Yungang Grottoes & Hanging Temple tour from Datong: Private guide

A single monastery holds three religions at once, built into a cliff face 164 feet above the ground.

Private tour from Datong to Yungang Grottoes and Hanging Temple with English-speaking guide, car and driver, and hotel pickup. Start at the UNESCO-listed grottoes, where 51,000 Buddhist statues carved over 40 years fill 45 caves stretching half a mile across a cliff. Then drive to Hanging Temple, the only monastery that enshrines Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism together, built into a mountainside 50 meters above ground.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Yungang Grottoes2h · entry included
2. Hanging Temple2h · entry included

Visit Yungang Grottoes and Hanging Monastery

• Pickup from hotel at 8:30 am
• Visit Yungang Grottoes UNESCO site
• Drive one hour to Hanging Monastery
• View Hanging Monastery from outside
• Return to hotel around 5:30 pm

The experience

Your guide picks you up from your Datong hotel at 8:30 am with a private car and driver. The first stop is Yungang Grottoes, a UNESCO World Heritage Site carved into the cliff over 40 years in the 5th century. The site stretches over half a mile continuously from east to west, with 45 grottoes remaining from the original 53. Inside are 250 niches and 51,000 Buddhist statues, along with murals and frescoes: all masterpieces of ancient Chinese carving. Your guide explains the stories and history behind what you're seeing, rather than walking through in silence.

After Yungang, you drive an hour to Hanging Temple at the foot of Hengshan Mountain. The monastery is the only one that brings Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism under one roof. The architecture clings to the mountainside about 164 feet (50 meters) above the ground: a feat of engineering that looks impossible from below. Climbing tickets are limited to 1,200 per day and are not included in the tour price. If they're unavailable, you'll view the temple from the ground instead. Your guide will arrange this and let you know in advance.

The tour ends around 5:30 pm with drop-off back at your hotel. Lunch is not included, but you can take a break whenever you need one. Just let your guide know. The guide will contact you the night before with the exact meeting time and details.

What’s included

• Yungang Grottoes entrance.
• Hanging Temple main entrance.
• private car and driver for the full day.
• English-speaking tour guide.
• hotel pickup and drop-off (or station pickup on request).

Options for this experience

2 options

Hotel pickups in DatongGuide in English · 08:30Includes pickup

Pickup at Datong Nan StationGuide in English · 08:30Round-trip transfer: pickup at Datong Nan South Station, and after the tour you are dropped off at the station or hotels in Datong City. Pickup is included

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:30

Book up to1d before

AgesAdult (12 to 90 years) · Child (2 to 11 years) · Infant (under 2): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Paid on siteUS$ 14.94

Prices and times updated 13 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Trippest Travel

Is this one for you?Choose the hotel pickup option if you're staying in central Datong and want to start and finish without navigating to the station. Pick the station option if you're arriving by train and prefer to begin the tour directly from there. The private guide and car mean you move at your own pace between the two sites, with time for questions and photos at each stop.

Traveler reviews

4.80★★★★★★★★★★

5 verified traveler reviews

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (2 to 11 years); Infant (under 2): free.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What exactly is inside the Yungang Grottoes?

Yungang Grottoes holds 51,000 Buddhist statues carved into 45 caves, along with 250 niches filled with murals and frescoes. The statues and artwork span the entire half-mile stretch of cliff face and represent 40 years of carving work from the 5th century.

Can I climb inside Hanging Temple?

Climbing tickets for Hanging Temple are limited to 1,200 per day and are not included in the tour price. Even with advance booking, they may not be guaranteed, especially during Chinese public holidays and peak seasons. If tickets are unavailable, you'll view the temple from the ground instead.

How long is the drive between the two sites?

Hanging Temple is about one hour's drive from Yungang Grottoes, located at the foot of Hengshan Mountain.

What languages does the tour guide speak?

Your guide speaks English and will provide expert commentary on the history, stories and culture of both sites throughout the day.

Where does the tour start and end?

The tour starts with pickup from your Datong hotel at 8:30 am and ends with drop-off back at your hotel around 5:30 pm. Pickup from Datong Nan Station is also available on request.