Essential Xi'an: Paradise for Budget Travelers

After breakfast, your guide will greet you in your hotel lobby and accompany you on a short walk to the shuttle bus stop for a comfortable hour-long ride to Terracotta Army Museum, a burial replica army crafted to guard China’s first emperor, Qin Shi Huang (259-210 BC), in his afterlife. As you gaze at over 7,000 lifelike terracotta warriors, including generals, kneeling archers, armored infantry, cavalry, foot soldiers, and charioteers, along with more than 1,000 clay horses and chariots, you’ll easily grasp its status as a World Heritage Site. Re markably, in just four decades, it has welcomed more than 200 foreign heads of state, like Queen Elizabeth II, Ronald Reagan, and Emmanuel Macron.

Later, let’s take a 20-minute shuttle to Huaqing Palace. Here, take a 35-minute metro ride on Line 9 and Line 1 to Banpo Station, and then a leisurely walk with your guide to Banpo Museum. This underrated national first-class museum will allow you to see vestiges of China’s matriarchal society from over 6,000 years ago. When you behold its star exhibit, the Painted Pottery Basin with Fish and Human Face Desig n, you may instinctively assume it was a container for water or grain. In fact, it served as the lid of a little girl’s urn coffin. The tiny hole in its base was designed to let her soul come and go freely.Next, take a 15-minute guided stroll before riding Metro Lines 1 and 2, which will whisk you downtown in 20 minutes. Upon alighting, the iconic six-century-old Bell Tower will strike you with its three tiers of soaring eaves and pyramidal roof clad in green glazed tiles. The opposite Drum Tower, with a gray-tiled hipped roof, stretches wider horizontally and exudes an even more stately presence. 

Our visit will continue with a further 15-minute walk to Sajinqiao and Dapiyuan Food Streets, tucked deep within the bustling Muslim Quarter and replete with authentic local treats little-known to outsiders. Tag along with locals to their regular haunts, where prices run nearly 50% lower than tourist-packed eateries on the main streets. Here, feel free to sample tempting local bites, like Xi’an Noodles, Hot and Sour Dumpling Soup, Jujube Rice Cakes, Persimmon Cakes, and Egg-and-Vegetable Stuffed Buns, at your own expense.

In the end, take a 20-minute stroll with your guide back to your hotel. Alternatively, you are welcome to continue getting around independently, and finally walk back to the hotel by yourself.

Meal: Breakfast
Accommodation: Days Inn City Centre Xi’an (3 stars)

This morning, we’ll catch Metro Line 2 near your hotel for a five minute ride to the South Gate. First, we’ll explore the City Wall Park, a public leisure space at the foot of the 600-year-old City Wall, China’s best-preserved rampart of its kind. Afterward, let’s ascend the wall from the South Gate and amble toward the West Gate, a stretch offering top-notch sightseeing. Along the way, behold traditional defensive architecture: drawbridge-operating gate towers, arrow towers, and corner towers used for surveillance. Besides walking, cycling on the wall is also available at your own expense.

After that, stroll 15 minutes to the culturally rich Shuyuanmen Street, a haven for you to discover ink-writing tools, calligraphy works, traditional paintings, and quirky curios. On the way, let’s tick off Guanzhong Academy, China’s historical counterpart to Oxford and Cambridge from 1609 to 1911. Through your guide’s vivid storytelling, you’ll learn that it functioned as the inheritance center for passing down a local branch of Confucianism. The famous maxim left by its founder, “To establish sound values for society, to seek life’s true meaning for people, to revive the lost cultural heritage of ancestors, and to secure enduring peace for offspring”, has inspired generations of Chinese scholars for centuries.

Follow your guide to walk another 10 minutes to the Stele Forest Museum, home to over 4,000 famous historic calligraphy steles, the earliest of which was inscribed in the 8th century. Make a beeline for the Six Steeds of Zhao Mausoleum, arguably the pinnacle of ancient Chinese stone carving. These warhorses are sculpted either galloping at full tilt or bearing arrow wounds, completely portraying the valor and pathos of ancient warfare.

Subsequently, take Bus No. 402 or No. 800 for a 5-minute ride along the City Wall to Jianguomen Old Market Cultural and Creative District. Once a traditional fresh-produce market, this vibrant hub has transformed into a local favorite for food, leisure, and lodging. Here, you may witness vendors skillfully cooking golden stirred cornmeal dough, smell the tangy aroma of mung bean jelly, and catch the sizzle of grilled skewers.

Let’s end the day by boarding Bus No. 601 with your guide for a 15-minute return to your hotel. Want to linger longer on your own? Consider grabbing dinner at the Old Market, having a nightcap, or further exploring Shuncheng Alley along the City Wall, dotted with a rich selection of teahouses and pubs. Finally, take a 10-minute taxi ride back by yourself.

Meal: Breakfast
Accommodation: Days Inn City Centre Xi’an (3 stars)

After breakfast, check out of your hotel and head out with your luggage. Your guide will escort you on a 40-minute taxi ride to the Yangling Mausoleum of the Han Dynasty. Once there, stow your luggage first so you can sightsee unburdened. Built over two millennia ago for a prominent emperor and his consort, this burial site offers deep insight into the funeral traditions of ancient Chinese imperial tombs. In the exhibition hall, appreciate an underground army of doll-sized, armless clay warrior figurines. They were originally dressed in exquisite armor and fitted with movable wooden arms. However, after more than 2,000 years, they have long since decayed and vanished, leaving us with the “naked warriors” we see today.  Also, spot a graceful maid figurine with a refined face, slender body, and hands elegantly tucked into wide sleeves, offering a genuine glimpse of how demure ancient palace women appeared.

As the tour concludes, your guide will help you retrieve your luggage, and then accompany you by taxi to the airport or high-speed train station. For a stress-free departure, we recommend booking flights or trains that depart after 16:00.

Meal: Breakfast► Extension Inspirations:
Tacking on an extra day or two in Xi’an? There are many free or affordable sightseeing options. History buffs can visit Shaanxi History Museum, Small Wild Goose Pagoda, and Xi’an Museum. Traditional culture and art seekers may favor Yisu Historical and Cultural District, home to the Shaanxi Opera Art Museum and featuring an outdoor stage with regular free opera shows. Qujiang Pool Park and Cool Cave Heritage Park are ideal for leisurely strolling. Foodies should hit the Xiaonanmen Morning or Night Market, Bell Tower Residential Area, and Yongxingfang Food Street.