2 Days in Xian: The First-Timer Itinerary

Two days is the honest minimum for Xi’an, and this plan doesn’t pretend otherwise: day one is the Terracotta Army and the City Wall, day two is the Muslim Quarter and the pagodas. Want more room for Mount Huashan or Huaqing Palace? Step up to the 3-day , 4-day , or longer 5 , 6 , and 7-day versions.

Book these before you go

Day Focus Travel time
Day 1 Terracotta Army, City Wall bike ride Terracotta Army: Bus 306, about 1 hour each way
Day 2 Muslim Quarter, Bell/Drum Tower, Big Wild Goose Pagoda All within the city, metro or on foot

Day 1: Terracotta Army And The City Wall

  • Land at Xi’an Xianyang International (XIY), take Metro Line 14 to Xi’an North, then transfer to reach your hotel near the Bell Tower
  • Head straight to the Terracotta Army in Lintong: book your ticket online before you fly, CNY 120 off-peak (up to CNY 150 in peak season), since there’s no same-day walk-up window. Bus 306 leaves Xi’an Railway Station’s East Square every 7 minutes or so, CNY 7, about an hour each way. Give the three pits and the Bronze Chariots hall a solid half-day, and watch for fake “306” touts working the station square
  • The Emperor Qinshihuang’s Mausoleum is a UNESCO World Heritage property since 1987; the surrounding grounds are open, but the actual tomb mound remains unexcavated
  • Back in the city by late afternoon, check into your hotel and drop your bags
  • Evening: bike the City Wall, CNY 54 entry plus about CNY 45 for a 3-hour bike rental (CNY 200 deposit). The 14km loop takes 2+ hours on foot but well under 2 by bike, and rental stations near the South Gate stay open until 8pm. New in July 2026: foreign visitors with e-tickets need a paper voucher from the ticket office (passport required) plus facial recognition to enter, so bring your passport to the gate
  • Dinner near the South Gate on Xi’an’s own Shaanxi noodles before an early night

Day 2: Muslim Quarter And The Pagodas

  • Morning at the Bell Tower and Drum Tower, a combo ticket runs about CNY 50 and covers both, roughly 300 meters apart across the same central plaza
  • Walk north into the Muslim Quarter along Huimin Jie: the Great Mosque, founded in 742 CE, is Chinese pagoda-and-courtyard architecture with Arabic script details, easy to walk past without recognizing as a mosque
  • Work through the food as you go: roujiamo (braised meat in toasted flatbread, CNY 8-15), biangbiang noodles (CNY 15-25), yangrou paomo (mutton soup over hand-torn flatbread, CNY 25-40), liangpi (cold dressed noodles, CNY 8-15), and a persimmon cake for the road
  • Afternoon at the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, grounds entry roughly CNY 10-50 depending on the ticket tier, plus about CNY 25-30 to climb the tower itself
  • Catch the free North Square Music Fountain show, about 20 minutes, before dinner
  • Fly out from XIY, or take Metro Line 14 back to Xi’an North if you’re continuing on by high-speed rail

Is Two Days Really Enough for Xi’an?

Enough to see the two things you came for, not enough to add Mount Huashan or a museum with a booking system of its own. Two full days covers the Terracotta Army and the City Wall properly with one relaxed evening in the Muslim Quarter; anything past that (Huashan, Huaqing Palace, Famen Temple, the Shaanxi History Museum) needs at least one more day bolted on.

Buy your Terracotta Army ticket the same day you book your flight, not the week before you land; peak-season slots for popular dates disappear days in advance.