Xi'an

Xi’an was the capital of China for many dynasties and the eastern end of the Silk Road, and today it is a big modern city wrapped around a complete Ming-dynasty city wall. Most people come for the Terracotta Army, an hour east of town, and leave wishing they had stayed longer for the noodles, the Muslim Quarter and the mountains.

Arriving in Xi’an: Xianyang airport and the rail stations

Xi’an’s airport is Xi’an Xianyang International Airport (XIY), which lies northwest of the city, beyond the neighboring city of Xianyang. A metro line runs from the airport to Xi’an North Railway Station, where you can change to the rest of the metro. Taxis and ride-hailing take you straight to the center; use the official taxi rank and ignore drivers who approach you inside the terminal.

Xi’an has two rail stations most visitors use:

• Xi’an North (Xi’an Bei): the main high-speed station, north of the center, used by many fast trains from Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu and Mount Hua.
• Xi’an Railway Station: just outside the north side of the city wall, used by conventional trains and some faster services.

Check which station your ticket names, and book on 12306, the official rail channel. Many visitors arrive by high-speed train from Beijing in around four to six hours, depending on the train. For entry rules, see Visas and entry.

Getting around Xi’an

The Xi’an metro covers most of what you’ll need, with signs in English and Chinese. Line 2 runs north to south through the Bell Tower at the heart of the walled city, linking Xi’an North station with the south, and other lines cross it east to west. Lines 3 and 4 meet at the Big Wild Goose Pagoda.

Inside the city wall, distances are walkable, and shared bikes are handy. Ride-hailing and taxis are cheap and useful at night or for the museums outside the wall. Pay with Alipay or WeChat Pay; many street stalls in the Muslim Quarter take nothing else. See Paying in China and Getting around.

For the Terracotta Army, take an official tourist bus, a metro line toward Lintong plus a short onward ride, a ride-hailing car or a licensed tour. Avoid touts at the railway station who offer cheap rides that turn into shopping stops.

Xi’an’s must-see sights and which ones need booking

Xi’an’s top sights, and how to get in:

• The Terracotta Army (Emperor Qinshihuang’s Mausoleum Site Museum): real-name tickets with your passport, through the official channel. Book ahead, especially in summer and on holidays, and go early.
• Huaqing Palace: the Tang-dynasty hot springs palace near the Terracotta Army, easy to combine in one day.
• The Shaanxi History Museum: one of China’s finest museums, with limited real-name tickets that go fast. Usually closed on Mondays.
• The City Wall: walk or cycle the ramparts, a full loop of the old city. Ticketed.
• The Bell and Drum Towers and the Muslim Quarter: the old center, with the Great Mosque and lanes of halal food.
• The Big Wild Goose Pagoda: a Tang-dynasty Buddhist pagoda, with the Grand Tang Never-Sleeping City walking street lit up at night.
• The Small Wild Goose Pagoda and the Xi’an Museum: quieter, and worth an afternoon.

Check before you go: Release windows, daily caps and closing days change. Check each sight’s official channel, and see our sight bookings tool and the Booking sights guide.

Where to stay in Xi’an

The best area to stay in Xi’an is inside the city wall, close to Metro Line 2, so you can walk to the Bell Tower, the Muslim Quarter and the wall itself.

• Inside the wall, near the Bell Tower (Line 2): the most convenient base for a first visit, with hotels at every level.
• Near the Big Wild Goose Pagoda (Line 3, Line 4): newer, quieter, close to the Shaanxi History Museum and the evening walking streets.
• Near Xi’an North station (Line 2, Line 4, Line 14): useful for an early high-speed train, the airport line or a Mount Hua day trip, but far from the old city.

Your hotel registers you with the police at check-in; see Hotels and registration.

What to eat in Xi’an

Xi’an food is Shaanxi food: noodles, flatbreads, lamb and the halal cooking of the city’s Hui Muslim community.

• Biangbiang noodles (biángbiáng miàn): very wide, hand-pulled noodles with chili oil, written with one of the most complicated characters in Chinese.
• Roujiamo (肉夹馍 ròujiāmó): chopped braised meat in a flatbread, often called a Chinese burger.
• Yangrou paomo (羊肉泡馍 yángròu pàomó): lamb soup with flatbread you tear into small pieces yourself.
• Liangpi (凉皮 liángpí): cold, chewy noodles with vinegar, chili and sesame, best in summer.
• Muslim Quarter snacks: lamb skewers, persimmon cakes and sweet rice cakes.

Restaurants in the Muslim Quarter are halal, so don’t bring pork or alcohol. Food and ordering has the phrases for spice levels and for asking for no cilantro.

Day trips from Xi’an: Mount Hua and beyond

Xi’an’s best sights are often outside the city, and high-speed rail makes them easy.

• Mount Hua (Huashan): one of China’s sacred mountains, with steep stairways, cable cars and the famous plank walk. High-speed trains run to Huashan North station, with an onward shuttle. Entry tickets are real-name, by passport, and cable car tickets can sell out; check the official channel.
• Luoyang: the Longmen Grottoes, cliffs of Buddhist carvings, reached by high-speed train.
• Pingyao: a walled Ming and Qing town in Shanxi, best as an overnight trip.
• The emperors’ tombs: Qianling, Maoling, the Hanyangling museum and Famen Temple, most easily done by car.

Mount Hua is a serious climb. Go early, wear good shoes, check the weather and take the cable car if you’re unsure.

How many days in Xi’an?

Three days in Xi’an is a good first visit; add a fourth for Mount Hua.

• Day 1: The Terracotta Army and Huaqing Palace.
• Day 2: The City Wall by bike in the morning, the Bell Tower and the Muslim Quarter in the afternoon and evening.
• Day 3: The Shaanxi History Museum and the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, with the Grand Tang Never-Sleeping City after dark.
• Day 4: Mount Hua.

Summers are very hot and winters are cold, with polluted days possible in winter. Avoid Golden Week, which starts October 1, if you can. Xi’an fits between Beijing and Chengdu on many first itineraries, with high-speed trains to both.

The book: Xi’an, Day Zero

Xi’an, Day Zero: A First-Timer’s Guide to the Walls You’ll Actually Hit, by Kevin Gu, goes far beyond this page. It is built for a city with one real wall and plenty of invisible ones: the paperwork at Xianyang airport, street stalls that only take phone payments, the Terracotta Army, the history museum and Mount Hua all booked by passport, the best sights an hour out of town, and noodle menus with no English.

Each chapter explains what stands in the way and how to get past it, then tells the story behind the warriors, the Ming ramparts, the Muslim Quarter and the Tang pagodas. It covers the booking wall for the warriors, museums and mountain, the airport line and the two stations, choosing a bed, the noodle map, eating halal, Mount Hua’s cable cars and plank walk, day trips to Luoyang, Pingyao, Yan’an and Hancheng, the emperors’ valley by car, and routes for 2, 3 and 5 days, with a phrasebook and place names in characters and pinyin. The facts are checked for travel in 2026 and 2027, and the US edition is written for readers from the United States and Canada.

The book is coming soon to ebook stores. See the contents and details at Xi’an, Day Zero.