Short answer
Two days covers the Terracotta Army, the city wall, the Muslim Quarter, the Bell and Drum Towers and one museum — but only if you book first. Xi'an runs on real-name timed reservations, and both headline tickets go days ahead in peak season.
The shape that works: Day 1 east — the Terracotta Army in the morning, Huaqing Palace on the way back, the Muslim Quarter at night. Day 2 inside the walls — bike the city wall at opening, then the Bell and Drum Towers, an afternoon museum or pagoda, and the Grand Tang Mall after dark.
Which day goes first is decided by your bookings, not by geography. Do not put the Terracotta Army and the Shaanxi History Museum on the same day — they sit at opposite ends of the city and both want half a day.
The reservations decide the itinerary
Build the plan around the booking windows, not the other way round.
| What | Official channel | How far ahead | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terracotta Army | Museum ticketing site bmy.com.cn, or the WeChat accounts 秦始皇帝陵博物院 / 兵马俑票务在线 | A rolling window measured in days — around 8 including the day of visit, longer over Spring Festival | No on-site sales. Timed slots, daily cap, passport must match the booking |
| Shaanxi History Museum | WeChat account 陕西历史博物馆 | Its own published window; free tickets release in batches and vanish in minutes | Free, but there is no offline ticket desk at all |
| Xi'an City Wall | WeChat mini-program 西安城墙景区 | Up to about 7 days ahead, in timed slots | Real-name; entry and bike hire are paid separately |
| Bell and Drum Towers | Official partner platforms, or the on-site self-service machines | A few days ahead online; the kiosks sell same-day slots | Timed entry; buy the combined ticket, not two singles |
| Huaqing Palace | WeChat account 华清宫景区 | A few days ahead | Separate ticket from the Terracotta Army, even though they share a metro line |
| Big Wild Goose Pagoda | At the gate or the official channel | Usually same-day | Temple entry and the pagoda climb are two separate tickets |
| Grand Tang Mall | No ticket | — | An open street; crowd control can apply at peak periods |
Day 1, the Terracotta Army and the east
A full day, starting early. The site is in Lintong, roughly 40 km east, and it is a 1.5-hour journey each way.
- Leave the city by 07:30Metro Line 9 east to Huaqing Pool station, Exit C, then Lintong bus 602 or 613 for the last few kilometres. The nearest metro station is still well short of the gate.
- Be inside for the first slot you can getPit 1 is where everyone goes first and coach groups arrive around 10. The first hour on the viewing platform is worth more than the rest of the day.
- Pit 1, then Pit 3, then Pit 2, then the bronze chariotsPit 1 is the hangar-sized hall with the ranks of infantry. Pit 3 is the small command post, found intact. Pit 2 holds the archers, cavalry and chariots and is largely unexcavated. The bronze chariot hall has the finest bronze work surviving from the Qin.
- Do not skip Lishan GardenYour ticket covers both the museum and the Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum park, with a free shuttle between them. Most visitors never go; it is where the emperor's actual tomb mound stands.
- Lunch in Lintong, then Huaqing Palace on the way backLine 9 stops there. It is the Tang imperial hot-spring resort and the site of the 1936 Xi'an Incident. Separate ticket, separate booking.
- Optional evening: the Song of Everlasting SorrowA large outdoor Tang-era dance show staged on the lake at Huaqing Palace, several performances a night in season, sold separately from palace entry. If you stay for the late show, check the last metro back, Line 9 trains finish in the late evening.
- Back in the city: the Muslim QuarterNo ticket, no booking. The lanes around Beiyuanmen, Xiyangshi and Dapiyuan. Eat where the queue is local, not on the main drag.
Day 2, inside the walls
- Bike the city wall first, at openingEnter at Yongningmen (South Gate), Metro Line 2, Yongningmen station, directly underneath. The loop is 13.74 km and 1.5–2 hours at an easy pace. Go early: the surface is emptiest before 11 and the rental queue peaks in the afternoon.
- Walk into the old town from the South GateShuyuanmen and the Beilin Museum quarter, then north up South Street toward the Bell Tower. The walkable core of the old city, and it needs no tickets.
- Bell Tower, then the Drum TowerThey stand a few hundred metres apart on the same axis. The Bell Tower marks the crossing of the four main streets; the Drum Tower sits over the entrance to the Muslim Quarter. Buy the combined ticket.
- Lunch around the Drum Tower, then pick one afternoon optionOption A: the Shaanxi History Museum, free, reservation-only and the hardest ticket in the city, Metro Line 2 or 3 to Xiaozhai. Option B: the Big Wild Goose Pagoda and Daci'en Temple, Metro Line 3 or 4 to Dayanta. Option C: the Xi'an Museum and Small Wild Goose Pagoda, free, its own reservation, and much easier to book than Option A.
- Evening, the Grand Tang MallA pedestrian avenue of Tang-themed sculpture and lighting running south from the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Free, open, and at its best after dark.
Which day goes first?
The two days do not touch each other. Availability decides the order.
| If this is true | Do this |
|---|---|
| You have a morning Terracotta slot on your first full day | Day 1 = east, Day 2 = the walled city. The best version, because you are freshest for the site that needs the early start |
| Your only Terracotta slot falls on day two | Swap them. Day 1 = the wall, the towers and the Muslim Quarter; Day 2 = east |
| You land in the afternoon on day one | Day 1 = the Muslim Quarter and the illuminated wall at the South Gate, neither of which needs booking. Keep both full days for the booked sights |
Getting around Xi'an
| Route | How | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Airport to the city | Metro Line 14 to Xi'an North, then Line 2 or 4 | Line 14 also serves the newer airport terminal; a taxi is faster late at night |
| Xi'an North to the Bell Tower | Metro Line 2 | About 30 minutes. The station is enormous — allow time inside it |
| Bell Tower / South Gate | Metro Line 2, Zhonglou and Yongningmen stations | Both stops sit right under the sights |
| Terracotta Army | Metro Line 9 to Huaqing Pool, then bus 602 or 613 | 1.5 hours door to door; the bus leg is not optional |
| Huaqing Palace | Metro Line 9, Huaqingchi station | Same line as the Terracotta Army — do both in one trip east |
| Shaanxi History Museum | Metro Line 2 or 3, Xiaozhai station | A short walk from the exit |
| Big Wild Goose Pagoda, Grand Tang Mall | Metro Line 3 or 4, Dayanta station | The pagoda and the mall share a north–south axis |
Bind a foreign card to Alipay or WeChat Pay before you fly: the same transit QR code gets you through the metro gates and onto the local buses.
Where to base yourself
Inside the walls, near the Bell Tower or the South Gate, Line 2 runs straight through it and covers the wall, the towers, the Muslim Quarter and the transfer toward the Terracotta route. The alternative is the south around Xiaozhai and the Big Wild Goose Pagoda: cheaper, quieter and closer to the Shaanxi History Museum. Do not base yourself at Xi'an North, which is a railway station and nothing else, 14 km from anything you came to see. And ask your hotel in writing whether it can register a foreign passport.
Frequently asked questions
Is two days enough for Xi'an?
For the Terracotta Army, the city wall, the Muslim Quarter, the Bell and Drum Towers and one museum, yes. It is not enough to add Mount Hua, or a full day at the Shaanxi History Museum plus the pagodas, on top.
Do I have to book the Terracotta Army in advance?
Yes, and it is the one booking you cannot improvise. Entry is real-name and timed, tickets release on a window measured in days, and there is a daily cap. No ticket window sells same-day entry at the gate.
Can I visit the Terracotta Army and Huaqing Palace in one day?
Yes; they share the metro line and it is the standard pairing. Do the Terracotta Army first for the early slot, eat in Lintong, then stop at Huaqing Palace on the way back. Both need their own bookings.
Is the Shaanxi History Museum really free?
Free to enter, but not free to walk into. It is reservation-only through its own WeChat account, tickets release in batches and disappear quickly, and there is no offline ticket desk. The paid Tang murals gallery is a separate ticket on top.
What can I do on a Monday?
Historically not the Shaanxi History Museum, which closed on Mondays, though the museum has suspended that rest day for part of 2026, so check its current notice. The city wall, the towers, the Muslim Quarter, the pagodas and the Grand Tang Mall are all unaffected by Mondays.
How do I get from Xi'an North station to the centre?
Metro Line 2 runs from Xi'an North straight south to the Bell Tower in about 30 minutes. Note that "Xi'an" on a train ticket does not always mean Xi'an North, the city has three main passenger stations, so check the name.
Related reading
Opening hours, booking windows and channels were compiled from Xi'an municipal and Shaanxi provincial government tourism notices, the Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum's ticketing announcements, Shaanxi History Museum notices on its official website and WeChat account, and the Xi'an City Wall official WeChat mini-program, cross-checked against independent 2026 visitor reports. Release windows, daily caps, rest days and prices are set by each site and change with the season, confirm the current notice for your date. Current as of September 2026.