China

Xi'an

Everyone comes to Xi'an for the Terracotta Army and stays for Beiyuanmen, the Muslim Quarter's food street, where the Hui community has been perfecting lamb skewers, persimmon doughnuts and hand-pulled biangbiang noodles for roughly a millennium.

Best forCulture seekers · Foodies · Solo travellers
In August30°C · 12 rainy days
Ideal stay3 nights
Approx. flying time~13h 40m from Los Angeles

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Xi'an, China Open in Google Maps Powered by Geoapify · © OpenStreetMap contributors · © OpenMapTiles

CurrencyCNYChinese yuan
LanguageMandarin
Local time19:117h ahead of the UK
PlugsType A / C / IBring an adapter
Drive on theRightOpposite to the UK
Dialling code+86

Why go

Thirteen dynasties ruled from here, and the city still wears the evidence: a complete Ming-era wall enclosing the centre, a bell tower at the crossroads, a Tang pagoda to the south. Inside the walls, the Hui quarter runs on charcoal smoke and cleavers, and the streets stay busy long after dark. It is a large, loud, workmanlike Chinese city with an unusually deep past and an unusually good appetite.

Three nights is the standard shape: a full day out at the Terracotta Army, a day in the city for the wall, the museum and the mosque, and evenings eating. High-speed rail puts Beijing about four and a half hours away and Luoyang or Chengdu within easy reach, so this slots neatly into a longer route. Summer is very hot, winter cold and hazy; spring and autumn are the comfortable seasons.

Ideal stay: 3 nights
The vibe: Ancient capital, appetite-driven, floodlit

From our guides

The street ignites after dark — all steam, cleavers and neon signage. Do as locals do with a roujiamo, the original meat sandwich, then walk it off around the floodlit Bell Tower. Bring cash or Alipay; cards are useless here.

Featured in Ten cities where the night market is the main event

Things to do

Terracotta Army at Lintong

Three excavated pits an hour east of the city, with thousands of individually modelled figures still standing in formation. Pit one first thing, before the tour groups arrive.
Cycling the Ming city walls

Fourteen kilometres of intact rampart circling the old centre, wide enough to ride. Hired bikes take about ninety minutes for the full loop.
Shaanxi History Museum

The best single explanation of why this region mattered for a thousand years, from bronzes to Tang gold. Free entry, and tickets go early.
The Great Mosque

Tucked behind the market lanes, built in Chinese courtyard style with a pagoda-like minaret and Arabic calligraphy. Calm, wooded and entirely unlike a mosque anywhere else.
Beiyuanmen after dark

The Hui quarter's food street, at its best from early evening: lamb skewers, roujiamo, biangbiang noodles and persimmon doughnuts fried in front of you.
Mount Hua day trip

Thirty minutes by high-speed train, then cable cars onto a granite massif of ridges, chains and staircases. One of China's most dramatic mountain walks.

Getting there

Fly to
Xi'an (XIY)

Nearest airport to Xi'an, about 26km away as the crow flies.
Then
To Xi'an

Xianyang (XIY) is about an hour from the city walls by airport coach or taxi, and a metro line now runs into town.
On the ground
Getting around

The walled centre is walkable and the metro is quick and cheap. The Terracotta Army is about an hour east by tourist coach, or by metro and connecting bus.

Public transport: Very good: an expanding metro, cheap buses and dedicated coaches out to the Terracotta Army.

Flights

Los Angeles Xi'an, China

Flying from

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Roughly 13h 40m in the air from Los Angeles (LAX), estimated from the distance — check for a direct route. Pick a month to see every available flight with live prices.

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Flight times are estimates; prices open on Google Flights.

When to go

Daytime highs run from about 7°C in January to 30°C in July. Driest in December; wettest in July, with rain on about 13 days.

The year at a glance — pick a month for detail

August30° · rain 12 daysHot with rain most weeks.

Monthly figures averaged from daily records for 2020–2024 at this location (ERA5 reanalysis).

Where to stay

International chains and Chinese business hotels inside the walls, courtyard boutique conversions, and well-run hostels near the south gate. Apartment rentals are harder for foreigners.

Best base overall
Inside the city walls, near the Bell Tower

Central for the walls, the food street and the metro to the Terracotta Army bus. Rooms facing the ring road are noisy, so ask for something facing a courtyard.
Find stays in Inside the city walls, near the Bell Tower
Closest to the sights
Muslim Quarter (Beiyuanmen)

Sleeping beside the food street means late skewers and early dumplings, with the Great Mosque behind the stalls. Expect crowds, smoke and noise until very late.
Find stays in Muslim Quarter (Beiyuanmen)
Best value
Xiaozhai

The university district south of the walls, with cheap beds, student canteens and a direct metro line. You lose the atmosphere of the old city.
Find stays in Xiaozhai
Best with children
Qujiang

A newer southern district around the Tang-themed parks and the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, with space, family hotels and evening fountain shows. It is a metro ride from the walls.
Find stays in Qujiang

Worth knowing before you book: Hotels must be licensed to take foreign guests, so check before booking anything small. The October and Lunar New Year holidays fill the city and double rates.

Search everything else in Xi'an by budget. These are indicative budget bands in GBP per night for two people, not live quotes or guarantees of hotel type. Check your dates, guests, taxes and final price on Booking.com.

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Good to know

Payment: Mobile payment dominates and foreign cards are widely refused. Link a card to Alipay or WeChat Pay before arriving, and carry some cash as backup.
Getting there: High-speed trains connect Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu and Luoyang, and the airport has good domestic coverage. Bring your passport for every ticket and entry gate.
Book ahead: Terracotta Army and museum tickets are released online in advance and sell out in peak months. Passport details are required at booking.
Timing: April, May, September and October are the comfortable months. July and August are humid and above 35°C; the winter air can be poor.
Getting out to the pits: Public buses run from the railway station area and take about an hour. Allow a full day and eat before you go, since options at the site are limited.