Essence of Xi'an Tour

After landing in Xi'an, your guide and driver will pick you up from the airport on time and with smiling faces. Get ready for the two days ahead; your guide and driver will make every minute count.

Xi'an is an ancient capital city and people believe that there are still lots of antiques to be discovered underground. Start learning about China's history from some of the most precious historical items displayed at Shaanxi History Museum. From large bronze wares to exquisite golden carvings, it is a feast for your eyes.

After lunch at a local restaurant, take a cycling trip on the Ancient City Wall to hear history's echo. The walls, ramparts, gates, and watchtowers form one of the oldest and most complete city defenses still in existence. Enjoy the bird's-eye view of the city.

Accommodation in Xi'an: 4-star: Grand Noble Hotel Xi'an/ 5-star: Wyndham Grand Xian South

How to Avoid long queues at Shaanxi History Museum? It is free for visitors to enter the museum, but people need to get the free ticket at the entrance, and that requires queuing in line.

You are recommended to visit the Exhibition Hall for Mural Paintings of the Tang Dynasty that is called the Uffizi Gallery of China. It is a feature exhibition of the museum with much fewer visitors; you can visit the hall first without waiting, and then see other halls. The ticket price to see the frescoes is 300 yuan (about 50 USD) per person, which is not included in the tour. If you are interested in it, please feel free to ask your travel advisor to add it or buy tickets on-site. About 40 minutes needed in the hall.

Suggestion for the evening: have a stroll in the Muslim Quarter and taste local snacks, or watch a Tang Dynasty performance — a song and dance show that remakes the prime time of the Tang Dynasty, one of China's most prosperous eras.

You will discover the eighth miracle of the world: the Terracotta Warriors and Horses, which is the only reason that some people visit Xi'an.

Discovered accidentally in 1974, this incredible army of over 7,000 soldiers, archers, horses, and chariots in full battle array has guarded Emperor Qin's tomb since 210 BC. Each figure is unique, and the painstaking repairs and excavations continue in three pits, which are protected inside huge hangars. It takes 1½ hours to drive there from Xi'an.

Our ticket also includes Emperor Qin Shi Huang's Mausoleum Site Park with the Museum of Terracotta Acrobats, Museum of Terracotta Civil Officials, Museum of Stone Armor, and Museum of Bronze Chariots and Horses.

In the afternoon, head to see the Chinese-style architecture combined with dozens of Buddhist historic statues and murals at Big Wild Goose Pagoda, which is also the symbol of Xi'an City.

The rest of the day will be free to spend at your leisure. A Xi'an tour guide will see you off at the airport or railway station when it's time to say goodbye. Enjoy 5,000 years of Chinese history in 2 days.

To avoid crowds at the Terracotta Warriors and Horses site, we suggest that customers have a big breakfast and visit an attraction in the morning, then arrive there at about 12pm. You can continue to explore it with fewer crowds because lots of people have lunch during that period.

Then you can choose to have a picnic lunch at Emperor Qin Shi Huang's Mausoleum Site Park, which is the neighbor of the Terracotta Warriors, or drive for about 30 minutes to a local restaurant to have a late lunch on the way to the downtown area of the city.

But if you want to catch a flight or train in the afternoon, we suggest you visit the Terracotta Warriors in the early morning or on the first day.