Must-Visit Highlights for First-Time Visitors to Xi’an – Complete Sightseeing Guide
Xi’an, once the capital of thirteen dynasties, boasts a wealth of historical and cultural treasures that shine like stars. The imposing Ancient City Wall, the bustling Muslim Quarter, and the world-famous Terracotta Warriors are among the attractions that captivate travelers from all over.
The following sites are the most popular in Xi’an, perfect for first-time visitors. Concentrated in the city center and eastern suburbs, these highlights include historical landmarks, food streets, and urban icons—enough to explore thoroughly in three days.
Top 1: Terracotta Warriors
Highlights: One of the Eight Wonders of the World; an immense archaeological site
The Terracotta Warriors (Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum Museum) are located in Lintong District, east of Xi’an, about an hour’s drive from the city center. Each year, millions of domestic and international tourists come to witness this “Eighth Wonder of the World.”
Even after thousands of years, the facial expressions of the warriors remain vivid, the details of their attire are crystal clear, and even the lines on their shoe soles can be seen.
The museum is divided into Pit 1, Pit 2, Pit 3, and the Bronze Chariot and Horse Exhibition Hall:
- Pit 1: Houses thousands of warriors, creating a grand and spectacular scene.
- Pit 2: Not fully excavated, but contains more refined types of soldiers. Some famous green-faced warriors now displayed at Shaanxi History Museum were discovered here—perhaps you’re standing on a future world-famous treasure!
- Pit 3: Known as the “command center,” featuring unique soldier figures and chariots not seen in Pits 1 and 2. Although smallest in size, it’s the most special.
Practical Info:
- Tickets: Standard ticket ¥120 per person (purchase via the official WeChat account of Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum Museum)
- Opening Hours:
Peak Season (March 1 – November 30): 08:30–17:00
Off Season (December 1 – February 28): 08:30–16:30
- Recommended Visit Duration: 2.5 hours to fully explore Pits 1–3 and the Bronze Chariot & Horse Hall
- Transportation: From the city center, take Metro Line 9 to Huaqingchi Station, then transfer to Lintong Tour Bus 613; or take Metro Line 1 to Fangzhicheng Hub Station, then transfer to Tour Bus 5 or 306
Nearby Attraction – Huaqing Palace
Huaqing Palace has been a historic royal retreat and bathing site for centuries, famously associated with Yang Guifei, one of China’s Four Beauties. Highlights include the hot spring pools, garden landscapes, ancient architecture, and historic trees. The Tang-style architecture makes it a perfect spot for taking photos in Hanfu.
Huaqing Palace and the Terracotta Warriors are both located at the foot of Mount Li in Lintong District. If doing a same-day trip, it’s convenient to visit Huaqing Palace in the morning and the Terracotta Warriors in the afternoon.
For a more immersive experience, visitors can stay at the Huaqing Royal Hot Spring Hotel within the scenic area, enjoying private hot springs in their rooms. Evening performances like The Song of Everlasting Sorrow and Xi’an Incident stage shows are also highly recommended.
Practical Info – Huaqing Palace:
- Tickets: Standard ¥120 per person (reserve via official WeChat account “Huaqing Palace Scenic Area”)
- Half-Price: Visitors under 18 or full-time students (college and below) with valid student ID
- Opening Hours: 09:00–17:00
- Performance Tickets: Also reserve via the official WeChat account
Top 2: Huimin Street (Muslim Quarter)
Highlights: A must-visit spot for Northwestern snacks; home to numerous historic eateries
Huimin Street, also called Huifang, is made up of several streets including Beiyuanmen, Beiguangji Street, Xiyangshi, and Dapiyuan. The busiest section is Beiyuanmen, and many visitors turn back once they reach the end of this street, not realizing that the other streets are also filled with delicious food.
Here you can taste a variety of Northwestern specialties: roujiamo (meat sandwiches), an endless variety of noodles, sizzling skewers on the grill , and signature historic snacks such as Dingjia Xiaosourou and Jia San Soup Dumplings , which have been around for decades. The lively street atmosphere is part of the experience: skilled vendors stretch noodles, grill skewers, and slice osmanthus cakes right in front of you. Watching food being made is fascinating and offers a great way to immerse yourself in Xi’an’s food culture.
Recommended Visit Duration: Best visited during meal times. If not dining, the entire street is not very large and can be walked through in less than half an hour.
Top 3: Xi’an Ancient City Wall
The Xi’an Ancient City Wall was built during the Ming Dynasty and is the largest and best-preserved city wall in China. The wall features defensive structures such as watchtowers, main towers, arrow towers, sluice towers, and corner towers. There are 18 city gates, 4 of which are original, while the rest have been reconstructed. Standing proudly in the city center, the wall encloses historic districts like the Bell & Drum Towers and Huimin Street.
The wall is about 14 meters wide and very flat on top, making it perfect for visitors to rent bikes and ride along the perimeter. From the wall, you can enjoy unobstructed views of the original city inside and modern buildings outside. Today, the city wall is not just a historic landmark but also a leisure spot for locals. Occasionally, you can see elders playing the erhu or performing Qin opera at the wall’s base. For a unique perspective, you can even take a boat along the moat surrounding the wall.
Recommended Visit Duration: The wall is nearly 14 km long. There are three ways to experience it:
- Walking: About 3 hours
- Cycling: Around 1+ hour
- Electric cart with stops: About 1 hour
If you have the time and energy, cycling the entire wall is highly recommended. If time is tight, you can enter from the lively South Gate, stroll and take photos, and exit through a nearby gate. For a half-circle experience, most visitors choose to start at the North Gate and finish at the South Gate.
Tickets & Rentals:
- City Wall ticket: ¥54 per person (book via WeChat official account “Encounter City Wall Treasure Box”)
- Bicycle rental: Single ¥45, Tandem ¥90; Combo ticket: ¥100 per person
- Half-price: University students and below with valid ID
Opening Hours:
- South Gate: 8:00–24:00
- Other major gates (Changle, Anding, Anyuan, Hanguang, Wenchang, Heping, Shangde):
8:00–19:00 (May 1–Oct 31)
8:00–18:00 (Nov 1–Apr 30)
- Zhongshan Gate: 8:00–21:00
- Northwest corner towers: Lunar 1st & 15th day each month, 8:00–18:00
Recommended Photo Spots:
1️⃣ Classic spot: West side of Yongning Gate, sitting on the wall with intricate traditional buildings in the background. Be careful, no guardrails!
2️⃣ Changle Gate stairs: Right staircase has a better, grander visual angle than the left. If people are sitting, shoot from a diagonal distance.
3️⃣ Sunset backlight shots
4️⃣ Diagonal view from a platform with lampposts as a framing element
Nearby Attractions: Beilin Museum
Located south of the city wall at Wenchang Gate, the Beilin Museum displays steles from the Han to Ming-Qing dynasties, including authentic calligraphy by famous historical figures such as Qianlong, Yan Zhenqing, Wang Xizhi, and Su Shi. The museum’s crown jewel is the “Kaicheng Stone Classics,” preserved for over a thousand years. Besides calligraphy, the museum houses ancient stone coffins, tomb inscriptions, statues, and horse tethering pillars.
For calligraphy enthusiasts, this is a must-visit. Even for casual visitors, the museum’s charm is compelling. Guided tours are available in two formats: live guides and audio guides. A live guide (≤6 people) costs ¥100 and is highly recommended over the ¥30 audio device for a deeper experience.
Practical Info:
- Tickets: Full ¥50, Half ¥25 (Dec 1–Feb end, book via WeChat official account “Xi’an Beilin Museum”)
- Opening hours: 9:00–17:30
Top 4: Bell & Drum Towers
Highlights: Xi’an landmarks, prime spot for night views
The Bell and Drum Towers are located at the heart of Xi’an, within the city wall. The two towers face each other across the street, only about a 5-minute walk apart. Both towers are imposing and well-preserved, considered the best-maintained of their kind from the same period. Historically, they were used to signal time and transmit messages. Today, the towers display historical exhibits including clocks, drums, calligraphy, paintings, and Ming-Qing dynasty furniture. Visitors can climb one of the towers for a bird’s-eye view of Xi’an’s streets.
The area around the towers is also convenient for accommodation, with many budget hotels and hostels nearby. Staying here allows easy access to other attractions, and at night, you can enjoy the illuminated towers, take photos, and sample local street food. Don’t miss the morning 9:00 bell-ringing performance, which offers a traditional start to a day exploring Xi’an.
Recommended Photo Angles: The towers sit at the intersection of the city’s four main streets. From across the road, you can capture the full view of the Bell Tower. For night photography, try a slower shutter speed to turn passing car lights into streaks, creating a striking contrast between ancient architecture and modern urban life.
Practical Info:
- Tickets:
Bell Tower: ¥35/person
Drum Tower: ¥35/person
Combo ticket (both towers): ¥50/person
- Opening hours: 8:30–21:30
- Suggested visit duration: 1–1.5 hours for both towers
Top 5: Shaanxi History Museum
Highlights: “A Glimpse of Ten Thousand Years,” Treasure of Chinese Civilization, Hall of Art and History
Visiting the Shaanxi History Museum is like peeling back the layers of Xi’an’s deep history. From the prehistoric Lantian Man to the cultural treasures of the Sui, Tang, and Five Dynasties periods, the museum spans over a million years and houses nearly 400,000 artifacts, including paintings, bronzes, and precious metals and stones.
The museum is divided into three main exhibition halls: Ancient Civilization of Shaanxi , Tang Dynasty Treasures , and Tang Dynasty Murals Collection. The Ancient Civilization hall is the permanent exhibition and free to enter; the other two require separate tickets. (Holding a ticket to either of the paid exhibitions grants access to the permanent hall; a Tang Murals Collection ticket also allows entry to the Tang Treasures and permanent exhibitions.)
A quick walk-through is not enough—the stories behind the artifacts truly bring them to life. It’s recommended to hire a guide or rent an audio guide. Many key exhibits also support QR-code scanning for detailed explanations via WeChat, making the visit highly convenient.
Practical Info:
- Tickets:
Ancient Civilization Hall: Free
Tang Treasures – Hejia Village Hoard Exhibit: ¥30/person
Tang Dynasty Murals Collection: ¥270/person, student ticket ¥130/person (all tickets need to be reserved via the museum’s official WeChat account)
- Opening hours: 9:00–17:30 (last entry 16:00), closed on Mondays (except national holidays)
- Recommended visit duration: At least 3 hours for an in-depth experience.
For a more immersive visit, hiring a history expert for a 3-hour guided tour allows you to learn the stories behind the relics while walking through the exhibits—one day in Chang’an, a thousand years of history absorbed effortlessly.
Top 6: Giant Wild Goose Pagoda (Datang Everbright City)
Highlights: Xuanzang’s Scripture Repository, Musical Fountain, Leisure Plaza
The Giant Wild Goose Pagoda is one of Xi’an’s most iconic landmarks, located at Da Ci’en Temple. Originally built to house Sanskrit scriptures and relics brought by the monk Xuanzang , it represents the introduction of Buddhist architecture into China. The pagoda was also the site where Tang Dynasty scholars inscribed their names upon passing the imperial examinations, though these inscriptions are no longer visible. At the southern gate of the tower, there are two stone tablets: “Preface to the Sacred Teachings of Tripitaka of the Great Tang” and “Records of the Preface to the Sacred Teachings of Tripitaka of the Great Tang” , while inside, Buddhist artifacts are displayed across multiple levels.
The surrounding area has been transformed into Datang Everbright City , a vibrant cultural hub blending Tang Dynasty aesthetics, shopping, dining, and entertainment. Night visits offer a particularly charming experience. Highlights include:
- The famous “Tumbler Girl” performance at Wuling Jiayun (west side of the North Plaza)
- Giant Wild Goose Pagoda Musical Fountain in the North Plaza
- “Back to Chang’an” large-scale performance at Kaiyuan Square
- “Yanta Stories” light-and-shadow theme park in the South Plaza, featuring Journey to the West experiences suitable for kids
Throughout Datang Everbright City, sculptures of famous poets and historical figures such as Li Bai, Meng Haoran, and Emperor Xuanzong of Tang are scattered—perfect for photo hunting and selfies.
Best Photo Spots:
- Night fountain show at the North Plaza: The pagoda illuminated with lights and water jets creates a stunning scene. The best spot is at the northern edge of the fountain; it’s popular, so arrive early to secure a good position.
- South Plaza Xuanzang bronze statue (5 meters tall): Don’t miss the chance to capture Xuanzang “together” with the pagoda in a single frame.
Practical Info:
- Tickets: Pagoda area ¥50; Tower ascent ¥30
- Recommended visit duration: About 1 hour for both climbing the pagoda and exploring the area
- Show schedules: Refer to local guides or the official Datang Everbright City website for performance timings