Where to Stay in Pingyao (Tips, Photos & Map)

With easy access to Pingyao,  people mainly focus where to stay in Pingyao in the process of arranging their individual trips to Pingyao.

Unlike other big cities bestowed with big lavish hotels, Pingyao features small guesthouses, hostels and hotels,  most of them offering over 20 some rooms. Many hotels and inns are built based in the traditional courtyards, old houses in the northern China.

These old courtyards turned guesthouses and hotels hold a great interest for western travellers, sipping tea or coffee in an elaborated courtyard,  sleeping on stone beds ( Stone Kang Beds),  and immersing themselves in the traditional Chinese atmosphere. There are over 20 courtyard turned guesthouses and hotels available for your choose.

If you have no fancy for stone kang beds and prefer to stay in a splurge hotel with modern facilities, Pingyao will not let you down. The Kylin Grand Hotel is a 5 star hotel with spacious rooms equipped with luxury facilities.

So where should I stay in Pingyao? While choosing a hotel in Pingyao, basically people would consider three factors - Location, Service and price. Let's go one by one and finally I'd like to recommend some of the ideal hotels I know for your reference.

Pingyao Tourist Sketch Map

Pingyao Ancient City Layout

Each street is linked to a gate.  One of Pingyao Ancient City's unique features is that it is not square in shape. Actually the whole city leans to the northwest and  its "North"  is replaced by "Northwest". So all the lanes and streets slant.

On the south street, you find Tong Xing Gong Armed Escort Agency, Chinese Armed Escort Agency Museum, Xie Tong Qing Draft Bank. Some popular hotels are also located on the south street, like Tian Yuan Kui Hotel and Harmony Guesthouse.

Generally it is preferable to choose a hotel in South Street, West Street, Yaman Street or Chenghuang Temple Street. Now I'd like to recommend one guesthouse ( stone kang beds) , one hotel ( stone kang beds) and one luxury hotel ( modern standard room ).

Inns and Hotels reommended in Pingyao

1. Harmony Hotel 和义昌客栈

A lively 300 year old Qing Dynasty building  with two cozy courtyards inside.  It is located at 165 South Street inside the ancient city of Pingyao. Over a dozen of rooms circle the two courtyards.

All the rooms offer stone kang beds with wooden bed top tea tables. The owners of the guesthouse,  husband and wife speak good English. Tel: 0354 - 5684952

2. Tian Yuan Kui Guesthouse 天元奎客栈

This guesthouse is located on Ming and Qing Street, the core of Pingyao Ancient City, northern part of South Street, next to the attractions in Pingyao such as Tong Xing Gong Armed Escort Agency, Chinese Armed Escort Agency Museum, Xie Tong Qing Draft Bank.   Hotel Tel: 0354 - 5680069

3. Kylin Grand Hotel 平遥麒麟阁大饭店

This luxury modern hotel is located at No.76, Chenghuang Temple Street in Pingyao Ancient City, adjacent to the City God Temple and Confucious Temple.  Hotel Tel: (0354)5689988.

It is a boutique Hotel with its theme focused on the local Jin commercial culture in Ming and Qing  dynasties. Its Ming and Qing style building well matches the theme.

A Major Hotel List in Pingyao

For normal season, you don't have to prebook your stay in Pingyao. But in high season as well as on Chinese holidays and weekends, you are advised to reserve your accommodations in advance.

Tip:  Hassle-free Pingyao & Shanxi Guided Tours

If you don’t want to do a self-guided tour and prefer the hassle-free escorted tours,  here are some options for organized tours to Pingyao and Shanxi Province:

Shanxi Tour

Further Readings