Cycling on Xi’an City Wall

To visit the 13.74-km-long (8.5 miles) Xi’an City Wall, the best and most interesting way is cycling. Through biking, one can finish visiting the whole City Wall in about 2 to 3 hours. If on foot, it takes about 4 hours and only a few visitors choose to complete a whole loop this way, because it is not only time-consuming but tiring.

Cycling on Xi'an City Wall

In a clockwise direction: Yongning Gate / South Gate → Walk westward for about 15 minutes to get to the bicycle service station → rent a bicycle and ride to the southwest corner of the wall → ride northward, pass by Anding Gate / West Gate, and reach the northwest corner of the wall → ride eastward, pass by Anyuan Gate / North Gate, and get to the northeast corner of the wall → ride southward, pass by Changle Gate / East Gate, and arrive at the southeast corner of the wall → ride westward to the bicycle service station near the Wenchang Gate → return the bicycle, walk to the South Gate, and exit.
 

The anticlockwise circuit starting from South Gate is also achievable.
 

What’s more, it’s not necessary to cycle the entire City Wall, and you can choose from one of the following short routes:

(1) South Gate → West / East Gate, with a length of about 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles); 

(2) Hanguang Gate east to the southwest corner → West Gate → North Gate, about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) long; 

(3) Wenchang Gate east to South Gate → East Gate → North Gate, about 5.7 kilometers (3.5) long.
 

Rental Bicycles on Xi'an City Wall

1. South Gate is easy to be reached by public transport.

2. This gate has the most complete fortifications, very well worth visiting.

3. There is a 1.2-kilometer-long (0.7 mile) no-cycling section at the South Gate. If your riding route covers this section, you need to obtain a bicycle-changing certification on one side, walk passing this section, and pick another bicycle on the other side. If you start from South Gate, it won’t bother you to change the bicycle. 
 

There are totally 9 bicycle service stations on Xi’an City Wall. In a clockwise direction from South Gate, they are: 

(1) station west to South Gate; 

(2) station west to Hanguang Gate; 

(3) station south to West Gate; 

(4) station near the northwest corner; 

(5) station west to North Gate; 

(6) station near Zhongshan Gate; 

(7) station south to East Gate; 

(8) station near Jianguo Gate; 

(9) station east to South Gate.

 

Solo Bicycle	CNY 45 for 180 minutes, and overtime charge is CNY 5 for each 10 minutes.
Tandem Bicycle	CNY 90 for 180 minutes, and overtime charge is CNY 10 for each 10 minutes.
Notes: (1) The deposit for each bicycle is CNY 100. (2) For safety reasons, the bicycle renting service is not provided to children under the age of 12 and elderly visitors over the age of 65. Besides, to use the bicycle, one must be at least 1.3 meters (4.3 feet) tall. (3) Operation hours of all the stations last from 8:00 to 22:00, and bicycles can only be returned but not rented between 21:00 and 22:00.