1-day Xi'an City Tour

You will be picked up at your hotel in Xian. First we visit [Shaanxi Provincial History Museum]. If you love Chinese history, Shaanxi Provincial Museum is a must on your Xian trip. It is one of the four largest museums in China ( the other three are Forbidden City Museum, Shanghai Museum and Henan Provincial Museum. It is situated 1km away, northwest of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. It is a giant architectural complex in the Tang-dynasty style. It occupies an area of 70,000 square meters, and the construction area being more than 50,000 square meters. It focuses on the highlights of the Shaanxi culture and depicts the development of the Chinese civilization.

Then move on to the [Big Wild Goose Pagoda]. The Big Wild Goose Pagoda is one of the oldest structures in China. Firstly built in 589 A.D.in the Sui Dynasty, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda originally consisted of a brick structure of five storeys and was about 60 meters high. Between AD 701 and AD 704 during the reign of the Empress Wu Zetian five more storeys were added to the pagoda making ten in all. Unfortunately it was damaged during World War II and reduced to seven storeys, which is as it remains today. The Big Goose Pagoda is situated in the Da Ci'en Temple, four kilometers south away from the center of the city. It is one of the city's most distinctive and outstanding landmarks, possibly the most beautiful building left in Xi’an today.

After lunch, we go to visit the [City Wall] at the south gate. The Xian City Wall is not only the most complete city wall that has survived in China, but it’s also one of the largest and most complete ancient military systems of defense in the world.

Then visit the [Bell tower]. Situated in the heart of the ancient city, now, the bell tower became the symbol of the city. In early morning of ancient times it had the mission of ringing the bell and giving the correct time to the whole city, called "The Bell Tower".

The famous [Great Mosque] is located in the Muslim Area. For the tourists coming here, the bazaar in the Muslim area is most attractive with a wide area of stalls selling everything. The streets and walkways are full of life. The shopping is great, very cheap and some unusual items we will seldom see anywhere else in China. The Great Mosque in Xian is one of the oldest, largest and best-preserved Islamic mosques in China. Unlike most mosques in Middle Eastern or Arab countries, the Great Mosque of Xian is completely Chinese in its construction and architectural style, except for some Arabic lettering and decorations.

Meals included: Lunch