The Essentials:
Visit the ancient city of Xian that has been a culinary center of gravity for millenia. At the end of the Silk Road, Xian has the definitive say in how three continents and 11,000 kilometers can crescendo in flavor. From hand-pulled noodles to fried stewed chicken (yes, you read that right) to local organic ice cream, you’ll need to bring along your stretchy pants for this one.
Price
Join-in trips start at $620 USD per person, which may increase slightly due to seasonality. You can browse the calendar for each trip’s specific price. A $300 USD per person deposit is required to reserve your spot. Click here for more pricing details.
Group Size
Small groups of 4-10, or contact us to ask about a private trip
Accommodations
Two nights in a 4 star hotel located in the center of Xian, walking distance to all of the big sights within the City Wall.
Inclusions
- 2 Nights Accommodations
- All Meals, Including Soft Drinks & Beer
- All Tickets/Entrance Fees
- Ground Transportation, Including Airport Transfers
- English Speaking Lost Plate Trip Leader
- China Travel Guide PDF
- Online Pre-trip Briefing & Q&A Session
Highlights
- Terracotta Warriors
- Muslim Quarter & Great Mosque
- Drum & Bell Towers
- Ancient City Wall Biking
- Morning & Evening Food Tours by Tuktuk
Day to Day Itinerary:
This itinerary is subject to changes and adjustments based on seasonality and local operations.
- Arrive and check into our hotel in Xian, airport/train station pick up is available on this day until 3pm.
- Lost Plate Evening Food Tour by Tuktuk – This food tour won the #1 Food Experience in the world by TripAdvisor. If it seems like a bold move to start out the trip so strongly, it’s because it is. End the night at a local brewery with city wall views a short walk back to your hotel.
Driving: Approx. 1 hour from the airport to the city center.
Hotel: 4-star hotel located in the heart of Xian, within the ancient city wall and walking distance to many sights.
- Terracotta Warriors (1 hour drive): You can’t go to Xian without seeing this. In numbers, the 8000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses, and 150 calvary horses took 700,000 people 40 years to complete, starting when the Emperor was 13 years old, and finishing 2 years after his death to accompany him into the afterlife. In numbers it sounds like a whole lot, but to see it for yourself is another thing entirely.
- For lunch we’ll have some seasonal Shaanxi comfort-food favorites (think stews, bings, and seasonal veg) so you can explore more of the heart of Shaanxi cuisine.
- The City Wall: We know, we know, you’re surrounded by walls all the time, they hardly seem like something to make a point of looking at. But have you ever rode a bike on top of a wall that is also one of the largest ancient military defensive systems in the world? Xian city walls are thicker than they are tall, but are still high enough to offer views of moats, battlements, archer ramparts, and the ancient city. It’s also the only city wall left in China that is fully intact.
- Enjoy Yangrou Pao Mo and tear local pita bread up into small pieces, and then the staff will take it away. When it returns, it is Yangrou Pao Mo. The addition of a savory lamb soup and chunks of tender lamb meat is soaked up by the pita bread in a synergistic feat.
- You’ll top off this unique meal with local organic ice cream, with unique flavors like black sesame, tofu, chili oil, or fresh walnut.
Driving: Approx. 1 hour each way to/from the Terracotta Warriors, then short drives around town.
Hotel: Same as previous night.
- Morning Food and Market Tour – Sunday is market day! The heart of the Muslim quarter is its local market. Learn about the vendors and chefs that make up this community, who are a vibrant part of continuing the legacy of this famous market that has stood the tests of time. It’s something you’ll have to taste to believe. We’ll eat from breakfast through lunch!
- The Great Mosque: Islam has been practiced in China for 14 centuries, culminating in the Great Mosque, the largest in all of China. Its style and presence are a unique marriage between two traditions, across 20 buildings and 5 courtyards.
- Visit Xian’s storied Drum and Bell towers are within walking distance of your hotel. You’ll get the chance to visit both towers and enjoy the views!
- Airport/Train Station Drop off: We will arrive at Xian’s north high-speed train station around 4pm and the airport around 5pm, so you need to schedule a later departure.
Driving: Approx. 1 hour to the airport.
Must-See Tour Highlights:
Highlights
Lost Plate’s Xian Evening Food Tour by Tuktuk was awarded by TripAdvisor as the #1 Food Experience in the World.
Explore the Drum & Bell Towers and discover why they are in the geographic center of the walled city.
Experience Xian's Mulsim Quarter & Great Mosque which is a unique marriage between two cultures.
Visit the Terracotta Warrior army complete with 8000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses, and 150 calvary horses that took 700,000 people 40 years to complete.
When many think of their country’s history, they think decades or centuries. China thinks in millennia, and no city holds a greater memory than Xian. The earliest human remains here? Half a million years old. First status as a capital city? 13,000 years ago – roughly 10,000 years before the first bricks of Giza’s pyramid were made. Xian re-invents what the word “old” means.
Other accolades include being the first Imperial capital of China, the Terracotta Warriors, and holding the only fully intact city walls in all of China. And inside those walls, thirteen dynasties rose, lived, and fell. It’s so jam-packed with history, that when Xian’s Metro Line 2 was constructed, they discovered 130 ancient tombs and over 200 artifacts.
In a sense, if you want to taste 5,000+ years of history in China, you have to go to Xian. In another, much more fanciful sense, you haven’t seen China if you haven’t visited Xian with Lost Plate.
We have personally curated this 3-day food and sightseeing tour in and around Xian, and it’s jam-packed with all of our favorite eats.
The nature of this trip is relaxed. There are no long van rides and no strenuous activities. Since it is only 4 days, the itinerary is quite full but there will be time to get off your feet.
Eastern House Hotel
Accommodations may change based on group size and availability. If so, an equivalent will be used.
- Join-in trips require a minimum of 4 people to operate. You should only purchase your transportation to/from Xian after you receive a tour confirmation notice. Private tours (for an additional fee) are always an option if your join-in trip does not hit the minimum amount of people.
- A deposit of $300 USD per person is required to secure your spot. This deposit is non-refundable for any reason unless the trip is cancelled by Lost Plate due to the minimum group size not being met.
- Solo travelers not sharing a room will incur a single occupancy fee of $118 USD. See more details in our FAQ below.
- Payment of your remaining balance will be collected 14 days before the trip starts.
- If you need to cancel, the amount you have already paid cannot be refunded. This is because spots on each trip are limited and because we arrange accommodations when you reserve your spot. You are able to transfer your spot to someone else.
- Payments can be made by credit card, WeChat, or Alipay.
When many think of their country’s history, they think decades or centuries. China thinks in millennia, and no city holds a greater memory than Xian. The earliest human remains here? Half a million years old. First status as a capital city? 13,000 years ago – roughly 10,000 years before the first bricks of Giza’s pyramid were made. Xian re-invents what the word “old” means.
Other accolades include being the first Imperial capital of China, the Terracotta Warriors, and holding the only fully intact city walls in all of China. And inside those walls, thirteen dynasties rose, lived, and fell. It’s so jam-packed with history, that when Xian’s Metro Line 2 was constructed, they discovered 130 ancient tombs and over 200 artifacts.
In a sense, if you want to taste 5,000+ years of history in China, you have to go to Xian. In another, much more fanciful sense, you haven’t seen China if you haven’t visited Xian with Lost Plate.
We have personally curated this 3-day food and sightseeing tour in and around Xian, and it’s jam-packed with all of our favorite eats.
The nature of this trip is relaxed. There are no long van rides and no strenuous activities. Since it is only 4 days, the itinerary is quite full but there will be time to get off your feet.
Eastern House Hotel
Accommodations may change based on group size and availability. If so, an equivalent will be used.
- Join-in trips require a minimum of 4 people to operate. You should only purchase your transportation to/from Xian after you receive a tour confirmation notice. Private tours (for an additional fee) are always an option if your join-in trip does not hit the minimum amount of people.
- A deposit of $300 USD per person is required to secure your spot. This deposit is non-refundable for any reason unless the trip is cancelled by Lost Plate due to the minimum group size not being met.
- Solo travelers not sharing a room will incur a single occupancy fee of $118 USD. See more details in our FAQ below.
- Payment of your remaining balance will be collected 14 days before the trip starts.
- If you need to cancel, the amount you have already paid cannot be refunded. This is because spots on each trip are limited and because we arrange accommodations when you reserve your spot. You are able to transfer your spot to someone else.
- Payments can be made by credit card, WeChat, or Alipay.
