A handpicked selection of experiences endorsed by our experts. If you can’t see what you’re looking for, let us know, as our extensive network of local contacts can open many doors.
Visit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Built in 652 AD during the Tang Dynasty, this Buddhist pagoda is so named because of a legend that a wild goose fell from the sky just when starving monks at the site of the pagoda prayed for meat from Bodhisattva.
Explore the vast Han Mausoleum, the joint resting place of Han Dynasty emperor Liu Qi and his Empress, Wang Zhi. Aside from the imposing royal tombs, which rival the Terracotta Army in size and scope, the site’s 81 satellite tombs have proven to be an archaeological treasure trove, containing more than 60,000 burial objects - from pottery and utensils to weapons and chariots - of the Western Han Dynasty. Learn what the careful placement of the awe-inspiring tombs and relics reveals about the hierarchical social structures of the dynasty.
Enjoy a royal Tang Dynasty reception at the city wall, where, in accordance with ancient procedure, a “royal visa” will be issued to you. Performers dressed in period costume will announce your arrival similar to the manner in which explorers were presented to the emperor.
Visit the Shaanxi Museum of History; Shaanxi Province is a cradle of civilization and the museum is home to a number of ancient, prized relics, including fossils of the Lantian Man, who precedes the Peking Man and is believed to have lived 1.7 million years ago in modern-day China.
Discover the end of the Silk Road. Explore one of Xian’s Muslim neighborhoods by visiting the Great Mosque of Xian, originally built in 742 under the auspices of the Tang Dynasty. Stroll and admire the tranquil environs of the mosque’s four courtyards, and view such rare pieces as a Ming dynasty handwritten copy of the Koran.
This UNESCO World Heritage Site consists of over 8,000 terracotta soldiers, 100 chariots and 600 horses, no two identical. The army was created to guard the tomb of Qin Shi-huang, the legendary and controversial “First Emperor” who united China into one country from an array of warring states, and also began construction of the Great Wall.
On certain occasions, Remote Lands can arrange special access to the floor of the excavation site of the Terracotta Army, where you can look at terra cotta soldiers up close.
Pending special permission, visit the private storeroom at the Xian Archaeological Institute. A representative of the Institute will guide you through the typically off-limits displays of invaluable relics, some of them nearly 3,000 years old.
Walk on the Xian City Wall, one of the largest ancient military defensive systems in the world. It was built by the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty, who paid heed to a hermit’s advice of building high walls in order to fortify the city and unify the other states. While impressive, the walls are but a pale shadow of the ones constructed in earlier eras, particularly when Xian was the Tang Dynasty capital of Chang'an.
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With Remote Lands you'll travel with people who have made Asia the solitary focus of their own lifelong adventure. As our guest, you'll discover Asia on a journey that is completely, authentically your own, adapted from our own remarkable experiences and adventures over the years.
With Remote Lands you'll travel with people who have made Asia the solitary focus of their own lifelong adventure. As our guest, in the continent that our north American founders Catherine and Jay have adored and explored for decades, you'll discover Asia on a journey that is completely, authentically your own, adapted from our own remarkable experiences and adventures over the years.
Multi-Country Specialists
Remote Lands
Choose somewhere you’d like to visit, something you’re interested in, and when you’re planning to travel and we’ll suggest sample itineraries to inspire your bespoke journey.
An Asia-focused magazine brought to you by Remote Lands – a platform for adventure, luxury, and authenticity from experts and explorers around the continent.
Xian, in central-northwest China, is one of the birthplaces of the ancient Chinese civilization. It’s bursting at the seams with colorful history, boasting over 3,000 years worth of it.
Luxury hotels, fine dining, and bullet trains – with modern travel amenities improving every day, this ain’t Qin Shi Huang’s Xian any more.
Thanks to the new bullet train from Xian, it’s now easier than ever to do a Luoyang day trip. With such a historic site, it’s important to hit the right attractions.
Here is a small selection of the kind words our guests have said about us, as well as features by journalists and travel writers.
From the moment I happened upon the REMOTE LANDS website over a year ago, browsed the options, I knew that this would be well worth it. The entire staff is nothing less than professional with service that made us feel like royals.
This was truly the trip of a lifetime. Magical destinations, the most luxurious hotels in the world, and the most wonderful travel companions we could’ve wished for. We were treated like family everywhere we went and we have 14 new best friends.
We have used some of the top rated travel specialists all over the world and, without question, Catherine Heald and Remote Lands are at the very top of the list!
