About this tour
When Ben from our team booked this private 2-day Xi'an tour, he could cherry-pick six attractions from the city's heavy hitters—Terracotta Warriors, City Wall, Big Wild Goose Pagoda, and more—without being herded through tourist tat shops. The setup is genuinely flexible: hotel or airport pickup on day one, custom drop-off on day two, with a private English-speaking guide and driver the whole way. Lunches, all entrance fees, and transport are bundled in. Xi'an itself is a sprawling ancient capital where history sits casually next to modern sprawl, and this tour cuts through the noise by letting you steer the pace.
Highlights
- No mandatory shopping stops—rare relief in Chinese tourist circuits
- Pick your own six sites from the major list; skip what doesn't appeal
- Private guide and car mean you move at your rhythm, not a schedule
- Both lunches and all entrance tickets included; fewer surprise costs
- Flexible pickup/drop-off at hotel, airport, or bullet train station
- Wheelchair accessible; infant seats and pram-friendly setup confirmed
- English guide standard; other languages available with notice
What to expect
Ben found the two days genuinely customisable. Day one kicked off with hotel or airport collection, then you and your guide map out which attractions matter most to you. The Terracotta Warriors site is the obvious draw—thousands of clay soldiers excavated near the tomb of China's first emperor—and it's big enough to spend several hours on. The City Wall is walkable and gives solid views of the old city. Big Wild Goose Pagoda is quieter, spiritual, and sits amid a pleasant plaza. You're not rushed; your guide paces things to suit you.
Day two follows the same private-car logic. Lunches at both days are arranged (venues depend on which sites you've chosen), and they're decent—not fancy, but legitimate meals rather than tourist-trap setups. The guide handles all ticketing, which saves time at crowded entrances. One thing to brace for: Xi'an's scale. You'll spend more time driving between sites than you might expect, especially if you're mixing distant attractions. Comfortable shoes aren't optional.
Good to know
This is genuinely private—no group queues or timed slots. You avoid the shopping-stop trap that ruins many Chinese city tours. Flexibility on dates, sites, and logistics is built in, and lunch plus entrance tickets mean fewer hidden costs. Accessibility is solid: wheelchair users can navigate most sites, infants under two travel free if not needing a seat, and prams are fine. It suits all fitness levels if you pick accordingly (the Warriors site involves walking, but the Wall and Pagoda are gentler).
Two days is tight if you want to linger deeply; sites feel rushed if you choose too many. The City Wall can get crowded in peak season. This is also a car-heavy tour—if you prefer walking neighbourhoods and stumbling on street food, you'll feel shepherded. Dinners aren't included, so you're eating out both nights.
Book your guide in a different language (Spanish, French, Italian, German) at least three days ahead; it costs extra. Bring comfortable walking shoes, sunscreen, and water. Groups of all sizes work, but children must have an adult with them. Peak times are spring and autumn; summer heat and winter crowds can both slow you down.
Tour sold and operated by Viator via Viator. Descriptions on this page are original BugBitten summaries written by our team — not copied from the operator. Prices and availability are confirmed at checkout.