Itinerary · 3 days · balanced
Xi'an in 3 days
Terracotta Army, City Wall, Muslim Quarter, the Wild Goose Pagodas.
Three days in Xi'an does justice to the Tang Dynasty capital — the city that was Chang'an, the eastern terminus of the Silk Road, and one of the largest cities in the medieval world. The structure: Day 1 settles you into the city centre — the City Wall and Muslim Quarter are walkable from most central hotels and give an immediate sense of the city's scale and layered Hui-Muslim identity. Day 2 is the Terracotta Army, which requires a full half-day at the site and is 35 km east of the city. Day 3 covers the museums and pagodas in the southern Yanta District. Xi'an is manageable without a car: the metro and metered taxis connect all three areas. Shaanxi History Museum requires advance timed-entry booking online and is worth the effort.
Day by day
Day 1 · xian
City Wall and Muslim Quarter
The Xi'an City Wall (西安城墙) is the most complete Ming-dynasty city wall in China — 13.7 km in circumference and wide enough to cycle on. Rent a bike at the South Gate (南门) and complete a circuit in 1.5–2 hours; early morning is cooler. Walk 15 minutes northwest to the Muslim Quarter (回民街) — Beiyuanmen Street is lined with Hui Muslim food stalls selling lamb skewers, roujiamo (Shaanxi meat sandwich), and biangbiang noodles. The Great Mosque (清真大寺) is set in a series of traditional Chinese courtyards behind the main street; non-Muslims enter the courtyard but not the prayer hall during prayer times. Dinner: order yang rou pao mo (羊肉泡馍) at a traditional restaurant — you crumble the flatbread into the mutton soup yourself. Transport: most of Day 1 is on foot from the South Gate.
Attractions: xian-city-wall, muslim-quarter-xian
Day 2 · xian
Terracotta Army
The Museum of the Terracotta Warriors (秦始皇帝陵博物院) is 35 km east of Xi'an. Take bus 306 from East Square (¥7), tourist shuttle bus, or a taxi (¥80–120 each way). Buy tickets online in advance via the museum's official platform — timed entry is required and popular slots sell out. Allow 3–4 hours at the site. Pit 1 is the main excavation hall: approximately 8,000 warriors in formation, each with an individually modelled face. Pit 3 is the command unit; Pit 2 contains cavalry and infantry, partially excavated. The outer buildings contain the kneeling archer and the extraordinary bronze chariots. Photography without flash is permitted. Return to Xi'an by mid-afternoon and rest before an evening walk around the illuminated Bell Tower (钟楼) area. Dinner: biangbiang noodles (oil-splashed wide noodles) at any street shop near the Bell Tower.
Attractions: terracotta-army
Day 3 · xian
Pagodas and Shaanxi History Museum
Shaanxi History Museum (陕西历史博物馆) opens at 9 AM and requires advance online booking for timed entry. The collection spans 1.1 million artefacts — particularly strong in Zhou bronzes, Han gold and silver, and Tang sancai ceramics. Allow 2.5–3 hours. The museum is in the Yanta District; a 10-minute taxi ride reaches both pagodas. Big Wild Goose Pagoda (大雁塔) is a 7th-century Tang structure that housed sutras brought from India by the monk Xuanzang; climb to the 7th floor for city views. Small Wild Goose Pagoda (小雁塔) is quieter and architecturally interesting. Lunch near the pagodas at a local Shaanxi restaurant (non-tourist pricing compared to the Bell Tower area). Photography tip: the Great Mosque courtyard in morning light is beautiful, and Shaanxi History Museum's Tang mural galleries benefit from arriving at opening before the morning tour groups.
Attractions: big-wild-goose-pagoda, small-wild-goose-pagoda, shaanxi-history-museum
Budget guide (CNY per day)
| Backpacker | ¥600 |
| Mid-range | ¥1300 |
| Comfortable | ¥3000 |
Cities covered
Attractions covered
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