Xi'an — Where China's Ancient Heart Still Beats

The City Where Dynasties Began

Here's a number that surprised even me: Xi'an welcomed over 135,000 foreign visitors in the first half of 2025 — a 124% increase year-on-year. And over 100,000 of them used visa-free policies, a 290% surge.

Xi'an is growing faster than any other Chinese city in inbound tourism. And it's not hard to understand why.

This is where China's story begins. Not metaphorically — literally. Xi'an (then Chang'an) was the capital for 13 dynasties spanning over 3,000 years. The Terracotta Warriors guard the tomb of China's first emperor. The city was the eastern terminus of the Silk Road. The scale of history here is almost impossible to process.

I've brought dozens of clients to Xi'an over my 15 years in travel. Every single one has the same reaction: "I thought I understood Chinese history. I had no idea."

This 10-day itinerary is designed for that experience — to walk through layers of history while eating some of the best food in China.

What Is the 240-Hour Visa-Free Transit?

Since December 2024, nationals from 55 countries can enter China through 65 designated ports, including Xi'an Xianyang International Airport (XIY), and stay for up to 10 days (240 hours) without a visa.

No application. No fee. Book a flight through China to a third country, show your passport and onward ticket, and you're in.

For a full policy breakdown, check our [240 Hours in China column](/en/240-hours-in-china).

10 Days in Xi'an — The Capital of Capitals

Day 1: Arrival + The City Wall at Sunset

Land at Xi'an Xianyang Airport. Take the airport shuttle bus to the city center (about 70 minutes). Check into a hotel inside the City Wall — anywhere near Yongning Gate or the Bell Tower.

First evening: walk up to the Xi'an City Wall at Yongning Gate (¥54). The wall is 14 kilometers around and you can walk, cycle, or take a golf cart. Do the section from Yongning Gate to Changlegate at sunset. The old city spreads out below you — tiled roofs, minarets, and the Bell Tower glowing gold.

Dinner at a restaurant near the Drum Tower area. First taste of Xi'an food: roujiamo (Chinese "burger," ¥8) and liangpi (cold skin noodles, ¥10).

Day 2: The Terracotta Warriors — The Only Way to Do It

The Terracotta Army is about 40 km east of the city. Go early. Go on a weekday. Go alone (no tour group).

Take Metro Line 9 to Huaqingchi Station, then bus 613 to the museum (total: about 1.5 hours). Entry is ¥120. Arrive at 8 AM when it opens.

The museum has three pits. Pit 1 is the main event — thousands of warriors in battle formation, each with a unique face. Pit 2 has the archers and cavalry. Pit 3 is the command center.

Here's what most people miss: the Bronze Chariots exhibition hall. Two bronze chariots, half life-size, with over 3,000 components each — the most sophisticated bronze casting ever found from the ancient world. They were buried with the emperor for his afterlife transport. Don't skip this.

Budget 3-4 hours. The site gets packed after 11 AM.

Lunch near the museum: Biyuan Restaurant near the entrance serves decent noodles. Nothing fancy. About ¥35.

Return to the city and rest. Evening at Drum Tower Muslim Quarter for night market food.

Day 3: The Muslim Quarter — Deeper Than the Main Street

The Muslim Quarter (Huimin Street) is Xi'an's most famous food street, and most tourists hit Beiyuanmen (the main drag) and think they've seen it. They haven't.

Start at 9 AM — early, before the crowds. Walk the main street once, then turn into the side alleys: Sajinqiao, Dapiyuan, Xiyangshi. This is where locals eat.

Visit the Great Mosque (¥25, bring your passport). Built in 742 AD, it's one of China's oldest mosques — and it looks nothing like a mosque you've ever seen. The architecture is pure Chinese: pagoda-style minarets, courtyard gardens, calligraphy blending Arabic and Chinese scripts. It's a physical representation of the Silk Road — two civilizations meeting in a single building.

Lunch at a family-run noodle shop in the back alleys. Order yangrou paomo (lamb soup with torn bread) — you tear the bread yourself, the waiter takes it to the kitchen, and it comes back as a hearty lamb soup. ¥25. This is Xi'an's signature dish.

Afternoon: explore Shuyuanmen (Calligraphy Street) — a lane of brush shops, scroll galleries, and seal carvers. Buy a hand-carved name stamp for ¥30-50.

Day 4: Shaanxi History Museum + Tang Paradise

Book the Shaanxi History Museum online at least 5 days in advance (free entry, but tickets go fast). This is one of China's best museums — period. The collection spans from the Neolithic era through the Tang dynasty, with highlights including Zhou dynasty bronze vessels, Qin dynasty terracotta fragments, and Tang dynasty gold and silver work.

The Tang dynasty gallery alone is worth the trip: gold bowls, silver incense burners, mural paintings from imperial tombs — the aesthetic refinement is staggering.

Afternoon: Tang Paradise (¥120) — a massive Tang-themed park built on the site of an original Tang dynasty palace. It's touristy, yes, but the evening light show and Tang dynasty performances are genuinely impressive. If you skip everything else, go for the Butterfly Dance performance.

Dinner: Defachang restaurant (est. 1920) for their famous dumpling banquet. ¥128 per person for 18 different dumplings in animal shapes.

Day 5: The Silk Road Day

Xi'an was the eastern terminus of the Silk Road. This day follows that thread.

Morning: take the high-speed train to Baoji (about 1 hour), then bus to Famen Temple — one of the most important Buddhist sites in China. The temple houses a finger bone relic of the Buddha himself, discovered in a secret chamber beneath the pagoda in 1987. The relic chamber also contained over 100 Tang dynasty gold and silver offerings.

Return to Xi'an for late lunch at Muslim Quarter. Afternoon: visit the Xi'an Museum on Jianxi Road (free, small, but the Tang dynasty murals are exquisite).

Evening: walk the City Wall again at night. It's lit up and almost empty after 9 PM.

Day 6: Huashan — The Most Dangerous Hike in China (Optional)

Mt. Huashan is one of China's Five Sacred Mountains, known for its "Plank Walk in the Sky" — a narrow wooden plank bolted to a vertical cliff face, with nothing but a harness between you and a 1,000-meter drop.

Take the high-speed train from Xi'an North to Huashan North (30 minutes). Entry: ¥180. The cable car up is ¥140 each way.

Important: if heights bother you, skip the Plank Walk. The mountain itself is stunning even if you stay on the main paths. The south peak offers views that go for hundreds of kilometers on a clear day.

A full day trip. Return to Xi'an by evening.

Not up for heights? Skip Huashan and do the Hancheng day trip instead (1.5 hours by train) — a perfectly preserved Ming and Qing dynasty ancient city with 200+ historic courtyard houses.

Day 7: The Quiet Xi'an — Hidden Gems

Morning at Guangren Temple (free) — "Little Tibet" in Xi'an. This is the only major site in China dedicated to Green Tara, a female bodhisattva in Tibetan Buddhism. Vermilion walls, golden roofs, prayer flags. Peaceful and beautiful.

Late morning: Banpo International Art District — Xi'an's 798. A former factory complex turned into galleries and cafés. Much smaller than Beijing's version but completely uncrowded.

Lunch: Zhongliu Alley — a 230-meter hidden alley with vintage graffiti walls and dessert shops. Try the cold noodle salad.

Afternoon: Shuncheng Alley — a lane beneath the city wall with guqin (Chinese zither) music drifting from shops and fu tea being served in courtyard gardens.

Dinner at Yongxingfang — a restored food market in the old city. Like Muslim Quarter but with more locals and fewer tourists. Try the candied hawthorn and roasted chestnuts.

Day 8: Day Trip — Hukou Waterfall

The Hukou Waterfall on the Yellow River — the second-largest waterfall in China (after Huangguoshu) — is about 3 hours from Xi'an by bus. The river narrows dramatically at this point, creating a thunderous cascade that you can hear from a kilometer away.

Best time: summer and autumn when the river is full. Spring and winter are drier.

Full day trip. Long bus ride. Worth it for the sheer power of the Yellow River.

Day 9: The Slow Day — Calligraphy, Tea, and Old Streets

Morning at Xingqing Palace Park (free) — a Tang dynasty imperial park now serving as a local leisure spot. Watch the old men play Chinese chess, drink tea at a lakeside stall, and slow down.

Late morning: browse Daming Palace National Heritage Park (¥60) — the site of the Tang dynasty's main imperial palace. Most of it is ruins, but the museum is excellent and the sheer scale of the foundation platforms gives you a sense of how massive the Tang palace complex was.

Lunch: Biangbiang noodles at a shop in Muslim Quarter. Watch them make the noodles — the dough is stretched and slapped against the counter until it's a meter long.

Afternoon: last shopping. Tea, dried persimmons, hand-painted snuff bottles.

Final dinner: Lotus Palace restaurant near the Bell Tower. Order the imperial feast set menu (¥198 per person) — a reconstruction of Tang dynasty court cuisine.

Day 10: Tax Refund + Departure

Xi'an Xianyang Airport has tax refund facilities in the departure hall. Minimum spend per store: ¥500. Tax refund rate: up to 11%.

Best Xi'an souvenirs: terracotta warrior replicas (¥20–200 depending on size), Shaanxi tea, hand-painted snuff bottles, and calligraphy scrolls from Shuyuanmen.

For a complete walkthrough, see our [China Tax Refund Guide](/en/240-hours-in-china).

Practical Things I've Learned Bringing Clients to Xi'an

Getting around. Xi'an's metro is excellent and covers all major sites. Taxis are cheap (starting at ¥9) but can be hard to flag near the Muslim Quarter at night.

The heat. Xi'an gets brutally hot in summer (37–40°C). The Terracotta Warriors museum is not air-conditioned. Bring water, a hat, and a fan.

Food warnings. Yangrou paomo is heavy — don't order a large bowl unless you're very hungry. The Muslim Quarter food is halal, so don't expect pork. Try everything.

Language. Xi'an is less English-friendly than the coastal cities. Download Pleco. Muslim Quarter food stalls rarely have English menus — pointing and smiling works.

Booking ahead. The Shaanxi History Museum free tickets sell out days in advance. The Terracotta Warriors never sells out but the queues get long after 10 AM.

Best time. March-May and September-October. Avoid Chinese National Day holiday (Oct 1-7) when the Terracotta Warriors pit is wall-to-wall people.

The Bottom Line

Xi'an is the city I send clients to when they want to understand China. Not see China — understand it. The Terracotta Warriors are the most famous archaeological discovery of the 20th century, and they live up to the hype. But the real gift of Xi'an is the way its layers stack: Ming city wall over Tang palace foundations over Qin dynasty tombs, all connected by alleys where you can still eat noodles made the same way they were a thousand years ago.

Come for the warriors. Stay for the noodles. Leave with a different sense of time.

Ready to plan your 240-hour Xi'an adventure? Explore the full [240 Hours in China](/en/240-hours-in-china) column for city-by-city guides, visa tips, and tax refund walkthroughs.

Related: Chongqing 10-Day Guide · Chengdu 10-Day Guide · China Tax Refund 2026