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Xi'an Travel Guide
Buy Chinese YuanXi'an at a glance
Xi'an was China's capital under the Qin, Han and Tang dynasties among others, and the eastern end of the Silk Road. It is home to the Terracotta Army and to a complete Ming-era city wall, 13.74 km around, that you can walk or cycle. Three days covers it, and high-speed trains arrive from Beijing in just over four hours and from Shanghai in under six.
For Indian travellers, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda has a direct link home: it was built in 652 to hold the Buddhist scriptures the monk Xuanzang brought back from India, where he had studied at Nalanda. Entry to the Da Ci'en Temple around it costs CNY 10, climbing the pagoda CNY 25 more, and the music fountain on its north square is free.
The Terracotta Army is about 40 km east of the city, an hour by road. One ticket, CNY 120, covers the three pits and Lishan Garden, with a free shuttle between them. Book online in advance with your passport rather than counting on the gate, and allow most of a day.
On the City Wall (CNY 54), bikes rent for CNY 45 for three hours from the South Gate and other main gates, and the loop takes two to three hours at an easy pace; children under 12 may not ride. Late afternoon, as the lights come on, is the best time. Indian passport holders need a visa, and Alipay or WeChat Pay should be set up before you fly.
Where to stay
Stay inside or near the wall: the old city is compact and easy to walk.
Near the Bell Tower
The centre of the walled city, walkable to the Drum Tower and the Muslim Quarter's food streets, and on the metro.
By the South Gate
Inside the wall near Yongningmen, the main bike-hire point, with the Forest of Stone Steles museum close by.
Qujiang
The modern district around the Big Wild Goose Pagoda and its fountain, outside the wall but on the metro.
Paying in Xi'an
For the yuan itself, the visa for Indians, setting up Alipay and WeChat Pay, and how much cash to carry, see the China travel guide.
The Muslim Quarter's stalls take QR payments and cash, and hotels and malls take cards too. Payments above CNY 200 through the apps generally carry a 3% fee on a foreign card; smaller ones are free. Keep CNY 500 to 1,000 in cash as a backup: refusing yuan is against Chinese law, so cash always works.
What Xi'an actually costs
Set the length and style of your trip to see what to budget, in Chinese yuan and Indian rupees.
Indicative, excluding international flights and accommodation, per person per day. Converted at the verified mid-market rate on 29 September 2026, CNY 1 ≈ ₹14.31, not a Matrix board rate.
Budget roughly ₹2,580 to ₹11,450 per person per day on the ground, excluding flights and accommodation.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Biang biang noodles or roujiamo | CNY 15-35 |
| Casual restaurant meal | CNY 40-90 |
| Terracotta Army | CNY 120 |
| City Wall | CNY 54 |
| Bike on the City Wall, 3 hours | CNY 45 |
| Da Ci'en Temple / pagoda climb | CNY 10 / CNY 25 |
Getting around
The metro reaches most sights, including Line 14 from the airport and Xi'an North high-speed station, where you change to Line 2 for the Bell Tower. Inside the wall, walk. For the Terracotta Army, a tour that bundles transport and ticket is easiest; the public tourist bus no longer leaves from Xi'an Railway Station, as older guides say, so check the current stop before you set out.
Common mistakes in Xi'an
Assuming a visa-free or transit stay
India is on neither list. Apply online well ahead, then submit your passport at a visa centre in New Delhi, Mumbai or Kolkata.
Turning up at the Terracotta Army without a booking
Tickets are booked online in advance with your passport. Don't count on buying at the gate.
Giving the Terracotta Army half a day
It is an hour each way, plus three pits and Lishan Garden. Allow most of a day.
Following an old guide to the Terracotta Army bus
The tourist bus no longer leaves from Xi'an Railway Station. Check the current stop, or book a tour.
Xi'an FAQs
Yes. India is on neither China's 30-day visa-free list nor its 240-hour visa-free transit list. Since December 2025 you apply online, then hand in your passport at the Chinese Visa Application Service Center in New Delhi, Mumbai or Kolkata. Until 31 December 2026 a single-entry visa costs ₹2,900, and fingerprints are waived for short-term visas.
CNY 120, covering the three pits and Lishan Garden, with a free shuttle between them. Book online in advance with your passport.
About 40 km east of the city, roughly an hour by road.
CNY 54 to go up on the wall, plus CNY 45 for a bike for three hours. The loop is 13.74 km, and children under 12 may not ride.
It was built in 652 to house the Buddhist scriptures that the monk Xuanzang brought back from India, where he had studied at Nalanda.
On 29 September 2026 one yuan was ₹14.31 at the mid-market rate, so CNY 100 is about ₹1,430.
More guides in China
Buy chinese yuan before you fly
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