Historic Xi'an

Arrive in Xi'an today by domestic flight or bullet train. Meet your guide and drive to downtown Xi'an to begin exploring. Xi'an was once the capital city for 13 dynasties in ancient times, including the Western Zhou (11th century to 771 BC) and Tang Dynasties (AD 618-907). Xi'an was also the starting city of the Silk Road and is believed to have been one of the four largest cities in the world from the 7th to 10th century.

Begin at the Bell Tower. Built in 1384 during the Ming Dynasty, it sits in the center of the ancient city and is the largest and best-preserved bell tower in China. Walk for a while along Xi'an's ancient city wall, originally built during the Tang Dynasty and extended during the Ming Dynasty. The wall stands about 40 feet / 12 meters tall and runs 8.5 miles / 13.7 kilometers around the old city, with a deep moat surrounding it. Along the way, stop for views of the old city contained within its walls on one side and the modern city beyond them on the other.

Afterward, visit the Forest of Stone Steles Museum. Housed in the former Confucian Temple of Xi'an, this museum of carvings and calligraphy engraved in stone holds the largest collection of stone steles from the past 1,000 years of China's history. The oldest pieces date from the Han period (206 BC to AD 220), making it a treasure of Chinese calligraphy.

After breakfast this morning, drive about an hour to the site of the Terracotta Warriors, which are considered one of the most significant archaeological excavations of the 20th century. First discovered in 1974 by farmers digging a well, the discovery eventually attracted archaeologists and led to the largest pottery figurine find in China's history. China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang, began work on his mausoleum in 246 BC at the age of 13. In the museum, see a short movie on how the warriors were made and how they survived being buried for so long.

Drive twenty minutes to nearby Huaqing Hot Springs at the northern foot of Mount Lishan. Huaqing Hot Spring (also called Huaqing Pool) is famed for both its spring scenery and the legendary love story of Emperor Xuanzong and his consort Yang Guifei in the Tang Dynasty. Learn its long history and enjoy the landscape here.

Return to Xi'an for an introduction to the Tang Dynasty, or the "Golden Era" of China. Visit the Tang Dynasty Art Museum, where you learn about calligraphy and participate in a short lesson. Try your hand at this visual art as you practice writing Chinese characters with a brush and ink. After that, take a short walk around the Muslim Quarter, known for its mosques, souvenir markets, and local food. Enjoy a traditional dumpling dinner tonight, a Xi'an specialty.

Begin the day at the Shaanxi History Museum, one of the largest state museum collections in China. Built in the architectural style of the Tang Dynasty, the museum houses about 370,000 items chronicling Shaanxi's civilization from prehistoric times, including coins, metal objects, and other pieces of artwork.

Afterward, visit the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda. Built during the Tang Dynasty in honor of the Buddhist monk Xuanzang, immortalized in the 16th-century novel Journey to the West, the pagoda is about 1,300 years old and offers a wide view of Xi'an.

After lunch, drive to Hanyang Tomb near the airport. This tomb is the best preserved and one of the largest among the Han king tombs. The buildings here are delicately decorated and carved with pictures of flying dragons and dancing lions showing the grandeur of the royal family. From there, transfer to the airport for your flight to your next destination.