Private Customizable Terracotta Warriors Day Tour with Options
Recommended by 98% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Xian, China
- 8 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Group discounts
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Skip the rigid itineraries and opt for a more flexible approach to sightseeing on this private full-day tour of Xi’an. Head to the Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum, then take your pick of two more Xi’an highlights, catered to your interests. Choose between Huaqing Hot Springs, Banpo Museum, Xi'an City Wall, and many more options, with your choice of guide-only, guide with pickup, or guide plus transportation.
- Get a chance to tailor your own sightseeing itinerary
- Morning visit to the Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum
- Tailor your afternoon to visit two other attractions of your choice
- Upgrade to include airport or train station pickup and transfers
What's Included
- Bottled waterIf default option selected
- Driver if default option selected
- Professional guide if default option selected
- Hotel pickup and drop-off if default option selected
- Private tour if default option selected
- Round-trip private transfer if default option selected
- Lunch
- Gratuities
- Entrance fee - Terracotta WarriorsCN¥120.00 per person
- Entrance fee - Huaqing PalaceCN¥120.00 per person
- Entrance fee - Big Wild Goose PagodaCN¥10.00 per person
- Entrance fee - Xi'an City WallCN¥54.00 per person
- Entrance fee - Banpo MuseumCN¥55.00 per person
- Entrance fee - Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor
- Entrance fee - Drum TowerCN¥20.00 per person
- Entrance fee - Bell TowerCN¥30.00 per person
- Entrance fee - Xi'an MosqueCN¥25.00 per person
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Pickup details
We pick up from any downtown Xian hotels or hostels. Please input if your hotel is not in the list.
Itinerary
Meet your guide and air-conditioned vehicle at your downtown Xian hotel.
Discuss the ten recommended attractions available to visit after the Terracotta Warriors, and tell your guide your two choices. Since your tour excludes entrance fees and lunch, you can keep your options open until the afternoon. Plus, because there are no time-consuming shopping stops, you can enjoy your time to the fullest.
After the drive to the Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum, enjoy ample time inside to see the massed ranks of the 3rd-century BC clay soldiers. Learn how they were made and buried with China’s first emperor, Qin Shi Huang, and explore the exhibition room showcasing the bronze chariots and other treasures found at the site.
Afterward, break for lunch (own expense) before heading to your chosen afternoon sights.
Maybe head to the Banpo Museum to see the remains of a 6,000-year-old village, or chart the history of Shaanxi province at the Shaanxi Museum (closed on Mondays). Alternatively, opt to visit Xian City Wall, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, Bell Tower and Drum Tower Square, or bustling Muslim Street – the choice is yours.
After visiting your chosen sights, your tour finishes with drop-off back at your hotel.
Discuss the ten recommended attractions available to visit after the Terracotta Warriors, and tell your guide your two choices. Since your tour excludes entrance fees and lunch, you can keep your options open until the afternoon. Plus, because there are no time-consuming shopping stops, you can enjoy your time to the fullest.
After the drive to the Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum, enjoy ample time inside to see the massed ranks of the 3rd-century BC clay soldiers. Learn how they were made and buried with China’s first emperor, Qin Shi Huang, and explore the exhibition room showcasing the bronze chariots and other treasures found at the site.
Afterward, break for lunch (own expense) before heading to your chosen afternoon sights.
Maybe head to the Banpo Museum to see the remains of a 6,000-year-old village, or chart the history of Shaanxi province at the Shaanxi Museum (closed on Mondays). Alternatively, opt to visit Xian City Wall, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, Bell Tower and Drum Tower Square, or bustling Muslim Street – the choice is yours.
After visiting your chosen sights, your tour finishes with drop-off back at your hotel.
1
The Museum of Qin Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses
3 hours • Admission Ticket Not Included
2
Giant Wild Goose Pagoda
1 hour • Admission Ticket Not Included
3
Xi'an City Wall
1 hour • Admission Ticket Not Included
4
Muslim Quarter
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
5
Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
6
Drum Tower (Gulou)
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
7
Xi'an Bell Tower
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
8
Xi'an Mosque
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Near public transportation
- Infant seats available
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- Admissions add up to US$17.00 to US$42.00 per person based on sites of your choosing.
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.9
based on 325 reviews
Timothy_H, Apr 2026
Excellent but crowded. Pagoda, Wall, Warriors. Pagoda garden a highlight in April. Ask for Linda. She is easy to understand for Americans
Kumchung_F, Jan 2026
Very good tour very enjoyable
Very good tour guide. Experience ed and the terracotta soldiers were very fun. Huagong palace felt like it much there though. Feels like a theme park of sorts
Cherrie_C, Jun 2025
Our licensed private guide and Xi'an native, Stephen, was wonderful.
When we were signing up for a tour, to see the Emperor Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum Site Museum, we considered both bus tours and private tours. Boy, were we glad we chose a private tour.
The Emperor Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum Site Museum is one of China's top 5 tourist attractions. It is difficult to describe the volume of human bodies there. Stephen was great in not only guiding us through the right gates, but also helping to "make a hole" in the crush of people so we could properly view the archaeological pits from the railings.
All along the way, he provided insightful narratives and patiently answered our myriad of questions. We didn't have to worry about keeping up with buses of moving horde. When we wanted to stop for a restroom break, or visit the gift shop, we stopped. Stephen made sure we found our way back to him. He made what could have been a sweltering shoving match into a comfortable stroll through the complex.
As a part of the package, aside from the seeing the terracotta warriors, we could pick 2 other stops. We chose to visit the actual Emperor Qin Shi Huang's burial mound, and Hua Qing Palace where Tang dynasty emperors spent their winters.
We felt a visit to the actual mound (many other tours only offer it as a drive-by) was a nice wrap to the terracotta warriors visit.
While Hua Qing Palace is known for the hot spring-fed bathing pools of Yang Guifei (Concubine Yang), it's a bit cheesy of an attraction. The ruins of the pools looked like ruins. What aren't ruins were tackily embellished (like Emperor Li Longji's bathing pool complete with fake lotus blossoms and fog machines, or the garden filled with silk flowers). All of the buildings were replicas. They also offer a nightly review show about the Tang Dynasty and Chang Kei Shek. If I had to pick again, we would not have picked Hua Qing Palace.
Graziella_C, May 2025
I had a fantastic day with my guide Tina visiting the Terracotta Warriors near Xi’an. Tina is an excellent guide — her English is very good, and her deep knowledge of the site and its history made the experience both educational and truly engaging.
She shared many fascinating details about the origins and significance of the warriors, and thanks to her thoughtful planning, we were able to avoid the crowds by starting in a different hall than most visitors. This made the visit much more relaxing and enjoyable.
To top it all off, Tina offered me the unique opportunity to attend a performance at the Huaxia Cultural Theater at the end of the afternoon. The show was spectacular — it told the story of the Silk Road and how people and animals once traveled along it, with beautiful visuals and powerful performances.
All in all, it was a memorable and enriching day. I highly recommend Tina as a guide!
Nicole_C, May 2025
10/10 experience! We loved everything about this tour. Linda was our tour guide and we couldnt ask for anyone better. She was very welcoming, and knew very well the history of Xi’an.
We went to see the terracota warriors early in the morning, since it was holiday, to avoid crowds and it was worth it. Then we saw the silk road show and had a tour in the city and had a great meal.
We highly recommend this tour if you wanna visit the best places in Xo’an with someone who knows the best.
Not to mention our driver who was also very professional and gave us smooth and nice rides to all the places
Jackson_L, Nov 2024
Thank you so much Tina for the tour of Terracotta Warriors and Bell Pagoda. You were very energetic and accomodating and perfect for our tour! Highly recommended and thank you so much for arranging everything
Lisheng_K, Aug 2024
We just finished our summer trip, and I definitely want to praise our one-day tour in Xi'an. Both our tour guide and driver were very friendly. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and experienced. He took us to visit all the exhibition areas of the Terracotta Warriors, introduced us to the famous Bell and Drum Towers in Xi'an, let us taste the city's special snacks, and finally accompanied us for a walk on the ancient city wall. Many first-time non-Chinese visitors to Xi'an might feel a bit lost in the crowds, which can make it difficult to appreciate the ancient and beautiful aspects of the city. We were very fortunate to find such a considerate guide, Steven. He was the most fluent English-speaking guide we encountered during this trip, making our one-day tour in Xi'an relaxed and enjoyable. We were able to take in the beauty of Xi'an at a leisurely pace while also receiving rich historical and cultural information, presented in a way that wasn't overwhelming. We are very grateful and hope that when we visit Xi'an again, we will meet Steven again.
Chris_A, Jul 2024
We booked a private tour because the Terracota Army was #1 for our China trip, and it was well worth it. The day begin with breakfast - local food we can't get at home, on the street, at our request. Then came the Army - Alice, our guide, navigated us seamlessly through the crowds (it's very busy...but that's part of the experience). For lunch, the driver recommended a place for locals with Shaanxi province's famous dish: Bi'ang bi'ang noodles. We then saw the old city wall and the giant Wild Goose Pagoda in the afternoon. Alice added lots of interesting background knowledge to each experience.
Svetlana_S, Jun 2024
I really enjoyed the tour, it was interesting and informative We are very grateful for the work you have done
Tatiana_O, May 2024
Linda is the very good guide. Advice us the best schedule of the day. Tour is perfecrtly organized. Recomended very much.
Duncan_L, Apr 2024
This was an amazing tour! THANKS SO MUCH JESSIE!!! Jessie was an amazing tour guide, very prompt & good with communication and took care of us for the whole day. She was very talkative and friendly and it was get to know her as well as the Terracotta Warriors. This tour is great as we could customise the other 2 sites we wanted to see. She also took us to this calligraphy museum/shop as a bonus which was great to see. Totally recommend this tour (and it you get Jessie, it will be even better!)
Martyn_G, Mar 2024
Wow, what a great day this was! Our tour guide - Sophie - was very personable and knowledgeable, she was a great guide and knew exactly where to go, where to take us etc.
She turned up on time at the hotel (a little early actually which was great); our driver was very pleasant and the car we travelled in was very comfortable & modern.
The Terracotta Warriors museum itself was very busy, but amazing to see! Sophie gave us lots of history & information, and made sure we didn't miss anything.
After that - we went back to town for lunch in a great restaurant that she arranged, and then did some more sight seeing in Xi'An in the afternoon.
All in all - it was a great day, and very good value for money - definitely recommended :)
Julie C, Nov 2019
I only had one day in Xi'an and I needed a punctual English speaking guide who could get me to see the Warriors and the highlights of Xi'an in one day without any stress and leave me feeling like I hadnt missed anything. This trip fulfilled all of my expectations and Linda our lovely guide, gave us more than we hoped for.
Linda and her driver picked us up at the hotel on time and before we drove off, she wanted to know exactly what time we had before we had to be at the train station for our evening journey to Beijing so that she could help us to plan our day and get the most out of it with the added bonus of negotiating a drop off at the station. We then drove straight to the Warriors site. Linda helped us to buy the tickets and then navigated us around the site in the best way to avoid queues and supplying us with information that we wouldnt have had if we had tried to do it on our own. She even took us to the best view points for amazing photographs and pointed out things like the finest details in the warriors such as their palm lines, the ear holes, finger nails and intricate braided hairstyles. As we left the site we asked if we could drive back via a route where we could also see the burial mound and where we could take a photo of it and the driver willingly obliged. We also asked if we could get some lunch somewhere and she took us to a great little local restaurant where had the most delicious noodles and dumplings I have ever tasted. I can honestly say it was the best mean l of our holiday and cost just £5 per head for all of the food and drink. After lunch she managed to squeeze in a trip the the City Wall, the drum and bell tower and a drive past the Wild Goose Pagoda, all of the while teaching us about the history and culture of Xi'an and helping us to get the most out of our single day. I couldnt thank Linda enough for making our day the best that it could be.
Clemens S, Oct 2019
Our guide Linda was very knowledgeable and kind. She took a lot of time to show us everything and explain important sights of Xian. Highly recommended
nigel_p, Aug 2019
Pick up at hotel confirmed prior to tour.Transport was comfortable and .Guide Kai was a joy and made the tour so easy as August is rammed everywhere.His knowledge realy added to the experience.. Had a very good lunch in a nice restaurant before visiting the Wild goose Pagoda in the afternoon. Guide Kai tried hard to tailor tour to exactly what we wanted mindful of the extreme heat at the time of our visit..
dshshsg, Jul 2019
A very well organized tour and our tour guide Eddie was fluent in English and gave us an educational knowledge of Xi'an and also the Qin Dynasty and the Terracotta Warriors! I give 5 stars to his Tour company and him!!
Thank yo.
Alma E, Jun 2019
Excellent guide, Eddie was very knowledgeable and great communicator. We highly enjoyed the day trip
mTan66, May 2019
Im giving it a 4 instead of a 5 because i googled mr. Yang who supposedly discovered the terracotta and the man looks different. He also does not look like a man in his 60s despite of what we were told. also, we were toured by a different guy in the big goose pagoda and in the end they ushered us into a 'supposed' chinese calligraphy class and then heavily encouraged us to make a purchase of a chinese painting. I say heavily, because we declined at first saying we didnt like any and then the guide urged us to look again and made several suggestions, adding in how the other couple with us had bought something. eddie, our real guide was informative though and very friendly. He was also relaxed and professional and came on time. The van wan was comfortable and the driving was excellent. Everything else in the tour was definitely A-grade except for those 2 things i mentioned.
brian_o, Dec 2018
Customised tour at very reasonable rates .... pick from & drop back to train station. Guide was very attentive, knowledgable & keen to make sure we enjoyed our visit. Xian is full of history but the Terracotta Army is incredible to behold.
todd_j, Dec 2018
Our experience in Xian was very enjoyable. We were there specifically to see the Terracotta Soldiers. We took a sleeper train from Beijing to Xian and Sonny- our guide- pick us up at the train station, driving directly to the sight. We were delighted that at this time a year it is not crowded so we were able to take our time and truly enjoy this incredible finding. Sonny was delightful and very knowledgeable. We would recommend this tour without hesitation!
Henry_M, Oct 2018
Our guide, Agnes, was fantastic. She guided us, in clear English, from the drive to the Warriors through the post adventure meal. Smart, well planned and interesting tour. Having a guide dramatically improved our trip. Could not be happier with the experience.
Suzana_J, Aug 2018
Uneventful and kind of boring tour. Our guide had a poor mastery of English and often was just on his phone. Of course Terracotta Warriors is a site that should be seen, however it was not impressive and the guide was boring and not interested to actually do his job. It seemed what ever we asked him he had an attitude in answering the question. He was more interested in being on his phone than doing his job - POOR JOB!
Response from Host, Aug 2018
TOUR OPERATOR COMMENT: Thank you for your feedback. We are so sorry that you had a bad experience with us. We completed our investigation and agree that your complaint is legitimate and you are eligible for a refund. We have authorized Viator to provide you with an immediate refund. Please accept our sincere apology and feel free to keep in touch.
Kind Regards,
Mason
Badar_K, Aug 2018
3 stars not because of the tour guide who was more than professional and pleasant and 3 stars not because of the actual visit to the site to physically see and marvel this very unique history... 3 star basically because of bad timing and bad weather. Summers and winters should be avoided and the times when schools are on holidays... unless if you are ok with extreme weather, long ques and huge crowds. Facilities at site and management is commendable and due credit goes to the Chinese authorities. There is abundance of souvenirs but unfortunately most lack quality. Would have definitely given 5 stars only if I would have visited the site in autumn or Spring.
Bryan B, Jul 2018
Our Guide Lisa - was great. She taught us so much information about Xi'an and she was very good about letting us go our own pace throughout the day. The Warriors were amazing to see and her information regarding the army formation and the discovery as very valuable. She went to lunch with us and helped us order the traditional Xi'An Biang Biang noodles. Then we decided to choose only one other site do to our children being tired. We chose to visit and ride bikes around the Xi'An City Wall. We love riding bikes so this was a great way for us to see the city. Thanks Lisa for a great day!
David B, Jul 2018
The guide arranged by Viator was enthusiastic and very well informed on the Terra Cotta Warriors as well as the Muslim Market and Banpo Museum. Each of the tours we took with Viator went well and the tour begins as soon as you seat yourself in the car for the ride to the tour site. The site itself was all it's made out to be and everything we expected.
Virginia_C, Jul 2018
I would recommend that Viator put in the description of how much everything cost. It is hard when everything is cash only and you need to plan on how much to have on hand when you are out and about for that day. You have to wait in line and pay for the tickets to terracotta warriors, cash for lunch, and cash for anything else you decided to do that afternoon. I think the tour should be a little more expensive and Viator should include pre purchased tickets for the terracotta warriors. The tour itself was okay, not the best but the site made up for what the tour was lacking.
Marisa_J, Jun 2018
This tour was absolutely perfect! Our party of 6 truly enjoyed the private coach ride, and the agenda for the day was ideal. Linda, our tour guide, was excellent. She was very informative and engaging. She was with us every step of the way, and yet allowed us some private time to enjoy the sights. Linda always answered all our questions, whether related to the sites or just about the general culture.
The Terracotta Warriors were impressive to say the least. Afterward, we had a wonderful lunch, and Linda was very helpful to us. She helped us order some amazing items we would have never thought of. Afterward, we visited the fort and finished off the day at the Muslim Snack Street. Oh my was that delicious. It was definitely an enjoyable and informative day, thank you Linda!
Marianna_J, May 2018
My husband and I enjoyed a great day tour of Xi'an with our guide Coco. Her assistance and input at the Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum was invaluable in helping us negotiate our way through the crowds and take advantage of views from the best vantage points. She also took some great photos for us. We continued to benefit from Coco's advice and support regarding our optional activities and when we expressed an interest, she also ensured we were introduced to only genuine jade items and in particular those originating from the immediate region. Thanks for a great tour and great guide!
Anna_P, Apr 2018
Fantastic tour and very knowledgeable tour giude Grace who adapted the tour to shut our needs. The tour was well organised and went smoothly, we also had a trip to a Muslim Quarter and Xian city Wall, both unforgettable experiences! Highly recommend this tour!
Shirlee W, Mar 2018
I can't say enough great things about our private customized tour! Our guide, Lisa, was so experienced and knowledgeable about every aspect of our day. We started out with our ride in the van, learning about the city of Xi'an and the history of the Emperor Qin. Once to the site, Lisa was invaluable in helping us to purchase our tickets, even loaning us the cash we needed since we didn't know we couldn't use our credit cards or WeChat. Lisa was terrific at giving us information to note and appreciate the warriors. She also had a great sense of the logistics and how to move us through the crowds at the site, not an easy task for six of us ranging from 26 to 76 years of age!
With the input from Lisa, our choices for the afternoon were visiting a silk factory and the Banpo village. At the factory, I enjoyed learning about how silk is made and seeing the threads woven into cloth.
Now the Banpo village...this is where Lisa really was outstanding. We had actually run out of our 8-hour time frame, but she was so passionate about history and was willing to take us to the museum where we went through the museum as the staff turned out the lights after us. This 6,000 year-old village came alive to us as Lisa told us stories of the discovery and pointed out features of the site. I was deeply touched to think about the people so long ago living in organized cooperative communities, taking care of their children and burying their dead.
Lisa is an extremely talented guide and a wonderful person. Thank you for sharing the day with us, Lisa!
From $88.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Private Customizable Terracotta Warriors Day Tour with Options
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