Xi'an Panda & City Highlights Private Day Tour

See the world's only brown panda and three centuries of temples in one day

A private full-day tour of Xi'an with a dedicated guide covers the Animal Protection Center, Guangren Temple, and the Muslim Quarter. You start at your hotel, spend the morning watching pandas, golden monkeys and takins, visit the Qing dynasty Tibetan Buddhist temple, then walk the Muslim Quarter to see local snacks and folk art before returning to your hotel. The tour runs 8 hours with private vehicle transport and entry included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Xi'an Panda and City Highlights Tour

• Meet guide and driver at hotel
• Visit Animal Protection Center to see pandas and wildlife
• Explore Guangren Temple
• Walk through Muslim Quarter and taste snacks
• Return to hotel

The experience

Your guide picks you up at your hotel and drives you straight to the Animal Protection Center, the earliest panda facility of its kind in China and one of only four major breeding centers in the country. This is the only place on earth where you can see Qizai, the world's sole brown panda. Beyond him, the center holds the largest clusters of golden monkeys and takins anywhere, plus crested ibises and other endangered species. You watch the animals eat, play and rest. They move slowly and deliberately, and the scale of what the center protects becomes clear as your guide explains the breeding work and conservation status of each species.

From there you move to Guangren Temple, built in 1705 by the Kangxi Emperor as a place for Tibetan Buddhist leaders to stay and worship during their visits to Shaanxi. The temple runs along a central axis with nine halls (the Shanmen gate, the Four Heavenly Kings Hall, the Main Hall, the Thousand Buddha Hall and others) each one marking a layer of religious and political history from the Qing dynasty. Your guide walks you through the layout and explains why the Qing court invested in this particular temple in this particular place.

The tour ends in the Muslim Quarter, a neighborhood that locals still use for snacks and entertainment as much as tourists do. You walk among stalls selling folk art and regional food, getting a sense of how Xi'an residents actually spend their time. Your guide then transfers you back to your hotel.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off at your Xi'an hotel.
• private guide in English or Chinese.
• entry and admission to the Shaanxi Animal Protection Center.
• transport by private vehicle for the full day.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:00

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (3 to 80 years) · Under 3: can't be booked

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.

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?This is a private tour, so only your group travels together with one dedicated guide and driver: no joining other travelers or adjusting to a shared schedule. Book this if you want to move at your own pace through the Animal Protection Center, spend as long as you need at Guangren Temple, and explore the Muslim Quarter without time pressure.

Traveler reviews

5.00★★★★★★★★★★

2 verified traveler reviews

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Chinese.

What is Qizai the brown panda, and where can I see him?

Qizai is the only brown panda in the world and lives at the Animal Protection Center near Xi'an. The center is one of four major panda breeding facilities in China and the earliest of its kind. You visit it in the morning portion of the tour and watch him alongside golden monkeys, takins and crested ibises.

What happens at Guangren Temple during the tour?

Guangren Temple is a Tibetan Buddhist temple built in 1705 by the Kangxi Emperor to house religious leaders visiting from Tibet. Your guide walks you through the nine halls along the central axis (including the Shanmen gate, Four Heavenly Kings Hall, Main Hall and Thousand Buddha Hall), and explains the temple's role in Qing dynasty politics and Buddhist practice.

Is the Muslim Quarter just for tourists, or do locals go there too?

The Muslim Quarter is used by both tourists and locals. While it has become known as a tourism spot, residents of Xi'an still visit for snacks, folk art and entertainment, especially in summer. You walk through it at the end of the tour to see how the neighborhood actually functions.

How long is the full tour, and what's included in the price?

The tour runs 8 hours and includes hotel pickup and drop-off, a private guide, entry to the Animal Protection Center, and transport by private vehicle. Food and gratuities are not included. A vegetarian meal option is available if you request it when booking.