Transportation in Dunhuang

In ancient times, Dunhuang was an important city on the Silk Road. At that time, transportation in Dunhuang was of great importance since it connected China with the west in both business and culture. Today, the value of business has diminished along with that of the Silk Road. However, as a popular tourism city famous for its abundant cultural relics, transportation in Dunhuang is still important to those who are eager to experience its magnificent sights.

Generally speaking, transportation in Dunhuang is very convenient. Its own Dunhuang Airport makes travel here fast and comfortable. Road construction in Dunhuang mainly serves tourism in Dunhuang like the No.215 and No.313 National Highways. There are well-paved roads available to every attraction. Dunhuang has a comparatively vast territory with a sparse population. Traffic here thus flows extremely freely.

In terms of railway transportation, Dunhuang originally had to depend on the Liuyuan Railway Station which is over one hundred kilometers (over 62 miles) away from Dunhuang City. But the Dunhuang Railway Station established in 2006 made travel to this land quite convenient because this new station is only 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) from the city center.

Unlike the busy traffic in large modern cities, transportation in Dunhuang, a city associated with the vast Gobi, would give you a different experience.

Dunhuang as a hot tourism city has convenient transportation for you to easily arrive:

By Air
Situated 13 kilometers (about 8.1 miles) east of Dunhuang City is Dunhuang Airport (DNH), a small airport that offers only a domestic service. Tourists can fly to Dunhuang from Lanzhou, Xian, Beijing, Jiayuguan, Urumqi, etc. In order to offer more convenience for tourists, charter-flights have been instated including Dunhuang-Beijing, Dunhuang-Guangzhou, Dunhuang-Nanjing, Dunhuang-Urumqi, Dunhuang and Yinchuan. In the peak season, the airport offers many more charter-flights than in the off-season. Arriving at the airport, it is convenient to take a taxi to access downtown Dunhuang. If you ask other people to share a taxi with you, it will cost you less than if you take it by yourself.

Important notice: taxis outside the airport will cost less than those inside.

Dunhuang Airport Consultation: 0937-8822389
Dunhaung Airport CAAC Ticket Booking Office:
Address: No. 12 Yangguan Road (East)
Grand Sun Hotel Ticket Booking Office
Address: No. 5 in Shazhou Road (North)

By Train
There are now two railway stations available for your trip to and from Dunhuang: the Dunhuang Railway Station and the Liuyuan Railway Station.

Dunhuang Railway Station is located 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) away form the city center. At present, trains connecting Dunhuang with Jiayuguan, Xian, Lanzhou, and Yinchuan leave from the station. In front of the station's square, there are many taxies and minibuses heading for downtown Dunhuang. The minibus fare is about CNY 3 and the journey to the city center is no more than 20 minutes. Moreover, buses heading for Mogao Caves coming from the Dunhuang Hotel in the downtown area stop in front of the railway station every half hour. You can take these buses to get to the Mogao Caves directly.

Before the opening of the Dunhuang Railway Station, Liuyuan Railway Station was the main transfer station for people get to Dunhuang by train. This station is about 128 kilometers (79.5 miles) north of the downtown area. Tourists can travel directly by train to Liuyuan Railway Station from Shanghai, Beijing, Xian, Chengdu, Lanzhou, Urumqi, Chongqing, Lianyungang, Zhengzhou, Hankou, etc. In the square in front of Liuyuan Railway Station, there are minibuses and taxies which can take you to downtown Dunhuang. The minibus usually charges CNY 30 per person. Taxies or other cars may ask for CNY 100 per car. To get to the railway station from downtown Dunhuang, you can take the bus from Dunhuang Long-Distance Bus Station.

By Coach
There are two main bus stations for long-distance passenger transport in Dunhuang: Dunhuang Bus Station and Dunhuang Passenger Transport Center.

Dunhuang Bus Station is located at No. 24 Mingshan Road, Shazhou Town, opposite Feitian Hotel. There are bus routes to Xining, Hami, Turpan, Urumqi and Golmud, etc. If you want to visit Tibet from Dunhuang City, you can first take the bus to Golmud, and then transfer to the bus for Lhasa. And please kindly noted that you need to apply for the TTB (Tibet Tourism Bureau) permits to enter to Tibet first.

Dunhuang Passenger Transport Center is located at No. 25 Mingshan Road, offers local services between Dunhuang and other cities or regions inside Gansu Province, including Lanzhou, Jiayuguan, Zhangye, Jiuquan and Wuwei, etc.

City Transport:

Minibuses run along fixed routes throughout Dunhuang. Taxis are also quite available and convenient. If you'd like to rent or hire vehicles for traveling around the area, then ask at your hotel or a local travel agency for options.

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Introduction of DunhuangAttractions and SightseeingsFood and Cuisine in DunhuangDunhuang TransportationClimate in DunhuangHistory of DunhuangSuggested Itineraries

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