Xi'an
The old capital of thirteen dynasties has one world-famous sight and a lot of quieter ones. Two full days covers it; a third lets you slow down.
- Region
- Shaanxi, Northwest
- Best
- Apr–May, Sep–Oct
- Airports
- XIY
- Stay
- 2–3 days
Overview
Xi'an is a walled city, and the wall is the frame for everything: the Bell Tower at the centre, the Muslim Quarter to the northwest, the old streets in the south. The Terracotta Army is an hour east and takes most of a day.
Inside the wall the city is compact enough to walk. The metro handles the rest. It is drier and colder than the south, dusty in spring, and the food is wheat-based: noodles, flatbreads, lamb.
Evenings are the best time here. The wall and towers light up, the Muslim Quarter fills, and the night market on Yongxing Fang runs late.
Getting there
Xianyang (XIY) is about 45 minutes from the centre by metro line 14 or the airport bus. High-speed trains arrive at Xi'an North, on metro line 2; Beijing is around four and a half hours, Chengdu three and a half, Luoyang under two.
Rail tip. Your passport is your ticket. Book on 12306 or Trip.com, then go straight to the gate. See Getting around. The Trip.com link earns us a small commission at no cost to you (how that works).
Stay online. Google, WhatsApp and Instagram are blocked on Chinese networks; a travel eSIM that roams gets around it. Install one before you fly — Saily takes US$5 off a first plan with the code CHINA. See Staying online. The code earns us the same amount in Saily credits, at no cost to you (how that works).
Where to stay
Book on Trip.comInside the wall, south
南门Near the South Gate and Shuyuanmen. Walkable, atmospheric.
Guesthouses in old courtyard buildings, the calligraphy street, and the wall gate for cycling. Everything within twenty minutes on foot.
Bell Tower
钟楼The very centre. Convenient, loud.
Chain hotels around the tower, both metro lines, and the Muslim Quarter a few minutes' walk. Traffic noise is the trade-off.
Qujiang
曲江New district by the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Spacious, family friendly.
South of the wall, with parks, malls and the pagoda's evening fountain show. Quieter, and a metro ride into the centre.
Booking. Compare hotels in Xi'an on Trip.com, filtered to its China travel essentials list: English-speaking staff, foreign cards, guest rating 8 or higher. See Where to stay. Booking through this link earns us a small commission at no cost to you (how that works).
Things to do
Terracotta Army
秦始皇兵马俑博物馆Go early, do Pit 1 last, and hire a guide or use the audio guide.
City Wall
西安城墙Rent a bike at the South Gate and ride the full 14 km loop.
Muslim Quarter
回民街Street food from mid-afternoon. Walk past the main drag to Dapiyuan.
Shaanxi History Museum
陕西历史博物馆Free, essential context for everything else, and hard to book.
Big Wild Goose Pagoda
大雁塔A Tang pagoda in a temple courtyard, with a fountain show at night.
Eat
Roujiamo (braised meat in flatbread), biangbiang noodles (wide, hand-pulled, named with a character too complex to type), yangrou paomo (lamb soup over torn bread), and liangpi (cold noodles). The Muslim Quarter is the obvious place; the streets north of Huimin Street are quieter and cheaper.
From travellers in Xi'an
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