How to get to & around Lanzhou

✈ Lanzhou Zhongchuan Airport (兰州中川国际机场) the only airport in Lanzhou which is approximately 70km away nearly an-hour driving from Lanzhou city. So far, there are more than 60 air lines connecting Lanzhou with major cities in China, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Xian, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Dunhuang, Jiayuguan, etc.

Location: Zhongchuan Town, Yongdeng County, Lanzhou

Transfer to Lanzhou City

• High-Speed Train: There are about 20 high-speed trains departing from the airport to Lanzhou West Railway Station/Lanzhou Railway Station from 6:30 am to 10:30 pm with the duration around 50min. Both of the train stations are located in the downtown area and you can easily grab a taxi to the scenic sites in Lanzhou city.

• Shuttle Bus: There are shuttle bus running between airport and downtown. They usually depart every half-hour and take about one hour to Lanzhou city.

• Taxi: Most taxicabs are metered, but you are suggested to negotiate with the driver to reach a cheaper price instead of paying by metes.

Beijing is about 1450km to the east of Lanzhou. It is highly recommended to travel from Beijing to Lanzhou by plane and high speed train because the normal train will take about 18 hours.

There is four direct flight (2.5h) from Beijing Capital International Airport/Beijing Daxing Airport to Lanzhou International Airport. During the peak season, the flights are more frequent.

Beijing West Railway Station operates two high-speed bullet trains from Lanzhou West Railways Station in the morning by 11 am, and all the normal trains depart in the afternoon to Lanzhou Railway Station.

• Recommended Tours: 6 Days Beijing to Lanzhou Silk Road Tour by Flight | 8 Days Beijing Xian Lanzhou Epic Silk Road Culture Tour

Get from Xian to Lanzhou

Xian is about 650km to the southeast of Lanzhou. People can take it as a transfer city from other part of China to Lanzhou or start your Silk Road trip here.

There are over 40 hight speed bullet trains running all day from 7am to 9pm between Xian North Railway Station to Lanzhou West Railway Station, and the duration is about 2.5h to 3.5h. Besides the bullet trains, there are also over 30 normal trains (about 7h) to Lanzhou. For the developed railway network, there is no direct flights connecting the two cities.

• Recommended Tours: 5 Days Silk Road Tour from Xian | 10 Days Classic Silk Road Tour

Get from Urumqi to Lanzhou

Lanzhou and Urumqi are two terminal station of Lanzhou-Xinjiang Railway. They are about 2,000km apart. Both planes (3 hours) and trains (12 - 24 hours) are available.

Travelling by plane is still more recommended. There are 2 - 6 direct daily flights from Lanzhou Zhongchuan International Airport to Urumqi Airport. As for the trains, there are four bullet trains (12h) and over 15 overnight trains (16h ~ 24h).

• Recommended Tours: 8 Days Xinjiang Silk Road Exploring Tour

Get from Zhangye to Lanzhou

Lanzhou and Zhangye are two of the most famous destinations on the ancient Silk Road. They are about 500km, 6.5 hours by car. You can take either train (4h to 7h) or flight (1h) to Lanzhou from Zhangye.

Beside taking a flight at Zhangye Airport, if time allows, you can take the high speed bullet train to Lanzhou from Zhangye and enjoy the beautiful Gobi scenery on your way from Zhangya West Railway Station to Lanzhou West Railway Station and the duration is about 4h to 4.5h.

• Recommended Tours: 6 Days Zhangye Jiayuguan Dunhuang(Silk Road Glory)

Get from Dunhuang to Lanzhou

Dunhuang is an important outpost city along the silk road. It is nearly 1,100 km, 13 hours’ drive to the northwest of Lanzhou.

You can get to Lanzhou from Dunhuang, taking either trains or flights. There are four daily trains, including one bullet train and the duration is 8 hours by bullet train. The flight takes about 1.5 hours, and it departs more frequent during the peak season.

• Recommended Tours: 11 Days In-depth Wild Silk Road Adventure Tour

Lanzhou is rather a transfer hub than a popular tourist destination. Traveler usually choose Lanzhou as the starting point of their holidays because there are a great number of trains to Gansu, Qinghai, Tibet, Xinjiang making stops here, as well as many domestic flights from Beijing, Xian, Chengdu, Shanghai, Guangzhou, etc. From Lanzhou, you can extend your trip to Xiahe Labrang Monastery and Langmusi Temple in southern Gansu(2~3 days), or travel northwestwards to the famous Hexi Corridor - Zhangye, Jiayuguan and Dunhuang(4~5 days).

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