Hami is well-connected by rail. High-speed and conventional trains run between Ürümqi and Hami frequently, with journey times of around three hours on the high-speed line and seven hours on conventional rail. The station is on the east side of the city. From the east, Hami is the main transit point for trains arriving from Gansu and central China — the Lanzhou-Xinjiang railway passes through here, meaning most travellers coming overland from the east stop at Hami before continuing to Ürümqi.
Hami also has a domestic airport (Hami Airport, IATA: HMI) with flights to Ürümqi and some other Chinese cities. The road south toward the Lop Desert (G315) is passable in season with a suitable vehicle, but requires permits for some sections. For most travellers, Hami is a natural one-night stop on the trans-Xinjiang rail journey.