About this tour
When Ben from our team took this Beijing day trip, we caught the bullet train north to Datong to see two serious historical sites: the Yungang Grottoes, one of China's four major cave temple complexes, and the Hanging Temple perched impossibly on a cliff face. The whole operation—train tickets, guides, lunch, transfers—comes wrapped up and ready to go. You're looking at a solid 12–15 hours door-to-door, but it's the kind of packed day that actually works because someone else has done the logistics. Datong itself feels like a northern industrial town waking up; the tourists thin out the further you venture from Beijing.
Highlights
- Yungang Grottoes: 1,500-year-old Buddha carvings carved straight into sandstone
- Hanging Temple clinging to a vertical cliff, genuinely vertiginous
- Bullet train both ways—smooth, fast, and included in the price
- Professional English guide kept pace without the corporate tour feel
- Lunch wasn't an afterthought; chef-prepared and actually tasty
- Hotel-to-station transfers mean zero faffing with taxis or apps
- Manageable group size kept things intimate at each site
What to expect
You'll be picked up from your Beijing hotel early and driven to Beijing Bei station, where the guide meets you with tickets in hand. The bullet train north is smooth and civilised—modern carriages, proper seats, takes about two hours. Once in Datong, a local car collects you and takes you straight to Yungang. Plan on 90 minutes wandering the grottoes: the scale hits you immediately, thousands of carved Buddhas across multiple cave temples. The site sprawls a bit, so your guide's commentary makes sense of what you're seeing rather than just staring at old rock.
After Yungang, you'll head to lunch—a proper sit-down meal at a local restaurant, not rushed. Then it's on to the Hanging Temple, which genuinely sits bolted to a vertical cliff face. It's smaller than Yungang but the engineering is wild. The walk up involves steps and narrow passages; it's not strenuous but it's exposed. You'll head back to the station mid-afternoon and return to Beijing by early evening.
Good to know
This tour cracks the logistics problem—getting to Datong from Beijing involves train stations and changes that are genuinely confusing if you're navigating alone. Having everything pre-booked means you actually see both sites properly instead of stressing over schedules. The Hanging Temple is genuinely unusual, and Yungang rivals anything in central China for historical clout. It suits most fitness levels as long as you're okay with standing around and climbing some stairs.
It's a long day and you'll feel it; pacing relies on the guide keeping things moving. The Hanging Temple involves narrow passages—not ideal if you're claustrophobic or have mobility issues. Datong is industrial and chilly in winter. Gratuities are recommended but not included, so budget a bit extra. Group sizes aren't specified, so you might be with 5 people or 20.
Comfortable walking shoes, layers (Datong's colder than Beijing), sunscreen, and a power bank for the train. Winter visits need proper jackets.
Tour sold and operated by Viator via Viator. Descriptions on this page are original Global Hobo summaries written by our team — not copied from the operator. Prices and availability are confirmed at checkout.