شيان: جولة سيرًا على الأقدام لتناول الطعام في الحي القديم الأصيل في الزقاق الخلفي

This was less about eating a huge meal than paying attention to several small ones. That rhythm worked for 3 hours. I would rather keep the pause at the food stops than add another stop.

What helped was simple: the Xi'an stops were organised, but the food did not arrive like a rehearsed tasting menu. Each place kept its own character.

Small tip: do not eat a large breakfast before the Xi'an tour. The portions at individual stops look modest, then suddenly you realise you have been tasting things for hours. I would still leave extra time for the food stops.

Looking back, I would book this again for the pacing, not because every stop was spectacular. The ordinary transitions made Xi'an feel like a place rather than a set of postcards. For this itinerary, the number of stops was enough.