Half day trip to Longmen grottoes

How could we go to Xi'an and miss this gem only an hour and half by fast train? We arrived with the first train and headed to the bus. We met lots of taxi drivers who wanted to give us a ride for unreasonable prices. We arrived at the bus stop and only had to wait a few minutes. The fare was cheap and the travel to the grottoes went fast. We didn't book tickets prior as the WeChat program wouldn't let us. We just bought it directly at the ticket office. The place got crowded quickly. We got surprised by the extreme heat (luckily, there are lots of places where we can buy fresh drinks inside the attraction). There are also lots of places to sit and rest under the shade, so if you come with children or elderly, you can still enjoy and visit at your own pace. Lots of stairs but you still have a good overview without climbing. The place is beautiful, located by the river. The grottoes are amazing and you can see that the money you pay is put to good use for conservative efforts and restoration. We were glad to find some explanatory panels in English. The tour is well indicated but hiring a guide or getting an audio guide will give you better understanding of the place and the meaning of things. Even though it became a bit crowded, it was still nice to stroll around the river and enjoy the day ☀️ #longmengrottoes