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Xian Full-Day Tour

Terracotta Warriors, City Wall & Shaanxi Cuisine

Start Time: 9am End Time: 7:30pm

$209 USD / person age 4+, free for children age 3 and under

Hotel pick-up & transportation included.

Entrance ticket to Terracotta Warriors and City Wall included.

The Essentials:

See Xi’an’s biggest sights and get a taste of local life, all in one day. Come face-to-face with the thousands of Terracotta Warriors, sit down for a countryside lunch, and walk along the ancient City Wall. Then explore Shuyuanmen, a historic street lined with calligraphy shops and traditional crafts, before finishing the day over a dinner of local Shaanxi specialties.

Group Size

Small groups of 2-10 people per tour. Can be made private, by request, for an additional charge.

Start & End Locations

Hotel pick-up is available for guests staying within Xian’s third ring road. The tour finishes near Yongningmen, the South Gate of Xi’an’s City Wall, following dinner at a local Shaanxi restaurant.

Cancellation Policy

Reservations cancelled 48 hours or more before your tour start time are fully refundable.

Inclusions

  • Hotel Pick-Up
  • Terracotta Warriors Entrance Ticket
  • Xi'an City Wall Entrance Ticket
  • Local Lunch
  • Shuyuanmen Cultural Street Visit (time permitting) & Shaanxi Cuisine Dinner
  • Expert English-Speaking Guide
  • Ground Transportation
  • Included Drinks
  • China Travel Guide PDF

Dietary Requests

  • Dairy Free
  • No Spicy
  • No Nuts
  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Gluten Free

We can accommodate the checked dietary requests on this tour. All requests must be communicated at time of booking. Visit our FAQ section for more details.

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What You'll Do:

Hotel Pick-up

Hotel pick-up will be provided for guests staying within Xian’s third ring road. Exact pick-up times will vary and be communicated 24 hours before your tour starts.

Xian Terracotta Warriors
Terracotta Horses
Xian Terracotta Warrior

See the Legendary Terracotta Warriors

Explore all three excavation pits, where over 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots, and 670 horses were hand-crafted by 700,000 workers. This vast underground army was created to protect China’s first emperor in the afterlife, then buried and forgotten for centuries. Even today, it is only partially uncovered.

Duration: approx 2 hours

Feast on Rural Shaanxi Comfort Food

Sit down to a spread of hearty dishes from rural Shaanxi you won’t find in the city. The menu includes Grandma’s Fried Pancake with smoky chili paste, steamed pork belly coated in toasted rice flour, buckwheat noodles once reserved for emperors, and Jiangshui Yuyu – a classic dish of chewy noodle bites in a tangy broth.

Xianese buckwheat noodles
Xian grandma's pancakes
Xianese Full-day Tour lunch
Xian tower and lanterns
Guests jumping at a Xian wall tower
Xian city wall

Explore Xi’an’s Ancient City Wall

Xi’an’s Ancient City Wall is one of the oldest and most complete military defenses in the world, built wider than it is tall and strong enough to survive centuries of history. Spend time walking (or optionally biking) along the top, with views of moats, archer towers, and the city it was built to protect.

Duration: approx 1 hour

Discover Shuyuanmen & Enjoy a Traditional Shaanxi Dinner

If time permits, explore Shuyuanmen, a historic street known for traditional calligraphy, art, and cultural shops. Browse local crafts and discover another side of Xi’an’s creative heritage. End your day with a sit-down dinner featuring the distinctive flavors of Shaanxi cuisine. Discover local specialties and regional dishes that reflect Xi’an’s long history as a crossroads of cultures and culinary traditions.

Eggplant dish
Dinner restaurant interior
Table of dishes

Yongningmen

The tour finishes near Yongningmen, the South Gate of Xi’an’s historic City Wall.

Plus More Surprises!

* This itinerary is subject to changes and adjustments based on daily vendor operations and availability, but it will always be awesome.

Xi'an: Where History and Flavor Collide

This city isn’t just China’s ancient capital. It’s where empires began, armies were buried, and the Silk Road took its first steps.

Beyond the Terracotta Warriors and towering city walls, Xi’an’s history lives on in its bustling streets, traditional shops, and local kitchens. Wander through Shuyuanmen, where calligraphy brushes and handmade crafts keep centuries-old traditions alive, before sitting down to a dinner featuring the bold flavors of Shaanxi cuisine.

From ancient warriors to local dishes shaped by generations of tradition, this is a full day of history, culture, and seriously good food.

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Tour Highlights:

Xian Terracotta Warriors

Visit the Terracotta Warriors, one of the world’s greatest archaeological discoveries, with our expert guide.

Tour guests gazing at Xian

Walk on China’s only remaining fully-intact city wall – one of the world’s oldest military defenses.

Sit down for a local dinner featuring regional specialties and the flavors that make Xi’an famous.

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.

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

Lost Plate Food Tours is 1 in the World by TripAdvisor

Ranked by you!

Xi’an is packed with incredible local food and taking a Lost Plate Food Tour is one of the best ways to experience it!

Is this China’s best food city? Find out as Steph & Pete eat their way through Xian’s Muslim Quarter on our evening tour.

Customer Reviews:

Frequently Asked Questions:

This tour includes the following:

  • Entrance ticket to the Terracotta Warriors
  • Entrance ticket to the Ancient City Wall
  • English-speaking expert Lost Plate guide
  • Ground transportation with driver
  • Hotel pick-up
  • Plentiful countryside lunch
  • Visit to Shuyuanmen Cultural Street (time permitting) and traditional Shaanxi cuisine dinner at a local restaurant
  • Bottled water throughout the day (plus soft drinks and/or beer during meals)

The only items excluded during this tour are:

  • Hotel drop-off at the end of the day (the tour will end near Yongningmen, the South Gate of Xi’an’s Ancient City Wall, so you have the flexibility to continue exploring)
  • Optional bike rental fee on the City Wall for those who prefer to cycle (approx. $7 USD per person)
  • Optional gratuity for your guide and driver if you wish to give them one.

A lot! We don’t take what we eat throughout the day lightly (literally). You can expect a plentiful and varied countryside lunch featuring authentic local dishes, with soft drinks and/or beer. For dinner, you’ll sit down at a local restaurant near Xi’an’s South Gate to try a selection of traditional Shaanxi specialties. Soft drinks and/or beer are also included with dinner.

All dietary requests must be communicated at the time of booking. When booking online, you will have the opportunity to let us know if you have any dietary requirements or special requests. Please use the following information to understand if this tour is right for you.

Vegetarians are welcome on this tour! Both our lunch and dinner restaurants offer vegetarian dishes, so you can enjoy a full meal at each stop.

This tour is not recommended for vegan or gluten-free travelers. Wheat products are commonly used in Shaanxi cuisine, including noodles, dough-based dishes, and sauces like soy sauce, so suitable alternatives may be limited.

This tour is no-pork friendly and features a lot of mutton and beef.

This tour also cannot accommodate severe allergies, as we do not have control over food preparation. Travelers who don’t eat nuts are welcome, but kitchens do use nuts and cross-contamination is possible.

If you have any questions not answered here, please contact us prior to booking.

Transportation throughout the day (including hotel pick-up, the 1.5-hour drive to the Terracotta Warriors, and the 1.5-hour drive back to Xi’an and the City Wall) will be done by private van transportation. Travel is done via expressway, and there are no small, curvy roads.

In the afternoon, you’ll explore the Ancient City Wall and, time permitting, Shuyuanmen Cultural Street on foot before heading to a local restaurant near Yongningmen for dinner.

You’ll spend approximately 2–3 hours on your feet while visiting the Terracotta Warriors and another hour exploring the Ancient City Wall. You should expect uneven or cobblestone surfaces on the City Wall, plus some stair climbing. If time permits, you’ll also explore Shuyuanmen Cultural Street on foot before sitting down for dinner at a local restaurant. You should be prepared for whatever the weather brings, whether it’s hot sunshine, a chilly downpour, or even snow in the winter. Comfortable walking shoes are recommended.

There is no dress code for any of the attractions that we visit during this tour.

We recommend dressing for the weather and always having layers for varying conditions throughout the day. Comfortable, close-toed footwear that you are used to wearing all day is also important.

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.

Xi’an experiences hot sunshine in summer, below-freezing temperatures in winter, and rain or snow showers that are possible any time of year.

Yes, this tour can be booked privately, either for yourself or for a group or special occasion. We’ve hosted everything from birthdays and bachelor/ette parties to corporate events and school groups. Just let us know the date, time, and group size, and we’ll handle the rest – including the itinerary, dietary restrictions, logistics, and even extras like birthday cakes or a bottle of bubbly.

We can accommodate groups of any size, splitting large parties into smaller groups if needed. The minimum charge for a private tour is typically equivalent to the cost of 6 adults. Typically, private tours with 8 or more people won’t incur an extra private tour fee. Contact us directly to get started!

Guests ages 4 and older pay $209 USD per person. Children ages 3 and under are free.

We welcome all travelers, but ask that guests use their own judgement to determine whether this tour is appropriate without impacting the experience of other guests. We do not recommend this tour for anyone who is unable to be on their feet for 2-3 hours at a time (including on uneven surfaces and climbing stairs), or requires mobility assistance such as a wheelchair or walker.

The Terracotta Warrior site is only partially wheelchair accessible. Some areas will be challenging due to sloped and uneven surfaces. Guests using wheelchairs must be accompanied by someone who can provide personal assistance throughout the tour. The City Wall is not wheelchair accessible as it requires climbing stairs.

Booking a private tour is always an option. This gives you some added flexibility during the itinerary to make sure you have extra time when needed during the day.

A photo of your passport details page will be collected prior to your tour. This is required when purchasing entrance tickets to the Terracotta Warriors and City Wall. Ticketing rules at our destinations are strict, so pre-purchased tickets ensure a smooth entry without issues. 

You will also need to bring your passport with you on the day of the tour. 

Bookings canceled 48 hours or more before your tour are fully refundable (100% refund). Bookings canceled within 48 hours notice are not refundable. Tours cannot be rescheduled with less than 48 hours notice. 

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