Terracotta Army: Tickets, Transport and the Best Visiting Order
The 2026 update corrects the ¥120 year-round price and the relocated 306 bus, with a current metro route and reverse pit order.
Reserve a ¥120 real-name ticket on the official site or official WeChat channel, carry the same physical passport, and allow a six-to-eight-hour block from central Xi’an. The safest independent public-transport route is Metro Line 9 to Huaqingchi / 华清池, then a live-checked local connection such as 临潼游613 or 602. Delete any plan telling you to find Bus 306 at Xi’an Railway Station’s east square: since 29 August 2026, 游5（306路）runs between the new Xi’an East Railway Station / 西安东站 and the Terracotta Army.
Inside, visit Pit 2 → Pit 3 → Pit 1. The smaller pits teach you what you are looking at; Pit 1 then becomes the conclusion rather than the first photograph and a long anticlimax.
The museum’s official name is Emperor Qinshihuang’s Mausoleum Site Museum / 秦始皇帝陵博物院. Use that Chinese name for taxis and ticket checks; “Terracotta Museum” can produce replica attractions or vague drop-offs. A legitimate low-cost bus does not need a tout to find passengers. If someone approaches at a station with a special “official” departure, walk away and use the marked stop, metro or signed taxi rank.
The 2026 works in Pit 2 can change viewing lines. Treat the site map and staff directions as current truth rather than searching for an angle shown in an older blog.
Quick Decision
| Best for | Independent visitors who want current transport and a clear order |
| Time needed | 3 hours pits; 4–5 with Lishan Garden; 6–8 door to door |
| Booking pressure | High in holidays; real-name reservation required |
| Main risk | Following obsolete 306 directions or unofficial solicitors |
| Recommended choice | Metro 9 + official local connection; pits in reverse order |
| Last verified | 13 September 2026 |
The ticket covers the Terracotta Warriors museum and Lishan Garden (丽山园), with an official shuttle between the two. The museum says each area takes about 1.5 hours. The bronze chariots’ display location and Pit 2’s 2026 works can affect the route, so follow the current site map instead of an old floor plan.
Peak-season admission is 08:30–17:00; off-season 08:30–16:30, with later closing. The ¥120 admission applies year-round. Go early, or arrive after the coach peak with enough time for the final check-in.
Taxi card: 秦始皇帝陵博物院（兵马俑）. Ignore anyone who approaches you at a station offering the “official” bus; legitimate transport has a marked stop and published operator.
China Travel Pulse’s judgement: Lishan Garden makes the site intellectually complete, but the pits come first. Skip the garden before compressing the pits.
Operational sources
- Official museum: https://www.bmy.com.cn/index.htm
- Official ticket rules: https://www.bmy.com.cn/jingtai/bmyweb/ticketing.html
- Bus 306 route change, reporting the transport authority approval: https://finance.sina.com.cn/wm/2026-08-28/doc-inipvvzx5703478.shtml
- Railway 12306: https://www.12306.cn/en/faq.html
Tickets and hours checked on 13 September 2026; local bus arrangements should be checked on the travel day.