The classic Xi'an day has a strict order: warriors first, wall second, food last. The army pits are 40 km east — go at opening and you see them before the coach waves arrive; come back for the wall when the heat (or the crowd) softens.
The day, hour by hour
| Time | Stop | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 07:30 | Bus 306 (tourist 5) or car east from the rail station | Go early; the pits fill from 10:00 |
| 08:30 | Terracotta Army — Pit 1 first | Timed tickets, book ahead; guides at the door are worth it |
| 11:30 | Pits 3 and 2, then the museum bronze section | Smaller, quieter, better preserved faces |
| 13:00 | Return to the city, late lunch | Yangrou paomo near the Bell Tower |
| 15:30 | City wall — rent a bike at the South Gate | Full loop is 14 km, about 100 minutes |
| 18:30 | Muslim Quarter dinner | Beilin side streets beat the main drag |
Trade-offs
You skip Shaanxi History Museum — it deserves its own half day and its own reservation. If you only ride half the wall, drop at any gate and walk into the old town; the bike is rented and returned at the same counter, so plan the loop if you want it.
Where it breaks
Museum closures on certain weekdays, summer heat on the wall (start the ride by 16:00 in July), and the classic mistake — arriving at the pits at noon. Everything here is fixable by starting the day 90 minutes earlier.
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