6 posts · Curated China travel tips
Xi'an saw a 124% surge in foreign visitors in 2025 — the fastest growth of any Chinese city. The Terracotta Warriors are the headline, but the real Xi'an is a 3,000-year-old city of noodle alleys, Silk Road history, and a food scene that rivals anything in China.
I ruined a client’s trip by planning it too well. Day 4 in Xi’an. We’d just finished the Terracotta Warriors — that epic army of clay soldiers that’s been standing guard for over 2,000 years. He looked at his watch and said: “We’re ahead of schedule. Can we add another sight?” I was about to suggest the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda or the Muslim Quarter when something stopped me. Instead, I said: “What if we did nothing?” He blinked, confused. “Like… nothing?” I pointed to a little tea house near the South Gate. “Let’s just sit. Watch the sunset over the old city wall.” So we did. We ordered a pot of biluochun green tea, listened to the call to prayer drift over from the Great Mosque, and watched the sky turn the color of ripe persimmons. At dinner — hand-pulled biangbiang noodles at a local spot — he said quietly: “That was the best afternoon of the trip.” I stopped filling every single hour after that. Now, on every itinerary I design, I leave at least one block of “empty time.” Because the real magic of China travel isn’t in ticking off sights — it’s in letting the country happen to you.
Two weeks in China is enough to fall in love with the country. This route covers 5 cities with the perfect balance of history, food, and scenery — the ultimate **China Custom Tour** for time-rich travellers.
Terracotta Warriors, the Ancient City Wall, and a Muslim Quarter that smells like heaven. Xi'an is the history highlight of any **China Custom Tour** — here's how to do it right.
Every time someone asks me if XiAn is worth visiting, I give the same answer: book your train ticket first and ask questions later. The Terracotta Warriors are incredible (obviously), but the real magic? Walking the ancient city wall at sunset. Rent a bike (45 RMB for 2 hours), ride the full 14 km loop, and watch the city transition from day to night. The lights come on over the Muslim Quarter, the call to prayer drifts across the old city, and for a moment you feel like you have traveled back in time. I have done this 30+ times and it still gets me.
Xi'an's Muslim Quarter at sunset is one of those places I'd send every traveller even if they had only one day in China. The narrow alleys fill with smoke from a thousand grill carts. Lamb skewers sizzle. Biang biang noodles get stretched and slapped on counters. Persimmon cakes fry in giant woks. The Yangrou Paomo (bread crumbled into lamb soup) at Lao Sun Jia is the same recipe they used 50 years ago. I bring every client here. The ones who love food leave overwhelmed. The ones who don't care about food also leave overwhelmed — because this place has a way of making you care. Two tips: go hungry (obvious), and start from the Drum Tower end working inward instead of the main gate. The crowds thin out and the vendors get more interesting the deeper you go.
