3 Days Xi'an Heritage and Culture Tour

When your flight arrives, you will find your guide waiting for you outside the baggage claim area at Xi'an Xianyang International Airport, holding a welcome sign with your name on it. Be ready for your exciting journey!

On the way to the downtown area, we will take you to the Han Yang Ling Mausoleum, the burial place of Emperor Jing and his empress of the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - 24 AD). Here, admire a vast number of doll-sized pottery objects behind glass. Come close up, and you will find that all the figures are smiling, said to suggest that the country was enjoying a period of peace and prosperity. There are also spectacular animal groups, granaries and chariots, from which you can gain an insight into people’s well-fed life at that time. Also on display here are some unearthed tri-colored glazed pottery from the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907 AD), known for their artistic delicacy, which you will also fall in love with at the first sight.

★ What makes us different
With us, you get to have a Mixed Reality experience in this majestic mausoleum. Your guide will take you to enjoy immersive vivid displays realized by holographic imaging technology (fees included in our price). Let’s travel thousands of years into the past: stand right before those “revived” terracotta eunuch, officials and soldiers, and watch the emperor holding court!

After this magical trip, we will continue to downtown Xi’an and check in at the selected hotel. Have a good rest!

► Dinner Suggestion:
When travelling to a new city, local food can also give you a quick glimpse into the local culture. For dinner, take a 15-minute ride to the decade-old Da Xi An Biang Biang Noodles (Shaanxi History Museum branch), a favorite haunt of both locals and tourists (here you may even find a few pictures on the wall of some Chinese celebrities eating their noodles), for a bowl of authentic Biang Biang Noodles. The Noodles is said to get its name for the sound of “Biang Biang” when the cook slaps noodles on a board during preparation. And you may be surprised by how complicated the structure of the Chinese character “biang” (can’t be typed nor found in the dictionary) is! An interesting story is that China’s first Emperor Qin Shi Huang (259 - 210 BC) wanted to keep this delicacy for himself after his first taste, so he made the character so complicated that ordinary people could not recognize it and so could not get a bowl of it easily. Another local snack Chinese Hamburger (Rou Jia Mo) is also served here. Eating here costs around CNY 25 / USD 4 per person.

After breakfast, we will drive for around one hour to the Terracotta Army Museum, an astounding discovery found to be the mausoleum for Emperor Qin Shi Huang, the founder of Qin Empire. You will see how the Museum is counterpointed by the Han Yang Ling Mausoleum you’ve visited, with its unique funeral objects of wondrous life-sized terracotta warriors and bronze weapons and chariots. Your guide will reveal many curious facts during the tour, and one would be that the weapons were all applied the rustproof technology (this is what we now know as the electroplating technology, but how those ancient weapons were plated without electricity more than 2000 years ago remains an unsolved mystery)! The most striking one would be that those warriors were colorful once, even at the moment they were unearthed in 1974! However, the colors were then irretrievably stripped off within minutes by exposure to light and oxygen.

★ What Makes Us Different
1. Explore the New Exhibition Hall for the Most Precious Excavations
It has been 50 years since the discovery of the Terracotta Army! To honor this special year, a lasting exhibition to showcase the crowning glories of the archaeological work has been lately launched in the Museum, many of which are their first time to meet the public. There are over two hundred collections and you will delve into their depths with your knowledgeable guide. Observe a unique warrior no one knows why he has green face and be surprised by another with sleeves in purple. Marvel at Qin people’s wisdom from rust-less, glossy weapons with anti-rust coat discovered on them and how exquisite they are, which speaks to the state-of-the-art craftsmanship at that time. We will also picture the banquet prepared for Emperor Qin before the Acrobats, sculptured to play music or dance in his afterlife; they allow us to take a peek at the court life and know there was actually an imperial Music Bureau, whose corresponding characters can be found inscribed on the musical instruments.
2. Visit the Discoverer of the First Terracotta Warrior
Follow us to learn about more stories of Terracotta Army, including how it was fascinatingly discovered by a local farmer. Let’s walk into the home of Yang Zhifa, the man who unearthed the first fragments in 1974, see the hoe and cart he used at the time, and learn some secrets about the discovery. This remarkable find transformed Yang overnight from a poor farmer into a government-funded star. If you’re lucky enough to meet Mr. Yang at his home, talk to him or maybe get his autograph.
3. Hands-on Experience of Making a Mini Warrior
Ever wondered how the Terracotta Warriors were created? Now is your chance to experience it for yourself! Let’s check out a unique workshop led by local artisans of the few who adhere to the traditional way of pottery making. Here, you will learn to mold your own mini warrior using techniques passed down for over 2,000 years. It is surprisingly to know that the red mud you will use comes from the same depths (7-9 meters underground) as the material used by the Qin artisans! This would be your personalized souvenir - a mini warrior with your own name inscribed!

Then continue our trip to the splendid Big Wild Goose Pagoda, which was specially built in the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907 AD) to store the Buddhist scriptures and statues brought back from India. It has developed into a landmark of Xi’an, with its surrounding areas being a must-visit bustling zone, including Great Tang All Day Mall, our following destination. The Mall is popular for its phenomenal one-stop service and spectacular lightings at night. The Tang-style buildings on both sides of the street, visitors in Tang costumes, and cultural performances encountered from time to time will give you a feeling of being in the real vibrant Tang Dynasty. Afterwards, we will escort you to the hotel (you can also continue your stroll here and then take a taxi back yourself). Have a good night and look forward to a new tomorrow!

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

Today we will first visit the City Wall Remains Museum, or Tang Hanguang Gate Site Museum, where you can get a basic knowledge of the evolution of City Wall in Xi’an. With an area as large as half a soccer field, it reminds its visitors of the magnificence of the original gate. Then, climb up to the City Wall. Constructed as the military defense system during Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644 AD), it offers vantage points to savor bird’s-eye views of Xi’an - historical buildings scattered here and there across the entire city. Walk, bike, or take an electric tourist car - we will let you decide your way of sightseeing. Please note that bike or car rental is at your own expense, and your guide will be glad to help. 

The next stop is the Great Mosque, a standout among all mosques due to its classical Chinese garden architecture. With glazed tiles, wooden pavilions, and a landscaped symmetrical layout, the temple complex is a testimony to the integration of Islamic culture into China’s society. For local Muslims, it is a haven of pilgrimage; for locals and tourists, a peaceful harbor in the bustling city. Walking out of the mosque, visit nearby Muslim Quarter for lunch. You will be overwhelmed by various popular specialties of Shaanxi province: Bread and Mutton Soup (Yang Rou Pao Mo), Rou Jia Mo, Cold Skin Noodles (Liang Pi)… Also be impressed by the making process behind some traditional foods, like it of brittle candy and hand-pulled noodles. The guide will take you to taste some most authentic local flavors based on our experience.

Your Xi'an 3 days tour will end here, and your guide and driver will transfer you to the airport for your departure flight. Hope you had a happy time with us!

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Local flavor lunch