Terracotta Warriors tour with figurine-making class in Xian

Shape your own warrior and take it home

This eight-hour private tour in Xian combines a guided visit to the Terracotta Warriors Museum with a hands-on figurine-making class at a local workshop. You spend 2.5 hours walking the museum's exhibition pits with your guide's explanation of the Qin dynasty army, then enjoy a local lunch before moving to the workshop, where you choose a warrior role (general, officer, infantry or archer), and sculpt your own clay figurine to keep. Hotel pickup and drop-off, entrance tickets, VR history experience and professional English-speaking guide are all included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Visit Terracotta Army and make figurines

• Meet guide and driver at hotel
• Drive one hour to Terracotta Warriors Museum
• Explore exhibition pits with guide for 2.5 hours
• Enjoy lunch at local restaurant
• Visit local farmer's workshop for figurine making
• Play with clay or request kiln baking
• Return to hotel with guide and driver

The experience

The day starts with a one-hour drive from your hotel to the Terracotta Warriors Museum, where you'll spend 2.5 hours moving between the exhibition pits. Your private guide walks you through the significance of each section, explaining how the Qin dynasty built this underground army of thousands. The scale and detail of what you're standing in front of (the rows of life-sized warriors, the horses, the weapons) is what the guide's commentary helps you understand. Without it, the sheer number of figures can feel abstract until someone explains what you're actually looking at.

After lunch at a local restaurant, you head to a farmer's workshop to make your own figurine. You pick which warrior type appeals to you (general, officer, infantry or archer), and work with clay to shape it yourself. The workshop owner and guide are there to show you the basics, but the figurine is yours to make. Once you finish, you can leave it as is, ask the kiln owner to fire and ship it to your home (at extra cost), or commission a professional sculptor to create a personalized version (also extra). Most travelers take the unfired version home as a souvenir of the day.

The tour also includes a VR experience that gives you another angle on the history you've just seen in person. Your private driver handles all the logistics (hotel pickup, the drive to the museum, the trip to the workshop, and the return), so you're not navigating transport or timing between stops.

What’s included

• Entrance tickets to the Terracotta Warriors Museum.
• lunch at a local restaurant with local drinks.
• figurine-making materials and instruction at the workshop.
• VR history experience.
• private English-speaking guide and driver.
• hotel pickup and drop-off.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day17 departure times: the first at 07:00, the last at 15:00

Book up to12h before

AgesAdult (8 to 80 years) · Child (4 to 7 years) · Infant (under 4): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German, Italian and Chinese

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 5 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleInfant seats available

Operated by Catherine Lu Tours

Is this one for you?Your guide speaks English, so you follow the commentary and history without translation. If you need Spanish, French, Italian or German, arrange it three days ahead for an extra fee.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Chinese and Chinese.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 7 years); Infant (under 4): free.

How much time do I actually spend at the Terracotta Warriors Museum?

You spend 2.5 hours walking the exhibition pits with your guide. The museum itself is large, but your guide focuses the visit on the main sections and explains what you're seeing, so the time is structured around understanding the site rather than rushing through it.

Can I really take the figurine I make back home?

Yes. You shape the warrior figurine yourself during the workshop session and can take the unfired clay version home in your luggage. If you want it fired and shipped, or if you'd prefer a professional sculptor to create one for you, those services cost extra and are arranged separately with the workshop owner.

What is the Terracotta Warriors Museum actually like?

The museum houses thousands of life-sized clay warriors, horses and chariots buried with China's first emperor over 2,000 years ago. The figures are arranged in military formation across multiple exhibition pits, and your guide explains the historical context and craftsmanship as you walk through each section.