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XIY · arrival routes

Xi'an — Airport to city

In February 2025 XIY opened T5 — China's first 'T5' terminal and its biggest, with its own Metro Line 14 station (机场(T5)站). All international flights plus China Eastern/Shanghai Airlines/China United domestic routes moved there; T1/T2/T3 now share 机场西站 (Airport West Station). Many English guides still list 'T5 (Closed)' — that's outdated. Below is each option into the city with its real fares, times and the signs to follow.

New T5 — the freshest terminal, easy to miss on old maps

XIY's T5 opened 20 February 2025 (700,000 m², China's first 'T5', and the airport's biggest terminal). It has its own Metro Line 14 stop, 机场(T5)站. T1/T2/T3 remain in use for the rest of domestic traffic and share 机场西站 (Airport West). Confirm T5 vs. the West Terminal with your airline before you plan your route — some English guides still wrongly list T5 as closed.

Metro to 钟楼 — one transfer at 北客站

Line 14 does not run straight downtown, but the recommended route is a single transfer: ride Line 14 to 北客站 (North Railway Station) and change there directly onto Line 2 toward 钟楼 (the Bell Tower). The change at 北客站 is a walk through a transfer corridor — some sources put it at around 15 minutes, so allow extra time with heavy luggage, or weigh it against a taxi. (There's also an older two-transfer route via Line 4 and 行政中心, if you'd rather avoid that walk.)

Plan before you land

Which way into Xi'an?

Pick by your terminal (T5 or T1/T2/T3), arrival time, luggage and destination — then jump to that section for the exact steps, fares and signs.

Best for · Daytime arrival, light luggage, a hotel near a Line 2/4 stop, cheapest ride

Metro — Line 14 from T5 or the West Terminal

First train
06:04
Last train
22:24
Fare
¥7–8
To city center
≈ ¥8
Rail stations
机场(T5)站 · 机场西站

Where & how to board

  • If you land at T5: board Metro Line 14 directly at 机场(T5)站, inside the terminal.
  • If you land at T1, T2 or T3: follow signs to 机场西站 (Airport West Station) and board Line 14 there.
  • Ride Line 14 toward 北客站 (North Railway Station). To reach 钟楼 (Bell Tower) and the old town, change at 北客站 directly onto Line 2 toward 钟楼 — a single transfer. The change is a walk through a transfer corridor, reportedly around 15 minutes, so allow time if you're carrying luggage. (If you'd rather avoid that walk, an alternate route changes at 北客站 onto Line 4, then at 行政中心 onto Line 2 — two transfers instead of one.)
地铁 · Metro Line 14机场(T5)站 · Airport (T5) Station机场西站 · Airport West Station (T1/T2/T3)北客站 · North Railway Station钟楼 · Bell Tower

Fare & cautions

  • Airport to 北客站 costs about ¥7–8 (fares vary slightly by source); the full trip on to 钟楼 with the transfer at 北客站 runs about ¥8 total and takes roughly 1.5 hours door-to-door.
  • Line 14 runs from 机场(T5)站 first train 06:04 toward downtown, last train 22:24; 机场西站 operates about 6:00–22:20 with trains every 5–7 minutes. Confirm the exact last train on the platform display.
  • Pay with an Alipay/WeChat transit QR code, a mainland transit card, or cash at the ticket machine.
Metro Line 14 platform at 机场(T5)站 (Airport T5 Station), with a sign pointing to 机场西 (T1/T2/T3).
Line 14 platform at 机场(T5)站 — the sign points to 机场西 (T1/T2/T3) if that is your terminal. · Photo: Windmemories, CC BY-SA 4.0
Street entrance to 机场西站 (Airport West Station) on Line 14, serving T1/T2/T3.
The 机场西站 (Airport West) entrance on Line 14, for arrivals at T1/T2/T3. · Photo: Windmemories, CC BY-SA 4.0

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请问机场(T5)站/机场西站怎么走?Which way to 机场(T5)站 / 机场西站?
请问到北客站怎么换乘去钟楼?How do I transfer at 北客站 to get to 钟楼?
Fares, first/last train and headway are from a July 2026 transit source. Confirm the exact last train on the day.

Best for · Late or night arrival, heavy luggage, family, a hotel far from the metro

Official taxi

To city center
¥90–150
Distance
40–45 km

Where & how to board

  • At T5, follow 出租车 / Taxi signs to gate 501. At T2, use gate 213; at T3, use the GTC gate 03.
  • Use only the staffed rank — decline anyone offering a ride inside the hall or at the curb.
  • Show your hotel address in Chinese and confirm the meter is running before you move.
出租车 · Taxi打表 · meteredT5 501门 · Gate 501 (T5)T2 213门 · Gate 213 (T2)T3 GTC 03门 · Gate 03, GTC (T3)

Fare & cautions

  • Metered, but sources disagree on the flagfall (about ¥6 for the first 2 km plus ¥1.5/km, or ¥8.5 for the first 3 km plus ¥2/km, depending on the source) — watch the meter rather than expecting either figure.
  • Travel guides report roughly ¥90–150 to 钟楼 (the distance is reported as 40–45 km, with some sources up to 50 km). A night surcharge applies from about 23:00 to 06:00 — the exact amount was not confirmed, so check the meter.
  • Pay by meter; have Alipay / WeChat Pay ready plus a little cash as backup.
The official metered taxi rank outside Xi'an Xianyang Airport arrivals, taxis queued at the curb.
The official taxi rank at the curb — use the staffed metered queue, not touts inside. · Photo: Windmemories, CC BY-SA 4.0

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请带我去这个地址,麻烦打表,谢谢。Please take me to this address and use the meter.
请问官方出租车排队在哪个门?Which gate is the official taxi rank at?
Meter structure is disputed between sources (see above); the ¥90–150 fare to 钟楼 and 40–45 km distance are travel-guide estimates, not a published airport tariff — confirm on the meter.

Best for · Working data and a saved Chinese address; cost similar to a taxi

Ride-hailing (DiDi / Amap)

Where & how to board

  • Set your destination in DiDi before you walk out — DiDi has an English app that works with a foreign card, so it’s the ride-hailing option most usable for visitors. Locals also use 高德地图 / Amap, but Amap’s interface is Chinese-only.
  • At T5, follow 网约车 signs to the pickup point on level B1 of car park P5A. Pickup points at T1/T2/T3 were not confirmed — follow the terminal's own 网约车 signs and match the app's instructions.
  • Match the car plate to the app before you get in.
网约车 · Ride-hailingT5 P5A停车楼B1 · Level B1, Car Park P5A (T5)

Fare & cautions

  • No fixed airport fare — the app quotes before you confirm.
  • In-app payment; the quote, driver and plate appear after you land.

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我在T5到达层,请告诉我P5A的具体上车点。I am at T5 arrivals — please tell me the exact pickup point in P5A.
T5 pickup point (P5A, level B1) is confirmed; T1/T2/T3 pickup points were not confirmed on an official page — check the terminal signs and the app on arrival.

Best for · A direct budget ride to the old town if you land at T5, T2 or T3

Airport bus — 钟楼西线 (Bell Tower West Line)

Fare
¥25

Where & how to board

  • Follow 机场巴士 / Airport Bus signs to the ticket counter.
  • 钟楼西线 (also signed as 城西钟楼线) runs T5 → T2 → T3 → 城西客运站 → 开远门 → 西稍门 → 安定门 → 西大街 → 钟楼 — check the counter board for your terminal's stop.
  • Note: the 西稍门 stop moved to the 西北民航大厦 (Northwest Civil Aviation Building) on 4 January 2026 — if you are using an older map, look for the new stop name.
机场巴士 · Airport Bus钟楼西线 · Bell Tower West Line西稍门 → 西北民航大厦 · Xishaomen stop relocated (Jan 2026)

Fare & cautions

  • The fare is ¥25 and the ride takes about 1–1.5 hours.
  • The bus runs about 08:50–21:30; exact departure frequency was not confirmed on an official page — check the counter board on the day. Pay cash or mobile at the counter.

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请问钟楼西线的车票在哪里买?Where do I buy a ticket for the 钟楼西线 bus?
Route, ¥25 fare and 08:50–21:30 operating hours per a Feb 2026 transit listing; exact departure frequency is unconfirmed on an official page, and the 西稍门 stop relocated 4 January 2026 — confirm frequency at the counter.

Navigate to your hotel

Open the airport in your map app, then set your hotel as the destination. Amap and Baidu are the reliable maps inside China; Google Maps is limited on the mainland.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

It depends on your terminal. From T5, Metro Line 14 boards right in the terminal at 机场(T5)站; from T1/T2/T3, board at 机场西站. Reaching 钟楼 (Bell Tower) takes one transfer — change at 北客站 directly onto Line 2 — for about ¥8 total and roughly 1.5 hours. You can also take an official taxi (¥90–150), Didi, or the ¥25 钟楼西线 airport bus.

XIY opened T5 on 20 February 2025 — China's first 'T5' and the airport's biggest terminal, with its own Metro Line 14 station. All international flights plus China Eastern/Shanghai Airlines/China United domestic routes moved there; T1/T2/T3 remain in use for other domestic flights and share 机场西站 (Airport West). Confirm which terminal your flight uses — some English guides still wrongly list T5 as closed.

Yes, and it only takes one transfer. Board Metro Line 14 (at 机场(T5)站 or 机场西站, depending on your terminal) and change at 北客站 directly onto Line 2 toward 钟楼. The change at 北客站 is a walk through a transfer corridor, reportedly around 15 minutes. Total fare is about ¥8 and the trip takes roughly 1.5 hours. (An alternate two-transfer route via Line 4 and 行政中心 also exists if you'd rather avoid that walk.)

Travel guides report roughly ¥90–150 to 钟楼 (reported distance 40–45 km). Sources disagree on the exact meter flagfall, so watch the meter rather than expecting a fixed number. A night surcharge applies from about 23:00 to 06:00.

The metro. Airport to 北客站 costs about ¥7–8, and the full trip to 钟楼 with the transfer at 北客站 runs about ¥8 total — far less than a taxi, though it takes about 1.5 hours with the transfer.

Yes. Set your destination in Didi (it has an English app that works with a foreign card — 高德地图 / Amap is Chinese-only) before you walk out. At T5, follow 网约车 signs to level B1 of car park P5A; pickup points at T1/T2/T3 were not confirmed, so follow the terminal's own signs and the app. There's no fixed airport fare — the app quotes before you confirm.

How we verify airport routes

  • We prefer airport, metro, rail, and government operator pages for route, ticketing, terminal, and schedule claims.
  • If an exact fare, pickup bay, or last-train time is not confirmed on an operator page, we tell travelers to check it instead of publishing a number.
  • Last-updated dates mark when source links and page claims were reviewed.

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