How to Plan a Beijing and Xi’an Trip: Itineraries, Transport & Travel Tips

Beijing and Xi’an are two of the most iconic cities on many classic China tour itineraries. They offer so much to see and do that first-time visitors can feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of choices when planning a Beijing and Xi’an trip. This guide lays out the best itineraries, things to do, and transportation options, helping to ease your nerves.

Generally, the ideal travel duration for first-timers is 7-8 days, that is, 4-5 days in Beijing and 2-3 days in Xi’an. This allows you to visit the must-see landmarks like the Forbidden City, Great Wall, and Terracotta Warriors without feeling rushed.

If you’ve only got 6 days, compress the itinerary. Allocate 3-4 days for Beijing and 2 days for Xi’an. If you stay 10 days or longer, you can add deeper cultural experiences or take a side trip to the suburbs, or even a third city like Shanghai.

The best way to travel between the two cities is by high-speed train. Normally, trains run between Beijing West Station and Xi’an North Station. A one-way trip may take 4 to 7 hours.

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• How Long to Stay in Beijing and Xi’an?
• What to Do on a Beijing and Xi’an Trip?
• Best Beijing Xi’an Itinerary: 6, 7, 8 & 10 Days
• Beijing to Xi’an: High-Speed Train or Flight?
• Best Time to Visit Beijing and Xi’an
• Where to Stay in Beijing and Xi’an
• What to Eat in Beijing and Xi’an
• Beijing Xi’an Trip Budget, Visa & Essential Travel Tips

Tour Duration Overview:

Total	Beijing	Xi’an	Best for
6 days	3-4 days	2 days	Time-pressed travelers wishing to see the highlights
7 days	4 days	3 days	First-time visitors wishing to follow the most classic tour route
8 days (most recommended)	4-5 days	3 days	Those who prefer a slow pace of travel
10 days	5-6 days	3-4 days	In-depth explorers, tourists travelling with kids, cultural enthusiasts

How Long to Stay in Beijing and Xi’an?

Our experienced travel experts would recommend spending 4-5 days in Beijing and 2-3 days in Xi’an. The attractions in Beijing are quite scattered. You always need to factor in the transfer time. Take the Great Wall as an example: it alone requires half a day to a full day. Comparatively speaking, most of Xi’an’s attractions are clustered around the city center, so they’re easy to get around. However, you do need to set aside half a day to a whole day for the Terracotta Warriors, because they’re located in the suburbs.

Beijing: A 4-day Beijing tour typically covers the Forbidden City, Great Wall, Temple of Heaven, and Summer Palace. Add hutongs (narrow old alleys), the National Museum or some immersive cultural experiences if you have 5 days.

Xi’an: Spend 2 days visiting the core sights, including the Terracotta Warriors, City Wall, and the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda. Arrange Han Yangling (the Mausoleum of Emperor Jingdi) and a food tour on the third day. Mount Hua is a wonderful alternative if you love hiking.

Recommended Tour 5-Day Beijing & Xi’an Ancient Capitals Tour by High-Speed Train

What to Do on a Beijing and Xi’an Trip?

Though Beijing and Xi’an tours are both steeped in Chinese history, they focus on different highlights. Beijing is more famous for the imperial grandeur embodied in the Ming and Qing palaces and the dragon-like Great Wall. Xi’an, by contrast, takes visitors further back to the Qin, Han, and Tang Dynasties. The archaeological ruins and bustling life within the city wall vividly show the city’s past and present.

Top Things to Do in Beijing

Must-visits for first-timers:

• Forbidden City: the most iconic historical site in Beijing. Plan at least three hours for the visit.
• Mutianyu Great Wall: particularly ideal for first-time visitors and families (equipped with reliable cable cars).
• Temple of Heaven: explore the imperial ritual and ceremonial architecture of the Ming and Qing Dynasties.
• Summer Palace: a sprawling imperial garden that may take half a day to fully explore.

Time permitting, consider adding the hutongs, Jingshan Park, and Yonghe Lamasery to your Beijing list.

Top Things to Do in Xi’an

Must-visits for first-timers:

• Terracotta Warriors: plan half a day for the trip, and don’t squeeze in too many city-center sights on the same day.
• Ancient City Wall: explore the layout of the ancient city on foot or by bicycle.
• The Giant Wild Goose Pagoda and its surrounding area: best visited in the evening; close to the Datang Everbright City.
• Shaanxi History Museum: a magnet for history buffs.

Shaanxi History Museum is incredibly popular, with limited reservation slots available during the peak season. After finalizing your Xi’an itinerary, check the official reservation rules immediately to grab a slot as early as possible. If you miss out, set your sights on Xi’an Museum and the Small Wild Goose Pagoda instead.

Best Beijing Xi’an Itinerary: 6, 7, 8 & 10 Days

Beijing Xi’an 6-Day Itinerary

It appeals most to those who visit China for the first time but on a tight schedule.

Day 1: Arrival in Beijing

Day 2: Tian’anmen Square – Forbidden City – Temple of Heaven

Day 3: Mutianyu Great Wall

Day 4: Summer Palace – Bullet Train to Xi’an

Day 5: Terracotta Warriors – Giant Wild Goose Pagoda – Datang Everbright City

Day 6: Xi’an City Wall – Departure

This itinerary is already quite tight, so don’t try to fit in too many extra museums.

Beijing Xi’an 7-Day Itinerary

This is the top pick for the majority of first-time visitors.

Day 1: Arrival in Beijing

Day 2: Tian’anmen Square – Forbidden City – Summer Palace

Day 3: Mutianyu Great Wall

Day 4: Temple of Heaven – Hutongs – Beijing to Xi’an Bullet Train

Day 5: Terracotta Warriors – City Wall – Bell and Drum Towers – Muslim Quarter

Day 6: Xi’an Museum – Giant Wild Goose Pagoda – Datang Everbright City

Day 7: Departure

Beijing Xi’an 8-Day Itinerary

On the basis of the 7-day tour plan, add one more day. Don’t schedule too many attractions on the day, but focus on citywalks through the Beijing hutongs or food tours around the Muslim Quarter in Xi’an. For tourists travelling with kids and seniors, or those who don’t want to rush from dawn to dusk, the 8-day itinerary is a much more relaxing choice.

Day 1: Arrival in Beijing

Day 2: Tian’anmen Square – Forbidden City – Jingshan Park

Day 3: Mutianyu Great Wall

Day 4: Temple of Heaven – Summer Palace

Day 5: Hutongs – Afternoon High Speed Train to Xi’an

Day 6: Terracotta Warriors – Giant Wild Goose Pagoda – Datang Everbright City

Day 7: City Wall – Xi’an Museum – Bell and Drum Towers – Muslim Quarter

Day 8: Departure

Beijing Xi’an 10-Day Itinerary

If Beijing and Xi’an are your only travel destinations, 10 days are long enough to also cover some in-depth explorations of Han Yangling Mausoleum, Mount Hua, or some wild sections of the Great Wall. You can also consider this route: Beijing → Xi’an → Shanghai.

This way, your China tour covers not only the historical and cultural highlights of Beijing and Xi’an, but also modern urban experiences — a perfect balance of old and new.

Beijing to Xi’an: High-Speed Train or Flight?

The high-speed train is a better option for most travelers.

According to the latest schedule, several high-speed trains shuttle between Beijing and Xi’an daily. Among them, the fastest trains only take 4 hours and 10 minutes one way, while others require 4.5-6 hours.

	High-speed Train	Flight
Duration	4-6 hours	About 2 hours
From Beijing	Beijing West Station	Capital/Daxing Airport
To Xi’an	Xi’an North Station	Xi’an Xianyang Airport
Connection to the city center	More convenient (subway available)	The airport is far away from the city center.
Luggage procedures	Quick and easy	Requires security screening and baggage check-in.
Rating	★★★★★	★★★

You may wonder why a 2-hour flight is not always faster.

The reason is that you need to factor in the transfers between hotels and airports, and allow time for check-in, security checks, baggage drop-off, and waiting at the gate. In terms of the door-to-door travel time, the high-speed train may be faster. It’s also a more hassle-free choice for most travelers.

We recommend booking a midday or afternoon train so that you can arrange some flexible activities for the morning, like exploring the hutongs and visiting the Temple of Heaven. Avoid scheduling time-consuming attractions, or those requiring strict reservations, on the morning of the travel day — you don’t want to miss the train.

See more options to travel from Beijing to Xi’an

Best Time to Visit Beijing and Xi’an

Simply put, April, May, September, and October are the best months for a Beijing and Xi’an trip. It’s neither too cold nor too hot — perfect weather for outdoor strolls along the Great Wall, Xi’an City Wall and city streets. Avoid the travel rush during the May Day holiday and China’s National Day holiday (Oct. 1-7).

From June to August, it’s sometimes scorching hot. Coincidentally, this is when the summer vacation falls, so you may encounter huge crowds. Tourists are fewer from November to February. The accommodation prices are also very budget-friendly. However, daylight hours are short and you may feel very cold on the Great Wall.

If your top concern is crowds, don’t dwell on which month to visit. The first thing is to avoid the travel rush during the Chinese New Year, May Day holiday, summer weekends, and National Day holiday.

Where to Stay in Beijing and Xi’an

You don’t have to stay in a hotel very close to the train station. For first-time visitors, the easy access to subway stations matters more. It will be even better if the location is easy to explore on foot and offers much to do at night.

Where to Stay in Beijing?

• Wangfujing/Dongdan: One of the best-connected areas in Beijing, with easy access to the Forbidden City, Tian’anmen Square and attractions dotted along subway lines.
• Qianmen: Best for those who enjoy the vibe of old Beijing; an excellent base for exploring Tian’anmen Square and the Temple of Heaven.
• Shichahai/Hutongs: It’s more distinctive, but some hotels cannot be reached by vehicle directly. Confirm this with the front desk if you travel with the elderly or large luggage.

Where to Stay in Xi’an?

• Bell Tower/South Gate: Highly recommended for first-timers, well connected to the City Wall, Bell and Drum Towers, Muslim Quarter and subway stations.
• Giant Wild Goose Pagoda/Qujiang: Ideal for family tourists, shutterbugs wanting to shoot night views, and those who prefer high-end hotels.

Unless you have to catch an early train the next morning, don’t stay near Xi’an North Station — it’s quite far from the city center and core attractions.

What to Eat in Beijing and Xi’an

Must-try Beijing Food: Peking roast duck, noodles with soybean paste, instant-boiled mutton hotpot

Quanjude is a time-honored roast duck brand in Beijing most familiar to tourists. If customer reviews matter more to you, consider opting for other duck restaurants.

Looking for more authentic Beijing cuisine? Drop into a restaurant tucked between the residential areas near Dongsi, Drum Tower, and Ox Street. Don’t limit yourself to the tourist commercial streets like Wangfujing.

Must-try Xi’an Food: Roujiamo (Chinese hamburger), cold noodles, shredded bread in lamb stew, Biangbiang noodles

The Muslim Quarter is a food paradise, especially for first-time tourists looking to soak up the lively atmosphere — but it doesn’t mean all the best restaurants in Xi’an are gathered there. You can also explore Sajinqiao and some old residential areas to discover more local snacks.

Beijing Xi’an Trip Budget, Visa & Essential Travel Tips

The combination of Beijing and Xi’an is relatively affordable. What really determines your budget is the accommodation level, whether you hire a private guide, and whether you use private car service.

How Much Does a Beijing Xi’an Trip Cost?

Below is a rough estimate for a pair travelling together and sharing a double room (per day), excluding international airfare:

• Economy-class: US $70-100. Economy hotels, self-guided tour, public transport.
• Comfort-class: US $120-200. Four-star hotel, high-speed train, regular restaurants, occasional shuttle service.
• Customized: US $200-350+. Private tour guide, vehicle, tickets, and upscale accommodation. If you choose five-star hotels or travel during the peak season, the cost may be significantly higher than this.

Travelling with a partner is always more cost-effective than travelling alone, as you can share the expenditure for private car and guide services.

Can I Visit Beijing and Xi’an Without a Visa?

It’s possible, but still depends on your nationality and travel route.

Currently, China offers free entry to ordinary passport holders from several countries, allowing them to stay for up to 30 days. This policy applies to short-term visits for sightseeing purposes, but the eligible countries and allowed stay length may be subject to adjustment. Check the latest information from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the National Immigration Administration before departure.

In addition, tourists who meet the requirements for the 240-hour visa free transit can travel across designated provinces. Therefore, you can strategically design your Beijing Xi’an trip as part of the 240-hour transit itinerary. However, you must comply with the rules regarding entry and exit ports, and flight tickets for a third country/region.

Tips for First-timers on a Beijing Xi’an Tour

• Book tickets for key attractions before planning your daily travel route. The tickets for the Forbidden City are often open for reservation at 8pm seven days before the visit. You cannot buy a ticket onsite. Instead, you need to book a ticket in advance using your passport. Book a ticket as early as possible if you travel on popular dates. Note that the Forbidden City is usually closed on Mondays.
• Don’t schedule the Forbidden City on the day you arrive. Flight delays, slow entry procedures, and time differences may all lead to missing the appointed time slot for visiting.
• Carry your passport with you at all times. You may need it for hotel check-in, boarding flights and trains, and entering scenic spots.
• Take an afternoon high-speed train from Beijing to Xi’an so that you do not travel in a rush.
• Extend your trip to Shanghai if you have enough time. It’s not necessary to get back to Beijing.
• Arrange only one large historical attraction a day if you travel with kids. It’s wise to combine it with some relaxing experiences such as the Great Wall slides, City Wall cycling, and food tours.
• Open Alipay or WeChat payment in advance. Save the Chinese name and address of your hotel.
• Don’t pack your day with too many attractions. The Forbidden City, Great Wall, and the Terracotta Warriors all require a lot of walking. It’s better to leave some time for rest rather than visit more attractions.