Longmen Grottoes: a day trip from Xi'an by bullet train
龙门石窟（洛阳一日游）Lóngmén Shíkū
A UNESCO twin-capital day out, 1h15m away
Entry
From ¥90
Hours
Mar 1 – Oct 31 · 08:00
Time needed
3–4 hours
Booking
Required · 3 days ahead
Luoyang was Xi'an's twin capital for over a thousand years, and its Longmen Grottoes are the reason most visitors make the trip. More than 2,100 caves and niches and some 100,000 Buddhist statues line both banks of the Yi River, carved from the Northern Wei to the Northern Song. The star is the 17-metre Vairocana Buddha at Fengxian Temple, commissioned in the Tang dynasty. High-speed trains from Xi'an North reach Luoyang Longmen station in as little as 1 hour 15 minutes, and the grottoes are a ten-minute taxi ride from the platform. That makes it one of the easiest UNESCO sites to add to a Xi'an stay without moving hotels. Take an early train, spend three to four hours on the West and East Hills, and you can be back in Xi'an for dinner in the Muslim Quarter.
Why Longmen is worth a day
- UNESCO World Heritage site since 2000
- 2,100+ caves and niches, about 100,000 statues
- Fengxian Temple's Vairocana Buddha is the Tang-era highlight
- Completes the Xi'an–Luoyang 'two capitals' story
Getting there from Xi'an
- Use Xi'an North, not Xi'an Railway Station
- 80+ departures a day, fastest 1h15m
- Book both legs; tickets open 15 days ahead
- Taxi from Luoyang Longmen station takes about 10 minutes
Sample day timetable
- 07:30 train from Xi'an North
- 09:00–12:30 West Hill caves and Fengxian Temple
- Lunch, then East Hill, Xiangshan Temple and Bai Juyi's tomb
- Evening train back; optional Longmen night tour if staying
Tickets and practical tips
- Passport needed for real-name booking
- Shuttle carts run from the north service areas (¥10)
- Little shade on the West Hill: bring water and a hat
- Allow 3–4 hours inside the site
Questions, answered
Can you visit the Longmen Grottoes as a day trip from Xi'an?
Yes. Bullet trains from Xi'an North reach Luoyang Longmen in about 1h15m–1h55m, and the grottoes are 10 minutes from the station.
How much is the Longmen Grottoes ticket?
¥90 full price and ¥45 half price, per the official site.
Which Xi'an station do trains to Luoyang leave from?
Xi'an North Railway Station; the ordinary trains from Xi'an Railway Station take 4.5 hours or more.
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