Beichuan is reached by bus from Mianyang, which is itself about 90 minutes by high-speed train from Chengdu. Regular buses connect Mianyang bus station to the new Beichuan county seat at Yongchang (about 1 hour). From Yongchang, local minibuses or taxis cover the final stretch to the ruins and memorial museum at the old Qushan Town site, about 20 km north.
The journey from Chengdu to the memorial site takes about three hours in total. A direct day trip from Chengdu is feasible but long; most visitors who want to spend adequate time at the sites prefer to stay overnight in Mianyang or Yongchang.