Sleeping at Pudong Airport: Free Rest Zones, Sleep Pods, Showers and the Hotel Inside T2
Pudong is one of the better large airports to sleep in. The terminals never close, the airport has built free rest zones on a scale most hubs have not, showers are free and open 24 hours, and since 2025 there is a hotel inside Terminal 2 that sells rooms by the hour. This guide walks through the options from free to paid.
Free rest zones, open 24 hours
The airport runs eight free rest areas with a total of 1,018 reclining seats and 228 charging outlets, all open around the clock. The best-known are the lounge zones near Gate C92 in Terminal 2, near Gate H105 in the S1 satellite (domestic departures) and near Gate G148 in the S2 satellite (international departures), each with sofas, recliners and charging points. Airside zones need a boarding pass for that area; the landside rest seating in the arrivals halls and the central area between the terminals is open to anyone.
Bring an eye mask and a layer: the halls are bright and air-conditioned, and cleaning crews work through the night. Announcements are quieter after the last departures around 1:00 am and start again before 5:00 am.
Sleep pods by the hour
Thirty sleep pods opened in 2025 near Gate 24 in Terminal 1 and Gate 67 in Terminal 2, each with a reclining sofa, air filtration, adjustable lighting, a blanket and slippers. Prices at opening were 35 yuan for 30 minutes, 65 yuan for an hour and 185 yuan for three hours, paid on the spot. They suit a two- to four-hour gap; for longer, a room is better value.
Showers
Eleven free shower rooms, nine single-occupancy and two multifunctional, are open 24 hours in the international arrivals and transfer areas of Terminals 1 and 2. Bring your own towel and toiletries or buy them from the pharmacies and convenience stores in the halls. Lounges in T2 and the satellites, including the No. 77 lounge in T2 and the No. 170 lounge in S2 used by Priority Pass, have showers for members and pass holders; our day rooms guide lists them.
A room inside the terminal
The Aerotel Shanghai has 82 rooms on Levels 6 and 7 of Terminal 2, landside, sold by the hour or the night, with a 24-hour desk, The Hub restaurant and a Grab ‘n’ Go counter. The entrance is behind check-in counter G. Because it is before security and immigration, transit passengers must be able to enter China to use it; most can under the 24-hour or 240-hour visa-free transit rules in our visa-free transit guide.
A full night within walking distance
If you want a real hotel for the price of a pod stay stretched over a night, two hotels on Yingbin Avenue are six to ten minutes on foot from the arrivals halls: the budget Dazhong Airport Hotel, with 712 rooms, and the new Holiday Inn Shanghai Pudong Airport, with covered walkway access and a proper restaurant. Neither needs a shuttle; both are on the same walk as the metro and Maglev station.
Which option for which layover
Under three hours: a rest zone or a shower. Three to six hours: a sleep pod, or an hourly room at the Aerotel if you can clear immigration. Six hours to overnight: the Aerotel by the night, or walk to Yingbin Avenue. A layover long enough to see the city is covered in our guide to getting from Pudong Airport to Shanghai; the Maglev makes Lujiazui reachable in under half an hour door to door.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I stay in Pudong Airport overnight?
Yes. Both terminals stay open around the clock, and the airport has eight free rest zones with reclining seats and charging points that are open 24 hours. Landside you need nothing; airside you stay in transit only as long as your onward boarding pass allows.
Are there showers at Pudong Airport?
Yes, 11 free shower rooms open 24 hours in the international arrivals and transfer areas of Terminals 1 and 2. Lounges add showers for members and pass holders, and the Aerotel sells shower time without a room.
What is the cheapest bed inside the airport?
A sleep pod: about 35 yuan for 30 minutes, 65 yuan an hour or 185 yuan for three hours, near Gate 24 in T1 and Gate 67 in T2. For a full night the Aerotel inside T2 or the Dazhong Airport Hotel six minutes away on foot are the next step up.
Information last verified: September 7, 2026
