Stand at the intersection of East Avenue and South Avenue and the Bell Tower rises from a traffic island in the dead centre of the city, with the Drum Tower a short walk west along West Avenue. Xi'an rewards a traveller who is willing to move between dynastic monuments, dense museum collections and the lanes of the Muslim Quarter in a single day.
This guide suits anyone planning a first visit, whether you have a full week or only a single day. It covers the sights and museums named in the source material, with the practical details you need to fit them together.
Top things to do in Xi'an
1. Terracotta Army and the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor
The first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, ordered the construction of the Terracotta Army and his mausoleum just to the east of Xi'an almost immediately after his ascension to the throne. The Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor, including the Terracotta Army, is one of the city's defining sights.
Give this the best part of a day rather than slotting it between city-centre stops. It sits outside the city proper, so plan your transport there and back before you set out.
2. City Walls
The Ming dynasty wall was constructed in 1370 and remains intact today. It measures 11.9 km in circumference, 12 m in height, and 15 to 18 m in thickness at its base, with a moat built outside. The original Xi'an city wall, started in 194 BC, took four years to finish and enclosed a far larger area.
A ticket to the City Walls can be combined with entry to the Beilin (or Stele) Museum for ¥100. Walking the full circuit takes time, so decide in advance whether you want the whole circumference or a shorter stretch.
3. Beilin (or Stele) Museum
This museum at 15 Sanxue St in Beilin District holds a remarkable collection of 4000 inscribed stone tablets covering scripture, poetry, classic Chinese texts, triumphs of rulers, family history, and practical affairs such as instructions to rebuild a school. The 7th century Nestorian Stele is in Showroom 2, the first exhibit on the left, and depicts the coming of Nestorian Christianity to China.
It sits just inside the south city wall near Wenchang Gate, about 800 m northeast of Yongningmen Metro Station on Line 2. Opening hours are 08:00-18:30 from March to November and 08:00-18:00 from December to February, with no entry in the last 45 minutes. Tickets are ¥60 from March to November, ¥50 from December to February, or ¥100 combined with the City Walls.
4. Shaanxi History Museum
This museum at 91 Xiaozhai East Road in Yanta District houses a collection of local artefacts spanning the province's history from the Neolithic period through the Qing dynasty, including well preserved pottery from the nearby Banpo neolithic village and many Shang Dynasty bronzes. The most eye-catching articles are those from the Tang Dynasty that were used by the royal family.
All visitors must book on the museum's official WeChat account before visiting, then collect pre-booked tickets from the counters on the east side of the South Entrance. Entry to the main exhibition halls is free; the 'Treasures of the Great Tang Dynasty' costs ¥30 and the 'Mural Paintings of the Tang Dynasty' costs ¥270. It is closed on Mondays, and no tickets are issued in the last 90 minutes.
5. Bell Tower
The Bell Tower stands on a traffic island in the dead centre of the city at the intersection of East Avenue and South Avenue in Lianhu District. It is a great tower with ancient bells to toll the time for the city, and there are short musical performances every hour or so.
Take a metro train to Zhonglou Station on Line 2; the island is almost ringed by a subway, so enter from the north side next to the Metro entrance. Tickets are ¥30, or ¥50 including the Drum Tower. In high season, from April 1st to October 10th, hours are 08:30-21:30; in low season, from October 11th to March 31st, they are 08:30-18:00.
6. Drum Tower
The Drum Tower at 1 West Avenue in Lianhu District sits 200 m west of the Bell Tower, in the Muslim Quarter. It is a great tower with drums to toll the time to the old city, with short musical performances every hour or so.
Combine it with the Bell Tower on a ¥50 combo ticket, or pay ¥30 on its own. High-season hours run 08:30-21:30, with the last combo tickets sold at 19:00 and the last standard tickets at 21:00; low-season hours run 08:30-18:00, with the last combo tickets at 16:30 and the last standard tickets at 17:30.
7. Giant Wild Goose Pagoda
Construction of the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda began in 652. It was built to store the translations of Buddhist sutras obtained from India by Xuanzang, the monk who established a translation school for Sanskrit scriptures after returning from his pilgrimage to India in the mid-7th century.
It stands close to the Shaanxi History Museum, which is about 800 m northwest of the pagoda, so the two fit naturally into the same outing.
8. Small Wild Goose Pagoda
Construction of the Small Wild Goose Pagoda began in 707. It was built to store the translations of Buddhist sutras by Yijing, and the massive 1556 Shaanxi earthquake damaged the tower and reduced its height.
It is in the same area as the Xi'an Museum, so visit the two together.
9. Xi'an Museum
This museum at 72 Youyi West Road in Beilin District has a decent collection of over 110,000 artefacts, of which around 2000 are normally on display. It is not as large or as famous as the Shaanxi History Museum, but it is free.
Visitors must book on WeChat or another app before entering. It is closed on Tuesdays, with no entry in the last 60 minutes; hours are 09:00-18:00 from March 15th to October 31st and 09:00-17:30 from November 1st to March 14th. Reach it via Nanshaomen Metro Station on Lines 2 and 3.
10. Daming Palace National Heritage Park
This is first of all a huge park with both green spaces and an enormous open square with an equally impressive ancient palace gate. The palace is Tang dynasty, built in 634 AD, and there is a model of the palace next to the gate. The square sometimes hosts public performances, and the park even has an IMAX theatre.
The park, gate and square are free to enter; paying admission lets you into the partially restored palace ruins and other sections protected by a moat. The standard ticket price is ¥60, with half price for children aged 7 to 18 and free entry for children aged 6 or under and adults aged 65 or over. It sits just north of Xi'an railway station, with a tunnel under the tracks beginning just east of the station building, and is also accessible via DaMingXi Subway Station on Line 2.
11. Xi'an Banpo Museum
A 6,500-year-old Neolithic village, Banpo, was discovered in 1953 on the eastern outskirts of the city proper, containing the remains of several well organised Neolithic settlements. The Xi'an Banpo Museum was built in 1957 to preserve the archaeological collection.
Pottery from the Banpo neolithic village is also displayed at the Shaanxi History Museum, so the museum makes a useful companion to that collection.
12. Nestorian Stele
The Nestorian Stele is a Tang Chinese stele erected in 781 that documents 150 years of early Christianity in China. It is a 279 cm tall limestone block with text in both Chinese and Syriac describing the existence of Christian communities in several cities in northern China, and it reveals that the initial Nestorian Christian church had met recognition by the Tang Emperor Taizong, due to efforts of the Christian missionary Alopen in 635.
It is held in Showroom 2 of the Beilin (or Stele) Museum, the first exhibit on the left, so look for it as part of that visit.
13. Shaanxi Art Museum
This museum at 587 East Avenue in Xincheng District is the smaller of the two art museums and mainly displays paintings and calligraphy. It is free, and it is not to be confused with the Shaanxi Province Art Museum.
It is about 400 m east of the Bell Tower, near Zhonglou Metro Station on Line 2, and is closed on Mondays, opening 09:30-17:00.
14. Xi'an Art Museum
This museum on Zhenguan Culture Square at the Great Tang All Day Mall in Qujiang New District displays a wide range of artworks from both Chinese and foreign artists. It is free.
It is about 840 m northwest of Datang Furongyuan Metro Station on Line 4, and it opens late, 10:00-22:00, closing on Mondays.
15. Shaanxi Nature Museum
This museum at 88 Chang'an South Road in Yanta District has exhibitions on nature, science and technology, plus an exhibition hall devoted to the coal industry, a dome cinema and a 5D cinema.
Tickets are ¥30 for the nature exhibition plus coal exhibition, ¥20 for the science and technology exhibitions, ¥40 for the science and technology exhibitions plus dome cinema, or ¥30 for the dome cinema only. It opens 09:00-17:00, with no tickets sold after 16:00 and no entry after 16:30, and is at Exit B of Huizhan Zhongxin Metro Station on Line 2.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start at the Bell Tower, entering from the north side next to the Metro entrance at Zhonglou Station, then walk 200 m west to the Drum Tower in the Muslim Quarter. From there, head just inside the south city wall near Wenchang Gate to the Beilin (or Stele) Museum, where the Nestorian Stele is the first exhibit on the left in Showroom 2.
Afternoon: Walk the City Walls, using the combined ticket you bought with the Beilin Museum. If you would rather spend the afternoon indoors, take Line 2 to Xiaozhai for the Shaanxi History Museum, remembering to book on WeChat in advance and to collect your tickets from the counters on the east side of the South Entrance.
Evening: Return to the Bell Tower and Drum Tower, which stay open until 21:30 in high season, and catch one of the short musical performances that run every hour or so. Finish with the Xi'an Art Museum on the Great Tang All Day Mall, which stays open until 22:00 and is free.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to book museum tickets in advance?
Yes for some. All visitors to the Shaanxi History Museum must book on the museum's official WeChat account before visiting and then pick up pre-booked tickets from the counters on the east side of the South Entrance. Visitors to the Xi'an Museum must also book on WeChat or another app before entering.
Which museums are closed on Mondays?
The Shaanxi History Museum, the Shaanxi Art Museum and the Xi'an Art Museum are all closed on Mondays. The Xi'an Museum is closed on Tuesdays instead, and the Shaanxi Science & Technology Museum is closed on both Mondays and Tuesdays.
Can I see the Bell Tower and Drum Tower on one ticket?
Yes. A combo ticket costs ¥50 and covers both towers, against ¥30 for either one alone. In high season the last combo tickets are sold at 19:00, and in low season at 16:30.
Is the Daming Palace National Heritage Park free?
The park, gate and square are accessible for free. Paying admission, at a standard price of ¥60, lets you into the partially restored palace ruins and other sections of the park protected by a moat.
Decide how many days you can give to the museums and the city wall, check the booking requirements for the Shaanxi History Museum, and start shaping your itinerary around the sights above.