4 Days in Xi'an: Terracotta Warriors, City Wall, Hidden Gems (2026 Itinerary)

Xi’an was the capital of 13 Chinese dynasties over 1,100 years and the eastern terminus of the Silk Road. Four days is the right amount of time to see the Terracotta Warriors, the ancient City Wall, the Muslim Quarter, and add a Mount Hua day trip if you have the energy. Xi’an is cheaper and more laid-back than Beijing or Shanghai — plan ¥1,800–3,000 ($252–420) per person for 4 days excluding flights, or ¥3,500–6,000 ($490–840) with mid-range hotels.

Day 1: Terracotta Warriors + Huaqing Palace

Morning (7:30–13:00) — Terracotta Warriors

The Terracotta Warriors (兵马俑, bīngmǎyǒng) are 40 km east of Xi’an, in Lintong district. Arrive by 7:30 AM to beat the crowds and tour buses. Allow 3 hours.

Getting there:

• Tour bus (Tour Bus 5, 游5 路) — ¥7 ($1), from Xi’an Railway Station east square. The cheapest option but slowest.
• DiDi/taxi — ¥200–250 ($28–35) one-way, 50 minutes
• Private car — ¥600–800 ($84–112) for the day with driver, recommended if you want to combine with Mount Hua or other sites

Tickets: ¥120 ($17), book via the official WeChat mini-program or Trip.com. Bring your passport. Audio guide ¥30 ($4) in English.

The three pits:

• Pit 1 (largest, ~6,000 warriors) — the most iconic
• Pit 2 (most detailed) — archers, cavalry, and officers
• Pit 3 (smallest, the command post)
• Bronze Chariot Exhibition Hall — the bronze chariots found near the tomb

The figures each have unique faces. The original colors flaked off within minutes of exposure to air, so what you see is mostly the terracotta clay underneath. Allow 2.5–3 hours in the museum.

Afternoon (14:00–17:00) — Huaqing Palace

On the way back to Xi’an, stop at Huaqing Palace (华清宫, huáqīnggōng). ¥120 ($17) entry, includes the Everlasting Regret show. The Tang-dynasty hot-springs palace where Emperor Xuanzong and Yang Guifei had their legendary love story. The gardens and hot springs are the draw. The night show is more famous than the palace itself — illuminated fountains and a live-action performance of the love story, ¥298 ($42) separate ticket.

Evening (18:00–21:00) — Return to Xi’an, Muslim Quarter

Back in Xi’an by 6:30 PM. The Muslim Quarter (回民街, huímínjiē) is the highlight of any Xi’an trip. The main street is officially called Beiyuanmen, but locals call it “hui min jie.” Walk the alleys: North Street (北院门) for the iconic bell tower views, Dapai Xiang (大皮院) for deeper food culture.

Must-try foods:

• Rou jia mo (肉夹馍, Chinese hamburger) — ¥10–15, the iconic Xi’an street food
• Yangrou paomo (羊肉泡馍, lamb soup with crumbled flatbread) — ¥40–60, the signature dish
• Biang biang noodles (biáng biáng 面) — wide hand-pulled noodles, ¥15–25
• Liangpi (凉皮, cold noodles) — ¥10–15
• Persimmon cakes (柿饼) — ¥10/bag

Best Muslim Quarter restaurants: Lao Sun Jia (老孙家, for yangrou paomo), Tong Sheng Xiang (同盛祥, for the same), Mao Jia (毛家, for biang biang noodles).

Verified: “This 16,300-square-meter excavation reveals more than 7,000 life-size terracotta figures of warriors and horses arranged in battle formations” — Tripadvisor, Terracotta Warriors, accessed 2026-07-24

Day 2: City Wall + Big Wild Goose Pagoda + Shaanxi History Museum

Morning (7:00–10:00) — City Wall bike ride

The Xi’an City Wall (西安城墙, xī’ān chéngqiáng) is the most complete ancient city wall in China, built 1370–1378 during the Ming dynasty. 13.7 km around, 12 m high, 15–18 m wide on top. ¥54 ($7.50) entry.

Two ways to experience it:

1. Bike ride — rent a bike at the South Gate (¥45 single, ¥90 tandem, 2 hours). The full circuit is 13.7 km, takes 1.5–2 hours. Sunset rides are magical.
2. Walk — a 4-hour walk around the whole wall. Bring water and sunscreen.

Arrive at the South Gate (永宁门) by 7:00 AM to beat the heat. The South Gate also has the most impressive defensive architecture.

Late morning (10:30–12:30) — Shaanxi History Museum

Shaanxi History Museum (陕西历史博物馆) is one of China’s best free museums, with 370,000+ artifacts. The highlights: the Camel Carrying a Musical Band (Tang tri-color glazed pottery), the gold agate cup, and bronze ware from the Western Zhou. Free entry, but book online in advance — tickets go in 5 minutes. Allow 2 hours.

Lunch (12:30–14:00): try Wei’s Noodles (魏家凉皮) for liangpi and rou jia mo, or Yongxingfang (永兴坊) for a 1980s-style food street with Shaanxi specialties.

Afternoon (14:30–17:00) — Big Wild Goose Pagoda

Big Wild Goose Pagoda (大雁塔, dàyàntǎ) is a Tang-dynasty Buddhist pagoda where the monk Xuanzang translated the Buddhist scriptures he brought back from India. ¥50 ($7) to climb (10-minute stair climb to the top), ¥30 ($4) just to see from outside.

The North Square has the largest musical fountain in Asia. Shows every night at 8:30 PM (free). The area around is the Great Tang All Day Mall (大唐不夜城), a 1,500m pedestrian street with Tang-dynasty-themed architecture, free street performances, and night markets. Highly recommended for an evening.

Evening (18:00–22:00) — Tang Dynasty show

End your day with the Tang Dynasty Show (唐乐宫) — a 1-hour music and dance performance of Tang palace life, accompanied by a dumpling banquet. ¥298 ($42) with dinner, ¥198 ($28) show only. The 5:30 PM or 7:30 PM shows. Book in advance through Trip.com.

Day 3: Mount Hua (Huashan) day trip

All day (7:00–19:00) — Mount Hua

Mount Hua (华山, huàshān) is one of China’s Five Sacred Mountains, 120 km east of Xi’an. Famous for its sheer cliffs, the Plank Walk (in the South Peak), and being the most dangerous mountain in China. If you have a fear of heights, this is not the day for you.

Getting there: High-speed train from Xi’an North Railway Station to Huashan North Station, 30 minutes, ¥54 ($7.50) one-way. Then a free shuttle bus to the visitor center.

The cable cars:

• West Peak (Lotus Peak) cable car — most popular, ¥140 ($19) one-way
• North Peak cable car — shorter, less scenic, ¥80 ($11) one-way

The route (allow 6–8 hours on the mountain):

1. Take the West Peak cable car up
2. Walk to the South Peak (highest point, 2,154m) — 1.5 hours
3. Attempt the Plank Walk (长空栈道) — a 30 cm-wide wooden plank path bolted to a vertical cliff face, ¥30 ($4) extra fee, optional
4. Walk to the East Peak for sunrise views (or sunset if you stay late)
5. Take the West Peak cable car down

For experienced hikers only: there are trails from the base to the North Peak (~6 hours up), then connecting trails to all five peaks. The trails are steep and crowded on weekends. The Plank Walk is the most famous challenge: 30 cm wide, 500m long, with a 2,000m vertical drop on one side. Most people can’t actually do it.

Lunch on the mountain — bring snacks or buy from vendors. Most food is simple: instant noodles (¥30), grilled sausages (¥15), and bottled water (¥10). Allow ¥60–100 for food.

If Mount Hua is too intense, alternatives:

• Famen Temple (法门寺) — 1.5 hours from Xi’an. Buddhist temple housing one of Buddha’s finger bone relics. The new underground palace museum is impressive.
• Hanyangling Museum (汉阳陵) — underground museum of the Han dynasty emperor, 30 minutes from Xi’an. The smaller, less-crowded version of the Terracotta Warriors.

Day 4: Forest of Stone Steles + Bell/Drum Towers + departure

Morning (9:00–11:30) — Forest of Stone Steles Museum

The Forest of Stone Steles Museum (碑林博物馆, bēilín bówùguàn) is a 1,000-year-old collection of 4,000+ stone steles with classical Chinese calligraphy. ¥75 ($10) entry, allow 1.5 hours. The calligraphy ranges from Tang-dynasty masterpieces to imperial inscriptions. Located just outside the South Gate of the City Wall.

Lunch (12:00–13:30): try Stele Lin Xie Tang (碑林谢塘) for Shaanxi cuisine, or Tong Sheng Xiang (同盛祥) for yangrou paomo.

Afternoon (14:00–16:00) — Bell and Drum Towers + free time

The Bell Tower (钟楼, zhōnglóu) and Drum Tower (鼓楼, gǔlóu) are at the geographic center of Xi’an, dating from 1380. ¥50 ($7) to climb either. The fifth floor of Kaiyuan Mall (right next to the Bell Tower) has a free observation deck with a panoramic view.

End your Xi’an trip with one final Muslim Quarter food walk — try the things you missed on Day 1.

Evening departure: take the high-speed train from Xi’an North Railway Station to your next destination. The most common continuation: 2.5 hours to Luoyang (Longmen Grottoes), 3 hours to Zhengzhou, 5.5 hours to Beijing, or fly onward.

Where to stay

Budget (¥200–400/night, $28–56) — hostels and budget chains inside the city wall. Xi’an Han Tang Inn International Youth Hostel, Xian Shuyuan International Youth Hostel, 7 Sages Youth Hostel.

Mid-range (¥500–1,200/night, $70–168) — 4-star hotels in the city center. Bell Tower Hotel Xi’an, Citadines Xi’an Central, Melody Hotel.

Luxury (¥1,500–4,000/night, $210–560) — Sofitel Xi’an on Renmin Square (¥1,500+, central), Hyatt Regency Xi’an (¥2,000+), Shangri-La Hotel Xi’an (¥2,500+, high-tech district).

For complete booking advice, see our Trip.com vs Booking.com guide and where to find foreigner-friendly hotels.

Book this Xi’an trip

From Terracotta Warriors entry tickets to Mount Hua cable car to hotels inside the City Wall — these three platforms cover everything in this itinerary.

Booking essentials before you go

• 240-hour visa-free transit: Xi’an is one of the entry ports — see our 240-hour visa-free guide
• Alipay/WeChat Pay: see our Alipay setup guide — essential for the Muslim Quarter food stalls
• eSIM: see our eSIM guide for data access
• High-speed rail tickets: book through Trip.com at least 3 days in advance for Mount Hua trains

For a multi-city China trip that includes Xi’an, see our 7-day classic China route and Beijing 3-day itinerary.