Yan'an, lying in the hinterland of the Loess Plateau, used to be an especially poor city in the eyes of many people, because it used to be a revolutionary base in the rural areas of northwest China before Liberation. The city's communications with the outside world were undeveloped and inconvenient.

However, today's Yan'an has benefited greatly from the country's Western Development Drive Program and it is no longer a city with a stunted economic condition and poor transportation. The immense progress Yan'an has made in transportation infrastructure construction provides a satisfactory traffic network in and around the city, to a large extent facilitating the local people, merchants and also tourists.

Now, from major tourist cities such as Beijing and Xian, you can easily travel to Yan'an by air, train, or long-distance bus. Yan'an Ershili Pu Airport has two daily flights leaving for Beijing and Xian. A well-connected railway system enables tourists from Beijing, Xian and several cities within Shaanxi Province to enjoy convenient rail transportation. In addition, due to the construction of many highways and freeways, there is plenty of choice of long-distance buses shuttling between Yan'an and various cities.

The traffic condition inside the city is considered passable and economical in general. Most tourist attractions in the urban area of Yan'an are situated near each other and can easily be reached by city buses. Yan'an Taxies are inexpensive and convenient. In addition, the comparatively distant attractions of Hukou Waterfalls and Huangdi Mausoleum can be reached by tourist bus or a hired car.

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