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Shanxi: Datong to Pingyao: 3-Day Plan You Can Actually Drive
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The 3-day version for September: every day fits real transit, opening hours and daylight. Prefer more or fewer days? 3-day plan · 4-day plan · 5-day plan · best time to go.
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3
days
380 km
distance
11.4 h
driving
16
curated stops
💡 Good to know for this plan
- ~12.2 hours of daylight in September — the plan keeps days inside a realistic window.
- The loess plateau at its clearest — grotto Buddhas in raking light, Wutai's temple ridges above the haze, and Pingyao's walls gold at sunset.
Day 1 Datong & the Yungang Grottoes → Mount Wutai
- Transit
- 4h30
- Finish
- ~17:55
- Temperature
- 7.2°C–19.0°C
- Rainy days
- ~11
- Daylight
- 12.2h
09:00
Stand before 51,000 Buddhist statues in these 1,500-year-old UNESCO-listed caves.
50 min · Datong & the Yungang Grottoes · ¥120. Full-time students and 60-69 yrs half price. Disabled, 70 and over, children under 1.4 m free
open: 9:00-17:00
11:05
12:05
12:55
17:05
Foguang Temple and Nanchan Temple read more
Witness some of China's oldest wooden structures in these temples.
50 min · Mount Wutai
Overnight: Mount Wutai
e.g. Wutaishan Runaway Hostel · Xianhe Binguan
Day 2 Taiyuan
- Transit
- 4h41
- Finish
- ~17:05
- Temperature
- 9.2°C–21.9°C
- Rainy days
- ~11
- Daylight
- 12.2h
11:50
12:55
14:10
16:15
Overnight here
e.g. Hanting Express (Taiyuan Shenglidong Branch) · Vico Inn (Taiyuan Fuzhuang City Branch)
Day 3 Pingyao
- Transit
- 2h15
- Finish
- ~17:35
- Temperature
- 10.4°C–22.6°C
- Rainy days
- ~12
- Daylight
- 12.2h
10:25
Zhenguo Temple read more
Visit this rare Five Dynasties Period temple, showcasing unique architectural heritage.
50 min · Pingyao
11:30
Shuanglin Temple read more
Admire over two thousand colorful, centuries-old Buddhist sculptures in this grand temple.
50 min · Pingyao · Entry fee not included in Pingyao ticket ¥25 + transport (~¥40 shareable between multiple persons up to 6, both way, ask hotels)
12:35
Rishengchang Exchange House read more
Explore a historic hub of trade and finance from China's past.
50 min · Pingyao
13:40
Temple of the City God read more
Explore the spiritual heart of the city, balancing the human world with divine presence.
50 min · Pingyao
14:45
15:45
🔍 Check before you book
Every stop is a real, sourced place, but opening hours change, roads close and businesses move. Check anything you're paying for before you book.