Xi'an Day Trips: Mount Hua, Famen Temple and the Imperial Tombs

If you have one spare day in Xi'an and you are reasonably fit, spend it on Mount Hua (华山, Huàshān). The high-speed train from Xi'an North takes about half an hour, the two cable cars take care of the worst of the climb, and the walk between the peaks is the most memorable day you can have outside the city. If you would rather look at history than climb stairs, Hanyangling (汉阳陵, Hànyánglíng), a Han-dynasty imperial tomb near the airport, is the easiest half day. Famen Temple (法门寺, Fǎmén Sì) and the Tang-dynasty tomb of Qianling (乾陵, Qiánlíng), both west of the city, are each worth a day, but you can only see both in one day with a car or a tour. The Terracotta Army is not on this list because it is already the standard day outside the city. Below: how to choose, then how each trip works in practice, including what to book ahead, what the tickets cost, how to get there and how long it really takes.

How to choose a day trip from Xi'an

Pick by the kind of day you want, not by which name you have heard most often. Here is how the four options sort out:

• A real mountain and a hard, memorable day: Mount Hua, east of Xi'an. It is the easiest of the four to reach by public transport, because dozens of high-speed trains run each day from Xi'an North to Huashan North. Even with cable cars it is a day of steep stone stairs, so it suits people who are happy to walk for five or six hours.
• Buddhist history and Tang-dynasty treasures: Famen Temple, about 110 km west of Xi'an by road. The temple became famous when a sealed crypt full of Tang treasures and a finger-bone relic of the Buddha was opened in 1987. Since 20 April 2026 the old temple and the paid scenic area around it have been run separately, which changes what one ticket gets you.
• A Tang imperial tomb in open country: Qianling, the tomb of Emperor Gaozong and Wu Zetian (武则天, Wǔ Zétiān), the only woman who ruled China as emperor in her own name. You walk up a long avenue of stone statues toward a hill that has never been dug open. The site is big and spread out, and public transport works but is slow.
• The easiest half day, mostly indoors: Hanyangling, where you walk on glass floors above the burial pits of a Han emperor and look down at rows of small clay figures. It is close to the airport, so it fits on an arrival or departure day.
• Famen and Qianling on the same day: only with a hired car or a group tour. By public transport, each one is a day on its own.

This table compares the trips on effort and logistics:

Our advice for the common situations: with one spare day and normal fitness, go to Mount Hua. If you are not keen on stairs or you are scared of heights, do Hanyangling in the morning and spend the afternoon back in the city. If you have two spare days and like history, do Mount Hua on one day and Famen plus Qianling with a driver on the other. If you are travelling with older relatives or small children, Hanyangling is the safe choice, and Qianling by car is the next one.

Tickets, opening hours and booking rules for all four places are in the table below; the sections after it explain how each ticket works and how to plan the day.

What about the Terracotta Army?

The Terracotta Army and Huaqing Palace (华清宫, Huáqīng Gōng) at the foot of Mount Li in Lintong are already a full day outside the city, and almost everyone does them. Take Metro Line 9 to Huaqingchi Station, a few minutes' walk from Huaqing Palace. For the Terracotta Army, change there to Lintong Tourist Bus 613 or Lintong bus 602 from the Huaqingchi bus stop. Since 29 August 2026, Tourist Bus 5 (route 306) has started at Xi'an East Station, not at the main railway station as many older guides still say. Tickets, timing and the bus connection to the warriors are covered in our Xi'an travel guide, and the 2-day Xi'an itinerary shows how that day fits with the city sights. Mount Hua lies further east in the same direction, so if you want two days outside the city, put the Terracotta Army and Mount Hua on consecutive days, or stay a night near Mount Hua after the warriors.

Mount Hua: the best day trip, and the hardest

Mount Hua is one of China's five sacred mountains: a block of granite with five main peaks (North, East, South, West and Central) linked by stone stairways cut into the rock, with iron chains to hold on to. Two cable cars bring you up to the ridges, so you do not have to climb from the bottom. But once you are up there, every path between peaks is steep stairs, up and down. Expect sore legs the next day.

Book before you go: there is no ticket window

Mount Hua uses real-name, timed booking, and there is no ordinary ticket window at the site, only a window for checking special ticket types, so do not travel there without a booking. The entry ticket, the cable car and the shuttle bus inside the scenic area are three separate tickets, and you book or buy each one for the route you plan to take. If you do not use an entry ticket, you can apply for a refund yourself. These rules come from the scenic area's announcement, which the Shaanxi Daily published in full (in Chinese).

Booking goes through the scenic area's official channels and its authorised ticket platforms; before you rely on one, check that its booking form accepts a foreign passport number. If you get stuck, ask your hotel's front desk to help with the booking, or buy a package that includes the entry ticket. Book your entry time to match the train you plan to take.

The entry ticket for the main peak area costs 160 yuan for an adult in the main season, March to November. From 1 December to the end of February it costs 100 yuan. Cable cars and shuttle buses are extra, as explained below. For booking questions the scenic area lists +86 913 837 6888 and +86 913 837 5999, and its rescue line is +86 913 436 5088. Save the rescue number in your phone before you start walking.

Getting there from Xi'an

High-speed trains run from Xi'an North Station (西安北站, Xī'ān Běi Zhàn) to Huashan North Station (华山北站, Huàshān Běi Zhàn). There are dozens of trains a day; on a sample day in September they ran from about 07:46 to about 22:08, taking 28 to 41 minutes, with second-class seats mostly around 54 to 60 yuan; check the live timetable when you book. Coming back, the last train from Huashan North left at about 22:26 that day. You will not get stranded if you miss an afternoon train, but on weekends the early-evening trains back to Xi'an are the first to sell out.

Slower trains also run from Xi'an Railway Station to Huashan Station (华山站, Huàshān Zhàn), which is a different station from Huashan North, and take about an hour and a half. Use them only if the high-speed trains are full.

Huashan North Station is not at the mountain. Free local buses, Huayin No. 1 and No. 2, run from outside the station to the Huashan Visitor Centre (华山游客中心, Huàshān Yóukè Zhōngxīn) in about 30 minutes, currently from about 07:00 until around 19:00; check the time of the last bus at the stop when you arrive. Taxis also wait outside the station. The visitor centre is where the shuttle buses to both cable cars start.

The two cable cars

The two cable cars start in different valleys, so you first take a shuttle bus from the visitor centre to the valley you need. Decide your route before you book, because the shuttle buses and cable cars are bought separately.

• North Peak cable car (北峰索道, Běifēng Suǒdào): currently 80 yuan one way from March to November and 45 yuan from December to February, and the ride takes 5 to 8 minutes; to reach it you take the Huangfuyu (黄甫峪, Huángfǔyù) shuttle bus, currently 20 yuan one way or 40 yuan return, about 20 minutes — check prices when you book. It drops you just below North Peak, the lowest of the main peaks.
• West Peak cable car (西峰索道, Xīfēng Suǒdào, also called the Taihua cable car): 140 yuan one way in the main season and 120 yuan in winter; before it you take the Wengyu (瓮峪, Wèngyù) shuttle bus, 40 yuan one way and about 30 minutes. It is a much longer ride that lands right next to West Peak, high on the mountain.

On the West Peak cable car, visitors over 60 get 20% off, children under 1.2 m ride free and children between 1.2 and 1.5 m pay half; check at the counter whether the senior discount applies with a foreign passport.

In recent summer notices the cable cars started at 07:00, the last ride up was as early as 16:00, rides down ran until 19:00 and the shuttle buses kept the same hours; these times change with the season, the weather and the crowds, so check the current notice before you plan. From December to February the cable cars run 08:00 to 18:00, and the visitor-centre entrance is open 08:00 to 16:00.

The time that matters most is the last ride up. If you reach the cable car after it, you cannot go up by cable car that day. Find that time in the current notice, then plan the rest of your day back from it.

The usual combination is up by the North Peak cable car, down by the West Peak cable car. You start low and cheap, walk across the whole mountain, and ride the long line down at the far end, so you never walk the same path twice. It costs more than a return on one line, but it is the best way to see the mountain in one day. If you want the least possible walking, go up and down on the West Peak cable car and visit only West Peak and South Peak. On weekends and holidays the queue for the West Peak cable car down can be long in the late afternoon, so leave yourself time.

The route across the peaks

From the top of the North Peak cable car, a short climb brings you to North Peak (北峰, Běifēng). From there the path climbs along Blue Dragon Ridge (苍龙岭, Cānglóng Lǐng), a stairway cut along the top of a narrow ridge, with railings and chains on both sides. At the top of the ridge is Golden Lock Pass (金锁关, Jīnsuǒ Guān), where railings are covered in padlocks that couples leave behind. Past it, the paths split to East Peak (东峰, Dōngfēng), where people watch the sunrise, South Peak (南峰, Nánfēng), the highest, and West Peak (西峰, Xīfēng), with the top station of the West Peak cable car. Central Peak sits between them and is easy to pass through.

Covering North, East, South and West peaks in one day is a lot of climbing. Plan for at least five hours of walking with stops, more if you are slow on stairs or the paths are crowded. If you are tired at Golden Lock Pass, skip East Peak, go straight to South and West peaks, and take the cable car down from there.

You can also climb from the bottom. The walking trail starts at Huashan Gate (华山门, Huàshān Mén), which is open 24 hours, but you still have to enter in the time slot you booked. It is a long, steep climb that takes most of a morning just to reach North Peak, so on a day trip from Xi'an it only makes sense if climbing is the point of your trip.

The frightening parts: which ones you have to do

Pictures of Mount Hua usually show people on planks bolted to a cliff. That part is optional. Here is what is unavoidable and what you can choose:

• Unavoidable if you walk between peaks: long, steep stone stairs with chains, and Blue Dragon Ridge. The paths are wide enough for two people to pass, with railings, and most people who are not afraid of heights find them tiring rather than scary. If heights make you freeze, the West Peak cable car up and down with a short walk at the top is the gentle version.
• Optional: the Plank Walk in the Sky (长空栈道, Chángkōng Zhàndào) near South Peak, where you walk on narrow wooden boards fixed to a vertical cliff while clipped to a safety cable. It has its own queue and its own fee, so check the price at the entrance to it.
• Optional: Harrier Turning Over (鹞子翻身, Yàozi Fānshēn) near East Peak, where you climb down a rock face on chains and footholds.

In thunderstorms, strong wind and other extreme weather, the scenic area may stop the cable cars, close walking routes, and shut the Plank Walk and Harrier Turning Over. Both have been closed since 15 September 2026 for maintenance and safety upgrades, with no reopening date announced, so check before you go. The whole mountain is a high fire-risk area, and smoking or lighting fires is banned everywhere. Wear shoes with good grip, and carry water and a warm, windproof layer even in summer, because the top is colder and windier than Xi'an.

Same day, overnight, or a night hike

Same day: this works if you start early. A realistic plan: take a train that reaches Huashan North around 08:30, take the bus to the visitor centre, take the shuttle bus to the North Peak cable car, and be at North Peak by late morning. Walk the peaks through the afternoon, take the West Peak cable car down around 17:00, take the shuttle bus back to the visitor centre, then take the bus or a taxi to the station and an evening train back to Xi'an. The free Huayin buses stop around 19:00, so if you come down late, take a taxi to Huashan North. Book the return train before you go, and pick one with a little slack in case the cable car queue is long. If you get back to Xi'an North late, check our Xi'an metro last trains page for the last metro into the city.

Overnight near the mountain: staying in Huayin (华阴, Huàyīn), the town at the foot of the mountain near the visitor centre, lets you start at opening time without an early train, and it is the easiest way to combine Mount Hua with the Terracotta Army the day before. You can compare hotels near the visitor centre on Booking.com. There are also simple guesthouses near the peaks, used mostly by people who want the sunrise; rooms are basic, and you should book ahead for weekends.

Night hike: many Chinese students climb from Huashan Gate in the dark to reach East Peak for sunrise, then take a cable car down. The trail is open for it, but the scenic area asks night hikers to go in groups with enough lights and warm and waterproof clothes, and it advises older people, children and teenagers, pregnant women and anyone with heart, lung, or bone and joint problems not to climb at night. Our view for a first visit: do it only if you are fit, are with people you trust, and accept that you will see little on the way up. The top is cold before dawn in every season. Most visitors get more out of a daytime walk by cable car.

Famen Temple: Buddhist relics and Tang treasures

Famen Temple is in Fufeng County (扶风, Fúfēng), west of Xi'an. In 1987, when the old brick pagoda was being rebuilt after it had partly collapsed, workers found a sealed underground chamber (地宫, dìgōng, "underground palace") that had been closed since the Tang dynasty. Inside were gold and silver objects, glass, silk, a complete imperial tea set and a finger-bone relic of the Buddha. Those Tang objects are now in the Famen Temple Museum, and they are the strongest reason to make the trip.

What changed in April 2026: temple and scenic area are separate

Most guides still describe one ticket for "three sights". That is out of date. Since 20 April 2026, the Famen Cultural Scenic Area (法门文化景区, Fǎmén Wénhuà Jǐngqū) has been separate from the old temple: the scenic-area ticket covers the Namaste Dagoba (合十舍利塔, Héshí Shèlì Tǎ) and the Famen Temple Museum (法门寺博物馆, also called the Treasure Hall, 珍宝馆), while the old temple is no longer part of the ticketed area.

• The old temple is free. The religious area, with the old monastery and the Pagoda of the True Relic (真身宝塔, Zhēnshēn Bǎotǎ), is open free of charge, and Chinese visitors enter by scanning their ID card; with a passport, go to the staffed entrance and check there how foreign visitors are admitted.
• The relic is not on daily display. The finger relic is no longer shown in the ground-floor hall of the Namaste Dagoba; from October 2026 the temple holds public viewings every May and October, so check the temple's announcement for the dates if seeing it matters to you.
• Entrances: you enter under your real name through the scenic area's south gate or the museum's east gate. Carry your passport.

Tickets and opening hours

The scenic-area ticket costs 78 yuan from 1 March to 30 November and 58 yuan from December to February, and the shuttle cart inside costs 20 yuan return or 10 yuan one way; these prices took effect on 20 April 2026, so check them at the gate. The museum is open 08:00 to 18:00 in summer and 09:30 to 16:30 in winter, while the scenic area as a whole is open 08:30 to 17:00. Plan around 08:30 to 17:00, and confirm the museum is open on the day you go before you set off.

What to see, and in what order

Go to the museum first, while you are fresh. The Tang gold and silver, the tea set and the glass are the reason the place is famous, and the labels give you the story of the crypt. Then take the shuttle cart or walk along the long ceremonial avenue to the Namaste Dagoba, a huge modern building shaped like two hands pressed together in prayer. People are split on it: some find it impressive, some find it too big and too new. Finish at the old temple, which is quieter and has the rebuilt brick pagoda over the crypt itself. Three to four hours covers all three without rushing.

Getting there

A direct bus runs from Xi'an's Chengxi Bus Station (城西客运站, Chéngxī Kèyùnzhàn) to the scenic-area gate, about 110 km; buses leave Xi'an at 09:00, 11:40, 16:30 and 17:00, the fare is a little over 30 yuan, and buses back leave Famen at 05:30, 08:30, 13:30 and 14:30. Timetables can change with the season, so confirm the times at the bus station the day before.

Look at what that timetable means: the last bus back leaves at 14:30. If you take the 09:00 bus, you get only a few hours at the site, enough for the museum and the Dagoba if you move steadily, but not for a relaxed visit. If you miss the last bus, your only way back is a long taxi or DiDi ride, and cars willing to make that trip can be hard to find in Fufeng. For most visitors a hired car or a tour is the more practical choice, and it also lets you add Qianling on the same day.

The imperial tombs: Hanyangling and Qianling

The plain north-west of Xi'an is covered with the burial mounds of Han and Tang emperors. Two of them are set up for visitors and worth a trip: Hanyangling, an easy half day with the best museum displays, and Qianling, a big outdoor site with the most impressive approach.

Hanyangling: the easiest half day

Hanyangling is the tomb of Emperor Jing of Han (汉景帝, Hàn Jǐngdì) and his empress. Its official name is the Han Yangling Museum (汉景帝阳陵博物院). The highlight is the underground museum built over the pits next to the emperor's mound. You walk on glass floors and look down into the trenches at rows of small clay figures of people and animals, much smaller than the Terracotta Army. They were once dressed in silk and had wooden arms, which have rotted away. It is quieter than the Terracotta Army, and many people find it more interesting because it shows daily life at court rather than an army.

The museum is open every day of the year, and the open areas include the Archaeological Exhibition Hall, the underground museum, the walking path around the emperor's mound and the South Gate ruins. From March to November, tickets are sold from 08:30 to 17:00 and the site stays open until 18:30; from December to February, tickets are sold from 08:30 to 16:30 and it closes at 18:00. Adults pay 70 yuan from March to November and 55 yuan from December to February. Free entry for over-65s is tied to Chinese ID, so check at the ticket desk before counting on it with a foreign passport.

Tickets are sold online under your real name, through the WeChat official accounts 汉景帝阳陵博物院 and 汉阳陵国家考古遗址公园 or on Ctrip and Meituan, and you enter with your ID and the booking QR code. Check that the form you use accepts a passport before you travel out there. The museum recommends the Airport Road entrance. Its visitor notices page (in Chinese) has the current hours and booking channels.

An English-speaking guide is currently listed at 100 yuan per group, charged separately for the exhibition hall and the underground museum, and an audio guide costs 20 yuan with a 100-yuan deposit; check the current price at the counter. The museum's phone numbers are +86 29 6265 7530 and +86 29 6265 7569.

Getting there. The museum is on the east section of the airport expressway. On weekends and public holidays, a shuttle bus has been running between the Xi'an Administrative Center (行政中心, Xíngzhèng Zhōngxīn) bus stop and the museum, leaving at 10:20 and 13:30 and returning at 12:30 and 15:40 to exit A3 of the Administrative Center metro station, with tickets bought on Meituan, Ctrip or Douyin or by scanning a code; check that it is still running before you plan around it. The Administrative Center is a stop on Metro Lines 2 and 4, and you can plan the ride with our Xi'an metro map. On weekdays there is no shuttle, and the museum itself recommends coming by car via the airport expressway, so take a taxi or a DiDi; our DiDi guide explains how to use it with a foreign phone number and card.

Because it sits beside the airport road, Hanyangling works well on the way to or from a flight. Allow two to three hours on site. If you have luggage, ask the museum in advance whether you can leave it there.

Qianling: a Tang tomb on an open hillside

Qianling is the joint tomb of Emperor Gaozong of Tang and Empress Wu Zetian, built into a natural hill. The main tomb has never been excavated, so you cannot go inside it. What you visit is the approach: the Spirit Way (神道, Shéndào), a long avenue climbing toward the hill, lined with stone horses, winged horses, ostriches and officials. Near the top stand two large tablets: one praises Gaozong, and the other is the Wordless Stele (无字碑, Wúzì Bēi), the tablet for Wu Zetian, which was left without an inscription. Nearby is a group of stone statues of foreign envoys, most of them missing their heads. The view back down the avenue across the plain is the best part.

The tombs you can go into are the smaller tombs of the royal family nearby. The ticket includes the main mausoleum, the tombs of Prince Yide and Prince Zhanghuai, the Qianling Museum at the tomb of Princess Yongtai, and a replica Tang underground palace. In the princes' and princess's tombs you walk down a sloping passage into the burial chamber, with Tang wall paintings along the way. The replica underground palace is a modern reconstruction, not a real tomb.

• Tickets: 100 yuan from March to the end of November, and 80 yuan from December to February. The rules list free entry for people over 65 and young children with ID; check at the window whether that applies with a foreign passport.
• Booking: booking ahead is recommended through the official website or the WeChat account 陕西乾陵景区, and you can also buy at the window with your ID.
• Hours: 08:00 to 18:00 in the main season and 08:30 to 17:30 in winter.
• Getting around inside: the main tomb and the smaller tombs are spread out, and the scenic-area shuttle costs 20 yuan per person, running 08:00 to 19:00 from March to November and 08:30 to 18:30 in winter.

Getting there. The scenic area's own transport advice is to take a high-speed train from Xi'an North to Qianxian Station (乾县站, Qiánxiàn Zhàn) and then local bus No. 1 or No. 2 to the visitor centre, or to take the expressway bus from Chengxi Bus Station to Qianxian Bus Station and change to local bus No. 2; in both cases a taxi also works for the last part. Check train times to Qianxian on 12306 the day before you go. The Qianling Scenic Area's official transport page (in Chinese) has the route details.

By public transport, Qianling takes the whole day, with most of it spent getting there and moving between the tombs. With a car you can see the Spirit Way and one or two of the smaller tombs in about three hours, which leaves time for Famen Temple on the same day.

Maoling and Zhaoling

Maoling (茂陵), the tomb of Emperor Wu of Han, and Zhaoling (昭陵), the tomb of Emperor Taizong of Tang, are the other big imperial tombs in the area. They are worth adding only if you have a car and a strong interest in the dynasties. For a first visit, Hanyangling and Qianling show you more.

Go on your own, take a tour, or hire a car?

The answer depends on where you are going:

• Mount Hua: go on your own. The train is fast and frequent, and the free bus from the station is simple. A tour only helps if you cannot complete the timed booking with your passport, or if you want someone else to deal with the cable car and shuttle bus tickets.
• Hanyangling: go on your own. A DiDi or taxi on weekdays and the shuttle bus on weekends cover it.
• Famen Temple or Qianling, one per day: possible on your own. You need the bus timetables above, an early start and some patience with local buses.
• Famen Temple and Qianling on the same day: hire a car or join a tour. By public transport you cannot fit both into one day.

Older guides mention tourist bus lines to the western sites that leave from the railway station square. Plan with the long-distance buses described above, or a car.

Hiring a car with a driver. Your hotel's front desk can usually arrange a driver for the day. Ask for one price for the whole trip, including fuel, tolls, parking and waiting time, and get it confirmed in writing (a message on WeChat is fine) before you set off. Prices depend on the car and the route, so get two quotes. The driver will not guide you inside the sites, so add an audio guide or a site guide if you want the history explained.

Group tours. Day tours from Xi'an that combine Famen Temple and Qianling, or Mount Hua with transport and tickets included, are listed on Klook. Before you book one, check three things in the listing: whether entry tickets, cable cars and shuttle buses are included, whether the guide speaks English, and how long you actually get at each site. A cheap tour that spends an hour in a shop is not a good deal.

Train tickets for day trips: stations, passports and timing

Most day trips by train leave from Xi'an North Station, which is the station for high-speed trains to Huashan North and to Qianxian. Xi'an Railway Station, just outside the north city wall, has the slower trains to Huashan Station. A third big station, Xi'an East (西安东站, Xī'ān Dōng Zhàn), opened on 30 June 2026; it mainly handles trains heading south and west plus conventional trains, and it connects to Metro Line 5. Xi'an now has three large stations, so always check which one is printed on your ticket.

The rules you need for a day trip:

• Buying with a passport: the official 12306 website and app accept a foreign passport as ID. Our guide to booking China train tickets with a foreign passport walks through 12306 and the alternatives. If you prefer an English app that takes foreign cards, you can also book through Trip.com.
• At the station: passport holders go through the staffed lane to have their ticket and ID checked, not the automatic gates. Allow extra time for that queue, especially at Xi'an North in the morning. Our guide to getting through a Chinese train station shows what to expect.
• How far ahead: tickets go on sale 15 days before departure, counting the day of travel. For Mount Hua on an ordinary weekday, a day or two ahead is usually enough.
• Buy the return first on weekends and holidays. Trains out of Xi'an in the morning are rarely the problem. The evening trains back are, because everyone returns at the same time. Book the return together with the outbound ticket.

FAQ

In short: with one spare day, take the train to Mount Hua: book the timed entry before you go, ride the North Peak cable car up and the West Peak cable car down, and plan the day back from the last cable car up in the current notice. With half a day or low energy, go to Hanyangling, ideally on the way to or from the airport. For Famen Temple, remember the April 2026 changes: the old temple is free, the scenic-area ticket covers the museum and the Namaste Dagoba, and the relic is shown only in May and October. For Famen plus Qianling, hire a car. Book your train tickets with your passport, and on weekends buy the return first. If Xi'an is one stop on a longer trip, see our Beijing–Xi'an–Shanghai route or continue west on the Silk Road from Xi'an to Dunhuang.

Last updated: October 2026