Xi'an, China
Top places to visit in Xi'an
6 places worth your time in Xi'an, with what each is actually like and when to go.
Last updated 2026-08-09
1. Terracotta Army
Photo: wiredtourist.com · CC BY 2.0 · source
Eight thousand figures buried with the first emperor in 210 BC, discovered by well-diggers in 1974.
- Map: Open in Maps
- Best time: At opening, weekdays
- Cost: CNY 120
Watch outCounterfeit and duplicate tickets sold by touts near the site; buy online or at the official window.
2. City Wall
Photo: wiredtourist.com · CC BY 2.0 · source
Fourteen kilometres of intact Ming fortification, walkable and cyclable end to end.
- Map: Open in Maps
- Best time: Late afternoon
- Cost: CNY 54 plus bike hire
3. Muslim Quarter
Photo: teflsearch · CC BY 2.0 · source
The Hui district behind the Drum Tower, a dense food street that has been one for centuries.
Watch outPer-portion prices quoted then charged by weight.
4. Great Mosque
Photo: Omar A. · CC BY SA 2.0 · source
Founded in 742, and built as a Chinese temple complex rather than in any Middle Eastern style.
5. Big Wild Goose Pagoda
Photo: Matthijs Koster · CC BY 2.0 · source
A Tang pagoda built to house sutras brought from India by the monk Xuanzang.
6. Shaanxi History Museum
Photo: dimitris.argyris · CC BY 2.0 · source
The best provincial museum in China, covering thirteen dynasties that ruled from here.
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