How to Get to & around Wutaishan (Mount Wutai)

Noted as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage and the top Buddhist mountain in China, each year Mount Wutai attracts numerous tourists to witness the sprawling green mountains and Buddhist pilgrims to worship this sacred shrine of Manjusri Bodhisattva. How to get to Mount Wutai fast and convenient? Is it easy to get around to see the temples or nearby destinations from Mount Wutai? Below is useful transportation to help you better plan a Wutaishan tour.

Where is Mount Wutai Located?

Mount Wutai is located in Taihuai Town, Xinzhou, central-north Shanxi Province, about 350 km from Beijing, 800 km from Xian, 200 km from Taiyuan and Datong and 300 km from Pingyao.

Usually, Mount Wutai is also called Wutaishan, Wutai Shan, Mt Wutai or Five Terrace Mountain. Currently, tourists or Buddhist pilgrims can get to Mount Wutai via three main transportations: by bus, train and flight. If you take bus to Mount Wutai, you can directly go to Taihuai Town (the tourist base and starting point of Wutaishan tour) from Beijing, Taiyuan, etc. If you want to take a train or flight, you need extra transfer from the airport/station to Mount Wutai. Check the following arrival transportation to choose the most suitable way to go.

Mount Wutai Location Map Mount Wutai Location Map

 

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Get to Wutaishan by Flight

Xinzhou Wutaishan Airport (IATA: WUT) serves tourists to Mount Wutai and Xinzhou City. At present, tourists can take non-stop flights to Wutaishan from Shanghai, Chengdu, Nanjing and Hangzhou and over 10 Chinese cities. The air travel is normally within 3 hours. Flights departing from Shanghai, Nanjing are scheduled daily while others are weekly. If you want to fly from Beijing to Wutaishan, there are frequent connecting flights available daily, which take at least 7 hours. Please note that, once arrival, air travelers still need to spend 2 hours’ driving to Wutaishan from the airport.

Location: Wuweizhuang Village, Hongdao Town, Dingxiang County, Xinzhou City, Shanxi Province 山西省忻州市定襄县宏道镇无畏庄村

Transportation: about 110 km (2 hours’ driving) from Taihuai Town, Mount Wutai; about 40 km (1 hour’s driving) from Xinzhou City; about 100 km (1.5 hours’ driving) from Yanmen Pass.

Xinzhou Wutaishan Airport: Location and Transportation

Get to Wutaishan by Flight

Xinzhou Wutaishan Airport

Major Flight Schedules to Wutaishan Airport:

Flight Route Departure Airport Flight Type Duration Frequency
Shanghai - Wutaishan Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) non-stop flight about 2.5 hours 1 flight per day
Chengdu - Wutaishan Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport (CTU) non-stop flight about 2.5 hours 1 flight on every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday
Chongqing - Wutaishan Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport (CKG) non-stop flight about 2 hours 1 flight on every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday
Hangzhou - Wutaishan Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport (HGH) non-stop flight about 2.5 hours 1 flight on every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday
Nanjing - Wutaishan Nanjing Lukou International Airport (NKG) non-stop flight about 2 hours 1 flight per day
Changsha - Wutaishan Changsha Huanghua International Airport (CSX) non-stop flight about 2.5 hours 1 flight on every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday
Xiamen - Wutaishan Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport (XMN) flight with 1 stopover about 6 hours 1 flight on every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday

Optional Choice: Fly to Taiyuan + Taiyuan to Wutaishan by Bus

Tourists preferring an air travel can fly to Taiyuan first, because Taiyuan Wusu International Airport (IATA: TYN) operates much more flights between Taiyuan and Beijing (about 1.5 hours), Shanghai (about 2.5 hours), Guangzhou (about 3 hours), Chengdu (about 2 hours), Guilin (about 2.5 hours), Nanjing and most major tourist cities in China. From Taiyuan, you can take direct bus to Mount Wutai for about 3.5 hours to 4 hours.

Taiyuan Wusu International Airport

Taiyuan Wusu International Airport

Get to Wutaishan by Train

By High Speed Train:

Transportation: High Speed Bullet Train + Taxi/Bus/Private Transfer

Now, Xinzhou West Railway Station is the nearest high speed train station to Mount Wutai. The train station is located in Xinzhou City, about 150 km southwest of Mount Wutai. Opened in September, 2018, it mainly receives high speed trains from Taiyuan, Datong, Xian and other cities along the Datong Xian High Speed Railway.

After arrival at Xinzhou West Railway Station, tourists can take a private car or a local taxi to get to Mount Wutai directly. The driving costs almost 2.5 hours to 3.5 hours depending on which entry route you take. Besides, you can transfer from the train station to Xinzhou Bus Station nearby (3 km/ 5 minutes’ driving), and then take a bus to Mount Wutai directly. There are 5 buses a day and it needs about 3 hours.

Xinzhou West Railway Station 忻州西站

Location: Zhanqian Street, Jieyuan Village, Xinfu District, Xinzhou City, Shanxi Province 山西省忻州市忻府区谢原村站前街

Distance: about 150 km (2.5 hours to 3 hours’ driving) to Taihuai Town, Mount Wutai; about 6 km (15 minutes’ driving) from Xinzhou City; nearly 120 km (2 hours’ driving) from Yanmen Pass.

Get to Wutaishan by Train

Xinzhou West Railway Station

Get to Wutaishan by Train

Xinzhou West Railway Station Location Map

Major Xinzhou High Speed Train Schedules:

High Speed Train Route Departure Station Frequency (per day) Duration Departure Time
Taiyuan - Xinzhou Taiyuan South Railway Station over 10 trains (G & D trains) about 30 minutes about 09:00-20:30
Datong - Xinzhou Datong South Railway Station about 10 trains (D trains) about 1.5-2 hours about 07:00-19:30
Pingyao - Xinzhou Pingyao Ancient Railway Station 3 D trains about 1.5 hours about 12:00/17:00/19:00
Beijing - Xinzhou Beijing West Railway Station 1 G train about 4 hours about 17:00
Xian - Xinzhou Xian North Railway Station 2 D trains about 4.5 hours about 19:30/17:00
Hohhot - Xinzhou Hohhot East Railway Station 2 D trains about 4-4.5 hours about 07:00/14:30

By Normal Train

Transportation: Normal Train + Private Car/Bus

Wutaishan Railway Station is the closest train station to Mount Wutai with a distance of about 50 km, much shorter than the above mentioned Xinzhou West Railway Station. As an old and small train station, Wutaishan Railway Station just serves a few normal trains on the Beijing Yuanping Railway. There are daily normal trains departing from Beijing, Taiyuan, Pingyao, Xinzhou, Linfen and other provincial cities to Wutaishan Railway Station. Once arrival, you need another 1.5 hours (50 km) to transfer to Taihuai Town, Mount Wutai by private car or bus.

Tips: Taking a normal train to Wutaishan is not recommended; because the train choice is limited, the departure and arrival time is either too late or too early and you still need extra transfer to the scenic area. Generally, it’s quite inconvenient and suffering.

Wutaishan Railway Station

Address: Wenhui Road, Shahe Town, Fanshi County, Xinzhou City, Shanxi Province 山西省忻州市繁峙县砂河镇文慧路

Distance: about 70 km from Mount Wutai, 50 km to Taihuai Town, almost 160 km from Wutaishan Airport; about 150 km from Datong, 350 km from Pingyao, 240 km from Taiyuan and 700 km from Yellow River Hukou Waterfall; about 330 km from Beijing.

Wutaishan Railway Station: Location, Transportation to Mount Wutai

Get to Wutaishan by Train

Wutaishan Railway Station - The Nearest Train Station to Mount Wutai

Get to Wutaishan by Train

Wutaishan Railway Station Location Map (click to enlarge)

Main Wutaishan Normal Train Schedules:

Train Route Departure Station Train Type Duration Frequency
Beijing - Wutaishan Beijing Railway Station K trains about 6.5 ~ 7 hours 1 ~ 2 trains per day
Taiyuan - Wutaishan Taiyuan Railway Station K trains about 3.5 ~ 5.5 hours about 3 trains per day
Pingyao - Wutaishan Pingyao Railway Station K trains about 5.5 hours 1 train per day
Xinzhou - Wutaishan Xinzhou Railway Station K trains about 2 ~ 3.5 hours about 3 trains per day
Linfen - Wutaishan Linfen Railway Station K trains about 8 hours about 1 train per day

Get to Wutaishan by Bus

There are direct buses running from Beijing, Taiyuan, Datong, Xinzhou, Shijiazhuang and other surrounding cities to Wutaishan every day. The buses stop at Wutaishan Bus Station in Taihuai Town, where nearly all travelers accommodate themselves. The accepted bus time and direct arrival in Wutaishan makes the bus travel is the most convenient way to reach Wutaishan.

After arrival in Taihuai Town, you can start Wutaishan tour from visiting major temples within a few kilometers distance, such as Wuye Temple, Tayuan Temple, Shuxiang Temple, Dailuoding Temple, Posading Temple.

How to Get to Mount Wutai from Beijing

Wutaishan Bus Station 五台山汽车站

Location: Beside the highway, between Taihuai Town and Yangbai Valley, Wutai County, Xinzhou City, Shanxi 山西省忻州市五台县台怀镇和杨柏峪之间,公路旁

Distance: about 1.5 km from Wuye Temple within 20 minutes’ walking; 2 km from Tayuan Temple; 1 km from Shuxiang Temple; 2 km from Xiantong Temple, 2.5 km (30 minutes’ walking) from Pusading Temple; 3 km from Dailuoding Temple, etc.

Tips: If you take bus from Taiyuan East Bus Station, please tell the conductor that you want to get to Wutaishan (五台山) Bus Station in Taihuai Town instead of Wutai Bus Station (五台) in Wutai County. The latter terminus is about 1.5 hours’ ride to Wutaishan.

Get to Wutaishan by Bus

Wutaishan Bus Station is Located in Taihuai Town

Get to Wutaishan by Bus

Wutaishan Bus Station Location Map (click to enlarge)

Main Wutaishan Bus Schedules:

Bus Route Departure Station Frequency Departure Time Duration
Beijing - Wutaishan Beijing Liuliqiao Bus Station 2 buses per day 09:30,15:30 about 5 hours
Taiyuan - Wutaishan Taiyuan East Bus Station
Taiyuan Railway Station
7 buses per day 07:00, 08:00, 09:40, 11:25, 11:40, 14:40, 15:30 about 3.5 ~ 4 hours
Datong - Wutaishan Datong East Bus Station
Datong Xinnan Bus Station
3 buses per day 07:30, 14:00, 14:30 about 4 hours

How to Get around Wutaishan

Mount Wutai is a huge scenic area consisting of five terraces and nearly 100 Buddhist temples. Travelers often get to Taihuai Town first and then begin Wutaishan tour from the temples around the town. Hikers can trek among all temples and spots, while regular tourists are recommended to take tourist bus to save time and energy for sightseeing more.

1.Taihuai Town to Main Temples on Mount Wutai

Temple Zone of Taihuai Town is the core scenic area of Mount Wutai. You can easily walk to visit some famous and top temples around, such as Wuye Temple, Tayuan Temple, Xiantong Temple, Dailupding Temple, Pusading Temple, etc. There are also several local buses running among the tourist center, landmark hotels and main temples (such as Dailuoding Temple, Pusading Templ and so on).

Tips: 1.) The bus ticket is very cheap, usually CNY 2 per person. Better prepare some cash. 2) The bus runs between 06:30 and 20:00 during April to October and between 07:00 and 18:00 from November to next March. 3.) If a traffic jam occurs, it will take quite a long time to wait for the bus. 4.) Temples need tickets (CNY 10 at most).

Wutaishan Bus

Public Bus in Taihuai Town and Nearby Top Temples

Main Bus Lines on Mount Wutai:

Bus Line 1: Tourist Center→Baiyun Temple→Moon Pond (Guanhai Temple)→Yunfeng Hotel→Wutaishan Bus Station→Shuxiang Temple→Dailuoding Temple

Bus Line 6: Zhenhai Temple→Yunfeng Hotel→Puhua Temple→ Shuxiang Temple→Dailuoding Temple→Pushou Temple→Pusading Temple

Bus Line 7: Zhenhai Temple→Yunfeng Hotel→Puhua Temple→Shuxiang Temple→Dailuoding Temple→Pushou Temple→Jifu Temple→Bishan Temple→Guangming Temple

2.Taihuai Town to Five Terraces on Mount Wutai

Private cars are not allowed to drive upward to the terraces on Mount Wutai. For regular tourists who want to make the Da Chaotai (Big Kora) and visit all five terraces, you can take tourist bus commuting between Taihuai Town and the terraces. You can buy ticket to some terraces separately or get a thorough ticket for all five terraces. The buses depart from bus stop near the Dailuoding Cablecar Ticket Office between 07:00 to 19:00.

Tourist Bus Ticket Price:

Thorough Ticket: CNY 350 / To East Terrace: CNY 60 / To North Terrace: CNY 70

To Central Terrace: CNY 80 / To West Terrace: CNY 80 / To South Terrace: CNY 60

Taihuai Town to Five Terraces on Mount Wutai

Five Terraces Location Map
(click to enlarge)

Tips: 1.) The tourist buses are minibuses that can hold a dozen passengers. And the buses usually depart after fully loaded and confirming roads uphill are safe. 2.) The buses move in a counterclockwise direction, and stop about 30 minutes on each terrace. 3.) A full driving with all terraces plus sightseeing takes around 4 to 5 hours.

3.Taihuai Town to Foguang Temple & Nanchan Temple

Foguang Temple, famous for the third oldest preserved timber structure in China and precious architectures, sculptures, murals and inscriptions, is located about 50 km outhwest of Mount Wutai, costing at least 1 hour’s driving.

Nanchan Temple has China’s oldest existing wooden structure and rare Buddhist sculptures of ancient Tang Dynasty. It lies about 90 km from Mount Wutai, for nearly 2 hours’ driving; and around 50 km from Foguang Temple with 1 hour’s driving.

Public transportation is time-wasting and complicated with several transfers, so you’re suggested taking charted bus/private car to get there.

Taihuai Town to Foguang Temple Map

Taihuai Town to Foguang Temple Map (click to enlarge)

4.Three Ways to Visit Dailuoding Temple

1. By Cable Car: Taking a cable car (about 10 minutes) to visit Dailuoding Temple is a special experience, which can save you time and energy. It’s highly recommended for the old and children. After several minutes’ riding, you need to walk a little way to Dailuoding Temple. Beware that the cable car is non-enclosed and you may line up for 1 hour in peak season.

One-way Ticket: CNY 50 (April-October), CNY 40 (November-Next March)

Round-trip Ticket: CNY 85 (April-October), CNY 70 (November-Next March)

2. By Hiking: Climbing 1,080 steps all the way up is considered a devout pilgrimage to Manjusri Bodhisattva. You feel exhausted but it’s quite meaningful to see pilgrims kowtowing on the so-called “Wisdom Road”, and enjoy panoramic view of the layered temples down the hill. Sing-way hiking takes about half an hour to 1 hour.

3. By Riding a Horse: Riding a horse on a gentle and wider road is another option. It leaves near Jinjie Temple and detours with a farther distance. One-way charges CNY 50 and round-trip riding takes CNY 100 per person.

Dailuoding Cable Car

Take Cable Car to Dailuoding Temple

Dailuoding Hiking

Hike 1080 Steps to Dailuoding Temple

How to Plan a Wutaishan Tour

How to Get to Mount Wutai: You can get there by flights from Shanghai (2.5 hrs), Chengdu (2.5 hrs), Hangzhou (2 hrs), etc. or travel to Mount Wutai from Datong, Pingyao and Taiyuan by driving.

Best Time to Visit Mount Wutai: May to September - Bring your extra layers and umbrella/raincoat always.

A classic Mount Wutai tour usually starts from Taihuai Town, the tourist center of the entire scenic area, then takes a day to visit the most important temples of Mount Wutai, such as Xiantong Temple, Pusa Ding Temple, Tayuan Temple, etc. which are conveniently located around Taihuai Town. If you are Buddhists, you can take the Xiao Chaotai (Small Kora) to Dailuo Ding Temple if you are short on time, or go to the high-altitude Five Terraces to worship Manjusri Bodhisattvas on the five peaks of Mount Wutai - East Terrace, North Terrace, Central Terrace, West Terrace and South Terrace, which usually costs two full days. If you prefer a hiking tour, you can find some amazing high plateau hiking trails among the Five Terraces. Below are most recommended Mount Wutai tours:

☛ 3 Days Mount Wutai Trekking Tour
☛ 3 Days Mount Wutai Buddhism Tour from Taiyuan

Mount Wutai is usually visited with other famous destinations in Shanxi Province, such as Pingyao Ancient City and Wang’s Family Compound in Pingyao, Yungang Grottoes and Hanging Temple in Datong, Jinci Temple in Taiyuan and Hukou Waterfall in southern Shanxi. Below are the most recommended Shanxi tours:

☛ 5 Days Datong & Wutaishan Discovery Tour
☛ 6 Days Essence of Shanxi Tour

If your time allows, it’s strongly recommended to visit Mount Wutai with other sacred Buddhist sites in China, such as Mount Emei, Mount Putuo, Shaolin Temple, etc. If you want to explore more Chinese culture, you can also extend your tour to Xian, Beijing, Luoyang, Chengdu, etc. Below are some recommended China tours for you:

☛ 8 Days Ancient Beijing & Shanxi Culture Tour

Mount Wutai, Nourished by Profound Buddhist Culture

Mount Wutai, Nourished by Profound Buddhist Culture

Recommended Wutaishan Tours

Top 3 Wutaishan tours chosen by most customers to explore Wutaishan in the best way. Check the detailed itinerary, or tailor your own trip now with us.

Pilgrimage to Five Terraces of Mount Wutai
3 Days Mount Wutai Buddhist Pilgrimage Tour

Wutaishan

Mount Wutai Trekkers
3 Days Mount Wutai Trekking Tour (Suspended)

Mount Wutai

Monks of Tibetan Buddhism in Pusa Ding Temple
4 Days Datong Wutaishan Discovery Tour

Datong / Wutaishan

Start planning your tailor-made holiday to China by contacting one of our specialists. Once inquired, you’ll get a response within 0.5~23.5 hours.

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Questions & Discussions

Following are latest questions and answers from our webusers and customers. You can learn many useful information from the discussion and cases. You can also join in the discussions or ask your own question. Our experts will help you ASAP.

Hiking the peaks
Hi there. I was wondering if there are individual transport to and fro each of the 5 peak from Taihuai town. For example, if I start hiking from the East Terrace to go to the North Terrace? Is there a way down from the North Terrace to Taihuai Town??
2017-06-14 18:03
Hi Zeng Kai,

Thanks for your message. Yes, there are park buses to each peaks, but only available during working hours (Apr to Oct: 6:30~19:30; Nov to Mar:7:30~18:00 ). You'd better arrive early, also depart early in case of missing the park buses.
Transfer from Wutai Shan to Datong
Good morning,
We are a young couple and we need a 1 day private transfer from Wutai Shan to Datong visiting Hanging Monastery and Wooden Pagoda on the way.
Can you help me? How much would be only for this service with no guide?
Kind regards,
Andrea
2016-07-27 10:26
Hi Andrea,

Thanks for your message which has been delivered to our travel specialist team. We will reach you soon by email. Please be patient.

Best regards,

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