Northwest China

Xi'an

The Silk Road's eastern terminus, the Terracotta Army, and a Ming city wall you can cycle end to end.

Last updated: September 30, 2026

The Xi'an Drum Tower lit at night, seen from above, with city streets and traffic around it

Overview

Xi’an is the eastern terminus of the Silk Road and the heart of the Qin, Han and Tang dynasties, and it is the one stop on a first China trip that justifies itself on a single sight. The Terracotta Army is that good. The rest of the city is walkable, cheaper than Beijing and easy to like, but you should plan backwards from the pits.

Give it two or three days: one for the army, one for the wall and the old city, and a spare half day.

The Terracotta Army sets your schedule

The site is about 40 km east of the city, so it is a half day before you have seen anything else. The official tourist bus leaves from Xi’an Railway Station. Go at opening with a ticket already booked — this is not somewhere you decide on the morning. By late morning the main pit is a wall of tour groups and phone screens.

Back in town, the Ming City Wall is the best use of whatever afternoon is left. Hire a bicycle on top and ride the full 14 km loop; it takes a little over an hour at an easy pace and explains the city’s shape better than any viewpoint. The South Gate is the busiest place to start and also the easiest.

Temples, museums and the Muslim Quarter

The Shaanxi History Museum and the Big Wild Goose Pagoda are the standard second-day pairing, and the museum is the stronger half — reserve ahead with your passport details, and remember that state museums in China commonly close one day a week, usually Monday. The pagoda square is at its best at dusk, when the fountains run.

The Muslim Quarter is a working neighbourhood with a tourist market grafted onto it. Come hungry in the evening for lamb skewers and noodles, and treat the souvenir stalls as scenery rather than shopping. It is the one part of Xi’an that rewards getting lost in.

Two full days work if you keep moving. Three lets you slow down, add a second museum, and leave on an evening train without feeling rushed.

Do not miss

The Terracotta Army, about 40 km east of the city — go at opening with a ticket already booked
The Ming City Wall, ridden as a full 14 km loop above the traffic
The Muslim Quarter in the evening, for lamb skewers, roujiamo and biangbiang noodles
The Shaanxi History Museum, the best single introduction to the Qin, Han and Tang heartland
The Big Wild Goose Pagoda square at dusk, when the fountains run

When to go

April, May, September and October are the most comfortable months, with mild days and crowds that are merely busy rather than crushing. July and August are hot and humid, and winter is cold and dry but quiet — a snow-dusted wall is one of the better winter sights in the country. Avoid the first week of October and the Lunar New Year period, when domestic travel peaks and trains sell out.

Getting there and around

Xi'an Xianyang International Airport (XIY) is 45 to 60 minutes from the centre by airport shuttle or taxi, with no rail link of its own. High-speed trains arrive from Beijing in about 4 hours 10 minutes, from Chengdu in 3 to 4 hours, and from Shanghai in 6 to 7 hours. The metro covers the walled city and most sights; the Terracotta Army is the one trip you will do by road.