Discover Xi'an
千年古都

March to May and September to November are most comfortable, with peach and plum blossoms or crisp autumn air. Summer is scorching, and winter is dry and often smoggy.

Three to four days is just right: one day for the Terracotta Army and Huaqing Hot Springs, one for the city wall, Giant Wild Goose Pagoda and the Tang Paradise night zone, a half-day at the Shaanxi History Museum, and the rest to the Muslim Quarter.

Use the official tourist bus or the metro plus tourist line 5, and do not trust the unlicensed cars touting outside the station. Hire a guide or rent an audio tour, or you will just be staring at pits without grasping the story.