Beijing or Xi'an, if you only have one of the two
Both cities carry the weight of imperial China, but they reward different trips. Here is how to choose between them in an afternoon.
The short answer
If you have only one of the two, Beijing wins on first-trip material: the Great Wall, the Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven in a single city, with 3–4 days to see them. Xi'an is the better second stop, or the better short trip if the Terracotta Army matters more than the emperor's palace. Xi'an needs 2–3 days and costs less to see well. The two sit 4.5–6 hours apart by high-speed rail, so many people simply do both.
- Beijing needs 3–4 days to cover the Great Wall, the Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven without rushing.
- Xi'an needs 2–3 days: the Terracotta Army is a full morning, and the city wall half a day.
- The Beijing–Xi'an high-speed rail takes 4.5–6 hours and costs about ¥516 in second class, so seeing both costs one travel day.
- Book Forbidden City and Terracotta Army tickets online before you travel; both sell out in peak months.
- Xi'an is the cheaper of the two on hotels and food, and its walled centre is the smaller, more walkable one.
| Beijing | Xi'an | |
|---|---|---|
| Time needed | 3–4 days | 2–3 days |
| Signature sight | The Great Wall at Mutianyu | The Terracotta Army |
| High-speed rail from the other | 4.5–6 hours | 4.5–6 hours |
| Rail fare, second class | About ¥516 | About ¥516 |
| Walking per day | 8–12 km (5–7 miles) | 6–9 km (4–6 miles) |
| Home of | Ming and Qing emperors | The first emperor's tomb |
| Food to try | Peking duck, hutong snacks | Muslim Quarter street food |
| City size and pace | Large, spread out, busy | Compact centre, walkable |
| Quietest months | November to March | November to March |
Which one fits you
You have three days and it is your first trip
Beijing
The Great Wall, the Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven are all within two hours of the centre, which is more first-trip material than any other city packs into three days.
The Terracotta Army is the reason you are coming
Xi'an
The pits are a 40-minute drive east of the city, and the wall, the Muslim Quarter and the Shaanxi museum fill the rest of a two-day stay without a single early start.
You have six days or more
Both
The high-speed rail link takes 4.5–6 hours, so Beijing first and Xi'an second costs one travel day and gives you the two capitals that matter most on a first visit.
You are travelling in winter and want fewer crowds
Xi'an
Its sights are indoor or compact, whereas a Beijing winter adds wind on the Wall and darkness by 17:00, which shortens every outdoor day.
What each city actually gives you
Beijing is a capital of scale and ceremony. The Forbidden City is a 3 km walk end to end, the Temple of Heaven and the Summer Palace need half a day each, and the Great Wall at Mutianyu is a two-hour drive from the centre. The streets between them are broad and the distances long.
Xi'an is the older capital, and it wears that history in a smaller space. The city wall encloses a walkable centre, the Muslim Quarter feeds you for a few yuan, and the Terracotta Army sits an hour east. Where Beijing impresses by size, Xi'an rewards a slower day.
The numbers that decide it
Time is the first number. Beijing asks for three days and rewards four; Xi'an fits into two and rewards three. If your whole trip is a week, one city plus Shanghai will feel fuller than trying to squeeze in both.
Cost is the second. A second-class seat between the two cities runs about ¥516, on a train that takes 4.5–6 hours — so adding the second city costs a fare and most of a day. Hotels, meals and taxis are cheaper in Xi'an.
- Forbidden City entry: about ¥60 in peak season, ¥40 off-peak.
- Terracotta Army entry: about ¥120 in peak season, ¥90 off-peak.
- Xi'an city wall: about ¥54, with bike hire on top.
How to pair them without wearing yourself out
If you do both, go north first. Land in Beijing, spend three or four days there, take the morning high-speed train to Xi'an, and fly home from Xi'an or continue south to Shanghai. That order puts the harder, more spread-out city first and the walkable one second.
An open-jaw ticket — into Beijing, out of Xi'an or Shanghai — avoids doubling back and usually costs no more than a return. Ask us and we will match the route to the flights that actually leave the UK on your dates.