Xi’an Family Tour: Panda & Archaeological Experience

Welcome to this Xi’an family tour! In the morning, your private guide and driver will warmly greet you at your own booked hotel in downtown Xi’an, and then escort you on a 1.5-hour private car ride to a hidden gem outside the city: Qinling Four Rare Animals Science Park, home to four first-class nationally protected animals: giant pandas, golden snub-nosed monkeys, crested ibises, and takins.

Upon arrival, let’s make a beeline for the park’s undisputed superstar: Qi Zai, the world’s sole brown-and-white giant panda whose coat appears drizzled with chocolate sauce. Your sweet children may wonder what makes his fur brown, rather than the typical black of other pandas. Your guide will share that a minor genetic mutation decreases melanin production, creating his one-of-a-kind appearance. At first glance, his innocent facial expression and chubby body will easily win you over with a simple and honest charm, but his shifty, rolling eyes betray a mischievous nature behind that meek look. Don’t believe it? His iconic viral moment online offers solid evidence: a fellow panda kept teasing him across the fence, only to end up with one ear bitten by Qi Zai into an amusing wrench-like shape. What you’d never imagine is that it soon copied its pal’s pitiful, wounded act, with a sly side glance as if mocking, “See? I can do it too!” Just like playful scuffles between friends, they completely reconcile shortly after. If you’d like to explore more, check out three additional rare creatures and over 20 other valuable species, including long-tailed gorals, golden pheasants, red pandas, and black bears.
► Friendly Tips:
1. Due to lots of gentle slopes inside the park, we recommend wearing comfortable sneakers.
2. To protect the animals and their home, please avoid shouting, tapping the enclosure glass, and unauthorized feeding.After an hour-long car ride, we’ll arrive at Shaanxi Archaeological Museum, China’s very first archaeology-themed museum. Here, relics are integrated with their excavation backgrounds, letting you explore not only 200,000+ cultural treasures but also the uninterrupted timeline of Chinese civilization. Catch a glimpse of the Two-Faced Deity Stone Pillar from the 4,000-year-old Shimao site, the largest Neolithic settlement ever known in China. With a wide-eyed, open-mouthed expression carved on it, won’t it remind you of how you struggle to get out of bed for work every Monday morning? A nearby 3D model restores the ancient city site’s imposing layout, from which you’ll be amazed to find that the technology for reinforcing its walls was two full millennia earlier than once thought. Also, spot the Seven-Huang Jade Pendant Ensemble with Linked Beads. This exquisite artifact belonged to the consort of a ruler more than 2,800 years ago, an era governed by a strict social hierarchy. While admiring it in detail, also tap the interactive screen to match agate and jade ornaments for this noble lady. Snap a photo and compare your fashion sense with that of the ancients. What’s more, nearly every hall boasts fun interactive experiences for you and your kids to try. Feel free to touch real pottery shards and ancient tiles that span hundreds to thousands of years, and play a replica clay drum to hear its original sound.At the end of the private Xi’an family day tour, your guide and driver will accompany you back to your downtown hotel in about 1 hour. Thank you for traveling with us! Want to explore other Xian highlights like the world-famous Terracotta Army Museum or City Wall? Don’t hesitate to contact us at any time for a customized tour to suit your preferences!

► Recommended Nighttime Activities (at your own expense):
If you’re still energetic, venture into the Muslim Quarter for a leisurely foodie tour on your own tonight. Taste the famous Xi’an specialties like Chinese Hamburger, Cold Noodles, and pan-fried dumplings. The typical local dessert, tender, sweet glutinous rice with red jujubes, is also unmissable. To cleanse your palate and cool you down, grab a sour plum drink from a street stall. Should you feel a little full, take a stroll nearby and appreciate the stunning nightscapes of the iconic 600-year-old Bell and Drum Towers.