As the starting point of the ancient Silk Road, Xian is the capital of the Shaanxi Province in Northwest China. Today, it is one of the major transport conjunctions in China, serving as the transportation hub and gateway that links the Northwest with the Southwest, Central, East, and North. The city has an extensive and convenient transportation network that includes travel by air, rail, and highway, connecting Xi’an with other parts of China.
By Air
Xian Xianyang Airport is a major trunk airport, international regular flight airport, and one of the top ten airports in China. It has two runways (3000 x 45 meters and 3800 x 60 meters) and is also one of the eight hub airports planned by the Civil Aviation Administration of China. The airport is located in Dizhang Town, Xianyang City, Shaanxi Province, northwest of Xi'an City. It is 47 kilometers away from the center of Xi'an City and 13 kilometers away from Xianyang City. The airport currently has 100 navigation points and 202 air routes.
Xian Xianyang International Airport, airport code:XIY, is the largest air transportation hub in Northwest China, serving more than 18 million passengers in 2010 alone. Currently, about 20 airlines operate at the airport, providing a total of over 150 routes. Flights are available to the major cities in China, including Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Lhasa, Chongqing, Harbin, Hangzhou, Kunming, Lanzhou, Wuhan, and Guilin. International flights are also available to Hong Kong and Macau, Bangkok, Singapore, Seoul, Incheon, Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya.
Xian Xianyang International Airport is located about 45 kilometers northwest of Xi’an’s city center. A taxi ride between the airport and city center takes about 1 hour and costs about 100 yuan. Note that there is a road fee of 10 yuan for use of the airport expressway, which is not shown on the taxi meter. As such, when traveling to or from the airport, expect to pay an additional 10 yuan besides the fare shown on the meter.
Address: Xi'an Xianyang International Airport, Weicheng District, Xianyang City, Shaanxi Province
Tel: (86) -029-96788
Website: http://www.xxia.com/
72-Hour Visa-Free Transit
From Jun. 1 2014, Xian implements the 72-Hour Visa-Free Policy to facilitate passport holders of 51 countries and regions to enjoy a visa-free stay up to 72 hours when taking an international transfer via Xianyang Airport.
By Train
The train transportation in Xi'an is very convenient, with multiple routes leading to major cities across the country. There are railway stations in Xi'an, including Xi'an Station, Xi'an North Station, and Xi'an South Station. Among them, Xi'an Station undertakes most of the high-speed train services, Xi'an North Station undertakes high-speed train services, and Xi'an South Station has fewer train services.
Xi'an Railway Station: Located in the old urban area of Xi'an, after getting off from Xi'an Station, the entrance to the station is the ancient Xi'an City Wall.
Xi'an North Railway Station: Located in the northern part of Xi'an urban area, it is the central hub station of Xulan Passenger Dedicated Line, Xicheng Passenger Dedicated Line, Daxi Passenger Dedicated Line, Xiyin Passenger Dedicated Line, and Guanzhong Intercity Railway Network. Most high-speed trains and intercity trains stop here.
Xi'an South Railway Station: 30 kilometers away from the main urban area of Xi'an, with a total of 3 stations and 7 lines.
Xian is an important rail transportation hub, linking North, East, and Central China with Southwest and Northwest China. Longhai Railway (Lianyungang to Lanzhou) runs through the city.
Its railway network extends to all directions of the country, with trains to and from many large and medium cities in China such as Beijing (12-15 hours), Shanghai (14-16 hours), Zhengzhou (2-3 hours), Chengdu (13-16 hours), Xining (10-12 hours), Lanzhou (8-9 hours), Lhasa (34 hours), Luoyang (2 hours), Urumqi (28-33 hours), Guilin (28 hours), Guangzhou (23-27 hours), and Wuhan (12-15 hours). Everyday there are about 30 high-speed trains between Mount Huashan and Xi’an North Railway Station in the Weiyang District; a single trip takes 40 minutes and costs 35-55 yuan for a second-class seat, and 60-90 yuan for a first-class seat.
By Long-Distance Bus
Xi'an has multiple long-distance passenger stations. The most important bus stations for travel are Xi'an Bus Station, Xi'an Chengnan Bus Station, Xi'an Chengbei Bus Station, Xi'an Sanfuwan Bus Station, and Xi'an Chengdong Bus Station.
Xi'an is a key point in China's central and western national highway system; important expressways passing by are the Xibao, Xitong ,Xiling and Xihan Expressways.
As a famous tourist city, Xi'an has built expressways to Lintong, Tongchuan and Baoji, with high class roads to famous scenic spots in suburban counties and to the north slope of the Qin Mountains.
Since September 2007, the newly completed Xi-Han Expressway connects Han Zhong and Xi'an through the Qinling Mountains. The ZhongNan Shan Tunnel is the longest tunnel in Asia at 15 kilometers long.
Xian City Traffic
By Bus : The buses in Xi'an are extremely convenient, and you can take them to almost any tourist attraction. Xi'an Bus supports Alipay/WeChat code scanning. Most ordinary urban bus tickets are priced at 1 yuan, while high-end air-conditioned tickets are priced at 2 yuan
By Taxi : Xian taxis are usually green, but at the airport and some big hotels, there might be some black taxis which are more spacious, comfortable, and a bit more expensive. The starting price for taxis in Xi'an is 10 yuan/2 kilometers, 11 yuan at night (23:00-6:00 the next day), 1.5 yuan per kilometer after 2 kilometers, and 2.25 yuan per kilometer after 7 kilometers. Jump 0.75 yuan for every 2.5 minutes of waiting.
By Sunway： By the end of 2020, six subway lines will be built in Xian City, totally spanning 251.8 km. Now only Subway Line 3 (first phase) has been completed and in operation now.
Metro Line 1
Route: Xianyang Forest Park - Lishan ( 18 stops )
Start: October, 2008
Finish: 2013
Subway Line 1 passes through the city center of Xian from east (Fangzhicheng Stop) to west (Houweizhai Stop). When completed in the year 2013, you can take subway to visit Banpo Village and Terra Cotta Army.
Metro Line 2
Route: Xian North Railway Station - Exhibition Center ( 17 stops )
Subway Line 2 passes through the city center ( Bell Tower ) of Xian from North (Xian North Railway Station Stop) to South (Exhibition Center). Please chcek the photo, Subway riders enjoy Xi'an’s Line 2, the first subway line in the city, Sept 16, 2011.
By Bicycle： Xi'an has well preserved ancient city walls. If you are interested, you can climb onto the walls and rent a bicycle to circle around Xi'an from a high place to experience the city's appearance.
Tourists can rent bicycles at the south gate of the ancient city of Xi'an. Tourists applying for a car rental card need to present their valid identification (passport) and pay a deposit.
One valid ID is limited to one usage card, and one usage card is only allowed to retrieve and store one public bicycle. Make sure to successfully complete the pick-up and storage procedures every time you use it