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Home/Destinations/Xi'an
Xi'an
Central China

Xi'an Tours & Travel Guide

Silk Road gateway & halal heartland

3 daysRecommended
March&ndashBest season
6Signature sights
Price on requestQuoted per itinerary
Why come here

Xi'an was the capital of thirteen dynasties and the eastern terminus of the Silk Road, which is why it has the best Muslim food in China. The Hui community here has been cooking, praying and trading in the same few square kilometres for 1,300 years — long before halal travel became a category anyone marketed.

The city is also home to the Terracotta Army: 8,000 life-sized soldiers buried in 210 BC and only discovered by farmers digging a well in 1974. Seeing them in person is one of the few things in China that genuinely exceeds the photographs.

Two days is the minimum. Three is better, because Xi'an is a place to eat your way through rather than tick off.

Best seasonMarch–May and September–November
Time needed3–4 days
Gateway airportXi'an Xianyang (XIY)
Getting there4.5 h high-speed rail from Beijing; 6 h from Shanghai
Halal foodThe Muslim Quarter — halal kitchens on every street, by default
VisaVisa-free 30 days for Malaysian, Singaporean, Thai and Bruneian passports
Xi'an
Xi'an
What to see

The sights worth your time

Tap any one open for the practical detail — how long to allow, and how we work it into your day.

Terracotta Army
Three excavation pits holding an army of individually modelled soldiers, chariots and horses, each with a different face. Pit 1 is the size of an aircraft hangar.
Our tip: We arrive before the coach groups, usually around 08:30, and walk the pits in reverse order so you meet the crowds coming the other way.
Muslim Quarter (Huimin Jie)
A dense, loud, brilliant grid of food streets around the Great Mosque. Roujiamo, yangrou paomo, hand-pulled noodles, persimmon cakes, spiced mutton skewers.
Our tip: Come hungry and come at dusk, when the whole street lights up. This is the single best halal food experience in China.
Great Mosque of Xi'an
Founded in 742 AD and built like a Chinese garden: pagoda-style minarets, stone archways, calligraphy on wooden panels. It is a working mosque, not a museum.
Our tip: Dress modestly and avoid Friday midday prayers unless you are joining them.
Ming City Wall
The most complete ancient city wall in China, 14 km around the old town and wide enough to cycle on. Bicycle hire is included on our Xi'an days.
Our tip: Late afternoon is best: an hour of pedalling, then sunset over the moat.
Shaanxi History Museum
The best introduction to Chinese civilisation outside Beijing, and free with advance registration. The Tang dynasty gold and ceramics are the highlight.
Our tip: Tickets are limited and released a few days ahead. We register for you.
Big Wild Goose Pagoda
A 7th-century Buddhist pagoda built to house scriptures brought back from India. The square in front has a nightly fountain show the locals genuinely love.
Our tip: Combine with the Tang Dynasty dinner theatre if you want an evening of music and dance.
Halal & Muslim-friendly dining

Eating well in Xi'an

Xi'an is the most halal-friendly city in China and the reason many Muslim families start their China trip here. The Muslim Quarter is a working Hui neighbourhood: everything sold on it is qingzhen, which means you can eat without checking. Beyond the quarter there are halal restaurants near the railway station, halal options at the airport, and several hotels that will set up a halal breakfast if we arrange it. We mark every halal stop on your daily itinerary, and note prayer times and the nearest mosques.

When to go

Xi'an, season by season

Mar–MayWarm and dry; the best months to walk the wall and the food streets.
Jun–AugHot, 33–38°C, and the Terracotta Army pits get crowded and airless.
Sep–NovClear and comfortable. Autumn is Xi'an at its best.
Dec–FebCold and often grey, but the Muslim Quarter is at its most atmospheric and prices are lowest.
Routes that include Xi'an

Sample itineraries

Each of these is a starting point. We reshape every one around your dates, your group and your pace.

All routes →
How our pricing works. We do not publish fixed prices, because a fixed price would either overcharge a couple or underdeliver for a group of nine. Every itinerary is quoted individually against your dates, hotel standard and group size, with everything itemised in writing. Send us your travel window and we will come back within 24 hours with a full quotation and no obligation.
Questions

Xi'an — frequently asked

Is Xi'an genuinely good for halal food?
Yes, and better than most people expect. Xi'an has China's largest historic Hui Muslim population, so qingzhen food is the local cuisine rather than a special request. The Muslim Quarter is entirely halal, and we can arrange a halal cooking class or a mosque visit on request.
How far is the Terracotta Army from the city?
About 40 km east, roughly an hour by road. We leave the hotel early, spend three hours at the pits and return via the Huaqing Hot Springs or the Qin tomb mound if you want a fuller day.
Can we combine Xi'an with the Silk Road further west?
Yes. Xi'an to Dunhuang is a short flight, and we build five- to nine-day Silk Road extensions through Zhangye, Jiayuguan and Dunhuang with the Mogao Caves and the Crescent Lake dunes. Ask us for the Gansu and Dunhuang route.
Do we need a guide at the Terracotta Army?
It changes the visit. Without interpretation they are statues; with it, they are a political document. Our guide is an archaeology specialist and we include a private vehicle so you can move at your own pace between the pits.
Close by

Destinations that pair well with Xi'an

BeijingBeijingNorth ChinaChengduChengduSichuan ProvinceLhasa & TibetLhasa & TibetTibet Autonomous Region
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