$373 Find Cheap Flights from San Francisco to China - Compare and Save

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight from San Francisco to China departing on 9/22. Fares are subject to change and may not be available on all flights or dates of travel. Click the price to replicate the search for this deal.
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Cheap Flights from San Francisco to China

Cheapest round-trip prices found by our users on KAYAK in the last 72 hours
Shanghai
Shanghai1 stop$981
Beijing
Beijing2 stops$969
Guangzhou
Guangzhou1 stop$968
Fuzhou
Fuzhou1 stop$771
Chengdu
Chengdu2 stops$780
Shenzhen
Shenzhen1 stop$834
Shenyang
Shenyang1 stop$1,368
Chongqing
Chongqing1 stop$775
Hangzhou
Hangzhou2 stops$793
Wuhan
Wuhan1 stop$771
Qingdao
Qingdao1 stop$771
Xi'an
Xi'an1 stop$814
Nanjing
Nanjing1 stop$771
Xiamen
Xiamen1 stop$730
Kunming
Kunming1 stop$746
Zhengzhou
Zhengzhou1 stop$812
Dalian
Dalian1 stop$717
Changsha
Changsha1 stop$803
Harbin
Harbin1 stop$1,359
Tianjin
Tianjin1 stop$834
Shanghai
Shanghai1 stop$981
Beijing
Beijing2 stops$969
Guangzhou
Guangzhou1 stop$968
Fuzhou
Fuzhou1 stop$771
Chengdu
Chengdu2 stops$780
Shenzhen
Shenzhen1 stop$834
Shenyang
Shenyang1 stop$1,368
Chongqing
Chongqing1 stop$775
Hangzhou
Hangzhou2 stops$793
Wuhan
Wuhan1 stop$771
Qingdao
Qingdao1 stop$771
Xi'an
Xi'an1 stop$814
Nanjing
Nanjing1 stop$771
Xiamen
Xiamen1 stop$730
Kunming
Kunming1 stop$746
Zhengzhou
Zhengzhou1 stop$812
Dalian
Dalian1 stop$717
Changsha
Changsha1 stop$803
Harbin
Harbin1 stop$1,359
Tianjin
Tianjin1 stop$834

Book Cheap San Francisco to China Plane Tickets

 
Here are some of the best deals found on KAYAK recently from the most popular airlines for round-trip flights from San Francisco to China that are departing in the next months. While these flights were available on KAYAK in the last 72 hours, prices and availability are subject to change and deals may expire.
Discover the best prices for you by selecting your travel dates on KAYAK.

Recent round-trip flight deals from San Francisco to China

mer., sept. 16 - mer., oct. 21
Asiana Airlines Logo
11:20 pm - 9:20 am
SFO
-
DLC
19h 00m
1 stop
Asiana Airlines Logo
10:30 am - 3:30 pm
DLC
-
SFO
20h 00m
1 stop
$717Asiana Airlines
mar., oct. 20 - jeu., oct. 29
Multiple Airlines Logo
7:49 pm - 6:00 am
SFO
-
XMN
19h 11m
1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
11:00 pm - 8:01 am
XMN
-
SFO
24h 01m
1 stop
$730Multiple Airlines
mar., sept. 1 - mer., sept. 16
Cathay Pacific Logo
2:00 pm - 7:25 pm
SFO
-
XMN
38h 25m
1 stop
Cathay Pacific Logo
8:35 pm - 10:40 pm
XMN
-
SFO
17h 05m
1 stop
$771Cathay Pacific
mar., sept. 8 - mer., nov. 11
Cathay Pacific Logo
1:20 am - 10:20 am
SFO
-
WUH
18h 00m
1 stop
Cathay Pacific Logo
11:45 am - 9:15 pm
WUH
-
SFO
25h 30m
1 stop
$771Cathay Pacific
mar., sept. 1 - sam., oct. 3
Korean Air Logo
2:36 pm - 1:25 pm
SFO
-
DLC
31h 49m
2 stops
Korean Air Logo
2:30 pm - 10:40 am
DLC
-
SFO
35h 10m
1 stop
$781Korean Air
lun., août 31 - mer., sept. 16
China Southern Logo
12:35 am - 5:50 pm
SFO
-
XMN
26h 15m
1 stop
China Southern Logo
8:50 pm - 8:40 pm
XMN
-
SFO
38h 50m
2 stops
$842China Southern
jeu., sept. 17 - jeu., oct. 15
China Eastern Logo
12:00 pm - 11:00 pm
SFO
-
SZX
20h 00m
1 stop
China Eastern Logo
7:15 am - 9:05 am
SZX
-
SFO
16h 50m
1 stop
$863China Eastern
jeu., sept. 3 - jeu., oct. 8
China Southern Logo
12:35 am - 9:05 pm
SFO
-
SZX
29h 30m
1 stop
China Southern Logo
3:50 pm - 8:40 pm
SZX
-
SFO
19h 50m
1 stop
$864China Southern
jeu., oct. 29 - ven., déc. 4
China Eastern Logo
8:55 am - 11:50 pm
SFO
-
PEK
23h 55m
2 stops
China Eastern Logo
9:30 pm - 9:00 am
PEK
-
SFO
27h 30m
1 stop
$971China Eastern
lun., sept. 7 - ven., sept. 25
Korean Air Logo
12:50 pm - 11:30 am
SFO
-
CAN
31h 40m
1 stop
Korean Air Logo
12:40 pm - 8:24 am
CAN
-
SFO
58h 44m
2 stops
$973Korean Air
Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for San Francisco to China flights

Get data-powered insights and trends into flights from San Francisco to China to help you find the cheapest flights, the best time to fly and much more.

What is the cheapest San Francisco to China flight route?

Data is based on round-trip flight searches on KAYAK over the past month.

The cheapest ticket to China from San Francisco found in the last 5 days was to Shanghai, at $715 round-trip. The most popular route is from San Francisco (SFO) to Shanghai Pu Dong Airport (PVG), and the cheapest round-trip airline ticket found on this route in the last 5 days was $715.

What is the cheapest time of day to fly to China?

The average price for all round-trip flights from San Francisco to China depending on the time of departure, clicked by users on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks.

The cheapest time of day to fly to China is generally at night, when round-trip flights cost $766 on average. The most expensive time of day to fly to China is generally in the afternoon, which is peak travel time and where the average cost of a ticket is $1,296.

Can I save money by flying with a layover from San Francisco to China?

The average round-trip price for all non-stop flights, flights with one layover, and flights with two layovers for the route found by users searching on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks.

Yes, flying with a layover may cost you more time, but you can also save money on the route, with a 3 stops layover the cheapest option at $989 on average.

What is the cheapest month to fly from San Francisco to China?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from San Francisco to China, removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the median of all values for each month.

The cheapest month for flights from San Francisco to China is August, when tickets cost $822 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are December and June, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is $1,800 and $1,382 respectively.

How far in advance should I book a flight from San Francisco to China?

To calculate weekly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each week before departure over the last year for round-trip flights from San Francisco to China, removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the average of all the values for each week.

To get a below average price on the flight from San Francisco to China, you should book around 1 week before departure. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 26 weeks before departure.

Good to know

Low seasonAugust
Cheapest flight$373
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 19% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 45% increase in price.
Flight from San Francisco to Xiamen

FAQs - booking China flights

  • What are the available amenities at Shanghai Pudong International Airport?

    Many amenities include Wi-Fi, a business center, left luggage offices, mother-and-baby rooms, an art gallery, a children's park, and a maritime exhibition. Therefore, you don’t have to worry about such facilities, especially after a long journey.

  • Are there direct flights from San Francisco to China?

    Most flights offer indirect services making one, two, or three stops along the way. Flights making one-stop are more expensive and take a shorter time to reach the final destination than those making two or three stops.

  • Which are the arrival airports in China?

    Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG), Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN), and Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX) are the arrival stations in China. PVG is southeast of Shanghai city, CAN is in southern China, and PKX is south of Beijing City. All these airports are in some of the best cities in China.

  • Which airlines offer indirect flights from San Francisco to China?

    Philippine Airlines, EVA Air, Air Canada, China Airlines, ANA, Malaysia Airlines, and Etihad Airways offer indirect flight services. The planes make one, two, or three stops before reaching the final destination. Again, time duration and flight tickets vary among these flights.

  • Which is the cheapest route from San Francisco to China?

    Traveling from San Francisco to China via Shanghai Pu Dong is the cheapest route. However, the cheap flight ticket fluctuates from time to time. Therefore, you should check the price ticket before booking, especially if you have a tight budget. The flight can be one-way or round-trip.

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from San Francisco to China?

    KAYAK is a travel search engine. That means we look across the web to find the best prices we can find for our users. With over 2 billion flight queries processed yearly, we are able to display a variety of prices and options on flights from San Francisco to China.

  • How does KAYAK's flight Price Forecast tool help me choose the right time to buy my flight ticket from San Francisco to China?

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight from San Francisco to China is likely to change within 7 days, so travelers know whether to wait or book now.

  • What is the Hacker Fare option on flights from San Francisco to China?

    Hacker Fares allow you to combine one-way tickets in order to save you money over a traditional round-trip ticket. You could then fly from San Francisco to China with an airline and back with another airline.

  • What is KAYAK's "flexible dates" feature and why should I care when looking for a flight from San Francisco to China?

    Sometimes travel dates aren't set in stone. If your preferred travel dates have some wiggle room, flexible dates will show you all the options when flying from San Francisco to China up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

Top tips for finding cheap flights to China

  • San Francisco International Airport (SFO) has a play spot for kids to have fun before the departure. This airport also offers wheelchair services to help travelers with disabilities to get in and off planes. You can also take a shower and continue with your journey feeling fresh and relaxed. Upon arriving at the airport in China, you can go to the love channel to access a baby stroller if you have a toddler or a wheelchair if needed.
  • Flights departing from San Francisco also serve other cities in China, including Anshan, Beijing, Changsha, Chengdu, Fuzhou, Jieyang, Nanning, Yanji, Yiwu, Dali, Hohhot, Hefei, and Shanghai.
  • There are many cities offering airport services. However, flight ticket varies depending on the airport the plane arrives at. Thus, you should check this advantage before booking a flight. Again, you should check whether the flight offers direct or indirect services to various airports in different cities.
  • If you are touring China, you need a tourist visa. The passport remains valid for six months before it expires. Just make sure you renew it early enough if you want to stay there longer.
  • In China, it’s mandatory to have car seats for children. Therefore, most rental car companies in China have car seats installed to avoid violating the law. If you have a child, you should ensure to rent a vehicle that has a car seat for children for your child's safety. Risking by choosing a car without a car seat may land you with problems with the law.

Reviews of the top 5 airlines serving from San Francisco to China

 
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from San Francisco to China? KAYAK airline reviews give an overall score for each airline based on loads of factors, including comfort, boarding, in-flight entertainment and more, to make your decision easier. See airline scores according to verified KAYAK customer reviews.
8.1
Asiana AirlinesOverall score based on 540 reviews
7.6Entertainment
8.0Comfort
8.0Food
8.3Boarding
8.5Crew
Airline reviews

Smooth sailing trip, pilots are good. Less amount of food offered but the quality is okey.

10.0 ExcellentAnonymous, Apr 2026
ICN - MNL
Read more Asiana Airlines reviews

Smooth sailing trip, pilots are good. Less amount of food offered but the quality is okey.

Humm, I should have known that the seat I peaked on my flight from Inchon to Manila was designed for a toddler or very small person.

The staff hold my luggage to steel and exchange my stub, i was very disappointed.

Kayak uses scammer sites to steal money from their victims.

Kayak along with airfare assay are attempting to steal my money. Charges are being pressed.

Customer service and attention to details. The food was good.

Felt like the oldest plane in Asiana Fleet. Screen was 5-6in only and no charging at all. Movie selection wasn't great.

When one asks for water because they are dehydrated, bring more then a sip or two in a small cup. Bring them a whole bottle.

Food could be better it was okay. Entertainment seems dated it was something but in this day and age could be a lot better.

I’d have rated Asiana good except an unfortunate incident in which I felt one of your employee didn’t really help us. During the first leg of the trip, the flight from LAX to ICN, I left my backpack on the plane. When I realized, I reported to one of your employee who promised me that it’d be taken care of, that my backpack will be there at HCM city. When we arrived there, HCM people had no idea and my backpack was still at Incheon airport who denied any knowledge whatsoever. I was left in the cold and felt helpless. I was very disappointed. I’d like someone to look into this and let me know.

The plane was dirty, the seats were torn and broken, the service was the most terrible ever, the bathroom dirty, they will not even serve water you had to request it, the meals were terrible, overall less than Zero, I will never fly Cathay Pacific again.

Despite the crew's rough day, they were all very focused and friendly. The flight was too short for a meal, so no rating on that. Re. the AA app. It still isn't ready for prime time. AA works with Cathy Pacific for international flights to LA and the Aa jump to PHX. But the AA app can't find my trip and this can be problematic with flight delays and regatings at LAX.

Was not able to board flight because boarding pass name did not match passport name and no one caught it.

Had a bad experience with crew member coming back Hong Kong to la the person next to me one of the passenger have taken video and picture of crew member the person that served meal young kid late 20' s 6 5'10 had attitude at his peak anything I asked for I don't know if it was bad day or racial I felt humiliated as people could see difference towards me I no problem with Cathy and my whole family never had one was very disappointed

Frequently flyer number should and could have been put on at the time of booking as I gave the number when booking.

Very attentive crews Flight was very smooth and safe Only little disappointment was the slight delay of departure (~30 minutes ) which rarely happen with CX flights

Not at all satisfactory. I had stomach upsets after taking food. Quality of Asian vegetarian meal was awful. Further there was no snacks/ fruits/ biscuits available as in between snacks.. only peanuts and pitzels.. except courteous staff rest of my experience was far from satisfactory

Staff was very courteous. Plane was clean and quite spacious even in the last rows. Veg food could have been better.

Later on, when there was no more bottled water, the water we received had a strong chlorine/disinfectant odor. On my flight from Hong Kong to Los Angeles, there was a male flight attendant who had a mean attitude throughout the whole trip, and he was very impatient during meal service “Furthermore, we purchased a Hong Kong SIM card as part of our flight package, but we received no instructions—neither by email nor SMS—on how to activate or use it. Consequently, we were unable to use the service at all. We request a full refund, as this appears to be a deceptive charge

I do not think there was much that could have been done to make it better. The delayed flight was due to bad weather. The turbulent patches were very unavoidable. Am simply thankful that there were no sudden and / or sharp drops during the flight. I do extend my compliments to captain Marcus I believe was his name and the rest of the crew. They all did an excellent job. My only question is whether I get a refund since the seats I had chosen and paid for were reassigned.

Poor seats. Not helpful crew. The food was awful.overall very very bad experience. Traveled with the family of 5

did not get a notification about seat selection ahead of time. We didn't end up sitting together.

I was denied boarding at the Brisbane airport and it seems like I won’t get any refunds from the airline

In my return flight they couldn’t identify my ticket or boarding pass, I had to go to 3 different counters until I was able to get my boarding pass. The food was on, it was the bear minimum. They didn’t even recognise that I was a Muslim and can’t eat meat, chicken or pork. In one of the trays I believe they served me pork. The staff were very pleasant, but they need to be aware of their surroundings more carefully, one of them stuck her lower belly right into my face! I was shocked and very uncomfortable.

Overall I had good experience with China Southern airline. Nothing to claim. I hoped they could improve the meal quality that is.

Wow very impressed by the quality and attentiveness of service of China Southern. Lived the blankets! Will definitely fly with them again. Despite language barriers, a few attendants know enough English to understand our rudimentary Mandarin and respond to basic questions. Although they don’t explain the beverage and meal service on the website or ticketing documents, they offered regular beverage cart and snacks during the beginning hours and end hours of the long, transoceanic flight. A full meal at the beginning and end of the flight as well, and a midflight small sandwich (dinner roll sized) but we weren’t hungry and didn’t try that one. The expectation is that every sleeps during the middle of the flight. We were on a “redeye” departure from LAX with a morning arrival in China, so I don’t know if this service pattern is the same for other flights. The domestic flight we took from Guangzhou to Harbin offered conventional refreshments and meals like a US flight service. Note that they didn’t offer diet sodas. If you like to stay hydrated, I recommend bringing plenty of your own. It is served in small cups like any other drink. You can ask for a bottle but they’re tiny - about 6 ounces.

China Southern was not the problem. I booked my flight through Kayak and also received a booking reference and alert details regarding departure time and gate numbers… however Kayak NEVER actually booked my flight! We were stranded at the airport without a flight for a long awaited holiday!

The connection between LA and Atlanta was too much stress

Terrible boarding experience,,food is very poor that I I . Never going book this airline again.

The crew were kind, patient and responsive. The service was excellent, even though we travelled the cheapest economy class. We arrived at our destination 40 min early, which for a 15+ hour flight is a great bonus. The boarding seemed a bit "loose", but got us boarded on time, and the plane was off exactly @ 0:30 hrs.

This was my first time ever flying China Eatern and it will not be my last. I was very satisfied with my whole experience and trip. Thank you very much and until soon.

It was just fine. The sirlines did live up fully to my expectation.

The flight was delayed. The staff made us wait in the room that is too small and it was crowded and with no seats available for waiting. They did not tell us why the delay occurred.

While boarding at PVG, there was a ticket checking at the gate, then there was another ticket checking at the bottom of the escalator, which created quite a dangerous congestion. Not sure which idiot made this absolutely unnecessary arrangement.

While boarding at PVG, there was a ticket checking by the gate, then there was another ticket checking right at the bottom of the escalator, which created quite a dangerous congestion. Don't understand why the duplication?

I was traveling alone with an infant, so the crew was incredibly helpful. Both the international and subsequent domestic flights were impeccable.

Plane was good. But food was bad and air host was so rude. I will never fly with China Eastern again

The flight was delayed by 2 hours, although to their credit they delayed my connecting flight so people could reach it. Also their site is a nightmare to navigate on a phone. Everything else was good.

The ticket was last minute buy so no concerns about the pricing this time, but the crew in general could have been more accommodating, helpful.

CTU-KMG-CNX with 1.5 hr connection at KMG. Doable but just barely bc immigration exit from China is at the last flight leg, here: KMG to CNX. We hauled out of the domestic terminal to reenter at the international departures (luggage checked thru to CNX thankfully). Immigration had only two agents, even though KMG gets a HUGE number of foreigners. It took forever for such a shot line. Then security also took a while, so I just just made the connection. Recommend if you exit China with domestic international transfer, plan for 2+ hrs to avoid a heart attack. Airline personnel don’t suffer if you miss the flight, you do. Plan accordingly.

Very friendly and attentive flight attendants, good food service. Seat was comfortable. However, the in flight electronics were poor. The screen froze repeatedly; the controller died; the headphones are a hit or miss; the wifi wasn't usable. Very scarce communication before the flight (no email reminder). Almost impossible to understand in-flight communications (audio was very poor).

The meals were not the greatest and lacking of appetite but everything else was spot on

Overall, excellent: check-in, boarding, service, and food. The Business Class seating is a little less private and spacious than the world's premier airlines, but still very good for a long haul flight.

On time. Friendly and helpful flight attendants. The plane was clean. Having a wine available would have been nice.

Your staff was exceptional. Could teach the other airlines-rules on etiquette, and service. Excellent landings on flights, carried out by your pilots. Only complaint is long delay on return flight in Beijing, onto Vancouver.

Worst than I expected, crew was not attentive, meal was as disgusting , they didn’t even drink selections as they would to other passengers. I felt discriminated

cannot get seat information for LAX to IAH when check in in XI,AN

UA is ok. But check in was a very bad experience

I hate that you cannot check in online and when you are at the airport, there aren't any aisle seats left. Also, they could work a little on subtitles for their movies (not everyone is a native English speaker).

Nothing to complain of, the only reason I am not giving better marks is that I am used to flying with ANA and they are the top.

Everything you need to know for your flight from San Francisco to China

Information on your arrival and departure airports