2-Day Xi'an Private Tour: Terracotta Warriors & City Wall

Make clay warriors with a craftsman in his cave dwelling, then ride the city wall at sunset.

A 2-day private tour of Xi'an that takes you from the Terracotta Warriors Museum to a local artisan's cave workshop where you mold and carve miniature warriors using 2,000-year-old techniques, then moves through the Muslim Quarter's food stalls and ends on the ancient city wall by bike. Your English-speaking guide handles all transport and hotel pickup.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Terracotta Army and Muslim Quarter

• Drive 1.5 hours to Terracotta Warriors
• Discover warriors' secrets with guide
• Make clay warriors with local artisan
• Drive back to downtown Xi'an
• Visit Great Mosque
• Explore Muslim Quarter food adventure

Day 2: Pagoda, Museum, and City Wall

• Visit Big Wild Goose Pagoda
• Explore Xi'an Museum and gardens
• Bike ride on ancient city wall

The experience

Day one starts with a 1½-hour drive to the Terracotta Warriors Museum, where you stand in front of thousands of life-size clay soldiers buried 2,200 years ago. Your guide walks you through how they were made, preserved and originally painted. Then instead of leaving, you head to a cave dwelling nearby where a local artisan family teaches you to mold and carve your own miniature warrior using the same hand techniques their ancestors used two millennia ago. You get to keep what you make.

The afternoon swings to the Muslim Quarter, where you hunt through street stalls for both traditional dishes and the trendy snacks that have gone viral on social media. Your guide knows which vendors have been there for decades and which ones are the current favorites. You're eating as you walk, not sitting through a meal. The food is the point, not the restaurant.

Day two opens at the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, built in the 7th century to hold Buddhist texts that the monk Xuanzang brought back from India. From there you move to Xi'an Museum, where bronze wares, pottery figurines, gold and silver artifacts and Buddhist statues trace the city's evolution across centuries. In the afternoon, you bike or ride an eco-car along the top of the ancient city wall. A complete loop that lets you see the old neighborhoods with their time-honored shops on one side and the modern bar streets on the other. Your guide and transport back to your hotel finish the day.

What’s included

• Making clay warriors with a local artisan.
• bike or eco-car fee on the city wall.
• English-speaking professional guide.
• all transport between attractions, hotel pickup and return.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:00

AgesAdult (12 to 80 years) · Child (2 to 11 years) · Infant (under 2): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 2 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortInfant seats availablePublic transport nearby

Operated by Trippest Travel

Is this one for you?The tour moves at a steady pace with a 1½-hour drive on day one, walking through museums and the Muslim Quarter, and biking or riding an eco-car on day two: manageable for most fitness levels, but plan for a full two days in the city rather than a quick half-day stop.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (2 to 11 years); Infant (under 2): free.

How long does it take to get from Xi'an to the Terracotta Warriors Museum?

The drive is 1½ hours each way from the city center. Your guide will pick you up at your hotel in the morning and bring you back in the afternoon after the artisan workshop.

What exactly do you do at the artisan's cave dwelling?

You learn traditional molding and carving techniques from a local craftsman family and make your own miniature clay warrior using methods that have not changed in 2,000 years. You take home what you create.

Is the Muslim Quarter food walk a guided tour or do you explore on your own?

Your guide leads you through the stalls and helps you find both traditional dishes and the viral snacks that are popular right now. The guide knows the area and can explain the food culture, but you choose what to eat and how much time to spend at each spot.

Can you bike the entire city wall, or is there another option?

You can bike the wall or ride an eco-car if you prefer. The fee for either option is included in the tour price, so you choose when you book or on the day itself.

What is the Big Wild Goose Pagoda and why does it matter?

The Big Wild Goose Pagoda was built in the 7th century to house Buddhist texts and materials that the monk Xuanzang brought back from his journey to India. It stands as a landmark of Xi'an's role as an ancient center of Buddhist learning and trade.