Silk Road Dunhuang Tour: Mogao Grottoes & White Horse Stupa

Buddhist grottoes, a desert stupa, and the museum that holds Dunhuang's thousand-year story

A private guided tour of Dunhuang explores the city's major Silk Road landmarks—the Mogao Grottoes, White Horse Stupa, Singing Sand Dunes and Crescent Moon Spring—with hotel pickup and a local guide who speaks your language. The itinerary is customizable; you finalize the day's plan with your guide at pickup. Mogao Grottoes tickets (RMB 280 per person) are booked 30 days in advance and paid in cash on the day of the tour.

Step-by-step itinerary

Dunhuang sightseeing and Mogao Grottoes visit

• Meet guide at hotel lobby 8:30 am
• Finalize tour plan with guide
• Visit Singing Sand Dunes and Crescent Moon Spring
• See White Horse Stupa
• Explore Dunhuang city museum (closed Monday)
• Visit Mogao Grottoes in afternoon
• Pay entrance fee to guide
• Transfer back to hotel

The Experience

Your guide meets you at your hotel lobby at 8:30 am and walks through the day's options with you before you leave. This is a private tour, so the stops and their order bend to what you want to see. Most travelers include the Mogao Grottoes—a World Heritage site of Buddhist cave temples carved into a canyon wall—and the White Horse Stupa, a whitewashed structure on the city's western edge. The Singing Sand Dunes and Crescent Moon Spring draw visitors for the contrast: dunes that hum underfoot and a spring that holds its shape in the desert. The Dunhuang City Museum fills gaps in the story if you want context for what you're seeing; it closes Mondays.

The Mogao Grottoes require advance booking—your guide arranges tickets 30 days ahead, and you pay the entrance fee in cash when you arrive. The afternoon is reserved for this site. After the tour ends, you're transferred back to your hotel. The whole day runs about eight hours from pickup to drop-off.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off.
• a local guide in your chosen language.
• landing and facility fees.
• the ability to customize stops based on your interests.

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomeInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Silk Road Angel Tours

Is this one for you?Choose this tour if you prefer a guide who customizes the itinerary on the day—you'll decide whether to focus on Buddhist grottoes, desert landmarks, or the history museum, rather than following a fixed route.

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Top questions

What are the Mogao Grottoes, and why do I need to book tickets so far ahead?

The Mogao Grottoes are a series of Buddhist cave temples carved into a canyon wall near Dunhuang, recognized as a World Heritage site. Tickets must be reserved 30 days in advance because daily visitor numbers are limited to protect the site; your guide handles the booking, and you pay RMB 280 per person in cash on the tour day.

Can I change which sites we visit, or is the itinerary fixed?

This is a private customizable tour, so you finalize the plan with your guide at hotel pickup. You can choose to include or skip sites like the Singing Sand Dunes, Crescent Moon Spring, White Horse Stupa, or the Dunhuang City Museum based on your interests.

What time does the tour start and end?

Your guide meets you at your hotel lobby at 8:30 am. The full tour runs approximately eight hours, ending with hotel drop-off.

Is the White Horse Stupa included in every tour, or do I choose it?

The White Horse Stupa is one of Dunhuang's major sites and is typically included, but since this is a customizable private tour, you can confirm what you want to see when your guide meets you at pickup.

What languages does the guide speak?

Guides are available in English, French, Chinese, and Japanese. Your language preference is noted when you book.

Are entrance fees included in the tour price?

Hotel pickup and drop-off, the guide, and landing and facility fees are included. Mogao Grottoes tickets (RMB 280 per person) and any other entrance fees are paid separately in cash on the day of the tour.