Xi'an: Guided Day Tour to Huaqing Palace & Terracotta Army｜China

8:30, Hotel pick-up, transfer to Huaqing Palace
Your guide will meet you in the hotel lobby at the scheduled time, holding a trekinfini pick-up sign with your name on it. From there, you will be taken to Huaqing Palace in Buick GL8 MPV.

9:30 - 12:00, Visit Huaqing Palace & Mt. Lishan
Huaqing Palace, with a history of almost three millennia, is a sprawling complex of museums, halls, towers, bridges, temples, gardens, and landmark buildings set against the backdrop of towering Mt. Lishan. Mt. Lishan rises 1,302 meters above sea level and is said to "shine like a beacon in the evening sunlight." It has been a popular tourist destination for centuries. The Beacon Tower, standing on top of Mount Lishan, witnessed the downfall of the Western Zhou dynasty in 771 BC. The Remonstrance Pavilion is the place where Chiang Kai-shek was kidnapped while hiding in a crevice in what became known as the Xi'an Incident of December 12, 1936.

12:00 - 13:00, Lunch break (not included in the tour)
Lunch is not included in this tour. However, your guide can suggest local food options. Please let us know in advance if you have any special dietary needs, such as vegetarian, gluten-free, or halal, so we can make the necessary arrangements.

13:00 - 15:00, Visit Terracotta Warriors
The Terracotta Warriors and Horses are a collection of terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shihuang, the first Emperor of China. They were buried to protect the emperor in his afterlife. The warriors were discovered in 1974 by a group of farmers digging a well. Since then, an estimated 8000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses have been discovered in three pits. The Terracotta Army is one of the most significant archaeological excavations of the 20th century in the world. It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.

15:00 - 16:00, Visit Emperor Qin's Mausoleum
Located at the northern foot of Mt. Lishan, Emperor Qin's Mausoleum is the final resting place of Emperor Qin Shihuang, founder of the first unified empire in Chinese history in the 3rd century BCE. The tomb mound, begun in 246 BCE, stands at a height of 76 meters within a rectangular double-walled enclosure. The property area of 56.25 square kilometers contains nearly 200 accompanying pits with terracotta warriors and horses, bronze chariots and weapons, acrobats, strongmen and musicians, and architectural remains. The highlight of the mausoleum is the two sets of bronze chariots that were unearthed in 1980. These chariots are half the size of the real chariots and are widely believed to resemble the real imperial chariots and horses used by Emperor Qin Shihuang.

16:00, Transfer back to your hotel in Xi'an
At the end of the tour, you will be transferred back to your hotel at approximately 4:00 PM.