Two days in Xi’an: the Terracotta Army, the City Wall, and nothing else Two days is enough for exactly two things: the Terracotta Army and the City Wall, plus one full day eating through the Muslim Quarter. Everything else waits for a longer trip. Xi’an runs on the yuan (CNY, roughly 7.2 to the US dollar), and you’ll want Alipay or WeChat Pay linked to a foreign card before you land, since cash and Western cards barely work past the big hotels.

Three days in Xi’an: the Terracotta Army, the Wall, and a free museum Three days adds one genuinely free day to the 2-day plan : the Shaanxi History Museum costs nothing to enter, only a reservation booked a week out. Xi’an runs on the yuan (CNY, roughly 7.2 to the US dollar); bring Alipay or WeChat Pay linked to a foreign card, since cash and Western cards barely work past the big hotels, confirm your visa or the 240-hour transit window, and get a VPN installed before you fly.

Five days in Xi’an: room for Mount Huashan without rushing the city Five days adds two things the 3-day plan skips entirely: a full day out at Mount Huashan and a slower recovery day after it. Xi’an runs on the yuan (CNY, roughly 7.2 to the US dollar); bring Alipay or WeChat Pay linked to a foreign card, since cash and Western cards barely work past the big hotels, confirm your visa or the 240-hour transit window, and get a VPN installed before you fly.

Six days in Xi’an: Huaqing Palace gets its own day this time Six days adds Huaqing Palace to the 5-day plan as a genuine standalone day rather than a rushed add-on to the Terracotta Army. Xi’an runs on the yuan (CNY, roughly 7.2 to the US dollar); bring Alipay or WeChat Pay linked to a foreign card, since cash and Western cards barely work past the big hotels, confirm your visa or the 240-hour transit window, and get a VPN installed before you fly.

Seven days in Xi’an: the full week, priced day by day Seven days is the full spine of this itinerary, built on the 6-day plan plus a last, cheap day for the Forest of Steles and a slower departure. Xi’an runs on the yuan (CNY, roughly 7.2 to the US dollar); bring Alipay or WeChat Pay linked to a foreign card, since cash and Western cards barely work past the big hotels, confirm your visa or the 240-hour transit window, and get a VPN installed before you fly.