Dunhuang Transportation -- Getting There

Dunhuang is in northwest China, at the intersection of Gansu, Qinghai, and Xinjiang provinces. Passengers can get there easily by flight, train and long-distance bus from big cities and major tourism cities in China, including Beijing, Shanghai, Xi’an, Lanzhou, Jiayuguan, Xining, Urumqi, Turpan, and Guangzhou.

 

Air

Dunhuang Mogao International Airport (DNH) is located about 13 kilometers (8 miles) east to the city center. At present, regular flight routes from Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Xi'an, Urumqi, Lanzhou and Jiayuguan have been opened. Among them, the flights from Lanzhou and Xi'an operate daily throughout the year. The air routes from other cities may be suspended in cold winter, and there may not be daily flights during other seasons. Please check the flight schedule in advance. 

Upon landing, there are convenient shuttle buses and taxis that can transfer passengers to downtown area, hotels and major scenic areas, like Mogao Caves, Echoing-Sand Mountain & Crescent Lake. Besides, there are humanized facilities inside the airport, which bring a lot of convenience to passengers.
 

Train

Now, there is a railway station available for your trip to and from the city: Dunhuang Railway Station.

Dunhuang Railway Station is located 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) away from the city center. At present, both high speed trains and normal speed trains are available here. They connect the city with Jiayuguan, Beijing, Xi’an, Lanzhou, Yinchuan, Urumqi, Zhangye, etc. 

In front of the station square, there are many taxis heading for the downtown area and scenic spots. About city bus, there is only one line in service with an interval of about 30 minutes; it runs to downtown and Mogao Caves.  

 See also Train Schedule

 Major Rail Lines from Dunhuang to:

Tips:
1. If you take the taxis or private cars at night, you can bargain with the driver about the fare and usually you'd get some discount.
2. Do not trust the driver who quotes you a quite low price, because he may raise the price on the way at the vast and desolate rocky desert, when you may have no other choice but pay more.
 

Long-Distance Bus

There is only one long-distance bus station in the city, which is called Dunhuang Long-distance Bus Station. The bus station is located at No. 2, Yingbin Avenue, operating frequent buses from Xining, Lanzhou, Zhangye, Urumqi, Golmud, Huatugou, Aksay, Subei, Guazhou, Yumen, Jiayuguan, Jiuquan, Jinta, Fengle, Shandan, Wuwei, Tongwei, Hami and Turpan. In addition, there are daily buses from this bus station to Dunhuang Railway Station.

Dunhuang Long-distance Bus Schedule
Xining 10:00
Lanzhou 08:30, 10:30
Zhangye 15:30
Urumqi 12:00
Hami 08:00
Subei 07:50, 10:00, 16:00, 16:30, 18:00
Golmud 08:00, 19:30
Huatugou 07:30, 08:30, 20:30
Jiuquan 08:00, 08:30, 09:30, 10:15, 13:00, 14:30, 21:30, 22:30
Shandan 18:00
Yumen 07:40
Fengle 07:00
Jinta 21:00
Anxi 16:00, 17:30
Jiayuguan 11:30, 14:30
Wuwei 16:30
Zhangye 15:30
Tongwei 14:40

Tips: Buses to Lanzhou, Xining, Golmud and Zhangye are usually sleeper coaches. There are also sleeper buses, sleeper minibuses and air-conditioned buses. Visitors can confirm the types of vehicles in the bus station.

- Last updated on May. 21, 2024 -
Questions & Answers on Getting to Dunhuang
Asked by Juan from SPAIN | May. 18, 2024 05:08Reply
How much time does it take a coach from Golmud to Dunhuang?
Answers (1)
Answered by Emily | May. 21, 2024 01:33
00Reply


It takes about 7.5 hours.
Asked by Lee from THAILAND | Sep. 21, 2023 06:20Reply
Can I get Dunhuang from Golmud by Coach? Can I get advance ticket reservation?
Answers (5)
Answered by Nick | Sep. 21, 2023 20:53
00Reply


Yes, there is one from Golmud Coach Station leaving at 09:00. But the ticket websites are all in Chinese. Maybe you can arrive a little early to buy the tickets on the spot.
Answered by Lee | Sep. 22, 2023 04:52
00Reply


Thank you so much.
Answered by Lee | Sep. 28, 2023 23:06
00Reply


Where is the Bus station in Golmud?
Answered by Nick | Oct. 06, 2023 19:24
00Reply


It is located at No.23, Jiangyuan South Road, just opposite to Golmud Railway Station.
Answered by Lee | Oct. 07, 2023 04:33
00Reply


Thank you so much.
Asked by GUSTAVOANA | Sep. 21, 2019 05:31Reply
What is the bus schedule and prices from Dunhuang to Golmud?
And another question is bus schedules and prices from Golmud to Xining? Thank you.
Answers (1)
Answered by Mead from AUSTRALIA | Sep. 23, 2019 19:00
00Reply


There is only one bus from Dunhuang Coach station to Golmud. It departs at 9:00 with CNY115. From Golmud to Xining, the bus from Golmud Taishan road bus station departs at 16:00 with CNY120.
Asked by Earth from THAILAND | May. 21, 2019 18:51Reply
Is it have buses go direct from Jiayuguan to Dunhuang and what time is it?
From question 1, Which Website that I can see the bus table and book it? (Chinese is not my problem though it is not so good)
Answers (3)
Answered by Emma from USA | May. 22, 2019 19:31
00Reply


There are direct trains you can reach your destination.
Y667 1:49-6:30
K9667 3:16-8:10
K41 3:47-9:06
K367 4:07-8:38
7535 8:15-14:14
It is suggested to book your train tickets from bookingtravelchinaguide.com.
Answered by Earth from THAILAND | May. 24, 2019 04:36
00Reply


And it doesn’t has bus?
Answered by Emilie from USA | May. 26, 2019 19:00
00Reply


Three buses depart from Jiayuguan Long-distance Bus Station at 9:00, 10:30 and 14:30 every day. It takes about CNY85 per person and the duration is around 4 hours.
Asked by Alixxy from MALAYSIA | May. 18, 2019 21:56Reply
I will be arriving Liuyuan South Railway Station around 4pm on 2/6/19.
May I know what transport and price is easy and fast to get to Dunhuang. The road to Dunhuang is in good condition?
Answers (1)
Answered by Kira from USA | May. 20, 2019 18:13
00Reply


It is said that there are shuttle buses and it costs around CNY30 per person. But I didn't find any schedule. You can also share a taxi with other passengers and it takes about CNY50 per person.
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