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Yungang Grottoes, Beijing

PreeChina · Route Guide

Yungang Grottoes from Beijing

4 stops within 15 km of Yungang Grottoes. A sample itinerary that PreeChina can turn into a private, custom or tailor-made tour.

2 days4 stopsStart: Yungang GrottoesWithin 15 kmUSD 905 per person, 2 travelers

At a Glance

Route Quick Facts

Anchor
Yungang Grottoes (云冈石窟)
Stops
4, anchor first
Radius
All within 15 km of the anchor
City
Beijing
Anchor to Centre
279 km, straight line
Length
2 days

Price

Price of This Private Tour

Per person, in US dollars. The price covers the guide, the ground service, and the hotels, transport, meals and tickets in the itinerary, and it falls as the group grows. What a price includes and leaves out.

Estimated price per person for Yungang Grottoes from Beijing, by number of travelers
Travelers246810152030
Standard hotelsUSD 905USD 620USD 510USD 470USD 430USD 405USD 370USD 355
Premium hotelsUSD 1,105USD 770USD 640USD 595USD 550USD 520USD 480USD 465

Premium hotels and first-class rail raise the price: the selectors on Private Tours show by how much. The final price is confirmed in writing before anything is booked.

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Why This Route

Yungang Grottoes and What Lies Within Reach

Carved from 460 in the Northern Wei dynasty. 45 main caves and more than 50,000 statues remain. The high noses and deep-set eyes of the early Tan Yao Five Caves follow Gandharan and Central Asian styles, and give the clearest cross-section of Buddhist art travelling east.

Yungang Grottoes lies 279 km from central Beijing in a straight line. This route stays within 15 km of it. The stops are Huayan Temple (Shanxi), Shanhua Temple, Datong Ancient City.

The Beijing city guide covers the city itself.

Itinerary

Yungang Grottoes Itinerary: 4 Stops Around It

The Day

  1. 1

    Yungang Grottoes (云冈石窟). Carved from 460 in the Northern Wei dynasty.Start here.

  2. 2

    Huayan Temple (Shanxi) (华严寺). A great Liao and Jin monastery and the largest surviving Liao temple.14 km from the previous stop, 14 km from Yungang Grottoes, straight line

  3. 3

    Shanhua Temple (善化寺). Many count it the best-laid-out of the Liao and Jin monasteries.0.8 km from the previous stop, 14 km from Yungang Grottoes, straight line

  4. 4

    Datong Ancient City (大同古城). A restored Ming dynasty walled city with real Liao-Jin temple treasures (Huayan Temple) and local life, square dancing, tea houses, and everyday markets inside ancient walls.0.8 km from the previous stop, 15 km from Yungang Grottoes, straight line

Stops run from Yungang Grottoes outward, each next stop being the closest one left. We do not list clock times here: your private itinerary sets the pace, the order and the start time with you.

Map

Map of the Stops

The gold marker is Yungang Grottoes. Numbers follow the route order. We do not draw a line because it would not follow roads.

Stop by Stop

The Stops

Yungang Grottoes, UNESCO Site
1
UNESCO Site

Yungang Grottoes (云冈石窟)

Start of the route

Carved from 460 in the Northern Wei dynasty. 45 main caves and more than 50,000 statues remain. The high noses and deep-set eyes of the early Tan Yao Five Caves follow Gandharan and Central Asian styles, and give the clearest cross-section of Buddhist art travelling east.

Huayan Temple (Shanxi), Buddhist Temple
2
Buddhist Temple

Huayan Temple (Shanxi) (华严寺)

14 km from Yungang Grottoes, straight line

A great Liao and Jin monastery and the largest surviving Liao temple. The Bojiajiaozang Hall holds 31 intact Liao-dynasty statues, and its bodhisattva with joined palms and visible teeth has the nickname Oriental Venus. The main hall faces east, which keeps the Khitan preference for the east.

Shanhua Temple, Buddhist Temple
3
Buddhist Temple

Shanhua Temple (善化寺)

14 km from Yungang Grottoes, straight line

Many count it the best-laid-out of the Liao and Jin monasteries. The Mahavira Hall and Sansheng Hall are original Liao and Jin buildings, and the 24 heavenly guardians inside each strike a different pose.

4
Ancient City

Datong Ancient City (大同古城)

15 km from Yungang Grottoes, straight line

A restored Ming dynasty walled city with real Liao-Jin temple treasures (Huayan Temple) and local life, square dancing, tea houses, and everyday markets inside ancient walls.

Distances

Distance From Yungang Grottoes

#StopTypeFrom Yungang GrottoesFrom previous
1Yungang GrottoesUNESCO Site--
2Huayan Temple (Shanxi)Buddhist Temple14 km14 km
3Shanhua TempleBuddhist Temple14 km0.8 km
4Datong Ancient CityAncient City15 km0.8 km

Straight-line distances. Road distances are longer.

Independent Travel

Doing This Route Independently

Arranging these 4 stops yourself keeps the budget lower. It also means booking each one and the transfers between them. Compare a private tour with independent travel, or ask PreeChina to plan it.

Custom Tour

Turn This Into a Private, Custom Tour

This route is a starting point: 2 days and 4 stops. PreeChina plans it as a private, tailor-made trip and changes the stops, the days and the pace to your group.

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Questions

FAQ

How far is Yungang Grottoes from central Beijing?

Yungang Grottoes lies 279 km from central Beijing in a straight line. The road distance is longer.

What is near Yungang Grottoes?

The stops on this route, with straight-line distances from Yungang Grottoes, are Huayan Temple (Shanxi) (14 km), Shanhua Temple (14 km), Datong Ancient City (15 km).

Which stop is closest to Yungang Grottoes?

Huayan Temple (Shanxi), at 13.6 km in a straight line.

How many days does this route need?

We plan it as 2 days. Your private itinerary sets the pace and the order with you.

Who is this route not a good fit for?

Anyone who can spare only one day. The route is planned over 2 days with 1 night on the road, and it does not shrink well.

Plan More

Nearby Routes and Tour Types

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See all PreeChina route itineraries

Explore More

This route is in Beijing. The province page lists its city guides, themes, museums and other routes.

Related

Keep Exploring Beijing

Attractions in and around Beijing

Routes and day trips

Theme maps

Background reading

Plan This Route as Your Private Tour

Tell us when you arrive in Beijing, who is travelling and how much time you have. We build the route around your group.

Plan My Custom Tour See Pricing