Xi’an Travel Tips – Travel Tips about Xi’an
Last Update: 24th November 2019
Xi’an Travel Tips
Xi’an is well-known for its old historic and cultural spots as it was the old capital of more than 10 dynasties in ancient China. Are you planning for your Xi’an Tour during your next vacation? We would like to share some useful travel tips with you.
Interested in learning Xi’an Travel Tips before booking a Xian Tour?
Wendy Wei Tours offers a variety of different packaged tours as well as custom tours in Xi’an, among other cities and areas. To find out more, please visit our Tours page or Contact Us directly to find out more.
Things to bring to Xi’an
If you are planning to visit Xi’an in spring, autumn and winter, it is strongly recommended that you bring a gauze mask. In spring, it is dry in Xi’an and the sandstorm sometimes attacks the city. In summer, you could take a pair of sunglasses, and an umbrella with you in Xi’an. In winter, as it is very cold with snow in Xi’an, please remember to take enough warm clothes to keep yourself from the coldness.
What to wear in Xi’an
If your visit to Xi’an comes into the winter, please wear a sweater. A cotton-padded or down coat is very necessary. For summer in Xi’an, shorts, sunglasses, an umbrella and sunscreen cream are must-bring items. Just as advised above, please take a gauze mask if you pay a visit to Xi’an between November and March.
Train Ticket Booking Advice
If you are planning to get to Xi’an or other cities from Xi’an by train, it is advised that you book the train ticket as early as possible. In China, the tickets are presold 30 days prior to the travel date. You could book it via Trip.com online. The website is accessible to all foreigners.
Visa
Since the 72-hour visa-free transit policy was implemented on June 1, 2014 in Xi’an, air passengers who are the passport holders from the following 51 countries are permitted to stay in Xi’an for up to 72 hours (3 days) without a visa.
Transit Visa Eligible Countries
The 51 countries are as follows.
24 Schengen Countries: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherland, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland
13 other European countries: Russia, Britain, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia And Herzegovina, Republic of Montenegro, Macedonia, Albania, Romania and Ukraine.
6 American Countries: the United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, and Chile
2 Oceania Countries: Australia, and New Zealand
6 Asian Countries: United Arab Emirates, Japan, Qatar, Singapore, South Korea, and Brunei
How to get to Xi’an
Xi’an has a relatively-developed transportation network. You could get to Xi’an by air or by train on the condition that you are already in China.
By air
If you fly to Xi’an outside Mainland China, you could take a direct flight from Seoul, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Busan, San Francisco (seasonally), Bangkok, Osaka, and Hong Kong to Xi’an. If you are in Mainland China, the direct flights from Guilin, Guangzhou, Sanya, Chengdu, Beijing, Shanghai, Xiamen, Xining, Hangzhou, Tianjin, Wuhan, Lijiang, Zhuhai, Shenzhen, Nanjing, Guiyang, Qingdao, Urumqi, Chongqing, Dalian, Jinan, Nanning, Kunming and much more are able to take you to Xi’an.
By Train
If you prefer to, you could take a high-speed train to Xi’an from Guilin, Beijing, Shanghai, Xining and Guangzhou or other main cities in East China, and North China. In addition, the normal trains in Northwest China can also take you to Xi’an.
Other Travel Tips
VPN Advice
Some international social media such as Gmail, Facebook, Instagram, Google and Whatsapp are blocked in Mainland China. If you are planning to use them for work or to keep in touch with your family and friends during your stay in China, it is strongly recommended that you set up a paid VPN on your cellphone, ipad and laptop because the free VPN may not work in Mainland China.
Money
You are able to withdraw money on most of the ATMs in Xi’an with Visa and Mastercard debit cards. We would recommend that you let your banks know that you will be using your cards in China before your departure so that you could withdraw money on ATMs during your stay in China. It is also suggested that you exchange some CNY cash at the airport exchange service office. When you take a shuttle bus or a taxi to your hotel or an attraction, you could pay to the driver in CNY cash if you don’t use Alipay or WeChat Pay.
Phones
If your phone is able to work and the phone service is accessible in Mainland China, you could use your phone in Xi’an
Alternatively, you should get a local SIM card for use. The lowest pricing of the card is 50 CNY on. If you would like to take international calls, please advise the staff and they will offer the card meeting your needs.
Useful Number in China
If you need an ambulance in China, please call 120. The number of 119 is for fire police. If any help is needed, you could call 110.
Driving in China
If you just get to China on holiday, it is recommended that you rent a car with a local driver to the spots. If you are planning to work for more than 6 months in China, you could apply for local driving license on the condition that your international driving license is translated into Chinese version and you hold the Chinese residence permit for more than 6 months and pass the local vehicle and transportation exam. The license is valid for 10 years.
Location
Photos
Interested in Xian Travel Tips?
Wendy Wei Tours offers a variety of different packaged tours as well as custom tours in Xi’an, among other cities and areas. To find out more, please visit our Tours page or Contact Us directly to find out more.