13 hours layover at XIY

Question

I have a 13 hours layover at XIY Xi An Xianyang airport.

Is there something that can be done in this timeframe or just laying around in shops?

Answer 1

It is certainly enough time to take a taxi, shuttle bus, or metro into Xi'an and look around. What you do in the city is up to your preferences, and also what time of day your layover is. The Terra Cotta Army is quite doable in that time frame during the day, especially if you take a taxi there straight from the airport. Or just head to the city center and try some biangbiang noodles.

Answer 2

I may "rate" these later to cover what might best be seen in limited time.
Photos will probably be added / improved.

Big Wild Goose Pagoda (complete with tall solid wall and Mastiff guard dogs after hours. Interesting. Tall. Interesting interior & views out windows.

Small Wild Goose Pagoda. Same but smaller :-).

Old city wall.

Bell tower - in centre of city - with ring road and tunnels to reach.

Drum tower-nearish by and with performances.

Terracotta Warriors. VERY worthwhile BUT time limited. Take taxi maybe and MAYBE pay for them to wait. Given time constraint see only warriors in main hall.

Start at main entrance and travel clockwise to take you past restoration area. Not something that you usually see.

Unseen warriors healing:

MUST SEE but often missed is bronze horses and chariots in a separate building. One hour adequate allup if you rush. A whole day can be spent there. (Ask me how I know)

Bronze Horses - 2000 years !!!
(Most of my photos I'm happy to include some variants of on a CCbySA site. The best of my bronze horse photos I'm not. If I show you then ... :-( . Better are possible with great care. No flash, glass case, possibly many people.)

I will probably delete the following photo once I locate some (even) more related ones:

More photos follow maybe - sleep calls.