The Eastern Qing Tombs are about 125 kilometres northeast of Beijing, in Zunhua County within Tangshan prefecture. The most straightforward independent route is to take a high-speed train from Beijing to Zunhua (about an hour on the Beijing–Shenyang corridor), then hire a taxi or take a local bus from Zunhua to the tomb complex, around 25 kilometres further. Agree on a return time with any taxi driver, as vehicles are scarce at the site.
Several operators in Beijing run day trips to the tombs, which simplifies logistics but limits the time you have on site. A full visit to the main tombs — Xiaoling, Yuling, and Ding Dongling — takes most of a day, and a rushed tour does not do justice to the underground chambers.