💰 This page covers the street-level details of spending money in Xi'an: the Terracotta Warriors ticket and transport, guides, the city wall, the Muslim Quarter, paying by app, and which machines to use. For China-wide ATM tips, DCC warnings, tipping norms, and exchange rate advice:
Read the China Money Guide →🎧 Order Yuan Before You Fly
Land with some yuan for buses and the food stalls. Insured delivery, 2–5 days.
Order CNY → CEI Currency ExchangeDo You Need Cash in Xi'an?
Not much. Like the rest of urban China, Xi'an pays by Alipay and WeChat Pay, and both work with a linked foreign Visa or Mastercard. The sight tickets are booked online, the food stalls show a QR code, and Didi rides are paid in the app. Carry ¥200 to 300 in small notes as a backup; since February 2026, vendors must accept cash, though change can be slow. The China money guide covers setting up the apps.
When the 3 Percent Kicks In
Almost nothing in Xi'an costs more than ¥200 at a time, which is the line where Alipay and WeChat Pay start adding 3 percent to a foreign card payment, on the whole amount. The exceptions are a hotel night, a private driver to the warriors and a souvenir from the factory shops. Pay those on the merchant's own card terminal, or in cash.
The Terracotta Warriors: Ticket, Bus and Guides
One ticket, by passport. The site's official name is the Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum, and one ticket of ¥120 covers the three pits of warriors, the exhibition hall, the Lishan Garden burial mound site nearby, and the shuttle bus between them. Tickets are electronic and in your real name: book online in advance with your passport number, and bring the passport, which is scanned at the turnstile.
The bus, and the fake bus. The cheap and simple way out is the public tourist bus line 5, also numbered 306, from the east square of Xi'an railway station. The fare is a few yuan and the ride about an hour. The station square is also where touts steer visitors onto other coaches with "tourist" signs that stop at jade and lacquer factories on the way. Walk to the official stop. A Didi ride costs roughly ¥100 to 150 each way.
Guides. English signage at the pits is thin, so a guide adds a lot. Licensed guides wait near the entrance; agree the fee and the length of the tour first and pay at the end. An audio guide is the cheaper alternative.
The souvenir hall. On the way out you pass a large shopping hall where a farmer said to have found the warriors in 1974 has, at times, signed books. Prices are high and negotiable; replicas are cheaper in town.
Cycling the City Wall
The best-preserved city wall in China runs about 14 kilometres around the old centre, 12 metres high and wide enough to cycle. The wall ticket costs about ¥54, booked online or at the gates, of which the South Gate (Yongning Gate) is the main one.
Bike rental. Bikes are rented on top of the wall at several gates: roughly ¥45 for a single or ¥90 for a tandem for three hours, with a deposit that is returned when you bring the bike back to any rental point. A full circuit takes 1.5 to 2 hours, on uneven stone. Late afternoon, when the lanterns come on, is the best time.
The Muslim Quarter: What Food Costs
Hui cooking. The streets north-west of the Drum Tower are home to Xi'an's Hui Muslim community, and the food is the reason most visitors come: roujiamo (here made with beef or lamb; there is no pork in the quarter), yangrou paomo, flatbread crumbled into mutton soup, biangbiang belt noodles, persimmon cakes and lamb skewers.
Prices. Most snacks cost ¥5 to 30, and a bowl of paomo or noodles ¥20 to 40 in the well-known shops. Main Beiyuanmen Street is the busiest and most touristy; the side lanes such as Sajinqiao are where locals eat, and are cheaper.
Paying. Every stall has a QR code. Payments this small never reach ¥200, so a linked foreign card pays with no Alipay fee. Agree the price of dried fruit and nuts sold by weight before the vendor bags them.
Getting Around Xi'an
Metro. Xi'an's metro links the railway station, the Bell Tower, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda and Xianyang airport. Fares are a few yuan; pay with the transit QR code in Alipay.
From the airport. Xianyang International Airport is about 40 kilometres north-west of the city. Metro line 14 connects it to the city network for a few yuan; a taxi costs roughly ¥120 to 160.
Didi and taxis. Both are cheap and take app payment. Short rides inside the wall cost ¥10 to 25.
ATMs in Xi'an
Look for these logos. Machines at these two banks, and at China Construction Bank, accept foreign cards around the Bell Tower.
Bank of China
ICBCATM Locations
Bank of China, ICBC and China Construction Bank branches around the Bell Tower, on Dong Dajie and Nan Dajie, near the railway station and in Xianyang airport arrivals. Bank of China caps a foreign-card withdrawal at ¥3,000 per transaction, and local fees of roughly ¥15 to 30 may apply. China Construction Bank is Bank of America's Global ATM Alliance partner in mainland China: BoA's $5 non-network fee is waived, but the 3% international transaction fee still applies.
Tipping in Xi'an
Not expected anywhere in daily life. Private guides at the Terracotta Warriors and drivers on a day tour appreciate ¥50 to 100 for a good day.
Prices in Xi'an
Xi'an is cheaper than Beijing or Shanghai, especially for food.
| Item | Price (CNY) | Price (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Roujiamo in the Muslim Quarter | ¥10–20 | $1.40–2.80 |
| Bowl of yangrou paomo | ¥25–40 | $3.50–5.60 |
| Biangbiang noodles | ¥15–30 | $2.10–4.20 |
| Terracotta Warriors ticket | ¥120 | $17 |
| Tourist bus line 5 to the warriors | a few yuan | under $1 |
| City wall ticket | ¥54 | $7.60 |
| Bike rental on the wall, 3 hours | ¥45 | $6.30 |
| Didi to the Terracotta Warriors | ¥100–150 | $14–21 |
| Taxi from Xianyang airport | ¥120–160 | $17–23 |
| Metro ride | ¥2–6 | $0.30–0.85 |
USD estimates use approximately ¥7.1 = $1. Rates fluctuate.
Xi'an Quick Reference
| Destination | Cards? | Cash Needed? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terracotta Warriors | ✅ Online, real name | ¥120 | Bring the passport |
| Bus to the warriors | App or cash | a few yuan | Line 5 from the station east square |
| City wall | ✅ Online or gate | ¥54 plus bike | Deposit for bikes |
| Muslim Quarter | ✅ QR codes | ¥5–40 a dish | Under ¥200, no Alipay fee |
| Guides at the pits | Cash or app | Agree first | Pay at the end |
| ATMs | BOC, ICBC, CCB | ¥3,000 per withdrawal at BOC | Choose yuan |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is the Terracotta Warriors ticket?
¥120 for the Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum, which covers the three pits of warriors, the exhibition hall, the Lishan Garden mausoleum site and the shuttle between them. It is an electronic, real-name ticket booked online with your passport number; the passport is checked at the gate. Off-season pricing may differ.
How do I get to the Terracotta Warriors from Xi'an?
Take the tourist bus, line 5 (also numbered 306), from the east square of Xi'an railway station; the fare is a few yuan, paid by app or in cash, and the ride takes about an hour. Ignore people at the station who direct you to other buses marked 'tourist': they stop at shops and charge more. Didi rides and private drivers cost more but save time.
Do I need a guide at the Terracotta Warriors?
Not required, but useful: the site has little English signage. Licensed guides offer their services at the entrance, and audio guides are available. Agree the price and the length of the tour before you start, and pay at the end.
How much does it cost to cycle the Xi'an city wall?
The city wall ticket costs about ¥54. Bikes are rented on top of the wall, roughly ¥45 for a single bike or ¥90 for a tandem for three hours, with a deposit. The full circuit is about 14 kilometres and takes 1.5 to 2 hours.
Do I need cash in the Muslim Quarter?
Not usually. Most stalls display Alipay and WeChat Pay QR codes, and dishes cost well under ¥200, so a linked foreign card pays without the 3 percent fee. Carry some small notes in case your app fails; under 2026 rules, vendors must accept cash.
Which ATMs work with foreign cards in Xi'an?
Bank of China, ICBC and China Construction Bank machines around the Bell Tower, on Dong Dajie and at Xianyang airport. Bank of China caps a foreign-card withdrawal at ¥3,000 per transaction. China Construction Bank is Bank of America's alliance partner in mainland China: the 5 dollar BoA fee is waived, the 3 percent still applies.
Pay Smart in Xi'an
Link a Wise card to Alipay for the Muslim Quarter stalls and the metro QR code, and use it at a Bank of China machine by the Bell Tower when you need notes, all at the mid-market rate.
Get the Wise Card →Hero photo: the city wall of Xi'an, by xiquinhosilva, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.