A photograph of Xi'an

City guide · China

Xi'an

Xi'an has a legible historic centre enclosed by the City Wall, with the Bell Tower, Drum Tower and Muslim Quarter close together. The Giant Wild Goose Pagoda an...

Photograph · ScareCriterion12 · CC BY-SA 4.0

2,462 Places
Suggested stay
Not recorded
Getting around
Walking, metro and city bus

Turn this list into a plan

Set your days, your pace and the hours you actually want to be out. The planner works around closing days and travel time, and leaves room to eat.

Plan Xi'an

Reviewed by Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor

Xi'an has a legible historic centre enclosed by the City Wall, with the Bell Tower, Drum Tower and Muslim Quarter close together. The Giant Wild Goose Pagoda and major museums form a southern cultural cluster. The Terracotta Army, Huaqing Palace and other Lintong sites lie well east of the centre and require a separate excursion.

Checked 2026-08-26

Practical information

Language spoken
Standard Chinese; regional languages are widely used
National practical orientation; regional and minority languages may also be used
Dialling code
+86 mainland · +852 Hong Kong · +853 Macao
International calling code; local area and mobile prefixes still apply
Currency
Renminbi (CNY); HKD and MOP in the SARs
Use the official local currency; card acceptance varies by place
Emergency number
110 police · 120 medical on the mainland
Use only for an emergency; tourist assistance may use a separate number
Plug type
Type A, C and I · 220 V
Check that chargers support the recorded voltage before using an adapter
Tap water
Not recorded
No single verified statement covers mainland China and both SARs

Planning a visit

September · September cools Xi'an to a 24.7°C mean high, although precipitation peaks at 108.0 mm.

  1. January: viable with meaningful trade-offs
  2. February: viable with meaningful trade-offs
  3. March: good time to visit
  4. April: best time to visit
  5. May: best time to visit
  6. June: good time to visit
  7. July: viable with meaningful trade-offs
  8. August: viable with meaningful trade-offs
  9. September: good time to visit — current month
  10. October: best time to visit
  11. November: good time to visit
  12. December: viable with meaningful trade-offs

Sources

Top things to see

Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.

  1. Xi'an Museum Xi'an Museum
    07 1 hr 30 min

    Xi'an Museum

    西安博物院

    Xi'an Museum is a cultural institution in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China, located near the Small Wild Goose Pagoda in the Beilin District. The museum complex integrates the historic pagoda, ancient architectural structures, and modern exhibition facilities.

    • Must see
    • Museum
  2. Xi'an Qujiang Museum of Fine Arts
    08 1 hr 30 min

    Xi'an Qujiang Museum of Fine Arts

    西安曲江艺术博物馆

    The Xi'an Qujiang Museum of Fine Arts is a cultural institution in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China. Located in the Qujiang New District area, it forms part of the city's expanding cultural infrastructure.

    • Must see
    • Museum
  3. 大唐西市博物馆 大唐西市博物馆
    09 1 hr 30 min

    大唐西市博物馆

    Tang West Market Museum, 大唐西市博物馆, stands at the site of Xi'an's historic Tang Dynasty western market. The ancient market was part of Chang'an's international commercial life and connected the city with Silk Road exchange.

    • Must see
    • Museum
  4. Xi'an Incident Memorial
    10 1 hr 30 min

    Xi'an Incident Memorial

    西安事变纪念馆

    Xi'an Incident Memorial Hall commemorates the 1936 Xi'an Incident, a turning point in modern Chinese history. Nationalist general Zhang Xueliang detained Chiang Kai-shek and pressed for cooperation with the Communists against Japanese invasion.

    • Must see
    • Museum
  5. Former office of Eighth Route Army in Xi'an Former office of Eighth Route Army in Xi'an
    11 1 hr 30 min

    Former office of Eighth Route Army in Xi'an

    八路军西安办事处纪念馆

    The Eighth Route Army Xi'an Office Memorial Hall preserves the wartime office associated with the Eighth Route Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War. It presents Xi'an as an important setting for liaison, organization, and supply work.

    • Must see
    • Museum

Source: OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata ·

How the city is laid out

Use the City Wall as the central reference: the Bell and Drum towers sit near its middle, the Muslim Quarter lies to the northwest, and the gates define practical entry points. Group the southern pagoda and museum district separately. Lintong is not a quick addition to a wall walk; reserve a substantial block for the eastern archaeological sites.

Checked 2026-08-26

Getting around

Walk inside the walled centre and use the metro between the rail stations, southern cultural district and other urban zones. Xi'an's official English portal groups transportation with its visitor information. Confirm the current operator map for the final connection to Lintong sites, since the metro does not remove every road transfer between the city and individual archaeological entrances.

Checked 2026-08-26

Common questions

How many days should I spend in Xi'an?

A fixed stay length is not recorded. Build the visit around the walled centre and southern cultural district, then add Lintong and the eastern archaeological sites only when the available time supports a separate journey.

What is the best way to organise sightseeing in Xi'an?

Group places by district instead of crossing the city repeatedly. Start with the walled centre and southern cultural district; treat Lintong and the eastern archaeological sites as separate routes with their own travel allowance.

How do I get around Xi'an?

Use Walking, metro and city bus. Walk within compact clusters and consult the linked official transport information before making longer transfers or relying on a particular route.

Can I explore Xi'an mainly on foot?

Only within individual neighbourhood clusters. The main visitor areas are separated by distances, waterways, major roads or regional approaches, so longer links normally need public transport or a licensed vehicle.

Which Xi'an sights need separate transport planning?

Plan Lintong and the eastern archaeological sites separately from the walled centre and southern cultural district. Check the current route, return connection and any access requirements on the official source before departure.