Mogao Caves Tickets 2026: A, B, Winter & Special Caves

Booking choice: The Mogao half-day tour, from $209 per person. Check dates Tour details

The Mogao Caves sell four kinds of entry in 2026: the regular A ticket at CNY 238 from April to November, the emergency B ticket at CNY 100, the winter ticket at CNY 140, and special caves at CNY 150 to 200 each on top. The prices come from the Dunhuang Academy's visitor page, checked in October 2026.

One rule sits over all of them. Every ticket is real-name and timed, booked on the official system and checked against your passport. A tour operator books the same ticket you can book yourself. Nobody skips the line, and nobody picks the caves.

The quick answer

From 1 April to 30 November the A ticket costs CNY 238: two films, the shuttle and 8 caves with a site guide, capped at 6,000 a day. When A tickets are gone, B tickets at CNY 100 cover 4 caves and no films. From 1 December to 31 March one ticket costs CNY 140 and shows 10 caves. Book on mgk.org.cn or the WeChat account with your passport, up to about 30 days ahead.

The red nine-storey pagoda at Mogao seen across a wide paved forecourt, with the cliff and trees on either side — The nine-storey pagoda shelters Cave 96 and its giant seated Buddha. Whether Cave 96 is on your route depends on the day.

How much are Mogao Caves tickets in 2026?

CNY 238 for the A ticket from April to November, CNY 100 for the emergency B ticket and CNY 140 in winter. Reduced prices are CNY 148, 55 and 95.

The official price list, with what each ticket shows you:

Ticket	When	Full	Reduced	What you get	Daily cap
A, regular	1 Apr to 30 Nov	CNY 238	CNY 148	2 films, shuttle, 8 caves with a site guide	6,000
B, emergency	Peak days, once A is sold out	CNY 100	CNY 55	Shuttle and 4 caves, no films	12,000
Winter, regular	1 Dec to 31 Mar	CNY 140	CNY 95	Films, shuttle, 10 caves	Rarely reached
Special caves	All year, on site	CNY 150 to 200 per cave	No	One extra cave in a small group	Small quota

The official list gives the reduced price to children aged 6 to 18, seniors aged 60 to 70 and full-time students in China. Children aged 4 to 6, visitors over 70 and disabled visitors pay a special rate of CNY 20, and under-4s go free. Staff check age and name against the passport you booked with, so bring it, not a photo of it.

The Mogao half-day tour books the ticket in your name and drives you there: hotel pickup, the films and the guided caves.

Check dates for the Mogao half-day tour

What is the difference between the A and B ticket at Mogao?

The A ticket adds the two films at the Digital Exhibition Center and doubles the caves: 8 against 4. The B ticket only goes on sale on busy days, when the 6,000 A tickets are gone.

On an A ticket you start at the Mogao Caves Digital Exhibition Center on the edge of town: about 40 minutes of films on the history and the art, then the official shuttle about 15 km to the cliff, then 75 minutes to 2 hours through the caves with a site guide. Plan on 4 to 5 hours door to door (The China Journey).

The B ticket is the overflow valve: shuttle and four caves, up to 12,000 a day. In July 2026 Sina Travel reported A tickets selling out almost every day, and B tickets filling up too. Our advice: if A tickets are gone for your date, try to move the date before you settle for B. Four caves and no films is a thin visit for a trip this far.

A painted seated Buddha flanked by standing figures, with murals on the walls of the niche — Inside a cave. This photo comes from an operator; your own camera stays off once you step inside.

Which caves will I see at Mogao?

The ones open that day. The Dunhuang Academy rotates the caves for conservation and crowd control, and nobody can promise you Cave 17 or Cave 96.

Mogao has 735 surviving caves, 492 of them with murals or painted sculpture, cut from the 4th to the 14th century (UNESCO). A few dozen are open to visitors at any time, and the list changes with restoration work, humidity readings and crowd numbers. You enter in an assigned group and follow its route. You can't stay behind, swap groups or ask for a cave by number.

The famous ones turn up often: Cave 96 inside the nine-storey pagoda, with its giant seated Buddha, and Cave 17, the Library Cave, where tens of thousands of manuscripts were found in 1900. Often is not always. One half-day guest saw "maybe 5-6 from the initial 8 proposed" and felt rushed, so expect the route to move at the group's pace, not yours.

A painted flying apsara in red and green robes, trailing long blue and red ribbons — Flying apsaras appear in hundreds of caves. Whatever route you get, you will see some.

How do I book Mogao tickets as a foreigner?

On www.mgk.org.cn or the WeChat service account 莫高窟参观预约网, choosing Passport as the ID type. Pay with WeChat Pay or Alipay.

Open the booking site, mgk.org.cn, or search for the official account in WeChat. Online booking runs from 07:00 to 22:00, China time.
Pick the date, the time slot and the ticket class. Check the session language: English-guided groups run at set times only, and availability varies by date.
Add every visitor with the full name, passport number and nationality exactly as printed in the passport.
Pay with WeChat Pay or Alipay. Both now accept foreign cards once linked.
On the day, reach the Digital Exhibition Center at least 30 minutes before your slot with the original passport. Regular ticket holders collect a paper ticket sheet there and keep it for the checks.

Stuck? The visitor line is 400-8333-715. Resale sites that promise named caves or spare tickets for a sold-out day are not official channels, and the Academy says it has not authorised them.

When do Mogao tickets sell out?

A tickets open about 30 days ahead and go within minutes for July, August, the May Day holiday and Golden Week (1 to 7 October). Book two to three weeks out for the rest of the peak season.

The daily caps are the problem: 6,000 A tickets for a site that can see far more visitors than that on a summer day. Chinese travel press in 2026 advised being online the moment tickets for your date open, 30 days ahead, for anything in the school holidays. In May, June, September and the second half of October the pressure is lower, but the good morning slots still go first.

Plans changed? Cancelled tickets return to the system, so a sold-out date is worth checking again in the evening. A tour operator can't conjure tickets either: they book on the same system, so a tour bought late in August may come with a B ticket. In winter there is room almost every day; see the winter tickets post.

Booking a month out? This private day puts Mogao and Mingsha Shan entry in one price, booked in your name.

Check dates for the Mogao and Crescent Lake day with entry

What are the special caves at Mogao, and are they worth it?

Caves kept off the regular route and opened to small groups for CNY 150 to 200 per cave. You buy them on site on the day. Worth it if sculpture or a particular period is why you came.

Special caves (特窟) are sold at the site, not online, from a small daily quota. Ask at the start of your visit, because the quota can be gone by early afternoon. Each cave is a separate ticket with its own guide and a smaller group, so you get longer in front of the art than on the main route.

No tour on this site includes them. The private Mogao day lists special caves among its extras, and the others are silent, which means extra. If one cave matters to you, budget CNY 200 and tell your guide before the day.

A long reclining Buddha lying along a cave wall, with rows of painted disciple statues behind — A reclining Buddha. Caves with the largest statues are among the hardest to see on a short route.

What does "Mogao included" mean on a tour?

That the operator books a ticket in your name. Listings rarely say which class, and late bookings in peak weeks can land on a B ticket.

Here is what each tour on this site says about the Mogao ticket, cheapest first:

Tour	From	Mogao ticket	Also in the price
Private Mogao and Crescent Lake day	$94	Only on the all-inclusive option	Guide, car on two options, night market
Mogao and Crescent Lake with entry	$100	Included, with the shuttle	Mingsha Shan entry, car, English-speaking guide
Customized private day	$179	Not included, cash on the day	Local guide, hotel pickup
Mogao half-day tour	$209	Included, class not stated	Hotel pickup, minivan, guide, headsets
All-inclusive Mogao and dunes	$239	Included, class not stated	Lunch, guide, car; non-refundable
Mogao, dunes and Silk Road show	$389	"All activities" included	Lunch, dinner, the evening show
3-day private tour	$745	Not listed in the inclusions	Guide, transport, lunch on each day

Every price above is a from-price for the cheapest option and the largest group; a couple or a solo traveller pays more per person. Before you pay, ask the operator which ticket class and which time slot they hold for your date. A good one answers in a line.

Private Mogao & Crescent Lake Day with Entry

Mogao and Mingsha Shan entry, the Mogao shuttle, a private car and an English-speaking guide in one price. Lunch and the camel ride are extra.

New · 8 to 9 hours · from $100

Explore the Mogao and Crescent Lake day with entry Tour details

What should I know before my Mogao visit?

Arrive at the Digital Exhibition Center 30 minutes early with your passport, leave big bags there, and keep your phone away inside the caves.

Hours: 08:00 to 18:00 from April to November, 09:00 to 17:30 from December to March (Dunhuang Academy).
Start point: the Digital Exhibition Center, not the cave cliff. Private cars can't drive to the caves; only the official shuttle does.
Bags: cases of 20 inches or more stay at the Digital Exhibition Center, where storage is free.
Photos: banned inside the caves, along with touching or leaning on the walls. Outside, on the walkways, you can take pictures where the signs allow.
Weather: heavy rain or a sandstorm can close the caves for the day. Tickets are refunded when that happens.
Walking: the cliff route has stairs, thresholds and raised walkways. Wear flat shoes and bring a layer: the caves are cooler than the air outside.

Not sure you want to handle all this yourself? Read Mogao with a tour or on your own.

Concrete walkways and railings running along the face of the Mogao cliff, with cave doors set into the rock — The cliff walkways. The route has stairs, so plan for some climbing.

Frequently asked questions

Can I buy Mogao tickets at the gate?

No. There has been no ticket sale at the cave area since 2014; every ticket goes through the official reservation system at mgk.org.cn or the WeChat account. B tickets can sometimes be booked for the same day when they are on sale.

Do children need a Mogao ticket?

Under-4s go free, children aged 4 to 6 pay CNY 20 and children aged 6 to 18 pay the reduced rate. Entry is real-name, so add each child with their own passport details when you book.

Is the winter Mogao ticket worth it?

Yes. CNY 140 buys the films and 10 caves, against CNY 238 for 8 caves in summer, and the caves are far quieter. See the winter tickets post.

Can I take photos at the Mogao Caves?

Not inside the caves: phones and cameras stay off once you enter. You can take photos outside on the walkways and at the Digital Exhibition Center where signs allow it.

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