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.

From major tourist cities such as Beijing and Xian, you can easily travel to Yan'an by air, train, or long-distance bus. 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. Comparatively distant attractions of Hukou Waterfalls and Huangdi Mausoleum can be reached by tourist bus or a hired car.

Getting There

By Air

Having been in operation since 1980, Yan'an Ershili Pu Airport (ENY) is both a civil and military airport. Located at East Ershili Pu of Yan'an, it is just eight kilometers (about five miles) from the city center. There are no international flights from this airport; however two daily domestic airline routes connect Yan'an to the two major tourist cities of Beijing and Xian. It is about one and a half hours to Beijing and just 40 minutes to Xian. In addition, the return flight on Sunday transporting passengers between Yan'an and Guangzhou via Chongqing makes travel by air more convenient.

Transportation between the airport and the city center is well provided for. Shuttle buses at CNY5 per person run regularly between the airport and the city center, taking about 20 minutes. A taxi is quicker and costs about CNY20. An ordinary bus service is also available just outside the airport. No.5 Bus goes to Yanhe Restaurant in the city center for CNY2 per person.

Please note that the timing of the flights varies a little according to the season, so inquire at the airport before booking tickets.
Yan'an Ershili Pu Airport Information Lines: 0911-2111111, 0911-2113854

By Train

Yan'an Railway Station is located at Qili Pu near the city center. It is conveniently located and can be reached by many public buses such as No.1, No.3, No.11, and No.12 for a fare of CNY1. Yan'an has direct trains to the two major cities of Beijing and Xian as well as several cities within Shaanxi Province including Ankang to the south, Yulin and Shenmu to the north. It is about 17 hours to Beijing by 'T train' (fast trains have 'T' before the trains' number, for example, T43/T46 from Beijing to Yan'an and T44/T45 from Yan'an to Beijing). It is about eight to ten hours to Xian by ordinary train and just five hours or so by T train.

Information on Ticket-Selling
Tickets go on sale six days before the departure day at the ticket office of Yan'an Railway Station.
Yan'an Railway Station Information Lines: 0911-2496976, 0911-2496571

There are many other ticket booking offices around the city. You can find them mainly at the branches of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China on the main streets such as North Street, South Street and Dongguan Street.

By Long-distance Bus

Thanks to the No.210 national highway from Xian to Yulin passing Yan'an and many other freeways and provincial highways, long-distance bus becomes an important and convenient way to get to Yan'an. The main long-distance bus station of the city is located at Dongguan Street in the urban area - easily reached by No.4, No.6 or No.19 public buses. From this station, buses depart daily for various cities including Xian, Yulin, Xianyang in Shaanxi as well as Beijing, Shijiazhuang, Lanzhou, Yinchuan, Taiyuan, and Luoyang in other provinces. Buses bound for Xian depart every 20 to 30 minutes from 6:30 to 21:30, and there are many buses running to other cities within the province. However, there are fewer buses headed for cities in other provinces - generally a single daily service for each city. You can contact the station to get more information.
Yan'an Long-Distance Bus Station Inquiry Lines: 0911-2112531, 0911-2112534, 0911-2113350

Getting Around

By City-bus

The city bus service in Yan'an connecting the main streets is generally good. There are about ten bus routes in the urban area of the city connecting many famous tourist attractions. Several routes to the suburbs are also available. The ticket prices vary according to the distance. Tourist sites in the urban area of Yan'an are situated close to each other and can easily be reached by the city buses. Here is some information on the bus routes to some of the main attractions:

Wangjia Ping Site: No.1, 3
Yangjialing Site: No.1, 3
Date Garden: No.3, 13
Pagoda Hill: No.1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 11, 12, 18, 19
Fenghuang Hill: No. 2, 3, 4, 12, 19
Qingliang Hill: No. 1, 4, 5, 6, 11, 19
Wanhua Hill: No. 10

By Taxi

Taxis in Yan'an are very convenient. Taxi fares here are considered to be much cheaper than other cities. A Yan'an taxi charges CNY5 for the first three kilometers (about 1.9 miles), and CNY1.2 for each extra kilometer.