Xi'an Terracotta Warriors Tour: Private Guide & Flexibility

Shape your day with a guide who lets you pick where to eat and explore next

A private full-day tour of Xi'an with hotel pickup and an English-speaking guide who meets you in the morning and takes you first to the Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum, where you walk among three warrior pits of life-size clay figures. The afternoon is yours to decide: pick one distant site like Hanyanglin Museum, or choose two from a list that includes the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, Shaanxi History Museum, Bell Tower, City Wall, Great Mosque and others. Your guide recommends restaurants for lunch and helps you navigate each choice, then returns you to your hotel by evening.

Step-by-step itinerary

Terracotta Warriors and City Sightseeing

• Meet guide at hotel lobby
• Visit Terracotta Warriors Museum
• Arrange lunch independently
• Choose afternoon city sightseeing sites
• Return to hotel to conclude tour

The Experience

The guide meets you at your hotel lobby in the morning and drives you to the Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum, where the three warrior pits hold thousands of life-size clay soldiers and horses arranged as they were buried over two thousand years ago. You walk through each pit with your guide, who explains what you are standing in front of and answers questions as you move. The site is the main anchor of the day and takes up the morning.

Lunch is your call—your guide will suggest restaurants in the area or listen to what you want to eat, and you pay on the spot. This flexibility means you are not locked into a set menu or a rushed group meal; you choose the pace and the food. The afternoon is even more open: you can visit Hanyanglin Museum alone if you want a quieter, more distant site, or pick any two stops from a longer list. The Big Wild Goose Pagoda, Shaanxi History Museum, Bell Tower, City Wall, Great Mosque, and several others are all options. Your guide knows each one and can help you decide based on what interests you and how much time you want to spend.

The driver handles all transport between stops, and bottled water is provided throughout the day. You pay entrance fees at each site as you go, so there are no surprises at the end. By late afternoon the guide drives you back to your hotel, and the tour concludes.

What’s included

• Private transportation with a professional licensed driver.
• hotel pickup and drop-off.
• English-speaking tour guide for the full day.
• bottled water throughout the tour.

Good to know

Easy physical level

Operated by TWT Travel

Is this one for you?If you speak English and want a guide who can explain what you are seeing without rushing you, this tour works well—your guide is with you the whole day and can answer questions at each stop. The afternoon flexibility means you are not following a set itinerary; instead, you and your guide decide together which city sites fit your interests and how much time to spend at each one.

Traveler reviews

4.29★★★★★★★★★★

17 verified traveler reviews

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

What exactly is inside the Terracotta Warriors Museum?

The Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum holds three warrior pits filled with thousands of life-size clay soldiers and horses buried over two thousand years ago. You walk through each pit with your guide to see the figures arranged as they were discovered, and your guide explains the history and what each pit represents.

Do I have to visit the same afternoon sites as everyone else on the tour?

No—this is a private tour, so you decide which afternoon sites to visit. You can choose one distant site like Hanyanglin Museum, or pick any two from a list that includes the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, Shaanxi History Museum, Bell Tower, City Wall, Great Mosque, Muslim Quarter, and others. Your guide helps you choose based on your interests and the time you have.

What's included in the price and what do I pay separately?

The tour includes private transportation, the driver, your English-speaking guide, hotel pickup and drop-off, and bottled water. You pay for lunch and all entrance fees at each site when you arrive, so costs depend on which sites you choose and where you eat.

How long does the whole day take?

The tour runs for eight hours from hotel pickup to drop-off. The morning at the Terracotta Warriors Museum takes several hours, and the afternoon is split between lunch and your choice of city sites.

Can I visit the Great Mosque or the Bell Tower if I choose them?

Yes—both the Great Mosque and the Bell Tower are on the list of afternoon options you can pick from. Your guide can take you to either or both, depending on which two sites you want to see and how much time you want to spend at each one.

What if I'm not sure which afternoon sites to visit?

Your guide speaks English and knows all the sites on the list. Once you finish at the Terracotta Warriors Museum and have lunch, you can discuss your interests with your guide, who will recommend which sites fit your time and what you want to see, then take you there.