10 Days in Yan'an
Ten days for Pagoda Hill, the free historic courtyards, Hukou Falls, the mausoleum at Huangling, Nanniwan, Ganquan's slots, an honest Yulin run for the Great Wall terrace, and a labelled Xi'an finale.
Quick Answer
Is 10 days enough for Yan'an?
10 days lets you go beyond Yan'an's core into neighborhoods, food markets, and one or two day trips at a relaxed pace.
Source: NihaoVisit Yan'an guide
10-day Yan'an itinerary at a glance
Use our full Yan'an travel guide as the base and adapt it to 10 days. Keep the city's three signature attractions as the backbone; fill the rest with neighborhood walks, food markets, and an easy day trip.
Pagoda Hill & Riverfront
Nine-story brick pagoda (44 m) on the 1,135 m hill; grottoes below and the free light show after dark.
- yanan pagoda hill
- yanan qingliangshan
- yanan yanhe riverside
Historic Sites Loop
Free with passport at every gate; the memorial hall (founded 1950, closed Mondays) needs about 2 h.
- yanan zaoyuan
- yanan yangjialing
- yanan revolution memorial
- yanan wangjiaping
Hukou Waterfall Day Trip
About 3 h each way to Yichuan county; the river narrows from some 300 m to a 30 m slot and drops more than 20 m.
- yanan hukou waterfall
Huangling — Yellow Emperor's Mausoleum
About 2 h south to cypress-covered Qiao Mountain and the Xuanyuan Temple hall of tablets; the ancient cypress is said to be some 5,000 years old.
- yanan huangdi mausoleum
Nanniwan & Ansai Drums
About 45 km southeast to the rice-paddy valley; an evening waist-drum performance in town puts the loess rhythm on stage.
- yanan nanniwan
- yanan ansai drum show
Ganquan Slot Canyons
About 1.5 h southwest; narrow red-gold sandstone slots, the main channel about 1 km, best at midday light.
- yanan yucha grand canyon
Slow Yan'an
Peony slopes at Wanhuashan south of town in May, or a shaded walk any season; finish on Erdaojie with oil-mo-mo and yangyu caca.
- yanan wanhuashan
- yanan erdaojie food street
North to Yulin — Great Wall Terrace
About 2.5 h north into Yulin (honestly, a neighbouring city) for Zhenbeitai, the Ming-era Great Wall terrace of 1607, and the Hongshixia cliff grottoes beside the Yuxi River.
- yanan yulin zhenbeitai
- yanan yulin hongshixia
Hongjiannao Lake & Return
About 1.5 h further north, a broad desert lake of roughly 41 km square; gulls in summer, reedbeds in autumn — then the long ride back to Yan'an.
- yanan hongjiannao
Xi'an Finale (neighbouring city)
About 2 h by train south to Xi'an — honestly labelled, since it has its own page on this site — for a Bell Tower evening and the Muslim Quarter lanes before your onward connection.
- yanan xian city
Budget for 10 days in Yan'an
| Tier | Per day | 10 days total |
|---|---|---|
| Backpacker | USD $50–$80 | USD $500–$800 |
| Mid-range | USD $100–$200 | USD $1,000–$2,000 |
| Luxury | USD $300+ | USD $3,000+ |
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Frequently asked questions
What is the daily budget for Yan'an?
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See also: Yan'an travel guide, China visa 2026, China trip cost.