China (Beijing, Great Wall, Xi'an, Chengdu)

A 7-day self-launched version of G Adventures' "Ancient China" (Beijing → Xi'an → Chengdu), following the same route and hitting the same headline sights — Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, the Mutianyu Great Wall, the Terracotta Warriors, and the Chengdu Panda Base — but booked independently on budget hotels and hostels, public buses, high-speed rail and a sleeper train. You skip the group structure and CEO guide, self-book the handful of local guides that genuinely add value (Great Wall transfer, Terracotta Warriors), and cover the same ground for roughly a third of the tour price. Costs are approximate backpacker/budget-traveller rates in GBP and exclude international flights and the Chinese visa. Practical notes: set up Alipay or WeChat Pay with your card before you fly (China is largely cashless), install an eSIM or VPN before arrival, and book high-speed rail seats on Trip.com or the 12306 app as soon as your dates open (14 days out). Avoid travel during Golden Week (1–7 Oct) — trains and hotels sell out.

Travel Crew

~£303