5 days / 4 nights | Terracotta Army · Huaqing Palace · Mount Hua · Daci'en Temple · old-city food
Overview
The Terracotta Army, Huaqing Palace and Mount Hua link the history of the Qin and Tang dynasties with dramatic natural scenery. After a night at the foot of Mount Hua you go up by the West Peak cable car and come down by the North Peak cable car, then round off the journey through the ancient capital with Daci'en Temple, the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, the Xi'an City Wall, Yongxingfang, the Bell and Drum Towers and the Muslim Quarter.
This route suits first-time visitors to Xi'an who want to cover the historic landmarks and Mount Hua in one trip. Sections without fixed times are arranged flexibly, and the actual order is adjusted to bookings, traffic, weather and your energy levels.
Highlights
Itinerary
Your private vehicle meets you at the station or airport according to your train or flight arrival time and takes you to the hotel to check in. If there is time to spare, take a walk around the hotel for a first impression of the ancient capital of thirteen dynasties once known as Chang'an.
After breakfast you drive to Lintong to visit Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum, where the ranks of terracotta figures, their military formations and the excavation pits themselves bring the Qin empire to life. In the afternoon you visit Huaqing Palace at the foot of Mount Li, with its imperial hot-spring remains, the story of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang and Yang Guifei, and the historic sites of the Xi'an Incident. You then drive on to the foot of Mount Hua for the night.
Take the scenic-area shuttle and the West Peak cable car up the mountain, then visit the West, South, Central, East or North Peaks according to your fitness and what is open, with around 4.5 hours set aside on the mountain. Finally you descend by the North Peak cable car and return to Xi'an. If fitness levels in your group differ, the plan can be changed to a North Peak round trip or a West Peak round trip; cable cars and paths open as announced by the scenic area.
In the morning you visit Daci'en Temple and the area around the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda to learn about Xuanzang's sutra translations, Tang-dynasty Buddhism and the tradition of inscribing one's name at the pagoda; climbing the pagoda can be arranged separately on request. Next you go up onto the Xi'an City Wall to understand the ancient defensive system from its gates and towers. In the afternoon you head to Yongxingfang for Shaanxi intangible cultural heritage and local snacks, then stroll the Bell and Drum Tower square, and finish with free time and dinner in the Muslim Quarter.
After breakfast the morning is free until it is time to leave, when your private vehicle takes you to the station or airport. Your travel consultant works back from your train or flight time, the traffic and security screening to set the actual departure from the city, bringing five days in the ancient capital to a close.
Inclusions
Quoted per trip. Tell us your dates and group size and a travel consultant will send a tailored quote within 24 hours.
The Mount Hua cable cars, mountain shuttle buses and exactly what is included at each attraction are subject to the final quote and the notice issued on the departure date.
Stops
The massed ranks of terracotta figures show the troop types, military organisation and remarkably lifelike craftsmanship of the Qin dynasty, an essential site for understanding the Qin empire and Chinese archaeology.
Imperial hot springs, a Tang-dynasty love legend and the historic sites of the Xi'an Incident meet here; the show staged inside the grounds is ticketed separately and not part of the standard visit.
Famed for its sheer, precipitous peaks. Going up by the West Peak and down by the North Peak links several summits in one visit; the route is adjusted to fitness, weather and what the scenic area has open.
A Tang-dynasty imperial temple and the place where Xuanzang translated the sutras; the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda is Xi'an's signature landmark. Whether to climb the pagoda can be decided according to opening conditions and your wishes.
A fully preserved Ming-dynasty wall encircles the old city. From the top you can study the gates, corner towers and the city's central axis, and see where old and new neighbourhoods meet.
Yongxingfang gathers snacks from across Shaanxi alongside intangible-heritage displays, and the walk extends naturally to the Bell and Drum Towers and the Muslim Quarter, where you can sample paomo, noodles and local pastries at your leisure.
Related
Five days in Beijing with a private driver-guide and no shopping stops: Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, the Olympic Park, the Shichahai hutongs, the Summer Palace and the Temple of Heaven, staying at boutique hotels in the city centre.
Five days in and out of Shanghai: Hanshan Temple and Shantang Street in Suzhou, Hangzhou's West Lake, a night in Wuzhen Xizha, then the Bund and a Huangpu River night cruise.
Five days through the best of Sichuan: giant pandas at Dujiangyan Panda Valley, the Leshan Giant Buddha by boat, the Golden Summit of Mount Emei with a hot-spring night, then Kuanzhai Alley and the Tower of Life in Chengdu.
Ready to plan this route?
Share your travel dates, group size and hotel preferences. A travel consultant confirms the itinerary and sends a quote.
Add us on LINE for the fastest reply, or reach our Taiwan offices directly.
Each destination has its own LINE official account staffed by that country’s consultants. Send your travel dates, group size and the places you want to see, and we reply with a tailored route and quote, usually within one business day.
12F.-5, No. 206, Songjiang Rd., Zhongshan Dist., Taipei City, Taiwan
+886-2-7729-0399No. 7, Ln. 168, Sec. 2, Meicun Rd., South Dist., Taichung City, Taiwan
+886-4-3704-6869Chinese-language sister sites: GO JAPAN|GO KOREA|GO CHINA|GO THAILAND