Terracotta Army and Drum Towers

When you are in Xi'an you should visit the city's enormous shopping malls. You're sure to be in awe of the wide variety of products and even more so by the large Chinese shopping crowd. Once you leave the mall, you can visit the Drum Tower as it is just outside. Try to be here at around 5pm and you can climb to the top for a beautiful view of the city and the Muslim district. As dusk falls, the first lanterns and lights will be illuminated- this is sure to be a real highlight of your Xi'an trip. In the heart of the tower you’ll find a small museum with a very unique collection of drums in all shapes and sizes from all corners of the globe.

Several times a day, a short drum demonstration is given, so you might not want to miss this. Demonstration times are shown at the entrance of the tower so you can check this in advance. Once you’ve finished exploring the tower and seeing the sights on your Xi'an trip, we suggest exploring the Muslim district.

Once you head to the Muslim district, the first thing you will notice is all the delicious food on offer. Walk around, and you’ll pass several small streets filled with the scent of barbeques and a smokey, misty air of barbecue herbs and spices. Pick one of the many restaurants and experience this wonderful food - we'd recommend the lamb shish-kebab (or any vegetarian options you fancy).

Behind these small streets, you’ll see the Mosque of Xi’an. It is one of the largest mosques in China and it is a very different to the Chinese temples with its mix of Chinese and Islamic architechure.

In the evening, you might want to sit by the Drum Tower, soak up the atmosphere and relax after all this sightseeing. When you are ready, a taxi (or tuk-tuk) can take you back to your hotel for about 20 Yuan.

Today, you’ll be picked up from your hotel at 9am to continue your Xi'an trip to see the famous Terracotta Army- one of China’s top attractions. The best way to see this attraction is by private tour without a guide and this is exactly how we’ve arranged this excursion for you. The excavation site is approximately 40 minutes from the city and is located in a large park.

On the way you might get to visit a workshop where the staff will show you exact replicas of the Terrecotta Army and explain the different rankings of all the figurines that have been found in the excavation site.

The Terracotta Army was discovered by farmers in 1974. They stumbled upon approximately 8000 clay soldiers, horses and chariots that were once built at the request of the then thirteen year old King Zheng for his future royal tomb.

We advise you to start in hall 3, then visit hall 2 and finally hall 1, then this way you’ll save the largest and most impressive part of the excavation site for last. During your Xi'an trip to the Terracotta army, you can visit the museum and the souvenir stands with kitsch clay soldiers, horses, weapons and other trinkets. 

Your Xi'an trip to the Terracotta Army will last approximately two hours; however, if you include transit time, the excursion will take up half a day. If you’d like an active afternoon after the sight seeing in the morning, you can go bike riding along the city wall. The wall is 12km long and is built in a square around the city. If you’re looking to do something different on your Xi'an trip, this is your best bet and you get a great view of the whole city.

You’ll pay 40 Yuan to access the city wall and 20 Yuan to rent a bicycle for an hour and a half (enough time to ride all the way around the city walls) and a 200 Yuan deposit. The south gate is the best starting point and this is where you will find the bicycles for rent. There are several cafés located at the various towers. The wall is open for cycling from 8:00 - 22:00.