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 to Xi’an
We are aware that flights directly to Xi’an are expensive, specifically if you’re coming from the US. We recommend flying into Shanghai or Beijing and either taking the high-speed train or another flight to Xi’an. At least, it’s worth exploring those options. The airport is Xi’an Xianyang International Airport (XIY). You can also book multi-city flights, flying into one city and out from another which isn’t a huge price difference.
Getting Around
The easiest way to get around is by ordering a Didi through WeChat or asking your hotel to arrange a car for you. Trains are also a convenient option. Both Alipay and WeChat have built-in QR codes that you can scan at stations for easy access.
In China, you can’t use a physical card directly—you’ll need to link your card to either WeChat or Alipay. We recommend setting up both apps in advance to make payments easily.
Accomodation
You’ll be staying at the HUALUXE Xi’an Tanghua hotel for the wedding weekend. We’ll cover the booking for Friday the 23rd and Saturday the 24th. The hotel is centrally located, with plenty of things to do nearby.
If you plan to arrive earlier or stay longer, you’re welcome to book additional nights at the same hotel.
Another great option (for China generally) is the Atour chain - very affordable and nice.
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.
You cannot pay with any type of card in China, it must be linked to Wechat or Alipay.
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Alipay is another widely used payment app in China that lets you link your card for easy transactions. You can also book train tickets, access a subway card and more.
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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.
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Amap is the best map option to get around China and you can change the settings to English. Google maps will require VPN. Apple maps is ok to use too.
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).
