Xian Travel Notes

Our private Xian tour packages let you decide where to go, when to go, where to stay and touring paces on your own. The itinerary, hotels, food, cultural programs are customized to match your requirements. Before the tour, our knowledgeable Xian experts will give reliable suggestions and propose ideal tour package for you. During the tour, our private tour guide will help you learn deep about the history and culture of Xian, and make sure everything work well throughout the tour at the same time.

1. What are the features of China Discovery’s private Xian tour packages?

Xian applies to the 72-Hour Transit Visa Exemption. Visitor from 53 foreign countries who hold valid travel document & connecting flights to a third country/region can enter Xian from Xian Xianyang Airport, and stay in Xian up to 72 hours without a Chinese Visa. But since Xi’an has not many international flights, and the city is usually a middle stop of a China tour, we advise you to apply for a China Tourist Visa (L Visa) before coming to China so that you can travel in a more secure and flexible way. China Discovery can provide you the invitation letter so that you can obtain the visa with bigger chance while least time.

2. Do you need a visa for Xian?

Xi'an has a warm temperate semi-humid continental monsoon climate with distinct four seasons – warm spring, hot and rainy summer, cool and comfortable autumn, cold and dry winter. The average annual temperature of Xi'an is around 13°C / 55°F. Generally speaking, you can visit Xian all year around, as most of the attractions are located in and near city area. But the best two periods of time to visit is March to June and mid-September to early November. During this period, the weather there is neither too hot nor too cold, and the number of tourists is relatively smaller than the summer time’s.

What to wear in summer? - light, quick-dry and easy to wear clothes, hat, sunscreen, rain jacket and comfortable shoes. What to wear in winter? - double layer jacket, long underwear pants and tops, sweaters, long sleeve shirts, wool blend socks, boots, winter jacket, winter hat, winter gloves, winter scarf. What to wear in spring? - long underwear, fleece outer layer, face mask, light hat, scarf, and gloves. What to wear in autumn? - thermal warmer jacket, light hat, gloves, scarf, wool socks, fleece pants.

3. Xian Weather, best time to visit and wearing ideas

Xian is only about 2~3 hours flying from majority of big cities in China, such as Beijing, Xian, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shanghai, etc. You can also take international flights to Xian from more than 50 countries and regions, such as Hong Kong, Macau, Taipei, Los Angeles, London, Paris, Sydney, Kuala, Bangkok, etc. Xian is connected by high-speed rails widely. You can get from Beijing, Chengdu, Chongqing, Luoyang, Zhengzhou, Pingyao, etc. to Xian by bullet trains within 6 hours. Recommended gateways to Xian include: Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing, Chengdu, Hangzhou, Hong Kong.

4. How to Get to Xian

Bell & Drum Towers Area - strongly recommended for first-timers, easy access to Ancient City Wall, Muslim Quarter, Bell Tower, Drum Tower and popular restaurants. Hotel rates are higher than other areas, but you have a lot of choices of different standards. Xincheng District - not very far from the city center as well as Xian’s main attractions, recommended for families as there are shopping center and parks to enjoy a stroll. Yanta Distict – Yanta District is on the south of the city center, also near main attractions, including Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, History Museum, etc. It has many hotels of budget class.

China Discovery only uses those hotels with convenient amenities, fine services and great reputations. Most of them are 5-star and 4-star hotels located near the Muslim Quarter (food street), Bell Tower, Ancient City Wall, where you can also get easy accesses to subway, shopping malls, banks, etc.

5. Where to Stay in Xian

The city area of Xian can be explored in brief two days, while the surrounding regions also have a lot of places to explore, such as Mount Hua, Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang, Shaolin Temple in Dengfeng. If time allows, you can extend your trip from Xian to above places. Each place only needs about 1 day to visit.

6. Extend Xian trip to Mount Huashan, Luoyang and Shaolin Temple is strongly recommended

Our tours are equipped with local English and Chinese guides at each destination, and in a few cities, multilingual guides in German, Spanish, French, and other languages are available (e.g., in popular tourist cities like Beijing, Xi'an, and Shanghai). They are not only warm and friendly but also knowledgeable and well-informed.

Upon arrival, a patient and punctual guide will meet you at the exit with a sign and then guide you to explore the city at your own pace. They will provide professional explanations and introductions, showcasing the local culture, history, customs, and authentic local life. Throughout the trip, they are not only meticulous and professional guides but also helpful travel companions, dedicated to ensuring you explore the city in a comfortable and elegant way. Make your trip unforgettable!

Choose our private group tours or small group tours for a comfortable, relaxing, and worry-free experience!

Group tours mean you'll travel by tour bus to various attractions within the same city. Groups are typically 2-16 people, and we'll arrange vehicles with 5-38 seats depending on the group size. Our buses are spacious and comfortable, with ample luggage space. For transportation between the two locations, we'll arrange domestic flights (economy class) or high-speed trains (second class, usually no more than 6 hours). A local driver will pick you up at the airport/train station and escort you to your hotel.

Our private transfer service features experienced, licensed drivers and comfortable, air-conditioned vehicles with clean, non-smoking interiors.

Our drivers are all locals, polite, friendly, helpful, and will safely and reliably take you to attractions, hotels, and airports/train stations.

We offer a variety of accommodation options, including renowned five-star brand hotels, well-located four-star chain hotels, cost-effective three-star hotels, and boutique hotels reflecting local character. Excellent locations, comprehensive facilities, comfortable beds, excellent service, and guest feedback are all guaranteed. Whatever your accommodation preferences, our travel experts will do their best to find the most suitable accommodation for you. You can choose the most suitable accommodation based on your budget and preferences.

Generally, most hotels in China allow a maximum of three people to share a room. If your group has more than three people, we will check for family rooms or try our best to arrange connecting or adjacent rooms for you. Hotels offer a wide variety of Western and Chinese breakfasts.

For passengers on Yangtze River cruises, the cruise will provide a relaxing and enjoyable journey, including comfortable accommodations from Chongqing to Yichang. For passengers traveling to Mount Everest and Mount Kailash trekking in Tibet, accommodations are more basic. You will stay at the Everest Base Camp camp or a youth hostel. You will share a standard twin room (two beds) with your travel companions. Sharing a room is ideal if you are a family of two. If you wish to have your own room, you will need to pay a single room surcharge.

“B” stands for breakfast. You will have it at your hotel in the morning. “L” stands for lunch.
“D” stands for dinner.

Please refer to the detailed itinerary for each day. Dinners are usually excluded.

Our group tour includes lunch at a popular local restaurant, allowing you to savor authentic Chinese cuisine. Your guide will assist you with ordering. Whether you prefer vegetarian, halal, Western, Nepalese, or gluten-free food, our experienced private guides can meet all your dietary needs. Please inform us of any dietary requirements when booking.

If you are interested in trying local cuisine, your private guide will be happy to recommend and take you to local restaurants such as Peking duck, Xi'an dumplings, Xinjiang hand-pulled rice, Sichuan/Chongqing hot pot, Yunnan stir-fry, Guizhou sour soup hot pot, and more.