{"id":616,"date":"2026-05-10T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-10T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/xiancitytravel.com\/article\/travel-diaries\/xian-3-day-backpacker-route.html"},"modified":"2026-08-30T05:39:36","modified_gmt":"2026-08-30T05:39:36","slug":"xian-3-day-backpacker-route","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/xiancitytravel.com\/article\/travel-diaries\/xian-3-day-backpacker-route.html","title":{"rendered":"3-Day Backpacker Route: Hostels &#038; Street Food"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The hostel bed near the South Gate set me back \u00a570 a night, and the first thing the receptionist told me was to skip the main drag of the Muslim Quarter. Eat two lanes over, he said \u2014 that&#8217;s where the locals go. That one sentence saved both my budget and my taste buds, and it set the tone for the whole trip. In Xi&#8217;an the best experiences are the cheap ones, if you know where to point yourself.<\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;m not a disciplined budget traveler. I want clean sheets, food I can watch being cooked, and no clipboard itinerary. So this three-day route is built the way I actually traveled it: one big ticket item, a lot of walking, and every meal treated as part of the sightseeing rather than a stop between sights.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_75 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/xiancitytravel.com\/article\/travel-diaries\/xian-3-day-backpacker-route.html\/#Where_to_sleep_without_spending_much\" >Where to sleep without spending much<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/xiancitytravel.com\/article\/travel-diaries\/xian-3-day-backpacker-route.html\/#Eating_well_for_pocket_change\" >Eating well for pocket change<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/xiancitytravel.com\/article\/travel-diaries\/xian-3-day-backpacker-route.html\/#Day_1_The_wall_then_the_food_lanes\" >Day 1: The wall, then the food lanes<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/xiancitytravel.com\/article\/travel-diaries\/xian-3-day-backpacker-route.html\/#Day_2_The_Terracotta_Army_without_the_tour_bus\" >Day 2: The Terracotta Army without the tour bus<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/xiancitytravel.com\/article\/travel-diaries\/xian-3-day-backpacker-route.html\/#Day_3_Museums_a_pagoda_and_a_fountain_show\" >Day 3: Museums, a pagoda, and a fountain show<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/xiancitytravel.com\/article\/travel-diaries\/xian-3-day-backpacker-route.html\/#What_three_days_actually_cost_me\" >What three days actually cost me<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/xiancitytravel.com\/article\/travel-diaries\/xian-3-day-backpacker-route.html\/#Tips\" >Tips<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/xiancitytravel.com\/article\/travel-diaries\/xian-3-day-backpacker-route.html\/#Going_home\" >Going home<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Where_to_sleep_without_spending_much\"><\/span>Where to sleep without spending much<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Two neighborhoods matter. Around \u6c38\u5b81\u95e8 (South Gate) a cluster of hostels sits within walking distance of the wall, the Muslim Quarter, and metro Line 2; dorm beds run about \u00a560\u2013100 and private rooms \u00a5180\u2013280. Around the Bell Tower the rates run a little higher, but it&#8217;s the right base if your train arrives late \u2014 \u949f\u697c station is a ten-minute walk from a dozen hostels. Book on the usual apps and read the newest reviews; the same bed can cost \u00a540 more in October than in August, and the good hostels at \u00a560 are good for a reason.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Eating_well_for_pocket_change\"><\/span>Eating well for pocket change<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/xiancitytravel.com\/article\/travel-diaries\/xian-foodie-2-days.html\">The street-food economy<\/a> is absurdly kind to a backpacker. A \u814a\u6c41\u8089\u5939\u998d (lamb burger) is about \u00a510\u201312, \u51c9\u76ae (cold-skin noodles) about \u00a58\u201312, a bowl of biangbiang noodles about \u00a520, lamb skewers two or three yuan each. The sit-down classic, \u7f8a\u8089\u6ce1\u998d \u2014 mutton soup into which you tear your own bread, slowly, and anyone who finishes early has torn it wrong \u2014 costs about \u00a535 and will fuel you for the rest of the day. Breakfast is the sleeper deal: \u8089\u4e38\u80e1\u8fa3\u6c64 (meatball pepper soup) at about \u00a58\u201310 a bowl, or \u6cb9\u8336\u9ebb\u82b1, fried dough twists soaking in spiced oil tea, for a few yuan \u2014 both best eaten at counters that close by ten, because the neighborhood has already finished with them. The rule of thumb for the other meals: eat wherever the queue is Chinese and the bench is plastic.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/xiancitytravel.com\/picture\/food\/roujiamo.webp\" alt=\"A freshly made roujiamo lamb burger wrapped in paper\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Day_1_The_wall_then_the_food_lanes\"><\/span>Day 1: The wall, then the food lanes<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Climb the wall at Yongningmen in the late afternoon (about \u00a554) and walk the southern stretch as the city switches its lights on; the bikes cost about \u00a545 for two hours if you&#8217;d rather cover ground. Come down and cross into the Muslim Quarter, follow the crowds up \u56de\u6c11\u8857 for the spectacle \u2014 the candied hawthorns, the knife-grinding noodle shows, the clouds of cumin smoke \u2014 then peel off onto \u6d12\u91d1\u6865 for the actual dinner. Finish the night at the Drum Tower, lit until about 22:00, and listen to the drummers from the street. Cost of the whole evening, dinner included: about \u00a560.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Day_2_The_Terracotta_Army_without_the_tour_bus\"><\/span>Day 2: The Terracotta Army without the tour bus<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The cheapest honest way out is the Y5 bus from Xi&#8217;an Railway Station: about \u00a510 one way, roughly an hour, and it leaves from the east side of the station \u2014 ignore anyone waving you toward a private van. The site ticket is about \u00a5120 and the place is genuinely enormous; budget three hours for Pit 1, Pit 2, Pit 3, and the bronze chariot gallery. Pack water and snacks, because the on-site food court is mediocre and priced for captives. In summer the pits are airless and the crowds relentless, so the early bus is not just cheaper in spirit \u2014 the 07:30 departure puts you at the gates before the tour groups, and the first hour in Pit 1 is the only quiet one you&#8217;ll get all day. Worth losing a lie-in for. Coming back, the bus passes Huaqing Palace; on a backpacker budget I&#8217;d skip the \u00a5120 ticket and spend it on dinner instead, unless the Lishan hillside is calling you.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/xiancitytravel.com\/picture\/food\/Liangpi-Cold-Noodles.webp\" alt=\"A bowl of cold-skin noodles dressed with chilli oil and vinegar\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Day_3_Museums_a_pagoda_and_a_fountain_show\"><\/span>Day 3: Museums, a pagoda, and a fountain show<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Morning at the Shaanxi History Museum \u2014 free, but the reservation must be booked on WeChat days ahead; it opens 09:00 and closes Mondays. It&#8217;s the best-value cultural hour you&#8217;ll have in China, never mind Xi&#8217;an: the Tang gold alone would fill a lesser museum&#8217;s entire ground floor. Afternoon at the Big Wild Goose Pagoda: the climb is about \u00a525 and the view from the top is worth every step. When dusk lands, walk south into Datang Everbright City \u2014 free to enter, spectacular to wander, and best experienced with something fried from a street stall while the north-square fountain show runs its cycle from about 20:30. Count the day&#8217;s tickets as you walk: the museum free, the pagoda climb \u00a525, the show free. It&#8217;s the cheapest day of the trip, and most travelers will tell you it&#8217;s the best one.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/xiancitytravel.com\/picture\/modern\/Shaanxi-History-Museum.webp\" alt=\"The Shaanxi History Museum's Tang-style hall\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_three_days_actually_cost_me\"><\/span>What three days actually cost me<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Hostel: 3 nights \u00d7 \u00a570 = \u00a5210<\/li>\n<li>City Wall: \u00a554<\/li>\n<li>Terracotta Army: \u00a5120, plus \u00a520 in buses<\/li>\n<li>Food: about \u00a5120\u2013150 a day \u2014 street food, one sit-down bowl, fruit from the stalls<\/li>\n<li>Metro and city buses: roughly \u00a530<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Total: just over \u00a51,000, and the only thing missing was <a href=\"https:\/\/xiancitytravel.com\/article\/travel-diaries\/xian-5-day-backpacker-route.html\">a fourth day<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Tips\"><\/span>Tips<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Reserve the Shaanxi History Museum slot before you arrive \u2014 same-day slots are routinely gone by nine.<\/li>\n<li>Set up Alipay or WeChat Pay before leaving the airport. Stalls often can&#8217;t break a \u00a5100 note, and many won&#8217;t take cash at all.<\/li>\n<li>Carry your own tissues \u2014 public bathrooms in Xi&#8217;an&#8217;s markets are clean but paperless.<\/li>\n<li>The wall is better at dusk than at noon. Go late, pay once, watch the sunset from the ramparts.<\/li>\n<li>Memorize \u4e0d\u8981\u8fa3 (b\u00f9 y\u00e0o l\u00e0) \u2014 &#8220;no spice&#8221; \u2014 and say it early. The chilli oil arrives otherwise.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Going_home\"><\/span>Going home<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>I left on the night train with about \u00a580 in my pocket, a bag of persimmon cakes, and the feeling that Xi&#8217;an had cost me almost nothing and given back everything. An old city like this doesn&#8217;t want a traveler with a full wallet; it wants one with empty pockets and empty plans. On this budget, you&#8217;re exactly that.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The hostel bed near the South Gate set me back \u00a570 a night, and the first thing the receptionist told me was to skip the main drag of&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":617,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-616","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel-diaries"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/xiancitytravel.com\/article\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/616","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/xiancitytravel.com\/article\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/xiancitytravel.com\/article\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xiancitytravel.com\/article\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=616"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/xiancitytravel.com\/article\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/616\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":720,"href":"https:\/\/xiancitytravel.com\/article\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/616\/revisions\/720"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xiancitytravel.com\/article\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/617"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/xiancitytravel.com\/article\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=616"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xiancitytravel.com\/article\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=616"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xiancitytravel.com\/article\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=616"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}