Things to do in Lanzhou
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Lanzhou
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
The best windows, warm days and cool nights with boats, Danxia and the riverfront all at their best.
Warming but unstable, with spring dust possible, April blossom in Anning and Shichuan, and low prices.
Warm and busy, with occasional heavy rain that can disrupt river activities and the Bingling boats.
National Day week around 1 October spikes prices and crowds, so aim for mid September or mid to late October.
Cold, dry and quiet with bottom prices, but the worst air quality season and ice possible on the river.
What's on
- Lanzhou Marathon late May, early June in some years (25 May in 2025)
A big city marathon run along the Yellow River scenic line past the bridge, the sculpture and the waterwheel.
- Shichuan Pear Blossom Season April, bloom weekend varies
Ancient pear orchards in Gaolan County bloom and the city heads out for blossom viewing and farmhouse food.
- Anning Peach Blossom April
Peach blossom on the slopes around Ren Shou Mountain in Anning, the city traditional spring outing.
- Chinese New Year Lantern Displays January to February, lunar dates vary
Lantern installations dress the riverfront, Jincheng Pass and Waterwheel areas over the Spring Festival period.
- Summer Night Market Season June to September
Zhengning Road and Nanguan at full stretch with river cruises running late, the high season for eating Lanzhou.
Best things to do in Lanzhou
Gansu Provincial Museum
Home of the Flying Horse of Gansu and deep Silk Road galleries, the one indoor sight in Lanzhou you must not miss.
Zhongshan Bridge
The 1909 iron bridge over the Yellow River, best walked once by day and again when it is floodlit after dark.
White Pagoda Mountain Park
The temple dotted hill across the bridge, climbed for the definitive view over the river and the whole linear city.
Statue of Mother Yellow River
The granite mother and child on the south bank promenade, the calm western heart of a riverside walk at dusk.
Lanzhou Waterwheel Expo Park
Two giant working waterwheels and riverside tea seats that recall the old City of Waterwheels in under an hour.
Wuquan Mountain Park
A wooded five springs park of temples and tea gardens where Lanzhou itself goes, greener and quieter than Baita.
Lanzhou Yellow River Cruise
An hour on the water between the waterwheel and the bridge, best on the evening sailing when both banks are lit.
Yellow River Building
A modern riverside tower with the broadest panorama of the river bend and a night light show, best at dusk.
Where to stay in Lanzhou
Chengguan Riverside: Xiguan and Zhangye Road
first trip, food travel, short stays
Minutes from the bridge, Baita Mountain, Dazhongxiang and the night markets, with Metro Line 1 at Xiguan.
Dongfanghong Plaza
luxury hotels and business travel
The modern commercial centre with the two highest rated international hotels and easy station access.
Anning
quiet, space and university visits
The greener north bank university district, calmer and more spacious, a cross river trip from the central sights.
Qilihe and Lanzhou West Station
early trains and museum first itineraries
The high speed station, the provincial museum and the waterwheel riverfront, with good value hotels.
Think twice about
- Lanzhou Railway Station perimeter
Dense budget hotels, touts and traffic chaos, with the least pleasant walk home in central Lanzhou after dark.
- Xigu district
The far western petrochemical district, over 15km from the centre, with nothing a visitor needs as a base.
- Lanzhou New Area and airport area
The airport is 60 to 70km north, so staying near it strands you an hour from every sight in the city.
Best restaurants in Lanzhou
Mazilu Beef Noodles
The century old heritage noodle house in Dazhong Lane, the first bowl to eat in Lanzhou and best before 9am.
Jinqiang Beef Noodles
A polished modern noodle shop on Yantan Road that shows the contemporary Lanzhou standard at its most consistent.
Wumule Penghui Beef Noodles
The insiders potash water noodle shop on Beibinhe West Road that locals name when Mazilu comes up.
Lanzhou Zai Huishou
The top rated hand grabbed lamb house in the Xiguan mosque quarter, and the city designated splurge table.
Nanguan Ethnic Flavor Street
The locals late night street of Hui grill shops, where skewers, kidney, tendon and tripe are grilled to order.
Zhengning Road Night Market
The famous night market for milk egg jiuzao, grey beans and skewers, compact and on the hotel district doorstep.
Nongmin Alley
The everyday food street of lamb houses, hotpot and barbecue where Lanzhou eats on an ordinary day.
Hujia Baozi
A top rated halal baozi house in Qilihe, the breakfast alternative on a museum morning when noodles can wait.
Best bars in Lanzhou
Fangha Tianpeizi Milk Tea
Sweet fermented oat milk tea in a cup big enough for two, the signature Lanzhou drink of the night markets.
Outdoor things to do in Lanzhou
Bingling Temple Grottoes
Ancient Buddhist cliff caves reached only by boat across Liujiaxia Reservoir, the great day trip from Lanzhou.
Lanzhou Shuimo Danxia Scenic Area
Muted ink painting Danxia hills under an hour from the centre, at their best after rain or in low sun.
Sheepskin Raft
A short drift on the Yellow River aboard a raft of inflated sheepskins, river transport as it was for centuries.
Mt. Xinglong National Nature Reserve
Spruce forested twin peaks with temples and a high meadow, the nearest real forest and best hike from Lanzhou.
Yellow River Riverside Greenway
Flat promenade cycling along both banks past the bridge, the sculpture and the waterwheel, best early or at dusk.
Lanshan Park
The south side mountain park above Wuquan, ridden up by cable car for the famous night view over the valley city.
Xinglong Mountain Ski Field
A small regional ski hill about an hour from the city, a good winter day for beginners and families.
Liujiaxia Reservoir
A vast blue green reservoir in dry folded hills, worth a slow boat and a fish lunch even without the grottoes.
Best hotels in Lanzhou
Hyatt Regency Lanzhou
The default luxury stay, a river view tower with a large pool floor and club lounge near Dongfanghong Plaza.
Hilton Lanzhou City Center
A very tall tower with panoramic dining and sweeping night views over the river and the city centre.
Sheraton Lanzhou Anning
The spacious north bank splurge in quiet Anning, top rated in the city for travellers who want to decompress.
Crowne Plaza Lanzhou
A large riverside IHG tower with pool and spa at mid range Lanzhou prices, calm and a little east of Xiguan.
Atour Hotel Lanzhou Xiguan Zhangye Road Pedestrian Street
The mid range location play, sleeping above the Xiguan streets of food, mosques and the walk to the bridge.
Mercure Lanzhou Downtown
Accor midscale on the south riverside road west of the centre, handy for the waterwheel and morning promenades.
ibis Lanzhou Zhangye Road
Budget standardised rooms planted directly on Zhangye Road, so the cheap tier sleeps in the best base.
Lanzhou Zhongshan Hotel
A local classic by Xiguan Cross with the bridge and scenic river area right outside and food all around.
Is Lanzhou expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | CN¥220 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | CN¥450 a person |
| Splurge | CN¥1,100 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Gansu Provincial Museum: a few days ahead
- Lanzhou Yellow River Cruise: a few days ahead
- Bingling Temple Grottoes: a few days ahead
- Lanzhou Shuimo Danxia Scenic Area: a few days ahead
- Liujiaxia Reservoir: a few days ahead
- Yellow River Stone Forest National Geopark: a few days ahead
- Reserve the free Gansu Provincial Museum slot days ahead with your passport, and remember it closes on Mondays.
- Book Bingling boats or a private car and speedboat package a few days ahead in summer and holidays.
- Book Shuimo Danxia shuttle seats ahead in holidays and go early or late for light and smaller crowds.
- Book hotels ahead for May Day, National Day, summer weekends and Lanzhou Marathon weekend.
Is Lanzhou safe?
- Watch bags in the night markets and agree raft, boat and taxi prices in advance where no ticket applies.
- Never swim in the Yellow River, raft only with operators, and respect boat cancellations in high water.
- Winter air is the worst season in the trapped valley, so check the AQI, carry a KN95 class mask, and favour mountain days when hazy.
- At about 1500m the dry air and strong sun are normal, so hydrate and use sunscreen year round.
Lanzhou travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Do not mistake the nationwide lamian shop product for a Lanzhou bowl eaten at 8am in a famous Chengguan shop.
- Treat Lanzhou Old Street and the Yellow River Building as evening add ons, not substitutes for the museum or Bingling.
- The Waterwheel Garden is a 40 minute stop with tea, not a half day park complex.
- Zhengning Road is the most tourist priced night market, so pair it with locals Nanguan the next night.
- At Shuimo Danxia buy the ticket and shuttle core and skip the stacked paid extras.
Getting around Lanzhou: public transport and more
- Metro Line 1 runs the length of the city through Xiguan, the museum quarter and Lanzhou West station.
- Take the intercity train from the airport, about 40 to 50 minutes and under 20 yuan, over the bus or a taxi.
- Walk the riverfront promenades and use shared bikes along them, and use taxis or Didi for Danxia and Lanshan.
- Set up Alipay and WeChat Pay before arriving, carry small cash for stalls, and keep your hotel name in Chinese.
Who Lanzhou suits
| Solo travellers | Great |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Great |
| Couples | Good |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Lanzhou your trip
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