Embodiments of the present invention disclose a directional direction selection method, apparatus, and system. The method includes: sending L groups of pilots in an omnidirectional direction manner, where the L groups of pilots are received by UE by using L directional directions, and the L groups of pilots are used by the UE to switch to a directional direction with best channel quality in the L directional directions; sending, by a base station, S groups of pilots by using S directional directions respectively; determining, by the base station, an optimal directional direction in the S directional directions according to the channel quality corresponding to the S groups of pilots; and switching, by the base station, to the optimal directional direction in the S directional directions.