5-Day Xi'an Archaeology & Heritage Study Tour

A five-day, English-guided archaeology and heritage programme in Xi'an for secondary and university groups of 16 to 30 students. Students work with replica finds in a simulated excavation, handle the craft skills behind Chinese architecture and calligraphy, stand in front of the Terracotta Army, and spend a full day in workshops and a closing ceremony with students from a Xi'an school. Two accompanying teachers travel free of charge.

Xi'an is the right laboratory for this because the archaeological evidence is in the ground under the city. The Terracotta Army was found in March 1974 by farmers sinking a well, was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1987, and its three pits cover more than 20,000 square metres holding around 8,000 life-size figures and horses. Twenty kilometres north, the Tang dynasty Daming Palace - begun in 634, roughly 3.2 square kilometres in extent, and inscribed in 2014 as part of the Silk Roads: the Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor listing - now operates a hands-on archaeological exploration centre where students excavate replica material in five-metre grid squares, exactly as field archaeologists do.

The academic spine is deliberate. Every site visit is paired with a task, and the programme moves from observation to practice: reading stratigraphy at the Terracotta Army pits, excavating and recording a grid square, then trying the crafts those same dynasties depended on - mortise-and-tenon joinery, brush and ink. The closing day is a peer exchange with a Chinese school, run through paper-cutting, kite-making and painting workshops with a formal opening and closing ceremony. We can align the guiding language and debrief sessions to your curriculum framework on request.

Who it suits. Secondary and university cohorts of 16 to 30 students with an interest in history, archaeology, art or engineering; classics, humanities and design departments; and school management groups benchmarking how Chinese schools teach cultural heritage. The market data supports the demand: China's inbound study-tour index stood at 115.5 in 2026, with more than half of surveyed operators already running inbound programmes.

Frequently asked.

• Is the archaeology real or a theme park? It is a structured simulation. The Daming Palace exploration centre's dig area covers about 600 to 1,000 square metres laid out in genuine excavation grid squares, and the finds students recover are replica pieces placed for the purpose. The method - trench layout, trowel and brush work, recording, and the ethics of not touching an unexcavated site - is taught as professionals use it.
• What age is this suitable for? From around twelve upwards. The content is identical across ages and the depth of the debrief changes with the group: for younger cohorts we stay on the evidence and the craft, for university groups we go into stratigraphy, dating and conservation ethics.
• Do the two free teacher places include flights? No. The two teacher places are free of the land programme cost. International airfare, visas and personal spending remain payable, and travel insurance for the teachers is included as it is for every participant.
• Can a Chinese school really be arranged? Yes, and it is usually the day students remember longest. It needs lead time of two to three months to match a partner school and agree the programme; we confirm the school in writing before you commit.
• How much walking and how hot does it get? Three of the five days are outdoors for most of the day and involve several kilometres on foot plus stairs. July and August in Xi'an are hot and humid; spring and autumn are comfortable. We adjust the daily order for heat and provide water throughout.

• The Terracotta Army Museum - the pits discovered in 1974 and inscribed by UNESCO in 1987, with roughly 8,000 life-size figures and horses across three excavations covering over 20,000 square metres. Students examine the military formation, the individually modelled faces and the conservation problems the site still poses.
• Hands-on excavation at Daming Palace Ruins Park - a working session in the archaeological exploration centre of the Tang court city, digging and recording replica material in five-metre grid squares with trowel, brush and field notebook.
• Traditional carpentry workshop - building with the dougong bracket system that holds up classical Chinese roofs without a single nail, and understanding why it survives earthquakes.
• Chinese calligraphy and painting - a guided session with brushes and ink, taught through the calligraphic tradition Xi'an sits at the centre of, at an art centre in the old city.
• Xi'an's Ming city wall - 13.7 kilometres of intact wall, 12 metres high, cycled or walked along the top for a full circuit of the old city.
• Xianyang Museum, the Great Mosque and the Muslim Quarter - Qin and Han antiquities from the former capital, then the Tang-founded Great Mosque and the lanes of the Hui Muslim quarter, which have traded here for more than a thousand years.
• A full day of exchange workshops with a Xi'an school - an opening ceremony, paper-cutting, kite-making and Chinese painting workshops led by Chinese students, a school museum tour, lunch in the school canteen and a closing ceremony.
• Two accompanying teachers travel free - their land cost is amortised into the student price, and travel insurance for the teachers is included with every participant.

• Four nights in a good 4-star or equivalent hotel in central Xi'an, twin or triple share as the group requires, with daily breakfast
• Meals as listed in the itinerary, with dietary requirements and allergies arranged in advance; school canteen lunch on the exchange day
• Private air-conditioned coach with licensed driver throughout all five days, plus airport or high-speed rail transfers on arrival and departure
• Professional English-speaking study guide for the full programme, with debrief sessions aligned to your curriculum framework on request
• All entrance fees to the sites named in the itinerary, including the Terracotta Army Museum with its shuttle bus, the Ming city wall, Daming Palace Ruins Park with its shuttle bus, and Xianyang Museum
• Simulated archaeology session at the Daming Palace archaeological exploration centre, with trowel, brush and field notebook materials
• Traditional carpentry workshop using the dougong bracket system
• Chinese calligraphy and painting workshop with brushes, ink and paper
• Full-day exchange programme with a Xi'an partner school: opening ceremony, paper-cutting, kite-making and painting workshops, school museum tour, canteen lunch and closing ceremony
• Two accompanying teachers free of the land programme cost, amortised into the student price
• Travel insurance for every participant including the two free teacher places: 30 CNY per person per day
• Luggage handling at 10 passengers and above
• Bottled water, tour headsets and local handling services throughout
• All government taxes and service charges as itemised in the quotation

• International air tickets to and from China, and any domestic flights or high-speed rail fares not listed in the itinerary
• China visa fees, invitation letters and any documentation or notarisation costs
• The Great Mosque in the Muslim Quarter and any attraction not named in the itinerary
• Meals and drinks not listed in the itinerary, including all alcoholic beverages
• Optional additional workshops, evening performances and excursions
• Personal expenses: laundry, telephone, minibar, shopping and personal items
• Gratuities for guides and drivers (entirely at your discretion)
• Anything not expressly listed under "What is included"
• Costs arising from events beyond our control, such as flight delays, weather, or changes to site or school access

Before you book.

• Do students and teachers need visas? Requirements follow each traveller's nationality, not the group. China grants unilateral visa-free entry to citizens of a range of countries for stays of up to 30 days, and Xi'an is a designated port for 240-hour visa-free transit. The eligible-country list changes, so check every participant's nationality with the nearest Chinese embassy before booking; we provide confirmed hotel bookings, the day-by-day programme and, on request, an invitation letter for group visa applications.
• What is the student-to-staff ratio and who supervises? The programme is quoted for 16, 20 or 30 students, and two accompanying teachers travel free of the land cost. Your teachers remain responsible for supervision and discipline throughout, including inside the simulated excavation and the workshops; our guide handles instruction, logistics and interpretation. We can accommodate extra staff at the applicable student rate.
• Is the archaeology genuinely hands-on? Yes, within the limits of a protected site. Students excavate and record replica material in five-metre grid squares at the Daming Palace exploration centre, using trowel, brush and field notebook in the same sequence a professional would. The Terracotta Army pits themselves are viewed and studied rather than excavated, which is also the correct professional practice.
• How much walking is involved, and what about weather? Three of the five days are outdoors for most of the day and involve several kilometres on foot plus stairs, including a full circuit of the city wall. July and August in Xi'an are hot and humid; spring and autumn are comfortable and are the better window for school groups. We adjust the daily order for heat, provide water throughout, and can shorten the wall circuit if needed.
• How far ahead must the school exchange be arranged? Two to three months, to match a partner school and agree the programme content and ceremony. We confirm the partner school in writing before you commit to the itinerary. It is usually the day students remember longest, so it is worth the lead time.
• Paying and packing. Alipay and WeChat Pay accept international Visa and Mastercard, which is the most convenient option for staff spending money. Students should travel with a small amount of cash, comfortable enclosed shoes for the excavation session, a sun hat, and any prescription medicine in its original packaging with a copy of the prescription. The insurance included is a standard inbound policy at 30 CNY per person per day for every participant; we recommend a comprehensive policy covering medical evacuation and cancellation on top of it.