China Travel FAQ

Xi'an Travel FAQ & Tips

Weather:

When is best time to travel Xi'an?

Spring (Mar-May) and autumn (Sep-Nov) is the nice time to travel around Xi'an for their relative mild climate. And the melting summer (Jun-Aug) and freezing winter (Dec-Feb) are not so comfortable for the outdoor activities.

Tip:

Xi'an is much drier than the southern China and enough water and moisturizing lotion is needed every day.

Transportation:

How can I get to Xi'an?

1. By Plane

Xi'an Xianyang International Airport (XIY/ZLXY) has flights connecting many main big cities of China and some foreign countries like Japan, Korea and Thailand. It is about 47 km, namely 1 hour driving, from downtown.

Passengers can take a taxi from airport to downtown (CNY 100) or take the airport shuttle bus.

Shuttle Bus Line 1:
  • Bell Tower to Xianyang Airport: 6:00-19:00 (departs every 1 hour)
  • Xianyang Airport to Bell Tower: first landing flight to last landing flight (around every 1 hour)
Shuttle Bus Line 2:
  • Xi'an Railway Station to Xianyang Airport: 7:00-19:00 (every1 hour)
  • Xianyang Airport to Xi'an Railway Station: 9:15-17:15 (every1 hour)
Shuttle Bus Line 3:
  • Xi Gaoxin (Ziction Liberal Hotel) - Xishao Men - Xianyang Airport: 7:15-18:15 (every 1 hour)
  • Xianyang Airport - Xishao Men - Xi Gaoxin (Ziction Liberal Hotel): 9:05-18:05 (every 1 hour)
Shuttle Bus Line 4:
  • Xishao Men to Xianyang Airport: 6:00-18:30 (every half an hour)
  • Xianyang Airport to Xishao Men: 9:05-last landing flight (around 1 every hour)

2. By Train

Xi'an, the main big city in Central China, is an important railway junction connecting southwest and northwest part of China. The main railway station is half an hour driving from the downtown and the taxi fee charges about CNY 11.

3. By Bus

Xi'an highway transportation network is quite developed. There are totally 7 long-distance bus stations in Xi'an connecting many main cities of China.

Tips:

It is pretty easy to take the taxi except for the rushing hours. But outside the fixed parking lot, some important traffic places don't allow the pull up like the Dong Dajie, Nan Dajie, the surrounding of Bell Tower, etc. The 4pm-5pm is the shifting hour of Xi'an taxi and it may become harder to flag down a taxi.

Shopping:

Where can we go for shopping in Xi'an?

The followings are some main shopping streets:

Shuyuanmen Cultural Street: for writing materials, Chinese painting and calligraphy and various tourism art crafts like mini replica of terracotta warriors, paper-cut crafts, peasant painting of Hu County, etc.

Muslim Quarter: for variety of local specialties, art and crafts, tourism souvenirs.

Jiefang Road-Dong Dajie-Bell Tower-Nan Dajie-Xi Dajie: concentration area of large department stores and supermarkets as well as many exclusive shops.

Big Wild Goose Pagoda nearby area: for digital products and electronic accessories as well as many large digital product department stores.

Cuisine:

Is there any special local food worth trying in Xi'an?

Once Xi'an local delicacy is mentioned, people will recommend you "Two Banquets" and "Two Pao". "two banquet" refer to Shaanxi local snacks like Cold Liangpi (Noodle), Hulatang (Paste Hot Soup), Guotie (Fried Dumplings), Babao Laozao (Eight-Treasure Fermented Glutinous Rice), Tianjinggao (Sweet Mirror Pastry), Guokui (Guokui Cake), etc. while another banquet is dumping banquet offering various banquet with different shapes and stuffs inside. "Two Pao" refers to Yangrou pao mo (Pita Bread Soaked in Lamb Soup) and Hulutou paomo.

Tips:

  • Dong Dajie, Nan Dajie, Bei Yuanmen and Dong Xinjie night markets are recommended places for trying local delicacies.
  • Please respect the Hui Minority custom and religions in the Muslim Quarter or the Muslim restaurants. Nearly all the Hui minority canteens do not allow or offer the alcohol and the pork, etc.
  • Bring along the tissue since many common restaurants tend not to offer free napkins.

Nightlife:

Where should I color my night life?

Night activities flourish in or off Nan Dajie, Dong Dajie, Hepingmen, Lijiacun, etc. In the Defu lane near Xi'angzi Temple, bars, teahouses, cafés huddle up for the fun-seeker especially the night owls for a color night.

Musical Fountain (9pm Mar-Nov, 8pm Dec-Feb) in the north of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, is ranked as the Asian biggest fountain, is a free and nice hangout place at night.