Xian Evening Food Tour

Daily at 6pm

Duration 3.5 hours

$65 USD per adult

$50 USD per child 4-15

Fully Operated by Tuktuk

The Essentials:

For 16 centuries, Xian stood as the crossroads of the world in trade and taste. Today, this leaves behind an amazing food culture to explore on this tuktuk serviced tour to try at least 10 dishes. Enjoy unlimited food, beer, and soft drinks zipping through millenia-old alleyways, hidden sections of the Muslim quarter, and ancient city gates to get a true taste of the Silk Road on TripAdvisors’s #1 Rated Food Experience in the World.

Stops

4 sit-down, safe-to-eat restaurants and 1 local brewery alongside Xian’s ancient city wall.

Group Size

Small groups of 2-12 people per tour.

Start & End Location

This tour starts at Xi Hua Men Fire Station, near the Bell Tower. An email will be sent with detailed meeting location details immediately after booking. The tour ends at a local brewery just inside the South Gate of the city wall, approx. 20 minute walk from the start location.

Dietary Requirements

This tour is not very vegetarian or gluten-free friendly, instead we recommend joining our tours in Beijing, Shanghai or Chengdu. Please notify us of any dietary requirements prior to your tour date, same-day requests cannot be guaranteed. Message us prior to booking if you have any questions.

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About This Tour:

In the 2nd Century BC, China was unified by the first emperor of China. He built his capital and Terracotta Army in Xian, piggybacking on old trade towns from Alexander the Great’s empire to create the Silk Road. This leaves a delicious legacy; the kaleidoscope of flavors found in Shaanxi cuisine is just as diverse and varied as the people who have walked its ancient roads.

As the prized end for travelers along the Silk Road, and deep within the heart of China, Xian is a city of intersection between North and South, East and West. Because of this, Xian and its Shaanxi cuisine is able to elaborate the use of ordinary materials, and is best known for its noodles and lamb/mutton dishes due to its Muslim population. It makes heavy use of strong and complex flavors with an emphasis on savory flavors such as salt, garlic, cumin and chili. Come and see this ancient cuisine that has been overlooked for far too long, and get a true taste of the past.

What You'll Do:

Fly through hidden streets and alleys by tuktuk to try at least 10 dishes, many that don’t exist anywhere else in China.

Xian cuisine uses noodles more than most Chinese cuisines - start the tour with iconic Biang Biang noodles served with a savory chili oil.

Sit side-by-side a local BBQ master in a hidden alley with over 1400 years of history in the Muslim quarter of Xian.

You’ve heard of Shanghai soup dumplings, but have you tried Xian’s? Try perfectly spiced dumplings, served alongside eight treasure porridge and an immaculate savory soup.

Eat gourd chicken - chicken that is boiled, steamed with spices, and then deep fried whole to yield a very crispy and aromatic skin, and a desperately tender interior.

End the night sampling several craft beers at a brewery nestled in Xian’s historic city walls, before choosing the pint of your choice.

Featured In:

One of the Best Things to do in Xian

In addition to trying some of the best eats in the neighborhood, you'll also have the chance to learn about the history of this community and get to meet some of the people who make the best biang biang noodles (so named for the loud way they slam onto the table) and Eight Treasures congee, which was a staple of travelers along the Silk Road thanks to its easy-to-haul ingredients like nuts, spices and seeds.

#1 Food Experience in the World

TripAdvisor's Travelers Choice Awards ranked our Xian Evening Food Tour as the best food experience in the World!

Ranked by you!

Watch:

YouTube

Take a close look at our Xian Evening Food Tour and what you’ll experience in our own Lost Plate produced video.

YouTube

With over 1M views, this fun video by I Roam Alone gives you a unique overview of our Xian Evening Food Tour!

Customer Reviews:

 5/5

Authentic and Brilliant

“We loved the Beijing Lost Plate tour so much we decided to do this one during a brief trip to Xi’an. It was another top evening out. Our friendly and knowledgeable guide Michelle took us in a well-stocked tuk-tuk through the teeming and atmospheric streets of Xi’an’s ‘Muslim quarter’. We stopped at small, family-run restaurants and tried some great Xi’an cuisine. The soup dumpling place we stopped at was busy with locals – this tour is the real deal.”

David

October 2020

 5/5

Muslim Quarter Food Tour

“This was by far and away the best food I had on my entire trip in China! Not only was the food outstanding but all the local places were so accommodating and inviting. Best soup dumplings in my life! And I now am obsessed with the biang biang noodles and I’m desperately trying to find them in New York. My only regret was not going on the tour as soon as I arrived in Xian because I couldn’t revisit the places before my journey home.”

Alexandra E

March 2020

 5/5

Stuffed with Exquisite Flavors and Experiences

“Wonderful experience. We traveled through the alleyways of old Xi’an sampling the vast array of local cuisines. Watched a restaurant make biang niang noodles banging the dough making the sound “Biang Biang!” Learned the history of Xi’an as the terminus of the Silk Road and the influence of the spices on the cuisine. The guides are super knowledgeable and friendly. Good for the adventurous eater (me) and the picky eater (teenage daughter). Hands down the best experience we had in Xi’an. Authentic, educational, fun, cultural,delicious!

Nancy R

February 2020

 5/5

Perfect Local Foodie Tour

“We absolutely loved our food tour led be the amazing Jessie! THE highlight of our China trip. Before meeting her, we had walked down the main “strip” of the Muslim quarter and it felt very geared towards tourism which Jessie confirmed upon meeting. Instead of spending time there, we visited four out of the way spots that were each gems in their own right. The trip was managed so effectively that each stop was a perfect length with multiple (plentiful) food choices. The tuk tuks are branded and were a fun way to easily get around between the stops. We took our young children and loved experiencing the best Xi’an has to offer with the best tour guide.”

Erin C

December 2019

 5/5

Amazing Taste of Xian

“I have to be honest. Despite the reviews, I went on the tour a little reluctant I wouldn’t like any of the food or even worse, it would make me sick. I was wrong on both counts. Food was absolutely delicious and cooked in safe, clean environments. After some brief introductions, our guide Coco assigned us tuk tuks which whisked us away to a noodle place then barbecue next wontons then a chicken meal and finally a brewery. Each stop was accompanied with an historical, cultural and/or culinary explanation of each dish. We had plenty of time at each stop and way too much food. When they say go on an empty stomach – go on an empty stomach. I honestly would have taken the morning market tour the next day had it been available. This is a don’t miss tour in my opinion.”

Valaping

October 2019

 5/5

Still Dreaming of the Food!

“First of all – take this tour, you won’t be sorry. The food we had on this tour was my favorite of our entire trip. Although there are foods you may have tried before, like soup dumplings, the flavors on the past foods you may have tried are no where near the flavors that you’ll find on this tour. The foods are unique and delicious. The tuktuk and unlimited beer was a fun addition to the out of this world food. I also can’t rave enough about our tour guide Jessie. She was my favorite tour guide from our trip. So knowledgeable, so insightful, and she had an amazing spirit/energy. She also pointed out spots in Xian that connected to her upbringing there which really added an amazing personal touch to our tour. Wish I could do another tour with Jessie! And seriously, I’m still dreaming of the amazing food we tried.”

Jill

December 2019

COVID-19 Health & Safety.

Flexible Cancellation Policy: We have always offered one of the most flexible cancellation policies in the industry and that hasn’t changed. You are able to reschedule your tour or receive a 100% refund for all cancellations made at least 48 hours before the tour start time. Your reservations with Lost Plate are worry-free.
Symptom-Free: We require that all guides and guests are free of any symptoms. Guides or guests showing symptoms of any illness, including fever, cough, or shortness of breath, will be asked to not join the tour.
Social Distancing Measures: We will maintain social distance whenever possible during the tour. We follow all local regulations and restaurant requirements, which means it’s possible your group may be seated at multiple tables at a venue.
Masks Required: All guides and guests are required to wear face masks at all times when not eating or drinking. If you are unsure where to purchase a mask, please let us know so we can send some recommendations. If you have a medical exemption or disability that prohibits you from wearing a mask, you must book a private tour for just your group by contacting us.
Sanitization: Hand sanitizer or hand-washing facilities will be provided at each stop.
Individual Portions: When possible, all portions will be served in individual servings. If larger dishes must be shared, public utensils will be made available to ensure each guest’s safety.
All restaurants that we visit follow local requirements. Temperature checks, personal registration, and/or health app screening are likely. It is the guest’s responsibility to meet requirements at each stop.
Your guide has the right to refuse service to anyone not complying with safety protocols. If you have any questions or concerns with any of these details, please contact us before your tour begins.

Frequently Asked Questions:

How much food and drink will I get?

We are not a tasting tour, we provide much more than a full meal’s worth of food so we recommend you come prepared to eat.

It is our professional recommendation to come hungry, and pace yourselves. Food, beer, and soft drinks are unlimited until the last stop which is a brewery, so you’ll get more than you need! There’s at least 10 courses as well, so please pace yourselves because you are going to want to try everything we have.

In the food tour business, the first stops are usually very popular with guests because that’s when they are the hungriest. If guests are full at the last stop and still can’t stop eating – that’s the sign of a good food tour. We won TripAdvisor’s #1 Food Experience in the World, so you can imagine you’ll definitely need your Christmas pants (or equivalent).

What if I’m vegetarian or have special dietary requests?

Our tours have been designed to accommodate as many diets as possible while still remaining stupid delicious, but please let us know prior to your tour date as same day requests cannot be guaranteed.

Vegetarians will not be able to eat everything on this tour, and most of your courses will omit meat rather than substitute it. Aka, noodles and sauce with no meat, bread with no meat, things like that. Our eateries are small, family run, and very specialized, so we do our best but on this tour there just aren’t a lot of substitutes. For vegetarian diets, we recommend you check out our Beijing, Chengdu, and Shanghai tours as they will have more options for you.

When booking online, you’ll have the opportunity to let us know if you have any dietary restrictions or special requests. Please use this field to let us know about your requests and we will follow up if there are any problems or questions.

Will I need to walk very far?

Not really, this tour is serviced by tuk-tuk so very little walking is required – so you can focus on the eating.

What ages qualify for child pricing?

Our child pricing is valid for ages 4 through 15. Children ages 3 and under are free.

Where does the tour start and end?

The tour starts at 6pm at the Xi Hua Men Fire Station which is about a 5 minute walk from the Bell Tower. You’ll get the exact address, directions, and transportation details immediately after booking.

The tour ends at a brewery just inside Xian’s south gate of the city wall. It is approx. a 15 minute walk back to the start location. Your guide will point you in the right direction for wherever you need to go next, or you are welcome to stay at the bar as long as you like!

How many people will be on my tour?

Our minimum is 2 and maximum is 12. There’s no flag to follow, or megaphone, or tacky uniforms. It’s small enough to be intimate, but big enough to get away with trying several dishes at each stop. You’ll get plenty of face-time with the experts. Bottom line is, you’ll follow the guide through a super-local experience and make friends along the way.

How long does this tour last?

This tour lasts about 3.5 hours and ends in a bar, it’s not uncommon for guests to stay and keep the drinks going afterward.

What happens if it rains or the weather is hot or cold?

All of our tours are rain-or-shine, so we suggest you dress for the weather. In rare cases of extreme weather, your guide will cancel the tour and provide a full refund.

Do you offer private tours for special groups/events?

Yes we do! If you would like to book a special tour for your organization or group, just contact us and we’ll take care of you.

Should I sign up for multiple Lost Plate Tours? Are they all different?

We have many happy customers who do more than one of our tours in Beijing and across China! We have designed our tours to focus only on food from each city. This means that each dish, story, and vibe is unique to each tour and there aren’t any repeats.

Most people are very surprised how much the cuisine changes as they travel throughout China, and our tours are a good way to discover those differences. We encourage you to pick the tours that best fit your itinerary and we offer a 10% discount if booking more than one tour.

Do you offer discounts?

We sure do! If you decide to do more than one tour with us we are happy to offer you a 10% discount off your total amount. It doesn’t matter if the tour is in the same city or a different city, we want to keep feeding you as long as you let us. Our online booking system will automatically deduct the discount from your total if booking online at the same time. If you decide to add more tours later, your original confirmation email will include a promo code to use on those bookings. Also, children ages 4-15 receive a discount on all tours (3 & under are free).

What is your cancellation policy?

Bookings cancelled 2 days (48 hours) or more before your tour are fully refundable (100% refund). Bookings cancelled within 48 hours notice are not refundable. Cancellations must be communicated by email to info@lostplate.com or by phone. If you would like to reschedule your tour with less than 48 hours notice, we will need to charge 50% of your total since we are unable to fill your spots at short notice.

Ask us anything,
we love a good question.

Xian Evening Food Tour

 5/5

$65 USD/person

Xian Evening Food Tour