Although it's a sprawling place, Taiyuan is easy to get around as the majority of places of interest are on or near Yingze Dajie , the city's main thoroughfare. The street runs east-west across town, passing the south side of Wuyi Square, the heart of the city, and most sights, hotels and restaurants are within walking distance.

Taiyuan's airport is 15km southeast of the city. Local officials are so proud of it that a model of the modernist building sits in Yingze Park in the city centre. The train station , on the line that runs between Beijing and Xi'an, is likewise the focus of local pride, judging by the number of camera stalls lined up outside catering to those who want to get their photograph taken in front of it. As Chinese stations go, it's a pleasant one: clean, new and efficient, though with the usual chaos of buses and stalls outside. It's conveniently located at the eastern end of Yingze Dajie, from where bus #10 runs the full length of the thoroughfare. The long-distance bus station is just west of the train station, also on Yingze Dajie.

Most city bus routes begin from a terminal at the northeastern corner of Wuyi Square. Bus #28, which heads west down Yingze Dajie, then turns left on to Xinjian Nan Lu, may be of use. There are also five tram routes, which mostly travel north-south. Tram #2, which begins from a terminus on the west side of Jianshe Bei Lu, just north of the train station, travels west to Wuyi Square, then turns north up Wuyi Lu. Taxis are cheap, with a ¥6 minimum fare, and plentiful. The ride to the airport costs ¥30.