Xian Travelers Recommend

Topping the list of sights in and around Xian are the Terracotta Warriors, the Muslim Quarter and the City Walls. With a little more time, you can discover countless other sights including pagodas, mosques, markets, and museums. Read on for tips on how to get the most out of three days in Xian. 

Day 1: Ancient Xian

Start your time in Xian with an exploration of the city’s historical wonders. Begin with a morning trip to the star attraction, the Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Choose between the value of a small-group tour and the flexibility of a private tour. To make the most of your day, consider combining a morning at the Terracotta Warriors with an afternoon tour of Xian’s other historical highlights. Cycle around the ancient city walls (among the best preserved in the world) or learn more about the history of the city and province at the excellent Shaanxi History Museum. After all that sightseeing, it’s time to sit back and relax during a Tang Dynasty Dinner Show, where you’ll be treated to a dumpling feast and colorful song-and-dance gala. 

Day 2: Modern City

You’ve taken a deep dive into Xian’s history, now it’s time to appreciate the modern city and all its multicultural appeal. Start with a visit to one of Xian’s newest attractions, the Xian Museum, then climb to the top of the neighboring Little Wild Goose Pagoda for panoramic views over the surrounding area. In the afternoon, consider learning more about modern Xian culture by taking a calligraphy class, kung fu workshop, or Chinese painting lesson at a local art museum. In the evening, head out on a food tour to experience the fusion of Muslim and Chinese flavors in modern Xian’s cuisine, a city highlight. Tour on foot or by tuk-tuk through the old city or the bustling Muslim Quarter.

Day 3: Outdoor Adventure

Now that you’ve seen the city, spend your last day taking in the surrounding countryside. Get an early start toward Mount Huashan, known for its steep and narrow paths and high mountain peaks. To make the most of your time, take a cable car to the summit, then explore the hiking trails, passing Buddhist and Taoist temples and numerous scenic viewpoints along the way. After a long day on the mountain, head back to Xian for your final night on the town. Enjoy the city’s nightlife on a bar-hopping tour of Xian, or for something a bit more low key, visit a local craft brewery for a refreshing pint and a toast to safe travels.

Thanks in part to the Silk Road, Xian has long ranked among the world’s greatest cultural capitals, and it remains a hotbed of multiculturalism and Chinese history. While there’s enough to see and do in Xian to fill a week, a single day is enough to see its main highlight, the Terracotta Warriors. Here’s how to make the most of your day. 

Morning: Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum

This UNESCO World Heritage Site is the reason most travelers come to Xian in the first place. Get an early start for the hour-long drive to this 2,000-year-old mausoleum complex with its life-size Terracotta army. Learn about how the famous figures were made and about Emperor Qin Shi Huang, who inspired them. After exploring the three excavation pits, don’t miss the exhibition hall where the intricate bronze horses and chariots are housed. Choose a private tour for even more flexibility. 

Afternoon: City Sightseeing

Now that you’ve seen Xian’s star attraction, take the afternoon to visit one or two other points of interest. You could walk or ride a bike atop the historic city walls, browse the food stalls and souvenir shops of the buzzing Muslim Quarter, dig deeper into Xian history at the Shaanxi Museum, climb the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, or visit the remains of a 6,000-year-old village at the Banpo Museum. Save time on transportation by combining these into a guided tour, or head out on your own to explore the city. 

Night: Dumpling Feast

No trip to Xian would be complete without an evening spent feasting on Chinese dumplings while taking in the song, dance, costumes, and choreography of the city’s famed Tang Dynasty Dinner Show at the Tang Dynasty Palace theater. Alternately, treat your tastebuds to a dinner of succulent street foods—soup dumplings, noodles, savory pancakes, and the city’s signature barbecued meat skewers—during a night tour of the Muslim Quarter.

The central Chinese city of Xian, famous for its massive Terracotta Army, also enjoys one of the world's longest and richest culinary histories. Once the departure point for the Silk Road, Xian has hosted myriad religions and cultures, each influencing the city’s gastronomic traditions. Here are a few dishes and activities you won't want to miss.

Must-Try Dishes

Xian's most iconic dish would have to be yangrou paomo, an unleavened flatbread, similar to pita, soaked in a rich, spicy bowl of mutton soup. The same bread makes an appearance in the dish rou jia mo, a popular street food made by stuffing stewed pork into the bread. Xianbing, another popular snack, can be described as a savory pancake stuffed with beef and green onions.

Noodles are ubiquitous throughout China, but Xian's biangbiang noodles are unique. These thick, wide noodles are hand-pulled and often served with lots of hot peppers, garlic and Chinese vinegar. And while Shanghai is better known for dumplings, Xian gives the city a run for its money with guantang baozi —soup dumplings stuffed with lamb or beef and served with a vinegar and chili dipping sauce. For a late-night meal, nothing beats chuan'er, or skewered beef and lamb kabobs; they're cheap, tasty and the perfect accompaniment to a cold beer.

Must-Do Experiences

• Head to Xian's Muslim Quarter, considered by foodies to be the best place to find a tasty meal, for a food-centric tour of the neighborhood on foot or by tuk tuk.
• Set aside an evening to attend one of Xian's famous dumpling banquets, where you can feast on local flavors while watching a Tang Dynasty dinner show.
• Try your hand at a cooking class for a great introduction to the foods of Xian. Take a hands-on approach and learn how to make regional dumplings.

With two days in Xian, you’ll have enough time to explore beyond the Terracotta Warriors and essential city sights. Learn more about the city’s history at one of its excellent museums, and treat your tastebuds to its multicultural cuisine. Here’s how to get the most out of your 48 hours in Xian.

Day 1: Essential Xian

**Morning:**No trip to Xian would be complete without a visit to the Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Get an early start for the 1-hour drive to the site, where you can explore the three excavation pits and learn about how the life-size figures were made and discovered. 

**Afternoon:**Back in Xian, take in the Old City from one of the best vantage points, the top of its ancient city walls. If you want to make the entire 8.5-mile (14-kilometer) circuit, hop on a bike; alternately you can walk a portion of it on foot to get a better sense of its immense size. For added value and convenience, combine the Terracotta Warriors and a bike ride along the walls into a single tour.

**Night:**All that sightseeing is likely to work up an appetite. Luckily, Xian is a city that knows how to eat. As the sun goes down, head out to explore the culinary landscape with a walking or tuk-tuk tour. Sample local delicacies from street vendors, such as steamed pork buns, barbecued-meat skewers, or pita bread soaked in lamb soup.

Day 2: Historical Xian

**Morning:**Kick off your morning with a visit to one of the city’s top attractions, the Shaanxi History Museum, where the enormous collection tells the story of Xian and the surrounding Shaanxi Province. A visit to the museum can be combined with another top landmark, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, in a half-day tour.

**Afternoon:**Continue your deep dive into Xian’s long and storied history with an afternoon visit to the Banpo Village archaeological site. Walk among 6,000-year-old ruins of a neolithic village—thought to be one of the oldest human settlements in China—to learn more about how some of China’s earliest residents lived.

**Night:**End your Xian trip with dinner and a show. Choose between the classic combination of a dumpling feast and Tang Dynasty Dinner Show, or head to the historic Huaqing Palace for an epic love story known as The Song of Everlasting Sorrow. Book a tour with hotel pickup and drop-off for a hassle-free final evening.