Station guide · Luoyang
Luoyang Railway Stations 2026: Longmen, central & the Grottoes
Luoyang has three stations — Longmen (the HSR hub, closest to the Grottoes), central Luoyang Station, and freight-only Luoyang East. Which your ticket names, how to reach the Longmen Grottoes, the metro into the old town, the Xi'an day-extension, and the hotels by the station.
China for Travelers EditorialUpdated Published Amap routing checked Jun 2026
- To the Grottoes
- ~14 min
- taxi ~¥13-15
- Metro
- Line 2
- both stations
- From Xi'an
- ~1h25m
- ~¥175 HSR
- Central station
- 洛阳站
- old-town side
Look for 龙门 (Longmen) on your ticket. A G-train almost always arrives at Luoyang Longmen (洛阳龙门站), the HSR hub by the Grottoes. 洛阳 (plain) is the central station for sleepers; 洛阳东 (East) is freight — different stations.
First: which of Luoyang's stations?
The rule: a G-class high-speed train arrives at Luoyang Longmen (洛阳龙门站) — the one by the Grottoes. Sleepers and slower trains use central Luoyang Station (洛阳站), ~15 km away. 洛阳东 (East) is freight. Read the full name on your ticket.
| Station | Metro | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Luoyang Longmen (洛阳龙门站)HSR hub — G-trains from Xi'an / Zhengzhou / Beijing | Line 2 | Almost all HSR arrivals — closest to the Longmen Grottoes (~6.9 km) |
| Luoyang Station (洛阳站)Overnight sleepers + conventional + some D-trains | Line 2 | Central / old-town adjacent — ~4.9 km to the centre |
| Luoyang East (洛阳东站)Freight + a handful of slow trains | None | Rarely relevant — check the ticket name (洛阳东) |
Common mix-up: the central station is just called “洛阳站”, so “Luoyang Railway Station” can mean either it or the HSR hub. For high-speed trains and the Grottoes, you want 洛阳龙门 (Longmen), ~15 km / ~33 min from the central station.
Fast facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Chinese names | 洛阳龙门站 (Longmen, HSR) · 洛阳站 (central) · 洛阳东站 (East) |
| HSR hub | Luoyang Longmen (洛阳龙门站) — Metro Line 2 |
| To Longmen Grottoes | ~6.9 km / ~14 min · taxi ~¥13-15 from Longmen station |
| Central station | Luoyang Station (洛阳站) — ~4.9 km to the centre, old-town adjacent |
| Metro | Both stations on Line 2; old-town sights on Line 1 (change at 解放路) |
| Longmen ↔ central | ~15.3 km / ~33 min |
| Grottoes ticket | ¥90 · real-name booking required up to 6 days ahead |
Tip: to a taxi or DiDi driver, show the characters 洛阳龙门站 (the HSR hub) vs 洛阳站 (central) — “Luoyang station” alone is ambiguous between the two.
To the Longmen Grottoes
The UNESCO Longmen Grottoes (龙门石窟) are why most visitors come, and Longmen Station is named after them for a reason — they're only ~6.9 km away:
| From | How | Time · cost |
|---|---|---|
| Luoyang Longmen (HSR) | Taxi/DiDi (meter ~¥13-15, ride-hail ~¥7-10), or 假日3号线 bus (09:00-17:00) direct | ~14 min |
| Luoyang Station (central) | Bus 81 direct (~¥2), or DiDi | ~50-60 / ~25 min |
Book the Grottoes before you go. Since 2025 entry is real-name and must be booked online (the official WeChat account or an OTA), up to 6 days ahead with a time slot — if it sells out online you can't buy at the gate. Ticket ¥90; allow 2-3 hours; the in-park sightseeing cart (¥10) saves the long walk back. See our Longmen Grottoes guide.
Ignore the touts at the exit
Outside Longmen Station some people pose as bus drivers (“Bus 71 only runs hourly, I'll take you”) or offer a private car or electric trike — they quote ~¥20 for a ride a DiDi does for ~¥7, and the trike can crawl in traffic. Don't engage, and don't believe “the bus has stopped” or “the route changed.” Follow the official 地铁 (metro) and 公交枢纽 (bus hub) signs and use the metered taxi queue or a map-app ride-hail.
Into the city & old town
Luoyang's two-line metro (opened 2021) links the rail stations to the city, but with one quirk worth knowing: both rail stations are on Metro Line 2, while the old-town sights you actually want — 应天门 (Yingtian Gate), 丽景门, Luoyi Ancient City — are on Line 1. So from either station you ride Line 2 and change to Line 1 at 解放路 (the interchange).
- From Luoyang Longmen: Metro Line 2 → change at 解放路 to Line 1 for 应天门 — ~35 min door-to-door; or a taxi ~¥28-35 (~30 min). Hotels around Longmen are newer and quieter.
- From central Luoyang Station: you're basically already there — ~4.9 km / ~12-14 min / ~¥10-13 by taxi to the centre, and the old-town lanes (洛邑古城, 十字街 night market) are an easy hop.
Metro fares are ¥2-4; pay with an Alipay or WeChat QR (a foreign card linked to Alipay works). For the full bus and metro picture see the getting around Luoyang guide.
Trains to Luoyang — and the airport question
Luoyang Longmen is on the 徐兰 (Xi'an–Zhengzhou) HSR line. The headline pairs:
| From | Fastest | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Xi'an North | ~1h25m | G-trains on the 徐兰 line, several/hour, ~¥175 — the classic add-on to Xi'an |
| Zhengzhou East | ~30 min | ~¥65-80; the fly-into-CGO-then-HSR routing for the region |
| Beijing West | ~3h35m | Direct on the 京广 spine, ~¥275-350 |
| Shanghai Hongqiao | ~5.5h | Long-haul G-trains; many fly instead |
The Xi'an extension is the classic move — 1h25m and you're at the Grottoes. For flying, the region's big airport is Zhengzhou (CGO), not Luoyang's small LYA: fly into CGO, then HSR to Longmen in ~30 min. See the Luoyang airport guide for the LYA-vs-CGO call. The Shaolin Temple (少林寺) sits between Luoyang and Zhengzhou — no HSR, a bus from Luoyang's New South Bus Station.
Hotels near the station
Two clusters work for visitors. By Luoyang Longmen is handy for an early Grottoes start or an HSR connection; the old town is the better all-round base for a 1-2 night stay. The chains Amap confirms:
- At Luoyang Longmen: JI Hotel 全季 ★ Best value (right at the station forecourt) and Hanting 汉庭 — convenient for an early train or a first-morning Grottoes run.
- At central Luoyang Station: Atour 亚朵 (大卫天地, station-adjacent) and Hanting 汉庭 directly opposite — closer to the old town and food.
- For the full picture (old-town Laocheng vs Longmen vs city centre), see our where to stay in Luoyang guide.
Where to book these: mainland chains like 全季 / 亚朵 / 汉庭 are most reliably booked on Trip.com (Booking/Agoda coverage is thin), with an English checkout and foreign-card payment.
Practical: luggage, time, booking
Time & luggage
Allow 30-40 minutes from arriving at the station to boarding — your passport is your ticket, scanned at the automated gates. Luoyang Longmen has self-service lockers in the hall (Alipay/WeChat QR); the central Luoyang Station has a staffed left-luggage office near the exit (~¥10-20/piece/day, bring your passport).
Booking — 12306 vs Trip.com
12306 (the official app/site) is the source of truth and registers foreign passports, but it is Chinese-first. Trip.com sells the same 12306 seats with an English interface, foreign-card checkout, no verification wait and 24-hour multilingual support — prices track 12306 and new-customer promos are often lower. Luoyang is a genuinely popular heritage destination: book ahead for the April–May Peony Festival and the Oct 1-7 / May 1-5 holidays, when Xi'an–Luoyang trains sell out days early.
Frequently asked questions
Which Luoyang railway station should I use?
Luoyang Longmen Station (洛阳龙门站) for almost every visitor arriving by high-speed rail — it is the dedicated HSR hub on the Xi'an–Zhengzhou (徐兰) line and, handily, the closest station to the Longmen Grottoes (~6.9 km / ~14 min by taxi). Luoyang Station (洛阳站) in Xigong district is the older central station for overnight sleepers and conventional trains, and it is closer to the old town. Both are on Metro Line 2. Luoyang East (洛阳东站) is freight-primary — you will rarely use it. Look for the characters 龙门 (Longmen) on your ticket: that's the HSR station.
How do I get from Luoyang Longmen Station to the Longmen Grottoes?
The grottoes are only ~6.9 km (~14 min) from Longmen Station. The simplest options: a taxi/DiDi — meter ~¥13-15, ride-hail ~¥7-10 (anything much higher is a tout); or the 假日3号线 (Holiday Line 3) bus that runs direct to the grottoes 09:00-17:00, cheap but infrequent. The metro does NOT reach the grottoes. From the central Luoyang Station instead, Bus 81 runs direct (~¥2, ~50-60 min) or a DiDi is ~20-25 min. Note the Longmen Grottoes need an advance real-name booking (see below).
Do I need to book the Longmen Grottoes in advance?
Yes. Since 2025 the Longmen Grottoes use mandatory real-name ticketing — book online (the official WeChat account or an OTA) up to 6 days ahead, choosing a time slot; if it sells out online you generally cannot buy at the gate. The ticket is ¥90 (¥45 concession) and covers the West Hill + East Hill grottoes, Xiangshan Temple and the Bai Garden. Enter with the passport you booked with. Allow 2-3 hours; an in-park sightseeing cart (¥10) saves the long walk back.
Are the Luoyang stations on the metro?
Yes — Luoyang opened a two-line metro in 2021. Both rail stations sit on Metro Line 2: 龙门高铁站 (at Luoyang Longmen) and 洛阳火车站 (at the central Luoyang Station). The old-town sights — 应天门, 丽景门, Luoyi Ancient City — are on Metro Line 1, so from either rail station you ride Line 2 and change to Line 1 at 解放路 (the interchange). From Longmen it's roughly 35 minutes door-to-door to the old town. Fares are ¥2-4; pay with an Alipay/WeChat QR.
How long is Xi'an to Luoyang by train?
About 1 hour 25 minutes from Xi'an North (西安北站) to Luoyang Longmen on G-class trains on the 徐兰 HSR line, several an hour, second class around ¥175. It is the most popular cross-city pair here and the natural eastward extension of a Xi'an trip. A day trip is technically possible, but one overnight is better — the grottoes, the Luoyang Museum and the evening Luoyi Ancient City light show don't fit comfortably into a single day.
How do I avoid the touts at Luoyang Longmen Station?
On exit, some people pose as bus drivers (claiming Bus 71 'only runs hourly, I'll take you') or offer a private car or electric trike — they quote ~¥20 for a ride a DiDi does for ~¥7, and the trike can crawl in traffic. Ignore anyone who approaches you, and don't believe 'the bus has stopped' or 'the route changed.' Follow the official 地铁 (metro) and 公交枢纽 (bus hub) signs, use the metered taxi queue or a map-app ride-hail, and book the grottoes ticket yourself online.
Where can I leave luggage, and can foreigners book with a passport?
Luoyang Longmen has self-service lockers in the hall (Alipay/WeChat QR, small to full-suitcase sizes); the central Luoyang Station has a staffed left-luggage office near the exit (~¥10-20/piece/day, bring your passport). Book trains on the official 12306 app (registers foreign passports, face value) or Trip.com's English site; the station is real-name (实名制) — your passport is scanned at the gates as ticket and ID, nothing to print. Book ahead during the April–May Peony Festival and the Oct 1-7 / May 1-5 holidays.
Related Luoyang guides
- Longmen Grottoes guide — the UNESCO carvings: booking, the viewing sequence, how long to allow.
- White Horse Temple — China's oldest Buddhist temple, ~28 km / ~38 min from Longmen station.
- Getting around Luoyang — Metro Lines 1 & 2, Bus 81 to the Grottoes, DiDi and QR payment.
- Where to stay in Luoyang — old-town Laocheng vs Longmen vs city centre.
- Luoyang airport (LYA) vs Zhengzhou CGO — which makes sense for your origin city.
Browse all Luoyang hotels on Trip.com
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Verification scope
Editorially aggregated, not a Luoyang resident. The editor is based in Chongqing, first-hand on China's HSR network but not a Luoyang local — a neutral editorial check, not an on-the-ground claim.
Sources: Amap (高德地图) driving and transit routing checked 2026-06-29 (Longmen → Grottoes 6.9 km / ~14 min; Longmen → centre 12.3 km; Longmen ↔ central station 15.3 km; Longmen → White Horse Temple 28.2 km; the metro lines — both rail stations on Line 2, 应天门 on Line 1; the Luoyang taxi rate); official and web sources for the train facts and the Longmen Grottoes ¥90 / real-name-booking policy; the national rail timetable for the route times (range-level, confirm live when booking); and traveller reports on 小红书 / 点点 (2026-06-29) for the lived detail — the station preference, the Grottoes bus/taxi options and the bus-driver tout warning, the luggage and old-town routing. Traveller-reported figures move and are flagged.
Data source line: station and route facts come from official hub information and the national rail timetable; metro and transfer times are from Amap routing, refreshed periodically (last checked 2026-06-29). See the editor's about page. Not an on-site or 12306-authority claim.