One Day Xian City Walking Tour

Day-by-day Itinerary

1. Day 1: Xian City Walk

   After breakfast, your private tour guide will meet you at your hotel lobby and you are suggested to book your hotel within 2^nd ring road. Then take Metro Line 2 and get off at Zhonglou Station. Follow your guide go through the complex underground passage for about 5 minutes to exit the station. Once outside, you can see the Bell Tower located at the very center of this city.

   In ancient times, it was used for timekeeping. Now, this building is one of the city landmarks. Spend about 20-30 minutes taking photos and listening to more history of the two towers - another one nearby is called Drum Tower.

   Then walk for 5 minutes to Muslim Quarter to hunt for some internet-famous snacks, such as Biang Biang Noodles, Roujiamo (Chinese Hamburger), Yangrou Paomo (Mutton and Bread Pieces in Soup) and drinks like freshly squeezed pomegranate juice.

   

   After that, take a 20-25 minutes walk to the South Gate of the City Wall. Ascend the wall and glimpse its construction backgroud - it was a military defensive system over 600 years ago. Now it is one of the largest and most well-preserved city walls surviving in China. You can take a leisure walk or rent a bike (optional, at an extra fee) on the top and enjoy a panoramic view of the urban city.

   It’s time to have lunch. Your guide would recommend authentic eateries based on your preference (at your own expense).

   In the afternoon, take a short bus to Xi’an Museum Scenic Area. It is mainly composed of the museum and Small Wild Goose Pagoda. The museum has an exhibition area of over 5,000 square meters where there are 130,000 cultural relics from different historical periods in Xi’an and you can admire Buddhist stone carvings, jade artifacts, bronze ware, calligraphy and painting, etc. Your guide can make detailed explanations of some important displays.

   After finishing the museum, take a close look at the Small Wild Goose Pagoda, a structure from the Tang Dynasty (618-907) built to store Buddhist scriptures brought back from India by monk Yi Jing.

   

   The last stop of today’s Xian walking tour is the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, the older sister of Small Wild Goose Pagoda. Inside Dacien Temple, this ancient building is a holy place for Buddhists. It was also built to hold sutras and figurines of the Buddha from India. With 7 storeys, this pagoda is the landmark of Xian downtown area. If interested, you can pay extra to go up to its top for a sweeping view of the city (about RMB 35 per person).

   Your visit will end at about 17:00 and your guide then escort you back to your hotel via public transportation including bus and metro.