Route at a glance
- From: Beijing West
- To: Xi'an North
- Distance: 1,216 km
- Fastest: 4h 10m
- Frequency: Frequent (multiple per day)
High-speed rail · 1,216 km
Beijing to Xi'an by high-speed rail
The standard way to pair the Forbidden City with the Terracotta Army. Fastest trains run about 4h 10m station to station; Xi'an North (西安北) is connected to the city-wall area by metro (transfer time not checked here). Fastest 4h 10m, around US$85 second class on Trip.com (sampled 2026-06-02).
Fare (second class, sampled)
US$85
on the fastest service, via Trip.com. Their USD price includes fees and FX — not the 12306 face fare. Live price and other classes on Trip.com. Snapshot 2026-06-02.
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Decide before you book
- Which station
- Departs Beijing West; arrives Xi'an North. If the city has more than one station, check which one is closer to where you are staying before you pick a train. Station-to-hotel times are not measured on this page.
- On-board vs door-to-door
- 4h 10m is the fastest scheduled on-board time between those two stations. Door-to-door time (getting to the station, ticket and passport checks, boarding) is not included and has not been measured here.
- Seats on your date
- not checked Availability for a specific date is not checked on this site; the booking page shows it for your date.
- Where to stay
- Before paying for a hotel at either end, read foreign-passport hotel check-in and, for Shanghai, which first-night area.Hotels in Xi'an on Trip.com →
Tips for the Beijing–Xi'an ride
seats: not checked Frequency notes below describe the timetable pattern, not availability on your date. Tickets are sold per train; confirm the train and seat on the booking page before you travel.
- Departs Beijing West (北京西), not Beijing South — they are different stations on opposite sides of the city.
- From Xi'an North, Metro Line 2 runs straight to the Bell Tower / city-wall core.
- Book a morning G-train so you arrive with daylight for the Muslim Quarter.
Booking as a foreigner
Compare the official 12306 English entry and Trip.com. Check identity requirements, accepted payment methods, total price and refund rules before choosing.
On a 240-hour transit?
If you're riding this leg as part of a China visa-free transit, your route, ports, and stay window all have to line up. Run it through the checker before you commit to the booking.
Popular high-speed rail routes
- Shanghai to Beijing — 4h 24m, from US$98
- Xi'an to Chengdu — 3h 7m, from US$44
- Chengdu to Chongqing — 1h 15m, from US$19
- Shanghai to Hangzhou — 45m, from US$13
- Shanghai to Suzhou — 23m, from US$6
- Guangzhou to Hong Kong — 48m