Get from Dunhuang City to Mogao Caves (Mogao Grottoes) 2025

The Mogao Caves Area is located in the southeast outskirts of Dunhuang City, about 24km to the downtown area. To get to the Mogao Caves, you need to get to the Mogao Caves Digital Exhibition Center first and purchase tickets to get on the shuttle bus to the Mogao Caves Area. It is about 16 km away from the scenic area. The Mogao Caves Digital Exhibition Center is also the ticket office and the ONLY entrance to Mogao Caves Area. There is a large parking lot for tourists to park there, and No ticket office in Mogao Caves Area.

Dunhuang Downtown to Mogao Caves

The Mogao Caves Digital Exhibition Center is about 9km to Dunhuang City Center (near Shazhou Night Market). You can take bus No. 12 at the stop near the Silk Road Yiyuan Hotel (丝路怡苑大酒店) to get there or grab a taxi there.

Dunhuang Railway Station to Mogao Caves

Dunhuang Railway Station is only about 2km away from the Mogao Caves Digital Exhibition Center, about 20min on foot. If you have heavy luggage, you can also choose to take a taxi to get there, which takes about 5min.

Dunhuang Airport to Mogao Caves

Dunhuang Airport to the Digital Center is about 5km. You can easily grab a taxi to get there, with about 10min. Also, you can take the airport shuttle bus and get off at Dunhuang Railway Station and walk to the digital center.

Mogao Caves Digital Exhibition Center to Mogao Caves Area

It takes about 20min to get from the Mogao Caves Digital Center to the Cave Area. The shuttle bus departs according to your scheduled visiting time. You need to get to the digital center between 7:30 am to 3:00 pm (April 1st to Oct 31st) or 8:30 am to 3:00 pm (Nov 1st to Mar 31st). The actual daily schedules are varied according to the number of visitors during the opening time. Please notice that you can not get your tickets after 3:00 pm and the tickets will be checked more than once for the Dunhuang films, your bus seat, and cave visiting.

★ Recommended Dunhuang Mogao Caves Tour: >>3 Days Best Dunhuang Culture and Scenery Tour

How to Plan a Dunhuang Tour

Usually, 2~4 days are needed to explore the highlights of Dunhuang. The world heritage site Mogao Caves and the stunning landscape of Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Lake are two Must-Go attractions which take a full day to visit. You can then spend one more day to explore the western region of Dunhuang which also has a lot of attractions, such as the ruin of Great Wall, Yumenguan Pass, Yardang Landform, etc. As for the downtown sites, if time allows, don't miss the Shazhou Night Market and Dunhuang Museum.

Some travelers usually travel Dunhuang with other destinations in Gansu, such as Jiayuguan, Zhangye, Lanzhou, etc. One can even travel from Dunhuang to Turpan, Urumqi of Xinjiang.

★ Recommended Dunhuang Tours

>> 2 Days Dunhuang Short Stay Tour

>> 3 Days Best Dunhuang Culture and Scenery Tour

>> 4 Days Classic Dunhuang Tour

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

Travel Dunhuang with China Discovery

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Sculptures, Murals, Facade of the Mogao Caves