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

Attention! Magao Caves Digital Exhibition Center 莫高窟数字展示中心 is the No. 1 stop of Mogao Cave visiting. The ticket office is also located here. There is no ticket office located in the caves area which is about 16km from the Exhibition Center. Please don't go to the caves area without a ticket.

Mogao Caves Location Map (Click to Enlarge)

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.

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 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).

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.

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