Lanzhou 兰州
The Yellow River city that invented beef noodle soup.
- Region
- Gansu
- Best months
- May, Jun, Sep, Oct
- Nights to budget
- 1
- Airport
- Zhongchuan International (LHW)
Why visit Lanzhou
- The original Lanzhou beef noodles are worth the trip alone
- The Yellow River runs straight through the city centre
- Rail junction for Dunhuang, Xining and Xinjiang
What to see
- • Zhongshan Bridge
- • Baita Mountain
- • Gansu Provincial Museum
- • Waterwheel Park
- • Five Springs Mountain
- • Zhengning Road night market
What to eat
- Lanzhou beef noodles
- Niangpi
- Hand-grabbed lamb
- Gray beans
- Sweet fermented oats
Getting there
Lanzhou West is the junction for Xining (1h), Dunhuang (13h) and Urumqi (8h by high-speed).
Lanzhou has a metro, so most journeys inside the city cost ¥2–10 and avoid traffic entirely.
Practical guides for Lanzhou
City-specific topic pages are being written city by city. In the meantime these national guides apply everywhere.
- Visa & entry
Whether you need a visa for China, and the three routes that get most travellers in without one.
- Payment & money apps
Alipay and WeChat Pay now accept foreign cards.
- eSIM & connectivity
How to get online in China without losing access to Google, WhatsApp and Instagram.
- Safety
China is statistically one of the safest countries for travellers.
- Getting around
Metro, taxi, ride-hailing and buses — how each works and which to use when.
- High-speed rail
The world’s largest high-speed network — how to book, board and not miss your train.
- Food & eating
How to order, what the regional specialities actually are, and how to handle dietary needs.
- Hotels & booking
Which sites actually work for foreigners, and what to check before you pay.
- Attraction tickets
Almost every major attraction now requires a timed online reservation, often days ahead.
- Money & costs
What a day actually costs, where the money goes, and how to budget by tier.
- Language & communication
How far English gets you, and the handful of Chinese that changes the trip.
- Apps you need
The short list of apps that make the trip work, and what each one replaces.