Self-Launched Beijing & Xi'an: Great Wall, Forbidden City & Terracotta Army
6 days · Beijing & Xi'an, China
Travel China Guide charges £1,045
No-markup version: ~£565 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched 6-day route through China's two greatest historical cities, covering the highlights of Travel China Guide's private "BJ08" itinerary — Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, the Mutianyu Great Wall, the Summer Palace, the Terracotta Army and the Xi'an City Wall — but booked independently. Travel between cities on the high-speed rail (Beijing–Xi'an in ~4.5 hours for around £55), stay in cheap hutong hostels and centrally located Xi'an guesthouses, and use the superb metro plus pre-booked skip-the-line tickets instead of a private car and guide. All figures are rough per-person estimates in GBP and exclude international flights and the Chinese tourist visa.
Day-by-day
Arrive in Beijing
Beijing
Land at Beijing Capital (PEK) or Daxing (PKX) airport and get into town on your own. The Airport Express train to Dongzhimen costs ¥25 (~£3); from Daxing take the Daxing Airport Express to Caoqiao. Check into a hutong hostel or budget hotel near Nanluoguxiang or Dongsi — a bed in a 4–6 bed dorm runs £10–15, a simple private double £25–40. Spend the afternoon acclimatising: walk the hutongs around the Drum and Bell Towers, grab a jianbing (savoury crepe, ~£1) or a bowl of zhajiangmian noodles (~£2.50) for dinner, and install Alipay or WeChat Pay with your card linked — almost everything in China is cashless. Buy an IC transit card or set up the transport QR code in Alipay for the metro.
🚌Airport Express train to Dongzhimen, ¥25 (~£3). Metro rides ¥3–6 (~£0.35–0.70) each.
🛏Hutong hostel or budget hotel, Dongsi / Nanluoguxiang area (dorm bed ~£12, private double ~£30)
- →Arrive and transfer to central Beijing
- →Hutong wander around Drum & Bell Towers
- →Set up Alipay/WeChat Pay and metro QR code
- →Cheap street-food dinner
Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Lama Temple & Temple of Heaven
Beijing
Big walking day. The Forbidden City now sells timed tickets online only via its official WeChat mini-program — book a few days ahead (¥60/~£6.50, closed Mondays). Enter from the south past Tiananmen Square (free, but bring your passport for the security check and queue early). Allow 3–4 hours inside the Forbidden City. Exit north to Jingshan Park (¥2) for the classic rooftop view over the palace. After lunch take the metro to Yonghegong Lama Temple (¥25 entrance, ~£2.70) with its giant sandalwood Buddha, then head south to the Temple of Heaven (¥15–34 depending on which halls, book via the park's WeChat mini-program). Evening: dinner in Gui Street or a dumpling house near Dongsi. All sites are reachable on the metro — a single line 1 ride links Tiananmen to the east gate area.
🚌Metro Line 1 to Tiananmen East; metro between sights ¥3–6 each ride
🛏Same Beijing hutong hostel / budget hotel (~£12 dorm, ~£30 private)
- →Tiananmen Square (free)
- →Forbidden City (pre-booked timed ticket, ¥60)
- →Jingshan Park viewpoint (¥2)
- →Lama Temple / Yonghegong (¥25)
- →Temple of Heaven park & halls (¥15–34)
Mutianyu Great Wall and Olympic Park
Beijing
The Great Wall without a private car is very doable. Take the metro to Dongzhimen, then the 916 Express bus to Huairou (¥12, ~£1.30), where shared minivans wait to run you to the Mutianyu wall gate (¥10–20, or use the 916 Fast + H23 combo). Mutianyu is quieter than Badaling and has a cable car up and toboggan down — buy the entrance (¥45) plus return cable car (¥120) on the spot or pre-book a combined ticket via Klook/GetYourGuide (around £20–25 all-in). Walk the restored ramparts between towers 14 and 20 for the best ridge views. Return to the city in the afternoon and, if you have energy, hop off at Olympic Green for a photo stop at the Bird's Nest and Water Cube (free to walk the plaza). Dinner back in Dongzhimen or Sanlitun.
🚌Metro to Dongzhimen + 916 Express bus to Huairou (¥12) + shared minivan to Mutianyu (¥10–20); ~£4 total each way
🛏Same Beijing hutong hostel / budget hotel (~£12 dorm, ~£30 private)
- →Locally-run transport to Mutianyu
- →Great Wall hike towers 14–20 (entrance ¥45)
- →Cable car up / toboggan down (¥120)
- →Olympic Park and Bird's Nest photo stop (free)
Summer Palace, then high-speed train to Xi'an
Beijing → Xi'an
Morning at the Summer Palace in the northwest of the city — take metro Line 4 to Beigongmen, entrance ¥20–30 (west gate), and budget 2 hours strolling Kunming Lake and the Long Corridor. Head back to the hostel, grab your bag, and make your way to Beijing West Railway Station. Take a daytime G-series high-speed train to Xi'an North — ~4h30m, ¥515 second class (~£55). Book on Trip.com or the official China Railway 12306 app 2 weeks ahead; bring your passport to scan through the gates (no paper ticket needed). On arrival, Xian North is on metro Line 2 — ride straight into the old town. Check into a guesthouse near the Bell Tower or inside the Muslim Quarter walls (£12–18 dorm, £30–40 private) and eat a Muslim Quarter dinner: yangrou paomo (lamb soup with bread) or roujiamo (Chinese 'burger', ~£2).
🚌Beijing metro to Summer Palace; Beijing West → Xi'an North G-series high-speed train, ~4h30m, ¥515 (~£55); Xi'an metro Line 2 into town
🛏Xi'an guesthouse near Bell Tower / Muslim Quarter (~£15 dorm, ~£35 private)
- →Summer Palace, Kunming Lake & Long Corridor (¥20–30)
- →High-speed rail journey across the North China Plain
- →Muslim Quarter street-food crawl
Terracotta Army & Xi'an Old City
Xi'an
Get to the Terracotta Army under your own steam: from Xi'an Railway Station take the official green Line 5 (Yongningmen) + bus 306/遊5 to Bingmayong, or a shared tourist bus straight from the station, ¥8–15 (~£1) each way. Buy entry (¥120, ~£13) on the museum's WeChat mini-program or Klook; hiring a licensed guide at the gate costs ~¥100 and is worth it to decode Pits 1–3. Spend 3 hours there, break for lunch, then return to the city for the Small Wild Goose Pagoda and its museum (¥50 combo, quieter than the Big Wild Goose Pagoda) and the Xi'an Museum if time allows. Finish on the City Wall (¥54) — either walk a stretch or hire a bike on the wall (¥45 for 100 min, or ¥90 for 2 hrs). Then dive into the Muslim Quarter: Great Mosque (¥25), lamb skewers, persimmon cakes and biangbiang noodles.
🚌Bus 306/遊5 from Xi'an Railway Station to Terracotta Army (¥8–15 each way); city metro and buses ¥2–6
🛏Same Xi'an guesthouse (~£15 dorm, ~£35 private)
- →Terracotta Army Museum, Pits 1–3 (¥120, gate guide ~¥100)
- →Small Wild Goose Pagoda & Xi'an Museum (¥50)
- →Cycle or walk the Xi'an City Wall (¥54 entry + ¥45–90 bike)
- →Muslim Quarter & Great Mosque (¥25)
Han Yang Ling Museum & Departure
Xi'an
Final morning, and it's easy to swap commercial coach transfers for public transport. Han Yang Ling (the Jingdi Emperor's tomb with its eerie glass-floored pits of miniature terracotta figures) sits near the airport, so a pre-booked airport transfer can stop there en route; alternatively take metro Line 2 to the last stop and connect by taxi (~¥30). Combined ticket ¥70–90 with shuttle. If your flight leaves later, use the morning for the lively Beiyuanmen morning market and a last roujiamo, then take the Airport Intercity Line (¥16, 30 min) or a Didi to Xi'an Xianyang Airport for your onward flight or train. Everything from the operator's Day 6 — airport see-off — you simply arrange yourself with a 30-minute airport bus or taxi.
🚌Airport Intercity Line from Xi'an North to Xianyang Airport (¥16, ~30 min) or Didi (~¥100); taxi to Han Yang Ling ~¥30
🛏Check-out, no overnight
- →Han Yang Ling Museum (¥70–90)
- →Beiyuanmen morning market
- →Own transfer to Xi'an Xianyang Airport
Self-launched vs. Travel China Guide
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Travel China Guide | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£565 | £1,045 |
| Duration | 6 days | 6 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £480 per person (46%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Travel China Guide-style trips? Check them out here.~£565
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Self-Launched Beijing & Xi'an: Great Wall, Forbidden City & Terracotta Army cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £565 per person for 6 days in Beijing & Xi'an, China. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Travel China Guide?+
Yes — Travel China Guide charges around £1,045 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £565 — a saving of roughly £480 (46%) per person.
How long is the Beijing & Xi'an, China trip?+
This itinerary runs 6 days, covering 6 day-by-day stops through Beijing & Xi'an, China.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, city-breaks, budget trip through Beijing & Xi'an, China, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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