Xi’an

Day Trips

Start your day with a leisurely bicycle ride atop the 14-kilometer Ancient City Wall, feeling the wind rush past as you gaze at Xi’an’s skyline. Towers, watchtowers, and crenelations pass by, each offering a glimpse into the city’s grand past. An early tea at one of the wall-top pavilions sets a serene tone for the adventure ahead.

Descend into the bustling Muslim Quarter, where narrow lanes overflow with fragrant lamb kebabs, spicy liangpi noodles, and glistening sesame cakes. Sample hand-pulled noodles at a sidewalk stall while vendors call out their specialties in lively banter. Wander among vendors selling silk scarves, calligraphy brushes, and jade trinkets before resting at a courtyard teahouse.

As dusk falls, head to Drum and Bell Tower Square to watch street performers play traditional instruments and tumbling acrobats defy gravity. Soft lantern light illuminates the towers’ ancient brickwork, casting long shadows across the plaza. Finish the night sipping mulled hawthorn juice while the rhythmic drumbeats echo off the walls.

Travel east to the UNESCO-listed Terracotta Army site and watch archaeologists uncover life-sized soldiers, horses, and chariots in Pit 1. The soft morning light reveals intricate armor details and the determined gazes of thousands of clay warriors lined up for battle. A guide brings the narrative to life, recounting Qin Shi Huang’s quest for immortality.

Explore the on-site museum to examine rare bronze chariots, weapons, and burial artifacts recovered from the royal mausoleum. Touch a fragment of painted pottery and marvel at the vibrant pigments preserved for over two millennia. Pause for lunch at the museum café, sampling Shaanxi curry chicken and local wheat cakes.

Return to Xi’an city and enjoy a relaxing stroll around the North Square of the station, admiring the illuminated modern architecture. Sip jasmine tea at a nearby café while reflecting on the day’s breathtaking discoveries. The gentle glow of lanterns drapes the surrounding halls in golden hues.

Delve into over 13,000 relics at the Shaanxi History Museum, from Bronze Age vessels to Tang dynasty frescoes. Each gallery beats with the heart of ancient Silk Road cultures, with painted pottery horses and jade burial objects on display. The quiet hush of the marble halls invites contemplation of centuries past.

Wander through the verdant grounds of Big Wild Goose Pagoda, climbing the winding steps for panoramic views over Tang Paradise. Listen for the soft chant of monks echoing against the pagoda’s ancient bricks as prayerful incense drifts through archways. Nearby lotus ponds shimmer in the afternoon sun, inviting a moment of stillness.

Attend the stunning “Musical Fountain Show” at the pagoda square, where colored lights dance in sync with traditional melodies. Feel the spray of water droplets dance across your skin as dragons of light swirl overhead. Conclude with a bowl of hot biangbiang noodles at a street stall under starlight.

Depart before dawn for Mount Huashan, one of China’s Five Great Mountains, renowned for its sheer cliffs and aerial plank walks. The sunrise bathes the rocky ridges in golden light as you ascend via cable car to the South Peak. Crisp mountain air fills your lungs, and distant temple bells mark each step.

Challenge yourself on the infamous plank walk along the precipitous east ridge, harnessed securely to the cliff face. Heart pounding, you peer down hundreds of meters to the valley floor, while prayer flags flutter overhead. Afterward, savor a hearty lunch of mountain potatoes and wild mushroom stew at a rustic lodge.

Descend to the base village and unwind in a hot springs bath fed by natural mountain springs. Steam curls through pine-scented air as you soak, muscles melting tension away. A simple dinner of stir-fried local greens and rice porridge completes the restorative evening.

Head northwest to Hanyangling Mausoleum, the joint tomb of Emperor Jingdi and Empress Wang, famed for its underground museum shaped like a pyramid. Walk along the sunken viewing platform to see the preserved funeral items, figurines, and model dwellings once buried with the imperial couple. The gentle light filtering through the glass canopy creates a cathedral-like atmosphere.

Stroll through the adjacent Han Cultural Park, where artisans demonstrate bronze casting, silk weaving, and lacquerware painting. Try your hand at molding a miniature terracotta figurine under a master craftsman’s guidance. Savor a picnic lunch of fragrant rice balls and dried fruit beneath ancient cypress trees.

Return to Xi’an for a Han-style banquet featuring roasted duck, sesame buns, and sweet lotus root soup served in delicate porcelain. Traditional musicians play qin and pipa in the tea hall, providing an elegant soundtrack. Candlelight flickers against carved wood screens, evoking the era’s refined charm.

Explore the lush gardens and reflective pools of the Qujiang Pool Scenic Area, once a royal imperial garden during the Tang dynasty. Thousands of lotus blossoms float on jade-green water, while ornate pagodas rise above willow-lined walkways. Birdsong mingles with the whisper of rippling water.

Visit the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda Northern Square to witness the impressive 35-meter bronze bell sculpture and its intricate Buddhist reliefs. Enjoy a lakeside lunch at a thatched pavilion serving steamed fish and sautéed water chestnuts. Paddle a traditional wooden boat across the pool, letting the tranquility wash over you.

Delight in a Tang-era themed dinner theater at Tang Paradise, where dancers in flowing silks reenact court performances under lantern light. Drums beat in time with tumbling acrobats, and celestial melodies float across the water. The illuminated reflection of palaces in the pool transforms the scene into a living painting.

Journey to Banpo Neolithic Museum, where a reconstructed village reveals life from 6,000 years ago. Wander among pit dwellings, watch pottery-making demonstrations, and sample millet congee warmed over an open hearth. Guides in period costume bring the dawn of agriculture to life with touching anecdotes.

Return to the city’s vibrant cultural district for a calligraphy lesson on Xi’an Book Street, tracing elegant strokes with ink-soaked brushes. Browse shelves of ancient texts and hand-stitched journals in a sunlit café. Treat yourself to rose-scented pastries and jasmine tea as you practice your new skill.

Hit the Tang Paradise again to catch an open-air acrobatic performance that blends martial arts with graceful dance. The stage, set against a mirrored lake, glows with fiery pyrotechnics and swirling fog. Conclude with a stroll under the gatehouses, lit in ruby and sapphire hues.

Visit the Great Mosque, a serene fusion of Chinese and Islamic architecture tucked behind high walls and courtyards filled with ginkgo trees. Admire carved wooden screens, arched doorways, and calligraphic plaques highlighting the unity of cultures. The quiet murmur of prayers above merges with rustling leaves.

Embark on a guided street food tour along Huimin Street, sampling signature snacks like roujiamo (Xi’an burger), yangrou paomo (lamb broth with torn flatbread), and tanghulu (candied fruit skewers). Each vendor shares a story passed down through generations. Between bites, explore hidden alleyways lined with spice merchants and tea shops.

Join a local family for a hands-on dumpling-making dinner in their courtyard home, learning to knead, fill, and pleat each delicate parcel. Savor a variety of dumplings—pork with chive, pumpkin with walnut—as they steam in bamboo baskets. Laughter and storytelling around the table seal a special, authentic memory.

Attend a traditional paper-cutting workshop led by a folk artist in a sunlit studio near the city center. Scissors dance across red paper to create intricate patterns of peonies, phoenixes, and the characters for fortune. The rhythmic snip-snap of blades becomes a meditative public art performance.

Meander along Xi’an Book Street, lined with antique bookstores selling Ming dynasty woodblock prints, rare calligraphy scrolls, and first editions of Tang poetry. Nestle into an overstuffed armchair with a cup of chrysanthemum tea and lose yourself in legends of Xi’an’s past. Browse a secondhand stand for a hidden literary treasure.

Dine at a courtyard restaurant specializing in Guandongliu vegetarian cuisine, where each dish is a sculptural work of spinach dumplings, bean curd knots, and golden pumpkin cakes. Soft guzheng music drifts through bamboo screens as lanterns sway overhead. The tranquil ambiance evokes a scholar’s retreat from centuries ago.

Escape to the nearby Zhenbeitai hot springs resort, soaking in mineral-rich pools surrounded by bamboo groves and cedar-scented steam. The warmth seeps into tired muscles, while birds flit among stone lanterns and koi ponds. A traditional herbal tea ritual soothes the senses between dips.

Enjoy a spa treatment incorporating local Shaanxi clay masks and ginseng oil massages designed to restore balance to body and mind. Indulge in a light lunch of steamed dumplings and herbal soup in a private cabana overlooking a lotus pond. Time slows as you inhale the fresh mountain air.

Return to the city center for the “Tang Dynasty Palace Show,” a grand performance of courtly dances, horseback acrobatics, and live orchestral music. Brilliantly costumed dancers swirl in galaxy-bright silks under a canopy of star-like lights. As the final notes fade, the audience rises to applause, carrying the night’s magic into the Xi’an skyline.