutes | CNY 80-100 |
| Train Station | Yichang East Railway Station | 9.5km | About 20-30 minutes | CNY 20-40 |
| Attractions | Three Gorges Dam Site | 45km | About 1-1.5 hours | CNY 130-150 |
| Tribe of Three Gorges | 47km | About 1-1.5 hours | CNY 120-140 | |
| Quyuan Temple | 50km | About 1-1.5 hours | CNY 170-190 | |
| Yichang Museum | 11km | About 30 minutes | CNY 20-40 |
Yichang Ports Transportation
More than 80% of foreign guests go to Yichang are not for city tour but for taking the Yangtze River cruise ship and enjoying a leisure break on Three Gorges. Cruise boarding/disembarkation ports in Yichang are all far from downtown area. For Yangtze River cruise guests using Maoping Port or Sandouping Port for embarkation and disembarkation, the cruise company will take the responsibility to arrange the bus to transfer guests between the appointed gathering places in Yichang downtown and the Ports.
Recently, the only gathering place to take the cruise transferring bus is the Three Gorges Cruise Center Terminal.
Three Gorges Center Cruise Terminal
- Location: No. 142, Yanjiang Avenue, Wanshouqiao Street, Yichang City (宜昌市万寿桥街道沿江大道142号三峡游客中心)
The main tourist center to get on and off the transferring buses arranged by cruise company is the Three Gorges Center Cruise Terminal which is located at the city center of Yichang. Three Gorges Center Cruise Terminal is about 28km from Yichang Sanxia Airport and 9.5km from Yichang East Railway Station, takes about 40mins and 25mins by car or taxi.
Upstream Embarkation & Downstream Disembarkation
For upstream cruise embarkation in Yichang, you should gather at Yichang Three Gorges Center Cruise Terminal during about 16:00-21:00 to catch the arranged tourist bus to Maoping Port for embarkation.
For downstream cruise disembarkation in Yichang, you will take the arranged bus at Three Gorges Dam Site to Yichang Three Gorges Center Cruise Terminal for ending your cruise tour.
► Learn more detailed information about Yichang Transportation, please visit Yichang Ports | Maoping Port | Yangtze Cruise Embarkation Transportation | Yangtze Cruise Disembarkation Transportation.
Click to Enlarge
Map of Yichang Ports
Yichang Embark & Disembark
Yichang Shanghai Transportation
Since Shanghai is a hot destination for travellers and also a major metropolis with very complete net of traffic with other places in China and the whole world, a lot of Yangtze River cruise tourists choose to transfer to Yichang from Shanghai or to Shanghai from Yichang.
Shanghai is about 970km away to the east of Yichang City, you could choose the daily flights or frequently bullet trains to travel between these two cities. There are 6-7 flights every day taking off from Shanghai Pudong International Airport (上海浦东国际机场) to Yichang Sanxia International Airport (宜昌三峡国际机场), the earliest flight would take off at around 7:30 in the morning and the latest would leave at around 17:00 in the afternoon. The whole journey takes about 2 hours and 20 minutes. Besides flying between Yichang and Shanghai, you could also choose to take the bullet trains. There are also about 9 bullet trains running between Shanghai Hongqiao Station (上海虹桥高铁站)/Shanghai Railway Station (上海或车站1) and Yichang East Railway Station (宜昌东站) from the early morning till the afternoon, which need about 6.5-8 hours.
► Check more about Yichang Shanghai Transportation | Shanghai Yangtze Tours
Shanghai City
Yichang Guilin Transportation
Want experience the top two famous river cruise in China? Touring Guilin and the Three Gorges together, you will get a chance to fully taste the best riverbank scenery in China. No direct trains or airplane are available between both cities recently. To get from Guilin to Yichang, you can choose to take a flight tranfer or train transfer.
The distance from Guilin to Yichang is about 610 kilometers. There are 4-6 connecting flight between Yichang Sanxia International Airport and Guilin Liangjiang International Airport (桂林两江国际机场) every day. The quickest one takes about 5.5 hours and makes a transfer in Xian Xianyang International Airport (西安咸阳国际机场). You could also transfer between the two cities via Wuhan. And the most convenient and time saving way during shoulder seasons is to take a flight from Wuhan city to Guilin and then take a bullet train from Hankou Train Station (汉口站) to Yichang.
► Check more about Yichang Guilin Transportation | Guilin Yangtze Tours.
Click to Enlarge
Yichang Guilin Transportation Map
Yichang Zhangjiajie Transportation
Zhangjiajie, in the northwestern Hunan Province in south China, is always one of the top options for both new and experienced world travelers to China. Thanks to the close distance between the “Avatar World” Zhangjiajie and the Yangtze River port city Yichang, tourists usually travel Zhangjiajie and cruise Yangtze River in one go! Dur to the complex geographical condition between two places and not very long distance. At present, the most convenient way for tourists to travel between two cities is by normal trains.
The distance between Yichang and Zhangjiajie is only about 192km. Normally, there are 2K-trains running between Yichang East Railway Station (宜昌东站) and Zhangjiajie Railway Station (张家界站) everyday. Recently there is no train operate between two cities. For latest information about Yichang Zhangjiajie train schedule, please feel free to contact us.
► Check more about Yichang Zhangjiajie Transportation | Zhangjiajie Yangtze Tours.
Click to Enlarge Yichang Zhangjiajie Transportation Map
Travel Yichang with yangtze-river-cruises.com
Now that you know all the traffic info and "secrets" of Yichang, you can ride with confidence on your next Yichang tour, Yangtze tour even China tour. However, if you still feel annoying about visiting Yichang by yourself, how about travelling with www.yangtze-river-cruises.com and let us take care of everything for you? The tour can be tailor-made according to your group size, time, physical condition, plan, interests, budget and other special need. No matter you want to put Yichang into your Yangtze River trip or cover several destinations together or even extend your Yangtze cruise tour all over China, www.yangtze-river-cruises.com can provide you best tour guides and experienced drivers with comfortable private cars in any of the destinations. Our English-speaking tour guide will accompany you all the way, showing you the best traveling route and telling beautiful stories in each of the destination.
Please feel free to contact us if you need any help or customize the tour with free quotation!
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More Yichang Travel Articles
- Yichang Tours
- Yichang Attractions
- Yichang Port
- Yichang Maoping Ports
- Yichang Shanghai Transportation
- Yichang to Guilin
- Yichang Zhangjiajie Transportation
- Yichang Weather & Seasons
- Yichang Accommodation
- Yichang Maps
- Yichang Travel FAQs
- Yichang Travel Guide
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Questions & Discussions
Following are latest questions and answers from our webusers and customers. You can learn many useful information from the discussion and cases. You can also join in the discussions or ask your own question. Our experts will help you ASAP.
Thanks for your questions. For most of the Yangtze River Cruises (except Yangtze 1 Cruise) from Chongqing to Yichang, travelers will first disembark at Maoping Port and then for Three Gorges Dam visiting. After the dam tour, take the buses arranged by the cruise companies heading to Yichang Three Gorges Cruise Terminal (宜昌市伍家岗区沿江大道142号-宜昌三峡游客中心) for departure. The cruise terminal is located in the center of Yichang downtown area where taxies are available. Prices are not fixed and you’d better discuss it with the driver before getting on. (for more info, you can read: https://www.yangtze-river-cruises.com/yangtze-river-guide/maoping-port.html)
Or, you can tell your arrangement and schedules to the front desk of your cruise, and they may arrange buses heading to Yichang East Railway Station / Yichang Sanxia Airport and the cost will reasonable.
If travelers who book cruise ship with us, we can pre-arrange the transport. If you have any needs, please tell us. Have a great day!
Thank you for the question. There are usually 1 to 3 direct flights of Air China, Beijing Capital Airlines, and Grand China Air, from Yichang to Beijing every day, and the flight duration lasts about 2 hours and 10 minutes to 20 minutes. And from Yichang to Shanghai, there are about 1 to 2 daily flights of China Easter Airlines or Shanghai Airlines, usually starting around 16:00 and 18:00 in the afternoon, and the whole journey would take about 1 hour 40 minutes to 45 minutes.
To board on the flight on time, you are recommended to leave enough time for the transfer and it is better to arrange your flight after 15:00 in the afternoon or even later. Also, you could arrange your flight on the day after your embarkation date, so you could escape from being too hurry and more time to explore the highlights in Yichang.
Wish you a wonderful trip along the Yangtze River!
