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The Handbook — $19
Sweeping sand dunes beneath a clear blue sky at Mingsha Mountain
DunhuangMingsha Mountain, Dunhuang
Dunhuang · 敦煌 · Northwest

Dunhuang

Desert, painted caves, and the western end of everything the Silk Road promised.

Best months
May–Oct
Days needed
2–3
Airports
DNH
Difficulty
Medium
Why go

The short version

The Mogao caves hold several hundred painted Buddhist grottoes cut into a cliff, some of them fifteen centuries old. Tickets are timed and sell out weeks ahead.

Outside town, the dunes run to the horizon and the night sky is the reason people come back.

Three things nobody tells you

Dunhuang through the year

UNESCO · Mogao Caves

March–May

Spring

Crescent Lake

Walk around Crescent Lake for a low view of the green oasis against the dunes. Spring winds can pick up quickly.

A small pavilion and curved green shoreline sit inside a sweep of pale sand dunes.
Crescent LakeGreen trees and a pavilion mark the curve of Crescent Lake beneath pale dunes.

June–August

Summer

Mogao Caves Great Archway

Look up at the painted brackets and tiled eaves of the Great Archway on the approach to the Mogao Caves.

A steep view of the painted wooden gate at the Mogao Caves shows layered green tiles under a blue sky.
Mogao Caves Great ArchwaySummer sun picks out the upturned roof and painted brackets of the Mogao Caves Great Archway.

September–November

Autumn

Dunhuang Yardang National Geopark

Head west to the Yardang formations. From the viewpoints, look for the smaller pillars set against the larger, banded ridges.

A small freestanding rock formation sits before broad, layered red cliffs on a bare desert plain.
Dunhuang Yardang National GeoparkA small rock pillar stands before the banded ridges of Dunhuang Yardang National Geopark.

December–February

Winter

Dunhuang dunes

The winter dunes can look especially spare. Snow is occasional. Check the forecast and site access before heading out.

Snow streaks pale dunes above a plaza lined with dark, round shrubs.
Dunhuang dunesPatches of snow pick out the dune slopes beyond a row of clipped shrubs in Dunhuang.
Guides for this region

Read before you land

01

Booking a high-speed train in English

The official site works in English and takes a foreign passport. The hard part is not the booking, it is knowing which of the city's stations you just chose.