How to Reach Xian

HOW TO GET TO XI'AN 

  • By Air: The Xi’an international airport has three terminals catering both domestic and international services. There are flights to Xi’an from major Chinese cities like Beijing, Chengdu, Chongqing, Dunhuang, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Harbin, Hangzhou, Hohhot, Kunming, Lhasa, Lanzhou, Nanjing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Urumqi, Wuhan, Xiamen, Xining and Zhangjiajie within Mainland China. There are also International flights to and from Helsinki, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Macau, Seoul as well as Japan and Singapore.
  • By High-Speed Train: There is a high-speed train to Luoyang-Longmen from Xi’an.
  • By Trains: There are plenty of trains running from Xi’an to major Chinese cities like Beijing Chengdu, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Kunming, Lanzhou, Lhasa, Shanghai, Urumqi, Wuhan and Zhengzhou. The trains are available in various prices and offer various standards of comfort. But theses buses can get super crowded in peak and holiday season. There are several railway stations in Xi'an offering services to all of mainland China. Ticket booking can be problematic as there is a requirement to show your ID prior to issuing a ticket, and in busy periods (Chinese New Year for example) queues may take hours or even days to navigate successfully.
  • By Bus: There are long distance buses from Xi’an to Huashan, Lanzhou, Luoyang, Pingyao, Taiyuan and Zhengzhou.

HOW TO GET AROUND XI'AN

  • Walking: Because of the size of the city, walking is impractical except as a means to get round the sights themselves. Though walking is safe, beware of the motorcyclists on pavements and pick pockets in crowded touristy areas.
  • By Metro: The city has a large metro system, in common with many other areas of China. It is easy to use as all directions are in English as well as Chinese. Journeys are inexpensive and the set up is clean and modern.
  • By Bus: Buses are easy to find and cover almost the entire city. There are special tourist buses covering the major attractions of Xi’an.
  • By Taxi: Taxis in Xi'an are abundant; you can flag them down anywhere. Compared to the Western world they are also very cheap, once again be aware of language issues and ideally carry instructions on how to get to your destination and back to your hotel in written Mandarin.