Short answer
Xi'an Xianyang International (XIY) is not in Xi'an. It sits in Xianyang, roughly 35–40 km by road north-west of the Bell Tower. The default choice for anyone landing in daylight is Metro Line 14: it links both airport stations to Xi'an North railway station in about 30–40 minutes for a few yuan, and you change there to Line 2 for the Bell Tower and the old city.
If you have bags, are arriving late, or your hotel is nowhere near a metro line, take a taxi from the official rank (commonly ¥100–150 plus tolls, 45–75 minutes) or a DiDi. The airport buses sit between the two: cheap, direct to fixed downtown drop-offs, and — importantly — the night services keep running until the last flight of the day has landed.
The one hard deadline is the metro: the last train from the T5 station towards the city leaves at 22:24. Land after that and it is a taxi, a DiDi or the night bus — plan it before you fly, not on the kerb.
Know which terminal you are in
XIY has three working passenger terminals, and the numbering is not what you would expect. There is no Terminal 4 — it was never built, and the third-phase building was numbered T5 instead. Terminal 1 exists as a structure but takes no passengers.
| Terminal | What uses it | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| T5 | Every international, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan flight, plus the China Eastern group and, since late 2025, the China Southern group | Opened 20 February 2025 and larger than T1–T3 combined. International check-in is on level 3 |
| T3 | Domestic flights from airlines not moved to T5 | Adjacent to T2. The long-distance bus station (GTC) is on its east side, level 1 |
| T2 | Domestic flights from various Chinese carriers | The oldest of the active buildings |
| T1 | Nothing | Not open to passengers, but still named in the metro station — which is where the confusion comes from |
The terminals are linked by a free shuttle bus roughly every ten minutes around the clock. If you end up at the wrong airport station on Line 14, show your flight details at the station ticket office and the hop between the two is free.
Option 1: Metro Line 14 (cheapest, and usually the best)
Line 14 is the airport line. It has two stations serving the airport, Airport West (机场西, T1/T2/T3) and Airport (T5) (机场, T5), and it terminates at Xi'an North railway station, the city's high-speed rail hub. It is not a one-seat ride into the centre; you change at Xi'an North.
- Follow the Metro signs out of arrivalsAt T5 the station sits in the ground transportation centre on the east side, about a five-minute walk from the terminal. Entrances are inside the building, not on the street.
- Get on the right station, and the right directionComing from the city, the order is counter-intuitive: you reach Airport (T5) first and Airport West is the end of the line. So if you are flying internationally out of T5, do not ride to the terminus.
- Ride to Xi'an North (西安北站)Roughly 30 minutes station to station, a little longer once you count the walk. The whole run costs under ¥10.
- Change to Line 2 or Line 4, and pay by phoneLine 2 runs straight south to Bell Tower (钟楼) and the old city in around 30 minutes; Line 4 heads towards the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Alipay or WeChat Pay transit QR codes work on the gates, tap in and out with the same app, and the ticket machines have an English interface.
Total journey time to the Bell Tower area is roughly 1 to 1¼ hours once you include the change and the walking. That sounds slow, but it is immune to traffic, which the road is not.
| Detail | |
|---|---|
| Line | Xi'an Metro Line 14, changing at Xi'an North for Line 2 (Bell Tower) or Line 4 |
| Airport stations | Airport (T5) for Terminal 5; Airport West (T1, T2, T3) for Terminals 2 and 3 |
| Fare and time | Under ¥10; about 30–40 minutes to Xi'an North, 1–1¼ hours to the Bell Tower with the change |
| First and last train from T5 | First around 06:04; last towards the city at 22:24 — this is the deadline that matters |
| Best for | Daytime arrivals, light luggage, anyone whose hotel is near a metro station |
Option 2: The airport buses
The bus network is bigger than most visitors realise, several city lines plus dedicated night services scheduled around the last arriving flight rather than a timetable. That is its real advantage: the night routes keep running after the metro has stopped.
| Line | Where it goes | When it runs |
|---|---|---|
| Bell Tower West line 钟楼西线 | From T5/T2/T3 into the city, stopping at West Xi'an bus station, Kaiyuanmen, Xishaomen, Andingmen, West Street and the Bell Tower | Morning to around 21:30 from the airport |
| Bell Tower North line 钟楼北线 | Airport to the Xi'an Hotel / Bell Tower area | Mid-morning into the evening |
| Night-owl lines 守航夜宵线 | Airport into the city along the West Street corridor to the Bell Tower, and on to the southern second ring | From late evening until the last flight has landed |
| Western high-tech, Chang'an university-town and Xianyang lines | Western and south-western hotel districts, and Xianyang High-Speed Rail West station | Daytime and evening |
Bus stops are on the arrivals level of each terminal, follow the bus-transfer signs. Fares on the city lines are commonly quoted at roughly ¥25–30 per person, a fraction of a taxi. Treat that as indicative and confirm it at the counter, since the network has been reorganised repeatedly as T5 bedded in.
Option 3: Taxi and DiDi
The official taxi rank is signposted inside every arrivals hall. A city-centre run is commonly ¥100–150 plus tolls and takes 45–75 minutes depending on traffic; DiDi quotes land in a similar band, sometimes slightly lower. The airport sits on a toll expressway, so expect a road toll on top of the meter.
- Queue at the marked rank. Decline anyone who approaches you inside the terminal offering a car, the most common airport scam in China.
- Insist on the meter. If a driver proposes a flat price, walk to the next car in the rank.
- Have your hotel address in Chinese, screenshotted before you land. It is what you show the driver.
- For DiDi, set a precise pickup point, at T5 the ride-hailing pickup is in the transport hub on the east side, and match the plate number before you get in.
Which one should you actually take?
| Your situation | Take | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Landing 08:00–20:00, one bag, hotel near a metro line | Metro Line 14 | Cheapest, no traffic risk, English signage the whole way |
| Landing before 22:00, hotel not on a metro line | Metro to Xi'an North, then DiDi | You cover the expensive distance by rail and the short leg by car |
| Landing after 22:00 | Taxi, DiDi or the night bus | The metro is gone; the night bus runs until the last flight |
| Connecting to a high-speed train, or to the Terracotta Army | Metro Line 14 to Xi'an North | Line 14 ends inside the rail hub, and there is a direct Terracotta Army bus from the bus station there |
Frequently asked questions
Which terminal do international flights use at Xi'an airport?
Terminal 5, without exception. Every international, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan flight moved there when it opened on 20 February 2025. Domestic flights are split across T2, T3 and T5, so check your boarding pass.
Is there a train from Xi'an airport to the city centre?
Metro Line 14 runs from the airport to Xi'an North railway station, but it is not a direct ride downtown, you change there to Line 2 for the Bell Tower or Line 4 for the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Allow around 1–1¼ hours in total.
How much is a taxi from Xi'an airport to the city?
Commonly ¥100–150 plus a road toll, for a 45–75 minute drive depending on traffic. Use a DiDi quote as a live benchmark before you get in a car, and always take the official rank rather than a driver who approaches you inside the terminal.
What happens if I land after the last metro?
You take a taxi, a DiDi, or one of the night airport bus lines, which run until the last arriving flight has landed. The last metro from T5 towards the city leaves at 22:24.
Are the airport buses cheaper than a taxi?
Much cheaper, city lines are commonly quoted around ¥25–30 per person against ¥100–150 for a cab. They are slower and go to fixed drop-off points, so they suit you best if one of those stops is near your hotel.
I got off at the wrong airport metro station. What now?
Show your flight details at the station ticket office and the hop between Airport (T5) and Airport West (T1, T2, T3) is free during Line 14's operating hours. Free shuttle buses between the terminals also run roughly every ten minutes.
Can I go straight to the Terracotta Army from the airport?
Not on a single metro line. The workable route is Line 14 to Xi'an North, then a direct tourist bus to the site from the bus station by the rail hub. Otherwise, go into the city first and travel out the next morning.
Related reading
Terminal assignments, the 20 February 2025 opening of T5, Line 14's station order and its first and last train times follow Xi'an Xianyang International Airport, Xixian New Area government and Xi'an Metro operator notices, cross-checked September 2026. Airport bus lines and fares are reorganised regularly, and taxi prices move with traffic and tolls, confirm the current timetable, fare and stop before you travel.