Xi'an Terracotta Warriors & Emperor's Mausoleum: Skip-Line Guided Tour

Walking Through 6,000 Terracotta Soldiers in Xi'an's Underground Army

You skip the ticket line at Xi'an's Terracotta Warriors Museum, walk through all three excavation pits with a professional guide in English or Italian, see the ongoing archaeological restoration work, then visit the Emperor's Mausoleum and its bronze chariots. Shuttle bus between sites, museum map, and entrance fees are included. Book in advance to avoid the queues that form at the gate.

Step-by-step itinerary

Visit Terracotta Warriors and Mausoleum

• Explore Pit 1 with main army
• See Pit 2 military formations
• Visit Pit 3 command post
• Watch ongoing archaeological work
• Walk around Emperor's tomb mound
• View bronze chariots and horses

The experience

You step off the shuttle bus and the first pit opens in front of you: rows and rows of life-sized warriors in formation, each one different, each one carved over 2,000 years ago. The scale hits differently when you're standing there. Your guide, speaking English or Italian depending on your group, walks you through Pit 1 first, where the main army of more than 6,000 terracotta warriors and horses are arranged exactly as they were buried. You'll see the kneeling archers in Pit 2, the command post officers in Pit 3, and if you're lucky, archaeologists still working on restoration: carefully piecing broken figures back together right in front of you.

After the pits, the shuttle takes you to the Emperor's Mausoleum, where the actual tomb mound sits under grass and trees, still sealed and unexcavated after all these centuries. What you do see are two bronze chariots in a separate hall: half life-sized, impossibly detailed, drawn by four bronze horses each. They're the kind of thing that makes you understand how advanced the metalwork was back then. Your guide explains the history of Qin Shihuang and why this whole underground army was built in the first place, which makes the whole thing make sense instead of just being impressive objects in a museum.

The skip-line access is the real difference here. Booking tickets online in China without a local ID and payment method is a hassle, and the popular sites draw long queues, especially in peak season. This tour handles that. Your tickets are already arranged, your guide is waiting, and you move through the museum on a schedule instead of standing in a line. You get a map of both sites, a small gift, and enough time to walk through at your own pace once you understand what you're looking at. The whole thing runs half a day, which means you're not exhausted by evening.

What’s included

Your day includes skip-line entry tickets to both the Terracotta Warriors Museum and the Emperor's Mausoleum, a professional guide in English or Italian who walks you through all three excavation pits and explains the bronze chariots, a shuttle bus between the two sites, a museum map, and a small gift. You have time to explore each pit at your own pace once the guide has oriented you to what you're seeing.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

AgesAdult (25 to 59 years) · Senior (60 to 75 years) · Youth (16 to 24 years) · Child (4 to 15 years) · Infant (1 to 3 years): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

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

Prices and times updated 4 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller-friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Terra cotta warriors ticket with official English & Italian guide

Is this one for you?Book this if you're arriving in Xi'an without a local payment method or ID and want to skip the entry-line wait: the advance booking and guide handle both, leaving you free to spend your time actually looking at the warriors instead of standing in a queue.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (16 to 24 years); Child (4 to 15 years); Infant (1 to 3 years): free.

Do I need a local ID to book tickets for the Terracotta Warriors Museum?

No. This tour handles the booking for you in advance, which bypasses the local payment method requirement that makes online booking difficult for international visitors.

How many pits can I visit?

All three. Pit 1 holds the main army of over 6,000 warriors and horses; Pit 2 shows cavalry, chariots, and archers; Pit 3 is the command post with officers and ceremonial chariot.

Is the Emperor's tomb actually open to go inside?

No. The interior remains sealed for preservation. You see the mound from outside and walk around the park-like area, but the buried palaces and treasures inside are not accessible.

What's included in the tour?

Museum and mausoleum entry tickets, a professional guide in English or Italian, shuttle bus between sites, museum map, and a small gift. You explore at your own pace once the guide explains each pit.

How long does the tour take?

It's a half-day tour. The exact duration depends on how much time you spend in each pit, but it's arranged to give you plenty of time to explore without rushing.

Can I see archaeologists working on the terracotta figures?

Often, yes. Ongoing restoration work happens in the pits, and you may see archaeologists carefully excavating and reconstructing broken figures during your visit.

Is the museum wheelchair accessible?

Yes. All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible, and strollers and prams are permitted for infants and small children. Service animals are allowed.

What language is the guide?

English or Italian, depending on your group. The guide provides explanation of all three pits, the Emperor's Mausoleum, and the two bronze chariots.