Solo Travel in Xi'an — Where to Stay?
8 Hotels & Hostels for Solo Travellers — Safe, Central, Meet Fellow Travellers

We open with the number-one solo pick — if you're in Xi'an alone, on a budget, but you want to be central and meet fellow travellers, Han Tang Inn Hostel is the name backpackers have passed around for nearly twenty years, scoring 9.6/10 from around 543 real reviews on Trip.com (plus a thousand more on Booking). What makes it such a strong solo fit is that the staff speak English, there's a tour desk to book transport to the Terracotta Warriors / Mount Huashan, free nightly activities, and free drinks and breakfast. The hostel is tucked off Beiyuanmen, an ~5-minute walk from the Bell Tower. Guests say the same things again and again: clean, friendly staff, and the easiest place to strike up a conversation. There are dorm beds from ¥50 and en-suite private rooms if you want your own space. The honest caveat: it's a hostel, so amenities are basic and some nights are lively with the social activities.

If you're solo but you want your own room with a door you can lock — not a dorm — JI Hui Min Street is the best-value single in a prime location, only about 100 metres from the Drum Tower and Muslim food street, scoring 9.3/10 from around 2,447 real reviews. The JI brand (全季), part of Huazhu, is known for spotless rooms and good sound insulation — ideal for a solo traveller who wants to sleep well in a quiet room after a full day. You step out in the morning and you're already in Xi'an's most famous eating quarter; at night the street is bright and busy, so it's comfortable to walk alone. Metro Line 2 is walkable. Guests praise the location and the value. The honest caveat: Huimin Street is lively and noisy at night, so ask for a higher or interior room, and standard rooms are compact — but for one person they're just right.

If you're solo and you want a good-looking, safe room with a quiet corner to work or read — Atour Bell Tower South Gate scores 9.6/10 from around 3,190 real reviews, sits by the City Wall South Gate, and is ~0.44 km from Metro Line 2. The Atour brand is known for its lobby library corner and its signature bedding, which guests repeatedly say they sleep well on — perfect for a solo traveller who wants somewhere to sit with a coffee and work without going far. Rooms are warm and earthy, and some face straight onto the City Wall; you can walk up and cycle the ramparts first thing. It's a safe spot to walk back to at night. The honest caveat: it's a midscale 4-star, with no hostel-style social space — if meeting people is the goal, go to the hostels on this list.

The second legendary hostel, for travellers who want to meet people — Xiangzimen International Youth Hostel is a handsome courtyard hostel inside the city wall near the South Gate, scoring around 9.0/10, drawn from real guest reviews. Guests praise the inside-the-wall location, the cleanliness, and the friendly English-speaking staff who help plan trips. It's an award-winning hostel recommended in Lonely Planet and Rough Guide, and the old Chinese courtyard layout makes it easy to sit and chat. There are budget dorm beds and private rooms, and a tour desk to book transport to the Terracotta Warriors. It's a great fit for a solo traveller who wants to be inside the city wall and meet other backpackers. The honest caveat: it's a long-established hostel, so parts of the building feel their age, and some nights the bar/common areas are lively.

If you're solo but you'd rather have a comfortable single room from a familiar international brand with a desk that handles English — Hilton Garden Inn Xi'an Bell Tower scores 9.6/10 from around 1,575 real reviews, sits by the Bell Tower, and is a ~5-minute walk from the Drum Tower and Muslim Quarter. For an international traveller arriving alone, an English-capable desk and the reliable Hilton standard are reassuring, especially on a first night in an unfamiliar city. There's a fitness room, terrace, restaurant and free parking, and the location walks to everything without a taxi. Guests praise being able to walk everywhere and the consistency you expect from Hilton. The honest caveat: it's a few minutes off the Bell Tower square itself (not right on it), and as a hotel it has no hostel-style social space.

Another legendary hostel right next door — Shuyuan Youth Hostel sits inside the city wall by the South Gate (beside Xiangzimen), scoring around 8.8/10, drawn from real guest reviews. What makes it a solo favourite is its café serving Western food and the lively Par Qin basement bar — it's a place backpackers gather to chat and plan trips together. The staff speak English and there's a tour desk to book transport to the Terracotta Warriors / Mount Huashan. The old Chinese courtyard design has both budget dorm beds and en-suite private rooms, and it's recommended in Frommer's and DK Eyewitness. The honest caveat: it's a long-established, sociable hostel — if you want total quiet it may not be it, and some nights the bar carries noise.

The single-room picks close with the 'arrive or leave alone by train' option — Atour North Railway Station North Square sits near Xi'an North, the main high-speed-rail hub, just 160 metres from Metro Line 14, scoring 9.6/10 from around 3,152 real reviews. For a solo traveller arriving in Xi'an late by train, or catching an early train onward, not having to drag your luggage far alone is a big deal. It's a newer Atour (opened 2022), with clean, warm rooms and free water and Wi-Fi. Guests praise the painless rail connections. The honest caveat: this is a station district with no sights around it — it's ~30 min on Line 2 into the Bell Tower, so it's ideal for an arrival or pre-departure night rather than basing yourself to explore the old town.

We close with another courtyard hostel with a lovely atmosphere — 7 Sages International Youth Hostel is an old-China courtyard-style hostel inside the city wall, scoring around 8.6/10, drawn from real guest reviews. It's one of Xi'an's better-rated hostels, and guests praise the calm, pretty old-Chinese courtyard, and the tasty, cheap in-house food (the pizzas are a favourite). It's walkable to Beidajie on Metro Line 2, near the city wall, with budget dorm beds and private rooms. It's a good fit for a solo traveller who wants a quieter hostel atmosphere than a party hostel. The honest caveat: staff speak more limited English than Han Tang / Xiangzimen (a translation app helps), and tours are mostly with Chinese-speaking guides — if you need a lot of English, the first two are a better fit.