Serica Journeys Day journeys in China
Northwest China · 西安

Xi'an

The eastern end of the Silk Road, and the army that guarded it.

Typical day
7–10 hours
Party size
1–6 guests
Guiding
English
Pick-up
Xi'an city hotels

Xi'an was Chang'an, the capital of a dozen dynasties and the eastern terminus of the Silk Road. It is the one Chinese city where the Roman name for China — Serica, the land of silk — stops being an abstraction and becomes a street you can walk down.

Most visitors give the city a single rushed day built around the Terracotta Army. We think it takes two, and that the second one — the wall, the Muslim Quarter, the Han tombs — is the one people remember.

Journeys

2 private day journeys in Xi'an.

Prices are quoted per party once we know your dates and numbers. Every itinerary below can be adjusted — they are how we run the day by default, not a fixed menu.

10 hours Private departureEnglish guide

The Terracotta Army, Early, and the City Wall by Bicycle

Pits 1–3 · Bronze chariots · 14km Ming wall by bike

Itinerary
07:30
Pick-up. East out of the city, about an hour.
08:45
Terracotta Army: Pit 1 first while it is quiet, then Pits 3 and 2.
10:30
The bronze chariot hall and the site museum.
12:00
Lunch.
14:00
Return to the city; onto the wall at the South Gate.
14:30
Cycle the fourteen-kilometre circuit at your own pace.
16:30
Back at your hotel.
Highlights
  • At the site for opening, in Pit 1 before the tour groups arrive
  • The bronze chariots, which most itineraries skip for time
  • The complete Ming city wall circuit on two wheels
  • Guide with you at the pits, not waiting at the exit
Included
  • Private vehicle and driver
  • English-speaking guide
  • Terracotta Army entry and site shuttle
  • City wall entry and bicycle hire
  • Lunch
  • Bottled water
Not included
  • Personal spending
  • Gratuities

Know before you go. The wall circuit takes 90 minutes to two hours at an easy pace. Tandems and electric carts are available if cycling is not for you — tell us in advance.

5 hours Private departureEnglish guide

The Muslim Quarter and the Great Mosque

Hui quarter · Great Mosque · Food walk

Itinerary
15:00
Meet at the Drum Tower.
15:30
The Great Mosque, entering through the lane of antique stalls.
16:30
Food walk through the quarter's back lanes as the evening trade starts.
19:00
Finish at the Bell Tower, lit.
Highlights
  • A mosque built as a Chinese temple courtyard, with no minaret in sight
  • The Hui community's thousand-year presence explained on the ground
  • Eight to ten tastings — roujiamo, biangbiang noodles, persimmon cakes
  • Side lanes rather than the single street everyone photographs
Included
  • English-speaking guide
  • Great Mosque entry
  • All tastings
  • Bottled water
Not included
  • Private vehicle (available on request)
  • Alcohol
  • Gratuities

Know before you go. The mosque is a working place of worship. Shoulders and knees covered, and the prayer hall interior is not open to non-worshippers.

Other cities
Beijing
Shanghai
Chengdu
Hangzhou
Guilin & Yangshuo
Chongqing