Quick answer

Xi'an Xianyang International Airport is XIY (西安咸阳国际机场). International arrivals commonly use T5 (per the airport international-arrival guide). Domestic arrivals often use T2, T3 or T5 depending on the airline—check your boarding pass and live screens. For most daytime arrivals into T5, walk from 1F arrivals into the GTC and down to B1 for Metro Line 14 at Airport (T5) toward Heshao (贺韶), which rides through Xi'an North (西安北站) for transfers toward the Bell Tower / Dayan Pagoda corridors. Official taxi pickup at T5 is B1 Door 501 outside. Airport bus boards outside Door 512. Confirm live last-train times before you skip the taxi queue. Prefer Alipay / WeChat Xi'an Metro ride QR; foreign cards can buy tickets at customer-service POS at selected stations (including Airport / Airport West)—do not assume overseas Visa/Mastercard gate tap-and-go.

If this happens, do this

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Situation What to do next
You want the metro into the city From T5 1F arrivals, enter the GTC, go down to B1, and take Line 14 toward Heshao (贺韶)—not the short shuttle toward Airport West only.
You landed at T2 / T3 (domestic) Use Airport West (T1、T2、T3) on Line 14, or the signed official taxi curb for your terminal.
You need Bell Tower / old-town hotels Ride Line 14 to Xi'an North, transfer to Line 2 toward Bell Tower (钟楼) / Yongningmen—then finish last mile on foot or short taxi if needed.
You need Big Wild Goose Pagoda area Transfer at Xi'an North to Line 4 toward the Dayan Pagoda corridor—confirm your station on a map.
You land after the last city-bound metro Use the official taxi queue (T5 B1 Door 501; T2 opposite Door 213; T3 GTC 1F Door 03) or ride-hailing at the signed app pin; do not board a late train that only goes to Airport West.
Your booking says “Xi'an Airport” only Check the code: XIY = Xianyang. Save the hotel’s Chinese name and full address before you leave arrivals.

See also the China Airport to City Guide.

Confirm you are at XIY (Xi'an Xianyang)

XIY is Xi'an Xianyang International Airport (西安咸阳国际机场), northwest of central Xi'an. Official taxi distance references on the airport taxi page include roughly 37 km to the Bell Tower area, 27 km to Xi'an North, and 45 km to the Dayan Pagoda area—these are distance refs, not door-to-door times.

Before you leave arrivals:

  1. Confirm the airport code XIY on your boarding pass or bag tag.
  2. Note your terminal on live screens. International arrivals commonly use T5; domestic commonly use T2 / T3 / T5 by airline—always confirm on the day.
  3. From T5, follow signs into the GTC / 综合交通中心 for metro, taxis and buses. Build walking time from arrivals into last-train planning.
  4. Save your hotel’s Chinese name, full address and phone number.

Compare the main options

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Option Useful when Check before choosing
Metro Line 14 (Airport T5 / Airport West) Daytime, manageable luggage, hotel near Line 2 / 4 corridors after transfer at Xi'an North City-bound direction is toward Heshao; Airport (T5) toward Heshao first 06:04 / last 22:24 (MetroMan data version 2026-10-26, workday=holiday same)—recheck boards
Official taxi (by terminal door) Late arrival, heavy bags, door-to-door Signed official queue; meter on; Chinese hotel address; tolls extra; night surcharge 23:00–06:00
Airport bus (T5 Door 512) Fixed downtown drop points, luggage Live board / counter / hotline 029-32291888—schedules changed with T5 (Feb 2025 notice on the airport bus page)
Ride-hailing (app pin) App and payment already work Follow in-app pin and live airport signs; ignore curb solicitations

Metro Line 14 from XIY

Xi'an Metro Line 14 serves two airport stations:

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Station Serves
机场（T5）Airport (T5) Terminal 5 / GTC
机场西（T1、T2、T3）Airport West T1 / T2 / T3 side

City-bound direction is toward Heshao (贺韶). Trains ride through Xi'an North (西安北站), where you can transfer to Line 2 (Bell Tower / Yongningmen corridor) or Line 4 (Dayan Pagoda area). Check the platform screen for the live terminus.

Published first / last (aggregators — recheck live)

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From Toward Heshao (into the city network) Toward Airport West (terminal shuttle side)
Airport (T5) First 06:04 / last 22:24 (MetroMan data version 2026-10-26; workday = holiday) First 06:29 / last 23:22 — not your into-city last train
Airport West First about 06:00 / last about 22:20 (bendibao / timetable aggregators, 2026 updates) Terminal end of the line

Warning: A late train from Airport (T5) toward Airport West only shuttles between terminals. It is not a city-bound service. If your goal is downtown after ~22:24, plan taxi or ride-hailing instead of hoping for a later metro into town.

We do not invent exact minute travel times or yuan fares to Bell Tower here. Typical Xi'an Metro distance fares apply—check the ticket machine or app on the day.

How to pay for Xi'an Metro

Practical order for visitors:

  1. Alipay or WeChat Pay Xi'an Metro ride QR — If your visitor wallet already works with a linked foreign card, open the Xi'an metro ride code and scan at the gate. Use the same phone/account to exit. See Metro QR codes in China.
  2. Ticket machines / customer service counter — Reliable fallback if QR fails.
  3. Foreign card ticket purchase at POS (selected stations) — A Shaanxi government notice (June 2024) states that 13 stations accept foreign cards (VISA / Mastercard / JCB / Diners / Discover / AmEx / UnionPay) at customer-service POS for ticket purchase, including Airport and Airport West. This is desk ticket purchase, not a confirmed overseas contactless gate tap-and-go. Do not assume a foreign Visa or Mastercard will open the gate by tapping.

See also Take the subway in China.

Official taxi

Per the airport official taxi page (xxia.com taxi):

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Terminal Official pickup
T5 B1 outside Door 501 (from 1F arrivals, go down to B1)
T2 Opposite Door 213
T3 GTC 1F Door 03

Published meter rules on that page (planning summary—recheck on the day):

  • Xi'an-plate daytime start about CNY 8.5, then about CNY 2/km (1.8L and below class as listed)
  • Night 23:00–06:00 uses a higher rate
  • Tolls extra
  • Distance refs: Bell Tower ~37 km, Xi'an North ~27 km, Dayan Pagoda ~45 km
  • Taxi hotline 029-88796327

We do not publish a fixed door-to-door yuan price as an official airport quote. Traffic, time of day and expressway tolls vary. Third-party trip planners often show a rough CNY 100–180 band toward Bell Tower–area hotels including tolls—treat that only as a non-official planning range. Join the signed queue. Ask for the meter. Show a Chinese hotel address. Ignore anyone inside arrivals offering an unofficial car.

Airport service hotline: (86)-029-96788.

Airport bus

Per the airport bus page (xxia.com airport bus):

  • T5 boarding: outside Door 512
  • Hotline 029-32291888
  • Schedules changed with T5 (February 2025 notice on the page)—recheck the live board, counter or hotline before you rely on an old timetable or route map

We do not invent a flat official fare from the snippet review. Some third-party visitor guides often cite about CNY 25 as a planning figure—treat that as third-party / planning only until the counter or board confirms the fare on the day.

Online ride-hailing

Use your app’s airport pickup pin and follow live XIY signs for the permitted waiting area for your terminal. Do not invent a door number from memory, and do not follow curb solicitations inside arrivals.

If you use DiDi, see How to use DiDi in China.

Before leaving arrivals

  1. Confirm XIY and your terminal (T5 vs T2/T3).
  2. Save the hotel’s Chinese name, full address and phone.
  3. Decide metro (Line 14 toward Heshao), taxi (T5 Door 501 / T2 213 / T3 Door 03) or airport bus (Door 512) before you leave the secure area when possible.
  4. For metro: check the platform screen for Heshao direction and last train; do not treat the Airport West-bound late train as a city option.
  5. Keep a payment backup (wallet ride QR, ticket desk / machine, modest cash)—do not rely on foreign-card gate tap.
  6. If you land very late, see Late-night arrival at a China airport and What to do in the first 2 hours after landing.

FAQ

Is XIY the same as a downtown Xi'an train station?

No. XIY is Xi'an Xianyang International Airport (西安咸阳国际机场). Always check the three-letter code on your ticket.

Which metro line serves the airport?

Line 14, with stations Airport (T5) and Airport West (T1、T2、T3). City-bound trains run toward Heshao and pass Xi'an North.

What are the published first and last trains into the city?

Aggregator data (recheck live boards): Airport (T5) toward Heshao 06:04–22:24 (MetroMan 2026-10-26); Airport West toward Heshao about 06:00–22:20. The later 23:22 departure from Airport (T5) toward Airport West is a terminal shuttle, not into the city.

Can I tap a foreign Visa or Mastercard on Xi'an Metro gates?

Do not assume yes. The June 2024 Shaanxi notice covers foreign-card ticket purchase at customer-service POS at selected stations (including Airport / Airport West). Prefer Alipay/WeChat Xi'an Metro ride QR or a desk-bought ticket—with a backup.

Where is the official taxi queue?

T5: B1 outside Door 501. T2: opposite Door 213. T3: GTC 1F Door 03. Hotline 029-88796327.

Where do airport buses leave from T5?

Outside Door 512. Recheck routes and fare at the counter/board; hotline 029-32291888.

How much is a taxi to Bell Tower?

No fixed official airport door-to-door quote here. Meter + possible tolls; night rate 23:00–06:00. Distance ref ~37 km. Third-party planners often show roughly CNY 100–180 including tolls as a planning band only—not an official fare.

Disclaimer

App interfaces, payment rules, station practices, hotel policies and local procedures may change. Treat this guide as a source-checked practical guide, then verify important details with the official service, your hotel, transport staff or your card issuer before relying on it in an urgent situation.

Sources and review

Sources reviewed on 2026-11-02. These sources support the service or policy facts; the practical fallback steps are editorial guidance. This is not a recorded field test.