Xi'an Itinerary for First-Timers: How Many Days and What to Plan
A practical Xi'an itinerary for first-time visitors: how to pace 2 to 3 days, where to stay, how to reach the Terracotta Army, what to eat, and the scams to skip.
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Xi'an Itinerary for First-Timers: How Many Days and What to Plan: at a glance
- Days to spend
- 2-3
- Best time
- April-May and September-October
- Getting around
- The metro is clean, cheap, and signed in English, and you tap in with an Alipay or WeChat Pay QR code rather than buying tickets. For the Terracotta Army or late nights, a DiDi ride-hail ordered in-app is easy and avoids haggling.
- Where to stay
- Base yourself inside or just beside the city wall near the Bell Tower and Drum Tower, which is central, metro-connected, and a short walk from the Muslim Quarter. Reliable budget chains include Hanting, Home Inn, and 7 Days Inn.
- Food
- Eat your way through the Muslim Quarter: yang rou pao mo (flatbread torn into lamb soup), rou jia mo, cumin lamb skewers, biang biang noodles, and cold liang pi. Queue where locals queue and carry small cash, since some stalls skip mobile payments.
- Typical cost
- A comfortable mid-range day runs about 45 to 75 USD per person including a central hotel, metro and DiDi rides, attraction tickets, and street food.
- Best for
- Ancient history, the Terracotta Army, and walkable old-city street food
Xi’an is where China’s deep past feels close enough to touch. This was the eastern start of the Silk Road and the capital of multiple dynasties, and the old core still sits inside a complete Ming-era wall that you can walk or cycle all the way around. For a first-time visitor it reads as a manageable, history-heavy stop: compact, flat, and easy to cover on foot, with one world-famous day trip just outside town.
Think of the city as a square defined by the wall, with the Bell Tower at the dead center and the four main streets radiating out to the gates. Almost everything you will want is inside or just beside that square. Northwest of the Bell Tower is the Muslim Quarter, the lively warren of food lanes that doubles as the place most travelers eat dinner. To the south, beyond the wall, sits the temple-and-pagoda district around the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, which is calmer and good for an evening fountain show. The Terracotta Army is the one major sight that is not in town at all, about an hour east.
A realistic pace is two or three days. Give one full day to the Terracotta Army, since the transfer plus the pits eats most of it, and spend the rest on the wall, the old center, and the Muslim Quarter at an unhurried stroll. The wall is best in late afternoon, when renting a bike up top toward sunset is genuinely one of the nicest things to do here. Book your Terracotta Army entry in advance, as there are no walk-up sales; see the the Terracotta Army for how foreigners reserve with a passport.
Two practical notes save first-timers real grief. First, get your phone sorted before you arrive so the metro QR codes, DiDi, and maps all work from day one; a travel data plan that reaches Chinese apps without fuss is the simplest route, and our best eSIM for China guide covers the options. Second, ignore anyone in an official-looking blue lanyard near the old railway station offering “Terracotta Warriors” tours; they steer arrivals to a cement-replica knockoff museum, not the real site. When you order a DiDi to the warriors, set the destination to the “Tourist Service Center” specifically, or you may be dropped two kilometers from the pits.
Xi'an itinerary, day by day
- Day 1
Old city core and the wall at sunset
Xi'an City Wall
Start at the central Bell Tower and Drum Tower, then wander northwest into the Muslim Quarter food lanes for an early lunch of rou jia mo, cumin lamb skewers, and biang biang noodles. Save the City Wall for late afternoon, climbing up at the South Gate and renting a bike to ride the ramparts toward sunset. Return to the Muslim Quarter for dinner, yang rou pao mo and liang pi, carrying small cash since some stalls skip mobile payments.
- Day 2
Terracotta Army day trip
Terracotta Army (Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum)
Give the whole day to the Terracotta Army, about an hour east of town. Order a DiDi in-app and set the destination to the Tourist Service Center, or take the metro plus shuttle; book entry in advance with your passport since there are no walk-up sales. Ignore blue-lanyard touts near the old railway station who steer you to a replica museum. Head back to central Xi'an in the late afternoon for dinner.
Top sights
Terracotta Army (Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum)
Thousands of life-size clay soldiers buried to guard China's first emperor, one of the greatest archaeological finds in the world. It is the reason most first-time visitors add Xi'an to their China trip.
Getting there: The site sits about 35 to 40 km east of central Xi'an, so there is no metro to the entrance. The simplest public option is the Tourist Bus Line 5 (route 306), which as of 2026 departs from Fangzhicheng (near Fangzhicheng Bus Station, on Metro Line 1) rather than the railway station that older guides list; it costs about 7 RMB and takes around one hour (ignore touts running fake "306" buses). A DiDi or licensed taxi from the Bell Tower area takes about 50 to 60 minutes and costs roughly 120 to 150 RMB one way.
Address: Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum, Qinling North Road, Lintong District, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710600, China
Xi'an City Wall
The best-preserved ancient city wall in China, a complete loop you can walk or cycle around the old town. Renting a bike on top of the wall toward sunset is one of Xi'an's most enjoyable things to do.
Getting there: Take Metro Line 2 to Yongningmen (Yongning Gate) station, leave via Exit A1 or D1, and walk north about 4 minutes to the South Gate entrance, which is directly at the station. Alternatively, open the DiDi app and request a ride to "Xi'an City Wall South Gate / Yongningmen" (about 10 minutes from the Bell Tower city centre).
Address: No. 2 Nan Dajie (South Avenue), Beilin District, Xi'an, Shaanxi
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Getting to and from Xi'an Itinerary for First-Timers: How Many Days and What to Plan
| Route | Mode | Typical time | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beijing to Xi'an | HSR | 4h 20m to 6h | $75 |
| Xi'an to Chengdu | HSR | 3h 7m to 4h 30m | $38 |
| Xi'an to Shanghai | HSR | 6h to 8h | $95 |
Frequently asked questions
- How many days do I need in Xi'an?
- Two to three days is the right amount for most first-timers. Give one full day to the Terracotta Army, which sits about an hour east of the city, and a second day to the central sights you can walk or cycle between, including the Ming city wall, the Muslim Quarter, and the Bell and Drum Towers. A third day suits a slower pace or a side trip, but two full days cover the headline sights comfortably.
- How do I get from Xi'an's airport into the city?
- Xianyang International Airport (XIY) sits about 40 km northwest of the center. The airport metro (Line 14) reaches Xi'an North Railway Station in around 33 minutes for up to 7 yuan, where you transfer to Line 2 for the Bell Tower area, making the full trip about an hour. Airport shuttle buses run to several downtown points for around 25 to 30 yuan, while a DiDi or taxi takes 45 to 60 minutes and costs roughly 120 to 150 yuan.