Weekend in Luoyang — A Two-Day Plan for Short Visits

Introduction

Luoyang is one of the best-value weekend destinations in China: the high-speed network puts it about 3 hours from Beijing, 4.5–5.5 from Shanghai and 1.5 from Xi’an, and two full days cover the city’s four headline sights at a comfortable pace. This plan is built for a Friday-evening arrival and a Sunday-evening departure — tweak the order to match your train times.

Friday evening — arrive and settle in

Take a late-afternoon or evening high-speed train so your weekend days are untouched. On arrival at Luoyang Longmen station, take a taxi to a hotel in or near the old town (Laocheng) — walking distance to the food streets makes the evening easy. See our where to stay guide for neighbourhood advice.

Evening: dinner at the old town’s night market streets — a good first taste of Luoyang street food (see the food guide). Keep it an early night; Saturday starts early.

Saturday — Longmen Grottoes and the old town

Morning (08:00–12:00): Longmen Grottoes. Go at opening to beat the crowds and the heat. Take the full West Hill → bridge → East Hill loop — about 2.5–3 hours. Practical details (tickets, hours, route) are in our Longmen visiting guide; the history guide makes the carvings far more meaningful.

Early afternoon (13:00–14:30): Guanlin Temple. On the way back into town, the Guanlin Temple (the shrine traditionally associated with Guan Yu) is a quiet, atmospheric stop that pairs naturally with Longmen — about 45 minutes on site.

Late afternoon (15:00–17:00): old town and city wall. Walk the old town’s lanes, visit the Lijing Gate area and, if time allows, the small folk-culture streets behind it. This is also the moment for a proper Luoyang water banquet dinner — book ahead in the early afternoon, as the best restaurants fill up (see water banquet guide).

Evening: an early dinner so you are ready for a full Sunday.

Sunday — White Horse Temple, museum and departure

Morning (08:30–11:30): White Horse Temple. Luoyang’s eastern highlight — traditionally China’s first Buddhist temple — is about 40 minutes from the old town by taxi. Combine the main temple complex with the quieter international-style temple grounds behind it. See our White Horse Temple page for what to look for.

Early afternoon (12:30–14:30): Luoyang Museum. A strong, modern museum covering the city’s Han and Tang heritage. Two hours is comfortable; the bronzes and Tang pottery are the highlights (see Luoyang Museum).

Late afternoon (15:30–17:00): collect luggage, taxi to Luoyang Longmen station, and catch your return train. If your train is early, swap the museum for a relaxed old-town lunch instead.

Timing and booking tips

• Book trains early. Friday-evening and Sunday-evening services are the busiest of the week, and they sell out around Chinese public holidays.
• Book the water banquet ahead. The best-known banquet restaurants fill on weekends — reserve Saturday afternoon for a Saturday dinner.
• Hotels: the old town books out at weekends in April (peony festival) and autumn; reserve well in advance.
• Payments: set up Alipay or WeChat Pay before you arrive — it makes every purchase faster.

Adjusting the plan

• From Xi’an: if you are based in Xi’an, the same plan works with shorter trains; see Xi’an to Luoyang.
• Only one full day: compress to the 1-day itinerary (Longmen plus one more site).
• Extra time: add the Guanlin Temple to Sunday or swap the museum for a morning at the ancient-capital history pages; the 3-day itinerary covers the relaxed version.

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