Xi'an concentrates more of China's early history in one compact city than anywhere else, and the walled centre means you can walk between much of it. The exception is the Terracotta Army, which is out east in Lintong and needs a full day.
Every entry below was cross-checked against at least two independent sources, several of them the Shaanxi Provincial Cultural Heritage Administration or the sites' own official websites.
The list#
| Sight | Chinese | Address | Metro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terracotta Army | 秦始皇帝陵博物院 | 西安市临潼区秦陵北路 | None — see below |
| City Wall (South Gate) | 西安城墙（永宁门） | 西安市碑林区南大街2号 | Line 2, Yongningmen (exit A1 or D1) |
| Bell Tower | 钟楼 | 西安市碑林区东大街与西大街交汇处 | Lines 2 and 6, Zhonglou (exit C) |
| Drum Tower | 鼓楼 | 西安市西大街北院门街南端 | Lines 2 and 6, Zhonglou |
| Great Mosque | 化觉巷清真大寺 | 西安市莲湖区北院门化觉巷30号 | Lines 2 and 6, Zhonglou |
| Stele Forest Museum | 西安碑林博物馆 | 西安市碑林区三学街15号 | Line 2, Yongningmen or Zhonglou |
| Shaanxi History Museum | 陕西历史博物馆 | 西安市雁塔区小寨东路91号 | Lines 2 and 3, Xiaozhai |
| Big Wild Goose Pagoda | 大慈恩寺（大雁塔） | 西安市雁塔区慈恩路1号 | Lines 3 and 4, Dayanta |
| Tang Paradise | 大唐芙蓉园 | 西安市雁塔区曲江新区芙蓉西路99号 | Line 4, Datang Furongyuan (exit D) |
| Daming Palace ruins | 大明宫国家遗址公园 | 西安市自强东路585号 | Line 4, Daminggong; Line 2, Longshouyuan |
Sources differ on which district Daming Palace sits in — some say Weiyang, others Xincheng — so the table gives the street address they agree on and omits the district.
How to group them#
The walled centre, on foot. The Bell Tower and Drum Tower face each other at the crossroads; the Great Mosque hides in the lanes behind the Drum Tower, through the Muslim Quarter; the Stele Forest is a short walk south-east; and the South Gate is where you climb the wall. This is one full day and barely any transport.
Cycle the wall. The circuit on top is roughly fourteen kilometres and you can hire a bicycle at the gates. It is the single best thing to do in Xi'an and most visitors give it too little time.
The southern museums. Shaanxi History Museum and the Big Wild Goose Pagoda are two stops apart on the metro and pair naturally. The museum is free but ticketed, and the daily allocation genuinely runs out.
Tang-themed Qujiang. Tang Paradise and the Datang Everbright City promenade beside it are reconstructions, not ruins — floodlit, theatrical and very popular after dark. Go in the evening or not at all.
Daming Palace is a vast footprint of a Tang palace with very little standing. Rewarding if you like imagining scale from foundations; skippable if you do not.
Practical notes#
Book the free museums. Shaanxi History Museum and several others run on advance online reservation. Free does not mean walk-up.
The Muslim Quarter is a food destination first. Beiyuanmen and the lanes around it are where Xi'an eats, and the Great Mosque sits quietly in the middle of it.
Two pagodas, not one. The Big Wild Goose Pagoda is the famous one. The Small Wild Goose Pagoda is quieter, older in feel, and pairs with the Xi'an Museum — worth it if you have a spare half-day.
Fourteen kilometres of wall leaves a mark; massage in Xi'an covers choosing somewhere legitimate. For how many days to give the city and where to base yourself, see the Xi'an travel guide and where to stay in Xi'an.