Train from Xi'an to Beijing

Train from Xi'an to Beijing at a glance

Here is what the train from Xi'an to Beijing looks like with China Railway: direct, with no change of train, about 4 hours 30 minutes from platform to platform, many trains a day. You board in the centre of Xi'an and step off in the centre of Beijing. Haqqi Tours checks the seats for your dates and tells you the cost before anything is booked.

• Route: Xi'an to Beijing
• Operator: China Railway
• Journey time: about 4 hours 30 minutes
• Connection: direct train
• Frequency: many trains a day
• Classes: second class and first class
• Booking: form on this page, confirmation by WhatsApp, e-ticket by message

High-speed trains link Xi'an North with Beijing West in about four and a half to six hours, with departures from early morning to evening. Comfortable second-class and first-class seats are the most popular, and business class offers lie-flat seats. Passports are needed to buy tickets and board. We issue tickets and arrange private transfers to and from both stations.

Timetable of the Xi'an to Beijing train

Many trains a day - that is how often the train from Xi'an to Beijing runs with China Railway. The fastest services take about 4 hours 30 minutes; some departures are slightly slower where they make extra stops. The first trains of the morning suit a full day in Beijing; the late-afternoon departures are popular with passengers who want to sleep in their own bed and arrive in the evening.

Our advice for the timetable: choose the departure that fits your day in Beijing, not the cheapest one blindly - though we tell you both. A train that arrives at the station in the early afternoon gives you the evening in Beijing; a late one lands you after dinner.

Is there a direct train from Xi'an to Beijing?

There is a direct train from Xi'an to Beijing operated by China Railway, and it is the one we book unless you ask for something different. One ticket covers the whole journey; you keep your seat from Xi'an to Beijing; children and luggage stay in one place. It runs many trains a day.

Departure: the station in Xi'an

Your journey starts at the main station in Xi'an. Platforms on long-distance routes are announced shortly before departure, so watch the boards; larger stations have separate halls for high-speed and regional trains, and we tell you which one applies to your ticket. High-speed trains link Xi'an North with Beijing in about four and a half to six hours, with Chengdu in about three and a half hours and with many other cities, and flights connect the airport with all of China. The metro reaches the airport, the station and the centre, but the Terracotta Army, Huaqing Palace and Mount Huashan are easiest by private car.

• Arrive 20-30 minutes early; the platform is shown on the boards shortly before departure
• Keep the e-ticket on your phone and the ID used for booking together - some operators check both
• Luggage travels with you: racks at the coach ends and above the seats, no weighing, no fees
• Cafés, kiosks and left-luggage are available at the station for early arrivals

Arrival: the station in Beijing

The train arrives at the main station in Beijing - Beijing is China's capital: the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square at its centre, the Great Wall in the hills to the north, and two airports - Capital (PEK) about 30 km north-east of the centre and Daxing (PKX) about 50 km to the south. From the platform you are minutes from taxis, local transport and the city itself. Haqqi Tours arranges a private transfer from the station to your accommodation in Beijing with a driver waiting at the platform exit, which for a family with bags is the easiest way to finish the Xi'an to Beijing journey.

Arriving late? We note your arrival time and, if you have booked a transfer, the driver tracks the train, so a delay costs you nothing.

Classes and what it is like on board the Xi'an to Beijing train

What is the train from Xi'an to Beijing like inside? Modern coaches with reserved seats, tables for two or four, racks for suitcases, sockets and generally Wi-Fi of varying quality. In second class and first class the differences are space and quiet more than anything else. Over about 4 hours 30 minutes the extra comfort of the higher class is worth it for some travellers and not for others; we tell you the cost of both and let you choose.

• Quiet coaches and family areas on selected services - ask us when booking
• Bicycles, pushchairs and large luggage accepted within the rail company's rules, which we spell out
• Pets are allowed on many services with a small ticket - let us know if one is travelling
• Reserved seats with tables, power sockets and luggage racks

Children, luggage and groups on the Xi'an to Beijing train

Travelling with children on the train from Xi'an to Beijing is easy: young children are often free or heavily discounted, seats can be booked together, and there is room to move about. Tell us the ages on the form and we apply the right fares. Luggage is not weighed or charged on this route; you bring what you can lift onto the rack. For groups, we book seats in the same coach and ask about group fares, which typically make the Xi'an to Beijing train the cheapest way to move several people between the two cities.

Things to do in Beijing after the train

Beijing is China's capital: the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square at its centre, the Great Wall in the hills to the north, and two airports - Capital (PEK) about 30 km north-east of the centre and Daxing (PKX) about 50 km to the south. Arriving by train puts you in the middle of it: the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace, a hutong rickshaw ride, the Lama Temple and the 798 Art District are all reachable from the station by metro, tram or bus or a quick taxi. For the first meal, try hotpot, jianbing for breakfast and halal Xinjiang restaurants in Niujie.

Haqqi Tours can provide guided day tours, tickets and private drivers in Beijing; ask when you book the train and we send the options.

Best time to take the train from Xi'an to Beijing

The train from Xi'an to Beijing runs all year. Spring and autumn are best; summer is hot and humid; winter cold and dry; the National Day holiday in early October is crowded everywhere. If you can travel outside those weeks, the same seat costs less and the train is quieter. Whatever the month, early booking is the single biggest saving.

Train, plane or bus from Xi'an to Beijing?

Weighing a flight against the train from Xi'an to Beijing? Add the time to the airport, check-in, security and the trip in from the arrival airport, and the train is usually as fast door to door and far less tiring - about 4 hours 30 minutes on board. The bus is the budget option, worth it for some passengers, slower for all. We book whichever suits you; on this route the train is our first recommendation.

Return train from Beijing to Xi'an

Coming back? Say so on the form. A return train ticket from Beijing to Xi'an booked with the outbound is often cheaper than two separate bookings, and it keeps the whole trip on one WhatsApp thread with one point of contact.

How much does the train from Xi'an to Beijing cost?

"How much is the train ticket from Xi'an to Beijing?" is the first question we get, and the honest answer is that it depends on when you travel and when you book. Fares open months ahead at their lowest level and rise as seats sell; peak days, holidays and the first and last departures of the day sit higher; first class and flexible tickets cost more than a fixed second-class seat. Haqqi Tours provides the current cost for your date quickly of receiving the form - no estimates, the actual fare.

The figure we send covers the ticket, any compulsory seat reservation and our booking service; what you see through WhatsApp is what you pay. If a cheaper departure exists thirty minutes earlier or later, we tell you, because a Xi'an to Beijing train ticket that costs less at a slightly different time is normally worth it.

Cheapest train ticket from Xi'an to Beijing: how to pay less

The cheapest train ticket from Xi'an to Beijing is almost always the one booked earliest for an off-peak departure. Our booking desk applies the same rules on every booking:

• Book early - fares on this route open weeks or months ahead and the lowest tiers sell first
• Travel mid-week and mid-day - Tuesday to Thursday departures after the morning rush are generally the cheapest
• Avoid the first and last trains of the day, which carry commuters and business travellers at higher fares
• Let us know if your dates are flexible - moving by a day, or by an hour, frequently halves the fare
• Ask about children's, youth and senior fares - most operators on this route discount them
• Book both directions together - a return or two singles, whichever comes out cheaper on your dates

When you fill out the form, mention if you are flexible. We compare the fares across the day and send the cheapest Xi'an to Beijing train ticket first, then the alternatives.

How to book train tickets from Xi'an to Beijing with Haqqi Tours

Booking a train from Xi'an to Beijing with us takes a few minutes and one conversation. Fill in the booking form on this page with your travel date, whether you want a one-way or a return, how many adults and children are travelling and the class you prefer. Our booking desk then messages you in the WhatsApp chat to check your booking: we confirm the departures available on that day, the seats and the cost. You choose, we book, and the e-ticket arrives in the same chat, ready to show on your phone or print.

• Step 1 - fill in the form: date, one-way or return, adults and children, class
• Step 2 - we message you on WhatsApp with the available departures, the seats and the cost
• Step 3 - you confirm the departure you prefer and we arrange payment in the same chat
• Step 4 - we issue the e-ticket and send it to you; we stay in touch until you arrive in Beijing

Because a person books the ticket, not a machine, we can do the things a booking site cannot: hold seats together for a family, pick the coach nearest the luggage racks, choose a quiet carriage, or line up the Xi'an to Beijing train with a transfer from your hotel to the station and another from the arrival station to your hotel in Beijing.

Why book your Xi'an to Beijing train ticket with Haqqi Tours

Haqqi Tours is a licensed tour operator that books train tickets from Xi'an to Beijing week in, week out. We provide the ticket in your name, the seats you want, the cheapest fare for your travel date, and a human by WhatsApp in Arabic and English before, during and after the journey. Around the train, we offer transfers, tours and hotel-to-station drivers in both cities. Complete the form above; we message you with seats and the price; you decide.