Flights from Dubai to China: Routes, Airlines and Flight Times

China is closer than many people think. From Dubai, Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou are all around 7 to 8 hours non-stop, and China is only four hours ahead of UAE time.

Direct flights from the UAE

• Beijing: about 7.5 hours. Served by UAE and Chinese airlines.
• Shanghai: about 8 hours. Several daily options.
• Guangzhou: about 7.5 hours. The gateway to southern China, with direct services from both Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Emirates, Etihad, China Southern, China Eastern and Air China all fly between the UAE and China, with schedules that change by season. Most flights from Dubai leave in the evening or at night and arrive in China in the morning or afternoon.

Open-jaw tickets: fly into one city, out of another

The smartest way to fly to China is an "open jaw": for example, arrive in Beijing and fly home from Shanghai. You save a full day of backtracking and see more. Most airlines price open-jaw tickets like a normal return.

Popular pairs: - Beijing in, Shanghai out for the classic route: see our 7-day sample route. - Guangzhou in, Shanghai out for the south and east. - Chengdu or Kunming in (with one connection) for pandas or Yunnan.

Reaching other cities

For Xi'an, Chengdu, Chongqing, Kunming, Guilin or Zhangjiajie, you usually connect once: in Beijing, Shanghai or Guangzhou, or via a Gulf hub. Inside China, bullet trains are often better than domestic flights. See our high-speed train guide.

On arrival

• Immigration: have your passport, return ticket and first hotel address ready. Many Gulf and European passports are visa-free: see the China visa guide.
• Payments: set up Alipay or WeChat Pay before you fly. See paying in China.
• Internet: many apps are blocked in China. We arrange a data plan so WhatsApp and Google keep working.
• Transfer: your driver and guide meet you at arrivals with a name sign.

When flights are cheapest

Prices rise sharply around Chinese New Year, the October Golden Week and Gulf school holidays. Spring and autumn outside the holidays offer the best fares and weather. Read when not to travel to China.

How we help

We don't sell flights, but we plan your route first so you can book the right flights, and we time your airport transfers to your flight numbers. Send us your dates on WhatsApp for a free plan within 24 hours.

← All travel guides