How to Travel from Shanghai to Xi’an

Written by Veronica | Updated May 14,2026

There are several ways to travel from Shanghai to Xi’an, you can make decisions wisely according to your tour itinerary, schedule, preferences and budget. The distance between the two cities is about 1,500 km. Flights and high-speed trains are the most popular choices because of high efficiency. Overnight D trains are the best alternatives which balance cost and efficiency. Normal speed trains take at least 15 hours, thus not recommended for travelers.

Read on to see the frequency, travel time, cost and schedule of all the above ways and decide how to get to Xian after your Shanghai tour.

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• • Quick Comparison of Flights & Trains
  • High-speed Train
  • Flight
  • Normal Train
  • How to Plan a Shanghai to Xian Tour?
  • Travel with China Xian Tour

Quick Comparison of Flights, High-speed Trains & Normal Trains

Shanghai to Xian By High-speed Train

1. Normal High-speed Trains – Reliable and Comfortable

• Major Stations: Shanghai Hongqiao, Xian North
• Frequency: about 25 departures daily
• Cost: about CNY 680 – 2,500/USD 99 – 365
• Duration: 5 – 9.5 hours

To travel from Shanghai to Xian, high-speed trains are preferred by travelers prioritizing both efficiency and comfort because of its punctuality and comfortable environment with spacious seats and clean cabin.

Among all the trains, about 22 trains depart before 14:00. So you will have more options if starting your train trip before noon. G1916 and G1940 are the only 2 trains that leave in the afternoon.

Due to the long distance of about 1,500 km, a single journey basically requires about 6.5 – 8.5 hours. G94 is the fastest train with a travel time of 5h30m.

Schedule

4 DAYS

4 Days Private Shanghai and Xian Tour by Bullet Train

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2. Overnight Bullet D Trains – Most Cost-effective

• Major Stations: Shanghai Hongqiao, Shanghai, Xian North, Xian
• Frequency: 6 departures daily
• Cost: about CNY 230 – 580/USD 34 – 85
• Duration: 5 – 15 hours

All the D trains set out in the afternoon and arrive at Xian in the early morning. The trains are equipped with softer sleepers, allowing you to enjoy a good rest during the train tour.

D972 and D976 are more recommended shifts if your time permits. They depart the latest and arrive the earliest. It means that you can make the most of your time. Not only can you save one night’s accommodation fee, but you can also have full days to explore the two cities during the daytime.

Overnight D trains are cost-effective alternatives to the high-speed trains and the flight, thus recommended for budget travelers.

Schedule

Major Train Stations in Shanghai and Xian

Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station

• Add: 1500, Shengui Road, Xinhong Sub-district, Minhang District, about 20 km from city center
• How to get to: take metro line 2, 10 or 17 to Hongqiao Railway Station metro station or take metro line 2, 10 or airport line to Hongqiao Airport Terminal 2 station, which are closer to the west entrance and east entrance, respectively.

Hongqiao Railway Station serves mainly high-speed trains in Shanghai. It is connected to Shanghai Hongqiao Airport by an indoor passage. So, after getting off the metro, please make sure that you are following the sign “High-speed Railway Departure” to the train station rather than the airport terminal.

If your ticket gate is between 16 – 30, get off at Hongqiao Railway Station; if your ticket gate is between 1 – 15, Hongqiao Airport Terminal 2 station is closer.

Xian North Railway Station

• Add: Yuanshuo Road, Caotan Sub-district, Weiyang District, about 15km from downtown center.
• How to get to: Both metro lines 2 and 4 can take you to the train station, which are near south entrance and north entrance, respectively.

North Railway Station is the major high-speed train station in Xian. As one of the largest high-speed railway hubs in China, its waiting hall spans a quite long distance from north to south. For a quick entry, please note that ticket gates 1 – 18 are closer to south entrance and ticket gates 19 – 34 are closer to north entrance.

How to get to major tourist attractions in Xian from Xian North Railway Station?

For tourists who want to start their Xian tour immediately after arrival, the transportation to the major attractions is listed below.

• To Terracotta Army: At the North Bus Station at the north square, there are direct buses to the scenic area, which depart every 15 minutes from 08:30 – 20:30. A single journey will take about 1.5 hours and cost CNY 30/USD 4.
• To Bell Tower: Hop on Metro Line 2, you will get there in only 40 minutes with a cost of approximately CNY 4/USD 1 per person. The Drum Tower and Muslim Quarter are also within walking distance.
• To Giant Wild Goose Pagoda: Take Metro Line 4 to Dayanta Station. About 1 hour is needed and the ticket price is about CNY 5/USD 1. From there, you can simply walk to visit the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda and also Tang Paradise.
• To the Shaanxi History Museum: Take Metro Line 2 to Xiaozhai Station and walk for about 15 minutes to reach the museum. The ride costs approximately CNY 5/USD 1 per person and takes about 50 minutes.

3 DAYS

3 Days Xian Private Trip: History Exploration & Tang Costume Experience

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Shanghai to Xian By Flight – Fast and Dense

• Total Travel Time: 8 – 9 hours (flight time: about 2.5 – 3 hours + transfer from/to airports: about 4 hours + boarding procedures: about 2 hours)
• Frequency: nearly 100 flights every day
• Airports (from – to): Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG)/Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport (SHA) – Xian Xianyang International Airport (XIY)
• Major Airlines: China Eastern Airlines, Juneyao Airlines, Shanghai Airlines, Xiamen Airlines, Spring Airlines
• Cost: CNY 500 – 1,500/USD 73 – 219

If you check the flight schedule, you can find approximately 100 non-stop flights from Shanghai to Xian every day. The flights operate from 07:00 – 23:00, so you can almost depart at any time you like. And you do not need to spend too much time on board.

Nevertheless, the ticket price of a flight is usually higher and its total travel time is not significant shorter than high-speed train. Besides, you may encounter potential weather-related delays or cancellations when opting for air travel. October and March are the off seasons, when you may buy a ticket at a price lower than high-speed train.

So, flights are good choices for business travelers or those travelling during off seasons.

Schedule

5 DAYS

5 Days Shanghai Xian Tour By Flight

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Major Airports in Shanghai and Xian

Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport

• Add.: No. 2550, Hongqiao Road, Changning District, about 20 km from downtown Shanghai
• How to get to: Take metro line 10 to Hongqiao Airport Terminal 1 or take metro line 2, 10 or airport line to Hongqiao Airport Terminal 2 station

Generally, most domestic flights depart from terminal 2 in Hongqiao Airport. Since it is next to Hongqiao Train Station, make sure you follow the sign of “Terminal 2” to the airport after you arrive at the metro station.

This airport is connected to downtown Shanghai via metro lines 2 and 10. A trip to the Bund takes about 50 minutes. You can also explore the nearby Yu Garden and Lujiazui skyline together.

Shanghai Pudong International Airport

• Add.: No. 6000, Yingbin Avenue, Pudong New Area, about 40 km from downtown Shanghai
• How to get to: Metro line 2, Airport Line and Maglev Line all can take you to Pudong Airport Terminal 1 & 2.

Pudong Airport is one of the most important international aviation hubs in China, with frequent flights every day. It is better to get there 2 hours earlier in case of a long queuing time. Metro line 2 connects it to the city center directly.

Though the airport is relatively far from city center, the Maglev Train, the fastest train in China, operates from the airport to Longyang Road Station. The whole journey is approximately 30 kilometers, but only takes 8 minutes. At Longyang Road Station, you can transfer to metro line 2, 7, 16 and 18 seamlessly and then head to city center or other places easily.

Xian Xianyang International Airport

• Add.: Dizhang Street, Weicheng District, Xianyang City
• How to get to: First, take metro line 4 to Xi’anbei metro station. Then transfer to line 14 to the airport. There are also several direct airport buses between the airport and city center.

Xian Xianyang International Airport is actually situated at Xianyang City and is about 40km from downtown area. Now, a total of 4 terminals are in use, which are T1, T2, T3 and T5. If you take the airplane at T5, get off at Airport (T5) Station; if you take the airplane at T1, T2 or T3, get off at Airport West (T1/T2/T3) Station.

Tips: Metro line 2 also arrives at Xi’anbei metro station, but the transfer between line 2 and line 14 is very long, requiring about 10 minutes. To save time and effort, it is advised to transfer to line 4 at Xingzhengzhongxin first. Then take metro line 4 to Xi’anbei Station. Finally, transfer to line 14 to the airport.

Shanghai to Xian By Normal Train – Not Recommended

• Major Stations: Shanghai Station, Xian Station
• Frequency: about 8 departures daily
• Cost: about CNY 180.5 – 488.5/USD 26 – 71
• Duration: about 15 – 20.5 hours

Due to the long distance, all the normal trains depart from Shanghai Station on the first day and arrive at Xian Station on the next day. Even the fastest train takes about 15 hours, which is three times as long as the fastest high-speed train. Such a long travel time will be very tiresome and may make your trip less enjoyable. So for tourists travelling from Shanghai to Xian, the normal train is actually not recommended.

Schedule

How to Plan a Shanghai to Xian Tour?

For a tour with both Shanghai and Xian, the ideal duration is about 5 days. This period allows you to explore the essence of both cities at a relatively leisurely pace. A sample itinerary is as follows:

Day 1: Shanghai Arrival

Day 2: Jade Buddha Temple – Yuyuan Garden – Nanjing Road – the Bund

Day 3: Take a flight to Xian – Big Wild Goose Pagoda – Small Wild Goose Pagoda – Xian Museum

Day 4: Terracotta Warriors and Horses – City Wall – Muslim Quarter

Day 5: Hanyangling Museum – departure

5 DAYS

5 Days Shanghai & Xian Classical Tour by Flight

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If you are short of time, 3 days are also enough for you to cover the must-visit places in Shanghai and Xian. But the schedule will be tighter. The itinerary below is for your reference.

Day 1: Shanghai Arrival – Yuyuan Garden

Day 2: Oriental Pearl TV Tower – Shanghai History Museum – Huangpu River cruise – Urban Planning Exhibition Hall – Fly to Xian

Day 3: Terracotta Warriors and Horses – Big Wild Goose Pagoda – City Wall – departure

3 DAYS

3 Days Best Shanghai & Xian Tour by Flight

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Enjoy Your Hassle-free Shanghai to Xian Tour with China Xian Tour

A journey from the bustling city of Shanghai to the historically rich Xi’an offers a perfect blend of modernity and history. As a result, a Shanghai to Xian tour is popular among international travelers. If you are interested, our travel specialists can help you, who are experienced in tailoring trips. Just tell them the attractions you want to visit and your requirements about guide and hotel, they will customize a perfect itinerary specially for you.

If you have more time or want to enrich your travel experience, Suzhou is an ideal destination for an extended trip. It is only about 1 hour from Shanghai by bullet train and is the best place to experience the charm of Jiangnan water town. If interested, contact China Xian Tour now to start your tour.

Recommended tour: 6 Days Shanghai-Suzhou-Xian Group Tour