5 Days Private Xi'an & Chengdu Tour

Welcome to take this 5 days Xi’an Chengdu tour! Once you land at Xi’an’s airport, your private guide will pick you up and drive you to the hotel downtown by a private vehicle.

After a short break, let’s head to the Great Mosque, an Islamic shrine built in Chinese classical architecture style, with upturned eaves, carved beams, and painted pillars. Walking from the Imperial Hall with the only remaining Arabic stone tablet to the Introspection Tower used for prayer, then to the Phoenix Pavilion, you can appreciate not only the superb craftsmanship of Chinese ancients, but also the harmonious mutual integration of Eastern and Western cultures. Out of the mosque, the bustling Muslim Quarter, known as the ‘Shaanxi Halal Food Museum’ beckons to you. The aroma of cumin-grilled mutton kebabs wafts through the alleyways, accompanied by the loud shouts of white-hatted Muslims inviting you to taste authentic specialties at their stalls or beaneries. The Glutinous Rice with Jujube, Crumbled Flatbread in Mutton Soup, and Biang Biang Noodles are all worth trying. After a simple stroll, you’ll be transferred back to the hotel. Or take your time to have dinner here and then take a 20-minute taxi to the hotel by yourself. The guide will surely be happy to give you some advice on dining options.

► Recommended Nighttime Activities (at your own expense):
As evening descends, the illuminated Drum Tower at the entrance of Muslim Quarter and the Bell Tower beside it shine brightly, right in the heart of the city. Go to the free rooftop observation deck on the 5th floor of Kaiyuan Mall to overlook and capture the unparalleled view of both towers. Want a more immersive cultural experience? The splendid dinner show at Tang Dynasty Palace can be your top reference. Hundreds of actors on the resplendent stage, dressed in elegant traditional costumes, dance gracefully to the melodious classic music, making you feel as if the figures in the ancient murals have come alive. If you need, we can provide you with the ticket booking service.

Start the day with a visit to the famous Terracotta Army Museum, the burial objects of the mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang (259 - 210 BC), the first emperor in China’s history. The renowned figure made tremendous contributions to Chinese civilization. He unified the six states and then led the country to grow increasingly powerful and prosperous, which provided a solid material foundation for the construction of the Terracotta Army. Shockingly, it took 720,000 laborers and 39 years to complete this spectacle. During his region, another wonder of China, the Great Wall, was also created to keep out the nomadic tribes, leaving the Han culture intact. Follow your guide to visit three burial pits here, where there are thousands of life-sized warriors with different appearances, expressions, hairstyles, gestures, and clothes, as well as the Bronze chariots and horses. It is worth mentioning that those potteries were originally painted with colors, but most of them faded due to the fire and weathering. Next, move to a new exhibition hall to spot some relics that have never been made public before, including acrobatic figurines, gold and silver animal ornaments, and bronze waterfowls.

★ Special DIY Experience: Make Your Own Mini Warrior
At a studio nearby, learn to knead a mini terracotta figure with your own hands under the guidance of a craftsman, engrave your name on it, and take it home as a souvenir. The clay mud you will use is the same as that of the terracotta warriors in the museum, coming from 7 - 9 meters underground here.

Then, drive back to the downtown area and go straight to the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, one of the important landmarks of Xi’an. To preserve the scriptures and Buddha statues brought back from India via the Silk Road, the celebrated hierarch Xuanzang personally presided over the construction of the seven-story Pagoda in the 7th century. It was once the sacred site for ancient candidates who passed the imperial examination to honorably inscribe their names. To the south, let’s explore the Great Tang All Day Mall, the most prosperous area of Xi'an nowadays, especially at night. After being delighted by a series of short cultural performances by actors dressed in ancient attires in this block that reproduced the most prosperous period in Chinese history, the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907), your guide will escort you back to the hotel. If you would like to stay longer, you can finally hail a taxi to the hotel by yourself.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

After breakfast, spend some time in the City Wall Park to get a glimpse of local life. Along your walk, it’s easy to notice that there are almost all energetic elderly people rather than young ones exercising on fitness equipment, practicing Tai Chi, dancing to slow music, and singing indigenous operas, which is because today’s youngsters are engaged in intense work competition and have very little time to relax themselves. The scene also indicates the increasingly serious aging phenomenon in China. Afterward, your guide will accompany you on a sightseeing on the Xi’an City Wall, a military fortification constructed mainly between the mid-14th and mid-17th centuries. The brick-paved walkway, wide enough for two cars to run abreast, is dotted on both sides with turrets and watchtowers, resembling silent sentries. Looking at the simple and low buildings within the Wall and the towering skyscrapers outside, you can fully taste the sparks of the collision between the present and the past of this city. Cycling and taking an electric cart to explore the Wall are also popular, and if you are interested, your guide will be glad to assist you in renting.

In the afternoon, we will send you to Xi’an North Railway Station to catch a high-speed train to Chengdu. There was once a globally popular video that recorded a coin standing upright on the windowsill of a high-speed train traveling at 350 km/h (161 mph) for an astonishing eight minutes without falling, and the scene was playfully called ‘oriental magic’ by overseas netizens. During this four-hour or so journey, you can also do such an experiment to experience the smoothness of China’s engineering wonder. Upon your arrival, your guide and driver there will pick you up at the train station and transfer you to the hotel.

► Recommended Nighttime Activities (at your own expense):
As we stay right in Chengdu’s must-visit commercial center, the most vibrant and fashionable Chunxi Road and Taikoo Li District, you can have some fun here tonight. Photo yourself with that Internet-famous sculpture of a panda climbing on the IFS Building, and also capture its endearing appearance from the front on its 7th floor. Marvel at the strong sense of technology when seeing rolling pandas that seem to break through the naked-eye 3D screen. Also, treat your stomach to various Chengdu snacks such as Wonton in Red Chili Sauce and Zhong’s Dumplings. Note that Sichuan cuisine is famous for its spiciness, so carefully estimate your tolerance. Such diet characteristics might precisely be the reason why China’s best hospital for anorectal diseases is in Chengdu. If you can’t handle it, you can also find McDonald's, KFC, or atmospheric cafes here.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

Coming to the world-renowned hometown of China’s national treasure, the giant panda, how could we not take you to the largest Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Base? Since morning is when they are most active, we have specially arranged it as the first stop of today, so that you can better observe the cute white and black fur balls of all ages. In the Sunshine Delivery House and Moonlight Delivery House, specially designed for pregnant and young pandas, witness the mother panda gently patting her cubs’ backs in her arms like humans to lull them to sleep. While in Villa No. 1 and Villa No. 2, the main living areas of adult pandas, observe them climbing, gnawing on bamboo, or just lying from a close distance. Interestingly, the creatures living in the wild can live for 15 to 20 years, while those in captivity under meticulous human care can reach 20 to 30 years. A panda named ‘Zhang Gong’ lived to be 38 years old here, setting a record for pandas’ lifespan. Moreover, walking along the lush bamboo path, you can also run into red pandas frolicking in the trees.

After that, continue the tour to the Wide and Narrow Alley, composed of three distinctive lanes. Wander through the Wide Alley, admire exquisite carvings of its old buildings, and feel the slow-paced life of Chengdu from the scene of people lying on bamboo chairs enjoying covered-bowl tea or doing ear cleaning. In the Narrow Alley, a new art space, taste the modernity of the city. When coming to the Well Alley, a 500-meter-long sculptured brick wall will give you the chance to learn about Sichuan folk customs. It is also a food paradise with local flavors like Dan Dan Noodles, Bobo Chicken, and Hot and Sour Noodles, which is right for you to have lunch at your own expense. Dan Dan Noodles was originally sold by street vendors with a carrying pole, pronounced as "Dan" in Chinese, hence the name. And you can try another specialty Ice Jelly to relieve the spiciness meanwhile.Later, let’s head for the Jinsha Site Museum to delve into the ancient Sichuan civilization about 3,000 years ago. The Jinsha Site, a great archaeological discovery in the early 21st century, is the remains that unearthed the most concentrated ancient ivory in the world, as well as the largest amount of gold and jade wares in China. With your guide, you won’t miss a close look at the most prestigious exhibit here, the Solar Divine Bird Gold Foil, which has already been regarded as the symbol of Chinese cultural legacy. Besides that, when seeing a one-meter-long stone slab, you may be curious about why it is on special display. Surprisingly, it is a percussion instrument called Stone Resonator, mainly used in the sacrificial ceremonies or palace banquets at that time, and can still be struck to produce a pleasant sound today.

Today’s last destination will be the People’s Park with serene garden landscapes. If you like, have a leisure tea break at your own expense at the time-honored Singing Crane Teahouse, watching a skilled waiter holding long-spout copper kettles add water to your bowl in an acrobatic manner. Then check out the liveliest Match Corner, where there are countless red and blue marriage-seeking advertisements hanging in a long corridor and many parents chatting with each other to find suitable partners for their children. It is surprising to know that the marriage rate in China has repeatedly hit new lows in recent years, which is mainly caused by the change in young people’s mindset towards expecting high-quality marriages with the development of society. After the visit, you’ll be transferred back to the hotel for rest.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

Your private Xian and Chengdu tour package will come to an end today, and your guide and driver will send you to the airport or train station according to your schedule. Bon voyage! Have a longer vacation and also be interested in other hot tourist cities in China such as Chongqing, Zhangjiajie, and Guilin? Then don’t hesitate to contact our travel consultant to customize the itinerary to your liking.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast