Riding bikes on the wall was a highlight. Walking around the muslim quarter and trying all the different types of food was a great experience. The Army of Terra-cotta warriors was also an amazing sight to see. Found a great little restaurant called Shaanxi Alley near our hotel. Great food and nice decor.

We liked the abundance of historical sites including the bell and drum towers, the Wild Goose Pagoda and small Goose Pagoda, the Shaanxi History Museum and Stone Steel Museum, Famen Shi, Green Dragon Temple and Terracotta Museum. We also liked the Tang music and performance at the Tang Dynasty Palace. Travelling around Xian was easy and the Taxi fare was reasonable. We did not like the high temperature and dry weather as our trip was in the middle of June.

Xi'an is a city full of wonders and vibrant life were foreigners’ travelers are a minority so we are not the priority for them to provide service, then you better get prepared for hard work; even though, the young generation is more welcoming and willing to do an extra effort to easy your struggle, which make the whole experience reach and exiting. I hope they realize that the more the people know about their ancient culture, more they will appreciate what they see. Food is not a problem in Xi’an; the variety is overwhelming although you have to have an open mind. Getting around is easy as their transportation system is very efficient, although it will be smart to ask at your hotel to write your information in Chinese characters, since not everybody are able to read English characters. The main attraction is The Terracotta Army, but there are plenty of places to explore: The Shaanxi History Museum, Big Wild Goose Pagoda, The Litong Lishan Cable Car, The Hua Qing Palace, The Mt. Song Shaolin Monastery, The Muslim Quarter, The Bell Tower, The Drum Tower, The Xi’an City Wall, and if that it is not enough walk arrow the city and get lost, you will find that is a fascinating experience.

There are very few places in China that I regretted not staying longer at - Xi'an is certainly one of it. I have visited before (more than a decade ago and much has changed and that for the best). The city is pleasant and has a unique atmosphere which despite modernization still perseveres (which can be said of vary few cities in China) and there are many things to do and see. Plan a few days. Loved the area near Beilin Stelea Museum (and the museum itself whose Buddhist stone sculpture exhibition is really very good) - a combined ticket of Beilin Museum and City Wall will save you 50 yuan (during high season). The Shaanxi History museum (one way to avoid the huge lines for a free ticket is to simply pay 30yuan and get inside saving the hours it might take to get a free one) is overcrowded and the best stuff (or similar) in my opinion can be found at the Xi'an City museum (on the grounds of the Small Goose Pagoda) and at Beilin which were not overcrowded. The Terracotta army is one of the most impressive sites in the world - no exaggeration. There are many other many interesting historical sites near Xi'an.

If communist history interests you and you love chairman Mao this is the place for you . Or you can take a direct bus the the huang he waterfall on the shaanxi / shanxi border.

Another, for the most part amazingly clean Chinese city which is an architects dream, both modern and ancient. Visiting the Terracotta Warriors is by itself worth the journey. From a terrific dumpling banquet to a very festive Tang Dynasty Show, to the spiritual Big Wild Goose Pagoda to the historically impressive Ancient City Wall, each provided a uniquely individually stimulating experience. I would urge caution if visiting the Shaanxi Museum or the Muslim Mosque.

The downtown city is lovely, clean and a lot of fun. Every night there are locals singing and dancing outdoors. On the streets - in the parks. What a joy! The drive from the airport to the downtown was depressing - maybe our taxi took the wrong route? But once we got downtown it was perfect. The Terra Cotta Warriors are breathtaking. And the city has so much history! The Shaanxi History museum is a must see. It is laid out chronologically and puts the story of the city into perspective.

If you are looking to China history, you have come to the right place.. with it's rich in history and culture..there are many thing that you can not miss..like the terra cotta museum and Shaanxi history museum..you will learn all 5000 years China history within a day...

The Terracotta Warriors live up to the hype. Also make sure to visit the Silk Road treasures in the basement of the Shaanxi History Museum. It is well worth it despite the epic crowds

For a 5 days trip, we visited everything on our list. The only problem was that there was a sand storm on our last day and we forgot the 3M musks in our hotel. So bring your 3 M musk everyday, it has no weight. I’ll skip the Shaanxi History Museum, any big museum in the state has more and better display than that. Food is just ok, lots of carbs and meat, not enough veggie. But the city is safer than I thought ( I was very very worry about pickpockets but that did not happened , ) drivers are very helpful if you can communicate in chinese. Use taxi, not expensive at all.