Authentic Old Xi'an Back Alley Food Tour

We had a great evening with Julia as our guide. The local dishes we were taken to try were delicious, the cold noodles and Chinese ‘hamburger’ being the highlights. Julia was extremely knowledgeable about all of the dishes and took us to spots which we simply would never have ventured to as tourists. Highly recommend both the tour and Julia as your guide!

The highlight of this tour is definitely the food—we went to 6 different places and tried 10 different items (meat-filled steamed bun, cold noodles, Chinese hamburger, bread dumpling soup, biang biang noodle soup, sugar-filled mochi-like bun, and 4 skewers (tofu, marinated beef, beef with peppers, and spicy beef)—not the 15 stated in the tour description. The food was delicious, and we felt like we had some notion of the range of Xi’an specialties. Unfortunately, our guides fell short. They were young and well-meaning, but they could not answer our questions about the origins of dishes or whether or why these dishes were Xi’an favorites or how some of the dishes were made or what some of the spices were. Messages I received from Catherine Lu indicated that our guide would be “Rosa,” but we did not get Rosa. In fact, since we were looking for “Rosa,” we had trouble finding our actual guides—a young man and a young woman who, he said, was his “trainee.” The two of them were leaning against a column in the hotel lobby looking at their phones when we arrived, so we had no idea that they were guides until, out of desperation, I asked them if they were with a food tour. Also, this was supposed to be a small group tour, but no one alerted me to the fact that the small group would be just me and my husband—I would’ve appreciated the option of rescheduling because we enjoy the small group dynamics of such arrangements. Instead, it was the two of us being stared at by the two guides while we ate. And when I say “stared at,” I mean sometimes one or both were standing a foot away or leaning on the table watching us eat and asking if we liked it. As I said, they meant well, but it was disconcerting. This tour was not worth the $150 it cost for the two us—the food was great, but the experience overall was disappointing.

Rosa were amazing! Very knowledgeable of the food in the area and amazing English! I would recommend this tour to everyone visiting Xi'an! Absolutely outstanding!

The food was great, we were able to try all the famous local dishes in just a few hours. It was our first night and the rest of our visit we felt more confident in what we were ordering at restaurants. I'd recommend Rosa for anyone wanting a solid food tour.

Rosa did an excellent job at showing us local delicacies in hidden gems tucked away behind the main streets. She is funny and very knowledgeable about Xi’an and the surrounding region. Would highly recommend!

The tour was well organized, the communication from Catherine Lu Tours and my guide Rosa was phenomenal. This was exactly the street food guide I was looking for. I learnt a lot about the history of the food, and got to access and try a ton of food I wouldn’t have ever gotten to try—even if I used TikTok or Instagram recommendations. This tour was truly local. A lot of other food guides will take you to very touristy areas, and I’ve done many food tours before; on this tour I got to see back alley street vendors, and was truly the only foreigner in any of the restaurants we visited. If you are a solo traveler, or maybe a traveler on a budget you could be hesitant to book this, but I’d highly recommend doing so as it was my highly of my time in Xi’an. Yes the Terracotta Warriors are amazing, but with this tour you get to see such an authentic version of the city, meet local people, and try local foods—it’s truly the whole beautiful part of traveling. If you are on the fence, I highly highly recommend you book this tour, it isn’t a mass done huge group tour where the guide is getting kick backs from the vendors, it’s an authentic and once in a lifetime experience.

We had the best time on our Xian Food tour with Rosa! It was everything we love in a food tour: local restaurants, an immersive cultural experience and so much delicious food. Rosa was a fantastic guide, she was so generous with sharing her culture and insights into Xian cuisine. Must do if you're visiting Xian!

We had the best time on our Xian Food tour with Rosa! It was everything we love in a food tour: local restaurants, an immersive cultural experience and so much delicious food. Rosa was a fantastic guide, she was so generous with sharing her culture and insights into Xian cuisine. Must do if you're visiting Xian!

Rosa was an excellent guide and is very knowledgeable about the food culture of Xi'an. We visited seven different cafes, stalls and independent restaurants in the old town. All tucked away and many only known to locals including the oldest Muslim restaurant in the city, which is famed for its extraordinary and delicious 'soup dumplings'. We also enjoyed two types of local noodles, skewers, pastries, buns, other local specialities and finished with freshly squeezed pomegranate juice. As well as telling us about each dish. Rosa also explained how to eat them all! It was great fun to walk through the back streets from place to place. We even came across robot street theatre in a tiny square. A really memorable experience. Thanks Rosa and Catherine Lu.

The food tour was a great way to be introduced to the Xian flavors & local dining for people who mostly know Chinese cuisine from Europe. From street sitting to smaller local restaurants, our guide Rosa showed us the local specialties, flavors and food scene by visiting around a few spots within 20min walking distance over <3h tour. She was very knowledgeable, patient and attentive to the needs & questions from adults & kids. It was also great to hear her perspecting on how local families manage with food, school meals, etc to understand better Xian living on top of trying out excellent local dishes.

Richard was a fantastic guide and a great character! (His accents are excellent) We had such a great time with him. He gave us a huge variety of really tasty local food and explained everything well. Absolutely 10/10!

Elith was such a good and fun guide on this food tour in Xi’An. We tried so many different types of food, in a part of town where locals go, all very recommended and authentic spots. We had good conversations and jokes and we leant a lot about Chinese culture. We left very happy and satisfied

Rosa was very good. Tailored the food to my preference. Would have given me more if I wasn't so full. A good variety of foods from local restaurants avoiding tourist spots. Helped me order the DiDi.

This food tour is very well thought out and put together. Shout out to Elith for navigating us and making it easy. She gave loads of good info about the food too. I for sure recommend her as a guide. We were in a neighborhood I was not familiar with and only visited local spots so it felt very authentic. All the food was great. I would recommend this tour for sure. Come with an empty stomach because it’s a lot of food!

Thank you Rosa! Came hungry and left very full.

My guide Rosa was amazing. I was the only one on the tour but we had a great time. She gave me so much background to the city & food. I tried so many dishes until I literally couldn’t eat another bite. Such a special tour to places I would never have found. Highly recommend this tour.

Our guide, Richard, was very knowledgeable and took us to some hidden gems. The food though was hit or miss. Not sure if it was the nature of what we were tasting or the places we were going to. Overall though, it was a good experience.

The food was so good. Rosa was a very cool hang. And she taught me some history along with the food and sites. It turned out to be just me on the tour, which worked out great.

I thought I was joining a group tour but I was the only one that signed up on Saturday so I ended up having the benefit of a private tour. We tried lots of different foods unique to this region. The tour guide was great, sharing her knowledge of history as well as food and culture and I had a very enjoyable evening.

Rosa was an excellent guide . We tried a ton of different foods local to the region. They were all so good we couldn't decide our favorites. We even got a few bonus treats that we impulsively tried just because they looked so good. Rosa even showed us to our next destination.

Our tour organised by Catherine Lu Tours Xi'an was fantastic. We were lucky to have Rosa as our guide, showing us where some of the best local food can be found. She is so knowledgeable about the area, culture and food. The dishes we tasted delicious, and it’s too hard to choose a favourite. Thanks so much, Rosa. We had such a wonderful time.

We had a great experience during this food tour. Throughout the tour we tried a variety of different dishes which were all delicious. Our tour guide Rosa was very friendly and knowledgeable about the food and the cultural background as well.

We had a great time with Rosa as our guide. A good variety of food, 9 dishes across 3 restaurants. Rosa was very friendly and knowledgeable on the local culture and history. Would recommend.

Visited the Terracotta Warriors and the placed is very crowded with groups of tourists and you have to push and shove to get to the front to get a good photos. The best place was Muslim Street where we spent the whole evening into the night to all the activities that the buzz of the place with food stalls and smell of the kebabs and the shouting of the restaurant owners trying to get people into their place.Girls walking up and down the street in their colourful costume and long queues of people lining up to taste the Muslim lamb mince filo patty burger.The night came alive with lights from the Bell & Drum Tower with lots of noise & laughter and the air floating with the smell of the kebabs and the street getting crowded with people pouring into Muslim st late into the night.Best adventure we both ever had in Xi’an .Will be back again.

This was such a great tour! Our guide Elith was funny, knowledgeable and really down to earth so it was easy to get along with her and relax on this food tour. Elith knew all the best spots and we really felt like locals on this tour, visiting amazing food spots that we never would've known about. The food was of course delicious and Elith went above and beyond when we asked about dessert options hahaha! I'd definitely recommend this to any foodies visiting Xi'an!

Rosa was a stellar guide with knowledge of not only the best food locations but also the area and history. The tour was tailored to my preference and I was able to sample all the things I was looking forward to. 100% recommend this to anyone considering the tour. These tastes of Xi'An are a must for any traveller in the area!

See to it that you have an empty stomach when doing this tour as you will be tasting a huge variety of food as you go. We actually ended up doing more walking than food tasting(our choice) as we couldn’t fit anymore food. The tour is very well run and our guide Elith spoke very clear and good English which made the evening more educational and social.

Our family had such a great time exploring the Muslim Quarter with our guide, Rosa. She was super friendly, flexible, and really tailored the tour to what we wanted to do. We got to try all the delicious local foods Xi’an is famous for. Everything was so tasty! Rosa made it all really easy and fun, she helped us find the best local spots, shared interesting stories about the area, and adjusted the tour as we went so we could try the things we were most curious about. You can tell she really loves what she does and wants you to have the best experience possible. If you’re visiting Xi’an, definitely ask for Rosa. She’s awesome and will make sure you have an amazing day!

Rosa was an amazing guide she waited for us even though we got lost in the heavy rain. She came to find us and had a wet weather itinerary, which was delicious! We had 11 types of food made locally and a walk round one of the food streets. An unexpected highlight was that she was also extremely knowledgeable about the Terracotta Army and Chinese history. She also does tours for the Terracotta museam. Highly recommend as her English was very good!

Rosa is a fantastic tour guide with amazing knowledge. She was kind and waited a long time to find us as we got lost. Highly recommend her and she also can do a fantastic guide for the Terracotta Army. She has amazing English!

Rosa was great! The food tour was awesome from start to finish, and her tasty recommendations made the whole experience unforgettable!

Elith was very easy to speak with. She was able to easily navigate us through the street food scene easily and we got to try the best of the local cuisine Anthony Bourdain style! Much better than just walking through the Muslim quarters ourselves.

We've had a wonderful experience during our food tour in Xi'an, our guide Elith was excellent - she took us to great food places, explained everything about the food and the history. She went into depth answering all of our questions and the whole experience was excellent

I had Rosa as my tour guide, and she was absolutely amazing—friendly, lovely, and full of energy. We shared so many laughs and had a wonderful time throughout the food tour. She truly made my evening in Xi’an unforgettable. I couldn’t have asked for a better guide!

We did a great food tour around the city! We went to some place we didn't know about, and the food was really tasty! We loved the fack that we tried a lot of different to have a taste of Chinese culture

Absolutely fantastic tour, well worth doing. You learn so much about this ancient City and its food culture. You won’t be disappointed!

We had a fantastic evening exploring Xi’an’s food scene with Julia as our guide. She was right on time, super pleasant to spend time with, and clearly knows her stuff when it comes to local food. Her English is flawless, and she had a real gift for explaining the dishes and the stories behind them without ever sounding scripted. Julia took us to places we never would have found on our own - small, authentic spots full of locals, not tourists - and everything we tried was delicious. She never rushed us, and the tour actually ran longer than scheduled, which we really appreciated. It felt more like spending the evening with a friend who loves to share her city than a formal tour. Very highly recommended!

The tour was amazing, great way to see the city, and places I would never venture to - and eat on my own. Also I can go back and taste dishes I really liked. Rosa is really friendly and helpful - telling me all about Chinese culture and history.

I absolutely loved this food tour. It is more on the expensive side for what you get but it definitely helped having someone show us the way and we also left feeling so full which was great. It was a perfect way to try the local food away from the busy areas. Elith was so lovely to deal with and very knowledgeable. We loved her company. I read the hotel pick up thinking we’d have a ride in organised but didis are very cheap anyway. Would recommend :)

Tina took us to the Yongxingfang food markets. It’s a massive outdoor block with many different food stalls and restaurants. It was quite daunting to see unfamiliar sorts of foods but Tina explained what they all were and she enthusiastically encouraged us to try many different things. She ordered and paid for the food as we walked along the many laneways. We tried many snack portions of various foods unique to Shaanxi region. It is a tourist venue but it’s teeming full of domestic Chinese tourists. There were very few foreigners. It’s very clean and there was local entertainment. We tried the rice wine and smashing cup section. It was a fun tour. We ate plenty and came home with overly full tummies. Tina was great fun and took photos for us and had great knowledge of the many foods on offer.

Good was truly amazing, our tour guide Elith is professional, sweet and brought us to places we would never have found ourselves. Highly recommended!

Lovely food tour with Elith, the food was delicious and Elith was very friendly and taught us a lot about the food in Xi'an as well as the local history

Elith was amazing! It really was like going out with a friend. We had so much fun and I learned so much. We went to places that were truly delicious and absolutely places I would not have gone to had I not been with her.

It was a lovely evening spent exploring the Xi’An culinary streets with Jie/Richard. He was a lovely and friendly host, so engaging and didn’t tire of all the questions. His communication before the event was good and overall, it was a really wholesome, enlightening and fun cultural experience. I would recommend him to anyone going to Xi’An for his professionalism, friendly nature and kindness.

Had a great time. I frequently join food tours when I am overseas. They are a great way to sample different items. Usually there is a group of people--and this adds to the fun. This tour I was alone with the Guide, Elith. Nevertheless, I had a great time. Elith is very personable and smart. I had a nice evening and learned a lot.

Excellent food tour. Very filling. Advise not to eat too much the day before. A mouthful tasty experience not to be missed.

What a great tour! We went through Xi’an’s local spots and tried the various dishes the city is known for. Takes you off the touristic areas to give you a taste of what people from the city eat day to day. Our guide, Rosa, was a pleasure and super helpful in helping me practice my Chinese! Come hungry - you’re going to get to try all the goodies that this city offers

Richard was a great guide! We really enjoyed sampling all the food and chatting about culture. Couldn’t recommend Richard more highly!

We went on this food tour a couple of weeks ago. We had Elith as our food guild and she was excellent. She took us to some really local places when we tried some amazing food. We had Chinese BBQ and these amazing soup bun things which tasted out of this world. she also took us to a local street food market which we loved so much we went back to later in out visit. Thank you Elith for the amazing tour.