Xi'an itinerary: 1 to 3 days
Plans for one to three days in Xi'an, day by day: the Terracotta Army and the First Emperor's mausoleum first, then the Giant and Small Wild Goose Pagodas, the Stele Forest and the Bell and Drum Towers, and the Great Mosque and Famen Temple as you add days. Every stop has a typical visit length.
How long do you have?
Map: 3 days
Xi'an in 1 day
Day 1
Wolong Temple
Working Buddhist temple near the Stele Forest with roots in the Han dynasty, a quiet stop in the old city.
Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor
Unexcavated burial mound of Qin Shi Huang near Lintong, on the same ticket as the Terracotta Army.
Terracotta Army
Thousands of life-size clay soldiers and horses buried with China's first emperor around 210 BC, shown in three excavation pits.
Xi'an in 2 days
Day 1
Wolong Temple
Working Buddhist temple near the Stele Forest with roots in the Han dynasty, a quiet stop in the old city.
Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor
Unexcavated burial mound of Qin Shi Huang near Lintong, on the same ticket as the Terracotta Army.
Terracotta Army
Thousands of life-size clay soldiers and horses buried with China's first emperor around 210 BC, shown in three excavation pits.
Day 2
Giant Wild Goose Pagoda
Tang dynasty pagoda first built in 652 at Da Ci'en Temple to hold scriptures brought from India by the monk Xuanzang.
Shaanxi History Museum
One of China's major museums, near the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, with treasures from Xi'an's many dynasties, including Tang murals and gold.
Small Wild Goose Pagoda
Brick pagoda of 709 at Jianfu Temple, in quiet gardens beside the Xi'an Museum.
Stele Forest
Beilin Museum by the south city wall, with over a thousand carved stone tablets, including masterpieces of Chinese calligraphy.
Xi'an City Wall
Ming dynasty wall around the old city, among the best preserved in China, that visitors can walk or cycle along the top.
Bell Tower of Xi'an
Ming dynasty tower of 1384 at the centre of the walled city, lit up at night and linked to the Drum Tower by a plaza.
Drum Tower of Xi'an
Ming dynasty tower of 1380 with a collection of drums and short drum shows, at the entrance to the Muslim Quarter.
Muslim Quarter
Busy streets behind the Drum Tower with food stalls, shops and the Great Mosque, a favourite place for local snacks in the evening.
Xi'an in 3 days
Day 1
Terracotta Army
Thousands of life-size clay soldiers and horses buried with China's first emperor around 210 BC, shown in three excavation pits.
Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor
Unexcavated burial mound of Qin Shi Huang near Lintong, on the same ticket as the Terracotta Army.
Day 2
Giant Wild Goose Pagoda
Tang dynasty pagoda first built in 652 at Da Ci'en Temple to hold scriptures brought from India by the monk Xuanzang.
Shaanxi History Museum
One of China's major museums, near the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, with treasures from Xi'an's many dynasties, including Tang murals and gold.
Small Wild Goose Pagoda
Brick pagoda of 709 at Jianfu Temple, in quiet gardens beside the Xi'an Museum.
Xi'an City Wall
Ming dynasty wall around the old city, among the best preserved in China, that visitors can walk or cycle along the top.
Day 3
Stele Forest
Beilin Museum by the south city wall, with over a thousand carved stone tablets, including masterpieces of Chinese calligraphy.
Wolong Temple
Working Buddhist temple near the Stele Forest with roots in the Han dynasty, a quiet stop in the old city.
Bell Tower of Xi'an
Ming dynasty tower of 1384 at the centre of the walled city, lit up at night and linked to the Drum Tower by a plaza.
Drum Tower of Xi'an
Ming dynasty tower of 1380 with a collection of drums and short drum shows, at the entrance to the Muslim Quarter.
Great Mosque of Xian
Mosque built in Chinese temple style in the Muslim Quarter, founded in the Tang dynasty and largely rebuilt in the Ming.
Muslim Quarter
Busy streets behind the Drum Tower with food stalls, shops and the Great Mosque, a favourite place for local snacks in the evening.
Watch: Xi'an
A one-minute look at the plan: every stop, day by day, with the map.
When to go to Xi'an
March to May and September to November are the best months in Xi'an, with mild weather for the Terracotta Army and cycling the city wall. July and August are hot and sometimes rainy, and winter is cold and dry with frequent smog. Chinese New Year and the Golden Week in early October bring huge domestic crowds to the main sites.
Plan the rest of your trip
- Where to stay: hotels in Xi'an on Booking.com or Trip.com
- Skip-the-line tickets: museums and sights in Xi'an on Tiqets
- Tours and day trips: things to do in Xi'an on GetYourGuide
- Data on arrival: an eSIM for China from Airalo
Some of these are affiliate links: we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Tips for Xi'an
- Terracotta Army tickets are sold by real name; book online in advance and bring the passport used for the booking.
- The Terracotta Army is about 40 km east of the city in Lintong; the ticket also covers the First Emperor's mausoleum, so visit both on the same trip.
- Rent a bike or walk on top of the Ming city wall, about 14 km around; the South Gate is the usual starting point.
- Visit the Muslim Quarter behind the Drum Tower in the evening, when the food stalls are busiest.
- The Shaanxi History Museum needs a free online reservation made days ahead and is closed on Mondays.
Make it your own
Open the guide in Andiamo Places to see every stop on a map with walking directions, move places between days, check opening hours for your dates, and add your own finds. After the trip, your photos become a journal and, if you like, a printed photo book.
Guides are made with the help of AI and public sources such as Wikipedia, and may contain errors. Opening hours and prices change, so check before you go. Spotted a wrong photo, a pin in the wrong place, a missing stop or a better one? Write to andiamotravelapp@gmail.com: the e-mail opens with this guide filled in.
Photo credits
- Bell Tower of Xi'an: Matthew D. Jalovick, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Drum Tower of Xi'an: Wang Zhongyin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Giant Wild Goose Pagoda: Alex Kwok, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Great Mosque of Xian: Tea4tori, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor: Aaron Zhu, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Muslim Quarter: Qianeal, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Shaanxi History Museum: Wang Zhongyin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Small Wild Goose Pagoda: Guucancat, Public domain
- Stele Forest: The original uploader was HunterAmor at English Wikipedia ., CC BY-SA 3.0
- Terracotta Army: Jmhullot, CC BY 3.0
- Wolong Temple: Acstar, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Xi'an City Wall: xiquinhosilva, CC BY 2.0
Opening hours change; check before you go. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
