For a family trip to Xi’an and Luoyang with children, plan for 6–7 days, including the departure and return days. If your child is already in primary school and can manage walking and visits lasting two or three hours, six days can cover the highlights of both cities. If your child is younger, needs an afternoon nap, or you plan to visit the Terracotta Army, seven days is a better fit. The trip is possible in five days, but you will need to cut back significantly on sightseeing.

This recommendation assumes you enter through one city and leave from the other, minimizing backtracking. A “six-day” trip where you arrive in the evening on the first day and leave early in the morning on the last has only four full sightseeing days, so it should not be planned like a trip with six full days of sightseeing.

Check your usable time first, then decide between six and seven days

You can travel between Xi’an and Luoyang by high-speed train, but the train journey is only part of the time needed to change cities. Checking out of your hotel, getting to the station, boarding, and then collecting your luggage and checking in after arrival all take time. With children, you also need to allow for meals, bathroom breaks, and rest stops. Plan for half a day of travel and half a day of light activities on the transfer day to make the schedule easier to manage.

Six days works well for families who want to choose two priorities in each city—for example, a museum and the Terracotta Army in Xi’an, and the Longmen Grottoes and a walk through the old town in Luoyang. With seven days, you can separate museum visits from outdoor sightseeing and leave room to adjust for the weather, reservations, and your child’s energy levels. If you also want to visit Mount Hua, Mount Laojun, or Shaolin Temple, add days accordingly or replace one of the other activities.

Your child’s interest in history will also affect the pace. Children who enjoy cultural artifacts may want to spend a long time in the galleries; those who are less familiar with history may do better with shorter visits combined with walks, observation, and interactive activities. The itinerary will be more manageable if you leave some time each day without a planned activity.

How to plan six days without spending too much time on the road

The example below starts in Xi’an and ends in Luoyang. You can also travel in the opposite direction; adjust the order based on your transport and attraction reservations.

Day 1: Arrive in Xi’an and stay close to your accommodation

Check in, have a meal, and get familiar with local transport. If you arrive early, take a walk around the neighborhood; if you arrive late, go straight to rest. Avoid planning a night view, a show, and a long trip in search of food on your first evening. In particular, don’t let the idea that you must “make the most of the first day” leave you tired the next morning.

Day 2: Choose one museum and take it easy in the afternoon

Depending on reservation availability, choose the Shaanxi History Museum or another museum that interests you. There is no need to see every gallery on a family visit. Focus on a theme your child can understand and look at a few representative artifacts. In the afternoon, take a nap or choose one light activity on the city wall or in a neighborhood; even if you go up on the city wall, you do not need to walk the entire circuit.

Day 3: Make the Terracotta Army the main activity of the day

The Terracotta Army is in the direction of Lintong, so allow time for the round trip. Focusing on this one attraction makes it easier to accommodate your child’s walking and attention span. Before choosing a guided tour, check its duration and presentation style, and select one your child can follow. After returning to the city center, have a meal and rest as usual; decide whether to go out in the evening based on your child’s energy.

Day 4: Travel from Xi’an to Luoyang and go out after checking in

Choose a train that does not require a very early start and does not get you in too late. When booking, check the departure and arrival stations, as well as transfer times between the stations and both hotels. After arriving in Luoyang, check in first. In the evening, you can have dinner and take a walk around the old town; if it is crowded or your child is tired, shorten the route at any time.

Day 5: Visit the Longmen Grottoes, allowing time for walking and rest

A visit to the Longmen Grottoes involves outdoor walking and steps, so take the weather, hydration, and your child’s stamina into account. Choose a route that suits your child’s energy; you do not need to cover every area. In summer, try to avoid the strongest sun; in cold weather, dress warmly. Leave time to rest afterward rather than immediately setting off on another long excursion.

Day 6: Visit the Luoyang Museum or head straight home, depending on your departure time

If your return trip is later in the day and reservations and opening arrangements work out, you can visit the Luoyang Museum. If you are leaving earlier, allow time for breakfast, packing, and getting to the station. You will also need to account for the time required to store and retrieve your luggage during the museum visit. Do not arrive close to the last admission time, or schedule the end of your visit right before your train departs.

If you have an extra day, where should you add it?

If you can plan for seven days, consider moving the Luoyang Museum visit off the return day and giving it a day of its own: visit the Longmen Grottoes on Day 5, the museum and a light activity on Day 6, and return home on Day 7. This avoids the hassle of visiting with luggage and means you will not have to keep an eye on the time while looking at the exhibits.

If your child is more interested in Xi’an, you can add the extra day there and spread out visits to the museum, city wall, or neighborhoods. Use the additional time first to break up an already busy day rather than immediately adding a distant attraction.

With only five days, you can keep the framework of “two days in Xi’an, one day to transfer, and two days in Luoyang,” but your arrival and departure times will have a significant effect on the experience. Choose which activities to keep, such as the Terracotta Army and the museums in both cities, and aim for one main activity each day. If you have to catch an early train or change areas every day to complete your list, it is better to drop an activity than cut back further on rest.

Make sure these details are in place when booking tickets and accommodation

Check reservation availability before setting the order of your daily activities. Opening hours, reservations, and admission requirements at popular museums and attractions may change. Check the arrangements for your travel dates through official channels. Once you have secured reservations for the key activities, arrange the relevant transport; for time slots you have not been able to book, have a light alternative activity ready.

It is best to stay at one hotel in each city. In Xi’an, compare how convenient each hotel is for reaching attractions in the city center, the Lintong area, and the train station. In Luoyang, choose based on access to the Longmen Grottoes, activities in the city, and your departure station. You do not have to choose a hotel right next to an attraction; also consider whether dining is convenient, whether the room is quiet, and whether you can leave your luggage after checking out.

If you choose a private car or a customized service, include in your itinerary agreement the maximum number of main activities per day, whether an afternoon break is reserved, and how much sightseeing is planned on the transfer day. Also clarify the pick-up and drop-off area, waiting time, what the fees include, and the rules for last-minute changes. A vehicle can reduce some transfers, but queues, walking, and listening to a guide still take energy from your child.

Once you have the final itinerary, review it one day at a time: would the day still work if you skipped one place? If your child gets tired in the afternoon, can you easily return to the hotel? A six- or seven-day trip to both cities is easier to manage at your family’s pace when each day has something that can be shortened.