Beijing to Shanghai: The Great Wall & Terracotta Warriors — Self-Launched
8 days · China
G Adventures charges £1,199
No-markup version: ~£490 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
An 8-day self-launched version of G Adventures' "Beijing to Shanghai" trip, covering the Great Wall at Mutianyu, the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square, the Terracotta Warriors in Xi'an, and Shanghai's Bund — all booked independently at backpacker prices. You'll use the same sleeper trains and local buses the tour uses, stay in equivalent hostels and budget hotels, and pick up activities à la carte via GetYourGuide, Klook, or on arrival. No group, no CEO required — just your own pace and a fraction of the tour price.
Day-by-day
Arrive in Beijing
Beijing
Land at Beijing Capital (PEK) or Daxing (PKX) and take the Airport Express train or metro into the city (~£5). Check into a hostel in the Dongcheng or Chaoyang district — the Jianguomen and Lama Temple areas have the best cluster of backpacker hostels. Spend the evening wandering the hutongs around Nanluoguxiang, grab jianbing or dumplings from a street stall (~£3), and orient yourself on the metro (single rides £0.30–0.60; get a Yikatong transport card or use Alipay's transit QR).
🚌Airport Express train ~£5; metro single journey £0.30–0.60
🛏Backpacker hostel dorm, Dongcheng/Chaoyang (~£12)
- →Airport Express or metro into the city
- →Hutong walk around Nanluoguxiang
- →Street food dinner
Mutianyu Great Wall day trip
Beijing / Mutianyu
The tour's headline inclusion — do it yourself for a fraction. Take the Dongzhimen long-distance bus to Huairou (bus 916 Express, ~£1.20, 90 mins), then a local shuttle or shared taxi to Mutianyu (~£4). Entry to the wall is ~£5; add a cable car or toboggan down if you like (~£8 each way). Mutianyu is the best-preserved, least-crowded of the restored sections with 22 towers and huge ridge views. Get there by 8am to beat the tour buses. Back in Beijing by early evening.
🚌Public bus to Huairou ~£1.20 each way; shared shuttle ~£4 each way
🛏Backpacker hostel dorm, Dongcheng/Chaoyang (~£12)
- →916 Express bus to Huairou
- →Mutianyu Great Wall entry and hike
- →Optional cable car / toboggan
Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City & Temple of Heaven
Beijing
Book Forbidden City tickets online in advance (real-name, ~£7) — they sell out days ahead on the official WeChat mini-programme. Start at Tiananmen Square (free, ID/passport required), then walk north through the Forbidden City's full axis, exiting at Jingshan Park (~£0.30) for the classic rooftop panorama over the palace. In the afternoon take the metro to the Temple of Heaven (~£2 entry) where locals play cards, sing and practise tai chi in the surrounding park. Evening: try Peking duck at a mid-range local spot (~£10) or cheap roast duck wraps in the hutongs.
🚌Metro all day ~£1.50
🛏Backpacker hostel dorm, Dongcheng/Chaoyang (~£12)
- →Tiananmen Square
- →Forbidden City (pre-booked ticket)
- →Jingshan Park viewpoint
- →Temple of Heaven
Sleeper train to Xi'an & Muslim Quarter
Beijing → Xi'an
A relaxed morning — visit the 798 Art District (free) or the Lama Temple (~£3). In the late afternoon head to Beijing West station for the overnight sleeper train to Xi'an (Z or K series, 12–14 hrs). Book a hard sleeper (~£25–35) a few days ahead on Trip.com; soft sleeper is ~£45 if you want more space. Arrive Xi'an early morning and check into a hostel inside the city walls near Bell Tower or the Muslim Quarter.
🚌Sleeper train Beijing West → Xi'an ~£25–35
🛏Overnight hard sleeper train (~£30)
- →798 Art District or Lama Temple
- →Overnight sleeper train to Xi'an
Terracotta Warriors & Xi'an city walls
Xi'an
Take bus 306/游5 from Xi'an Railway Station directly to the Terracotta Warriors site (~£0.80, 1 hr). Entry is ~£13 — a guide isn't required and the on-site signs are excellent, or pick up an audio guide (~£4). Spend 3–4 hours over Pits 1–3. Back in the city, rent a bike on top of the Ming city walls (~£5/hr) and ride the full 14km loop at sunset — the tour's optional cycling extra, done solo. Evening: eat your way down the Muslim Quarter (yangrou paomo, roujiamo, biangbiang noodles, ~£3–6 per dish).
🚌Local bus 306 to warriors ~£0.80 each way; metro ~£1
🛏Hostel inside the city walls, Xi'an (~£11)
- →Terracotta Warriors (bus 306)
- →Ming city wall cycling loop
- →Muslim Quarter street food crawl
Xi'an highlights & sleeper train to Shanghai
Xi'an → Shanghai
Morning at the Big Wild Goose Pagoda (~£6) or the free Shaanxi History Museum (book a free timed slot in advance). Wander the Muslim Quarter again for lunch, then visit the Drum and Bell Towers (~£4 combined) before heading to Xi'an station for the evening sleeper train to Shanghai (~£35–45 hard/soft sleeper, 12–14 hrs). This is the same overnight transport style the tour uses.
🚌Sleeper train Xi'an → Shanghai ~£35–45
🛏Overnight sleeper train (~£40)
- →Big Wild Goose Pagoda or Shaanxi History Museum
- →Bell & Drum Towers
- →Overnight sleeper train to Shanghai
Shanghai: the Bund & acrobatics
Shanghai
Arrive early and drop bags at your hostel in the Jing'an or People's Square area. Do the Bund orientation walk yourself — stroll the riverside promenade past the colonial architecture with the Pudong skyline opposite, best at dusk. Cross to Lujiazui by the ¥2 tourist ferry or metro to see the skyscrapers up close. In the evening catch a Chinese acrobatics show (the tour's optional extra); book via GetYourGuide or the Shanghai Circus World box office, ~£15–25 depending on seats.
🚌Metro £0.50; Bund tourist ferry ~£0.25
🛏Hostel or budget hotel, Jing'an/People's Square (~£15)
- →The Bund riverfront walk
- →Pudong / Lujiazui skyline
- →Shanghai acrobatics show (pre-booked)
Shanghai depart
Shanghai
Final morning for anything you missed — Yu Garden and the old town bazaar (~£5), the Tianzifang lanes, or the Propaganda Poster Art Centre. Grab a last bowl of xiaolongbao (~£4), then take the Maglev and metro to Pudong airport (~£6, 8 mins on the Maglev plus a transfer) or the metro to Hongqiao for onward trains. Trip ends.
🚌Metro + Maglev to PVG ~£6
🛏None (departure day)
- →Yu Garden and old town
- →Tianzifang lanes
- →Maglev to Pudong Airport
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£490 | £1,199 |
| Duration | 8 days | 8 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £709 per person (59%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£490
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 Beijing to Shanghai: The Great Wall & Terracotta Warriors — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £490 per person for 8 days in 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 G Adventures?+
Yes — G Adventures charges around £1,199 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £490 — a saving of roughly £709 (59%) per person.
How long is the China trip?+
This itinerary runs 8 days, covering 8 day-by-day stops through 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, budget, backpacker trip through 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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