How to get to & around Dunhuang - Dunhuang Transportation 2023

Dunhuang Railway Station (敦煌火车站)

Location: 217 Provincial Highway, Dunhuang, Jiuquan, Gansu (甘肃省酒泉敦煌市217省道)

Dunhuang Railway Station is about 12km to the east of downtown. It is built in 2006 and mainly serves Dunhuang Railway, which is the only tourism special line in Gansu Province. The railway station is simple but graceful, combining modern features with the characteristics of Han and Tang Dynasty. It facilities tourists a lot because it enables people to get there directly from Jiayuguan, Lanzhou, Zhangye, Urumqi, Xian, etc.

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Liuyuan South Railway Station

Location: Liuyuan Town, Guazhou County, Jiuquan City, Gansu Province (甘肃省酒泉市瓜州县柳园镇)

Liuyuan South Railway Station is about 3km from Liuyuan downtown and 210km from Dunhuang downtown. It was built in 2009 as a connecting station on Lanzhou-Xinjiang Railway. So it now only serves high-speed trains on this route. As of November, 2019, there are 12 trains passing through Liuyuan South Railway Station and all of them are running between Urumqi and Lanzhou or Xining. People who want to get to Xinjiang from Dunhuang need to take a train in Liuyuan.

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Get from Shanghai to Dunhuang

Shanghai and Dunhuang, one in the southeast and the other in the northwest China, are 3115km (1935.6mi) apart. Unless you are interested in a 35.5-hour train trip, we would recommend you to get from Shanghai to Dunhuang by plane.

You can either take a seasonal stopover flight (6 - 9 hours) or a connecting flight (1 - 4 flights a day, 6.5 - 9 hours) via Xian. If time permits, you can spend some days in Xian and extend your Shanghai Dunhuang trip.

• Useful Links: Travel from Shanghai to Dunhuang | Shanghai Dunhuang Tours

• Recommended Tour: 10 Days Legendary Silk Road Tour from Shanghai

Get from Lanzhou to Dunhuang

Lanzhou and Dunhuang are both in Gansu Province. They are 1095km (680.4mi) apart. Both planes (2 hours) and trains (8.5 - 14.5 hours) are available.

Travelling by plane is still more recommended. There are 2 - 6 direct daily flights from Lanzhou Zhongchuan International Airport to Dunhuang International Airport and.There are several daily normal trains running from Lanzhou to Dunhuang, running 13 ~ 16 hours usually.

• Useful Links: Get from Lanzhou to Dunhuang

• Recommended Tours: 6 Days Hexi Corridor Discovery Tour | 8 Days Gansu Highlights Tour

Get from Jiayuguan to Dunhuang

Jiayuguan is very near to Dunhuang compared with the cities mentioned above. They are only 375km, 4 hours’ drive away.

Taking a train is the fastest way. Bullet trains only need about 2.5 hours and normal trains need 4 – 6 hours. Some travellers will also choose to take a bus because Dunhuang Bus Station is right in the downtown area. Taking a bus will need 4 – 5 hours.

• Useful Links: Get from Jiayuguan to Dunhuang

• Recommended Tours: 4 Days Jiayuguan Dunhuang Tour

Get from Dunhuang to Urumqi

Urumqi is the capital city and transportation hub of Xinjiang. It is about 1070km, 12 hours’ drive to the northwest of Dunhuang.

To take a train, you still need to get to Liuyuan (210km, 2h15min by car from Dunhuang) first. Then take the bullet train (4-4.5h) at Liuyuan South Railway Station or normal train (7-12.5h) at Liuyuan Railway Station. Bus and flight (no available direct flight) are not recommended because they are too time-consuming.

• Useful Links: Get from Dunhuang to Urumqi

• Recommended Tours: 12 Days Silk Road Tour (Beijing / Xian / Dunhuang / Turpan / Urumqi)

Getting Around Dunhuang

The most common way to get around Dunhuang is by bus or taxi. But if you want to get to some remote attractions such as Yandan National Geopark, you may need to rent a car.

How to Get to Mogao Caves

To get to Mogao Caves, you need to get to Magao Caves Digital Exhibition Center first. It is about 12km, 20 minutes’ drive from Dunhuang downtown and less than 5km from Dunhuang Railway Station and Dunhuang International Airport. After you arrive at the center and collect your ticket, you can take the free shuttle bus (about 20 minutes) to the Mogao Caves Scenic Area according to the scheduled time on the ticket.

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How to Get to Yadan National Geopark

Yadan National Geopark is another highlight of Dunhuang but it is far away from the downtown area. It is about 180km, 2.5 hours’ drive from Dunhuang city by private car, about 3 hours by city bus. You can also take direct city bus from Dunhuang Hotel in downtown to Yardang National Geopark passing through Yumen Pass and Yangguan Pass on the way. There are about 3 buses departing in the morning and returning in the evening hours every day. You may view sunset in Yardang National Geopark if choose a late bus.

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How to Get to Yulin Caves

Yulin Caves is called the Sister Grotto of Dunhuang Mogao Caves. It actually is not in Dunhuang, but in Guazhou County, about 180km to the east of Dunhuang. Many people will visit Yulin Caves on their driving way to Dunhuang from Jiayuguan.

For independent travelers, to get to Yulin Caves from Dunhuang, you need to take a train or bus to Guazhou first, which will need about 1.5 hours. Then you can take a taxi or pay for a charted vehicle to Yulin Caves which is about 70km away from Guazhou.

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