Best of China (Self-Launched)
12 days · China
G Adventures charges £2,999
No-markup version: ~£1,255 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A 12-day self-launched version of G Adventures' "Best of China" — Beijing's Great Wall, hutongs and imperial sights, the Xi'an city walls and Terracotta Warriors, a village guesthouse stay near Guilin, karst countryside cycling and cooking in Yangshuo, and Shanghai's Bund. Built using China's high-speed rail network, budget hotels and guesthouses, and self-bookable activities via Klook/GetYourGuide or direct hotel booking. Costs are approximate per-person estimates and exclude international flights and the Chinese visa (budget ~£110+ separately depending on nationality).
Day-by-day
Arrive Beijing
Beijing
Land at Beijing Capital or Daxing, take the Airport Express train (¥25, ~25 min) to Dongzhimen then metro Line 2 to your hostel/hotel near Dongsi or Gulou. Settle in, then head out for a self-guided evening in the hutongs and a Beijing duck dinner at a mid-range local roast duck restaurant (¥100-160 per person) or the cheaper duck at Siji Minfu/Quanjude alternatives.
🚌Airport Express train + metro (~£3)
🛏Budget hotel or private room in a Beijing hostel near Gulou/Dongsi (~£30/night)
- →Airport Express into the city
- →Hutong evening stroll
- →Peking duck dinner (self-booked restaurant)
Mutianyu Great Wall day trip
Beijing
Take the direct tourist shuttle from Dongzhimen (or the 916 Express bus to Huairou then local minibus) to Mutianyu. Buy the entrance ticket and cable car/toboggan combo on site or via Klook. Walk the restored section between towers 14 and 20, then ride the toboggan down. Return to Beijing in the late afternoon.
🚌Dongzhimen–Mutianyu tourist shuttle (~£10 return) or public bus (~£3)
🛏Budget hotel or hostel private room, Beijing
- →Mutianyu Great Wall entrance + cable car/toboggan (~£17)
- →Hike between watchtowers
Tiananmen, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven
Beijing
Book Forbidden City tickets online in advance (released 7 days ahead, passport required — they sell out). Start at Tiananmen Square, spend 3 hours in the Forbidden City, then metro to the Temple of Heaven park for the afternoon. Evening wander through the Nanluoguxiang hutongs and eat at a local noodle/jiaozi spot.
🚌Metro day (~£2)
🛏Budget hotel or hostel private room, Beijing
- →Tiananmen Square (free, security check)
- →Forbidden City entry (~£7)
- →Temple of Heaven entry (~£4)
- →Hutong backstreet walk
Free morning, overnight train to Xi'an
Beijing → Xi'an
Use the morning for anything you missed — Lama Temple, 798 Art District or Jingshan Park views. Then head to Beijing West Railway Station for the overnight soft-sleeper train to Xi'an (book via Trip.com or the official 12306 app a week or two ahead; 4-berth soft sleeper ~¥515, ~£57). Stock up on snacks at the station.
🚌Overnight train Beijing West → Xi'an, ~11-12 hrs (~£57)
🛏Overnight soft-sleeper train (4-berth compartment)
- →Free morning sightseeing
- →Overnight train experience
Xi'an city walls by bike & Muslim Quarter
Xi'an
Arrive in the morning and check in near the South Gate. Rent a bike on the city wall (~¥45 for 2 hrs) and ride the 14km loop, then nap off the train. In the evening explore the Muslim Quarter's food streets — roujiamo, biangbiang noodles, yangrou paomo — and consider the optional Tang Dynasty dinner show (¥88-158) booked via Klook.
🚌Taxi/metro from station (~£2), bicycle rental
🛏Budget hotel near the South Gate (~£28/night)
- →Cycle the Xi'an city wall (~£5)
- →Muslim Quarter night food walk
- →Optional Tang Dynasty dinner show
Terracotta Warriors & village lunch
Xi'an
Take tourist bus 306 (green bus) from the railway station to the Terracotta Warriors site (~¥7, 1 hr), or a Didi. Book an audio guide or a small-group guided entry up front online. Allow 3 hours across the three pits. Eat lunch in the nearby village of Xiyang before returning to Xi'an.
🚌Public tourist bus 306 (~£1)
🛏Budget hotel near the South Gate, Xi'an
- →Terracotta Warriors entry + audio guide (~£14)
- →Local village lunch
- →Optional Xi'an city museum
Fly to Guilin, transfer to a village guesthouse
Xi'an → Guilin → Yueluo Wan village
Morning domestic flight Xi'an–Guilin (~£70-100 booked on Trip.com 2-4 weeks ahead). Take a bus or hired car to a village guesthouse in the Yangshuo countryside — options like the village homestays around Yueluo Wan or Fuli. Afternoon at leisure: rice paddies, village lanes, home-cooked dinner.
🚌Flight (~£85) + bus/taxi to village (~£10)
🛏Simple village guesthouse (~£20/night)
- →Village walk
- →Home-cooked local dinner
Trek to Yangshuo + Li River sunset cruise
Yueluo Wan → Yangshuo
Walk or cycle the countryside route into Yangshuo (~10-15km through villages, rice fields and karst peaks; a local guide can be arranged at the guesthouse or via Klook for ~£20). Check into a Yangshuo guesthouse, then take a sunset bamboo raft or short Li River cruise from Xingping or Yangshuo pier (~£15-25, book same-day at the pier or via Klook).
🚌On foot/bicycle; short taxi to pier (~£3)
🛏Yangshuo guesthouse/hostel private room (~£22/night)
- →Countryside trek with village visits
- →Li River sunset bamboo raft/cruise (~£20)
Karst cycling & Chinese cooking class
Yangshuo
Rent a bike (~¥30) and ride the Yulong River loop past Moon Hill and paddy fields, with swim stops. In the afternoon join a market visit + cooking class — Yangshuo Cooking School or a Klook/GetYourGuide class (~£25-35) covering beer fish, dumplings and stuffed vegetables; dinner is the food you cook.
🚌Bicycle rental (~£4)
🛏Yangshuo guesthouse/hostel private room
- →Countryside cycling loop
- →Market visit + cooking class with dinner (~£30)
Fly to Shanghai, Bund orientation walk
Yangshuo → Guilin → Shanghai
Transfer to Guilin airport and fly to Shanghai (~£60-90 booked ahead). Check into a hostel or budget hotel near People's Square or the Bund, then do a self-guided evening walk along the Bund and across to Lujiazui for the skyline lights (free).
🚌Airport transfer (~£10) + domestic flight (~£75) + metro (~£2)
🛏Budget hotel/hostel private room near the Bund (~£35/night)
- →Self-guided Bund & Huangpu riverfront walk
- →Lujiazui skyline view
Shanghai free day & acrobatics show
Shanghai
Visit Yuyuan Gardens (¥40) and the Shanghai Museum (free, book a slot online), wander the French Concession and Tianzifang, and eat xiaolongbao at a local dumpling house. In the evening book Shanghai Acrobatics tickets via Klook/GetYourGuide or directly at the theatre (~£25-45).
🚌Metro day pass (~£3)
🛏Budget hotel/hostel private room near the Bund
- →Yuyuan Gardens (~£4)
- →Shanghai Museum (free)
- →French Concession walk
- →Acrobatics show (~£35)
Depart Shanghai
Shanghai
Take the Maglev from Longyang Road to Pudong Airport (~¥50, 8 min) or metro Line 2 for ~¥8 if you have time. Depart at any time.
🚌Maglev or metro to airport (~£5)
🛏—
- →Departure
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,255 | £2,999 |
| Duration | 12 days | 12 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,744 per person (58%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,255
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 Best of China (Self-Launched) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,255 per person for 12 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 £2,999 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,255 — a saving of roughly £1,744 (58%) per person.
How long is the China trip?+
This itinerary runs 12 days, covering 12 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, foodie, city-breaks 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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