Skip to content
China Maps
Log in Join

Gansu

Dunhuang

An oasis at the west end of the Hexi Corridor, with sand dunes on one side and the Mogao Caves on the other.

Dunhuang is a small city in the Gobi. Most visits split between the dunes south of town and the caves to the southeast. Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Lake are one site. Mogao is a separate trip and needs a timed entry arranged before you go. The caves open in rotation, so not every painted chapel is available on a given day. Afternoons in summer are often windy, and the sand gets into everything. Keep the two sites on different halves of the day rather than trying to walk between them.

Plan Dunhuang

A day-by-day draft from the notes on this page. Hours and prices still need a local check.

Join to plan this city

Guides

Guide A first day in Dunhuang
The dunes in the morning, the Mogao Caves once you have a timed entry. Guide Three days in Dunhuang
The dunes, a booked morning at the Mogao Caves, and a last day that does not try to add both again.

Maps

Map Dunhuang on foot
The dunes, the museum, and the caves are three stops, not one walk.

Albums

Sand and caves
Mingsha Mountain, Crescent Lake, and the Mogao cliff.

Films

No film is public yet.