How to Get to Turpan

Turpan Jiaohe Airport (吐鲁番交河机场) is the only airport serving Turpan. There are several direct domestic flights to Turpan. If you want to travel from some other cities to Turpan, you can fly to Urumqi first and then transfer to Turpan.

Turpan Jiaohe Airport (IATA: TLQ)

Address: Northwest of Gaochang District, Turpan City, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region 新疆维吾尔自治区吐鲁番市高昌区西北

Connected Cities: Beijing (5.5h), Lanzhou (2.5h), Changsha (4.5h), Zhengzhou (4.5h), Korla (1h), Burqin (1h15min), etc.

Turpan is connected with some domestic cities by irregular flights. Usually, there are more flights available in peak seasons (May ~ October). It is important to verify the schedule before your flight trip to Turpan because sometimes there are daily flights and sometimes only weekly flights accessible. Generally, it is available to book a flight to Turpan from Beijing (5.5 hours), Lanzhou (2.5 hours), Changsha (4.5 hours), Zhengzhou (4.5 hours), Korla (1 hour), Burqin (1 hour 15 minutes), etc. Learn more about Turpan Jiaohe Airport: Location, Flight Schedules, Transportation>

Major Turpan Flight Schedules:

Notes: It is also viable to get to Urumqi first and then take a high speed train (1h) to Turpan or get to Turpan by train as the train schedule is more regular.

Train Time: about 4 hours-12 hours

Distance: 167 km (about 104 miles)

Duration: within 1 hour by high speed train, 1.5 ~ 2.5 hours by normal train, 1 hour by flight, about 3.5 hours by driving or long-distance bus

Undoubtedly, Urumqi is the best gateway to Turpan and Turpan is the best extension of a Urumqi tour. As the tourist distribution center of Xinjiang, Urumqi is easily reached by flight or by train. There are up to 150 air routes connecting Urumqi with lots of domestic cities (like Beijing, Shanghai, Xian, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Lanzhou, Xining, Lhasa, Khotan, Kashgar, Korla… ) and several international cities (like Kuala Lumpur, Alam-Ata, Phuket, Baku in Azerbaijan, and Tashkent in Uzbekistan and so on).

There are high speed trains, normal trains, long-distance buses and sometimes flights to take you from Urumqi to Turpan. Taking a high speed train is the most convenient way and you can transfer between them within 1 hour usually. A normal train from Urumqi to Turpan takes 1.5~2.5 hours usually, and a long-distance bus takes about 3.5 hours. There are no regular flights from Urumqi to Turpan and it is only available in peak seasons, sometimes with a stopover in Korla. A nonstop flight between Urumqi and Turpan needs about 1 hour’s trip, but it takes longer time to pass the security check in advance and wait in the waiting room.

▶ How to Get to Urumqi | Urumqi to Turpan Travel

☛ 5 Days Urumqi Discovery to Turpan and Heavenly Lake
☛ 6 Days Urumqi and Turpan Highlights Tour

Distance: 800 km (497 miles)

Duration: 2.5 hours by flight or within 10 hours by high speed train

Lanzhou is one of the best transfer hubs in northwestern China and it is also a good start of a Silk Road tour. Travelers can easily book a flight from many major domestic cities or a high speed train from Shanghai, Xian, Chengdu, Nanjing, Zhengzhou, etc. It offers convenient transfer to Turpan, both high speed trains and flights. There are about 3 weekly nonstop flights flying from Lanzhou Zhongchuan International Airport to Turpan Jiaohe Airport at a duration of about 2.5 hours. Compare with flights, more travelers choose a high speed train trip. There are 3 daily Lanzhou-Turpan high speed trains, all departing from Lanzhou West Railway Station. The whole high speed train journey takes about 10 hours, but it stops in several great tourist destinations, including Xining, Zhangye, Jiayuguan and Dunhuang. Compared with traveling from Lanzhou to Turpan directly, more travelers enjoy a Silk Road discovery at a shower pace.

▶ Lanzhou to Turpan Flight | Lanzhou to Turpan Train

☛ 11 Days In-depth Wild Silk Road Adventure Tour (Lanzhou - Zhangye - Jiayuguan - Dunhuang - Urumqi - Kasgar)

Distance: 1353 km (841 miles)

Duration: at least 12.5 hours by train, or about 16.5 hours by driving

Urumqi, Turpan and Kashgar are golden triangle tourist cities in Xinjiang as well as three treasured cultural sites to explore Xinjiang and the Silk Road charm. Many visitors, especially first-timers, will travel these three destinations in one go. In fact, there are no nonstop flights or high speed trains between Kashgar and Turpan, and the daily normal trains take about 12.5 ~ 22 hours. However, it is quite convenient to transfer between them by using Urumqi as a transfer station. You can easily take a 2 hours’ flight from Kashgar to Urumqi and then take a high speed train or drive directly from Turpan to Urumqi.

☛ 8 Days Xinjiang Classic Tour (Urumqi-Turpan-Kashgar)

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