Self-Launched Beijing & Xi'an: Great Wall, Forbidden City & Terracotta Warriors (6 Days)
6 days · China (Beijing & Xi'an)
Top China Travel charges £710
No-markup version: ~£510 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Top China Travel's 6-day group tour from Beijing to Xi'an, swapping the guided coach group for public transport, metro, a high-speed train and self-bookable tickets. You'll still see the headline sights — Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, the Mutianyu Great Wall, the Summer Palace, Xi'an's City Wall and the Terracotta Warriors — but at your own pace and roughly half the price. China is very easy to DIY now: metro and train tickets are bookable via apps, and GetYourGuide/Klook sell skip-the-line entry and small-group Great Wall day trips. Costs are approximate and assume hostel/dorm or simple twin rooms, local eats and 2nd-class trains.
Day-by-day
Arrive Beijing — settle in, evening stroll
Beijing
Fly into Beijing Capital (PEK) or Daxing (PKX). Take the Airport Express train (PEK, ¥25, ~£2.70, ~30 min to Dongzhimen) or the Daxing Airport Express, then transfer by metro to your hostel around Dongcheng/Nanluoguxiang or near Qianmen. Check in, get a Chinese SIM/eSIM or activate data, download Alipay/WeChat Pay and link a card, and pick up a transportation card or set up metro QR payment. In the evening, walk the hutongs around Nanluoguxiang or eat dumplings near Qianmen. Book your Mutianyu Great Wall day trip tonight (GetYourGuide/Klook small-group with cable car, ~£40-55) and pre-book Forbidden City tickets online (¥60, released 7 days ahead, sells out fast).
🚌Airport Express train + metro (~£3)
🛏Hostel dorm or simple twin in Dongcheng/Qianmen (e.g. hutong guesthouse), ~£18-25/night
- →Airport Express into the city
- →Hutong evening wander
- →Set up Alipay/WeChat Pay and metro app
- →Pre-book Forbidden City & Great Wall tickets
Tiananmen, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven & hutongs
Beijing
Go early (security queues are fierce) to Tiananmen Square — you need your passport and usually a timed reservation for the square. Walk through the Gate of Heavenly Peace into the Forbidden City with your pre-booked ticket; allow 3 hours and rent an audio guide (~¥40) or book a GetYourGuide entry+guide option if you want commentary. Lunch at a local restaurant near Jingshan. In the afternoon, take metro Line 5 to Temple of Heaven (¥34) — the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests is the highlight, plus the park where locals dance and practise tai chi. Do a self-guided hutong walk through Nanluoguxiang and Yandai Xiejie, and optionally book a Peking-opera mask-painting workshop or a rickshaw hutong tour via Klook (~£10-20). Optional evening: Red Theatre Kung Fu Show or Chaoyang Acrobatic Show ticket (~£20-30).
🚌Metro day (~£1.50)
🛏Same hostel, Beijing
- →Tiananmen Square (free, reserve ahead)
- →Forbidden City (¥60 / ~£7)
- →Temple of Heaven (¥34 / ~£4)
- →Hutong self-guided walk
- →Optional Peking opera mask workshop or kung fu show
Mutianyu Great Wall + Olympic Park
Beijing (Mutianyu)
Take a pre-booked small-group Mutianyu day trip (GetYourGuide/Klook, ~£40-55 including round-trip transport, entry ¥40 and cable car up/down) — pickups are usually near Dongzhimen or Wangfujing and leave ~07:30. Alternatively DIY: bus 916快 from Dongzhimen to Huairou (¥12), then a local minibus/taxi to Mutianyu (¥30-50). Hike between towers 14 and 20 for the best views and quietest stretches, then ride the toboggan down if you like. Lunch at a farmhouse restaurant at the foot of the wall. On the way back, ask to be dropped near the Olympic Park for photo stops at the Bird's Nest (National Stadium) and Water Cube — lit up after dusk. Back to the hostel for dinner in the hutongs.
🚌Shared shuttle/minibus as part of day trip (~£8-12 included)
🛏Same hostel, Beijing
- →Mutianyu Great Wall hike (entry ¥40)
- →Cable car round trip (~¥120)
- →Bird's Nest & Water Cube photo stop
- →Optional toboggan descent
Summer Palace, then high-speed train to Xi'an
Beijing → Xi'an
Morning at the Summer Palace (¥30-60) — wander the Long Corridor, climb Longevity Hill for views over Kunming Lake, and optionally rent a rowing boat on the lake (~¥40-60). Take metro Line 4 to Beijing West Railway Station (Beijingxi) in good time. Catch an afternoon G-series high-speed train to Xi'an North (2nd class, ¥515-560 / ~£57-62, ~4.5-5 hours) — book on Trip.com or the official 12306 app as soon as tickets open (15 days ahead) and use your passport at the gate. Arrive Xi'an North, take metro Line 2 into the city to your hostel near the Bell Tower/Muslim Quarter. Evening: graze the Muslim Quarter food street — roujiamo, yangrou paomo, biangbiang noodles (~£5-8).
🚌Metro + Beijing–Xi'an 2nd-class high-speed train (~£60)
🛏Hostel or budget twin near Bell Tower/Muslim Quarter, Xi'an, ~£15-22/night
- →Summer Palace & Long Corridor
- →Optional Kunming Lake boating
- →High-speed train to Xi'an
- →Muslim Quarter street-food crawl
Terracotta Warriors, City Wall & Muslim Quarter
Xi'an
Start early: take metro Line 2 to Xi'an North then bus 307 or the direct tourist bus 游5 (306) from the railway station to the Terracotta Army site (¥120 entry / ~£13). Go straight to Pit 1 then Pits 2 and 3; book a GetYourGuide/Klook entry ticket with optional English-speaking guide (~£5-15 extra) since signage is limited. Back in the city by mid-afternoon: rent a bike on the Xi'an City Wall (¥45 entry + ¥45 bike, ~2 hours for the 14 km loop — a fantastic ride). Late afternoon visit Bell Tower Square and the Great Mosque in the Muslim Quarter, then snack your way through the food stalls. Optional evening: Tang Dynasty dinner show (~£30-45) if you want the spectacle.
🚌Metro + local tourist bus (~£3)
🛏Same hostel, Xi'an
- →Terracotta Warriors (¥120)
- →Xi'an City Wall cycling
- →Bell Tower Square
- →Muslim Quarter food & Great Mosque
- →Optional Tang Dynasty show
Gao's Courtyard, Big Wild Goose Pagoda & departure
Xi'an
Morning in the old town: visit Gao's Courtyard (¥40-60, a Ming-era mansion with shadow-puppet and paper-cut demonstrations; small shadow-puppet shows run throughout the day, ~£5-8). Then take metro Line 3/4 or a taxi (~£3) to Big Wild Goose Pagoda North Plaza for photos of the Tang-dynasty pagoda and, if timed right, the free music fountain show (usually early evening, so check times — you can swap the order). Lunch of dumplings at the nearby Defachang or a local noodle shop. Then take metro Line 2 to Xi'an North and the Airport Intercity Line or airport bus (¥25-30, ~£3) to Xianyang International Airport (XIY) for your flight out — allow 2.5 hours for the journey.
🚌Metro + airport intercity line/bus (~£3)
🛏None (departure day)
- →Gao's Courtyard (¥40-60)
- →Shadow puppetry demonstration
- →Big Wild Goose Pagoda North Plaza
- →Music fountain show
Self-launched vs. Top China Travel
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Top China Travel | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£510 | £710 |
| Duration | 6 days | 6 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £200 per person (28%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Top China Travel-style trips? Check them out here.~£510
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 Warriors (6 Days) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £510 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 Top China Travel?+
Yes — Top China Travel charges around £710 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £510 — a saving of roughly £200 (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, budget, backpacker 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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