Which one to choose in Xi'an
Great Mosque of Xi’an vs Small Wild Goose Pagoda
Two temples in Xi'an. Great Mosque of Xi’an has 1 ticket or tour to book; Small Wild Goose Pagoda has 1 ticket or tour to book. The table and the two notes below put them side by side; the full pages have what to see, the ticket and the timing for each.
Xi'an, China
Entry to the Great Mosque of Xi'an is paid at the gate in Huajue Lane, and no advance booking is needed for the mosque alone. The ticket admits non-Muslim visitors to the courtyards and gardens; the prayer hall is open only to Muslims, who enter free to pray. Remember to carry your passport, as is now usual for sights in China, and expect payment by mobile app or cash.
The organised option is an evening or afternoon walk that combines the mosque with the surrounding Muslim Quarter and its street food. Such walks include the guide, the mosque entry and a series of tastings in the lanes, such as cumin lamb skewers, flatbread soaked in mutton soup, persimmon cakes and the glutinous rice sweets sold from carts.
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Xi'an, China
The Small Wild Goose Pagoda stands in the grounds of the Xi'an Museum, and entry to the whole site, pagoda gardens and museum together, is free. Foreign visitors need their passport, and there is a daily cap on numbers, so reserving a slot in advance through the museum's online booking system is the safe course, especially at weekends and in Chinese holiday periods. Arrive without a booking and you may be turned away when the quota is full.
Most travellers simply go on their own. The site is a short walk or taxi ride south of the city wall's South Gate, and the nearest metro stations are a few minutes away.
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