Best Travel Options between Beijing and Xian

If you are in the process of planning your Beijing tour? Most probably you are also considering a side trip to Xian, a famous historical city  in China, which is home to the archaeological wonder – Terracotta Warriors.

Xian is situated about 1000 km to the southwest of Beijing. You have several options of traveling from Beijing to Xian – by plane, by daytime high-speed train, by overnight direct train, or first visit some important cities on your way before you reach Xian from Beijing.

You can make a doable Xian day trip from Beijing by flight, but we suggest you stay one or two nights in Xian to see, touch and feel the essence and highlights of Xian’s long history and splendid culture. We’ll assist you analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of all the travel options to make a better travel schedule for your Beijing Xian tour.

1. Travel From Beijing to Xian by High Speed  Daytime Train
There are 4 major railway stations in Beijing, namely Beijing Railway Station ( the oldest one ), Beijing West Railway Station ( for the trains going from Beijing to Xian, Lhasa and Kowloon), Beijing South Railway Station ( for the trains running from Beijing to Shanghai and Tianjin) and Beijing North Railway Station (temporarily closed).

Arrive at Xian North Railway Station

The address of Beijing West Railway Station  Tel: 51826253
Add: Lianhuachi Donglu, Fengtai District ( just south of Military Museum of the Chinese People’s Revolution)

For the Beijing Xian High Speed Train, the Beijing terminus is Beijing West Railway Station, with the Xian terminus at Xian North Railway Station. The major calling points are Shijiazhuang, Anyang and Luoyang on route.

Currently there are over 10 daily high-speed trains running between Beijing and Xian. The fastest high speed train takes 4 hours and 23 minutes; the slowest takes 6 hours. You are supposed to reach the station at least half hour before departure.

Beijing – Xian High-Speed Train Timetable and Ticket Fares ( Unit: Yuan)

Train No. From Dep time To Arr Time First Class Second Class
G651 Beijing West 06:58 Xian North 12:50 824.5 515.5
G653 Beijing West 07:57 Xian North 13:43 824.5 515.5
G671 Beijing West 08:15 Xian North 14:18 824.5 515.5
G655 Beijing West 09:43 Xian North 15:30 824.5 515.5
G659 Beijing West 12:07 Xian North 17:42 824.5 515.5
G87 Beijing West 14:00 Xian North 18:23 824.5 515.5
G673 Beijing West 14:43 Xian North 20:41 824.5 515.5
G661 Beijing West 14:48 Xian North 20:48 824.5 515.5
G663 Beijing West 14:45 Xian North 21:25 824.5 515.5
G665 Beijing West 16:00 Xian North 21:50 824.5 515.5
G669 Beijing West 17:31 Xian North 22:53 824.5 515.5
G25 Beijing West 18:55 Xian North 23:23 824.5 515.5

 

Train No. From Dep time To Arr Time First Class Second Class
G652 Xian North 07:52 Beijing West 13:26 824.5 515.5
G26 Xian North 09:15 Beijing West 13:50 824.5 515.5
G672 Xian North 09:21 Beijing West 15:11 824.5 515.5
G656 Xian North 10:07 Beijing West 15:33 824.5 515.5
G662 Xian North 10:55 Beijing West 16:41 824.5 515.5
G660 Xian North 11:12 Beijing West 17:11 824.5 515.5
G658 Xian North 12:42 Beijing West 18:26 824.5 515.5
G88 Xian North 13:20 Beijing West 18:26 824.5 515.5
G664 Xian North 14:33 Beijing West 20:25 824.5 515.5
G666 Xian North 15:58 Beijing West 21:31 824.5 515.5
G674 Xian North 17:20 Beijing West 23:00 824.5 515.5
G670 Xian North 18:03 Beijing West 23:29 824.5 515.5

Advantages: Direct from Downtown Beijing, On Time, Faster, Safe, Frequent, Comfortable, Daytime Window sightseeing
Disadvantages: Higher Prices, Need Advance Booking, Not Easy to Book your Ticket

Note: For online train ticket booking, check out  China Train Ticket Booking.

2.  Getting from Beijing to Xian by Overnight Train ( Normal Fast Speed )
There are four major fast direct overnight trains running between Beijing and Xian with the train journeys lasting from 12 hours to 14 hours. All the four overnight direct trains start from Beijing and end at Xian, and vice versa.

The 4 Major Beijing to Xian Overnight Fast Train Timetable & Fares
( Unit: Yuan )
Train No. From Dep time To Arr Time Hard 6-bed Cabin Soft 4-bed Cabin
T41 Beijing West 14:22 Xian 05:15+1 268.5 422.5
T231 Beijing West 18:50 Xian 07:43+1 254.5 398.5
Z43 Beijing West 20:12 Xian 9:55 + 1 442.5 ( Soft 4-bed Cabin) 780.5 (Soft 2-bed Cabin)
Z19 Beijing West 20:40 Xian 08:31+1 398.5 ( Soft 4-bed Cabin) 735.5 (Soft 2-bed Cabin)
The Major 4 Xian to Beijing Overnight Fast Train Timetable & Fares
( Unit: Yuan )
Train No. From Dep time To Arr Time Hard 6-bed Cabin Soft 4-bed Cabin
T232 Xian 17:38 Beijing West 06:08+1 254.5 398.5
Z20 Xian 19:21 Beijing West 06:58+1 442.5 ( Soft 4-bed Cabin) 735.5 (Soft 2-bed Cabin)
Z44 Xian 19:27 Beijing West 08:27+1 442.5 ( Soft 4-bed Cabin) 780.5 (Soft 2-bed Cabin)
T42 Xian 19:39 Beijing West 09:29+1 268.5 422.5
Two-bed Cabin

Important Notice:
The above-mentioned overnight trains start from Beijing West Railway Station and arrive at Xian Railway Station. So don’t be confused with Xian North Railway Station which accommodates the high speed trains from Beijing.

Advantages: Direct from Downtown Beijing, On Time, Save One Night Accommodation, Safe, More Daytime Sightseeing, affordable Prices
Disadvantages: Longer Travel Time,  Not so Comfortable, Hard to Book Your Tickets

Note: For online train ticket booking, check out  China Train Ticket Booking

3. Traveling from Beijing to Xian by flight
Over 20 daily flights connect Beijing and Xian, mainly operated by three domestic airlines – Air China, Eastern China Airline, Hainan Airline. The 1 and half flight makes it possible for people to have a day trip to Xian from Beijing and return on the same day.

Major Beijing to Xian Early Morning Flight Timetable
Airline Flight No. Plane Depart Arrival
1Air China CA1231 Boeing 737 800 PEK 07:40 XIY  9:10
3Hainan Airlines HU7137 Air Bus 330-100 PEK 07:05 XIY 10:10
2China Eastern Airlines MU2102 Air Bus A321 PEK 07:50 XIY 10:10
Major Xian to Beijing Later Afternoon Flight Timetable
Airline Flight No. Plane Depart Arrival
3Hainan Airlines HU7338 Air Bus A300-200 XIY 22:40 PEK 00:40
1Air China CA1236 Boeing 738 XIY 20:25 PEK 22:25
2China Eastern Airlines MU2119 Air Bus A321 XIY 21:55 PEK 00:05
Arrival at Xian Airport

The planes take off at Beijing International Capital Airport and land at Xian Xianyang International Airport.  The one and half hour flight doesn’t include the time and hassle getting to and from the airport.

Advantages: Fastest, Easy to Book Your Tickets, Frequent and often less expensive than train
Disadvantages: Airport Inconvenience, Sometimes not On Time, Both Airports in Beijing and Xian are out of town.

 

4. Visiting the Important Cities between Beijing and Xian before You Reach Xian

Longmen Grottoes

Between Beijing and Xian also lie some UNESCO World Cultural Heritage crowned destinations like Datong (Yungang Grottoes), Pingyao (Pingyao Ancient City), and Luoyang (Longmen Grottoes and Shaolin Temple) and Yan’an (Hukou Waterfalls) which could be fit into your Beijing Xian tour package if you have enough time traveling time between Beijing and Xian.

High speed trains connect Beijing with Luoyang, Pingyao and Yan’an. Plentiful daily trains run from Beijing to Datong. So when you arrange your Beijing Xian travel, you may put any of the cities in between onto your Beijing Xian travel plan to enrich your China trip experience.

5. Hassle-Free Organized Beijing Xian Tours

Xian Guided Tour

If you don’t want to go the do-it-yourself route and prefer the hassle-free escorted tours,  here are some options for Beijing Xian Guided Tours:

Beijing Xi’an One Day Round Trip Tour by Flight

Beijing Xi’an 2 Day Round Trip Tour by Flight

Beijing Xian 2 Day Round Trip Tour by High-speed Train

Beijing Xian 3 Day Round Trip Tour by High-speed Train

Beijing Datong Xian 5 Day Tour

Further Readings


Beijing Xian High Speed Train Experience
Top 10 Attractions in Xian
Tips for Visiting Muslim Quarter in Xian
Tips for Visiting Xian City Wall
Tips for Visiting Shaanxi History Museum
Tips for Visiting Xian Bell Tower
How Visit Terracotta Army
How to Visit Daming Palace National Heritage Park
Top 10 Photography Spots in Xian
The Night View of Great Tang All Day Mall
Tips for Visiting Hanyang Tombs Xian
The Song of Everlasting Sorrow Show in Xian
Tips for Visiting Big Wild Goose Pagoda
Tips for Visiting Huaqing Hot Springs in Xian
How to Visit Mount Huashan
Top 10 Hostels in Xian
Best Time to Visit Xian

Any questions, just drop a link.

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