China

Xi’an Travel Guide

Once known as Chang’an, Xi’an is a place of city walls, archaeological wonders and a street-food culture shaped by its long history.

Terracotta ArmyPhoto: Ideophagous · CC BY-SA 4.0 ↗

Before you go

When to go and how long to stay

Allow two or three days. Walk the old city on one day and treat the Terracotta Army as a separate half-day or longer. Spring and autumn make long stretches on foot more comfortable.

Entry documents

Check your passport’s eligibility with China’s National Immigration Administration before booking. A tourist visa, ordinary visa-free entry and visa-free transit are different options. Transit eligibility depends on your passport, approved ports, permitted area and confirmed travel onward to a third country or region. Save your first hotel’s address in Chinese and keep your onward itinerary handy for the arrival form.

Getting to the city

Xi’an Xianyang Airport (XIY) connects to the Metro on Line 14. Check the best interchange for your hotel before boarding, or use the airport’s designated taxi rank if you land late.

Xi’an North handles many high-speed services. Metro Line 2 connects it with central stops such as Zhonglou. Xi’an Railway Station is a different terminal, so use the station on your ticket.

Getting around

Walk between the Bell Tower, the Muslim Quarter and nearby gates, then use the Metro for longer hops. Travel to Lintong for the Terracotta Army and build in time for the last leg from the station.

Payments and mobile data

Set up Alipay or WeChat Pay and link an eligible international card before flying. Keep some small RMB notes and a backup card, and save your hotel and station names offline. Check whether your phone supports roaming or a travel eSIM. When booking intercity rail through 12306, enter your passport name exactly and bring the same original document to the station.