The Terracotta Army and the walled city are fantastic, inside the walls are old markets which are fun, but two days max is enough for Xi'an. Outside the walls are dreary houses and factories. Other downers are the taxi drivers who refuse to use meters, just get out of the cab, the beggars which to a Westerner are very aggressive, and the pollution is horrific, took two weeks to clear!! And the use of lights after dark on vehicles/cycles is a rarity so beware when walking, but otherwise it's very safe.
Despite some negative comments given, Xi'an is a "real" Chinese city. The tourist sights are well known but it's a great city to get out and explore. Especially if you like inexpensive street food.
Xi'an is ok and has great Chinese ambiance within the city walls, but I would not stay here more than two or three days. If you don't care about seeing the Terracotta Army and the Great Mosque, then don't bother to come here. The air quality is very bad here and there's not much to do here other than those two things.
I was recently down in Xi'an for a week and had a great time.
Xi'an … The terracotta army is magnificent! Altough the city itself is a real dissapointment. Pollution and garbage are what you can expect to meet on the streets. If you decide to go here, then - whatever you do - DO NOT stay at the Shang De Hotel wich is located near the train station! It's a sh*tty place with only one shower in the entire hotel.
Xi'an … An ancient city worth seeing! The lifelike terra-cotta soldier from the Qin dynasty is amazing. However, air quality in this city is terrible.
HI - Xi'an - Qixian (7 sages) YH Hostel in Xi'an … Fantastic relaxing atmosphere with friendly staff, great food and near all the important facilities without busy noise. I'll be back here, for sure. Thanks so much to the traveller who gave me the promotional flyer for this hostel. Thanks to all the staff at 7 Sages for making my stay a comfortable one.
HI - Xi'an - Bell Tower YH Hostel in Xi'an … Clean, Friendly, Excellent service and food. People were great and a great place to go. I was comfortable and it was cosy. The people there was so nice and when I go back I will have no choice but to go there again.
Backpax Hostel in Xi'an … I stayed in Backpax for five days in April this year. my friend and I found the hostel to be clean, modern, and welcoming. It was easy to find and in a very central area, just a walking distance to the Bell tower and Drum tower and all the shopping you could possibly need. The room was clean, the beds were comfortable, and the rooms had lockers with keys which was great! The staff were incredibly friendly and knew a lot about the area and were helpful in organising tours and train tickets. The food was also great! It's quiet when you want it to be and at night there was a bit of night life which was nice! On top of all this it is reasonably priced! I will definitely stay here again and I can highly recommend it to all travelers!
Xian City Spring Hostel in Xi'an … Clean, quiet, comfortable beds. The staff were VERY nice. They stayed up late chatting to us in the bar, and were always ready to help us find our way to the train station, etc, and write down information for us. Very central, easy to get about. Great fun.
Xian ShuYuan International Youth Hostel in Xi'an … Lovely old chinese style hostel. The staff were great and full English breakfast is available (or as near as you can get in China). The room we stayed in had 2 double bunks, the matresses were quite thin, but thicker than the ones we had in Beijing. The decor is minmal with untreated concrete floors in the rooms (ours anyway). Lockers are provided in the rooms. One problem was the cold, we arrived in October and the heating wasn't on and with it being a courtyard didn't get very warm. Also the toilets are in with the showers and if you've seen chinese lavvys, they can get quite smelly not pleasant when your showering. however saying this it is typical of a lot of cheaper hostels in China. they claim to pick you up from the station, and indeed they did. The staff even tok us to the ticket office on the way back from the station and bought our onward ticket for us. They also gave us a lift back to the station when we left. We had an enjoyable few days there, and would recommend it for…
Han Tang Inn Youth Hostel in Xi'an … Good hostel and good location and cheaper then the bell tower. Reception staff very helpful and nice. unfortunately the same cannot be said for the restuarant staff. You really feel like you are putting them out when ordering food. The main chef is extremly fond of playing games on the the internet and does not like to be disturbed! Amazingly when we ordered breakfast, to save a bit of time he put our frozen bacon in the microwave for two minutes. It came out half cold and when we asked to have it fried he just put it in again! That aside they keep a dog in the kitchen which has not been toilet trained and we found that out first hand when we noticed his fresh droppings under our table while eating.
Don't let this put you off, its a great hostel. just stay clear of the restaurant!
HI - Xi'an - Xiangzimen International Youth Hostel in Xi'an … We stayed at several hostels in the private rooms for double occupancy and this was the least impressive. We had tons of issues with our key which kept stop working and we were running up and down to get it fixed. Also, the shower was leaking excessive amounts of water to the point where it basically was flooding the rest of the bathroom. The setup is cute and stylish and the service was ok but not the best we had. We did find a really great restaurant up South street a few blocks away. It was cantonese style and the name was NanyuanBiaomei. It looked rather fancy when we first walked in but the prices were pretty close to what we spent other places and the food was excellent.
Hq Guesthouse Xian in Xi'an … We stayed here for three days. The place is clean, the staff are very friendly and helpful. They went out of the way to help us -- even coming to the bank with us, and helping to book flights. Highly recommend.
Apartment Central in Xi'an … This apartment is superb value. They have a hostel attached to it so all the services you need for travel are at your finger tips, and they were extremely helpful with us. The place is new and must surely be the best location in Xi'an. Literally only a minute from Muslim quarter. They have brand new furniture with your own new computer and internet access. Compared to hotels this place is fantastic and it only cost about 75USD/night. Highly recommended.
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