Travel Guide to Xi’an
Xi’an is a city rich with history going back thousands of years. It’s where Daren was born and where his family is from, which makes it all the more special to share this place with you. There are many amazing sites to see & things to do so be sure to check out our travel guide for some of the best spots!
Getting Around
The best way to get around will be ordering Ubers aka Didi’s through WeChat or asking the hotel to help you order a car. The train is another easy way to get around. You can purchase a subway ticket at the station, which has English available.
Accomodation
You should fly into Xi’an Xianyang International Airport (XIY). From there, you can take a taxi or book a Didi through WeChat to reach the hotel.
Please see the information below about setting up WeChat before your trip.
You’ll be staying at the HUALUXE Xi’an Tanghua for the wedding weekend. We’ll cover the booking for Friday the 23rd and Saturday the 24th. If you plan to arrive earlier or stay longer, you’re welcome to book additional nights at the same hotel, and we’ll try to get you set up in the same room throughout your stay.
The hotel is centrally located, with plenty of attractions and things to do nearby.
Preparing Travel to China
We highly recommend downloading these apps ahead of time to make your travel smoother!
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WeChat is the main messaging and payment app in China. With it, you can link your bank card to make payments, book taxis, and more.
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Alipay is another widely used payment app in China that lets you link your card for easy transactions. It’s the second most common way to pay and a handy backup to WeChat.
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C-Trip is a handy website and app where you can find accommodation, book train or plane tickets, and book tickets to tourist sites like the Terracotta Warriors.
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A VPN is essential when traveling to China. Without one, you won’t be able to access many of the apps and sites you probably use every day, like Instagram, gmail, or even certain web browsers. I personally use Anycast VPN, which costs around $10 a month, but there are plenty of other good options out there.
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Translate app
Baidu Translate app
Google Translate app
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It would be helpful to buy an international eSIM before traveling to China—Nomad eSIM is highly rated and often considered one of the best options.
If you prefer, you can also purchase a physical SIM card at the airport upon arrival.
Site Seeing
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The Terracotta Warriors are a massive collection of life-sized clay statues buried near the tomb of China’s first emperor, Qin Shi Huang (259–210 BCE). They were discovered in 1974 by farmers digging a well, and they are considered one of the greatest archaeological finds of the 20th century.
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The Xi'an City Wall is a preserved 14km (8.7 miles) long Ming Dynasty fortification in Xi'an, China. Visitors can explore the wall by walking or renting a bicycle, taking roughly 2–3 hours to complete the loop.
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It’s best known for its lively food streets, where you can try local food like roujiamo (Chinese hamburger), lamb skewers, and hand-pulled biangbiang noodles. The area is rich in culture located among colorful stalls and souvenir shops.
We recommend going at night - the quarter really comes alive!
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One of China’s best museums, showcasing artifacts from Xi’an’s time as the capital of multiple dynasties.
We recommend booking tickets well in advance as they are generally booked out.
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100/10 recommend! Daren & I went to this show and it was incredible. It’s an outdoor musical drama performed about an hour outside of Xi’an city. It brings to life the love story between Emperor of the Tang Dynasty and his beloved wife.
As it’s a bit outside of the city, it’s best to arrange a car to bring you there and back.
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Daren & I went to this last summer and it was epic!
It’s a large-scale immersive theatrical performance that brings to life the history and culture of the Qin Dynasty (the first imperial dynasty of China).
