One ticket opens both halves of the most astonishing archaeological show on earth: the three vaulted pit hangars of the Terracotta Army and — 1.5 km to the west — the necropolis of the First Emperor himself, linked by a free shuttle that every admission includes. Online fares start at US$18.03 on Trip.com, comfortably below the walk-up rate, and the ratings explain the hype: the museum is the No. 1 of the Global Traveller-Picked Attractions in Xi’an, rated 4.7/5 by 149,681 travelers on Trip.com and 4.7/5 on TripAdvisor — #1 of 322 things to do in the city. This guide covers what the price actually includes, how the passport-scan entry works, how the free shuttle stitches the two sites into one day, and why the 08:30 opening rewards early birds.
重點
- From US$18.03 booked online through Trip.com — the cheapest legitimate route in, and usually well below the gate price.
- One ticket, two sites: the three pits museum and the First Emperor’s mausoleum necropolis 1.5 km west, linked by a free shuttle.
- Passport is your ticket: travelers report you simply scan your passport at the gate — no printing, no voucher queues.
- One clock to watch: open 08:30–19:00 with tickets sold until 5:00 PM — and the two-site visit takes 3–5 hours.
- Rated 4.7/5 by 149,681 travelers on Trip.com — and #1 of 322 things to do in Xi’an on TripAdvisor.
Quick answer: for most international travelers the fastest route is booking through 攜程網 — English interface, any foreign card, instant confirmation, and you skip the ticket-window queue entirely.
What the ticket includes
The main admission covers the entire complex, and the headline is Pit One: about 6,000 warriors and horses ranked in battle order inside a 230-by-62-metre vaulted hangar — the scale that made the army famous. 二號坑 adds the specialists — cavalry, archers and chariot units — in a hall where excavated trenches sit beside fully restored figures you can study at eye level. Pit Three is small but pivotal: the command post from which the underground army was directed.
The same ticket also unlocks the mausoleum necropolis 1.5 km west across the Lishan Garden grounds: two excavation areas around the First Emperor’s burial mound, plus the Bronze Chariot Hall, where the two half-size bronze chariot teams unearthed in 1980 are displayed — among the most exquisite bronze objects ever excavated in China. One fare, one passport scan, two UNESCO-listed sites.
How much tickets cost (2026)
For international travelers there is essentially one play: the online e-ticket, which starts at US$18.03 per adult on Trip.com. The final price varies gently with season and date, and the peak-season gate price has historically run higher, so booking ahead is both cheaper and safer. Concession brackets are listed on the same booking page, and the calendar honestly greys out sold-out dates.
| Option | Best for | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Online e-ticket (adult) | Everyone; the default smart buy | From US$18.03 (instant confirmation, passport-scan entry) |
| Concession tickets | Students, seniors, children | Discounted brackets on the same booking page |
| Gate ticket | Impulse visits only | Higher than the online fare; queues and sell-outs on peak days |
| Optional extras | Guides, audio commentary and the like | Small on-site fees, pay on the day |
Entry: your passport is the ticket
The entry process is the easiest of any major Chinese sight we visit regularly. Book online, receive instant confirmation, and on the day simply present your passport at the scanner — the machine reads the document you booked with, and the turnstile opens. E-tickets live in your email and in the Trip.com app, so nothing needs printing.
- Book online the night before — weekends and Chinese public holidays sell out the calmest time slots first.
- Bring the same passport you booked with; the scanner reads it, not your name.
- Tickets are sold until 5:00 PM — the full two-site visit needs 3–5 hours, so the last comfortable entry is early-to-mid afternoon.
The free shuttle to the mausoleum
Every ticket includes the free shuttle that runs between the pits museum and the mausoleum site in the Lishan Garden 1.5 km west — in practice departing every few minutes when the site is busy. Most travelers work the pits first, then ride over for the quieter garden paths, the excavation areas and the Bronze Chariot Hall. Because it is the same ticket, there is nothing to re-book and nothing extra to pay: keep your passport handy and hop on.
Step-by-step booking
- Step 1. Open the Trip.com listing for Xi’an Terracotta Warriors and pick your date — live prices appear for every ticket type.
- Step 2. Pay with any international card; confirmation is instant.
- Step 3. Your e-ticket arrives by email and in the app — check the date and the name spelling.
- Step 4. On the day, scan your passport at the pits museum gate, then ride the free shuttle west and use the same ticket at the mausoleum.
常問問題
Do I need to print my ticket?
No. The ticket is fully digital — show the e-ticket on your phone and scan your passport at the gate. Travelers consistently describe the process as quick and stress-free.
What time does the last ticket go on sale?
Tickets are sold until 5:00 PM, when the gates close at 19:00. Because the full visit takes 3–5 hours, we recommend arriving by mid-afternoon at the latest — earlier if you want both sites at an unhurried pace.
Is the mausoleum site really included?
Yes — one ticket covers the three pits museum and the First Emperor’s mausoleum necropolis 1.5 km west, with the free shuttle linking the two. Same day, same ticket, nothing extra to buy.
Can I buy tickets at the gate?
You can, but the walk-up rate is higher and tickets sell out on holidays — a Thai reviewer’s group was turned away at the ticket office on a peak day and bought four e-tickets on Trip.com in under a minute instead.
Book your ticket, then plan the visit
The pits are waiting
Instant confirmation, any international card, passport-scan entry. One ticket, two sites — just bring your phone and your passport on the day.
With the ticket sorted, line up the rest: walk the ranks in detail with the pit-by-pit guide, learn why every soldier’s face is unique in our faces story, and meet the whole roster in 勇士隊 before you go. The essentials — route, timing, packing — live in the 參觀指南, and real traveler experiences are in the reviews section on our front page.
Sources & official references
- Trip.com — Xi’an Terracotta Warriors attraction listing (checked October 2026): tickets from $18.03, hours 08:30–19:00, tickets sold until 5:00 PM.
- Ticket inquiry hotline +86-29-81399127 for opening hours and group visits.
- Verified traveler reviews on Trip.com (149,681 reviews, 4.7/5 average) for passport-scan entry, the free shuttle and crowd patterns.
- On-site signage and route markers, verified by our editorial team on 2025–2026 visits.
