Best Traditional Chinese Xi'an Terracotta Army and Silk Road Heritage Tour Destinations

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Best Traditional Chinese Xi'an Terracotta Army and Silk Road Heritage Tour Destinations

TL;DR

Xi'an - the eastern terminus of the ancient Silk Road and capital of 13 Chinese dynasties over 1,100 years - preserves the Terracotta Army of Qin Shi Huang (the first emperor), the most complete Ming-era city walls in China, the Tang-era Big and Small Wild Goose Pagodas, and the still-living Hui Muslim Quarter. Major destinations: Terracotta Army at the Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang (UNESCO), Xi'an City Wall, Big Wild Goose Pagoda, Muslim Quarter and Great Mosque, plus broader Silk Road cultural-tourism through Gansu province. Plan a 3-5 day Xi'an trip with optional Silk Road extension.

This is the single most important archaeological discovery of the 20th century in Asia and one of China's most rewarding heritage stops.

Background

Xi'an (formerly Chang'an) was the capital of the Western Zhou (1046-771 BC), Qin (221-206 BC), Han (202 BC-220 AD), Sui (581-618), and Tang (618-907) dynasties - making it one of the four great ancient capitals of the world alongside Rome, Athens, and Cairo. The Terracotta Army was discovered in March 1974 by farmers digging a well on the eastern outskirts; over 8,000 life-sized infantry, archers, cavalry, chariots, and horses were found across three excavated pits, all part of the funerary complex of Qin Shi Huang (259-210 BC), the first emperor to unify China. The Tang dynasty made Chang'an the eastern terminus of the Silk Road, which extended west through Gansu (Hexi Corridor: Lanzhou → Wuwei → Zhangye → Jiayuguan → Dunhuang) into Central Asia. The 14 km Ming-era city wall (built 1370) is the most complete in China.

Major Xi'an heritage characteristics:

Terracotta Army - UNESCO 1987 (Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor), 8,000+ figures, no two faces alike
Xi'an City Wall - 14 km perimeter, 12 m tall, walkable (or bicycle-rentable) on top
Big Wild Goose Pagoda (Da Yan Ta) - 64 m brick pagoda, 652 AD, Buddhist library that received the sutras Xuanzang brought from India
Hui Muslim Quarter and Great Mosque - 1,000+ years of Hui Muslim community, the Great Mosque (8th century, current 14th century) blends Chinese and Islamic architecture
Hexi Corridor Silk Road - Wuwei, Zhangye Danxia landform geopark, Jiayuguan fortress (western terminus of the Ming Great Wall), Dunhuang Mogao Caves (UNESCO)

The contemporary scene combines mass cultural tourism at the Terracotta Army (16,000+ visitors/day in peak summer) with Xi'an's continuing role as a regional capital and university city.

Tier 1 - five destinations to anchor a trip

1. Terracotta Army - heart

The Terracotta Army sits 35 km east of Xi'an at the foot of Mount Li. UNESCO 1987. Major destinations:

Pit 1: 230 m × 62 m main excavation, 6,000 figures in battle formation - the renowned view from the visitor balcony
Pit 2: command unit, 1,300 figures including the famous "Kneeling Archer", more individually displayed
Pit 3: command headquarters, 68 high-ranking officer figures
Bronze Chariot Hall: two half-scale bronze chariots and horses, the most exquisite of the museum's pieces
Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang itself: the actual tomb mound (76 m tall), 1.5 km west of the pits, deliberately unexcavated - current scientific opinion is that the tomb chamber may contain mercury rivers as described by Sima Qian, and excavation is deferred until preservation technology improves

Allow 3-4 hours minimum. Tickets RMB 120 ($17), book online ahead via the Terracotta Army Museum site or major tour operators.

Mid-range budget €70-150 per day in Xi'an.

2. Xi'an City Wall

The Xi'an City Wall is the most complete Ming-era (1370) city wall in China - 14 km perimeter, 12 m high, 18 m thick at the base. Major destinations:

Walking the wall: 4-5 hours full circuit, or rent bicycles (RMB 45 for 100 minutes) at South Gate to ride the top in 90 minutes
South Gate (Yongning Gate): most ornate, with the moat and the Yongning Gate Lantern Festival decorations
North Gate: closest to the Drum Tower
Sunset views: best from the wall top facing west, especially at the South-West Tower
Combined with broader Old City cultural-tourism

Mid-range budget €70-130 per day. City Wall entry RMB 54.

3. Muslim Quarter and Great Mosque

The Muslim Quarter (Huimin Jie) is a 1,000-year-old Hui Muslim community in the Old City, centred around the Great Mosque. Major destinations:

Great Mosque (Da Qingzhen Si): 8th-century origin, current 14th-century buildings - entirely Chinese pavilion-and-courtyard architecture but functioning as an Islamic mosque, with Arabic calligraphy on Chinese-style scrolls
Beiyuanmen Muslim Street: pedestrian food street - yangrou paomo (lamb stew with bread chunks), roujiamo (Chinese hamburger), persimmon cakes, hand-pulled lamian noodles
Drum Tower and Bell Tower: 14th-century, on a north-south axis, the historical timekeeping centre of the city
Combined with broader central Xi'an cultural-tourism

Mid-range budget €70-130 per day. Great Mosque entry RMB 25.

4. Big and Small Wild Goose Pagodas

The Big Wild Goose Pagoda (Da Yan Ta) and Small Wild Goose Pagoda are the two surviving Tang-era Buddhist pagodas in the south of the city. Major destinations:

Big Wild Goose Pagoda: 7-storey, 64 m, 652 AD original, current 16th-century reconstruction - built to house the Buddhist sutras the monk Xuanzang brought back from India along the Silk Road
Da Ci'en Temple complex surrounding the pagoda: working temple
Tang Paradise (Datang Furong Yuan): 1.5 km south, a Tang-themed cultural park with evening fountain shows
Small Wild Goose Pagoda: 13-storey, 707 AD, top crown lost to earthquake - adjacent to the Xi'an Museum (excellent provincial museum with ancient bronzes and Silk Road artifacts)

Mid-range budget €70-130 per day. Big Wild Goose Pagoda RMB 50; Small Wild Goose Pagoda free.

5. Various Xi'an and Silk Road cultural-tourism

Various Xi'an heritage extends through Shaanxi province and west along the Silk Road:

Shaanxi History Museum: free (timed reservation), one of China's best provincial museums - Tang gold and silver, Han bronze, Qin terracotta
Banpo Neolithic Village: 6,000-year-old Neolithic settlement excavation
Mount Hua (Huashan): one of China's Five Sacred Mountains, vertical hiking with chains, 2 hours by high-speed rail
Silk Road through Gansu: high-speed rail Xi'an-Lanzhou (3 hours), then conventional train to Zhangye Danxia, Jiayuguan, Dunhuang
Mogao Caves at Dunhuang (UNESCO 1987): 492 surviving Buddhist cave shrines, 4th-14th century, the greatest single Silk Road heritage site

Tier 2 - for longer trips

Combined Chinese cultural-tourism: Xi'an and Beijing (see related guide) + Shanghai
Silk Road extension: Xi'an → Lanzhou → Zhangye → Jiayuguan → Dunhuang (10-14 days by train and bus)
Combined Central Asian cultural-tourism: Silk Road extending to Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Iran (via Khorgos border crossing)
Various academic Chinese-archaeology programs

Cost comparison

Destination	Daily budget (mid-range)	Site entry	Cultural-tourism quality	Overall value
Terracotta Army	€70-150	$17	premier	Outstanding
City Wall	€70-130	$7.50	premier	Outstanding
Muslim Quarter & Mosque	€70-130	$3.50 mosque	premier	Outstanding
Big Wild Goose Pagoda	€70-130	$7	premier	High
Various Xi'an/Silk Road	€70-200	varies	varies	High

Object prices: Xi'an is moderately priced; meals €4-15, hotels €40-100 mid-range. The Silk Road extension west of Xi'an gets pricier (Dunhuang lodging €60-150).

How to plan it

Visit the Terracotta Army first thing in the morning - Pit 1 gets crowded by 10 am. Group tour buses arrive 9:30-10 am; arrive 8:30 am to have first 90 minutes relatively quiet.

Skip the official tour buses from the city - go independently by Metro Line 9 (Tourist Special Line) + Bus 914/915 from Xi'an Railway Station (RMB 8 each way), or hire a private driver ($60-100 round-trip).

Book Shaanxi History Museum free tickets ahead - only 6,000 daily slots, fills 7-14 days before in summer.

Walk or cycle the City Wall - bicycle rental at the wall top is the renowned experience.

English is functional at major Xi'an tourist sites; museum English signage decent.

Carry RMB and use Alipay/WeChat Pay - China is largely cashless; tourist Alipay TourCard makes mobile payments easy.

Time around April-May or September-October for the best weather. Xi'an summers are hot; winters cold and dry.

FAQ

Are the Terracotta figures originals or replicas?

Originals - the figures you see in the pits are exactly as discovered, conservatively restored where damaged. Pit 1's farthest figures show original paint pigments on excavation but oxidise quickly in air, which is why farther excavation is paused.

Is Xi'an safe for travelers?

Yes - among the safer Chinese cities. Standard precautions for tourist scams.

When is the best time to visit?

April-May for spring blooms and moderate weather, September-October for autumn. Avoid July-August (35-40°C heat).

Are these traditions changing?

Heritage continuation is strong; UNESCO protection robust. The Hui Muslim Quarter has become more touristed but remains authentically Hui.

Should I drink the tap water?

No - drink bottled or boiled water.

Putting it together - three recommended trips

The Xi'an classic - fly or train Xi'an, three nights central Xi'an (Terracotta Army day, City Wall and Muslim Quarter day, Big Wild Goose Pagoda and Shaanxi History Museum day), train back. Four days. Expect €600-€1,100 per person excluding international flights.

The Beijing-Xi'an China classics arc - fly Beijing (4 nights, see related guide), high-speed rail Xi'an (3 nights), fly home. Eight days. Expect €1,500-€2,500 per person excluding flights.

The Silk Road arc - fly Xi'an (3 nights), high-speed rail Lanzhou (1 night), train Zhangye Danxia (1 night), train Jiayuguan (1 night), train Dunhuang Mogao Caves (3 nights), fly Dunhuang-home. Eleven days. Expect €1,800-€2,800 per person excluding flights.

Related guides on this site

External references

Wikipedia - Terracotta Army
Wikipedia - Xi'an
Wikivoyage - Xi'an
UNESCO - Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor

Last updated 2026-05-05. Site entry pricing and reservation systems change; verify before travel.

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