Tours/Xian/Private Xi’an Night & Food Tour by Tuk Tuk and Public Transportation
Viator · Private tour

Private Xi’an Night & Food Tour by Tuk Tuk and Public Transportation

4.9(23)Xian1 hour
VIATOR4.4(5)TRIPADVISOR5.0(18)

Description

If you have a little bit more time between some regular city tours in Xi’an and at the same time you love foods very much, then this tour is a ticket for you to see how different the city is at night and to make you a real gourmet by trying amazing local food. Served as capital of China for more than 1,200 years, the city was the home of many emperors and different religions as well as the terminus of world famous Silk Road. With the introduction of various kind of spices and flavorings from western regions, Xi’an food get its own special style and taste. Join in this tour, you could get a close touch to the famous Xi’an food and local people’s life without missing some historical and cultural monuments in town.

Tour Options

Private Xi’an Night & Food Tour by Tuk Tuk and Public Transportation
  • Pickup included

Itinerary

60 min

Stop at: Muslim Street Located in the city center of Xi'an, the Muslim Quarter is the only historical and cultural part that survived through long history. It's not only the most active but also the most colorful area with full of street foods and restaurants. Various of noises of those hawking vendors and buzzing scooters together with the hustling and bustling of visitors will make you feel that you are in a real China. A bite of some street food and bargaining with some street vendors will be a real relief after visiting the big Terracotta Army Museum and the long wall!   1. Shredded Pita Bread Cooked in Lamb Soup   If there is one food could represent Xi'an, it'd be without doubt Yangrou Paomo -- an aromatic, tasty and spicy bowl of shredded flat-bread soaked in mutton broth. As a local specialty which is widely eaten in Xi’an area, locals always say,“If you have never tried Pao Mo, you can never say that you’ve been to Xi’an.” Eating Pao Mo is an uniquely fun and relaxing exercise and experience. Here is the right way to do it. At the beginning you'll be served with two pieces of unleavened flat pita bread or "mo" in Chinese in a bowl. Then it’s your job to break the bread into pieces with sizes from peanuts to soybeans according to your own preference. It’s a time-consuming process but locals believe that the Paomo made by themselves will taste much better. More importantly, it's the time for people to talk and to communicate while siting together and tearing those hard bread. Then you should return bowl with those shredded bread pieces and your “mo” will be cooked in mutton soup which has been stewed for the whole day until the bits are fully soaked in soup and its rich flavor. The stew will be cooked with mung bean vermicelli and topped with slices of lamb or beef of your choice, and pickled sweet garlic served at the same time with chili sauce added in will keep a perfect balance of the dish.   2. Soup Dumpling   While talking about soup dumplings, the one in Shanghai will come to mind for most of people. However, locals in Xi’an would like to tell you that their lamb or beef dumplings are much better. Traditionally most of soup dumplings are filled with pork or a mixture of pork and vegetables and will be eaten together with sweet vinegar, but soup dumpling in Xi’an are made of paper-thin wrappers with beef or lamb and minced vegetables and mixed with various kind of spices. This mixture gives the dumpling a special texture and it tastes not as greasy as the pork one.   Take the soup out and drink it then swallow the whole dumpling into mouth will be a quite enjoyable thing for locals.

120 min

Stop at: Big Pagoda This pagoda is situated in Daci'en Temple which was religious center of Chang'an in the Grand Tang Dynasty. It used to be the tallest building in the city and only those most capable candidates who could pass the imperial examination were allowed to walk up from inside to the top to show their special honor given by the imperial court and their soaring future. It is such a popular destination today because parents from all over the country would like to come then pray in front of the Buddha in the hope that their kids could be top students in schools. The surrounding area of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda is also the most beautiful part of the city with lots of buildings built in ancient style. A visit of his place and a stroll in the area will immerse you with Buddhist culture and to see the combination of antiquity and modernity of the city.   3. Biang Biang Noodle   Those most famous and popular foods in Xi’an are mostly wheat-based since it’s a city in northern China which is drier and colder compare with the south. Such climate and geographical location render Xi’an to be home of various kind of noodles and dumplings! There are more than 60 different noodles in the area and most of them are fresh hand-made ones. With divers styles, special textures and various flavors, Xi’an noodles have been eaten widely as daily savories and have been adored by people from all over the world! Among all these noodles, Biang Biang Noodle is one of the most popular. It’s regarded as one of the "eight strange wonders of Xi’an area”. Locals always call it as “ wrest best noodle” or the “ seat belt noodle” due to it’s are thickness and length. The name perfectly describes the characters of the noodle. As long and wide as seat belt. It is broad and hand-made and every time when the noodle is being made, it touches and slaps the table and makes sound like “Biang Biang”, hence the name. Trying this special fresh hand-made noodle and eating row garlic at the same time will be a pure joy for people and will make you come to the conclusion that China is the hometown of noodles. 4. Xi’an Burger Rou jia mo is one of a very popular snacks in Xi’an area. It literally means “bread with meat stuffed in it”. With a history about one thousand years, it is widely consumed by locals in Xi’an area. The meat put inside is most commonly pork belly, stewed for few hours in the soup with lots spices and seasonings which will eventually make the meat quite flavorful. The hours-stewed meat and fat will be minced and chopped and then stuffed in those fresh-made plain taste bread together with small amount soup and chili sources will present people a perfect combination. It is a remarkable equivalent to the Western hamburger and meat sandwiches. 5.Lamb or Beef BBQ In one word, try BBQ on street side at night with gentle breeze and cold beer will be a sheer heaven for most people in hot summer.

Highlights

Public transportation cost.
Drinks like local beverages.
Dinner
English-speaking guiding service

What's included

Included
Public transportation cost.
Drinks like local beverages.
Dinner
English-speaking guiding service
Not included
Gratuities
Your own personal expenses.

Pickup Locations & Times

We will pick up our guests if their hotel is centrally located, like within Xi’an City Wall.

Traveller Ratings

4.9
23 reviews
5
22
4
0
3
0
2
1
1
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Important Information

  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Not recommended for pregnant travelers
  • Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
  • Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness

Reviews(23)

S
susanandcharlesw
November 24, 2025
Well worth it.

Cost was very reasonable for the experience. Total group size was only 5. The guide very personalbe, knowledgeable and accommodative to customizing the experience so that me wife and I could explore a few food options on our own. Took all the guess wark out of trying to decide which foods to try out of the many many options + tuk tuk is always an adventure in itself. Recommend

C
Cathy_D
September 12, 2025
Best experience ever!!

Simply AMAZING!! The experience, the food, the background history and most of all the guide. Michael was my tour guide. He held the tour for me even though it was just me. He provided a comprehensive view of Xi’an culture and food. I can only say that anyone not booking this particular tour will miss out. I highly recommend it!! Thank you Michael and for an amazing evening.

M
MaryRLa
August 7, 2025
Favorite tour for my teen boys

We took this tour with our wonderful guide, Michael and are so happy we did. We got to sample burgers, wine, pigs get, Xi'an noodles and more. My son and his best friend loved riding the tuk tuk and said Michael made this the most fun tour that they had in China in all 3 cities we visited.

S
Sightseer14311752528
May 22, 2025
Best food tour

Great time. The tour was great. Michael was our guide and he made the whole experience unforgettable. He was very flexible on what we wanted and didn’t want., was knowledgeable and gave us information that enhanced the experience He took us to some very good places, for really good food. Later we went to other places with the same type of food but the places Michale took us too were by far the best. If you want to experience the best of the local food places I highly recommend this private tour.

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giuliapP1438YF
May 15, 2025
If you love food like I do this is the perfect Tour to choose.

Our Tour guide Michael showed us various Xi'an specialities which definitely should not be missed out on. I especially liked the Chinese Burger, the Barbeque in the Muslim Quarter and the Biang Biang noodles. Make sure to go hungry so you have space to eat more. It was a great idea to book this Tour on our first day so we knew exactly where to go for the other days we spend in Xi'an. Not only was Micheal an excellent Tour guide but he was also very helpful after the tour. He helped us get a Sim Card so we could have Internet on our phones, since in China everything is mostly payed through WeChat or Alipay. He even gave us recommendations and answerd any questions we had about Chinese Culture/History.

A
angelasharon_c
February 23, 2025
Great food tour

Great tour that allows you to try most of Xian’s local food. Our guide Michael’s knowledge of xian food scene was impressive. He explained the history and cultural significance of each dish with enthusiasm, making our experience more enjoyable and meaningful. Michael was friendly, warm and made us feel like we were eating with a local friend! He also gave us local oranges as a parting gift!! It’s a must do experience when in Xi’an!

T
tobiasbW9801HP
May 14, 2024
Excellent food tour in Xi’an

Michael was a marvelous guide on this tour through Xi’an’s culinary world. As a long time resident of the city he provided insights on the city and the food I was eating. The food itself was delicious and included dishes like the pita bread lamb soup, soup dumplings, and the renowned Xi’an burger. I can highly recommend this tour to anybody who seeks to taste Xi’an’s signature food and an evening in great company.

A
andrewaQ4997AA
April 26, 2024
An experience well worth it!

Very informative tour, with an excellent range of Xi'an cuisine sampled throughout, in various sections of the city. I didn't spend a lot of time in Xi'an, but this gastronomic tour was definitely well worth it!

M
Margaux_G
April 25, 2024
Not recommended

I have done plenty of food tours during travels but this one I liked the least. When I do a food tour, I hope to especially eat the things that are not the most common dishes. We had as example a lamb burger, biang biang noodles and dumpling soup - which among are the most famous dishes of Xi’an and you can find everywhere. I googled local dishes and where to eat them myself the next day and discovered way more than in this tour. The guide also made a transphobic comment “I accept all genders but for me there are only 2 - it’s okay they exist but they ask for way too much.” I would have left it like that because apart from this he was a nice guy, but since he asked 4 times now to review, here it is. I would not recommend this tour.

Operator response

Hi Mauguax, Now I need say something about your review. What you said is not fair coz you only listed 3 food but we took you to three different areas with amazing night view and did you remember you actually tried other things like Bowl Breaking Wine, like shredded pita bread cooked in lamb soup, like sweet congee, pig face meam and century egg? You said you can find those thing everywhere, why you didn't do it yourself before but still booked the tour and made such commets after have all these food? I make it clear on the tour list what we will try during the tour, but why you didn't check it carefully and why I have to pay extra for something expensive you wanted to try? I knew you got lost that early morning and you didn't find your hostle till 3 am. It was frustrating and you were tired. Did I shorten the tour time even you looked pretty impatient during the tour? I waited an hour more and fininshed the tour around 11 pm. Why you didn't say anything about that? Why you didn't seeothers effort for willingly being helpful? Also, China is China and Belgium is Belgium, my commets on LGBT is personal and I didn't make it publicly, I didn't know whether you are a LGBT member, but I made this commets when we had a conversation privately, and I tried to show my respect to your minds about that. Why you could be so upset for that and show it publicly? I didn't push you to make review for me and I just sent you the link once and told you once before we finish the tour around 11 pm, but how can you tell it was four times I asked you to make the review? Please be fair, and personally I take my words back, like "You're welcomed to come back to Xi'an."

M
Michiel_V
April 23, 2024
Must do when in Xi'an

Michael is a great guide who not only lets you taste delicious and special food, but also tells you a lot about the history and culture of China. The tuktuk transport through the busy streets is very entertaining, the tour is highly recommended!

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