Luggage Storage at China’s Airports: What It Costs and Where to Find It

The short answer

Every major Chinese airport has left-luggage counters (行李寄存), but prices now vary widely: at Beijing Capital (PEK) expect ¥30–40 per rolling suitcase per 24 hours, while Beijing Daxing’s (PKX) landside manual counters are free. Bring your passport, keep the receipt, and you are free to explore. If you are taking a private car or DiDi, the best storage is often the boot of the car: the driver waits and you skip the queue entirely.

Your options, ranked

Option	Cost	Best for
Keep bags in your DiDi / private car	Free (included in the fare)	Wall trips, multi-stop days
Airport left-luggage	Free (PKX landside) to ¥30–40 per item (PEK)	Public-transport layovers
Hotel storage	Free if you are a guest	Overnight stopovers
Station smart lockers	Hourly, with a daily cap	Rail connections
Carry a small backpack only	Free	Short layovers, fastest

How airport left-luggage works

1. Find the 行李寄存 counter: usually in the arrivals or departures hall; airport signage is in English.
2. Show your passport; they may also want your onward ticket.
3. Pay per bag per day and keep the receipt/tag. You need it to collect.
4. Collect with time to spare; queues form before evening departure banks.

Prices vary widely by airport, item and size, so check the counter’s own board.

The option most travelers miss

If you are hiring a private driver, for example for the Great Wall from Beijing or the Terracotta Army, the driver waits with the car. Your bags stay in the vehicle, you skip storage entirely, and you save 20–30 minutes at each end.

PEK, PKX, PVG and CAN: the airport-specific details

Storage works the same way at each airport, but the price and the risk on the return leg differ.

Beijing Capital (PEK). Left-luggage counters in Terminals 2 and 3 charge ¥30–40 per rolling suitcase per 24 hours. Cartons and other items run ¥20–60, and oversized items ¥100. Bring your passport, and keep the receipt.

Beijing Daxing (PKX). The landside manual counters are free. Airside lockers cap at ¥18–30 per day, and lockers in the parking area run ¥20.50–50.50 per day.

Shanghai Pudong (PVG). Counters sit in the arrivals and departures halls of both terminals, signed in English as “Left Luggage” or “Baggage Storage”. Prices vary by counter; bring your passport, and sometimes your onward ticket. The trap: the Maglev stops around 21:40 and Metro Line 2 around 22:30. If you are returning late, your trip back becomes a taxi or DiDi, which takes longer, so collect your bags earlier than you think you need to. PVG has two terminals connected by a walkway and the inter-terminal train, so confirm which terminal your onward flight departs from before you choose where to store. For the city side, see things to do in Shanghai on a layover.

Guangzhou Baiyun (CAN). Counters operate in the terminal, on the arrivals level. Prices vary by counter; passport required. The trap: you are coming back on Metro Line 3, which takes 45–55 minutes, and with a 2.5-hour departure buffer that is most of your return leg. Budget the storage detour inside that time rather than on top of it. Baiyun operates two terminals, so check which one your flight uses, because the walk between them is not trivial. For the city side, see things to do in Guangzhou on a layover.

What to keep with you

Never store these:

• Passport and travel documents
• Phone, chargers, power bank
• Medication
• Payment cards and cash
• Your onward ticket details (you may need to show them at immigration)

Practical tips

• Photograph your bag and note the tag number.
• Pack valuables in a carry-on you keep with you.
• Do not leave bags unattended: not in terminals, not in cafés.
• Check the counter’s closing time; not all are 24-hour.
• Arrive early to collect before an international departure bank.

Bottom line

Luggage never has to stop you leaving the airport. Use a car if you have one, a counter if you do not, and always keep documents and valuables on you. For getting into town, see China airport-to-city transfers.