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From Xi'an Xianyang Airport, take Metro Line 14 into the city and change at Xi'an North Railway Station: Line 2 runs south to the Bell Tower and the walled city, and Line 4 runs to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda and Qujiang. International flights use Terminal 5, which has its own Line 14 station, Airport (T5); Terminals 2 and 3 share Airport West. Arriving by high-speed train at Xi'an North, you are already on Lines 2, 4 and 14. Arriving at the old Xi'an Railway Station by the city wall, Line 4 is right outside. A taxi or DiDi makes more sense for a late landing, a family with luggage, or a hotel inside the walls that sits on a lane far from a metro exit.
Which terminal or station are you arriving at?
Xi'an's airport is a long way northwest of the city, close to Xianyang, so the trip in is longer than most first-time visitors expect. Check your terminal before you land: since Terminal 5 opened in 2025, international and regional flights arrive there, and several domestic airlines have moved there too. Others still use Terminal 2 or Terminal 3.
| You arrive at | Metro station | First change | Take a car instead when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airport Terminal 5 | Airport (T5), Line 14 | Xi'an North Railway Station | Late landing, heavy bags, hotel inside the walls on a small lane |
| Airport Terminal 2 or 3 | Airport West (T1, T2, T3), Line 14 | Xi'an North Railway Station | Same as above |
| Xi'an North Railway Station | Lines 2, 4 and 14 | None needed for most hotels | Long transfer with luggage, or a hotel far from Line 2 or Line 4 |
| Xi'an Railway Station (by the city wall) | Line 4 | Line 4 north or south | Hotel on the far side of the walled city |
Screenshot your hotel's Chinese name, address and nearest metro station before you fly. Inside the walls, two hotels with almost the same English name can be on opposite sides of the Bell Tower.
Terminal 5: from arrivals to Line 14
This is where most international travellers start. After arrivals, follow the metro signs east and take the escalator down to the basement level, where the Airport (T5) station hall is. Xi'an's Metro police notice for the station describes exactly this route: out of the arrivals exit, east by escalator to B1, through security, then buy a ticket and board.
At the Airport (T5) station, the first Line 14 train toward Heshao leaves at 06:04 and the last at 22:24. Heshao is the direction for the city; Line 14 runs through Xi'an North Railway Station on the way. Trains in the opposite direction go one stop to Airport West, which serves Terminals 2 and 3, so make sure you're on the right platform.
The same notice says the station accepts single-journey tickets, QR codes and transport cards, and that card machines for foreign bank cards were added at the station. If your card doesn't work at the machine, the Alipay or WeChat metro code is the backup; set it up before the flight, not in the station.
Terminals 2 and 3: Airport West station
Terminals 2 and 3 share Airport West, the first station on Line 14. Follow the metro signs from arrivals; the station is between the two terminals. Trains from here call at Airport (T5) and then continue toward the city, so you don't need to change.
If you end up at the wrong airport station, ask the metro staff before you go through the exit gates; they can tell you the quickest way to the other terminal.
Changing at Xi'an North Railway Station
Line 14 reaches the city at Xi'an North Railway Station, and almost every trip from the airport changes there. This is the step people find confusing, because the metro stations under Xi'an North are spread out.
- Line 14 and Line 4 share the station at the North Square end. Change to Line 4 for Dayanta (the Big Wild Goose Pagoda), Qujiang, the Daming Palace area and the old Xi'an Railway Station.
- Line 2 stops under the main railway station building, a few hundred metres' walk from the Line 14 platforms. Follow the Line 2 signs underground. Change here for Zhonglou (Bell Tower), Yongningmen (South Gate) and Xiaozhai.
Rednote posters add two small warnings about Line 14. The announcements on board are quiet, so watch the screen above the doors rather than listening for your stop. And at Xi'an North, Line 4 is right across the platform from Line 14, while signs to Line 2 can be hard to spot; one poster had to ask a security guard.
The walk to Line 2 is long with a suitcase, and Rednote posters who use the airport line regularly don't recommend it. Their shortcut for the Bell Tower and the walled city: change to Line 4 at Xi'an North, which is a short walk from Line 14, ride a few stops to Xingzheng Zhongxin (Administrative Center), and change there to Line 2 southbound. It's one more change, but far less walking. If you're staying near the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, simply stay on Line 4.
Going back to the airport, the same trick works in reverse. One poster says that boarding Line 4 at door 13 puts you right next to the lift down to Line 14 at Xi'an North. Trains toward the airport stop at Airport (T5) first, then Airport West for Terminals 1, 2 and 3.
Arriving at Xi'an North by high-speed train
High-speed trains from Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu and most of the country arrive at Xi'an North. After the ticket gates, follow the signs down to the metro. Line 2 is the line for the city centre and the walled city, Line 4 for the pagoda and Qujiang area, and Line 14 for the airport if you're flying out.
Xi'an North is huge and busy, and Rednote posters are blunt about the taxi queue: on holiday evenings they report waits of an hour or more. Drivers working the passage outside the exit gates aren't the official rank, and posters say they pick long fares and overcharge. Ride-hailing is quicker than the taxi queue. Posters name two pick-up areas, B1 of the West parking building on the North Square side and B2 on the South Square side, and a regular user recommends walking out of the South Square to Yuanshuo Road and booking from the street, which avoids the queue of cars waiting to leave the car park. Without much luggage, the metro is the easy answer. Some slower trains arrive at the old Xi'an Railway Station, just north of the city wall, where Line 4 takes you south through the wall area.
When is a taxi or DiDi better?
Take a car if:
- you land at night, close to the last train;
- you have children, older relatives or several large bags;
- your hotel is on a small lane inside the walls and the nearest metro exit is a long walk away;
- you're three or four people sharing.
The ride from the airport is long, so the fare is much higher than an ordinary city taxi trip. Use the official taxi rank or the marked ride-hailing pick-up area, never someone who approaches you inside the terminal. Show the driver your hotel's Chinese address on your phone. If you're using DiDi, check the plate before you get in. The DiDi guide explains setting it up.
There are also airport buses to several points in the city, including the Bell Tower area. Routes and stops change from time to time, so check the signs in the arrivals hall.
What do people get wrong?
Travellers on Rednote mention the same few mistakes:
- Going to the wrong terminal on departure. Since the 2025 move, some airlines fly from Terminal 5 and some from Terminals 2 or 3. Check your booking before you head back.
- Taking Line 14 the wrong way. From Terminal 5, Airport West is one stop the other direction. Look for Heshao on the platform sign.
- Underestimating the Line 2 change at Xi'an North. It's a real walk, not a cross-platform change. With luggage, change via Line 4 and Xingzheng Zhongxin instead.
- Booking a hotel inside the walls without checking car access. Some lanes near the Muslim Quarter are pedestrian only, and drivers will drop you at the nearest road.
Before you land
Get your mobile data working; the China eSIM comparison covers plans worth buying ahead. The metro tickets and payments guide explains foreign cards and the Alipay metro code. If you haven't chosen a hotel, the Xi'an where-to-stay guide compares the walled city, the Bell Tower area and the Big Wild Goose Pagoda.
For onward trains, see the foreign passport train booking guide and the station boarding guide. Once you've arrived, the Terracotta Warriors guide and the Xi'an history and neighbourhoods guide are the next things to read, and the Xi'an city guide has the rest.
