Things to do in Xi'an

Top Things to Do in Xi'an

Things to Do in Xi'an


Book these experiences for a close-up look at Xi'an.


Top Attractions in Xi'an

These rankings are informed by traveller reviews—we consider the quality, quantity, recency, consistency of reviews, and the number of page views over time.
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What travellers are saying

  • JElliot32
    New South Wales, Australia3,811 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    We recently went on a tour of China that included Xi'an as an optional extra. We ticked the box to visit Xi'an and were rewarded with a fantastic, not-to-be forgotten experience, and easily the highlight of our trip. Easily ... the Great Wall was in the dust. I feel for those other tourists who didn't tick the Xi'an box - they might have saved a few dollars but missed a remarkable place, surely a wonder of the world. If you plan to visit China, make sure Xi'an is on the itinerary.
    Written 25 February 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • dyhx
    Singapore3,494 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Entrance fee CNY54, bought on the spot via Wechat and entered via the South entrance, which is where the metro exit D1 leads to.

    At level 2 of the city wall, there's a centerpiece of the entire area and a staff comes by at designated times to give a brief of it. Lucky to catch the 4pm one and got a better understanding of how the city wall came to be and possibly the origin of the term '买东西' , stemming from the only 2 markets at that time 东市 (local market)& 西市 (international one where they traded with 西域).

    The entire wall is 6km long but I've clocked enough steps for the day, so I walked for just a stretch along the city wall, entering from 永宁门 and exited thru 文昌门.
    Written 18 November 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Omar Khaled
    Chengdu, China14 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Nice street with a lot food diversity,definitely one of the places to go in Xian,the food quality is high and most of people are friendly with customers over there
    Written 1 March 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • bcheong
    Shanghai, China26,685 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Came here for a 2nd look, first time was 15 years ago. Not sure if we could enter or even climb up, we didn’t ask. But nice to know of this 1500 year old pagoda that houses items from Xuanzhang’s travels. An UNESCO site as part of the silk route
    Written 13 March 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Wisanee K
    3 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Since Xi'an (and cities in its proximity) had been China's capital for 13 dynasties and probably 4,000 - 5,000 years. This museum exhibits ancient China's history and development very well in good sequence. This place is foreigner-friendly as all items are labelled in both Mandarin and English (as I found this is a rare case in Beijing). It took me almost 3 hours to complete 3 major exhibitions and it was really worthwhile! The place is large and quite clean by the time I visted.
    Written 1 January 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • carolinafzs d
    Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia448 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    The palace is beautiful and well preserved. This is an area of hot springs and you can have a bath (RMB295/person) or a feet bath (RMB50/person) while enjoying a cup of tea.
    Please be sure to watch The Everlasting Sorrow show. It worths reading a bit about the Concubine Yang Guifei before the show, then you can understand it better. The show is amazing!!
    Written 7 January 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Kyle Ciulla
    Beijing, China295 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    super cool mosque near the Muslim quarter. if you are in the area, it is worth a visit. the people here were very nice, and were very happy to see a foreigner take interest in their culture.
    Written 10 April 2021
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • KM Lee
    Singapore213 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    This is the "other" terra Cotta site. A bit underrated.
    I'll share a bit about independent travel, because the options for public transport - which were available - are totally off as for now, a victim of the epidemic. Services have not been restored as of writing. A taxi can bring you here from Xi'an city, but coming back will require a ride hailing app. Word of advice: test the app before setting off! The site is off a highway and how to hail a taxi?
    The two main areas of interest are first, Emperor jingdi's tomb. this is where the (currently non-operating) public bus stop is. Here you walk on glass floors to view the ongoing excavation work and the smaller terra cotta figures.
    The second is the archaeological museum where the artifacts can be viewed up close and where the *current* ticket office is. The better preserved artifacts are kept here behind glass.
    Of note is the south que (watchtower) building. This houses two mounds which are the remains of the south wall gate. This building is rather grand and could be used to house other exhibits. It's a bit far from the two main attractions though.
    Aside from these, the rest of the exhibits require a good imagination (little left to see!) and require a good walk.

    Written 24 December 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • ClaireLouise
    Derbyshire, UK366 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    We got a ticket from the booth (needed to show our passport : free entry).
    The grounds are beautiful. The museum is packed with lots of history of the different dynasties.
    After walking around the grounds you see the small pagoda which is also very interesting.
    We took lots of photos.
    Yes, I recommend if in Xi'an.
    Written 8 November 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Knock
    Bangkok, Thailand23 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    The museum is a wonderful place to experience an interesting calligraphy lesson. The museum ticket is included a private English speaking tour guide who is very knowledgable and explained all the artwork and China history to us, also give us an insight of Chinese life both in the past and at present.
    Last but not least, Calligraphy art is real amazing!!!
    Written 10 December 2019
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • David M
    Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia258 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    This commercially built 'historical site' - themed park has many good angles for photo opportunities. You would expect to see couples taking their wedding photos and many poses. The night sights were worth waiting for.
    Written 29 October 2019
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Blake Evans
    Shenzhen, China30 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    What a marvelous site. Each time I saw the tower it was night. Although the city has threaded lights all over the bell tower. It glows in the night!

    Catch glimpses of locals dressed in traditional garments as they pose for creative photos.

    Shop nearby the towers and experience the taste of Xi’an. The streets are wide for walking or cycling.
    Written 21 October 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.