Amber was our tour guide with Catherine Lu Tours in Xi'an. She was an amazing guide knowing a lot about history and the region, and we enjoyed every minute with her. In addition to the Terracotta Warrior museum, which was a must, she also took us to another Han Dynasty tomb terracotta figurine museum, which is less known but equally outstanding. In addition our tour of the Muslim Street and other food markets were equally enjoyable. We also visited Xi'an's walls, where we rented bikes and explored the views of the city. Amber, who is a local, took us rather to local than tourist restaurants, which we appreciated a lot. Overall a fantastic experience. We strongly recommend the guide Amber and Catherine Lu Tours to visit Xi'an. You get a genuine experience and learn a lot!

This was an incredible tour that I would highly recommend for any non-chinese as well as Chinese persons. Why? First of all if you are non-Chinese, you have all sorts of passport issues when purchasing tickets at counters with some one that has virtually no English skills. Then, if you do not sign up for a tour that picks you up at your hotel, you need to have Wechat on your phone connected to your credit card to order a taxi to go to the site. Further, you would need to be fluent in Mandarin to talk to the taxi service. All of these critical problems are solved when you book the trip through Cool Destinations !As for the tour guide Lilly, you may want to request that she be your guide. Myself, I am very familiar with Chinese history. However, she provided many key insights into these historical sites. She noted that it was March 28th, 1974 when seven villagers from Xi'An were digging a well due to the drought. Instead, they found some of the warriors from the Terracotta Army. Of the seven who found this incredible discovery, five of them have passed away. Lilly was able to introduce me to one of the two surviving men who discovered the Terracotta Army. I now have an autographed copy of his book and a picture of meeting him. Is an autographed Chinese history book something that you would like to leave to your grandchildren?The Big Wild Goose Pagoda on this tour is one of the most famous pagodas in China for two reasons: (1) it was built by Empeor Taizong in 629 AD. Taizong was one of China's greatest emperors, he is also the emperor that sent Xuanzang the Chinese Buddhist monk to obtain much better copies of the Buddhist scriptures. The Buddhist Xuanzang's Journey to the West (i.e. India) inspired one of China's four greatest fictional novels, which we call the "Monkey King." (2) The Pagoda was originally five stories high. However, Wu Zetian, the only lady whoever became the Emperor in China, expanded it to seven stories. At that time, it was the tallest building in Xi'An. Wu Zetian became a concubine of the emperor at age 13, and then many years later became one of China's best governing Emperors.Xi'An's city wall. Maybe you have visited a castle in Europe and seen one of their outside walls guarding the castle. However, unless you have walked the Great Wall of China or visited the city wall around Nanjing, European castle exterior castle walls are nothing in comparison to Chinese city walls. These were built so wide that chariots could easily travel both directions.Finally, end the night at the Muslim Bazaar and try the street food. In China, street delicacies are a Chinese culture by themselves. Sometimes you might find something similar at a cultural event in the U.S., but never to the extent you will see here. The only problem you may have is that your stomach might not be big enough to hold all of the Chinese delicaes that you will want to taste.My last recommendation, you want to ask for Lily as your guide. Her English skills are excellent and knowledge of Chinese culture is extensive.

Michelle was a fantastic tour guide, and our Tuktuk drivers were great. We went to several places, including one where we got to watch them make the famed Xi'an noodles (and they are worthy of the fame!). We ended up at a lovely brewpub and got to sample several of their beers. I was travelling alone, but the rest of the folks on the tour were lovely to hang out with. I definitely recommend this tour and would absolutely do it again!

Had a great time. Even though Lily was a non-native speaker, she was able to convey her thoughts in an understandable manner. She was not only knowledgeable about Xian, but also about Chinese history and culture in general. She was sincerely concerned that all members of our tour had enjoyable, eye-opening, and memorable experiences.

Extremely fascinating and well organized tour. The explanations of our guide Michael were very interesting, he speaks very good English and is familiar with thousends of years of Chinese history. He's also a very nice person. The Terracotta Army is one of the most impressive things you can ever see and experience, but without Michael's explanations the experience would not have been half as deep. The museum is also worth seeing (and one of the few sightseeing spots in China where you don't have to fight your way through crowds). And the lunch with the freshly prepared noodles tasted good, too. We can only recommend this tour.

Michael was AMAZING! We started with the Hanyangling museum- a perfect opening for understanding the time period of the terra-cotta warriors. Frankly, I found them much more interesting (though not as awe-inspiringly amazing) than the warriors. There, you see everything in the tomb. Also, there was hardly anyone there, so we could easily take our time. Michael is a great storyteller and gave rich information on life at that time period. We went on to have a marvelous lunch. I have celiac disease and was amazed that Michael took such great care to find a place where I could eat gluten free food! I almost cried with happiness to be able to try the famous food from Xi’an! Something I wouldn’t have been able to do on my own. He even took the time after the tour to help me find more food I could eat. From there we went to the warriors, which are remarkable on their own, but once again Michael brought things to life. Stopping by a yangdong afterwards gave an interesting view into a unique and ancient lifestyle. Since leaving Xi’an I have passed several other yangdong and it was cool to have a sense of what they’re like inside. I highly recommend this tour, and Michael in particular for his care, his storytelling, his knowledge and his overall great company! His English is excellent- certainly one of the best guides I’ve had in China. Thank you Michael for the special day!

The highlight of this tour was the historical sites of the two terracotta armies. There is so much history in Xi’an and our tour guide was professional and provided very good explanation. Our tour guide and the drive provided excellent services. Our group totally enjoyed this two-day tour. The only improvement I want to suggest would be more timely response from the tour operator. I was asked to communicate via WhatsApp. I sent a couple of messages to the tour operator and noticed after 24+ hours that the messages were still not being read. Eventually, I asked the tour guide to relate my messages to the tour operator and obtained the answers through the tour guide.

We took a private tour of the terracotta and huaqing hot springs. The tour was fantastic and our guide, Eddie was very knowledgeable about the history of the terracotta. There are lots of people there but it was relatively easy for us as all the tickets were purchased before hand. We had our tour in English which was a huge plus point as neither of us spoke very good mandarin, let alone reading. I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for an English guide and wants to maximise your day in Xian

I had the most incredible experience on the private tour of the Terra-Cotta Warriors. My tour guide Kelly was knowledgeable and passionate about the history behind these magnificent sculptures. The personalised attention I received allowed me to ask questions and learn at my own pace. I highly recommend this tour for anyone looking to appreciate the wonder of the Terra-Cotta Warriors in a more intimate and enriching way.

Our trip guided by Kelly was nothing short of amazing! Kelly's friendliness and deep understanding of the Terracotta made the tour feel like a personalized journey. With the private transfer she organized, getting to the Terracotta was smooth and hassle-free.

Roger was my guide for the day in Xian. Thoroughly enjoyed his company. He is impressively well versed in the history of the warriors and the period of their making. Got to meet the farmer who discovered the archeological site. Highly recommend Roger. Thank you so much for the excellent day trip.

Sandy is the best. we arrived on the golden week and Sandy suggested we start at 7 instead of 8:30 am. Spot on… We got a great place walking pit 1 before a stream of people flooded in. Very knowledgeable and friendly. Take this tour if you come.

Our guide, Cindy, provided concise and easy-to-understand explanations from her in-depth knowledge of a wide range of Chinese history and culture. She is reasonably reliable and informative, especially with regard to Shaanxi Province and Xi'an, as well as the countless visits to the Terracotta Warriors and Horses. Her timetabling was flexible and she was able to consult with us to make the right decision for our situation.

It was a unique experience riding in a tuk-tuk to 5-6 places tasting local food. I loved the noodle shop, the first stop, on the tour the most. Amber was fun and professional. I can see she enjoys leading the tour. The last stop at a microbrewery was interesting. All in all, my sister and I enjoyed the tour.

Totally recomended tour in Xi'an! My guide, Michael, was superb! Nice guy, friendly, easy talk, very good English, and great guide. He continuously shared interesting facts about every place we visit, as well as suggestions of other things to do to make my stay in Xi'an more enjoyable. Food was also great, and Michael recommended some very traditional Xi'an dishes which were very tasty. Michael even dropped me off in a very nice area that evening as per my request, after we finished the tour, and gave me some tips about things to do, which ended up being one of the best moments I had in the city. 100% recommended!

Our bubbly guide Tina was very knowledgeable and so thoughtful. There'll be zero language barrier as she's an English major. My wife and I loved her insights on the Terracotta army, Huaqing Palace and City Wall. Enjoy!