Xi'an Solo
Safe, Easy and Less Lonely Than You Think

For a solo traveller, the easiest and most enjoyable way to see the Terracotta Army is to join a group day tour. It handles all the round-trip transport — no risk of the fake bus scam — and it puts you with other travellers, many of whom are also solo. Plenty end up sharing dinner back in the city afterwards. To go independently, the real public Bus 306 (You 5) leaves from the east square of Xi'an Railway Station for ¥7 paid on board.

Worried about feeling lonely on a solo trip? The single most effective fix in Xi'an is to stay at a hostel or guesthouse in the heart of the old city, especially behind the Bell Tower, within walking distance of the Muslim Quarter and every main sight. An international hostel like Han Tang Inn draws lots of foreign and solo travellers, has common areas to chat in, an English-speaking tour desk, and often runs group trips to the Warriors and Mount Huashan for guests. You get affordable lodging and built-in company in one.

This is why Xi'an is easier to do solo than most cities — its signature food is nearly all single portions. In the Muslim Quarter you simply point at what you want and eat, with none of the order-a-whole-table pressure of hotpot. You snack your way down the street one thing at a time — roujiamo, biang biang noodles, liangpi cold noodles, lamb skewers. The stalls are friendly, eating alone is a completely normal sight here, and nobody looks twice. Best around 10 am (quieter) or in the evening (lively).

Xi'an's ancient City Wall is one of the most complete in China, and one of the best things to do alone here is to rent a bike and ride the loop. The circuit is about 14 kilometres, and you cycle entirely at your own pace, stopping to photograph the old city inside and the modern skyline outside whenever you like, with nobody to wait for. You can simply walk the wall instead if you would rather not cycle. It is somewhere people come alone all the time.

The heart of Xi'an's old city is the Bell Tower and Drum Tower, right at the centre. After dark both are floodlit a beautiful gold, ringed by a pedestrian plaza, shops and the entrance to the Muslim Quarter. You can wander and photograph alone with ease — the area stays busy and safe throughout, making it the perfect place to start any evening in Xi'an.

One of the joys of solo travel is spending as long as you like in a museum. The Shaanxi History Museum is one of the best in China, holding a vast collection from the Zhou, Qin, Han and Tang dynasties — fitting, since Xi'an was China's capital for so long. It suits solo visitors perfectly: quiet, air-conditioned, and entirely at your own pace. Important: entry is free but you must book ahead with your passport, and slots sell out fast.

South of the old-city walls stands the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, a Tang-dynasty pagoda, with a musical fountain in front that plays in the evening. Next to it is Datang Everbright City, a Tang-style pedestrian street lit up end to end — lovely to wander alone, with street performers, shops and food stalls. It is a buzzing, safe night district that is easy to enjoy on your own.

With a spare day, Mount Huashan — one of China's five sacred mountains — is the favourite day trip from Xi'an, about 30 minutes by high-speed train from Xi'an North. For a solo traveller, going with a group tour, or teaming up with people from your hostel, is the more reassuring option, since some sections are steep and it fills a full day. There are cable cars up if you would rather not climb the whole way.

If you want to meet people and understand this former capital more deeply at the same time, a walking tour is a great move for a solo traveller. You walk the old city with a guide and other travellers, hear the Silk Road and Tang-dynasty history you would never pick up alone, and these often end with the group heading off to eat in the Muslim Quarter together. Many hostels run free or cheap walking tours for guests — just ask at the desk.

The single tool that makes Xi'an easiest to do solo is the metro. Signs and announcements are in English at every station, and fares start at ¥2 (~฿10) by distance. Line 2 runs north–south through the Bell Tower and the south Yongningmen gate, while Lines 3 and 4 reach the Big Wild Goose Pagoda area. You can hop on any line and explore a new neighbourhood alone, safely — just tap to pay with Alipay or WeChat at the gate, no Chinese required.