Where to stay in Xi’an: areas, metro and hotels

For most trips, the old city around the Bell Tower is the place to sleep. The Muslim Quarter, the Drum Tower and the ramparts are all walkable from there, and a single metro ride takes you to the fast trains. The Big Wild Goose Pagoda area is the pick if the museums and the Qujiang boulevard at night come first. Xi’an North only makes sense before an early train. No area is close to the Terracotta Army, 33 km from the centre as the crow flies, so where you sleep mostly decides how you get there.

Which area to stay in Xi’an?

Distances are measured in a straight line from a point in each area. Stop counts come from the network map; check them in the Xi’an metro app before you go.

Updated: November 6, 2026

Golden Week shows how busy the centre can get. Xi’an counted 18.99 million visits in October 2026, according to the city tourism bureau, and the police planned crowd limits inside the wall and in Datang Everbright City.

Inside the city wall

The Bell Tower and the Muslim Quarter

The Bell Tower* stands at the exact centre of the walled city. Its station, Zhonglou, is on lines 2 and 6. Line 2 takes you to Xi’an North in ten stops with no change, and the Big Wild Goose Pagoda is five stops away with one change.

The Muslim Quarter* begins behind the Drum Tower, 300 metres away, with Beiyuanmen street and the Great Mosque. It is one of three historic districts protected by the old-city regulation in force since 1 March 2026, which also caps new buildings inside the wall at 24 metres, according to the regulation itself.

Hotels near the Bell Tower

Ratings are from Booking, with the price of a double for the night of 9 December 2026, checked on 27 October, rechecked hotel by hotel on 2 November and shown in euros. On 27 October Booking listed 51 properties rated 8 or more within one kilometre; the first twenty ranged from €13 to €71.

• Center Hotel Xi’an Bell Tower*, 100 metres away: 9.0, from €39.
• Atour Hotel Bell and Drum Tower Plaza*, 200 metres away: 9.5, from €59.
• Holiday Inn Express Xi’an Bell Tower*, 250 metres away: 8.5, from €36.
• Novotel Xi’an The Bell Tower*, 300 metres away: 8.9, from €57.
• Xi’an Bell Tower Manxin Hotel*, 350 metres away: 9.4, from €71.
• Hantang Inn Hostel*, 600 metres away: 9.5, from €63 for a double.
• Campanile Xi’an Bell Tower Huimin Street*, by the Muslim Quarter: 8.8, from €24.

Two cheaper options stood out. The QiYu Wisdom Hotel*, 700 metres from the tower, scored 8.9 with rooms from €20. The Da Tang Yin Courtyard Hotel*, built around a courtyard, scored 9.1 from €29.

For hotel points, two international chains sit inside the wall on Dongxin Street, north-east of the Bell Tower towards the railway station. Checked for the same night, the Hilton Xi’an City Wall* had a 9.2 from €90, and the Sofitel on Renmin Square*, an Accor hotel, an 8.9 from almost 1,000 reviews, from €67. Bear in mind that the chains’ programmes generally give no points or elite nights for a stay booked through Booking: if they matter, compare the price here and book on the chain’s own site or app.

The South Gate and Shuyuanmen

Yongningmen, the South Gate, is the busiest way up onto the wall. Its ramp is open from 8:00 to 22:00. Just inside the gate, Shuyuanmen street runs past calligraphy and paper shops to the Forest of Steles.

The area is one stop from the Bell Tower on line 2. Yongningmen station sits outside the wall, south of the gate, eleven stops from Xi’an North on the same line. One station further on, at Nanshaomen, line 5 runs direct to Xi’an East station, where the Terracotta Army bus leaves.

The Big Wild Goose Pagoda and Qujiang

The Big Wild Goose Pagoda* lies south of the wall, 500 metres from Dayanta station (lines 3 and 4) and a kilometre from the Shaanxi History Museum. South of the pagoda starts Datang Everbright City, the Qujiang pedestrian boulevard. It drew more than three million visits during Golden Week 2026, according to the venue’s figures quoted by Jiemian.

One metro trap here. The line 8 station called Datang Everbright City is at the far southern end of the boulevard, 2.4 km from the pagoda. For the pagoda itself, get off at Dayanta.

Prices for 9 December, from the cheapest up:

• Campanile Dayan Pagoda*: 9.0, from €40.
• lyf Dayanta*: 9.3, from €50.
• Mercure Xi’an Dayan Pagoda*, 150 metres from the pagoda: 9.0, from €60.
• Four Points by Sheraton Dayan Pagoda*: 8.8, from €75.
• Westin*: 8.9, from €125.
• Canopy by Hilton Qujiang*: 9.5, from €160.

The catch is the airport. It is 31 km away as the crow flies, or 23 metro stops with two changes, further than from any other area.

By train or plane

Xi’an North

Xi’an North* handles the high-speed trains to Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu and Luoyang. Lines 2, 4 and 14 serve it: ten stops to the Bell Tower, eight to the airport. From the Bell Tower, the direct train takes about 25 to 30 minutes. The Fairfield by Marriott Xi’an North Station* scored 8.4, with rooms from €51 on 9 December.

Xianyang Airport

Every international flight uses Terminal 5, which opened in February 2025. This winter Xi’an keeps its flights to Vienna, London and Paris, according to the city government, and China Eastern still flies to Milan.

Line 14 links Terminal 5 with Xi’an North in eight stops; change there for line 2 into the centre. Allow about 80 minutes to the Bell Tower. A taxi on the official meter comes to roughly 95 to 100 yuan by day, plus the toll.

If you only need a bed near the terminal, the Vienna International Hotel Xianyang Airport* scored 9.0 from €31, and the Atour Xianyang International Airport* 8.6 from €41.

Xi’an railway station

Xi’an railway station* sits by the northern wall and has only metro line 4. The sleeper trains to Beijing and Shanghai leave from here, not from Xi’an North, along with the classic trains. Its north building was rebuilt in 2021, facing the Daming Palace.

For the Terracotta Army

Nowhere is close: the museum is 33 km from the Bell Tower as the crow flies.

Since 29 August 2026, bus 306 has run from the new Xi’an East station, calling at Huaqing Palace and the warriors between 7:00 and 19:00, according to the city government. It used to start at Xi’an railway station, which is no longer the departure point. The other route is metro line 9 to Huaqingchi, then bus 613 for two stops.

What a night costs in Xi’an

December prices

Xi’an is one of the cheapest cities covered in these guides. In summer 2024, the latest official breakdown by city, star-rated hotels charged an average of 407 yuan a night and three-star hotels 238, according to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. For 9 December 2026, doubles rated 8 or more started at €21 near the Bell Tower and €40 near the Big Wild Goose Pagoda.

Sleeping cheaply

The best-value rooms are inside the wall, between the Bell Tower and the Muslim Quarter, where hostels and small hotels dipped below €30 a night in December. To pay at reception, link Alipay or WeChat Pay to a foreign card before you arrive; the guide to paying in China walks through it.

Rules for foreign guests

The hotel registers you

In May 2024, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Commerce and the immigration administration reminded hotels that none may turn away a foreigner on the grounds that it lacks a licence to host them, China Daily reported. You hand over your passport at reception and the hotel does the registration.

Flats and guesthouses

Xi’an’s rental regulation, in force since 1 June 2026, leaves out hotels and guesthouses, which follow the hotel rules, according to the Xi’an government. In a private flat, police registration is due within 24 hours of arrival. Since 21 September 2026 it can be done online anywhere in the country, according to the immigration administration. On a first stay in a rented flat, the host files it, not you.

Xi’an in winter

Xi’an has central heating. The season runs from 15 November 2026 to 15 March 2027, and can start earlier in a cold snap, according to the heating companies’ notices reported by Tencent. Hotels on the network are warm from mid-November, while small guesthouses often rely on air-conditioning.

January brings highs around 5 °C and lows around −3 °C. Air quality is the bigger worry: for the first quarter of 2026, the city set itself a target of no more than 28 polluted days. Check the air quality index before a long day outside.

Xi’an with children

Since September 2022, children 1.30 metres or under, or aged 6 or under, ride free on the metro and city buses, two per paying adult. That does not apply on tourist lines such as the 306. The Terracotta Army museum lends pushchairs at the visitor centre. Families do well around the Bell Tower: fewer metro changes, and the wall within walking distance.

Mistakes to avoid

1. Heading to Xi’an railway station for the Terracotta Army bus: since August 2026 it leaves from Xi’an East.
2. Getting off at line 8’s Datang Everbright City station for the Big Wild Goose Pagoda: it is 2.4 km away.
3. Sleeping by Xi’an North with no early train to catch: the centre is ten stops away.
4. Booking near the Big Wild Goose Pagoda before an early flight: no area is further from the airport.
5. Mixing up the stations: high-speed trains use Xi’an North, sleepers use Xi’an railway station.
6. Counting on heating in an old guesthouse in early November: the season starts on the 15th.
7. Arriving without your passport to hand: reception asks for it at check-in.
8. Arriving on the first day of Golden Week: the police limit crowds inside the wall.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best area to stay in Xi’an? The heart of the walled city, around its central tower. The main sights are walkable, and one metro ride with no change gets you to the fast trains.

Is it better to stay inside or outside the city wall? Inside for a first visit. Outside, by the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, if the southern museums and bigger hotels matter more to you. Five metro stops separate the two.

Where to stay near the Terracotta Army? There is no need. The site is a day trip from the centre, and the easiest base is anywhere close to line 5, which ends up at the bus terminus at Xi’an East.

How much is a hotel in Xi’an? Not much by Chinese standards. For a December 2026 night, well-rated doubles inside the wall began at around €20 to €30.

How do you get from Xi’an airport to the centre? Metro line 14, then line 2, in about 80 minutes. A daytime taxi costs around 100 yuan.

Which railway station is closest to the centre? Xi’an railway station, just north of the wall, though it only handles classic and sleeper trains. For high-speed services you need Xi’an North, ten metro stops out.

Where to stay for Huashan? Near any line 2 station: the line runs direct to Xi’an North, where trains reach Huashan North in 28 minutes. For a very early start, sleep at the high-speed station itself.

Is Xi’an cold in winter? Yes. January nights fall below freezing, but heating comes on from 15 November, so hotel rooms stay warm.

How many nights do you need in Xi’an? Two to four. Two cover the city and the Terracotta Army; four leave room for Huashan. The Xi’an guide has the details.

Do I need a visa to stay in Xi’an? Fifty nationalities, including the United Kingdom, Canada and most of Europe, can enter without a visa for up to 30 days until 31 December 2026; United States citizens still need one. The guide to visa-free entry to China gives the full list.