Xian to Dunhuang Tour Plans - How to Travel from Xian to Dunhuang

Location: Dizhang Town, Weicheng District, Xianyang City, Shaanxi (陕西省咸阳市渭城区底张镇)

Xi’an Xianyang International Airport (西安咸阳国际机场) is actually located in Xianyang city, but you can get to Xi’an downtown conveniently by Airport Shuttle Bus (subway is not available yet). The airport connects Xi’an with most major cities in China and many cities abroad. So far (July, 2019), there are 62 airline companies running 313 lines covering 171 cities such as Beijing, Tianjin, Chengdu, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Kunming, Chongqing, Nanjing, Xiamen, Hong Kong, Macau, Seoul, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Nagoya, etc.

From Xi’an downtown (Ancient City Wall): about 40km, 1 hour by car, 1.5 hours by Airport Shuttle Bus.

From Terracotta Warriors: about 66km, 70 minutes by car.

Location: Mogao Town, Dunhuang City, Jiuquan City, Gansu (甘肃省酒泉市敦煌市莫高镇)

Dunhuang International Airport (敦煌国际机场) is about 13km to the east of Dunhuang downtown and 22km to the north of Mogao Grottoes. It now operates domestic flights between Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Hangzhou, Lanzhou, Xian, Xining, Hong Kong, etc. but not all of them are open all year round. Some flights such as those to Beijing and Hong Kong are seasonal flights. From December 9, 2019 to February 24, 2020, direct flights to Siem Reap in Cambodia will be put into operation. Dunhuang Airport is expected to be built into a major international airport in Gansu Province.

To Dunhuang downtown: about 13km, 25 minutes by car

To Mogao Grottoes: about 22km, 30 minutes by car

Location: No. 44 Huancheng North Road, Xincheng District (西安市新城区环城北路44号)

Xi’an Railway Station is an old railway station with a history of over 80 years. It has a Tang’s style architecture with glazed tile roof and yellow glazed walls. At present, Xi’an Railway Station operates both high speed trains and normal trains to other cities, like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Tianjing, Lanzhou, Dunhuang, etc. The trains to Lhasa from Shanghai and Guangzhou also take a stop at Xian Railway Station, so it is available to take a train from Xian to Lhasa via Qinghai Tibet Railway directly.

From Xi’an downtown (Ancient City Wall): about 5km, 20 minutes by car, 40 minutes by bus. But if you are at the North Gate of Ancient City Wall, you can just walk there; they are about 1.5km apart.

>>Know More about Xi'an Train Stations

Location: 217 Provincial Highway, Dunhuang, Jiuquan, Gansu (甘肃省酒泉敦煌市217省道)

Dunhuang Railway Station is about 12km to the east of downtown. It is built in 2006 and mainly serves Dunhuang Railway, which is the only tourism special line in Gansu Province. The railway station is simple but graceful, combining modern features with the characteristics of Han and Tang Dynasty. It facilities tourists a lot because it enables people to get there directly from Jiayuguan, Lanzhou, Urumqi, Xian, etc.

To Dunhuang downtown: about 12km, 20min by car.

To Mogao Grottoes: about 19km, 25min by car.

As the ancient capital city for 13 dynasties in China's history, Xi’an has always been a hot tourist destination in China. Terracotta Warriors and Horses buried for more than 2000 years is definitely a must-see. After that, take a stroll or rent a bike on the Ancient City Wall, the largest and best-preserved ancient city wall in China, to enjoy panoramic views of modern Xi’an. Then try some local snacks at the bustling and lively Muslim Quarter. On the next day, head to Da Cien Temple and Giant Wild Goose Pagoda to feel the Buddhist culture in Xi’an, then get a deeper understanding of the past of this city in Shaanxi History Museum. If you are interested in mountain climbing, don’t miss the challenging Mount Huashan which is famous for lofty peaks and steep paths.

>>1 Day Xian Essence Tour

>>2 Days Xian City Break

>>4 Days Xian Highlights Tour with Mount Huashan Hiking

It usually takes 2 days to cover the main highlights in Dunhuang. Just like the Terracotta Warriors in Xi’an, the 2000-year-old Mogao Grottoes is the essence in a Dunhuang trip. Here you can admire thousands of colorfully painted Buddhist statues and have an eye-feast on the exquisite mural paintings. After that, you can go to the Echoing Sand Mountains and find out why Crescent Lake has never dried up for so many years. On the next day, go explore the remote wild Gobi desert landscape and several legendary historical sites such as Yumen Pass (Jade Gate Pass) which used to be a military defensive pass as well as an important border for international trading along the ancient Silk Road, and Yardang National Geologic Park which features Yardang landforms in distinct shapes as you can imagine like Mongolian Bao, Stone Bird, Peacock and others. If you have more days, you can take an in-depth Gansu tour to Lanzhou, Zhangye, or travel a little farther to the beautiful Qinghai.

>>2 Days Dunhuang Short Stay Tour

>>6 Days Hexi Corridor Discovery Tour(Zhangye/Jiayuguan/Dunhuang)

>>10 Days Qinghai & Gansu Highlights Tour