Dunhuang is a city worth savoring with peace of mind, boasting stunning world cultural heritage and unique natural wonders. I have compiled a Dunhuang travel guide for you, hoping to help you plan your itinerary.
✨ Highlights of the Itinerary
·World class art treasure trove: Mogao Grottoes boasts 45000 square meters of murals and over 2400 colorful sculptures, making it one of the largest and richest Buddhist art holy sites in the world. Here, you will experience the artistic shock and Buddhist cultural heritage spanning thousands of years.
·Desert Miracle Experience: At Mingsha Mountain Crescent Spring, you can not only witness the natural wonder of the coexistence of desert and clear springs, but also ride camels through sand dunes, slide sand, watch magnificent sunrises and sunsets, and even participate in starry sky camping to experience the vastness and mystery of the desert.
·Silk Road Historical Crossing: Standing at millennium old sites such as Yangguan and Yumen Pass, you can hear the echoes of history, feel the prosperity and vicissitudes of the ancient Silk Road, and experience the artistic conception of “no old friends leaving Yangguan in the west”.
📌 Basic Information
Project Information
The best time is from May to October (May to June when apricot blossoms bloom throughout the city, September to October when poplar trees are gilded)
Suggested itinerary for core attractions: 2-3 days; For in-depth tours or those that include the western route (Yangguan, Yumen Pass, Yadan), it is recommended to take 3-4 days
The budget reference daily cost is about 300-500 yuan (excluding round-trip transportation)
Climate characteristics: dry and rainless, large temperature difference between day and night, strong ultraviolet radiation
Suggest visiting Mogao Caves, Mingsha Mountain, Yueya Spring, and Dunhuang Museum as the core attractions; If there is enough time, we can increase the western or eastern routes
🗓️ Dunhuang itinerary plan
You can refer to the following ideas to arrange your itinerary in Dunhuang:
flowchart TD
Trip [Dunhuang itinerary planning]
Subgraph Day1 [Day 1: Arrival and Exploration]
D1_1 [Afternoon/Evening: Arrived in Dunhuang]
D1_2 [Evening: Shazhou Night Market<br>Tasting local cuisine]
end
Subgraph Day 2 [Day 2: Treasures of Art and Wonders of the Desert]
D2_1 [Morning: Mogao Grottoes<br>(advance reservation required)]
D2_2 [Afternoon: Rest or Visit Dunhuang Museum]
D2_3 [Evening: Mingsha Mountain Moon Tooth Spring<br>Riding a camel, watching the sunset]
end
Subgraph Day 3 [Day 3: Culture and Nature on the Western Front]
D3_1 [All day: West Line Charter/Carpool Tour]
D3_2 [Morning: Yangguan]
D3_3 [Afternoon: Yumen Pass]
D3_4 [Evening: Yadan Geopark<br>Watching Sunset and Starry Sky]
end
Subgraph Day4 [Day 4: Deep Experience or Return]
D4_1 [Optional: Yulin Grottoes,<br>Performance of "Seeing Dunhuang Again",<br>Mural Painting Copying Experience, etc.]
D4_2 [or: organizing memories, returning]
end
Trip --> Day1
Trip --> Day2
Trip --> Day3
Trip --> Day4🚌 mode of transportation
How to reach Dunhuang
·Airplane: Dunhuang Mogao International Airport has flights to major cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. During peak seasons (July August, and National Day), there are direct flights to Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. You can take the airport bus from the airport to the city center, which takes about 20 minutes.
·Train: There are bullet trains from Lanzhou, Xi’an and other places that directly reach Dunhuang, and the journey takes about 6-8 hours. Night shift trains offer a higher cost performance ratio.
local transportation
·Taxi: The starting price in the city is 5 yuan. From the city center to Mingsha Mountain, it costs about 10-15 yuan, and to Mogao Grottoes, it costs about 15 yuan.
·Charter/carpooling: To visit attractions such as Yangguan, Yumen Pass, and Yadan Geological Park on the western route, it is recommended to charter a car (400-600 yuan/day) or participate in group tours (150-200 yuan/person).
·Bus: There are bus routes in the city, such as bus route 3, which can reach Mingsha Mountain Crescent Spring Scenic Area (ticket price 2 yuan).
💰 Travel budget
The following table provides an estimate of the main expenses for the Dunhuang tour (calculated in Chinese yuan, for reference only):
Expense category: Economic (about/person) Comfort (about/person) Remarks
Accommodation (per night) 150-300 400-800+economy inns/chain hotels/specialty homestays or luxury hotels
Catering (daily) 80-150 150-300 mainly consisting of snacks and noodles/including special meals
Scenic spot tickets range from 300-500 to 500-800+Mogao Grottoes A ticket costs 238 yuan, Mingsha Mountain 110 yuan, and tickets and sightseeing fees for various scenic spots on the western route
Urban transportation 30-50 100-200 bus/taxi/charter to the West Line
Experience projects 100-200 200-400 Mingsha Mountain camel riding (about 100 yuan/hour), sand skating (20-30 yuan/time), etc
The total (3 days) is approximately 660-1200, approximately 1350-2500+. The above is a rough estimate, excluding transportation to and from Dunhuang.
Budget saving tips:
·Ticket: During the off-season (usually from December to February of the following year), visit Dunhuang and almost all attractions (except Yangguan Museum) will have their ticket prices halved.
·Accommodation: Choose a city hotel or inn near the Shazhou Night Market for convenient transportation and dining.
·Catering: Try snacks and noodles from places like Shazhou Night Market, such as donkey meat yellow noodles, lamb sauce, apricot peel water, etc.
·Transportation: Going to the scenic spots on the western route, choosing carpooling is more economical than chartering a car.
🏔️ Main attractions and recommended activities
Cultural and Historical Category
·Mogao Grottoes: a world cultural heritage site with 735 existing caves. A-class tickets (238 yuan, including digital display center+8 caves) are recommended to be reserved one month in advance on the official website or the “Dunhuang Research Institute” mini program. Special caves (150-200 yuan/cave) require on-site ticket purchase, recommended caves 45, 57, and 158. Photography and touching of murals and statues are prohibited during the visit.
·Dunhuang Museum: Free admission, systematic understanding of Dunhuang history, with 45 original replicas of Mogao Caves in the museum.
·Xiqianfo Cave: Excavated on a cliff on the banks of the Danghe River, the mural art can rival that of the Mogao Caves.
·Yangguan&Yumen Pass: Important passes on the ancient Silk Road. At Yangguan Museum, you can experience the “Customs Clearance Document” (30 yuan).
Natural wonders category
·Mingsha Mountain Moon Tooth Spring: Ticket 110 yuan, valid for 3 days. Can ride camels (about 100 yuan/person/hour), slide sand (20-30 yuan/time), gliders, etc. The best time to visit is in the early morning or evening to avoid the scorching sun and heatstroke.
·Yadan Geological Park (Devil City): Wind eroded landform group, magnificent scenery at sunset (such as “Golden Lion Welcome”). About 180 kilometers away from the city center, you need to charter a car or join a tour group to go there, and you need to take a sightseeing bus in the scenic area.
·Performance of ‘Once Again Seeing Dunhuang’: A large-scale immersive situational experience drama with a mobile viewing mode, delving into the history of Dunhuang.
🍜 Culinary experience
Dunhuang’s cuisine blends various regional flavors:
·Donkey Meat Yellow Noodles: Sauce donkey meat is a perfect match with handmade yellow noodles. You can try “Daji Sauce Donkey Meat Yellow Noodle Restaurant” or “Lao Ma’s Home” in Shazhou Night Market.
·Lamb Stewed Cake: The crust absorbs lamb broth, making it crispy and delicious.
·Lamb Juice: Lamb Powder Soup with Pancake, is a local specialty breakfast, you can try “Summer Family Juice”.
·Apricot skin water: a sweet and sour drink made by boiling dried Li Guang apricots, which can quench thirst and relieve greasiness. Recommend the ancient recipe made by boiling “Liu Hongxing Apricot Peel Water” or “Dunhuang Academy Canteen” in the Mogao Grottoes scenic area.
·Shazhou Night Market: It is a great place to taste various local snacks and experience fireworks, such as roast lamb chops, fermented skin, Dunhuang Sanbao (Steamed dumplings), etc.
🏨 Accommodation recommendations
·Urban area (near Shazhou Night Market): Eating, drinking, and transportation are very convenient, with a variety of choices, ranging from economy hotels to star rated hotels, such as Dunhuang International Hotel and Dunhuang Mountain Villa (specialty homestays).
·Surrounding Mingsha Mountain/Crescent Spring: It is convenient to enter and exit the scenic area in the morning and evening, enjoy the sunrise and sunset of the desert, and mainly use characteristic homestays, such as “Dunhuang Crescent Spring Courtyard” and “Dongyi Dunhuang Hotel”.
·Desert camping experience: There are campsites around Mingsha Mountain that offer starry sky tent camping, usually including bonfire parties and other activities, with a cost of about 200-300 yuan per person.
⚠️ Practical Information and Suggestions
·Essential items:
·Sun protection: high power sunscreen, sunglasses, sun hat, sun protection clothing/skin clothing, lipstick.
·Sand prevention: headscarves, masks, and sand prevention shoe covers (available for rent).
·Clothing: Due to the large temperature difference between day and night, it is recommended to keep a jacket even in summer; In winter, warm clothing such as thick cotton jackets and down jackets should be prepared.
·Other: Moisturizing skincare products, large capacity water bottles (for timely hydration), power banks, cameras.
·Cultural Respect: When visiting places such as Mogao Caves, please follow the regulations and do not touch the murals and sculptures, and do not make noise inside the caves.
·Advance reservation: Mogao Grottoes tickets (especially A-class tickets and special caves) must be reserved in advance. During peak seasons, it is recommended to purchase them 30 days in advance on the official mini program of Dunhuang Academy. It is also recommended to purchase tickets for performances such as’ Seeing Dunhuang Again ‘in advance.
·Safety Tip:
·Attention should be paid to protection during sandstorm weather.
·When playing on Mingsha Mountain, please follow the marked road and bring sufficient drinking water.
·If participating in outdoor activities such as desert camping, please choose a reputable and secure team.
💎 summary
Dunhuang is a city that requires a calm and savoring experience. It is recommended that you reserve at least 2-3 days to experience the cultural heritage of the millennium Silk Road, combined with its profound history and unique natural scenery.
I hope the above information can help you plan your trip to Dunhuang preliminarily. The true journey lies in immersing oneself in the experience and those unexpected moments, so don’t forget to leave some time for yourself to explore and discover freely. Wishing you a perfect journey to Dunhuang!