As soon as you come out of the airport or train station in Xi’an, you will be warmly welcomed by your expert guide and driver and escorted to the downtown in a comfortable private car.

Let’s first head straight to the Shaanxi History Museum, recognized by UNESCO as a world-class museum, which is home to many national treasure-level cultural relics, such as the Camel Carrying a Musical Band, a pinnacle work of Tri-colored Pottery, glazed in blue, green, and yellow. Approaching it, you’ll find the camel standing upright with its head held high and neighing. Perched on a carpeted platform on its back, seven bandsmen sit cross-legged outward around a dancing girl, intently playing various musical instruments introduced from Central Asia. This vibrant scene vividly illustrates the prosperous trade along the Silk Road thousands of years ago, the exchanges among different ethnic groups, and the integration of cultures. With your guide, also get a glimpse of other remarkable artifacts like a jade carving crown and the Agate Cup with Beast Head from the 8th century, learn about the court culture of horse dancing for the emperor’s birthday celebrations from a gilt silver jar, and feel the dignity of an empress from her imperial jade seal. After the visit, the guide will escort you to the hotel handpicked for you, and the rest of the day is at your disposal.

► Recommended Free-time Activities:
As there is the iconic bustling area of the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda near the Museum, you can also take the chance to freely explore here, and then hail a taxi back to the hotel by yourself. At 19:00, watch a 10-minute musical fountain show, one of the largest in Asia, at the North Square, and feel the charm of the perfect integration of sound, light, water and electricity. Can’t wait to taste the Xian specialties? Then make a beeline for the well-known Ziwu Road Mr. Zhang Chinese Hamburger on the basement floor of Joy City, where you can eat satisfied for about CNY 20 (USD 3). Finally, wander around the Great Tang All Day Mall, which is flanked by pseudo-classic buildings, and revel in diverse free street performances presented by actors in ancient costumes.​

This morning, meet your guide and driver in your hotel lobby and start an epic trip to the Terracotta Army Museum, the world-famous mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, founder of the Qin Empire (221 - 206 BC) and the imperial history of China that lasted some 2,000 years. Follow the guide to visit the three burial pits, in which his funeral objects of lifelike terracotta warriors, horses, and bronze weapons and chariots stately arranged to form a grand battle array, suggesting the formidable military power and advanced manufacturing techniques during that time. Surprisingly, the signatures of court or folk artisans were found on the warriors and weapons, which demonstrates that there was already a strict production responsibility system in such an early era. Step into the newly-opened exhibition hall for an up-close look at 230 quintessential artifacts unearthed here over the past 50 years, a third of which are on their debuts. From warriors with purple sleeves or a green face to bronze waterfowls, and to detailed animals made of gold or silver… Everything is a wonder for us to imagine the artisanal talent of Chinese ancestors. Try the dioramas and digital interactive installations in the museum, and have a “dialogue” with these cultural relics.

Lunch is on your own, and around the museum you can find both Western fast food restaurants like McDonald's and Subway and local-flavored simple eateries. Your guide will be happy to help you with ordering and any communication.

★ Special Experience 1: Meet the Discoverer of Terracotta Army

Visit the discoverer’s home to gain insights into the early stages of the excavation and see the tools he used. Incredibly, the first pieces were found not by archaeologists but by local villagers while digging a well in 1974. Such great heritage almost didn’t make it to us, as some villagers reburied the fragments or even put them in the pigsty, afraid of the traditional curse that taking buried items home would bring misfortune or endanger lives.

★ Special Experience 2: DIY a Mini Warrior & Support Local Crafts

You’ll be invited to a local workshop, where a few artisans stick to making pottery in the traditional way, to mold and carve a small clay figure with your own hands in 40 minutes instructed by a master potter. Carve your name on it and take it as a souvenir. It is also our way to support the sustainability of local communities.

Afterward, return to the downtown for a visit to the Small Wild Goose Pagoda, a 1,300-year-old monument erected with imperial sponsorship and survived three severe earthquakes. In particular, during the one with the highest death toll in human history in the 16th century, when almost all the palatial buildings in Xi’an were destroyed, it was merely decapped from 15 floors to 13 floors. It was not until the restoration in the 1980s that the secret of its firm standing was discovered - the unique foundation made it act like a tumbler toy! Let’s applaud for the ingenious seismic design of this ancient architecture. Take a leisurely stroll around the pagoda, and ring a replica of the Morning Bell, one of the ‘Top Eight Scenes of Xian’, for blessings.

Take a brief look at the Bell and Drum Towers, indispensable landmarks in the city center, on the way to the next stop, the Muslim Quarter, featuring a vibrant snack street popular among both tourists and locals. Here, prepare to drool over all kinds of hallmarks of Xian cooking, including Biang Biang Noodles, Cold Noodles, and Crumbled Flatbread in Mutton Soup. Let’s call it a day now and go back to the hotel for a good rest. If you’d like to stay longer and have dinner in the Muslim Quarter, ask your guide for recommendations and say your goodbyes here. Enjoy yourself!

► Recommended Nighttime Activity (at your own expense):
Tonight, why not go to the Tang Dynasty Palace to enjoy a music and dance performance featuring intangible cultural heritage? This 1-hour show, accompanied by dumpling dinner or imperial cuisine, is presented by more than 100 professional actors taking you through the heyday in ancient Chinese history. If you are interested and need ticket booking services, we’ll be glad to help you.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

Today, let’s spend a whole day conquering Mt. Huashan, the most precipitous of the Five Sacred Mountains of China sung in folklore and poems. Its five peaks are like five sharp swords piercing into the sky, presenting the overwhelming momentum. First, to save your energy to admire the thrilling vistas, let’s take the cable car to the West Peak, also known as the Lotus Peak because of its shape. Then, take your time to trek around each peak on the mountaintop. As you walk on pathways set between sheer drops or narrow plank ways on the cliffs, such as the nearly vertical Thousand-Foot Precipice and Hundred-Foot Crevice, or the pretty thin Black Dragon Ridge between the Middle Peak and North Peak, you’ll immediately understand why it can be called the most dangerous mountain. Standing on the South Peak, the highest peak of Mt. Huashan, and looking into the distance, the undulating peaks and the surging sea of clouds will make you feel as if you were in a fairyland.

Moreover, if you are an adventure fanatic, you can also pay on-site to challenge yourself on the Long Skywalk Plank Road and Hawk’s Turn Road, where you need to wear a safety belt, face the extremely steep cliff, and climb forward using both hands and feet. This is not for the faint of heart or those with compromised health. No joking! While reaching the North Peak, take a cable car down the mountain, and your guide and driver will escort you back to your hotel in downtown Xian.

★ Alternative Trip to Qianling Mausoleum & Famen Temple

If mountain climbing is not your thing, we can arrange Qianling Mausoleum and Famen Temple instead, also in the vicinity of Xi’an. Qianling Mausoleum belongs to Wu Zetian (624 - 705 AD), the only female emperor in the history of China, along with her husband. This royal joint tomb holds some mysteries yet to be unraveled, like the headless Stone Statues of 61 Foreign Officials and Emperor Wu’s Wordless Grave Stele. Stepping into the nearby subsidiary Tomb of the Princess Yong Tai, you’ll be dumbfounded by the murals depicting people with varied poses and ‘V’ hand gestures, whose meaning even puzzles the academic circle - some say it means prayer, while others see it as a way of greetings. The next stop is the Famen Temple, a royal Buddhist temple dating back some 1,700 years ago. It is famous for enshrining Sakyamuni's Finger Bone presented by India’s greatest King Asoka. Besides appreciating the Buddha sarira, also pay special attention to the treasures unearthed from the Underground Palace. A king-size tin scepter with intricate carvings would catch your eyes. This is an instrument carried by ancient monks, with hanging metal rings that chimed with each step, to announce their Buddhist identity, and to deter animals and insects from their path, embodying the Buddhist philosophy of non-harm.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

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Early risers, your rewards await! We’ve arranged a special visit to the Morning Market at the Small South Gate, offering you a unique chance to immerse yourself in genuine local life and experience its vibrant, down-to-earth culture. Entering this 340-meter-long street nestled at the foot of the City Wall, the local dialect cries resound throughout the market, making it incredibly lively. Aside from more than a hundred stalls filled with diversified authentic local snacks like Steamed Meat, Glutinous Rice with Jujube, and Vegetable Stew with Lamb Balls that make your mouth water, you can also enjoy exquisite local handicrafts.

After that, let’s climb up the 600-year-old City Wall, the largest and the most complete of all Chinese ancient city walls. Walking or cycling on the road wide enough for five horses to run in parallel, you can easily notice that almost every grey brick is engraved with its firing year and origin. It is said that the Wall was built with about 100 million bricks, which can circle the earth twice if they were placed in a line! Stop here and there to appreciate ancient sites scattered against the modern background beneath. Please note that bike rental on the wall are at your own expense, and your guide is willing to offer help.

Your 4 days Xi'an private tour draws to an end now, and we will transfer you to the airport for your homeward flight. Wish you a pleasant trip home! Whether you have enough vacation time to visit more of China’s cities like Beijing and Shanghai, or can only set aside one or two days to visit Xi’an, just contact our travel consultant to get your tailor-made itinerary.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast​