How to Spend 4 Days in Xian – What to See & Do in Xian in 4 Days

Written by Clementine | Updated December 15,2025

Planning to spend 4 days in Xian? Here, we have prepared the perfect 4-day Xian itineraries and helpful guide and tips for you. The itinerary is complete with things to do, see, eat, along with important details you need to know – like how to escape the crowds of the Terracotta Warriors, and where to stay – that are important for planning your Xian trip.

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• Are 4 Days Enough to Visit Xian?
• What to See and Do in Xian in 4 Days?
• Overview of Xi’an’s Popular Attractions and Their Locations
• How to Spend Four Days in Xian – Day-by-day Itinerary
• How to Get to Xian
• How to Travel around Xian
• Best Time to Visit Xian
• Where to Stay in Xian
• What and Where to Eat in Xian
• Xian’s Best Shopping Areas for Tourists
• Helpful Xian Travel Tips
• Why You Should Travel Xian with China Xian Tour?

Are 4 Days Enough to Visit Xian?

Given the amount to do and see in the city, 4 days in Xian is a proper amount of time you should plan for to avoid running around from sight to sight without time to immerse in the historical atmosphere of the city and enjoy its many authentic delicacies.

Our biggest tip for planning a trip to Xian is to slow down, feeling the weight of history surrounding you.

What to See and Do in Xian in 4 Days?

With four days, you will comfortably be able to visit all the highlights of Xian. The list of the best things to do in Xian is enormous, like riding a bike atop the Ancient City Wall, having sufficient time to discover the historical treasures in the Terracotta Army and Shaanxi History Museum, enjoying the spectacular Tang Dynasty shows, capturing the iconic Bell and Drum Towers and Big Wild Goose Pagoda, experiencing the city’s vibrant nightlife, plus having a day trip to Mt. Huashan, etc.

If you like authentic local experiences, consider a calligraphy class, cooking class, Tang costume experience, or learning to play Taichi at the Small Wild Goose Pagoda.

You will also have time to explore a few hidden gems, like experiencing a shadow puppet show. Or, consider adding in a food tour, or more leisurely time.

All in all, if you are traveling to Xian for the first time, you can cover the most iconic sites while adding in some special experiences based on your preferences in these 4 days.

Overview of Xi’an’s Popular Attractions and Their Locations

Before getting to the day by day itinerary, you can get a general ideal of the location of Xi’an’s popular attractions:

Iconic landmarks such as Ancient City Wall, Muslim Quarter, Big Wild Goose Pagoda, Shaanxi History Museum, Great Tang All Day Mall, Bell and Drum Tower, etc. are all located in the downtown area.

The world-famous Terracotta Army is about 40 km from Xian city center, and about 70 km from Xian Xianyang International Airport. If you like, you can arrange it and the Huaqing Palace, which is about 9.6 km away, on the same day.

Mount Huashan, boasting the world’s most dangerous hiking trail and breathtaking sceneries, is about 120 km east of Xi’an (about 2 hours’ drive). You’ll need at least one day if you want a hiking and sightseeing there.

Before embarking on a Xian tour, it is helpful to learn some interesting facts about this ancient capital.

How to Spend Four Days in Xian – Day-by-day Itinerary

Day 1: Xian arrival + Downtown area exploration

The first day is for you to get to Xian from other cities. It is convenient to take either flights or high-speed trains to reach the city. We recommend to book an early flight or train so you can have an afternoon to get some rest and leisurely stroll around the Bell and Drum Towers, and Muslim Quarter to experience local street life and food.

The airport is connected with the city center by multiple shuttle buses. From Xian North Railway Station, you can reach the downtown are easily by Metro Line 2 or Line 4. The Xian Railway Station is only about 5 km from the Bell Tower, you can easily reach there by taxi, bus or Metro Line 2.

Related reading: How to Get to and Around Xian.

Day 2: Terracotta Army + Ancient City Wall + Giant Wild Goose Pagoda

Get up early this morning for your trip to Terracotta Warriors and Horses. The museum typically sees the fewest crowds as soon as it opens. Therefore, you are advised to arrive at the site in the early morning and get in line before 8:00 AM, before the large tour groups arrive. It is about a 45 minutes’ drive from the city center to the museum.

Plan about 3 hours for the Terracotta Army. After lunch, drive back to the downtown area. You can ascend the Ancient City Wall, enjoying leisure walk and cycle atop the wall. It will reward you with not only magnificent military structures but also stunning panoramic view of the city and the surrounding Bell and Drum Tower.

Then, move to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. This well-preserved ancient building was intended to hold sutras and figurines of the Buddha in the Tang Dynasty. Around the pagoda are many Tang Dynasty-styled architectures, providing a great opportunity for dressing in Tang Dynasty costume and taking some memorable photos.

• Recommended Night Activities: If you are still energetic at night, enjoy a wonderful Tang Dynasty show and dumpling dinner, or head to the musical fountain at the North Square of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. >>Get inspired by more our Xian night tours.

Day 3: Enjoy a Day Trip to Mt. Huashan or Shaanxi History Museum + Local Cooking Class

Plan A: Mt. Huashan Full Day Tour

You’ll need to get up early (at around 7:00 AM) and drive about 2 hours to hike Huashan Mountain. Or, you can get to Xian North Railway Station to take a high-speed train in around 0.5 hours.

Take a cable car up the North Peak and start your hiking from there. Along the way, visit Taoist temples, intricate carvings, and stunning scenery. At around 5:00 PM, take the high-speed train or drive back to Xian downtown.

• Recommended Tour: 4 Days Xian Classic Tour with Mt. Huashan

Plan B: Visit Shaanxi History Museum + Experience Local Cooking Class + Shadow Plan Show

If you are interested in history and local culture, arrange Shaanxi History Museum and some local experiences on this day.

Shaanxi History Museum is a treasure trove of China’s rich historical legacy. You need to reserve the ticket in advance. Plan for about 3-4 hours for the museum.

• Good to know:The museum is close on Mondays. Its tickets can be a bit tricky to book, and tickets are released four times each day: 10:00 AM, 11:00 AM, 6:00 PM, and 7:00 PM for booking three days in advance.

If you travel to Xian with us, after the museum exploration, we can arrange a local family visit for you to delve into the art of crafting Chinese dishes.

Following this, head to the Gao Family Courtyard to watch a shadow play show – an intangible cultural heritage. And you can have a chance to learn to create your own shadow play.

Day 4: Yangling Mausoleum of the Han Dynasty + Xian Departure

After breakfast, you can head to Yangling Mausoleum of the Han Dynasty – the most well-preserved Han Dynasty imperial tomb complex discovered to date. The mausoleum features an extensive collection of unearthed artifacts, including figurines representing various social statuses, ceramic animals, wooden chariots and horses, daily tools, etc.

The afternoon is left for you to catch your departure flight or train.

√Recommended 4 Days Xian Tours:

• 4 Days Xian Classic Tour with Mt. Huashan
• 4 Days Xian Tour Package with Tang Dynasty Dance Show
• 4 Days Beijing Xian Tour by Overnight Train

How to Get to Xian

With 3 terminals, Xian Xianyang International Airport offers over 300 routes to over 170 cities cities at home and abroad, such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Bangkok, Osaka, Los Angeles, etc. After leaving the airport, you can take metro line 14 and transfer to line 2 or 4 to the downtown area.

There are also two main railway stations, Xian Railway Station and Xian North High-speed Railway Station, which provide regular and bullet trains to almost all major cities in China. After arrival, you can take metro line 4 at Xian Station and line 2 and 4 at Xian North Station to the city center.

As for buses, five main bus stations are located in the center and the other 4 directions of the city respectively. You can take the buses to and from the nearby cities and tourists attractions directly.

How to Travel around Xian

Almost all the core attractions inside the city are connected by metro lines 2, 3 and 4. Besides, to facilitate tourists and enrich the travel experience, various special sightseeing bus lines are opened up to connect these attractions. These buses are even decorated with traditional cultural elements and some buses also have NPCs to interact with passengers.

If you want to visit the Terracotta Army and Huaqing Pool in Lintong District, metro line 9, tourist bus line 5 and several tourist direct buses can take you to the scenic areas.

Besides, the public buses and taxis are also important vehicles to arrive at the places the metro can not reach.

Best Time to Visit Xian

The best time to visit Xian is March – May in spring and September – November in autumn. In spring, the temperature is about 15 – 25 ℃ and the flowers are in full bloom. While in autumn, the weather is cool with less rain, and you can enjoy the golden ginkgo leaves and fragrant osmanthus flowers.

A visit to both indoor and outdoor attractions are ideal in spring and autumn, while in summer, the temperature in Xian is a little bit high, so the indoor attractions and night tour are more recommended. If you are fond of snow scenery and want to experience Chinese New Year, winter is also a good choice.

Where to Stay in Xian

Hotels around the Big Wild Goose Pagoda or the Bell Tower are good choices as they are near major attractions, with convenient transportation and a variety of food options.

If you plan to spend a whole day visiting the Terracotta Army, Huaqing Palace, and watching the Song of Everlasting Sorrow Show at night, it’s recommended to stay a night near Huaqing Palace for added convenience.

What and Where to Eat in Xian

Xian food is famous for its varieties of food made of flour. Roujiamo, beef and lamb paomo, cold noodles, biangbiang noodles and hot oil noodles are all must-try foods. The stores famous among the locals include Ziwu Road Zhang Ji Roujiamo, Lao Mi Family’s Lamb Paomo, Wei Family Cold Noodles, etc. The characteristic local snacks are rice and jujube cake, spicy soup with meatballs, oil tea fried dough twist, etc. These are easily found in the roadside stores. If you want to enjoy a big dinner, try the authentic Shaanxi cuisine, like Hulu Chicken. The old brand Xian Restaurant and the recently popular Food Gallery of Xian are both highly recommended.

Besides the above restaurants, there are also many food streets for you to savor all the delicious food at once. The most famous should be the Muslim Quarter, a large food street composed of several lanes. Other unmissable ones include Yongxingfang, Sajinqiao, Xiaonanmen Morning Market, etc. Spend some time choosing one or two food streets to explore during your Xian tour.

Xian’s Best Shopping Areas for Tourists

Near the Bell and Drum Towers

It is the core business circle in Xian with both traditional and trendy elements. The Kaiyuan Shopping Mall and Century Ginwa Mall are the representative malls, respectively. Among young tourists, the Luomashi Pedestrian Street is more popular because of its cost-effective fashion clothes and small commodities. The Muslim Quarter is preferred by tourists who will buy souvenirs there.

Near the City Wall Gates

With both high-end luxury malls and cultural districts, this area combines modern and ancient. Near the Yongning Gate is the most well-known gathering place for high-end shopping in Xian. The SKP and Wangfujing Shopping Malls gather the world’s top brands. The Shuncheng Alley and Shuyuanmen Street are the paradises to experience culture and art.

Near the Big Wild Goose Pagoda and Shaanxi History Museum

This area is undoubtedly the landmark for modern fashion. It is the first choice for most young people. The SEG International Shopping Mall is attractive to tourists because of its indoor waterfall and the Asian longest indoor escalator. The Xiaozhai Business Circle where it is located also has many other famous shopping centers, like Yuanlichang, Jinsha International Mall, Huaqi International Mall, etc. Besides, the Joy City is famous for its giant statue of Monkey King and viewing platform on the top floor, where offers the best view of Big Wild Goose Pagoda.

Helpful Xian Travel Tips

• Getting around Xian: Subway is the top choice for getting around Xian, thanks to the city’s well-developed subway network.
• Xi’an is suitable to visit year-round, but spring and autumn are widely recognized as the best times to visit. The mild weather in these two seasons makes it comfortable to enjoy both outdoor and indoor activities.
• 240-Hour Visa-Free Transit in Xi’an: Xi’an has adopted a 240-hour visa-free transit policy for foreigners from 55countries under certain conditions. Take advantage of the policy if you meet the requirements.
• When visiting historical sites like the Shaanxi History Museum and Terracotta Army, it’s recommended to hire a guide or join a local tour to help you understand the historical stories and cultural significance behind these landmarks.

Why You Should Travel Xian with China Xian Tour?

Our local guide is very knowledgeable. During the tour, he/she will explain the cultural backgrounds of each scenic spot in a way you can understand, so you will definitely enjoy an unforgettable tour. Besides, China Xian Tour is based in Xian. Compared with other travel agencies, we are very familiar with the city. And we can customize a perfect trip according to your preferences and requirements. You can make requests freely, and we will do our best to meet them. So do not hesitate to contact us.