Once an all-important Chinese trade port, Ningbo is blessed with the charm of a civilization nurtured by three beautiful rivers, and urbanity. There are enchanting pavilions, lakes, and modern entertainment to savor in Ningbo. If you’re planning a trip to this charming region, it might help to know a little about getting around.

It depends on the Ningbo tourist attractions that appeal to you. However, it is always a good move to plan to use a variety of transport options. For example, some city buses can take you straight to your favorite tourist destinations. Sometimes though, you might have to look for taxi services. Hotels like the Pan Pacific Serviced Suites Ningbo might help with arranging taxi rides. The Metro in Ningbo is always reliable. You can pick your transport mode to suit the day’s travel plan. On some days, you can catch a train or bus, and on other days taxis would be more convenient.

Before we get into the details of each mode, let’s talk about getting to Ningbo.

You can book air tickets straight to Ningbo from destinations like Europe and USA. Alternatively, you can get to Ningbo from major cities like Beijing via domestic flights. From the airport, you can get the shuttle service for just ¥10 or opt for a taxi ride for around ¥50.

You can buy a first-class ticket to Ningbo from Shanghai for just ¥210. This is one of the most inexpensive ways to get to Ningbo.

However, if you don’t mind spending some extra cash to travel in comfort and get to Ningbo faster - rent a car. You can use the Hangzhou Bay Bridge to travel from Shanghai. The bridge cuts down travel time considerably.

In the not-so-distant future (2025) Ningbo plans to operate 8 metro lines. But, for the moment the city runs on lines 1 to 4. You can use Line 1 to travel towards Gaoqiao West and Xiapu. This line passes 29 stations along the way. Metro Line 2 crosses between Lishe International Airport and Qingshuipu. This line can take you to the railway station, the DRUM Tower and the City God Temple. You can use Line 3 to travel from Datongqiao to Gaotangqiao and back. Line 4 is ideal to visit Dongqian Lake and Cicheng Town.

Ningbo City Bus Service | Image via Wikimedia Commons

Ningbo operates 260 bus lines. The average rate is about ¥2, but depending on the distance some tickets could cost up to ¥7. You can catch a bus every 4 to 20 minutes. The buses start running between 5 am to 8 30am. The longer lines start at 8 30am. The last buses leave between 5 pm to 11 pm. There are few night lines available. The lines between 205 to 291 apart from the 238 operate from 6 pm until 11 pm. You can also find tourist lines in Ningbo.

The bus Line No 238 runs between Liang-Zhu Cultural Park and Fan’s Residence with access to both Tianyi Pavilion and Moon Lake Park in between. Tickets cost ¥1, and the buses operate between 6: 30am to 6 00 pm.

The bus Line No 371 can take you to the Tianfeng Pagoda and Ming Yuan. Tickets cost ¥2.

There are around 4000 taxis in the city. The rates start at ¥1 for the first 3 kilometers and ¥4 for each additional kilometer. If a car runs further than 20 kilometers, the rate is ¥3.8. They charge a waiting fee after the first 6 minutes. If you wish to take a taxi in night, you’ll need to pay a night allowance and the taxi rate increases too marginally.