6-Day Self-Launched Beijing & Xi'an Culture Break
6 days · China (Beijing & Xi'an)
Travel China Guide charges £860
No-markup version: ~£615 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Travel China Guide's all-inclusive Beijing & Xi'an itinerary, swapping 5-star hotels and private guiding for hostels and budget guesthouses, public transport and the high-speed train between cities, and self-bookable tickets for the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Terracotta Army and the evening shows. You cover the same big-hitters — Tiananmen, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Mutianyu Great Wall, the hutongs, Summer Palace, Terracotta Army, Wild Goose Pagoda, the Muslim Quarter and the Xi'an City Wall — for roughly £600 instead of ~£860. Costs are approximate backpacker/budget-traveller rates in GBP; entrance fees for major sights are the biggest fixed cost in China.
Day-by-day
Arrive Beijing — settle in and eat Peking duck on the cheap
Beijing
Land at Beijing Capital (PEK) or Daxing (PKX) airport and take the Airport Express train or the cheaper airport bus into town (~£3-5) rather than a private transfer. Check into a hostel or budget guesthouse in the Dongcheng district — near Nanluoguxiang or Qianmen is walkable to most of the historic core. Set up payments (Alipay/WeChat Pay linked to your card, or withdraw cash) and grab a Chinese SIM/eSIM. In the evening, wander the Qianmen area and have an affordable roast duck dinner at a busy local restaurant — a smaller portion for two costs ~£15-20 total rather than the operator's a la carte welcome dinner. Skip the airport meet-and-greet: Beijing's metro is well signed in English.
🚌Metro + Airport Express from airport (~£3-5); city metro card ~£5/day
🛏Budget hostel or guesthouse double, Dongcheng (e.g. hostel near Nanluoguxiang or Qianmen), £15-22/night
- →Airport Express or airport bus into city
- →Self-guided stroll of Qianmen / Dashilan lanes
- →Budget Peking duck dinner
Tiananmen, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven + acrobatics
Beijing
Book Forbidden City tickets online in advance through the official WeChat mini-program or website (~£7) — they sell out, especially weekends — and carry your passport, which acts as your ticket. Arrive early at Tiananmen Square (free, but expect airport-style security queues and a reservation for the square itself in peak periods). Spend 3-4 hours in the Forbidden City, walk out the north gate, then take the metro to the Temple of Heaven park (~£4 entry, park only is cheaper) in the afternoon. Compare prices on Klook/GetYourGuide for the Red Theatre acrobatics show (~£20-30, book direct on the theatre's own site to avoid markup) or, cheaper still, catch a Chaoyang Theatre acrobatics show. Eat lunch at a local noodle/jiaozi spot (~£4-6).
🚌Metro between sights, ~£2-3 total
🛏Same hostel or guesthouse, Dongdeng
- →Tiananmen Square (free, reserve in advance)
- →Forbidden City (~£7, official online booking)
- →Temple of Heaven park and halls (~£4)
- →Acrobatics show at Red Theatre or Chaoyang Theatre (~£20-30)
Mutianyu Great Wall hike + hutong rickshaw and courtyard visit
Beijing (Mutianyu)
Get to Mutianyu without a group tour: take a public bus or the 916 Express bus from Dongzhimen to Huairou ( ~£1.50) then a local shuttle/taxi to the Mutianyu entrance (~£3-5 shared), or pre-book a shared minibus via Klook (~£12-18 return). Entry ~£5, cable car or chairlift up ~£12 one way. Walk the ramparts between towers 14 and 20 for the classic views — allow 2-3 hours on the wall. Bring water and snacks; the wine toast is easily replaced with a supermarket bottle. Return to Beijing late afternoon and do a self-guided hutong wander through Nanluoguxiang and the Yandai Xiejie alleys — the rickshaw tour (~£15-25) is optional; walking is free and less pressured. Optional courtyard family visit can be swapped for a hutong teahouse stop (~£5).
🚌Public bus Dongzhimen–Huairou + shared shuttle/taxi, or shared minibus (~£6-18 return)
🛏Same hostel or guesthouse, Dongcheng
- →Mutianyu Great Wall entry + cable car/chairlift (~£17)
- →Rampart hike between towers
- →Self-guided hutong walk (Nanluoguxiang, Yandai Xiejie)
- →Optional hutong teahouse stop (~£5)
Summer Palace, then high-speed train to Xi'an
Beijing → Xi'an
Morning at the Summer Palace (~£4-6 entry) — take the metro there and walk the Long Corridor and Kunming Lake shoreline for 2-3 hours. Head back to your hostel, collect bags, and take the metro to Beijing West Railway Station. Book a second-class high-speed train (G-series) to Xi'an North in advance on the official 12306 app or Trip.com — roughly 4.5-5.5 hours, £55-65. Arrive into Xi'an in the evening, take metro line 2 or 4 into the city centre and check into a hostel/guesthouse inside or just outside the City Wall (Bell Tower or South Gate area). Dinner in the Muslim Quarter: roujiamo, biangbiang noodles and yangrou paomo for ~£6-8.
🚌Metro to Beijing West (~£1); high-speed train Beijing–Xi'an ~£55-65; Xi'an metro ~£1
🛏Budget guesthouse or hostel double inside/near the City Wall, Xi'an, £15-22/night
- →Summer Palace (~£4-6)
- →High-speed train to Xi'an
- →Evening Muslim Quarter food crawl
Terracotta Army, warrior workshop, Wild Goose Pagoda + Tang show
Xi'an
Get to the Terracotta Army early — take bus 306 (You 5) from Xi'an Railway Station East Square (~£1, 1 hour) or the metro line 9 plus local bus. Entry ~£13. Hire a licensed site guide for ~£10-15 at the gate (split the cost) or use a Klook/GetYourGuide audio guide; a small-group guided tour with hotel pickup runs ~£25-35 if you want the original's commentary. Allow 3-4 hours across the pits. Back in the city, sign up for a short terracotta warrior clay workshop in the Muslim Quarter or a local craft studio (~£8-12, bookable direct or via Klook) — most will let you pay at the door. Late afternoon visit the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda grounds (~£5-6 with the square free) and in the evening book the Tang Dynasty Dinner & Dance Show directly with the theatre (~£25-35 including dinner) or choose the cheaper show-only ticket.
🚌Bus 306 return to Terracotta Army (~£2); metro/taxi locally ~£3
🛏Same Xi'an guesthouse
- →Terracotta Army Museum entry (~£13) + optional on-site guide (~£12 shared)
- →Terracotta warrior clay workshop (~£10)
- →Giant Wild Goose Pagoda (~£5)
- →Tang Dynasty Music & Dance Show (~£25-35)
Sunrise tai chi, walk the City Wall, Muslim Quarter and departure
Xi'an
Join the free public morning tai chi/'shadowboxing' sessions in the City Wall park near the South Gate (free — locals gather from ~6:30-7:00am and are welcoming if you join quietly at the back), which stands in for the operator's masterclass. Then rent a bike on the Xi'an City Wall (entry £6 + bike rental ~£5-6 for 1-2 hours) and ride a loop with the city skyline on one side and the old town on the other. Spend the rest of the day in the Muslim Quarter snacking, souvenir browsing and, optionally, touring the Bell and Drum Towers (~£4-5 each or combined ticket ~£7). Eat a final lunch of dumplings locally (~£5). Late afternoon take the metro or bus to Xi'an Xianyang airport or to Xi'an North for onward trains — the Tang dumpling dinner from the operator can be enjoyed as a final lunch instead if timing is tight.
🚌Metro to airport (~£2-3) or Xi'an North railway station (~£1)
🛏Check out — no night included (add a night if your flight is early next day)
- →Free public tai chi in City Wall park
- →City Wall entry + bike rental (~£12)
- →Muslim Quarter walking and snacks
- →Optional Bell & Drum Towers (~£7)
Self-launched vs. Travel China Guide
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Travel China Guide | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£615 | £860 |
| Duration | 6 days | 6 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £245 per person (28%) | |
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.~£615
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 6-Day Self-Launched Beijing & Xi'an Culture Break cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £615 per person for 6 days in China (Beijing & Xi'an). 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 £860 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £615 — a saving of roughly £245 (28%) per person.
How long is the China (Beijing & Xi'an) trip?+
This itinerary runs 6 days, covering 6 day-by-day stops through China (Beijing & Xi'an).
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 China (Beijing & Xi'an), 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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