5 Days Beijing and Xian Tour by bullet train

Beijing’s grand imperial sites and Xi’an’s army of clay soldiers make a memorable pairing, and this five-day tour links them by bullet train in under five hours. You get a private guide and transfers in both cities, so you can focus on the sights instead of working out every local connection.

I like two things in particular: the itinerary gives you major landmarks alongside a brief walk through Beijing’s hutong lanes, and the private transfers make the long-distance move to Xi’an less of a puzzle. The train covers 756 miles (1,216 kilometers), turning a major travel day into a direct connection between two historic capitals.

The trade-off is pace. Five days cover a lot, but several stops are short, and the tour does not include hotels, lunches or dinners. You’ll need to arrange your own stays and be ready for full sightseeing days.

At a glance

• Mutianyu Great Wall gets five hours, with a choice to hike or take the cable car up and walk along the wall.
• The Beijing schedule includes the Forbidden City and Temple of Heaven, plus a short hutong walk for a change of scale and pace.
• The Xi’an transfer is by high-speed train, with a driver meeting you at Xi’an North Railway Station.
• The Terracotta Warriors get a two-hour visit, followed by time on the city wall and at Shuyuanmen Culture Street.
• The tour is private, with guides, local transfers, bottled water, admission fees and a one-way train ticket included.
• Hotels and meals are on you, so budget for those separately from the $1,018.67 per-person tour price.

Beijing’s imperial center, from Tiananmen Square to the Temple of Heaven

Day one begins with a 9:00 a.m. hotel pickup and a walk across Tiananmen Square, described as the world’s largest public square. The square is an imposing opening act, but it is also a place to get your bearings before entering the Forbidden City. Admission to the square is free; the palace museum ticket is included.

Plan on about two hours inside the Forbidden City. Its scale is the point: this was the imperial palace, and the buildings and courtyards help make sense of the power concentrated here. A guide is especially useful in a place this large, where context can turn one succession of halls into a clearer picture of how the court worked.

The Temple of Heaven follows, with about an hour to see the complex associated with imperial prayers for a good harvest. Its purpose differs from the Forbidden City’s, which makes the visit a useful counterpoint: one site shows the seat of imperial rule, the other the emperor’s ceremonial role. Both admission tickets are included.

The day ends with a 30-minute hutong walking tour. These narrow lanes offer a glimpse of Beijing’s neighborhood life after a day of monumental architecture. Thirty minutes is brief, so treat this as an introduction rather than a long, unhurried exploration.

Mutianyu’s wall walk and the Summer Palace

Day two starts earlier, with a 7:30 a.m. hotel pickup and around five hours at the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall. That generous block gives you time to choose your own pace. You can hike up or take a cable car, then walk along the wall; the cable car is an option, not an included requirement stated for every visitor.

The wall is the physical high point of the Beijing portion, but it also asks more of your legs than a museum visit. The tour calls for a moderate level of fitness, and you should be prepared for walking and uneven surfaces. If you prefer to save your energy, the cable car can reduce the climb, while still leaving you time on the wall.

After Mutianyu, you visit the Summer Palace for about an hour. It is described as China’s largest and best-preserved imperial garden, and it offers a change from the wall’s exposed ramparts and the city’s formal palace spaces. One hour is enough for a guided introduction, not an exhaustive visit to a sprawling garden.

The timing of this day is worth noting. The Great Wall takes up most of it, while the Summer Palace is a shorter final stop. You’ll be dropped back at your hotel when the tour ends, but the exact end time is not specified.

The bullet train to Xi’an

Day three is primarily a transfer day. Your Beijing pickup is scheduled for two hours before the train, followed by a drop-off at Beijing West Railway Station. The included one-way high-speed train ticket takes you to Xi’an North Railway Station in about five hours, and a local driver is scheduled to meet you there.

That arrangement removes much of the guesswork from a major intercity move. You do not need to arrange a separate transfer to the station or find a driver on arrival, though you should still keep your passport details handy: the operator requires each participant’s passport name, number, expiry date and country when booking.

The train journey is a practical bridge between the cities, not a sightseeing stop. There is no guided touring listed for day three, and the tour ends in Xi’an rather than returning you to Beijing. Make sure your hotel plans and any onward transport fit around the train schedule confirmed for your dates.

The Terracotta Warriors and Xi’an’s old streets

Day four begins with a 9:00 a.m. pickup and a visit to the Museum of Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses. You have about two hours at the site, where thousands of terracotta figures were discovered. The scale and variety of the figures make this the essential Xi’an stop, and admission is included.

Two hours is a meaningful visit, though it is not an entire day at the museum. Your guide can help give the displays a shape and explain what you are looking at, rather than leaving you to absorb a vast collection of figures without context. If this is the main reason you are going to Xi’an, you may wish you had longer; the schedule also has to fit in the city itself.

Next comes about two hours on the Xi’an City Wall and at Shuyuanmen Culture Street. The wall gives you a different view of the city from the ground-level lanes, while Shuyuanmen adds a cultural street stop to the afternoon. The plan groups these into one block, so ask your guide how the time will be divided if one matters more to you.

This day balances an archaeological landmark with the living city. It is a good pairing after the morning’s monumental display, though the overall tour keeps moving rather than leaving long stretches for wandering on your own.

Xi’an’s museum, pagoda and food quarter

Day five opens at 9:00 a.m. with two hours at the Shaanxi History Museum. Its collection includes more than 370,000 relics unearthed in Shaanxi Province, among them bronzes, pottery figures and murals. The museum gives you a broader regional frame for the history you have seen at the Terracotta Warriors.

The Big Wild Goose Pagoda follows, with about an hour for the visit. Then you stop at the Bell Tower, a central Xi’an landmark built roughly 600 years ago, for around 30 minutes. These stops bring the day from museum collections to recognizable city monuments, though the Bell Tower visit is brief.

The final listed stop is the Muslim Quarter, north of the Drum Tower. You have about 30 minutes there, and the area is known for local snacks and souvenirs. Lunch and dinner are not included, so this is a natural place to buy food if the timing works, but half an hour is a quick taste rather than a leisurely meal.

The tour ends with a hotel drop-off. Since the schedule gives no exact finishing time, avoid booking a tight onward connection that day unless you have confirmed the timing with the operator.

What the price covers, and what it leaves to you

At $1,018.67 per person, this is a substantial purchase, but the price covers more than a guide at a handful of sights. It includes private transfers and hotel pickup and drop-off, professional guiding, bottled water, admission fees and the one-way high-speed train ticket between Beijing and Xi’an. Those inclusions matter in a two-city itinerary, where separate transport and entry arrangements can take time to coordinate.

The private format is another part of the value. Only your group participates, which gives you a more direct line to the guide and some room to discuss preferences. Past bookings have involved guides named Vivian, Michael, Cathy, Cindy, Rebecca and others, while Lily is associated with planning and customer coordination. Assignments can vary, so ask who will guide your dates rather than assuming you will have a particular person.

The price does not include accommodation, lunch or dinner. You’ll need to book hotels in both cities and cover your meals, and no return train ticket is included. Keep those costs in mind when comparing this package with a tour that bundles lodging.

Planning is one of the operator’s strengths. Customers have described prompt replies from Lily, help adjusting plans and quick resolution of a minor transport hiccup. That is reassuring for a trip with rail tickets and transfers, but it is still sensible to confirm your hotel addresses, train details and pickup times before departure. This tour is booked an average of 104 days in advance, so leaving arrangements until the last moment may limit your options.

Who will get the most from this tour

This is a strong fit if you have five days, want the headline sights in both cities and value having a private guide and transfers arranged. It is especially useful if you would rather not coordinate a train station transfer, entrance tickets and local transport on your own. Families may also appreciate the private format, though the schedule remains busy and children need to manage several full sightseeing days.

It is less suited to someone who wants long, flexible visits at every site. The hutong tour is only 30 minutes, the Muslim Quarter stop is 30 minutes, and the Summer Palace gets an hour. You can ask about adjustments, but the stated schedule is built to cover many highlights in a short time.

Expect to walk. The tour specifies a moderate fitness level, and the Great Wall day is the most physically demanding part, even with the option to take a cable car up. If a member of your group has specific dietary needs, provide them when booking; meals themselves are not included.

Confirmation is provided at booking. A child rate applies only when the child shares with two paying adults, and passport information is required for every participant. Cancellation terms are also worth checking before you commit: a full refund is available when you cancel at least six full days before the start, with partial or no refund closer to departure.

Should you book it?

Book this tour if you want Beijing’s imperial landmarks, Mutianyu and Xi’an’s Terracotta Warriors in one short, privately guided trip, and you value having the train and local transfers arranged. The strongest value is convenience across two cities, not an unusually slow or flexible pace.

Before paying, price your hotels and meals separately, confirm the train schedule and ask which guide will be assigned. If you want more time at the museum, the wall or Xi’an’s food quarter, consider a longer stay; if five days is what you have, this itinerary makes an efficient first visit.

FAQ

How long is the tour?

The tour lasts approximately five days, with sightseeing in Beijing and Xi’an and a train transfer between them.

Is the tour private?

Yes. It is a private tour, so only your group participates.

Is the train ticket included?

Yes. One one-way high-speed train ticket from Beijing to Xi’an is included.

How long does the train journey take?

The trip takes about five hours, covering 756 miles (1,216 kilometers).

Are hotel stays included?

No. Accommodation in Beijing and Xi’an is not included.

Are meals included?

No. Lunch and dinner are excluded. Bottled water is included.

What is included in the tour price?

The price includes a professional guide, hotel pickup and drop-off, private transfers, admission fees, bottled water and the one-way train ticket from Beijing to Xi’an.

How much time is scheduled at the Great Wall?

The Mutianyu visit is scheduled for about five hours. You can hike up or take a cable car up and walk along the wall.

What fitness level is required?

A moderate physical fitness level is recommended.

What passport information is needed when booking?

You must provide each participant’s passport name, number, expiry date and country.