There’s no civil airport in Turpan; however, the military airport in Shanshan town will offer special lines to Dunhuang in tourist season. The nearest civil airport to Turpan is Urumqi International Airport which is 230 kilometers away from Turpan. Turpan Railway Station is 50 kilometers away from the city proper. It has overnight trains to Dunhuang. It will take about two hours and a half from Turpan to Urumqi by train. The highway system in Turpan is also well developed. The 312 National Highway and 314 National Highway come across this city. There are two big bus stations in Turpan: Turpan Passenger Station and Daheyan Passenger Station. The stations here have lines to nearby counties as well as special tourist lines.

Getting to Turpan by Air

Since there is no airport in Turpan, you need to fly to the nearest airport to Turpan which is Urumqi airport and then catch a bus or rent a car to Turpan. The distance between Urumqi airport and Turpan is about 150 km.

Getting to Turpan by Train

Turpan Railway Station is established in Daheyan Town, 50 kilometers away from the Turpan City. The station is a significant transportation pivot connecting the southern region and the northern region of Xinjiang. All the trains on Lan-Xin Line and Nanjiang Line will stop by Turpan Station. Currently, the station offers direct lines to Urumqi and Dunhuang.

Getting around Turpan by City Bus

There are eight bus lines in Turpan and the ticket fare is 1 yuan. Most of the attractions in Turpan are scattered within 40 kilometers around the city proper; hence, it is quite convenient for tourists to visit those places by taking a bus. Among the bus lines, No. 1 Bus Line, No. 6 Bus Line and No. 102 Bus Line pass Emin Minaret.

Getting around Turpan by Taxi

The charging standard of taxis in Turpan is lower than that in the other large cities. Usually, if your destination is inside the city, the taxi fare will be around 10 yuan. If you want to rent a taxi for the whole day, the cost will be between 300 yuan and 400 yuan. There is also a special kind of taxi in Turpan, called “donkey taxi.” Actually, it is a kind of donkey cart.