Hello Luisa I am sorry but I am unable to answer your question. I visited the caves with a group and our tickets were purchased by our local tour guide. However, I will say it is worth your while sorting out how to buy tickets as the caves are marvellous. Alistair 450

I don't think you can book tickets in advance. It was fairly easy. Just produce your passports. The queue is alright as long it is not a public holiday in China

Yes you can visit the caves and no guide needed.

Shoulder season is always best: September, October, April & May. Remember, they are not actual caves at all. Just cut-outs in the mountain with paintings and/or figures sculpted out of the walls. Howard S.

Hi iwannabe The Mogao Grottoes are in Dunhuang. Once in Dunhuang, get a taxi to take you to the Mogao Grottoes Visitor Centre, where you can purchase your ticket and be led through the entire process of two background movies, and a bus ride to the actual Grottoes for the tour. There is really no need to book tickets in advance online. And it is virtually impossible to do so if you don’t have a China tel. no. At the Visitor Centre, queue up at the ticketing counter where people collect their tickets for their online reservation. You just need to inform the ticketing officer that you are a foreigner and would like to join the next available tour with an English-language guide. Produce your passport, pay 220RMB and you will get your ticket with “外” stamped on it to indicate that this is a ticket for foreigners. You will be given a time slot and then proceed to the entrance of the main building to wait for your turn (based on your assigned time-slot). Inside the building, you will be led to watch two movies. Be sure to ask for an English-language audio headset. It is good and very helpful. (I recall that the Japanese visitors had their Japanese-language headset for the movies and a Japanese-language guide at the caves. Not sure what other languages are available though.) For info: Foreigners are not shortchanged. We get to visit eight caves with an experienced English-language guide (and have the option to visit four more that are open to last minute domestic visitors). I found out from other independent domestic visitors who booked their tickets online that they were also brought to eight caves by a Chinese-language guide and had the same option of visiting four more opened to last-minute visitors. Tip: It is critical to have a guide to explain the background and communicate the nuances of the paintings in the grottoes. Otherwise, the essence will completely be lost. I hope my answer is helpful. Cheers Evelyn

私の場合は仕事先の中国人の手配で訪問しましたので、申し訳ありませんがわかりません。たた、説明に現地の研究所の所員がついてくれましたので、HPでメアドを見つけ、要望してみてはどうでしょうか。英語ならば対応してもらえる可能性があると思います。後半は私だったらその方法を試すということで、私見です。

I suggest you ask the person at the ticket counter when you purchase the ticket. I suspect that they would fit you into a later group, provided that there is space, but you would have to confirm with them.