Xi'an Arrival Guide

Xi'an Xianyang International Airport · China · International Arrivals = Terminal 3 (T3), Level 1

✓ Hand-verified 8 Oct 2026 · Autumn now: 10–20 °C, crisp and clear — perfect wall-cycling weather

Xi'an is where Chinese civilisation keeps its greatest treasures — the Terracotta Army, the complete Ming city wall, and a Muslim Quarter that has fed travellers for a thousand years. The airport sits an hour northwest of the old town, so knowing your bus, metro and taxi options before you land saves real money. This guide has all of it, plus the noodles and dumplings you came for.

BEFORE YOU FLY: visa check + FREE online arrival card

① Visa: many passports (incl. Singapore, Malaysia) get 30 days visa-free; 240-hr transit needs an onward ticket to a DIFFERENT country. ② Arrival card: fill it ONLINE within 72 hrs before landing — FREE OF CHARGE — at s.nia.gov.cn/ArrivalCardFillingPC (opens in any browser; no WeChat needed) or the “NIA 12367” app. Paper fallback exists at the border.

⚠ Beware fake sites that charge fees — the official arrival card is FREE OF CHARGE.

Official site (copy this exactly): https://s.nia.gov.cn/ArrivalCardFillingPC/

Visa note: Visa-free 30 days for many passports (check yours) · 240-hr visa-free transit needs an onward ticket to a DIFFERENT country · Hotel registers your stay automatically.

Your First 2 Hours, Step by Step

Immigration — 20–45 min · passport + arrival QR
Baggage — check carousel screens
Customs — Green Channel = walk out
Cash/SIM — ATMs + SIM counters, arrivals
Alipay — link your card on free WiFi
Go — metro: B1 · bus/taxi: GTC hall

≈47 km to city centre

Emergency Numbers in Xi'an

110	Police
120	Ambulance
119	Fire
12345	City Helpline
12308	China MFA Hotline (24/7)
029-88796997	Airport Hotline

Embassies (lost passport, 24-hr lines)

United States	+86-10-8531-3000 — U.S. Embassy Beijing — serves Xi'an (24-hr; lost passport)
United Kingdom	+86-10-5192-4000 — British Embassy Beijing — serves Xi'an
Australia	+86-10-5140-4111 — Australian Embassy Beijing — serves Xi'an

Other nationalities: find your embassy at embassy.goabroad.com. Save these numbers offline before you fly.

Getting From Xi'an Xianyang International Airport Into the City

Metro Line 14CHEAPEST¥8–12 ≈ $1.20–1.80

Airport West station (B1) > transfer to Line 2 for Bell Tower. ~55–70 min total, every 8 min, ≈ 06:00–22:00.

Airport Shuttle BusDIRECT¥25 ≈ $3.70

11 routes incl. Bell Tower Hotel. ~70–90 min, every 20–50 min, runs until after the last flight. Buy at the GTC counters.

Metered TaxiEASIEST¥120–180 ≈ $18–27

Official rank, 24 hrs. ~45–60 min to Bell Tower; tolls ≈ ¥30 extra. Ignore hall touts quoting ¥300–600.

DiDi (app)¥100–160

English interface inside Alipay; pickup at the P3 lot, T3. Needs data — set up on airport WiFi first.

🌙 after ~22:00: shuttle bus night lines, taxi or DiDi

Money in Xi'an

1 USD ≈ ¥6.7 (7 Oct 26)

¥10 ≈ $1.50¥50 ≈ $7.50¥100 ≈ $15¥500 ≈ $75

China is nearly cashless: link your Visa/Mastercard to Alipay (and WeChat Pay) BEFORE you fly — Muslim Quarter stalls scan QR codes too. Keep ¥200–500 cash backup (bank ATMs in arrivals).

Phone, WiFi & SIM

Airport WiFi: Free airport WiFi — SMS code needs a phone number; the info desk prints a login slip if yours can't receive one.

Tourist SIM: Tourist SIM in arrivals (China Unicom): 7 days ≈ ¥85 · 30 days ≈ ¥200 (20 GB). Easier: install an eSIM before you fly (≈ $8–16). Passport required for any local SIM.

Apps to install before you fly: Get 3 apps BEFORE flying: Alipay (pay + DiDi + metro) · Amap or Baidu Maps · translator with offline Chinese. Gmail/WhatsApp need a VPN — install before you fly.

8 Phrases That Open Doors

Hello	Ni hao	你好
Thank you	Xie xie	谢谢
How much?	Duo shao qian?	多少钱
Not spicy	Bu la	不辣
Where is the toilet?	Ce suo zai na li?	厕所在哪里
Sorry / excuse me	Bu hao yi si	不好意思
Delicious!	Hao chi!	好吃
The bill, please	Mai dan	买单

Mandarin · tones change meaning — point if unsure — and if pronunciation fails, point at the local script on your printed card.

Top 5 Must-Go Places in Xi'an

1. Terracotta Army兵马俑

8,000 life-size warriors buried with China's first emperor — Pit 1 is the giant.

¥120 · 8:30–17:00 · direct airport bus ≈ ¥45, 1 hr

Book ahead via official WeChat or Trip.com; passport = ticket. · Open in Google Maps

2. Ancient City Wall西安城墙

The world's best-preserved city wall — cycle the full 14-km loop on top.

¥54 · South Gate till 22:00 · bike ≈ ¥45/3 hrs

Enter at South Gate (Yongningmen); sunset ride is magic. · Open in Google Maps

3. Muslim Quarter回民街

1,300 years of food alleys behind the Drum Tower — kebabs, persimmon cakes, noodles.

FREE · liveliest 17:00–22:00 · 5-min walk from Bell Tower

Eat your way up Beiyuanmen, then the side lanes. · Open in Google Maps

4. Big Wild Goose Pagoda大雁塔

Tang-dynasty pagoda that guarded the Silk Road scriptures; fountain show at night.

¥40 · Daily 8:00–17:30 · Metro Dayanta

Free fountain show at the north square ≈ 20:30. · Open in Google Maps

5. Bell & Drum Towers钟鼓楼

Xi'an's twin Ming landmarks at the city crossroads — climb both.

¥30 each · combo ¥50 · till ≈ 21:30

Drum Tower first, then walk into the Muslim Quarter. · Open in Google Maps

Top 5 Must-Eat Dishes in Xi'an

1. Roujiamo	肉夹馍	¥10–20	Xi'an's pulled-pork burger, crispy bun · Muslim Quarter
2. Biangbiang Noodles	油泼扯面	¥20–35	belt-wide hand-ripped noodles, chili oil splash
3. Yangrou Paomo	羊肉泡馍	¥30–50	tear your own bread into rich lamb soup · Lao Sun Jia
4. Liangpi	凉皮	¥10–18	cold chili-sesame skin noodles · any snack alley
5. Soup Dumplings	灌汤包	¥20–30	steamed mutton soup buns · Jia San, Muslim Quarter

Beware: ALWAYS BEWARE: unlicensed drivers inside arrivals quoting ¥300–600 (official rank, metro or DiDi only); “terracotta warriors factory” shops posing as museums; fake monks selling bracelets. Full China safety guidelines → safety guide

Good to know: Carry your passport — it is your ticket at the Warriors and for trains. The airport sits 47 km away in Xianyang: budget a full hour to the city. No tipping anywhere. Autumn is Xi'an's best season — clear skies, fewer crowds.

Local tips: Metro QR: Alipay > Transport > Xi'an. Rides ¥2–8, ≈ 06:00–23:30. · Warriors day: go at 8:30 opening or after 14:00 — tour groups peak 10:00–13:00; back in town by late afternoon.

Sources & Verification

Hand-verified on 8 Oct 2026 against official airport, metro, government and attraction sources, including:

Official arrival form: s.nia.gov.cn/ArrivalCardFillingPC/ (always free)
Travel safety guidelines: U.S. State Department — China
Exchange rate used: 1 USD ≈ ¥6.7 (7 Oct 26)

Prices and rules change — always check before you travel. Spot something that has changed? Tell us and we'll fix it — travellers' corrections make the next card better.

Take Xi'an With You — On Paper

Everything in this guide, condensed onto one printable A4 card that folds to pocket size — with your flight and hotel filled in, and a QR code back to this page. Works with a dead phone. Free forever.

Get My Free Xi'an Card →
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Compiled from public sources, verified 8 Oct 2026. Prices, rules and hours change without notice — check before you go. Not legal, visa or safety advice; not affiliated with any airport or the Chinese government. Ads are paid placements; no endorsement implied.