Zhenyuan is 96 kilometres east of Kaili and well-connected by rail. The train from Kaili takes about one hour on slower trains and slightly less on express services — the slower trains are worth taking if you are not in a rush, as the landscape between Kaili and Zhenyuan is itself worth seeing. From Guiyang (the provincial capital), the journey takes around two hours by rail, with a change possible at Kaili. Zhenyuan railway station sits about two kilometres southwest of the old town; taxis and local buses cover the distance in under ten minutes.
By road, the expressway from Kaili and Guiyang is faster but gives less sense of the terrain. Long-distance buses from Kaili are a cheaper option than the train and drop passengers at the bus station near the old town. There is no airport; the nearest is at Kaili (Kaili Huangping Airport), which handles flights from Guiyang, Chengdu, and a few other major cities.