Common Mistakes in Xi'an — 12 Things Foreign Visitors Get Wrong

The Mistakes That Actually Matter

I've watched friends and visitors make the same mistakes in Xi'an for over a decade. Some cost time, some cost money, and some just make the experience worse than it needs to be. Here are the ones that actually matter:

1. **Showing up at the Shaanxi History Museum without a reservation.** You will not get in. Book online at least 3-5 days ahead. As a foreigner, you often have to book through WeChat mini-programs which can be tricky—ask your hotel to help you book it the moment you check in, or use Trip.com.

2. **Going to the Terracotta Warriors at 10 AM on a weekend.** You'll see more selfie sticks than terracotta soldiers. Arrive at 8:15 AM, be through the gate at 8:30, and you'll get 45-60 minutes of relative calm before the tour bus crowds arrive.

3. **Expecting Western etiquette in crowds.** Queuing in China is more of a "forward momentum" concept. People will stand very close to you, and gentle pushing in crowded areas is normal and not considered rude. Hold your ground firmly but politely.

4. **Trying to tip.** Tipping is not part of Chinese culture and can actually cause confusion or offense. The price on the bill is the final price. This applies to restaurants, taxis, and hotels.

5. **Underestimating how far the Terracotta Warriors are.** They're 40km east. It's a half-day trip minimum. Don't try to squeeze it into a tight 2-hour window.

More Mistakes Worth Avoiding

6. **Assuming you can just use Google Translate.** Google Translate requires a VPN to work in China unless you download the offline Chinese pack beforehand. Do this before your flight! Alternatively, download Baidu Translate or Apple Translate.

7. **Drinking tap water.** Do not drink the tap water in China, not even in luxury hotels. It needs to be boiled first. Hotels provide complimentary bottled water—use it even for brushing your teeth if you have a sensitive stomach.

8. **Only eating on the main Muslim Quarter street (Beiyuanmen).** It's the tourist strip. The food is fine but overpriced. Walk 2 minutes onto Dapiyuan (大皮院) or Sajinqiao (洒金桥) for significantly better food at local prices.

9. **Not carrying a physical passport.** In China, your passport is your golden ticket. You need it to buy train tickets, enter major museums, and check into hotels. A photocopy won't work for official entry gates.

10. **Not setting up Alipay/WeChat Pay.** Cash is still legally required to be accepted, but it's highly inconvenient. Vendors often don't have change. Link your Visa/Mastercard to Alipay before arriving.

Pre-Trip Mistakes (Fix These Before You Fly)

Several mistakes happen before you even board the plane. Fix these and your trip starts smoother:

Booking flights to the wrong airport. Xi'an has two airports — Xi'an Xianyang International (XIY) is the main one, 40km northwest of the city. But budget airlines sometimes advertise "Xi'an" flights that actually land at smaller regional airports hours away. Double-check the airport code on your booking. XIY is what you want.

Not checking visa requirements. China's visa policies change frequently. As of 2025, many nationalities qualify for the 144-hour transit visa-free policy if entering through Xi'an and continuing to a third country. But the rules are specific — you must have an onward ticket to a different country, and you can't leave the approved area. Check the latest policy for your passport before booking. A visa-on-arrival is NOT available in Xi'an for most nationalities.

Not downloading offline maps and translation before arriving. Google Maps works poorly in China even with a VPN — the map data is outdated. Download Baidu Maps or Apple Maps (Apple Maps uses local data in China and works well) and save Xi'an offline. Same goes for translation: Google Translate's Chinese offline pack must be downloaded before you lose access to Google services.

Not bringing your physical passport. I already mentioned this above, but it bears repeating in the pre-trip section because forgetting your passport isn't something you fix at the destination. No passport = no hotel check-in, no train tickets, no museum entry. Make a "passport, wallet, phone" check part of your pre-departure routine.

Assuming hotel booking sites work the same. Booking.com shows largely unavailable in China — many hotels listed there can't actually host foreigners or don't honor the booking. Use Trip.com (formerly Ctrip) for China hotel bookings. It shows which hotels accept foreign guests (look for "accepts foreign guests" or "可接待外宾" in the listing). Smaller hotels and hostels may refuse you even with a booking if they're not licensed for foreign guests.