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City guide · Datong, China · 2026

Datong in 3 days: itinerary and top spots

Updated · 23 spots · open in 2025–26

Datong, China. From 23 spots whose locations we've checked, we picked a full 3-day route (not counting arrival and departure days) and the top 8 in each category. The areas you'll keep coming back to: Old Town · South Old Town · Pingcheng.

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🗺️ A 3-day route

Each day: two sights, one meal, one hot spot and one evening stop, grouped by neighbourhood so you can walk from one to the next.

Day 1 about 6h 55m at the stops, plus travel

  1. Morning
    Yungang GrottoesYungang🏛️ Sight

    World Heritage Northern Wei grottoes; don't miss caves 5-6

  2. Lunch
    Dongfang Knife-cut NoodlesPingcheng🍜 Food

    Datong-style knife-cut noodles; add local vinegar

  3. Afternoon
    Datong City WallPingcheng✨ Hot spot

    Walk or cycle the restored wall; best at sunset

  4. Late afternoon
    Prince Dai's MansionOld Town🏛️ Sight

    Restored Ming prince's palace beside the Nine-Dragon Wall

  5. Evening
    Drum TowerOld Town🌙 Night

    Central tower of the old town; food streets around

Day 2 about 6h at the stops, plus travel

  1. Morning
    Hanging TempleHunyuan🏛️ Sight

    Temple clinging to a cliff; upper access is capped

  2. Lunch
    Gulou East StreetOld Town🍜 Food

    Food street for knife-cut noodles and lamb offal soup

  3. Afternoon
    Datong Art MuseumYuquan✨ Hot spot

    Mound-like modern art museum; many free shows

  4. Late afternoon
    Datong MuseumYuquan🏛️ Sight

    Northern Wei relics and dinosaurs; free booking, closed Mon

  5. Evening
    Datong South GateSouth Old Town🌙 Night

    Gate and moat lit up; start a night wall walk here

Day 3 about 5h 45m at the stops, plus travel

  1. Morning
    Mount HengHunyuan🏛️ Sight

    Northern of the Five Great Mountains; cable car, pair with Hanging Temple

  2. Lunch
    Yongtai StreetSouth Old Town🍜 Food

    Food lane near the south gate

  3. Afternoon
    Wenying LakePingcheng✨ Hot spot

    New-town lake park with fountains at night

  4. Late afternoon
    Fahua TempleOld Town🏛️ Sight

    Restored temple inside the walls

  5. Evening
    Yuhe RiverEast Pingcheng🌙 Night

    Lit riverside park east of the old town

🍜 Where to eat in Datong: top 8

Specific restaurants, markets and food halls. Where there are queues, go right after opening.

  1. FenglingeOld Town

    Datong's flower-shaped shaomai specialty house

  2. Gulou East StreetOld TownIn the route

    Food street for knife-cut noodles and lamb offal soup

  3. Yongtai StreetSouth Old TownIn the route

    Food lane near the south gate

  4. Qingyuan StreetOld Town

    Shop street west of the Drum Tower

  5. Dongfang Knife-cut NoodlesPingchengIn the route

    Datong-style knife-cut noodles; add local vinegar

✨ Datong hot spots: top 8

Trendy neighbourhoods, cafés, photo spots and complexes for the daytime.

  1. Datong City WallPingchengIn the route

    Walk or cycle the restored wall; best at sunset

  2. Wenying LakePingchengIn the route

    New-town lake park with fountains at night

  3. Datong Art MuseumYuquanIn the route

    Mound-like modern art museum; many free shows

🌙 Datong at night: top 8

Bars, izakaya and night views — one to end the evening.

  1. Drum TowerOld TownIn the route

    Central tower of the old town; food streets around

  2. Datong South GateSouth Old TownIn the route

    Gate and moat lit up; start a night wall walk here

  3. Yuhe RiverEast PingchengIn the route

    Lit riverside park east of the old town

🏛️ Top sights in Datong

The places most first-timers don’t want to miss. Add a day in the app for the ones not in the route.

  1. Yungang GrottoesYungangIn the route

    World Heritage Northern Wei grottoes; don't miss caves 5-6

  2. Hanging TempleHunyuanIn the route

    Temple clinging to a cliff; upper access is capped

  3. Mount HengHunyuanIn the route

    Northern of the Five Great Mountains; cable car, pair with Hanging Temple

  4. Yingxian Wooden PagodaYing County

    Oldest standing wooden pagoda; climbing inside restricted

  5. Huayan TempleOld Town

    Liao-Jin halls and statues; pretty lighting at night

  6. Shanhua TempleSouth Old Town

    Liao-era timber halls; quiet with few visitors

  7. Nine-Dragon WallOld Town

    Ming glazed-tile dragon screen, among China's largest

  8. Prince Dai's MansionOld TownIn the route

    Restored Ming prince's palace beside the Nine-Dragon Wall

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