Xi'an is where Chinese civilisation reveals its deepest roots. For thirteen dynasties, this city was the capital of an empire that stretched from the Yellow Sea to the borders of Persia — and its buried legacy, the Terracotta Army of Qin Shi Huang, is one of the most extraordinary archaeological discoveries in human history. For the UHNW traveller who has seen the Louvre, who has walked the Vatican Museums, who has toured Angkor at sunrise — Xi'an offers something rarer still: the sensation of standing before an army of eight thousand terracotta warriors in a purpose-built pit, without the crowds, in the company of a specialist guide who has spent a career studying what you are seeing.
XIY Airport — Arrival in the Ancient Capital
Xi'an Xianyang International Airport (XIY) is located 47 km northwest of the city centre. The drive along the G30 expressway passes through the Wei River valley — a landscape of loess plateaus and ancient tomb mounds that begins to communicate the scale of Xi'an's historical depth before you even reach the city walls. Our Rolls-Royce Phantom and Bentley Flying Spur operate the airport transfer, ensuring the arrival is already an experience.
High-speed rail is an increasingly popular arrival option for Xi'an: G-class trains from Shanghai reach Xi'an North Station in approximately 5.5 hours; from Beijing in 4.5 hours. We position vehicles at Xi'an North Station for all rail arrivals, with a bilingual greeter in the high-speed rail arrivals hall.
The Terracotta Army — Before the Crowds
The Museum of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses of Emperor Qin Shi Huang receives over six million visitors annually. The difference between a standard visit and a private FFGR China visit is not merely comfort — it is access and time. We coordinate private first-entry access through our cultural liaison at the museum administration, allowing our clients to enter Pit 1 — the largest and most spectacular of the three excavated pits — before the general admission queues form.
Our exclusive guide, Dr. Zhang Wei — a former researcher at the Museum of Chinese History in Beijing with a doctorate in Qin dynasty archaeology — accompanies all private tours. Her narrative transforms the experience: from chronological recitation to a cinematic reconstruction of the political, military and artistic motivations that produced these eight thousand unique faces.
The Ancient City Wall — Private Dusk Circuit
The Xi'an City Wall — one of the best-preserved Ming dynasty city walls in China, 13.7 km in circumference — offers a private cycling or walking circuit at dusk that is among the most serene experiences in urban China. As the city lights begin to appear below and the ancient bell and drum towers glow gold against the twilight sky, the scale of the city that has stood here for three thousand years becomes quietly, profoundly felt.
FFGR China arranges exclusive access to the wall during the pre-opening window before public admission begins — or, for evening circuits, after the tourist day has ended. A private electric bicycle (with support cart) or a comfortable walking arrangement with covered areas is prepared based on client preference.
Muslim Quarter — Culinary Immersion on the Silk Road
Xi'an's Muslim Quarter (Huimin Jie) is not a tourist recreation of the Silk Road — it is the living continuation of it. The Hui Muslim community has maintained its culture, cuisine and mosques here for over a thousand years. The Great Mosque of Xi'an, founded in 742 AD and expanded under the Ming dynasty, is the oldest and most architecturally distinctive mosque in China — built in classical Chinese architectural style with Arabic inscriptions integrated into the woodwork.
Our private food immersion in the Muslim Quarter is conducted by a local Hui culinary historian: hand-pulled biangbiang noodles with chilli oil and black vinegar, yang rou pao mo (lamb and bread soup cooked to order), and fresh pomegranate juice pressed at the street stall that has operated on the same corner since the 1980s. This is not dinner — it is an education in cultural continuity.
Huaqing Palace & Lishan Hot Springs — Imperial Retreat
Thirty kilometres east of Xi'an, at the base of the Lishan Mountain, the Huaqing Palace hot springs have been frequented by Chinese emperors since the Zhou dynasty — over 2,500 years of continuous use. The Tang Emperor Xuanzong and his beloved concubine Yang Guifei spent their winters here, a love story that became one of the most celebrated in Chinese literary history. The hot spring pools are still fed by the same natural thermal source.
FFGR China arranges exclusive bathing access to the imperial pools in the evening, outside standard visiting hours, accompanied by a Tang dynasty cultural guide. The adjacent archaeological site of the 1936 Xi'an Incident — where Chiang Kai-shek was placed under house arrest — adds a layer of modern political history to a visit already dense with imperial narrative.
Book Your Xi'an Private Tour
Xi'an private tour programmes are designed for a minimum of two days — a single day cannot do justice to the city. We recommend three to four nights at the Grand Mercure Xi'an on the Ancient Culture Street or the Sofitel Legend Peoples Square. Our standard programme covers the Terracotta Army, the City Wall, the Muslim Quarter, Huaqing Palace and the Shaanxi History Museum, all in private conditions. Contact our concierge desk via WhatsApp to build your itinerary.