How to Get to & around Pingyao
Known for its ancient walled scenic sites, Pingyao is an enduring city with many historic relics and traditional architecture wonders. It can be easily reached with one normal train station and one high-speed train station, and Taiyuan Airport is only about 100km to it. Besides just traveling Pingyao, many visitors would have a trip from Pingyao to cities like Beijing, Xian, Datong, Luoyang, etc.
Where is Pingyao
Located in the central Shanxi province in China, Pingyao County is an inland county with railways and expressways to many other cities. It is not far away from Beijing and Xian, and very close to Shanxi’s capital city, Taiyuan. It is about 600km to Beijing, 500km to Xian.
Get to Pingyao by Train
At present, there are two railway stations in Pingyao, namely, Pingyao Railway Station and Pingyao Gucheng Station. Pingyao Railway Station is a small train station serving mainly stop-over K trains and other normal trains, while Pingyao Gucheng Station (aka Pingyao Ancient City Railway Station) is the high-speed railway station. Ther are many trains departing from Taiyuan to Pingyao. Traveling by train from Beijing, Xian, Datong, Taiyuan, Luoyang to Pingyao is also very popular.
Pingyao Railway Station - Normal Train Station
• Location: 14 Zhongdu Road, Pingyao County, Jinzhong City, Shanxi Province晋中市平遥县中都路14号
Distance to Pingyao Ancient City Scenic Site: 1km
It is a small railway station located not far away outside the West Gate of the ancient county, every day only a few trains to and from Beijing, Xian, Chengdu, Tianjin, and Chongqing stop over there. Most of the normal trains from Beijing and Xian to Pingyao Railway Station are overnight trains.
Pingyao Ancient City Railway Station - High-Speed Train Station
• Location: Wenjing Avenue, Pingyao County, Jinzhong City, Shanxi Province 晋中市平遥县文景大道
Distance to Pingyao Ancient City Scenic Site: 10km
Pingyao Ancient City Railway Station, also known as Pingyao Gucheng Railway Station, has been put into use since 2014. It is a stop-over station for high-speed trains from Taiyuan, Beijing, Xian, Jinan, Chongqing, etc.
Learn more about location, transportation and high speed train routes of Pingyao Ancient City Railway Station
Get to Pingyao by Flight
Travelers can not take a flight to Pingyao directly for there is no airport, and the nearest airport is in Taiyuan, Taiyuan Wusu Airport, which operates over 50 flights to most of the cities in China. It is only about 18km to the Taiyuan downtown area, about 100km away from Pingyao ancient city.
• Location of Taiyuan Wusu Airport: No.32, Taiyu Road, Xiaodian District, Taiyuan City 太原市小店区太榆路32 号
For our customers, your local guide will meet you at Taiyuan Airport and take you to Pingyao ancient town by private car. If you travel on your own, you can need to take a long-distance coach from Taiyuan Passenger Station to Pingyao Ancient County (1.5-2 hours' transfer), or take a city bus to Taiyuan Railway Station/Taiyuan South Railway Station and take a train to Pingyao.
Taiyuan to Pingyao
By Train: The most recommended way to get from Taiyuan to Pingyao is by taking a bullet train. There are over 20 high-speed bullet train from Taiyuan South Railway Station to Pingyao Gucheng Railway Station, running from 7:30 am to 8:30 am. It takes only about 0.5h. You can also take the normal trains which leave from Taiyuan Railway Station to Pingyao Railway Station, taking about 1.5 hours.
By Bus/Car: Besides trains, you can also take a bus from Taiyuan to Pingyao. The duration is about 1.5h. The daily tourist bus departs at 6:30 am from Taiyuan Railway Station to Pingyao Ancient City and the bus fare is about CNY 90 per person. There is also long-distance coach departing from Taiyuan Jiannan Bus Station (太原建南汽车站) to Pingyao Scenic Area. Some private cars offering transportation services from Taiyuan Airport and Taiyuan South Railway Station to Pingyao scenic area, and the fare is about CNY 350 per person.
Useful Link: How to Travel from Taiyuan to Pingyao
★ Recommended Pingyao Tour:✔ 4 Days In-depth Pingyao & Taiyuan Tour
Beijing to Pingyao
There is no direct flight from Beijing to Pingyao, and the only way to Pingyao bu air is to take a flight from Beijing to Taiyuan Airport and transfer from Taiyuan Airport to Pingyao Ancient City. Instead of the complicated transfer by air, the most recommended way is to take a high-speed bullet train from Beijing West Railway Station to Pingyao Gucheng Railway Station within only about 4 hours. There is one normal overnight train that is also available from Beijing Railway Station to Pingyao Station, taking about 9.5 hours.
Useful Links: Beijing Pingyao Tours / How to Travel from Beijing to Pingyao
Xian to Pingyao
Like Beijing to Pingyao, you can not take a direct flight from Xian. Every day, there are many high-speed bullet D trains from Xian North Railway Station to Pingyao Gucheng Railway Station running from 7:30 am to 11:00 pm. The duration of a high-speed train is about 3 hours.
Useful Link: How to Travel from Xian to Pingyao
★ Recommended Xian Pingyao Tour:✔ 4 Days Ancient Pingyao & Xian Tour
Datong to Pingyao
Both located in the same province, Datong is in the north of Shanxi, while Pingyao is in the south. There is no direct bus running between them for the long distance. The only way to get from Datong to Pingyao directly is to take a train. You can either take a high-speed bullet D train from Datong South Railway Station or a normal K train from Datong Railway Station. The high-speed train takes about 3-3.5 hours to reach Pingyao, while the normal trains take over 7 hours.
★ ✔ Best Datong Pingyao Tour Packages ★ ✔ 4 Days Essence of Datong & Pingyao Tour
Luoyang to Pingyao
Luoyang is about 400km away from Pingyao. There is no direct flight to reach one city from the other. Also, since the two scenic cities are located in different provinces, there is no direct bus transferring between them, and direct high-speed rails have not opened yet. Except for driving from Luoyang to Pingyao, the only way is to take an overnight K train from Luoyang Railway Station to Pingyao Railway Station and the duration is about 10 hours.
★ Recommended Pingyao Tour:✔ 6 Days Essence of Shanxi Tour
How to Get around Pingyao
▶ By Taxi: In Pingyao City, taxi charges vary according to vehicle type. The starting price of most ordinary cars is CNY 6 within 3km; Driving more than 3km, additional CNY 1 needs to be paid for every extra 1km. From 21:00 to 5:00 of the next day is night driving time, and another 50% of the standard price will be charged.
▶ By City Bus: At present, Pingyao has three bus lines: No.1, No.102, and No.103. Among them, No.1 bus line can reach Pingyao railway station, No.2 bus station can reach Pingyao railway station and Pingyao bus station, with the ticket price of CNY 2; bus No.103 can successively reach Pingyao Bus Station, Pingyao Railway Station, Shuanglinsi, Pingyao Ancient City, with the ticket price of CNY 3.
Bus operation time: (winter) 7:00-18:00; 6:40-18:35 (spring, summer and Autumn)
▶ By Sightseeing Vehicle: Pingyao Ancient City offers carriages and electric cars for sightseeing. According to the order of the admission ticket, the driver is required to take you to the scenic spots. For the whole sightseeing route, the ticket price is CNY 75 per person per ride. For a single scenic site, you need CNY 30 to get on the vehicle and pay another CNY for every other scenic site. You can also choose to pay CNY 120 to get the whole day service (8 hours) without the limitation of how many times you will take. You can get on the sightseeing car from South Gate, North Gate, and West Gate of Pingyao Ancient City.
▶ By Bike: In the ancient city, bicycles can be rented from the ancient city bicycle rental center around the North Gate, at No. 19, Beiguan Street, Pingyao County (平遥县北关大街19号). The rental time is 8:00-18:00, usually with CNY 10 for a normal bicycle, CNY 20 for a tandem bicycle, and CNY 30 for a three-person bike. You need to pay a deposit tp rent bikes, so please remember to keep the receipt.
★ Recommended Pingyao Tours:
Worry-free Pingyao Transfer with China Discovery
If you don’t want to bother about the troublesome transfer, you can travel with us China Discovery. We will pick you up at the airport, train station or bus station and escort you to your hotel or any destination you want to go with comfortable vehicle, skillful driver and professional guide. The itinerary can be customized and all the matters such as transportation, meal, accommodation and ticket will be taken care of, all you need to do is enjoy your trip! >>Contact us now
★ Recommended Pingyao Tour:
How to Plan Your Pingyao Tour
Best time to visit Pingyao: March to mid-June, mid-September to November, and Chinese Spring Festival Time (Jan or Feb)
How to get to Pingyao: High-speed bullet trains to Pingyao Gucheng Railway Station; normal trains to Pingyao Railway Station; Long-distance Bus to Pingyao Bus Station; Flights to Taiyuan Airport and transfer from Taiyuan to Pingyao by private car/bus/train.
Pingyao is noted for the World Heritage Site - Pingyao Ancient City. It is well-preserved, keeping the architecture style of the Ming and Qing Dynasty (14th-20th centuries). Here, you can leisurely stroll and get to learn about the traditions of the northern Chinese, especially during the Chinese Spring Festival. Usually, 2 to 3 days are enough for you to explore the attractions in Pingyao, including scenic sites and ancient streets of Pingyao Ancient City, Qiao’s Family Compound, Shuanglin Temple, etc.
☛ 2 Days Classic Pingyao Tour
☛ 3 Days Pingyao Discovery Tour
Also, Pingyao is well connected with many other cities in Shanxi province. You can spend more days having a Shanxi discovery tour: witnessing the stunning Yungang Grottoes and Hanging Temple in Datong, hiking on and the famous Buddhism mountain, Wutaishan, visiting the magnificent Hukou Waterfall, and getting to Jinsi Temple and Shanxi Museum in the capital of Shanxi province, Taiyuan.
☛ 4 Days In-depth Pingyao & Taiyuan Tour
☛ 4 Days Essence of Datong & Pingyao Tour
☛ 6 Days Essence of Shanxi Tour
If you would like to travel outside Shanxi, you can take a flight from Taiyuan to many other cites of China. It is also very convenient to take a high-speed train from Pingyao/Taiyuan to Xian and Luoyang with no more than 4 hours or head to Beijing by high-speed train.
☛ 4 Days Ancient Pingyao & Xian Tour
☛ 6 Days Beijing Pingyao Highlights Tour
Pingyao Travel Guide
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- Pingyao Ancient City
- Wang's or Qiao's Family Compound
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Recommended Pingyao Tours
Top 3 Pingyao tours chosen by most customers to explore Pingyao in the best way. Check the detailed itinerary, or tailor your own trip now with us.
6 Day Datong Pingyao Tour Plus Wutaishan Visit
Datong / Wutaishan / Taiyuan / Pingyao
3 Days Taiyuan Pingyao Brief Tour
Taiyuan / Pingyao
4 Days Essence of Datong & Pingyao Tour
Datong / Pingyao
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