Do you need to book Longmen Grottoes in advance?
Yes — Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang runs on real-name advance reservation. Release rule: Real-name tickets online; book ahead in April and on holidays. A foreign passport works as the real-name ID. The official channel has no linkable web page, so the practical route is your hotel or the on-site window.
Verified 2026-06-11 · rules change; confirm on the official channel before you travel
The booking rule, in detail
- Reservation
- Required in advance
- Tickets release
- Real-name tickets online; book ahead in April and on holidays
- Foreign passport
- A foreign passport works as the real-name ID.
- Official channel
- No linkable web page — the official route is a Chinese mini-program or the on-site window.
How a foreign visitor actually books it
Real-name booking with your passport; gates and the official platform handle foreigners routinely.
What else to know
The giant Vairocana Buddha is on the west bank; see it first, then cross to the east bank for the full cliff view. Evening illumination sessions run in season and are worth the second ticket.
If the official channel does not work
The two reliable fallbacks are your hotel front desk, which books these through domestic apps every day, and the on-site manual window where one still exists. What does not work is buying from someone who approaches you or from a marketplace listing: entry is real-name, so a ticket registered to another person’s ID will not admit you. The mechanics are in buying tickets the official way and booking without WeChat.
Other Luoyang sights that need booking
Full city context, hotels that register foreigners, and what to eat: Luoyang guide. Release times across every city we track are in Reservation Radar.