Guide for Mogao Caves Tickets: When and How to Buy, Price and Tips

As the most popular scenic site in Dunhuang, Mogao caves attract numerous visitors home and abroad. Each visitor has to hold a ticket for entry. Depending on different seasons, there are 6 types of tickets for sale. To have a better preservation of the Mogao Caves, the tickets are limited to a certain amount of visitors. The followings are detailed introduction about all types of tickets and a guide on how to purchase/book tickets of the Mogao Caves.

Mogao Caves Ticket Ticket Office at Magao Caves Digital Exhibition Center

How to Book Mogao Caves Tickets

There are two ways to get the Mogao Caves tickets: booking online and buying offline at the ticket offices.

Option 1: Book Tickets Online

You can sign in at the official website of Mogao Caves (in Chinese) or follow the official Wechat Account of Mogao Caves to book tickets about 1 month before your actual visiting time. However, the online ticket booking service for independent visitors only opens to Chinese Citizens. Even you want to book a ticket from OTA agents, like Ctrip, you may be asked the must-info of a Chinese ID Card.

Therefore, for foreign passport holders, you can only book tickets online through a reliable travel agent since Mogao Caves Tickets currently are not applicable for foreign independent travelers. For the tickets get easily sold out especially during the peak season, please plan your Dunhuang trip earlier and do not hesitate to contact us for ticket booking help!

Option 2: Purchase Tickets at Ticket Offices

A certain amount of tickets will be reserved for foreign visitors every day and they only sell at Tickets Offices of Mogao Caves. There are two Tickets Offices in Dunhuang, namely Mogao Grottoes Reservation and Ticket Center (in Dunhuang downtown), and Magao Caves Digital Exhibition Center (9km away from Dunhuang downtown). The former one is located in Dunhuang City, where you can purchase the Mogao Caves Tickets on that day and book tickets one month ahead of time for the earliest, while at Magao Caves Digital Exhibition Center you can only purchase tickets on that day.

Mogao Grottoes Reservation and Ticket Center 莫高窟参观预约售票中心

Location: No. 102, Building 15, North Yingbinhuayuan garden, Dunhuang敦煌市迎宾花园北区15号楼102号

Distance: in the downtown area, about 9km to Magao Caves Digital Exhibition Center, 15min by car; 10km to Dunhuang Railway Station, about 15min by car; 12km to Dunhuang Airport, about 17min by car

Magao Caves Digital Exhibition Center 莫高窟数字展示中心售票处

Location: 9 km south of provincial Road 314 in Dunhuang, 500 m East of sun hot spring hotel敦煌市314省道9公里南侧,太阳温泉酒店向东500米

Distance: 16km away from Mogao Caves, about 25min by bus; 2km to Dunhuang Railway Station, about 25min on foot; 4km to Dunhuang Airport, about 7min by car

Mogao Caves Ticket Mogao Caves Tickets
Mogao Caves Ticket Ball Screen Film about Mogao Caves

Type of Different Mogao Caves Tickets

There are totally 5 types of tickets, namely Ticket A, B, C, D, E. The Ticket A/B/C is only purchasable during the Peak Season (April 1st to November 30th ), while the Ticket D/E sells during the Off-Season (December 1st to March 31st).

Mogao Cave Tickets During the Peak Season

Ticket A - 6,000 Tickets for Sale Per Day

Price: CNY 238~258 Per Person

Inclusions: ❶ Entry/Admission Fee for 8 Grottoes at Mogao Caves (CNY 180); ❷ Transportation Fare Between Mogao Caves Digital Exhibition Center and Mogao Caves (CNY 10); ❸ Ball Screen Film - The Splendor of Buddhas Palace and Digital Film - A Thousand Years of Mogao Caves at Mogao Caves Digital Exhibition Center (CNY 48); ❹ Free visit to Dunhuang Grottoes Research and Exhibition Center, Dunhuang Sutra Cave Exhibition Hall, Dunhuang Research Institute History Exhibition Hall, Dunhuang Research Institute Art Museum, etc.

Optional Service: Mogao Caves Guide & Introduction in Foreign Language (English, French, Japanese, etc) - CNY 20 Per Person

Ticket B - 12,000 Tickets for Sale Per Day

Price: CNY 100 Per Person

Inclusions: ❶ Entry/Admission Fee for 4 Grottoes at Mogao Caves (CNY 90); ❷ Transportation Fare Between Mogao Caves Digital Exhibition Center and Mogao Caves (CNY 10); ❸ Free visit to Dunhuang Grottoes Research and Exhibition Center, Dunhuang Sutra Cave Exhibition Hall, Dunhuang Research Institute History Exhibition Hall, Dunhuang Research Institute Art Museum, etc.

Optional Service: Mogao Caves Guide & Introduction in Foreign Language (English, French, Japanese, etc) - CNY 20 Per Person

Ticket C - Only Mogao Caves Related Films

Price: CNY 50 Per Person

Inclusions: ❶ Ball Screen Film - The Splendor of Buddhas Palace and Digital Film - A Thousand Years of Mogao Caves at Mogao Caves Digital Exhibition Center.

Mogao Cave Tickets During the Off Season

Ticket D - Totally 6,000 Tickets for Sale Per Day

Price: CNY 140~160 Per Person

Inclusions: ❶ Entry/Admission Fee for 12 Mogao Caves (CNY 90); ❷ Transportation Fare Between Mogao Caves Digital Exhibition Center and Mogao Caves (CNY 10); ❸ Ball Screen Film - The Splendor of Buddhas Palace and Digital Film - A Thousand Years of Mogao Caves at Mogao Caves Digital Exhibition Center (CNY 40); ❹ Free visit to Dunhuang Grottoes Research and Exhibition Center, Dunhuang Sutra Cave Exhibition Hall, Dunhuang Research Institute History Exhibition Hall, Dunhuang Research Institute Art Museum, etc.

Optional Service: Mogao Caves Guide & Introduction in Foreign Language (English, French, Japanese, etc) - CNY 20 Per Person

Ticket E - Only Mogao Caves Related Films

Price: CNY 40 Per Person

Inclusions: ❶ Ball Screen Film - The Splendor of Buddhas Palace and Digital Film - A Thousand Years of Mogao Caves at Mogao Caves Digital Exhibition Center.

Mogao Caves Opening Hours

Please notice there is a scheduled visiting time on your ticket. Wherever you get your Mogao Caves tickets, you need to get to Magao Caves Digital Exhibition Center first (16km away from Mogao Caves) at least half an hour before your scheduled visiting time, from which you can watch the Magao Caves related movies (for ticket A/C/D/E) and take a bus to Mogao Caves (for ticket A/B/D).

Opening Hours During the Peaking Season (Apri 1st to Nov. 30th)

Mogao Caves Opening Hours: 08:00 - 18:00 (Apri 1st to Nov. 30th)

Mogao Grottoes Reservation and Ticket Center Opening Hours: 08:00 - 16:00 (Apri 1st to 30th); 07:00 - 21:00 (May 1st to Oct. 31st)

Magao Caves Digital Exhibition Center Opening Hours: 07:30 - 15:00 (Apri 1st to Oct. 31st ); 08:30 - 15:00 (Nov. 1st to Nov. 30th)

Opening Hours During the Off-Season (Dec 1st to Mar. 31st)

Mogao Caves Opening Hours: 09:00 - 17:30 (Dec 1st to Mar. 31st)

Magao Caves Digital Exhibition Center Opening Hours: 08:30 - 15:00 (Dec 1st to Mar. 31st)

Note: Mogao Grottoes Reservation and Ticket Center in Dunhuang City downtown only opens from April 1st to Oct. 31st. The Magao Caves Digital Exhibition Center works for the whole year. The actual opening hours may be subject to change due to multiple unpredictable factors. Please do not hesitate to contact us for the updated info!

Notice of Mogao Caves

Scheduled Opening Caves: 9, 16, 17, 25, 29, 46, 55, 61, 71, 94, 96, 171, 334, 148, 202, 203, 231, 237, 244, 246, 249, 251, 257, 259, 292, 296, 314, 329, 332, 335, 340, 341, 384, 397, 407, 409, 420, 427, 428, 445

Caves for Irregular Events: 12, 23, 44, 79, 100, 103, 138, 146, 152, 204, 172, 201, 256, 311, 323, 328, 331, 386, 390, 419

Special Caves: 45, 57, 156, 158, 217, 220, 254, 275, 321, 322

Note: Due to the need for cultural relics protection of Mogao Grottoes, the temporary adjustment of opening caves and relevant policies shall be subject to the announcement issued by the Mogao Grottoes Opening Management Committee of Dunhuang Research Institute. Please visit https://www.e-dunhuang.com/index.htm to have a brief idea of the caves you are visiting.

More Useful Tips on Visiting Mogao Caves

❶ Please do not take photos or touch any relics and keep your voice down inside the cave.

❷ Please bring your passport or other valid documents with you. You can only enter the scenic site with your valid identity document, and your ticket.

❸ Please follow your guide to visit the caves. Any special cave is not allowed to enter.

❹ The opening time of Mogao Grottoes is influenced by weather conditions. In case of heavy rain and sandstorm, the cave will be closed. Tourists who have already held the tickets or booked the tickets can go to the ticket office to get a full refund.

Travel Mogao Caves with China Discovery

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