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Voykit pocket guide · China
Lanzhou
兰州
Give Lanzhou one full day for the Gansu Provincial Museum and the Yellow River bridges, then use it as a rail hub for Gansu; two nights is enough.
Lanzhou is the capital of Gansu and a Silk Road stop on the Yellow River, at 1,570 m. It is an industrial city of about 4.5 million that most travellers use as a rail and bus junction for Dunhuang, Zhangye, Jiayuguan and Xiahe. The city itself rewards one or two days: the Gansu Provincial Museum, the 1909 Zhongshan Bridge, the waterwheel park and beef noodles.
- Country
- China
- Local name
- 兰州
- Best months
- May–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Dec–Feb (cold, dry), Jul–Aug (short heavy-rain spells)
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- CNY
- Money
- Alipay and WeChat Pay accept Visa, Mastercard, JCB and Amex cards; single payments over ¥200 carry a fee of about 3% on a foreign card (smaller ones are free), and per-payment and yearly caps apply — check the app. Keep a second way to pay.
- Daily spend
- Budget ¥200–350 excl. bed · Mid ¥350–700 excl. bed · High ¥700+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- A roaming eSIM from outside China routes traffic through its home network, so Google, WhatsApp and Instagram work without a VPN — the simplest setup.
- Emergency
- Police 110 · Fire 119 · Ambulance 120
- Plugs
- Types A, C, I · 220 V · 50 Hz · Many sockets take flat two-pin (A), round two-pin (C) and angled three-pin (I) plugs; UK plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurants: No tip; upmarket hotels add 10–15% service.; Taxis and DiDi: No tip.; Tour guides and drivers: Expected on organised tours: about ¥100–200 a day for a guide, ¥50–100 for a driver.; Hotel porters: Not expected; ¥10–20 in luxury hotels.
- Water
- Not for drinking from the tap; bottled water ¥2–5, and kettles and free bottles in hotel rooms. Restaurants serve hot water or tea.
- Toilets
- Public toilets are frequent and free; squat toilets outside hotels and malls. Carry tissues — many have no paper.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Bowl of beef noodle soup (niurou lamian) | ¥15 |
| Coffee or tea in a café | ¥20–40 |
| Beer: draught in a bar / can at a shop | ¥15–30 / ¥5–10 |
| 5 km taxi3.1 mi taxi | ¥15–25 |
| Metro or bus ride | ¥2–4 |
| Gansu Provincial Museum | Free |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | ¥80–200 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- LHW · Lanzhou Zhongchuan International Airport
- About 75 km from the centre; a commuter rail line links the airport with Lanzhou Railway Station in 50–55 min, roughly hourly (check)About 47 mi from the centre; a commuter rail line links the airport with Lanzhou Railway Station in 50–55 min, roughly hourly (check)
Typical fares
- Airport → Lanzhou Railway Station, commuter rail
- about ¥30, 50–55 min (check)
- Airport shuttle bus → city
- about ¥30, just over 1 h (check)
- Metro or bus ride
- ¥2–4
- Taxi across the centre
- ¥15–25 (check)
Get around
Two metro lines: Line 1 runs east–west linking the centre with Lanzhou West Railway Station, Line 2 crosses it. Fares about ¥2–4. Bus 1 is useful between the main railway station, Qingyang Lu and Lanzhou West. A city bike scheme has docks around town. Taxis are cheap; agree the meter or a price first.
See and do
Known for
- Lanzhou beef noodle soup (niurou lamian)
- Zhongshan Bridge over the Yellow River
- Gansu Provincial Museum and the Galloping Horse
- Silk Road rail and bus hub
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Bingling Temple (Bingling Si) | Bus from Lanzhou West Bus Terminal to Liujiaxia (about 2 h), then taxi to the dam and a fast ferry (about 1 h each way) | 3–4 h each way |
| Lanzhou Shuimo Danxia National Park | Direct bus from the Lanzhou Transit Center (book via the WeChat mini-app) or taxi about ¥100 from the centre | 1.5–2 h |
| Linxia | Bus from Lanzhou West Bus Station, about 3 h | About 3 h |
| Xiahe (Labrang Monastery) | Bus from the South Long-Distance Bus Station, about 6 h | About 6 h |
Sleep
- Chengguan (city centre)
- Around Zhangye Road, Xiguan and the riverfront; walkable to Zhongshan Bridge, White Pagoda Mountain and the night markets.
- Lanzhou Railway Station area
- Tianshui Road; handy for the airport train and early departures, but some cheap hotels do not accept foreign passports — ask before booking.
- Lanzhou West Railway Station area
- Where most high-speed trains leave; useful for a one-night rail stop rather than sightseeing.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | 你好nǐ hǎo |
| Thank you | 谢谢xièxie |
| How much is it? | 多少钱？duōshao qián |
| No beef, please | 不要牛肉bú yào niúròu |
| Can I pay by phone? | 可以手机支付吗？kěyǐ shǒujī zhīfù ma |
| Where is the toilet? | 洗手间在哪里？xǐshǒujiān zài nǎlǐ |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and a nod; use surnames with a title; avoid: Hugs and cheek kisses
- Face: Disagree privately and indirectly; avoid: Correcting or embarrassing someone in front of others
- Gifts: Give with two hands; expect the gift to be refused once or twice and opened later; avoid: Clocks, umbrellas, white flowers, sets of four
- Business cards: Present and receive with both hands, read it, keep it on the table; avoid: Writing on it or pocketing it at once
- Queues and crowds: Hold your ground politely in scrums at buses and lifts; avoid: Taking pushing personally
- Temples: Walk clockwise around Tibetan stupas and prayer wheels; remove hats; avoid: Touching statues or photographing where signs forbid
- Politics: Listen; follow your host's lead; avoid: Raising Tibet, Taiwan, Xinjiang, 1989 or the party leadership
- Numbers and colour: Red and 8 are lucky; red envelopes carry money gifts; avoid: Writing names in red; the number 4
Scams and watch-outs
- Airport is 75 km out: allow 1.5 h door to door by rail or shuttle, more by taxi in traffic.
- Some budget hotels near the railway station refuse foreign passports; confirm before you pay.
- Altitude is 1,570 m — most people are fine, but drink water and take the first day easy.
- Museum entry is free but needs a WeChat reservation; no booking, no entry.
- Winter is dry and well below freezing; summer rain can arrive fast in July and August.
Lanzhou is generally safe for tourists by day and evening; the real issues are the 75 km airport run, dry winter cold, and cheap hotels that cannot register foreign passports. Keep to lit streets at night and use the meter in taxis.Lanzhou is generally safe for tourists by day and evening; the real issues are the 47 mi airport run, dry winter cold, and cheap hotels that cannot register foreign passports. Keep to lit streets at night and use the meter in taxis.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Lanzhou yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Lanzhou beef noodle soup (niurou lamian)
- Zhongshan Bridge over the Yellow River
- Gansu Provincial Museum and the Galloping Horse
- Silk Road rail and bus hub
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Lanzhou, revision 5243430 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5243430
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Lanzhou兰州
请到这个地址
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Most countries have embassies in Beijing; the US, UK and others keep consulates-general in Chengdu, Xi'an or Chongqing (check which covers Gansu).
Keep your passport with you; hotels must register foreign guests.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/lanzhou). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.