Great Mountain and Xi'an Highlights
4-Day Mt Hua, Terracotta Warriors, and Big Wild Goose Pagoda Tour
This tour combines Xi'an's famous Terracotta Warriors and other essential attractions with a one-day visit to Mt Hua, one of China's most notable and thrilling mountains.
Highlights
- Test your courage at narrow plank of Mt Hua, Taoism's sacred mountain
- Admire the world wonder of the Terracotta Army
- Enjoy a very close experience with a repaired terracotta warrior
- Cycle on the Ancient City Wall to hear history's echo
- Explore Chinese Buddhism and ancient architecture at Big Wild Goose Pagoda
What Our Customers Said
Xian 3 day tour
A real cultural&historical impressive 3 day trip to Xi'an, despite the shortening of the actual trip by some days to Covid!However, even with all the challenges, which laid ahead before and during the trip, the flexibility of everyone involved (especially my guide Jenny & my agent Zac) was the key to a memorable journey.This wasn't my first good experience with China Highlights and won't be definitely my last one as you can really take your mind off from the daily grind during those days and just enjoy the scenic spots! moreOct 2022, Karl Kirchheimer
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Hua Shan Hike
Mervyn took me from Xi'anbei Station to the top of Hua Shan east peak, where I stayed overnight to watch the sunrise.It's a magnificent place, best appreciated on days like this without too much crowd, and Mervyn was a fantastic guide.It's not easy being a foreigner travelling around China in these days of covid, but Mervyn made all of that seem easy. And she was a helpful and encouraging presence on the way up, pointing out places of interest and pulling out cans of red bull for when the going got tough!Highly recommended! moreSep 2022, Paul R
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Xian 2022 Trip
Went on a family vacation to Xian and thanks to #chinahighlights my kids and I had a truly enjoyable time. #Christy arranged our tour and #Helen was our tour guide. #Helen did a great job of leading us around the Muslim Quarter, the Terra-cotta Warriors, walking up the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, bell and drum towers, riding on the Xian city wall, visiting the Shaanxi History Museum and watching the Legend of the Silk Road show. She was especially knowledgeable of the areas history. The kids and I enjoyed the paper cutting and making terra-cotta warriors out of clay activities as well as watching the Shadow Puppet Show. Despite the COVID restrictions and excessive bureaucracy that now exists for foreigners traveling in China, #Helen did a great job meeting the unique needs of my family and I highly recommend her services. moreJul 2022, Bryan Stanfield
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Xi'an Bliss
We highly enjoyed our trip to Xi'an organised by China Highlights and with fantastic support from our guide Helen. Helen stitched together thousands of years of Chinese history throughout our visits to the terracotta warriors, the Xi'an museum and the ancient city walls. Helen gave us many superb food recommendations, in particular Xi'an's thick spinach noodles and the famous Muslim street. The trip was made very straightforward and we were supported at every step of the journey which gave us great peace of mind, even with COVID restrictions. The tour around the city walls by bike was a particular highlight. Helen also recommended the Nearwall bar which is a fantastic place for coffee and craft beer enthusiasts. China Highlights have been very flexible and responsive. We look forward to visiting again with family and friends in future. moreJul 2022, Michael H
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2.5 days in Xian
Helen helped with a quickly arranged Covid test at a local centre to smooth future travel. Next day was the Terracotta Warriors, Big Wild Goose Pagoda and Mosque. Amazing history and not too crowded with plenty of time to explore with excellent local restaurant for dumpling lunch . Helen went through loads of background info at each site adding to the experience and assisted with bartering at the markets. The final day required a late switch of museum and to the little wild goose pagoda which Helen organized efficiently and also played museum guide, I’m not sure what she doesn’t know about Chinese history. Helen was also helpful with our individual onward travel plan changes and our obsession with coffee. moreDec 2021, David P
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The best Xi’an experience I could only recommend
Susan (绒绒), my guide for 2 days, explained everything very pleasant in very good English. She has a huge historical know-how and could introduce me into all cultural and historical events connected to the visited places. To complete this journey, always accompanied with a delicious local food. Many thanks to Susan (绒绒), her driver and Chinahighlights for this fantastic experience moreOct 2021, luismK2514FG
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Our tour guides were Ann (Zhangjiajie), Ivy (Beijing), Lily (Xi'an) and Cecile (Chengdu). Each one of them was fantastic - attentive to our needs, organized, and made sure all of the details were taken care of. Each one of them adapted to our family's needs as things came up and also adapted to changing conditions -(weather, illness, unexpected closures, delays, etc) so we maximized our time and got the most out of every day. Every guide was knowledgeable and personable. moreJul 2021, christinajeanne
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Fabulous Xi’an.
The support from Christy before the trip was superb. The itinerary was perfectly designed to meet my wishes. I loved every single bit of it. Mervyn, my guide was knowledgeable, kind and friendly and brought an added something to the trip that you just don’t get when you do it all yourself. This was my third itinerary with China Highlights and it didn’t disappoint. moreMay 2021, CSA100
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You will be met by your tour guide at the airport and transferred to your hotel by a private car and driver. Your guide will be happy to give you a general introduction to the ancient city.
Hotel options:
4-star: Grand Noble Hotel Xi'an (superior class)
5-star: Wyndham Grand Xi'an South (superior room)
Start the day with an archaeological organization to have an in-depth view of Chinese archaeology and get close to a terracotta warrior. This is an exclusive experience and a very good warm-up for your later visit to see the Terracotta Army. Some antique treasures are displayed in the organization's exhibition hall. It is a good choice to go there to avoid the long queue at Shaanxi History Museum.
Then visit Big Wild Goose Pagoda, the symbol of Xi'an and houses precious Buddhist materials brought back from India after an arduous journey in the 7th century.
After one hour's drive from the city center, you will arrive at the Terracotta Warriors Museum. Discovered accidentally in 1974, the repairs and excavations still continue in the three pits, where over 7,000 soldiers, horses, chariots, and archers stand in full battle array. There is also a circular-screen short film that describes its historical background and how it was discovered.
Hotel options:
4-star: Grand Noble Hotel Xi'an (superior class)
5-star: Wyndham Grand Xi'an South (superior room)


After about 2½ hours' drive from the city, you will arrive at Mt Hua, which is one of the Five Great Mountains in China, and was once called the West Mountain in ancient times. It is known for being one of the most precipitous mountains in China, and a variety of temples and other religious structures nestle on its ridges and peaks.
The mountain has five summits: South Peak, which is 2,160.5 meters above sea level, East Peak, which is the best place for watching a sunrise, West Peak or Lotus Flower Peak, North Peak, and Middle Peak.
We will arrange a round-trip cable car for you to get up and down the mountain, and enjoy the scenery along the way. Walking on the cliffside narrow plank at South Peak is a challenge for thrill seekers.
About the Cable Car on Mount Hua
The cable car on North Peak is 1,550 meters long while the one on West Peak is 4,211 meters in length. We recommend that people suffering from acrophobia do not take the cable car.
Hotel options:
4-star: Grand Noble Hotel Xi'an (superior class)
5-star: Wyndham Grand Xi'an South (superior room)

The history of Shaanxi is said to be the history of China, and this museum is quite simply one of China's biggest and best. Four major galleries in large, Tang-style buildings house a vast and impressive collection of 370,000 items unearthed in the province, including clay figurines, bronze wares, jade articles, currencies, murals, and more.
Stroll along the massive city wall that has been guarding the inner city since the 13th century. The walls, ramparts, gates, and watchtowers form one of the oldest and most complete city defenses in China. If the weather is good, cycling will be incorporated into the visit, and you will enjoy some good views of the city.
As this tour of Xi'an comes to an end, you will be transferred to the airport for your departure flight. Your tour guide will accompany you from the check-in desk to the security gate before waving goodbye.
Hotel options:
4-star: Grand Noble Hotel Xi'an (superior class)
5-star: Wyndham Grand Xi'an South (superior room)
In the morning, visit the symbolic structure of Xi'an — Big Wild Goose Pagoda. With seven floors at a height of 64 meters, it stands in the tranquil Da Ci'en Temple and gives a good view of the city from the top. Built over 1,000 years ago, it houses precious Buddhist materials brought back from India by the monk known as Xuanzang.
Stroll along the massive city wall that has been guarding the inner city since the 13th century. The walls, ramparts, gates, and watchtowers form one of the oldest and most complete city defenses in China. If the weather is good, cycling will be incorporated into the visit, and you will enjoy some good views of the city.
As this tour of Xi'an comes to an end, you will be transferred to the airport for your departure flight. Your tour guide will accompany you from the check-in desk to the security gate before waving goodbye.

Trekking Route Suggestion

Two-Hour Trek
If you prefer to have a taste of riskiness on the mountain, take the cable car up to the North Peak, then trekking to Canglongling ridge is a good choice. Then you can choose to take a cable car down the mountain from either North or West Peak.
One-Day Trek
We recommend that customers take the cable car up to North Peak and trek across the ridge. Then trek to East, Middle, and South peaks before descending the mountain by cable car from West Peak. It takes about four hours in total to trek across all the peaks.
Two-Day Trek
Day 1: Yuquan Yuan – North Peak – East Peak (stay at East Peak Hotel)
Day 2: East Peak for sunrise – South Peak – West Peak – Middle Peak – Yuquan Yuan
Food and Accommodation on Mt Hua
As with other mountain scenic areas, food and accommodation on Mt Hua are very limited. If you are only on the mountain during the daytime, a basic Chinese lunch is included. If you prefer to have an overnight stay, a hotel with hot water and clean beds can be booked.
During the trip, the average latitude is about 3300km to 3600km from Day 2-Day 6, you will reach the highest places at an elevation of about 4,200 meters, so read the information about mountain sickness below.
Tour Price
Price includes:
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