How to Travel to Datong from Beijing

Datong is a low-key city, but with unlimited energy, which was the cpital of Bei Wei, Jin and the important city of Ming and Qing Daynasty. When the ancient atmosphere and the exotic beyond the Great Wall met here, Datong was unveiled gradually. From the magnificent Yungang Grottoes of Bei Wei Dynasty to the Huayan Temple and Shanhua Temple in Jin Dynasty; From the mysterious Hanging Temple blend of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism to the famous Taoist mountain Mt. Hengshan, Datong blend the multi-ethnic culture create a new Datong.



Datong is located at the northernmost of Shanxi Province in North China, adjacent to Inner Mongolia northward and connected Zhangjiakou to the east. It is about 330km away from Beijing, 290km from Taiyuan and 300km from Hohhot. It is regarded as a barrier for the capital Beijing and the north portal for Shanxi Province as well as an important place leading to Shanxi, Hebei and Inner Mongolia. Therefore, it was the place contested by all the strategists in the ancient times.

How can I travel from Beijing to Datong when I plan my China tour itinerary?


 

By Flight

Datong has an airport since 2005. There are a fixed flight by Air China between Beijing and Datong daily.
The flight from Beijing is CA1119 (share code with ZH1119 by Shenzhen Airline), which departs from Beijing at 0615 in the early morning. It takes only 1 hour flying from Beijing to Datong. Besides, there is a flight KN2251 from Beijing Nanyuan Airport to Datong, which is at 1830.

The flight from Datong back to Beijing is CA1120(ZH1120)(0805/0915) or KN2252 (2010/2105).
 

By Train

There are many trains from Beijing to Datong every day. It takes about 6-7.5 hours, depending on different trains. However, there are only 3 trains starting from Beijing, which wills top at Datong stop. Other trains start from other cities visa Beijing and Datong. Anyway, if you would like to take train to Datong, there are many choice, but it depends on your tour plan and availability.
Please find the train schedule as below for your reference.
 

By Long-distance Bus

There are buses from Beijing to Datong. It takes about 5 hours from Beijing to Datong by bus, depending on the traffic. Passenger need to go to Beijing Liuliqiao Passenger Center to get the bus. The bus to Datong departs every 30-40 minutes from 07:10 to 18:00 every day. The bus fare is about CNY170 per person per way.