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.
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.)
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.


Show this on your phone
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.
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.

Show this on your phone
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.
Fare & cautions
- No fixed airport fare — the app quotes before you confirm.
- In-app payment; the quote, driver and plate appear after you land.
Show this on your phone
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.
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.
Show this on your phone
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
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.
Last updated: