Getting Around Turpan
Turpan is a compact, oasis city where most of what a visitor wants to see in the centre is close together, and where the practical options for moving around are buses, taxis, and your own two feet. Longer-distance connections to the rest of Xinjiang and beyond are handled by rail and long-distance bus, while the airport sits outside town and is reached by taxi.
Arriving by Train
Turpan North railway station (吐鲁番北站) is the rail gateway to the city. It is located northwest of the urban area and can be accessed by taxi. From here you can reach a wide range of destinations across the region and further afield, including Urumqi (about an hour on a bullet train, with several services per day), Liuyuan (a few hours on a bullet train), Korla, Kashgar, Xining, Lanzhou, and Xi'an. Journey times vary considerably depending on the service, so treat the train as the main way to arrive from elsewhere in Xinjiang or from neighbouring provinces.
Arriving by Long-Distance Bus
The Long Distance Bus Station is on Laocheng Road, handy if you are basing yourself in the older part of town. Long-distance services connect Turpan with Urumqi (roughly two and a half hours), Kumul and Korla (both in the region of six to seven hours), Kucha, and Kashgar. These coaches are a useful fallback when train times do not suit, though the journeys are long.
Arriving by Plane
Turpan Jiaohe Airport (TLQ) lies northwest of the city and, like the North railway station, is reached by taxi. It has direct flights to and from Shanghai, Hami, and Urumqi. Because the airport is outside the built-up area, plan on taking a taxi into town rather than expecting to walk or catch a local bus from the terminal.
Getting Around by Bus
Public buses are the cheapest way to move around the city, at ¥1 per person. For route planning, Amap is the tool to use for bus itineraries, though be aware that its information is not always up to date, so it is worth confirming with a local or at your accommodation.
One route is particularly useful for sightseeing:
- Bus 102 runs all along Laocheng Lu (老城路). You can pick it up at the crossing of Laocheng Eastern Street and Qingnian pedestrian street. Heading east, the last stop is Su Gong Ta (苏公塔), the Sugong Pagoda, also known as the Emin Minaret (额敏塔). Heading west, the route passes the East mosque, North mosque, and West mosque.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
Taxis are plentiful and cheap. The starting fee is ¥7 (as of April 2025), which is sufficient to travel to most places within the city centre. In most cases, taking a regular taxi works out cheaper than using the Didi ride-hailing app, so flagging one down on the street is often the simplest approach.
Be prepared for drivers to offer a day of sightseeing: chances are your driver will propose taking you to the main tourist sights around Turpan for a fixed fee, which was around ¥450 for a full day trip as of April 2025. This can be a convenient way to reach the outlying attractions, but agree the price and itinerary clearly before setting off.
Walking
The central area is small enough that walking is a realistic option for getting between the mosques, the pedestrian street, and other sights in the old town. Bus 102's route along Laocheng Lu, with the Qingnian pedestrian street crossing as a convenient starting point, gives a good sense of how the centre is laid out on foot. For anything beyond the centre, though, you will want a bus or a taxi.
Practical Summary
- In the city centre: walk, or take a ¥1 public bus; taxis start at ¥7 and cover most central trips.
- Ticket buying: pay the flat ¥1 fare on local buses; taxis are metered from the ¥7 starting fee.
- Route planning: use Amap for bus itineraries, but verify against local information since it is not always current.
- From the airport: take a taxi; the airport is northwest of the city.
- From the North railway station: take a taxi; the station is northwest of the city.
- Long-distance arrivals: trains at Turpan North and coaches at the Long Distance Bus Station on Laocheng Road.
- Day trips to outlying sights: consider a fixed-fee taxi arrangement, agreed in advance.