The Terracotta Army
Three pits, roughly 8,000 figures, no two faces alike. Pit 1 is the spectacle; the museum beside it holds the bronze chariots and the paint that survives on a few.
Xi'an · Shaanxi
Xi'an Tours 2026 | Terracotta Army, Shaanxi | JoyoTour
Xi'an is the capital of Shaanxi Province and the starting point of the Silk Road: the Terracotta Army, a 14 km Ming city wall and a Muslim Quarter that has fed travellers for 1,300 years. Private Xi'an tours from US$189 a day.
The short version
Xi'an is the capital of Shaanxi Province and where the Silk Road began. Forty kilometres east of the city, 8,000 terracotta warriors have stood in formation since 210 BC; inside the walls, a 14 km Ming rampart still encloses the old grid, and the Muslim Quarter has fed passing merchants for thirteen centuries. Three days is right, or two if you are short on time and skip the Han tombs.
- Xi'an is the capital of Shaanxi Province and the eastern terminus of the Silk Road.
- The Terracotta Army is 40 km east of the city — allow a half-day including the museum.
- The Ming city wall is 14 km around and you can cycle the full circuit in about two hours.
- Xi'an Xianyang (XIY) flies daily to Europe, North America and Central Asia.
- High-speed rail puts Beijing 4h 30m away and Chengdu about 3h away.
The place itself
What Xi'an is actually like
Chang'an, as it was called for a thousand years, was the eastern end of the Silk Road and at one point the largest city on earth — a million people inside a grid of 108 wards, with markets that closed at drumbeat every evening. Foreign merchants were issued travel papers at the border and walked in from Samarkand.
The warriors were found by accident in 1974, by farmers digging a well during a drought. That is the character of Xi'an as a destination: the empire underneath is revealed by chance, while the city above ground keeps its own rhythm of noodle shops, drum towers and evening square dancing.
Xi'an also does something no other Chinese city does as well — it is honest about its Muslim history. The Quarter inside the west wall is 1,300 years old, still residential, still family-run, and at dusk it serves the best street food in northern China.
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What not to miss — Xi'an
The Ming city wall
14 km of ramparts you can walk or cycle, with a moat and park beneath. The South Gate at dusk is the classic entry.
The Muslim Quarter
A Hui neighbourhood of 1,300 years — beef and lamb skewers, hand-torn noodles, pomegranate juice, and a Great Mosque built in Chinese temple style.
The Giant Wild Goose Pagoda
Built in 652 to hold the scriptures Xuanzang brought back from India. The north square runs a fountain show after dark.
Shaanxi History Museum
Around 370,000 objects covering the Zhou, Qin, Han and Tang dynasties — free entry, and the best single primer on the region in China.
Han Yang Ling
The underground tomb of Emperor Jingdi, with a glass walkway over the burial pits. Far quieter than the warriors.
China tours that include this stop — Xi'an
China Highlights Express
The essential first-time itinerary: imperial Beijing, the Terracotta Army in Xi'an and futuristic Shanghai, linked by high-speed rail.
★★★★★4.9 218 reviews
From US$1,290 US$1,490/per person
Golden Triangle & Giant Panda
The three great capitals plus a morning with the pandas of Chengdu — the trip we recommend to seven out of ten first-time visitors.
★★★★★4.9 164 reviews
From US$1,690/per person
View tourSilk Road Odyssey
Xi'an to Dunhuang along the Hexi Corridor: desert fortresses, camel treks at Mingsha Shan and the caves of a Thousand Buddhas.
★★★★★4.8 76 reviews
From US$2,690/per person
View tourCulinary China: Dumplings to Dim Sum
Nine days eating across four regional cuisines, with cooking classes, market walks and a Chengdu hotpot night that goes late.
★★★★★4.9 112 reviews
From US$1,780/per person
View tourFamily China Discovery
Twelve days built for children: panda mornings, dumpling classes, a Great Wall toboggan, karst rivers and no 5 a.m. wake-ups.
★★★★★4.9 97 reviews
From US$1,980/per person
View tourGrand China Odyssey
Five regions, one journey: imperial north, panda country, the karst rivers of Guilin and the skyline of Shanghai, with Hangzhou's West Lake.
★★★★★4.8 132 reviews
From US$2,580/per person
View tourDay tours from here — Xi'an
Xi'an
Terracotta Army Private Day Tour
Pit 1 before the coaches, the bronze chariots, then the city wall at dusk — the two halves of Xi'an in one day.
From US$98/per person
View tour
Xi'an
City Wall & Muslim Quarter Day Tour
Cycle the only complete Ming city wall in China in the cool of the morning, then eat your way through the Hui quarter the Silk Road left behind.
From US$89/per person
View tour
Xi'an
Mount Hua Private Day Tour
The western peak by cable car, the ridge walk to the south peak, and the plank walk if you want it — China's most vertical sacred mountain in a day.
From US$139/per person
View tourGetting there and away
Xi'an Xianyang International (XIY) handles daily non-stops to Europe, North America and Central Asia, plus dense domestic coverage. Metro Line 14 links it to the north station and the city.
High-speed rail runs 4h 30m from Beijing West and about 3h from Chengdu East, which makes Xi'an the natural hinge between north-west and south-west China.
Inside the wall, everything is close enough to walk; for the warriors and Han Yang Ling you need a vehicle, which is included on every private tour.
Best time to visit — Xi'an
| Month | Weather | Crowds | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 4°C / -4°C · dry, cold | Quiet | Avoid |
| February | 6°C / -1°C · dry, cold | Very busy | Avoid |
| March | 14°C / 5°C · dry, cold | Moderate | Good |
| April | 21°C / 12°C · clear and mild | Moderate | Best |
| May | 27°C / 18°C · clear and mild | Busy | Best |
| June | 31°C / 23°C · hot, humid | Moderate | OK |
| July | 32°C / 25°C · hot, humid | Busy | OK |
| August | 30°C / 24°C · hot, humid | Busy | OK |
| September | 26°C / 19°C · clear and mild | Moderate | Best |
| October | 20°C / 12°C · clear and mild | Very busy | Best |
| November | 12°C / 4°C · dry, cold | Quiet | Good |
| December | 5°C / -2°C · dry, cold | Quiet | Good |
How many days do you need?
Three days. One for the Terracotta Army and Huaqing Pool, one for the wall, the Muslim Quarter and the pagodas, one for the Shaanxi History Museum and Han Yang Ling. Two days works if you drop Han Yang Ling and take the first train out on day three.
Plan these days properlyMeet guides who cover this area
Beijing
Zhang Wei
National Tour Guide Certificate, English
★★★★★4.9214 reviews
- English
- Mandarin
Zhang Wei grew up in a hutong ten minutes' walk from the Drum Tower, and he still starts most Beijing days there, before the crowds, when the lane smells of fried dough and soy milk. He has walked the Great Wall more than 300 times and keeps a hand-drawn map of which stretches are restored, which are not, and which justify an extra hour of driving. Guests tend to remember that he explains a Ming emperor's decision by first describing what the weather was doing that year.
We had seen the wall in pictures; Zhang Wei took us to a stretch where we were the only people for two hours.
Sarah M., United Kingdom
- Imperial Beijing: the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven and hutong courtyards
- Unrestored Great Wall stretches: Jinshanling, Gubeikou and Jiankou
- Ming and Qing history explained through buildings rather than dates
- Photography timing — empty courtyards at opening, wall sections at golden hour
Xi'an
Liu Yun
National Tour Guide Certificate, English
★★★★★4.9276 reviews
- English
- Mandarin
- Japanese
Liu Yun worked two field seasons on an excavation team outside Xi'an before he ever led a tour, and he still carries a small trowel in his day bag in case someone asks what the soil looks like. He presents the Terracotta Army as an industrial project — kilns, quotas, quality control — rather than a miracle. Fifteen years in, he is the guide other Xi'an guides call when a museum curator comes to town.
He explained the army as a production line, not a legend. Our teenagers asked questions for two hours straight.
David K., Australia
- The Terracotta Army: pit layout, kiln technology and the live excavation
- Han and Tang Xi'an: the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, the Muslim Quarter and the city wall
- Silk Road overland routing from Xi'an through to Dunhuang
- Museum days at the Shaanxi History Museum without the queues
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Frequently asked questions
What province is Xi'an in?
Xi'an is the capital of Shaanxi Province in north-west China. Note the spelling: Shaanxi, with a double a, distinguishes it from neighbouring Shanxi to the east. Shaanxi is where the Silk Road began and where the Qin, Han and Tang dynasties were based.
How far is the Terracotta Army from Xi'an?
About 40 km east of the city, roughly one hour by road. Most itineraries pair it with Huaqing Pool on the same day and return to Xi'an in the late afternoon. Allow a half-day, or a full day if you want the bronze chariot gallery properly.
How many days do you need in Xi'an?
Three days is comfortable: the Terracotta Army and Huaqing Pool on day one, the city wall, Muslim Quarter and pagodas on day two, the Shaanxi History Museum and Han Yang Ling on day three. Two days works if you cut Han Yang Ling.
Is the Terracotta Army worth it?
Yes, and it survives the hype. Roughly 8,000 figures across three pits, each face individually modelled, standing where they were placed before 210 BC. Go early and let your guide take you to Pit 3 and the museum after Pit 1.
What should I eat in Xi'an?
In the Muslim Quarter: lamb skewers, hand-torn biang biang noodles, roujiamo, liangpi cold noodles and fresh pomegranate juice. A full street-food crawl costs around ¥60–100 per person.
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