Ancient capital of 13 dynasties and home to the Terracotta Army — China's most awe-inspiring archaeological site for families.
Ranks of clay soldiers staring out of a pit exactly as they were buried two thousand years ago, then a night on the floodlit city wall with the drum tower glowing and the smell of cumin lamb drifting up from the lanes below.
Xi'an is where imperial China began — the eastern end of the Silk Road, the capital of dynasties for a thousand years, and the city that guards the Terracotta Army. It wraps its old core in a complete Ming-era wall you can cycle around, and its Muslim Quarter serves some of the best street food in the country.
Xi'an sits on the Guanzhong plain in central China, on the Wei river's southern side, ringed by a rectangular Ming city wall that still stands whole — one of the few in China that does. Inside it, the streets run on the old grid around the Bell Tower at the dead centre, with the Muslim Quarter to the northwest and the Drum Tower beside it. South of the wall the city spreads into a modern metropolis of ring roads and metro lines, out toward the Big Wild Goose Pagoda and the Qujiang district. East, in Lintong, lie the terracotta pits. It is flat, walkable within the walls, and easy to move around by metro beyond them.
Xi'an is home to a UNESCO World Heritage Site — Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor — inscribed in 1987.
No other city holds this much of China's beginnings. The Terracotta Army alone is one of the great archaeological sights on earth, and Xi'an surrounds it with an intact walled old city, the Silk Road's eastern gate, Tang-dynasty pagodas and a Hui Muslim quarter whose food is a destination in itself. It is the natural first stop for anyone tracing ancient China, and it does the deep past better than anywhere.
The Terracotta Army — An hour east in Lintong, three pits hold the clay army that the first emperor had buried to guard him — thousands of life-size soldiers, horses and chariots, each face different, still being excavated. Pit 1 is the vast, breathtaking one; the smaller pits and the bronze chariots reward a closer look. It is one of the world's great archaeological encounters, and a knowledgeable guide turns rows of statues into a story. **Cycling the city wall** — Xi'an's Ming wall is complete — a wide, flat rampart running the full rectangle around the old city, and you can hire a bike at the South Gate and ride the whole loop up top. It is the best way to grasp the old city's shape, and it's magic at dusk when the wall and towers light up. A slow, gate-to-gate ride is one of the simplest pleasures here. **Eating the Muslim Quarter** — The Hui food lanes around Huimin Jie are Xi'an's stomach — cumin-heavy lamb skewers over charcoal, roujiamo (the "Chinese hamburger"), hand-pulled biangbiang noodles, cold liangpi and bowls of yangrou paomo, the mutton soup you crumble flatbread into yourself. Go hungry, follow the queues, and graze the length of the lanes rather than sitting down once. **Tang-dynasty Xi'an** — South of the wall, the city leans into its golden age. The Big Wild Goose Pagoda, raised to house scriptures a monk brought back from India, presides over Da Ci'en Temple and a Tang-themed park; the Shaanxi History Museum lays out the province's imperial treasures; and the Small Wild Goose Pagoda sits quietly in its own grounds. It is where Xi'an's role as the Tang capital comes alive.
Xi'an neighbourhood by neighbourhood — the character of each and who it suits.
The old core, a rectangle of streets on the ancient grid inside the complete Ming rampart, centred on the Bell Tower where the two main axes cross. The heart of historic Xi'an.
The Hui Muslim district northwest of the Bell Tower — a warren of lantern-strung food lanes around the Great Mosque, loud with sizzling grills and hawkers, the most atmospheric corner of the old city.
The Tang-dynasty religious and cultural district south of the wall, built around the great brick pagoda, with landscaped parks, museums and the city's showy nightly fountain show.
The eastern district out toward Mount Li, home to the Terracotta Army and the Huaqing hot-spring palace — a half-day pilgrimage from the centre.
Xi'an eats like nowhere else in China — a Silk Road crossroads where wheat, not rice, rules, and where the Hui Muslim kitchen gives the city its signature flavours of cumin and chilli-fried lamb. The Muslim Quarter is the obvious hunting ground, but the specialities are everywhere: roujiamo stuffed with braised meat, the wide hand-slapped biangbiang noodles, the cold wheat-starch liangpi, and yangrou paomo, a mutton broth you build yourself from torn flatbread. Wash it down with local persimmon cakes or a sour plum drink. Eat where the locals queue, and pace yourself through the lanes.
The Muslim Quarter is entirely halal, so halal food could not be easier here. Vegetarians can eat well on liangpi, cold dishes, noodles and vegetable buns, though meat broths lurk in many soups, so ask. Vegans face the usual China challenge of egg and lard slipping in — be specific. Gluten-free is genuinely hard in a wheat-noodle-and-bread city; rice dishes exist but are not the point, and kosher is effectively unavailable.
Base yourself inside or just beside the City Wall — the Bell Tower area puts you within walking distance of the Muslim Quarter, the towers and the wall, and on the metro. The South Gate district is a smart, slightly quieter alternative still inside the walls. South of the wall, around the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, is calmer and greener but a metro ride from the old city. Stay near a metro station and near the Bell Tower for your first visit.
Pan, zoom and compare live prices — every stay in one map.
The Xi'an Metro is clean, cheap and expanding, and is the easiest way across the modern city; several lines cross under the old town and reach the North rail station and the pagoda district. Within the walls, walking is best. Ride-hailing (Didi) and taxis fill the gaps, and a car is pointless in the congested centre.
The Bell Tower sits where the main metro lines cross, so the old city, the pagoda district and the rail stations are a few stops apart (~approx). For the Terracotta Army in Lintong, take the metro or train partway and a bus, or a guided car — it's the one journey worth planning.
Ready-made day plans for Xi'an — from a single day to a long weekend.
Give the whole day to the essentials: head out early to Lintong for the Terracotta Army and, if there's time, the Huaqing hot springs, then return to the old city in the afternoon. Climb the wall at the South Gate for a ride or a walk along the ramparts, take in the Bell Tower and Drum Tower, and finish grazing through the Muslim Quarter after dark.
Spend day two south of the wall. See the Shaanxi History Museum in the morning, then the Big Wild Goose Pagoda and Da Ci'en Temple, wander the Tang Paradise park, and come back to the pagoda's north square in the evening for the fountain-and-light show. Fit in the quieter Small Wild Goose Pagoda if you have an hour.
Use day three to go deeper or out. Explore the Great Mosque's courtyards and the calmer back-lanes of the Muslim Quarter, or make the trip east to Mount Hua (Huashan), one of China's sacred peaks, for a day of dramatic ridge walking and cable cars.
Three to four days is the sweet spot for most families. Day one: city walls and Muslim Quarter. Day two: Terracotta Army (full day). Day three: Shaanxi History Museum, Big Wild Goose Pagoda, and a Tang Dynasty show. If you add Huashan Mountain, budget a fourth day. Xi'an rewards a slower pace — rushing it in two days means skipping too much.
In my experience, absolutely yes — and teenagers often respond to it more strongly than younger children. The combination of the sheer scale (thousands of individually crafted warriors), the detective-story of their discovery by farmers digging a well in 1974, and the ongoing archaeological work happening in front of you makes it engaging on multiple levels. The UNESCO designation reflects just how significant this site is globally: it is the burial complex of the man who unified China, and the warriors were never meant to be seen. That sense of secret history revealed lands very well with teenagers.
UK citizens currently benefit from China's visa-free entry policy for short stays — as of mid-2026, UK passport holders can enter for up to 15 days without a visa under the mutual visa exemption arrangement. For stays longer than 15 days, a tourist visa (L visa) is required and should be arranged before travel. Visa policies can change with limited notice — always verify the current rules on the Chinese Embassy UK website before booking.
High-speed rail is the best option for both. Beijing is about 4.5 hours from Xi'an North station on the G-class express; Shanghai is around 6–7 hours. Trains are comfortable, punctual, and affordable compared to flights once you factor in airport time. Book tickets via the official 12306 app or website, or through a reputable third-party agent — booking opens 15 days in advance.
Xi'an is one of the more dietary-friendly Chinese cities for families with restrictions. The large Muslim Hui community means that halal food is widely available and clearly marked throughout the Muslim Quarter. Vegetarian options are available but less prominent than in, say, Buddhist-influenced cities — look for restaurants near temples or ask for dishes without meat (meiyou rou). Severe allergies are harder to manage given the language barrier and shared cooking environments — carry a translated allergy card and use it consistently.
Book online in advance at the official Qinshihuang Mausoleum site website or via a reputable booking platform. Daily visitor numbers are capped, and in summer and during Chinese national holidays, same-day tickets can sell out. Guided group tours that include transport from the city are a practical option for families — they handle the logistics and most include an English-speaking guide, which genuinely adds depth to Pit 1 in particular. Alternatively, take Tour Bus Line 5 (306) independently and hire an audio guide at the site.
For a smooth trip, yes. WeChat Pay is the dominant payment method in China — many street food vendors and smaller shops don't accept cash or international cards. Setting up WeChat before you arrive (you can link a foreign bank card) makes daily purchases far easier. The app also doubles as a useful translation and navigation tool. If you'd rather not use WeChat, ensure your international debit or credit card is accepted at your accommodation and major sites, and carry enough RMB cash (easily obtained at the airport) for street food and small purchases.
Skip-the-line tickets and small-group tours in Xi'an — compare across our partners.
We're still curating hand-picked tickets and tours for Xi'an. In the meantime, the map above and the nearby cities are a great place to start.
spring (April–May) and autumn (September–October) — mild and dry, avoiding the summer heat and winter cold
What to expect — Mild, increasingly dry and pleasant, the best-weather window along with autumn, though the headline sights stay busy. Occasional dust or haze early on.
What's best — Comfortable temperatures for walking the wall and the terracotta pits, blossom in the parks, and long dry days. One of the two ideal times to come.
What to expect — Hot and sticky, the Guanzhong basin trapping the heat, with the biggest domestic-holiday crowds at the warriors. Occasional heavy rain.
What's best — Long daylight and lively evenings on the wall and in the food lanes — but the heat is real, so start early and rest at midday. Spring or autumn are far kinder.
What to expect — Cooling, dry and clear — the other prime season — with comfortable days and the summer crowds thinning after the early-October holiday week.
What's best — Crisp, clear weather ideal for cycling the wall and the day trip east, and golden light on the pagodas. Avoid the first week of October, when the whole country travels.
What to expect — Cold, grey and sometimes smoggy, with short days and the occasional snow that dusts the wall beautifully. The quietest, cheapest season.
What's best — Far fewer crowds at the Terracotta Army and lower prices, plus the rare treat of the wall and pagodas under snow — just wrap up warm and check the air-quality forecast.
Skip a taxi tout or a "private tour" hustler outside the train station for the warriors → take the official tourist bus or a metro-plus-bus combination, or a reputable pre-booked guide.
Skip eating your way through only the main Huimin Jie drag → duck into the quieter parallel lanes (Beiyuanmen and the side alleys) where locals actually eat.
Skip the daytime crush at the Big Wild Goose Pagoda square → come back after dark for the fountain-and-pagoda light show instead.
The Terracotta Army is busiest late morning; go at opening or in the late afternoon, and avoid the early-October national holiday week entirely.
The Muslim Quarter is a crush every evening — go early, or eat late once the tour groups have thinned.
Set up WeChat Pay or Alipay before you arrive; a phone with mobile payments is close to essential and cash is increasingly awkward.
A translation app matters here — English is scarce once you leave the hotels and big sights.
Queue etiquette is loose at popular sights; hold your ground politely and keep valuables close in the crowds.
Foreign credit cards are widely useless on the street; rely on mobile-payment apps linked to a card, or carry yuan for stalls, buses and small shops.
Use bank ATMs at branches rather than the machines near tourist honeypots.
The area inside the wall around the Bell Tower and the Muslim Quarter stays liveliest late, all food and lights.
The Big Wild Goose Pagoda's north square runs its fountain show in the evening and draws an after-dark crowd.
Xi'an is not a big late-night-club city; the night out here is food, lit monuments and the wall.
Xi'an is a genuinely good choice for UK families. Safety is not a concern in the main tourist areas — petty crime is low, the city is well-lit, and tourist infrastructure at the major sites is polished. The Terracotta Army is managed carefully to prevent overcrowding, and the site has clear signage, clean facilities, and good food options. Teens who might resist a history-heavy itinerary tend to respond strongly to the Warriors — the scale and the story are compelling even for sceptics. The Muslim Quarter street food experience is a natural teen favourite. Practical notes: carry cash in RMB alongside a card (some smaller food stalls are cash-only); download WeChat and DiDi before you arrive — both are essential for daily life in China. A VPN should be set up before departure for UK families who want to access Google Maps, WhatsApp or Instagram.
A Chinese travel SIM or international data plan is essential — navigating Xi'an without data access is genuinely difficult. Most UK network international plans cover China at reasonable rates; alternatively, buy a tourist SIM on arrival at the airport.
~£70–£120/day mid-range (budget: ~£40/day; luxury: £200+/day)
Xi'an Xianyang International Airport (XIY) is northwest of the city, linked to the centre by the Airport metro line and by airport buses (~approx 60 min by road). Xi'an's two big rail stations — Xi'an North for high-speed trains and the older Xi'an station near the wall — connect it fast to Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu and beyond.
Flights, airport transfers and car hire — search and compare without leaving the page.
Parking, holiday extras, and more — coming soon.
We're lining up parking, holiday extras and activities you'll be able to add to any trip from here.