China Express: Beijing to Shanghai (Self-Launched)
8 days · China
G Adventures charges £870
No-markup version: ~£560 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of G Adventures' 8-day "China Express" — Beijing, Xi'an, Suzhou and Shanghai — done independently using high-speed trains, city metros and self-booked tickets. You'll still see the Mutianyu Great Wall, Forbidden City, Terracotta Warriors, the ancient city wall of Xi'an, a classical Suzhou garden and the Bund, but at hostel/guesthouse prices and on your own timetable. All tickets for major sights in China are now bookable online in advance (often via WeChat mini-programs or Trip.com/GetYourGuide), and high-speed rail is fast, cheap and easy — the whole route is very doable solo. Costs are approximate per person, based on budget/backpacker rates in GBP.
Day-by-day
Arrive Beijing — hutong orientation
Beijing
Land at Beijing Capital (PEK) or Daxing (PKX) and take the Airport Express + metro (about £4) or a DiDi taxi (about £12) to a hostel in the Dongcheng district near Nanluoguxiang or the Drum & Bell Towers. Settle in, get a Chinese SIM/eSIM or activate roaming, and set up Alipay/WeChat Pay linked to your card — almost everything in China is cashless. Evening: wander the hutongs, grab jianbing or dumplings (about £4-6) and watch the Drum & Bell Tower square at dusk (free).
🚌Airport Express + metro from PEK/PKX, ~£4
🛏Hostel dorm in Dongcheng hutong area (e.g. a Nanluoguxiang or Yonghegong-area hostel), £10-16/night
- →Hutong evening walk
- →Set up Alipay/WeChat Pay and local SIM
- →Street-food dinner
Mutianyu Great Wall + Tiananmen Square
Beijing
Start early: take metro Line 2/13 to Dongzhimen, then the 916 Express bus to Huairou (about £1.50), then a local shuttle/hired car to Mutianyu (about £3-5) — total under £10 each way versus £40+ for a private transfer. Buy the Mutianyu entrance ticket online in advance (about £5). Walk the wall for 3-4 hours; the toboggan down is a fun extra (~£11-15). Return to Beijing mid-afternoon and visit Tiananmen Square (free, but reserve a slot on the official WeChat mini-program 1-7 days ahead — bring your passport). Evening: try Peking duck at a mid-range local restaurant (about £15-20) or cheap noodles for £5.
🚌Metro + 916 Express bus + local shuttle to Mutianyu, ~£15 return
🛏Same hostel, Beijing
- →Mutianyu Great Wall hike
- →Tiananmen Square
- →Optional toboggan descent (~£12)
Forbidden City, then high-speed train to Xi'an
Beijing → Xi'an
Book your Forbidden City ticket online exactly 7 days ahead (about £6.50, passport required, sells out fast). Enter at Meridian Gate when gates open at 08:30 and spend 2.5-3 hours walking through to the Imperial Garden and out at the north gate — Jingshan Park next door gives the classic rooftop view for £0.25. Grab lunch, then head to Beijing West Station for the high-speed G-train to Xi'an (4.5-6 hours, second class about £55-65 booked on Trip.com or the 12306 app). Check into a hostel inside the city wall near the South Gate or the Muslim Quarter.
🚌G-series high-speed train Beijing West → Xi'an North, ~£60, 4.5-6 hrs
🛏Hostel/guesthouse inside the city wall, Xi'an, £10-18/night
- →Forbidden City self-guided visit
- →Jingshan Park viewpoint
- →Bell & Drum Tower area at night
Terracotta Warriors + Xi'an city wall
Xi'an
Take bus 306/游5 from the east square of Xi'an railway station to the Terracotta Army site (about £1, 1 hr) and buy your ticket at the gate or online (about £12). Arrive at opening to beat the tour buses; Pit 1 is the showstopper. Return by early afternoon and rent a bike on the Ming-era city wall (about £5 for 2 hours) — a 14 km loop with great views. Spend the evening grazing the Muslim Quarter: roujiamo, biangbiang noodles, yangrou paomo and persimmon cakes for £6-10 total.
🚌Public bus 306 to Terracotta Warriors, ~£2 return; metro/bike locally
🛏Same hostel, Xi'an
- →Terracotta Warriors (self-guided, audio guide ~£3)
- →Cycle the ancient city wall
- →Muslim Quarter food crawl
Train to Suzhou — classical gardens
Xi'an → Suzhou
Morning high-speed train from Xi'an North to Suzhou North (about 6-7 hours, second class about £60-70; book early, this is the long leg travellers mention). Arrive late afternoon and check into a guesthouse in the Pingjiang Road canal district. If time allows, stroll Pingjiang Road along the canal at dusk, then dinner at a local noodle or river-fish restaurant (about £6-9).
🚌G-series high-speed train Xi'an North → Suzhou North, ~£65, 6-7 hrs
🛏Canal-side guesthouse or hostel near Pingjiang Road, Suzhou, £12-20/night
- →Pingjiang Road canal walk
- →Suzhou noodle dinner
Master of the Nets Garden + Shantang Street, then to Shanghai
Suzhou → Shanghai
Visit the Master of the Nets Garden at opening (about £6, book on Trip.com or at the gate) — small, exquisite and far quieter than the Humble Administrator's Garden. Swap in the Humble Administrator's Garden or a canal boat ride (about £5) if you prefer. Walk Shantang Street's canal lanes for lunch and silk shops, then take a 25-minute high-speed train from Suzhou to Shanghai (about £5-8, frequent departures) and metro to your hostel near People's Square or the Bund. Evening: first look at the Bund skyline lit up, free.
🚌Suzhou → Shanghai high-speed train ~£7 (25 min) + metro
🛏Hostel/guesthouse near People's Square or East Nanjing Road, Shanghai, £14-22/night
- →Master of the Nets Garden
- →Shantang Street canal lanes
- →The Bund at night
Shanghai Museum, Yuyuan Garden & French Concession
Shanghai
The Shanghai Museum on People's Square is free but requires a timed reservation via its official WeChat account — book a few days ahead. Spend 2 hours on the bronze and ceramics floors, then walk 15 minutes to Yuyuan Garden (about £4.50) and the surrounding bazaar for soup dumplings (xiaolongbao, about £5). Afternoon: wander the French Concession — Wukang Road, Anfu Road cafés and Tianzifang lanes. Optional evening acrobatics show at Shanghai Circus World or ERA (about £25-40 via Klook/GetYourGuide) in place of the tour's included show.
🚌Metro day pass/local rides, ~£4
🛏Same hostel, Shanghai
- →Shanghai Museum (free, reserve ahead)
- →Yuyuan Garden & bazaar
- →French Concession walk
- →Optional acrobatics show (~£30)
Departure from Shanghai
Shanghai
Morning free for a last canal-side coffee or the Propaganda Poster Art Centre (about £2.50) before heading to Pudong or Hongqiao airport. Maglev from Longyang Road to Pudong is a fun 8-minute, 430 km/h option (about £5-7). Flights home are not included in either the tour or this estimate.
🚌Metro to Longyang Road + Maglev to Pudong Airport, ~£7
🛏—
- →Optional Propaganda Poster Art Centre
- →Maglev ride to airport
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£560 | £870 |
| Duration | 8 days | 8 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £310 per person (36%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£560
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 China Express: Beijing to Shanghai (Self-Launched) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £560 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 £870 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £560 — a saving of roughly £310 (36%) 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, city-breaks, budget 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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