Xi'an, China

Getting around Xi'an

How to travel around Xi'an — 5 options, what they cost, and which booking apps fix the fare before you go.

Last updated 2026-08-09

1. Metro

Reaches the wall, the pagoda and the airport line.

Cost: CNY 2–8

2. Bus 游5 to the Terracotta Army

The official tourist bus from the railway station, cheap and direct.

Cost: CNY 8

Watch outUnofficial shuttles that divert to jade and pottery 'factories' with long compulsory sales stops.

3. Cycling the city wall

Bikes hired at the gates; the full circuit takes about two hours.

Cost: CNY 45

4. High-speed rail

Xi'an North to Beijing in four and a half hours, Chengdu in three.

5. DiDi

Standard, and avoids the station touts.

Booking apps in China

Agreeing the fare in an app before you travel removes the argument at the end of the journey, which is where most transport scams happen. Links go to each app's official page — lookalike apps are themselves a scam.

DiDi

The dominant Chinese ride-hailing platform, with an English interface in the international app.

Coverage: Nationwide.
Why it helps: Removes the unlicensed cars that tout at stations and airports, and records the route.

Alipay

Handles metro and bus fares, taxi payment and most everyday transactions; supports foreign cards.

Coverage: Nationwide.
Why it helps: Paying digitally sidesteps the counterfeit-banknote problem entirely, which is the most common change scam in China.

Trip.com

Books high-speed rail and domestic flights with an English interface and passport support.

Coverage: Nationwide.
Why it helps: Avoids station touts reselling rail tickets at markups.