Private Tour: Xi'an City Highlights

You will be met and picked up from your Xi'an hotel in the morning. Your private tour of Xi’an begins with a visit to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, where Master Xuanzang translated the sutras he brought to China from India. As the symbol of the old-line Xian, Big Wild Goose Pagoda (also called Dayabta) is a well-preserved ancient building and a holy place for Buddhists. It is located in the southern suburb of Xian City, about 2.49 miles (4 kilometers) from the downtown of the city. Standing in the Da Ci'en Temple complex, it attracts numerous visitors for its fame in the Buddhist religion and its simple but appealing style of construction. It is also rated as a National Key Cultural Relic Preserve as well as an 4-Star Tourist Attraction. In addition, it was added to the World Heritage List on June 22, 2014, together with other sites along the ancient Silk Road.

Next, you will be transferred to visit the well-preserved Ancient City Wall. Built during the Tang Dynasty, when the city, Chang’an, was capital, the wall is the only complete city wall extant in China. The rectangular wall is (7.4 miles) 11.9 kilometers long, 39.4 feet (12 meters) high, 39.4 feet to 46 feet) (12 to 14 meters) wide on top, and 49.2 feet to 59.1 feet (15 to 18 meters) wide at the base. There are 5,894 crenels along the exterior wall, but no crenels on the interior side. Turrets are at the four corners. Each side has a gate. On top of the gates are main towers and watchtowers. A moat protects the perimeter. You can take a walk on the wall or go fishing by the moat. You may take a bike tour on the city wall to circle around the old city (optional) or walk around to have a leisure time. After a good visit here, you will be accompanied to walk around the Bell and Drum Tower Square where the Bell Tower, a stately traditional building, that marks the geographical center of the ancient capital stands. From this important landmark extend East, South, West and North Streets, connecting the Tower to the East, South, West and North Gates of the City Wall of the Ming Dynasty. The wooden tower, which is the largest and best-preserved of its kind in China, is 118 feet (36 meters) high. It stands on a brick base 116.4 feet (35.5 meters) long and 28.2 feet (8.6 meters) high on each side. During the Ming Dynasty, Xian was an important military town in Northwest China, a fact that is reflected in the size and historic significance of its tower.

Later, walk to the Muslim Quarter, a lively area buzzing with various food stalls, souvenir shops and visitors from around the world. Your tour ends when you're driven back to your hotel.