Northwest China
Xi’an was the eastern end of the Silk Road and the capital of China for over a thousand years before Beijing existed as a city. What survives is remarkably complete: the Ming-dynasty city wall you can cycle on, a Muslim Quarter that has been trading since the Tang dynasty, and an army of terracotta soldiers that has stood in formation for 2,200 years. Most visitors come for the warriors and leave surprised by how much city there is around them.
The case for going
Pit 1 at 8:30 in the morning, before the coach parties. Book the first entry slot and walk to the back of the pit first.
14 kilometres, fully intact. Rent a bike on top and ride the whole loop at dusk when the lanterns come on.
The lanes behind the Drum Tower — lamb skewers, persimmon cakes, and the Great Mosque, a Chinese courtyard mosque built in 1392.
The best single collection of Silk Road artefacts in China. Free, but reserve online days ahead.
The Tang-dynasty pagoda that held the scriptures Xuanzang carried back from India, in a square that now fills with fountains at night.
The Tang imperial baths and the hill behind them — worth combining with the warriors since they are on the same road.
Practical
Continental, four distinct seasons. Hot summers to 35°C, cold dry winters, and a short dusty spell in March.
Xi’an Xianyang International (XIY) is 40 minutes from the Bell Tower by metro Line 14 and the airport express. High-speed rail from Beijing West takes 4.5 to 6 hours, from Shanghai Hongqiao 6 to 7 hours.
Airport. Xi’an Xianyang International Airport (XIY)
Rail. Xi’an North is one of the largest high-speed hubs in the west — Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Lanzhou and Dunhuang all connect here.
In pictures
Questions travellers ask
Two full days: one for the Terracotta Warriors with Huaqing Palace on the way back, and one for the city wall, the Muslim Quarter and the Shaanxi History Museum. A third day lets you add the Han Yangling tombs or a Mount Hua day trip by high-speed rail.
Inside or just south of the walls, between the Bell Tower and the South Gate. Everything in the old city is walkable from there, and the metro reaches the stations you need. The warrior shuttle buses leave from the north-east corner of the walls.
Fly into XIY from almost any Chinese hub, or take high-speed rail: about 4.5 hours from Beijing, 6 to 7 from Shanghai, 3 from Chengdu. The airport metro connects to the centre in 40 minutes.
Yes — it is the detour. The warriors justify it on their own, but the wall at dusk and the Muslim Quarter at night are what visitors actually remember. The classic Beijing–Xi’an–Shanghai triangle is the most efficient first trip through China.
Routes through here
North, South & East China
11days
The most complete first trip to China that still fits in two weeks. Two northern imperial cities, two days in the karst country, and the finale in Shanghai — sequenced so the pace never breaks and no leg is wasted on transit.
From US$1,890per person
North & East China
8days
The single most requested China route, and the right first multi-city trip. Three cities, two high-speed rail journeys, and the three sights that decide whether a first visit lands: the Forbidden City, the Terracotta Army and the Bund.
From US$1,550per person
Northwest China
6days
The route the caravans actually took, now run on scheduled trains. Six days covers Xi’an, the Gansu corridor and the Mogao caves, with an overnight in Dunhuang that gets you into the desert at dawn rather than at midday with everyone else.
From US$2,150per person
Where to eat
Local Institution
The century-old standard-bearer for yangrou paomo — lamb soup with hand-torn flatbread — seated facing the Bell Tower…
Local Institution
Since 1936, the house of the Xi’an dumpling banquet: dozens of dumplings in shapes of pheasant, goldfish and moon, from…
Local Institution
The old counter in the Muslim Quarter most locals point to for the city’s definitive roujiamo: slow-braised pork…
Local Institution
The other great paomo house (since 1898), with a brothier take on lamb soup and a broader halal menu for travelers…
