Short answer
The Xi'an city wall is a 13.74 km rectangular Ming fortification that still encloses the old city, and you can ride a bicycle around the top of it. A full circuit takes 1.5–2 hours at an easy pace with photo stops. Wall entry and bike hire are two separate payments — entry is a real-name ticket, the bike is a rental with a deposit.
Two rules matter more than anything else. The hire runs on a three-hour clock from pick-up, with overtime charged per ten minutes. And the rental stations close well before the wall does, so the last hours of the evening are for returning bikes, not for starting a lap.
Start at Yongningmen (South Gate) — Metro Line 2, Yongningmen station, right underneath — because that is where the bike stations, the evening lighting and the transport all converge. If you would rather have the wall to yourself, use the East, West or North gates instead; they are quieter and cost you nothing but a slightly longer walk.
The wall in one paragraph
The current wall was built from 1370, in the third year of the Ming Hongwu reign, on the foundations of the Tang imperial city. It runs 13.74 km around, stands about 12 m high, and is 12–15 m thick at the top — wide enough for a bike lane, a walkway and a row of crenellations side by side. It is the most complete surviving ancient city wall in China. The surface is grey brick: bumpy rather than smooth, and with no shade anywhere.
Tickets and gates
Entry is real-name and booked through the wall's official WeChat mini-program, with advance booking up to about a week and timed slots through the day. Adult entry is ¥54 and the half-price rate ¥27, with free entry for the youngest children and for seniors from 65 with ID. These figures follow the wall's published notices, but prices and free-entry bands are set by the site, check the mini-program for your date.
| Gate | Chinese | Open | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yongningmen (South Gate), south and north entrances | 永宁门 | 08:00–22:00 | The main entrance, with the busiest bike stations and the evening illumination. Metro Line 2, Yongningmen |
| Zhongshanmen (Small East Gate) | 中山门 | 08:00–22:00 | Late-opening, and next to the Yongxingfang food quarter |
| Jianguomen | 建国门 | 08:00–22:00 | Late-opening, on the south-east stretch |
| Changlemen (East Gate) | 长乐门 | 08:00–20:00 | Quieter than the South Gate |
| Andingmen (West Gate) | 安定门 | 08:00–20:00 | Good start for a clockwise lap into the sunset |
| Anyuanmen (North Gate) | 安远门 | 08:00–20:00 | Looks out over Xi'an Station and the Daming Palace ruins |
| Wenchangmen, Hanguangmen | 文昌门 · 含光门 | 08:00–20:00 | Hanguangmen has the museum showing the Tang wall beneath the Ming one |
The South Gate is the only one that reliably stays open into the late evening. If you plan to finish late, plan to finish there.
The bike rental rules
There are nine hire stations along the wall, and you can return the bike to any of them rather than the one you started from. The wall publishes a standard set of terms:
| Item | Rule |
|---|---|
| Single bike | ¥45 for three hours |
| Tandem bike | ¥90 for three hours |
| Deposit | Around ¥100 per bike, refunded when you return it undamaged and on time. Keep the deposit slip |
| Overtime | Charged in ten-minute blocks — ¥5 per ten minutes on a single bike, ¥10 on a tandem |
| Rental stations | Nine points on the wall, near the South, East, West and North gates, Hanguangmen, Zhongshanmen, Jianguomen and the northwest corner |
| Rental hours | Roughly 08:00 to 20:00 at the main stations, with the South Gate points running later. New rentals stop in the evening and only returns are accepted after that |
| Who can ride | Riders must be 12 or over, under 65, and at least 1.3 m tall. This rule is enforced |
| What you need | Your passport. Some stations also want the ID or booking that matches your wall ticket |
| Return | Any station, not necessarily the one you hired from |
| Bikes allowed | Single and tandem only — no electric bikes on the wall surface |
| Payment | Alipay or WeChat Pay at most stations; some still take cash for the deposit |
The ride, gate by gate
The wall is a rectangle, so the loop is simply four sides. Clockwise from the South Gate, the natural order is west, north, east, back south.
- South Gate to the West Gate (Andingmen)The first leg runs along the south wall past Hanguangmen, where a small museum displays the Tang dynasty wall underneath the Ming one. This is the busiest stretch at the start, because everyone leaves the South Gate together.
- West Gate to the North Gate (Anyuanmen)The western side looks out over the modern city; the northwest corner is the best of the four corner towers for photographs, because you can see two walls at once.
- North Gate to the East Gate (Changlemen)The north wall faces Xi'an Station and, beyond it, the Daming Palace heritage park. It is the quietest side of the circuit.
- East Gate back to the South GateThe east wall is the longest unbroken run, with the Bell Tower visible over the roofs to your right as you come round. The last stretch brings you along the south wall, which is the best-lit section after dark.
If you are riding in the late afternoon, go clockwise: the sun sets on the west wall, so a lap in that direction puts you on the western side in the best light and on the illuminated south wall as it comes on.
When to go
- Weekday morning, roughly 09:00–11:00. The emptiest surface of the day and the cleanest light. This is the version to aim for.
- Late afternoon into sunset. Best photographs, and the wall is illuminated afterwards. Expect company, and expect the bike stations to be busy.
- Avoid weekend afternoons. The rental queue at the South Gate has been reported running to half an hour or more, and the wall itself is shoulder to shoulder near the main entrance.
- Avoid the midday heat in summer. There is no shade on top of the wall, and the brick reflects the sun. Morning or evening, not noon.
- Avoid national holidays entirely if you can. The wall sells timed slots for a reason.
If you would rather not cycle
Walking the wall is genuinely good, no bike needed.
- South Gate to Hanguangmen is the standard short walk, about half an hour along the best-preserved stretch, ending at the museum that shows the earlier Tang wall underneath.
- A sightseeing cart does the full loop with recorded commentary, which is the option for anyone who cannot ride, including under-12s and over-65s, who are barred from the bike hire. Ask at the gate for current departure points and price.
Getting there, and what is around it
- South Gate: Metro Line 2 to Yongningmen. The entrance is directly above the station, which is why it is the default.
- On foot from the South Gate: the Bell Tower, the Drum Tower, the Muslim Quarter, Shuyuanmen and the Beilin Museum are all in the old city and walkable.
- Shuncheng Alley (顺城巷) runs along the inside base of the wall, restaurants and bars with the fortification as the backdrop, which is where you want to end up after a lap.
- Yongxingfang, by Zhongshanmen, is the food quarter to head for if you start or finish at the Small East Gate.
Frequently asked questions
Can you cycle on the Xi'an city wall?
Yes, and it is the main reason many people buy the ticket. Bikes are hired on top of the wall from nine stations and you can ride the full 13.74 km circuit, which takes about 1.5 to 2 hours at an easy pace.
How much does it cost?
Entry and bike hire are separate. Adult entry has been ¥54, with a half-price rate of ¥27, and bike hire has been ¥45 for a single or ¥90 for a tandem for three hours, plus a refundable deposit of around ¥100 per bike.
How long does the full loop take?
About 1.5 to 2 hours of casual cycling for the whole 13.74 km, and closer to three if you stop often for photographs. The bike itself has a three-hour limit from pick-up.
Do I need to book the wall in advance?
Yes. Entry is real-name and booked through the wall's official WeChat mini-program, with advance booking up to about a week and timed slots through the day. Bring the passport you booked with.
Can children ride on the wall?
Not on a hired bike. The rental service is not offered to children under 12 or adults over 65, and riders must be at least 1.3 m tall. Children and older visitors can still go up on the wall; they just walk, or take the sightseeing cart.
What time do the bike stations close?
Most stations run roughly 08:00 to 20:00, with the South Gate points later, and new rentals stop in the evening, after that only returns are accepted. Treat the rental closing time as your real deadline, not the wall's closing time.
Is the wall open in the evening?
Yes. The South Gate stays open until around 22:00 and the wall is illuminated after dark. Most of the other gates close around 20:00, so plan your exit before you start a late lap.
Related reading
The 13.74 km perimeter, the 1370 construction date on Tang imperial-city foundations, the wall's dimensions and its heritage status follow the site's own published information and Chinese heritage records. Gate opening hours, the adult and half-price entry rates, the WeChat mini-program booking channel and the timed-slot system follow Xi'an City Wall scenic-area notices as summarised by Shaanxi provincial media and Xi'an municipal tourism listings. Bike hire prices, the three-hour limit, the deposit, overtime charges, the nine stations, rental hours and the age and height rules follow the wall's published bicycle rental terms, cross-checked against independent 2026 visitor guides. Prices, hours and return rules change with the season, confirm them in the official mini-program before you rely on them. Current as of September 2026.