⚡ Fare recorded April 25, 2026 · Prices change daily

San Francisco to Beijing flights

San Francisco (SFO) to Beijing (BJS): 5,899 miles (9,494 km) great-circle, about 12h 20m nonstop by our estimate. Cheapest fare observed: $1182 round-trip on Korean Air, with 1 stop, departing May 13, 2026.

KEKorean AirKE24
Depart
SFO
San Francisco, USA
12:40
2026-05-13
✈
Arrive
BJS
Beijing, China
Returns 01:30
2026-06-24
Stops
1 stop
Distance
5,899 mi
Est. nonstop time
12h 20m
Trip type
Round-trip
$1182
Round-trip · per person
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About this flight

When did the cheapest San Francisco to Beijing fare fly?

$1182 round-trip, Korean Air KE24, departing 2026-05-13 at 12:40, returning 2026-06-24. The recorded itinerary left on a Wednesday, returning on a Wednesday 42 nights later; the fare was observed 18 days before departure. "Book this flight" opens Kiwi.com with the same airline and dates.

Route facts

How far is San Francisco from Beijing?

  • Distance: 5,899 miles (9,494 km) great-circle, heading northwest (measured to Beijing Capital International Airport, PEK).
  • Estimated nonstop flight time: about 12h 20m.
  • Departure airport: San Francisco International Airport (SFO), San Francisco, United States, UTC-7 on May 13, 2026.
  • Arrival: Beijing (BJS, all airports), China, UTC+8 on May 13, 2026.
  • Time difference: Beijing is 15 hours ahead of San Francisco on the recorded date.
  • Route type: international, United States to China.
  • Recorded itinerary: Korean Air KE24, 1 stop, round-trip, 42 days between departure and return.
Fare comparison

How does the San Francisco to Beijing fare compare with other routes from SFO?

At $1182, it ranked 23rd of the 30 round-trip fares we recorded from SFO (median $646). That is 20.0 cents per great-circle mile (round-trip price over one-way distance), above the SFO median of 16.9 cents across 30 round-trip routes.

Routes from SFO of similar length: Moscow (5,861 mi) at $1795 and Ulaanbaatar (5,812 mi) at $1531.

SFO to BJS is the only one of 30 SFO routes where Korean Air priced cheapest. It is the 11th longest of the 30 routes we track from SFO.

Other ways in

What did other cities pay to fly to Beijing?

Of 33 departure airports with a fare to Beijing, San Francisco (SFO) ranked 31st at $1182. Lowest: $166 from Hong Kong (HKG); highest: $2318 from Santo Domingo (SDQ); 5 nonstop. Cheapest-fare airlines (routes): China Southern (4), Hainan Airlines (3), Hong Kong Airlines (3), Korean Air (3), Air China (2) and China Eastern (2), plus 15 more.

Sources

Where do these numbers come from?

Travelpayouts fares (cheapest per route, observed April 25, 2026); OurAirports coordinates and elevations; IANA zones America/Los_Angeles, Asia/Shanghai; flight time is our estimate.

FAQ

San Francisco to Beijing flight questions

How far is San Francisco from Beijing by plane?

+
San Francisco is about 5,899 miles (9,494 km) from Beijing on a great-circle line from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK), heading northwest. BJS is the city code that covers every commercial airport in Beijing; distances on this page are measured to Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK). It is the 11th longest of the 30 routes we track from SFO. The recorded itinerary had 1 stop, so the distance flown was longer.

How long is the flight from San Francisco to Beijing?

+
About 12h 20m nonstop by our estimate for 5,899 miles (500 mph cruise plus 30 minutes, not a timetable). The recorded Korean Air fare was with 1 stop. 33 airports in our feed had a fare to Beijing; this one ranked 31st, and 5 of the 33 were nonstop.

What is the time difference between San Francisco and Beijing?

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On May 13, 2026, San Francisco was on UTC-7 (America/Los_Angeles) and Beijing on UTC+8 (Asia/Shanghai), so Beijing was 15 hours ahead of San Francisco: noon in San Francisco was 03:00 the next day in Beijing. Daylight saving changes it: in mid-January 2026 the gap is Beijing 16 hours ahead, in mid-July Beijing 15 hours ahead.

How much is a flight from San Francisco to Beijing?

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As observed on April 25, 2026: $1182 per person round-trip on Korean Air flight KE24, departing May 13, 2026, returning June 24, 2026, with 1 stop. At $1182, it ranked 23rd of the 30 round-trip fares we recorded from SFO (median $646). That is 20.0 cents per great-circle mile (round-trip price over one-way distance), above the SFO median of 16.9 cents across 30 round-trip routes. Prices change daily, so check the live fare.

Is there a nonstop flight from San Francisco to Beijing?

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The cheapest recorded fare had 1 stop; our feed keeps only the cheapest fare per route, so a pricier nonstop may exist. Into Beijing, 5 of the 33 recorded fares were nonstop. From SFO, 7 of 30 were. Routes from SFO of similar length: Moscow (5,861 mi) at $1795 and Ulaanbaatar (5,812 mi) at $1531.

Which airports serve flights from San Francisco to Beijing?

+
It departs San Francisco International Airport (SFO) in San Francisco, United States, and arrives at Beijing (BJS) in Beijing, China. BJS is the city code that covers every commercial airport in Beijing; distances on this page are measured to Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK). An international flight, United States to China.

Where else near Beijing can you fly from San Francisco?

Ulaanbaatar (UBN) $1531Guangzhou (CAN) $1335Hong Kong (HKG) $1290Tokyo (TYO) $1049Manila (MNL) $713Bangkok (BKK) $1269All flights from San Francisco →

Other cities with flights to Beijing

From Hong Kong (HKG) $166From Shanghai (PVG) $215From Singapore (SIN) $219From Guangzhou (CAN) $243From Seoul (ICN) $245From Bangkok (BKK) $264

Ready to fly?

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