Cities
Xi'an in 2 days: the Terracotta Warriors, the city wall, and the Muslim Quarter
How to book Terracotta Warriors tickets with a foreign passport, the cheapest ways to get there, and a 2-day plan for Xi'an.
Xi’an was China’s capital for more than a thousand years and the starting point of the Silk Road. Most visitors come for the Terracotta Warriors, but the city itself, with its intact Ming-dynasty wall and lively Muslim Quarter, deserves at least a second day. It’s about 4.5 to 6 hours from Beijing by high-speed train.
Terracotta Warriors: tickets
- Price: ¥120 for adults, all year. It covers the three pits and the museum, plus Lishan Park (the emperor’s mausoleum area). Foreign children under 1.4 m go free with a parent. Free entry for seniors applies only to Chinese citizens.
- Book ahead, with your passport. Entry is real-name only, and tickets can be booked up to 7 days ahead. They sell out around Chinese holidays. The museum runs an official booking site for foreign passport holders; the domestic WeChat booking usually needs a Chinese phone number. Agents such as Trip.com or GetYourGuide will book for you for a few yuan more.
- Your passport is your ticket. Bring the one you booked with; it’s scanned at the turnstiles.
- The site is open every day, including Mondays.
Getting there (about 35 km from the city)
| Option | Time | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Metro Line 9 to Huaqing Pool, then a local bus or short DiDi ride | about 75 min | about ¥10 |
| Tourist Bus 5 (306) from the east side of the old Xi’an Railway Station (not Xi’an North) | about 70 min | ¥7 |
| DiDi door to door | about 50 min | ¥120–160 |
| A guided tour with transport | half or full day | varies |
A guide (or an audio guide) makes a big difference here: the pits look like rows of statues until someone explains what you’re looking at.
Day 1: the Terracotta Warriors
- Morning: go early. Start with Pit 1, the huge hall of soldiers in battle formation, then Pits 3 and 2, and finish in the exhibition hall with the bronze chariots.
- Afternoon: on the way back, stop at Huaqing Palace, the imperial hot springs at the foot of Mount Li.
- Evening: the Muslim Quarter, behind the Drum Tower. Try roujiamo (Chinese “burger”), yangrou paomo (lamb soup with crumbled bread), and biangbiang noodles.
Day 2: the city wall and the Big Wild Goose Pagoda
- Morning: rent a bike on top of the city wall. The full loop is about 14 km and takes two to three hours. It’s one of the best things to do in Xi’an.
- Afternoon: the Bell Tower and Drum Tower, then the Great Mosque, a mosque built in Chinese temple style.
- Evening: the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, a Tang-dynasty Buddhist pagoda, with a fountain show in the square in front. Then walk the Datang Everbright City boulevard, lit up at night.
Where to stay
Stay inside the city wall, near the Bell Tower: the Muslim Quarter and the wall are on foot, and Metro Lines 2 and 6 are close. Compare on Trip.com or Agoda, and check the hotel accepts foreign guests.
Next stop
From Xi’an, high-speed trains run to Beijing, Shanghai, and Chengdu (about 3.5 hours). See how to book trains and our Chengdu guide.
