Xi'an museums tour: Qin-Han civilization and Tang pagoda

Two museums, two dynasties, one guide who knows the stories

A private guided tour of Xi'an's Qin-Han Museum and Small Wild Goose Pagoda museum, departing from your hotel and returning there after five hours. You walk through the Qin-Han Museum's core exhibition on centralized governance and Silk Road trade, seeing the 9.71-meter Silk Road No. 1 ship and military credentials, then move to the Small Wild Goose Pagoda to study Tang-dynasty stone steles and Buddhist carvings. Your guide speaks English or Chinese and shapes the pace to your interests.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Shaanxi History Museum3h
2. Xi'an Museum & Small Wild Goose Pagoda2h

Visit Xi'an museums and cultural sites

• Depart from hotel
• Visit Shaanxi History Museum Qin-Han branch
• Explore Qin-Han civilization exhibits
• Visit Xi'an Xiaoyanta Museum
• Discover Tang Dynasty carvings and steles
• Return to hotel

The experience

If you have a free morning in Xi'an and want to see the city's most important collections without arranging transport or navigating on your own, this tour handles both. The guide picks you up from your hotel and takes you first to the Qin-Han Museum, a branch of the Shaanxi History Museum located in Xixian New Area. The museum's seven buildings are arranged like the Big Dipper and connected by corridors, built in Qin-Han architectural style. The core exhibition, *Unity of the World*, occupies two floors and displays 732 relics spanning centralized governance, economic policies, the rise of Confucianism, script unification, Han papermaking, and Silk Road exchanges.

The museum's standout pieces anchor the visit. The Silk Road No. 1 ship, measuring 9.71 meters long, is the earliest known wooden vessel in China with craftsmanship linked to Roman techniques: a physical link between two ancient worlds. The Qin Du Hu Tally, a two-part military credential, shows how the Qin state controlled its forces across distance. Your guide walks you through what these objects meant to their time and why they matter now. After the Qin-Han Museum, you move to the Small Wild Goose Pagoda, built between 707 and 709 AD during the Tang Dynasty. The 43.3-meter brick pagoda originally had 15 stories and stands as a landmark of ancient Chang'an, facing the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda across the city. The pagoda's square base tapers gracefully upward, decorated with exquisite Tang-dynasty carvings of celestial beings on its door lintels.

The museum houses more than 43 stone steles from the Tang and Song dynasties, including the precious Attendant Bodhisattva inscription. Twenty steles record military examination candidates from the Ming and Qing dynasties, providing a window into how the empire selected its officials. The guide returns you to your hotel when the tour ends, leaving you free for lunch or an afternoon elsewhere in the city.

What’s included

• Private tour guide in English or Chinese.
• hotel pickup and drop-off.

Before you book

Days and timesWednesday to SundayDepartures at 08:30 and 13:30

Book up to12h before

AgesAdult (3 to 80 years) · Infant (under 3): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and Chinese

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Paid on siteUS$ 7.47

Prices and times updated 12 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Jeff Ning China Tour

Is this one for you?Choose this private tour if you want a guide who can pause and answer your questions at each museum, rather than moving through sites on a group's schedule.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Chinese.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Infant (under 3): free.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What is the Silk Road No. 1 ship and why is it significant?

The Silk Road No. 1 is a 9.71-meter wooden vessel on display at the Qin-Han Museum, the earliest known wooden ship in China with craftsmanship techniques linked to Roman methods. It demonstrates the technological exchange and trade connections between China and the Roman world during the Qin-Han period.

How many relics are on display at the Qin-Han Museum?

The Qin-Han Museum's core exhibition, *Unity of the World*, displays 732 relics across two floors, covering topics from centralized governance and economic policies to script unification, Han papermaking, and Silk Road exchanges.

When was the Small Wild Goose Pagoda built and how tall is it?

The Small Wild Goose Pagoda, also known as Jianfu Temple Pagoda, was built between 707 and 709 AD during the Tang Dynasty. The brick pagoda stands 43.3 meters tall and originally had 15 stories, with a square base measuring 11.38 meters per side.

What stone steles can I see at the Small Wild Goose Pagoda museum?

The museum houses more than 43 stone steles from the Tang and Song dynasties, including the precious Attendant Bodhisattva inscription. Twenty additional steles record military examination candidates from the Ming and Qing dynasties, offering historical records of how the empire selected officials.

How long does the tour take and what's included in the price?

The tour runs five hours and includes a private guide who speaks English or Chinese, hotel pickup and drop-off. Food and gratuities are not included, but public transportation options are available near both museums if you want to explore further on your own.