3-Day Xian Culture and Food Tour from Beijing by Bullet Train

Summary

Day 1 Arrive in Xi'an from Beijing by train: Xi'an Ancient City Wall
Day 2 Xi'an: Terracotta Warriors, Bell Tower, Big Wild Goose Pagoda, Great Tang All Day Mall, Dumpling Banquet, Tang Dynasty Show
Day 3 Leave Xi'an: Cooking class (noodles or Chinese dishes), leave Xi'an

Day 1 Beijing--Xian by Bullet Train

Meeting Your Guide at Xi'an Station

When your bullet train from Beijing arrives, your Xi'an guide meets you at the exit of Xi'an train station holding a "Your Way Holiday" welcome sign, and your Xi'an tour begins from there. If you would like, we can also arrange a one-way transfer from your Beijing hotel to Beijing train station and help book your Beijing-to-Xi'an train ticket; just let us know in advance.

Xi'an Ancient City Wall

Your first stop is the Xi'an Ancient City Wall, one of the oldest, largest, and best-preserved city walls in China. Built in the 14th century under the Hongwu Emperor as a military defense, it has been repaired several times, most recently in 1983. The wall stands about 12 meters high and 15 meters wide, and runs close to 14 kilometers around the city. Xi'an was once the starting point of the Silk Road and the capital of thirteen dynasties, and your guide explains how the wall protected a city of that importance. You can also rent a bike and ride along the top for a wide view over the rooftops.

Inside the Old City

The wall sets the boundary between old and new Xi'an. Outside it, tall buildings and wide roads show how fast the city has grown; inside, new construction is kept low so the old streets keep their historic feel. The Bell and Drum Towers and the Muslim Quarter sit within the wall, and your guide points out these landmarks as you look around.

Check-in to Your Xi'an Hotel

Afterward, your guide takes you back to your hotel and helps you check in, so you can settle in before tomorrow's sightseeing.

Day 2 Xian Terracotta Warriors Tour

Meeting Your Guide in Xi'an

In the morning your guide meets you in the hotel lobby and drives you out to the Terracotta Warriors site, about 40 minutes from the city. Along the way your guide sets the scene for what you are about to see.

Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum

The Terracotta Army is a UNESCO World Heritage Site: thousands of life-sized clay soldiers, horses, and chariots arranged around the mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of a unified China. The pits were rediscovered in 1974, and each figure was made with its own face, rank, and equipment. Your guide walks you through the excavated pits, which show the army's battle formation and give a clear picture of ancient Chinese warfare, from bronze weapons to armor. Only part of the site has been dug out: three of the four pits have been opened, and the emperor's inner tomb remains unexcavated.

Lunch near the Site

You have lunch at a local restaurant near the site, where your guide can point out regional Shaanxi dishes.

Bell Tower

Back in the city, you visit the Bell Tower, the largest and best-preserved tower of its kind in China, standing 36 meters high. Built in the Ming Dynasty, when Xi'an was an important garrison town, it rises from a brick base through three tiers of eaves above two stories, with a spiral staircase inside. The square base has arched doorways about 6 meters high; traffic long ago outgrew these arches, so today you enter the tower from a pedestrian subway beneath it.

Big Wild Goose Pagoda

Next is the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, first built in 652 during the Tang Dynasty. The monk Xuanzang had it raised to hold the Buddhist scriptures he brought back from India. The early structure proved too weak and collapsed, and the pagoda was rebuilt between 701 and 704 on the order of Empress Wu Zetian; its outer walls were faced with brick in the Ming Dynasty. A Tang-dynasty tablet by the calligrapher Chu Suiliang is kept beneath it.

Great Tang All Day Mall

You then walk through the Great Tang All Day Mall, a long pedestrian street built in Tang Dynasty style, with sculpture, food, shops, and open squares. It is busiest and most lively after dark, when its lighting is switched on.

Dumpling Banquet and Tang Dynasty Show

In the evening your guide takes you to the Shaanxi Grand Opera House around 6:00 PM and helps you find your seats. Dinner is a dumpling banquet: jiaozi made in nearly 20 varieties with fillings of vegetables, meat, and seafood. After dinner you watch the Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show, which recreates the music and dance of the Tang era, when Xi'an (then called Chang'an) was the capital. The Tang Dynasty (618-907) was the high point of the city's long history as a capital of thirteen dynasties.

At the End of the Day

After the show, your driver takes you back to your hotel.

Day 3 Xian City Tour

Meeting Your Guide in Xi'an

After breakfast your guide picks you up at the hotel lobby and drives you to a local family's home for a hands-on cooking class. You can choose to learn Chinese dishes or to make hand-pulled noodles; let us know your preference in advance.

Shopping at the Wet Market

Your hostess and guide first take you to a nearby wet market to choose the ingredients for lunch. The market is stocked mostly with produce grown in the region, and the meat and fish counters sit apart from the fruit and vegetable stalls, with dried goods, tofu, and flowers also on sale. As you shop, the hostess explains how to pick good fresh food.

Cooking with a Local Family

Back at the home, the hostess guides you through recipes passed down through her family. You prepare the ingredients yourself and cook dishes that can include sweet-and-sour pork, Yangzhou fried rice, steamed fish, and a home-style soup such as tomato-and-egg soup. If you are vegetarian, she can teach you vegetable dishes instead. When you finish, you sit down and eat the meal you have made.

Transfer to Xi'an Train Station

After lunch your driver takes you to Xi'an train station to catch your train, ending your three-day Xi'an tour from Beijing.

Optional Add-on Services

Private one-way transfer, Xi'an downtown hotel to Xi'an train station: 51 USD in total, driver included.

Private one-way transfer, Xi'an train station to Xi'an downtown hotel: 51 USD in total, driver included.

Private one-way transfer, Beijing downtown hotel to Beijing train station: 59 USD in total, driver included.

Private one-way transfer, Beijing train station to Beijing downtown hotel: 58 USD in total, driver included.

Round-way Beijing-Xi'an G-series train tickets: 160 USD for 2nd-class seats.

These services are listed for reference. The Xi'an tour from Beijing is fully flexible, so tell us your requirement and we will arrange it.

Questions Before You Book

Is a cooking class part of this trip?

Yes. The final day includes a hands-on class at a local family's home, ending with the lunch you help prepare.

Can we make noodles instead of dishes?

Either option can be arranged. Tell us in advance whether you would rather cook Chinese dishes or make hand-pulled noodles, and the host will plan the ingredients.

Are vegetarian or vegan options available?

Yes. The hostess can teach vegetable and vegetarian dishes in place of the meat-based ones.

What is the wet market visit?

On the morning of the last day your guide and host take you to a local wet market to shop for the ingredients you will cook, so you see everyday Xi'an food shopping before you start.

How do we travel between Beijing and Xi'an?

The tour links the two cities by G-series high-speed train, with private transfers arranged at each end based on your requirement. Extra one-way transfers and round-trip tickets can be added at the prices listed for this day.

Where does the tour end?

Your driver drops you at Xi'an train station after lunch, or at your Xi'an hotel if your schedule calls for it, based on your requirement.

Price Per Person in US Dollars