Mogao Caves (Dunhuang) — Open Year-Round, But the Ticket You Want Sells Out

✅ OPENLast verified: October 19, 2026

The short answer

The Mogao Caves are open every month of the year — there is no winter shutdown. What changes with the seasons is the hours, the price, and how many caves you see.

Current rules (2026, per the Dunhuang Academy)

	Peak season (Apr 1 – Nov 30)	Off season (Dec 1 – Mar 31)
Hours	08:00–18:00, last ticket check 16:10	09:00–17:00, last ticket check 15:10
Regular ticket	CNY 238 (digital films + 8 caves)	CNY 140 (digital films + 10 caves)
Daily cap	6,000 regular tickets	—
Emergency ticket	CNY 100, 4 caves, up to 12,000/day	Same product

What first-time foreign visitors keep getting wrong

Booking runs on WeChat, and it has an English button. The only official channel is the "莫高窟参观预约网" WeChat service account / mini program. Passport holders use the "Ticket Booking" menu item — you do not need a Chinese ID.
Tickets sell out, not the caves. The 6,000/day regular cap is the binding constraint between April and November. If regular tickets are gone, the emergency ticket (4 caves, CNY 100) is the fallback — real, but a visibly thinner visit.
Arrive 30 minutes early at the Digital Exhibition Center, not at the caves themselves. The visit starts with the films there.

Winter trade-off, in one line

From December 1 the ticket drops from CNY 238 to CNY 140 and you see 10 caves instead of 8 — cold air, thinner crowds, more art.

Related guide: Mogao Caves Tickets. Related open-status checks: Jiuzhaigou, Huangshan.

All status checks