Day Tour from Beijing

Xian is about 1200km, or 746 miles from Beijing. Here are the main ways to get to Xian from Beijing.

It’s possible to visit Xian in a single day if you limit your sightseeing lists no more than 3. Flying in or taking a overnight train to arrive at early morning will make your time enough to cover the Terracotta Warriors and another two sites. Then board an evening flight or train to get back to Beijing.

From Beijing to Xian by Air

Of course, the quickest way to get to Xian is by air, which usually takes about 2 hours from Beijing to Xian. Airlines usually offer big discounts thus the price might be even more competitive than High Speed Rail listed below.

Pros: Fast and inexpensive in the non peak seasons.
Cons: Extra time needed on airport procedures and airport transfer

We can offer flight booking service with a service charge. We can always get rates better than major booking engines like kayak.com, skyscanner.com, and etc.

From Beijing to Xian by Bullet Trains

From Dec 26th, 2012,  bullet trains start to operate between Beijing and Xi’an, which makes travelling time between the two cities at least 6 hours shorter than regular trains. It will take about 4 hours 40 minutes to 5 hours 58 minutes from Beijing to Xian.

10 bullet trains shuttle between Beijing and Xian everyday with the first departure at 07:05 while the last at 17:38, almost one departure per hour. All these trains depart at Beijing West Station and arrive at Xian North Station.

Fare: Second class ticket 515.5RMB; First class ticket RMB824.5.
(G664 and G668 also offer deluxe class tickets at RMB983. G656 and G660 offer business class tickets at RMB1629.)
Pros: No complex procedures and extra time needed; easier to book than regular trains
Cons: Fare is expensive and no discounts available.

From Beijing to Xian by Regular Train

If you plan to visit Xian for a day tour, traveling by train can save you one night hotel expense at least. Take a sleeper bunk, arrive in the morning, do an 8-hour day tour, then hope on the last train back to Beijing to arrive in the second morning. The train journey usually takes about 12 hours. All these trains depart at Beijing West Station and arrive at Xian Station. A Hard Sleeping Bunk costs around RMB260 while a Soft Sleeping Bunk around RMB440.
Pros: Fare is cheaper and can save one night hotel cost.
Cons: Extremely hard to book at peak seasons.

Please note only T and Z trains are listed above. Other trains passing Xian are not included because they are slower.

Hope it helps you decide what are the best way for you depending on your budget, time and traveling plans.