Xi’an Itinerary Ideas: Best Travel Plans for 1-7 Days

We recommend 3–4 days if you’re traveling to Xi’an for the first time. Three days is enough to see the major attractions including the Terracotta Army, Ancient City Wall, Big Wild Goose Pagoda, Bell and Drum Tower, and the old city center. With four days, you can make a day trip to Mount Huashan for a more comprehensive experience with both history and natural scenery.

If you only have two days, you can still see the highlights of Xi’an, but you’ll have a pretty tight schedule. With 5-7 days, you can include nearby destinations like Qianling Mausoleum, Famen Temple, Qinling, or Luoyang. Here is a Xi’an itinerary guide for 1–7 days. You can see which option best suits your first Xi’an tour.

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• Xi’an Itinerary: Best Travel Plans for 1–7 Days
• Must-Visit Attractions in Xi’an
• Destinations for Xi’an Side Trips
• How to Get to and Around Xi’an
• Xi’an Itinerary Budget
• Practical Xi’an Travel Tips

Quick Overview

How many days	Overview
1	Terracotta Army & highlights of the old city
2	iconic attractions
3	most recommended for first-time visitors
4	Xi’an & Mount Huashan
5–7	in-depth Xi’an tour & side trip

Xi’an Itinerary: Best Travel Plans for 1–7 Days

To plan a trip to Xi’an efficiently, try to group attractions that are close to each other on the same day. You can include nearby destinations around the city depending on how much time you have.

Xi’an 1-Day Itinerary

If you only have one day in Xi’an, the focus of your trip will most likely be the Terracotta Army and the ancient city.

• Morning: Terracotta Army

Try to arrive at the Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum as early as possible. The tour will take about 3 hours. We highly recommend booking your tickets in advance during the peak travel season.

• Afternoon: Xi’an City Wall

Ascend to the top of the City Wall from Yongning Gate. You can take a walk over it or go on a bike ride. A bike ride around the full wall is about 14 kilometers. Of course, you don’t have to complete the whole loop. You can choose to explore the section around Yongning Gate (the South Gate).

• Evening: Bell and Drum Tower & Muslim Quarter

Explore the old city district on foot. For dinner, try local dishes such as beef roujiamo, beef or lamb paomo, and liangpi.

Recommended Xi’an City Day Tour

Xi’an 2-Day Itinerary

With 2 days in Xi’an, you can incorporate Qin and Han Dynasty history, the old city district, and Tang Dynasty history into your trip.

• Day 1: Xi’an old city

Xi’an City Wall – Shuyuan Gate – Bell and Drum Tower – Muslim Quarter

• Day 2: Terracotta Warriors & Tang Dynasty culture

Terracotta Warriors – Big Wild Goose Pagoda – Datang Everbright City

Datang Everbright City is best visited at night. It is located very close to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda with beautiful lights, Tang Dynasty architecture, and outdoor performances.

Recommended 2-Day Xi’an Highlight Tour

Xi’an 3-Day Itinerary

3 days is a recommended travel length for most first-time visitors.

Day 1: City Wall and the old city district

Xi’an City wall – Shuyuan Gate – Bell Tower – Drum Tower – Muslim Quarter

Day 2: Terracotta Warriors

Terracotta Warriors – an attraction or activity that interests you – return to the city center

After your tour of the Terracotta Army Museum, you have two good options for the afternoon:

• to learn more about Xi’an’s history – Huaqing Palace
• for families with kids or travelers interested in handicrafts – make your own terracotta minifigure

Day 3: Tang Dynasty culture & city tour

Small Wild Goose Pagoda & Xi’an Museum – Big Wild Goose Pagoda – Datang Everbright City

Xi’an 4-Day Itinerary

Refer to the 3-day itinerary above plus a day trip to Mount Huashan.

Mount Huashan is quick and convenient to reach from Xi’an, which makes it a great day-trip destination. You can take a high-speed train for about 30 minutes from Xi’an North Railway Station to Huashan North Railway Station. Some services may take 35 to 40 minutes. Usually, visitors take the cable car up the mountain, hike to the main peaks, and take the cable car back down.

Recommended Classic 4-Day Xi’an Tour

Xi’an 5-Day Itinerary

Starting on day 5, we recommend venturing out of the city and explore a destination that interests you.

Refer to the itinerary above for days 1-4. For your fifth day, you can choose one of the three plans below.

• Historic day tour: Qianling Mausoleum & Famen Temple
• Leisurely day tour: Hanyangling Museum & food culture experience
• Cultural day tour: Daming Palace National Heritage Park & Xi’an Beilin Museum & old districts

If you’re interested in learning about the Tang emperors, seeing their mausoleums, and local Buddhist history, we recommend visiting Qianling Mausoleum and Famen Temple. To learn about the city of Chang’an (Xi’an) in Tang Dynasty and its history, visit Daming Palace and Beilin Museum.

Xi’an 6-Day Itinerary

Days 1-4: Xi’an city & Mount Huashan itinerary as above

Days 5-6: choose from below

• history and culture tour: Qianling Mausoleum & Famen Temple
• nature adventure (further away): Hukou Waterfall & Yucha Grand Canyon

Recommended Nature Adventure from Xi’an

Xi’an 7-Day Itinerary

If you’re visiting Xi’an for seven days, we don’t recommend filling every day with attractions and activities. Pace yourself and leave some flexibility in your Xi’an tour.

Based on the 4-day itinerary above, you can include more cultural activities like Huxian County peasant painting, visit a local family to learn how to make dumplings, Tang Dynasty show and dumpling banquet, or a food tour in Yuanjiacun. Here’s a recommended 7-day Xi’an itinerary.

Day 1: Xi’an City Wall & Bell and Drum Tower & Muslim Quarter

Day 2: Terracotta Warriors & a Tang Dynasty show with a dumpling banquet

Day 3: Small Wild Goose Pagoda & Xi’an Museum & Big Wild Goose Pagoda & Datang Everbright City

Day 4: Mount Huashan

Day 5: Qianling Mausoleum & Famen Temple

Day 6: Qinling Sibao Science Park / Yuanjiacun

Day 7: South Gate Morning Market / Huxian County peasant painting experience

Travel tip: A trip to Mount Huashan may be affected by weather such as rain or strong wind. Keep your 7-day itinerary flexible so you can move your Mount Huashan trip onto a different day in case of bad weather.

Related reading: Xi’an One-week Itinerary from Singapore

Recommended In-Depth Xi’an Tour

Must-Visit Attractions in Xi’an

If you’re short on time, here is the order of priority we recommend for Xi’an attractions: Terracotta Warriors and the City Wall, Big Wild Goose Pagoda/Tang culture scenic areas, Mount Huashan, Qianling Mausoleum/Famen Temple.

Attraction	Recommended visit time	Best for itineraries	Prioritization
Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum	3-4 hours	over 1 day	must-visit
Xi’an City Wall	1.5-2.5 hours	over 1 day	must-visit
Big Wild Goose Pagoda	1-2 hours	over 2 days	high in priority
Bell and Drum Tower & old city district	2-3 hours	over 1 day	high in priority
Datang Everbright City	1.5-2 hours	over 2 days	high in priority
Mount Huashan	full day	over 4 days	high in priority
Qianling Mausoleum/Famen Temple	full day	over 5 days	if interested

Travel tip: With limited time, you can just visit the highlight section of the City Wall near South Gate. To bike over the entire wall structure, you will need about 2 hours.

Destinations for Xi’an Side Trips

If you have more than 5 days for your Xi’an itinerary, we suggest setting aside time to explore Qinling or other historical sites in Shaanxi Province. There are many great destinations around for Xi’an side trips.

Xi’an 1-Day Side Trip

• Qinling Sibao Science Park: 1 day

Here you can see Qinling giant pandas, crested ibises, takins, and golden monkeys. It’s a great side trip destination for families, animal lovers, and photographers. Since it takes quite a while to reach from Xi’an city center, it is not recommended if you’re only in Xi’an for 2-3 days.

• Qianling Mausoleum & Famen Temple: 1 day

They are great for visitors who are interested in Tang Dynasty history, Buddhist culture, and emperor mausoleums.

Destinations for 1-2 Nights

Note: The places below are recommended as your next stop after Xi’an, rather than as day trips.

• Pingyao: 2 days

Pingyao is known for its Jin and Shang dynasty cultural heritage. It’s a great destination for ancient Chinese history lovers. Its top attractions include Pingyao Ancient City, Wang Family Compound, and Shuanglin Temple.

• Luoyang: 1-2 days

If you have 7-10 days for your China tour and would like to stay in the area, you can combine Xi’an with Luoyang. For example, spend 5 days in Xi’an and 2 days in Luoyang.

Spend a couple of days in Luoyang to see remarkable historical sites such as the Longmen Grottoes and White Horse Temple.

How to Get to and Around Xi’an

Getting around central Xi’an is easy because it’s mostly covered by the metro system. As of 2026, Xi’an has 12 metro lines with Line 3 and 4 that reach the Big Wild Goose Pagoda Station, Line 2 to central areas like the Bell Tower and Yongning Gate, Line 14 connecting Xi’an Xianyang International Airport and Xi’an North Railway Station.

How to Get to Xi’an

There are two main options for getting to Xi’an:

• By flight: Fly to Xi’an Xianyang International Airport.
• By high-speed train: Frequent services run to Xi’an North Railway Station from cities such as Beijing, Chengdu, and Luoyang.

How to Get Around Xi’an

• By metro: top choice for visiting Xi’an attractions
• Walking: many places are within walking distance of each other like the Bell Tower, Drum Tower, and Muslim Quarter
• By taxi or ride-hailing: convenient for traveling with family, going out at night, and covering longer distances
• Private car or long-distance coach: for attractions outside the city such as the Terracotta Warriors Museum
• By high-speed train: for side trips to Mount Huashan or Luoyang

See Xi’an maps to understand where the main attractions, key areas, transportation hubs, and metro lines are located, making it easier to plan how to get around the city.

Xi’an Itinerary Budget

How much a trip to Xi’an costs depends on a few factors, mainly accommodation, transportation, side trips, and entertainment. Day-to-day expenses such as dining and getting around tend to be quite affordable.

Travel style	Per person per day	Per person for 3 days	Your trip may include
Budget travel	¥300–500	¥900–1,500	hostels/economic hotels, using the metro, local eateries
Mid-range budget	¥600–900	¥1,800–2,700	comfortable accommodations, major attractions, DiDi for ride-hailing from time to time
Comfort	¥1000–1,500+	¥3,000–4,500+	high-end hotels, private transfer or tour guide

Note: The hotel budgets are based on the average cost for two people sharing one room.

The estimated budget includes accommodation in Xi’an, daily dining, transportation within the city, and attraction tickets.

It does not include transportation to and from Xi’an, private tour guide or transfer service, optional high-expense activities like Mount Huashan cable car, or any shows and entertainment.

Travel tip: A day trip to Mount Huashan is usually more expensive than a day in the city. Make sure you take that into account when planning.

Practical Xi’an Travel Tips

• Where you stay in Xi’an will directly affect your travel experience. For your first trip to Xi’an, stay in an area with convenient transportation, shopping, and dining options at night. Usually, the Bell Tower and South Gate is the best area for first-time visitors.
• The best time to visit Xi’an is late March to May and September to early November. The temperature is great for outdoor activities like walking along the City Wall, exploring the city, and hiking Mount Huashan.
• Try not to visit the Terracotta Army and Mount Huashan on the same day. They both involve a lot of walking.
• In the summer, visit the City Wall either in early morning or around dusk. The sun and heat can be pretty intense during the day.