Three of us spent three nights in Xi’an. We arranged our own flights from Hong Kong and the hotel. On Monday, we were picked up at the airport and taken to our hotel by one of Lily’s drivers, and on Thursday, the same driver took us back to the airport.
In between, we were treated to a great tour, lead by Jackie with driver Dan-dan (uncertain spelling). On Tuesday, we saw the sights of Xi'an: the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, the bell tower, and the Beilin Museum—also known as the Steles Forest—were the highlights.
On Wednesday, Jackie took us first to the Terracotta Warriors Museum and then to the Han Yanling Museum.
Entrance fees were all included except for the Beilin Museum, which was not in the original itinerary, but Jackie was happy to accommodate our request to enter as my wife was keen to see the stele.
All the while, Jackie provided a constant stream of explanation of what we were looking at and its place in Chinese history. Jackie was knowledgeable and unfailingly cheerful.
Although we stopped for lunch on both days, the cost of lunch was not included, which suited us as it meant we could choose what we wanted to eat. We didn't really like the choice of restaurant in Xi’an, but the place in Lintong was excellent.
The cars LT provided were clean and comfortable and the driving was professional, unlike some of the others on the road.
I should mention that Mary suffered a bad allergy attack, which is apparently not uncommon in Xi’an though our weather was quite clear, so we curtailed our explorations in the city to allow her some rest back at the hotel. Obviously, Jackie couldn't do anything about this. I would advise taking suitable preventative action if you are sensitive to dust and pollution.
The communication between us and Lily while we planned the tour was very good—very important to ensure all the ducks are lined up so there are no issues getting the Chinese visa sorted.
The things that were not good about our visit weren't Jackie’s fault. We were very happy with our visit to Xi’an and the service provided by Jackie and everyone at Lily’s Tours. We can unreservedly recommend them for your trip to see Terracotta Warriors and the other sights of the city.
