China & Vietnam: Beijing to Sapa — Self-Launched Adventure

Land at Capital or Daxing Airport and take the Airport Express (£3) plus metro to a hostel near Dongsi or Gulou. Set up WeChat Pay and Alipay (link a card, get a data eSIM before you fly) — nearly everything in China is cashless. Wander the Nanluoguxiang and Beixinqiao hutongs in the late afternoon, eat zhajiangmian noodles or jianbing for dinner, and get an early night to beat jet lag.

🚌Airport Express + metro ~£3

🛏Hostel dorm near Gulou/Dongsi (e.g. a 4–6 bed dorm, ~£12)

• →Hutong wander (free)
• →Set up WeChat Pay/Alipay

Book Forbidden City tickets online through the official WeChat mini-program or website 7 days ahead (~£8) — they sell out. Enter from the south through Tiananmen Square (free, bring passport for security checks), walk north through the Forbidden City to Jingshan Park for the classic rooftop view (~£1). In the afternoon take metro Line 5 to the Temple of Heaven (~£5) or Lama Temple (~£3). Evening: Peking duck at a cheap local spot or a craft beer in a hutong bar.

🚌Metro day pass ~£2

🛏Hostel dorm near Gulou/Dongsi (~£12)

• →Forbidden City entry ~£8
• →Tiananmen Square (free)
• →Temple of Heaven ~£5
• →Jingshan Park ~£1

Get to Dongzhimen bus station by 7am and take the 916 Express bus to Huairou (7 yuan, ~1h) then a shared taxi up to Mutianyu (~10 yuan). Entry is ~£5 and the cable car or toboggan is optional at ~£11. Walk towers 14–20 — far quieter than Badaling. Back in Beijing by late afternoon, grab dinner near the station and board the overnight sleeper train to Xi'an (hard sleeper, ~£24, ~11h).

🚌Public bus + shared taxi ~£3; overnight train Beijing–Xi'an hard sleeper ~£24

🛏Overnight hard sleeper train

• →Mutianyu Great Wall entry ~£5
• →Optional cable car/toboggan ~£11

Arrive into Xi'an around 8am, drop bags at your hostel near the Bell Tower and head into the Muslim Quarter — a maze of food stalls selling roujiamo (Chinese 'burger'), yangrou paomo and biangbiang noodles for a couple of pounds. Walk the Ancient City Wall (~£6) — rent a bike on top (~£5/hour) and ride the full 14km loop. Evening stroll around the illuminated Bell and Drum Towers.

🚌Metro/taxi ~£3

🛏Hostel dorm inside the city wall (~£13)

• →Muslim Quarter walk (free)
• →City Wall entry ~£6
• →Bike hire ~£5

Take metro Line 9 to Huaqingchi then bus 613 to the Terracotta Warriors (~£1 total); entry ~£13. Rent an audio guide or join a GetYourGuide small-group tour (~£20) for the context — there's little signage in English. Pits 1–3 take about 3 hours. Return to the city for a hand-pulled noodle or dumpling dinner in the Muslim Quarter for under £5.

🚌Metro + bus ~£1

🛏Hostel dorm inside the city wall (~£13)

• →Terracotta Warriors entry ~£13
• →Optional guided tour ~£20

Catch a morning G-train from Xi'an North to Chengdu East (2nd class ~£27, 3.5h). Chengdu is China's most relaxed big city. Check into a hostel in the Kuanzhai Alley or Chunxi Road area, then wander People's Park to see the teahouses and ear-cleaning performers. Tonight is mandatory Sichuan hotpot — a shared pot at a local place runs about £8 each with drinks.

🚌Xi'an North–Chengdu East 2nd class ~£27; metro ~£1

🛏Hostel dorm near People's Park (~£12)

• →People's Park & teahouse ~£2

Be at the metro station by 6:45am — pandas are active early. Metro Line 3 to Panda Avenue then the free shuttle to Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding (~£7 entry). Spend 3 hours there, mostly at the nursery and the red panda enclosure. Afternoon: Kuanzhai Alley and Wenshu Monastery, then Sichuan opera face-changing show if you fancy it (~£15).

🚌Metro ~£1.50

🛏Hostel dorm near People's Park (~£12)

• →Panda base entry ~£7
• →Wenshu Monastery (free)
• →Optional Sichuan opera ~£15

Morning free in Chengdu for a last hotpot or a Sichuan cooking class (~£25 via GetYourGuide). Take an afternoon domestic flight Chengdu–Lijiang (~£55–70 booked 3–4 weeks ahead; the train takes 12+ hours, so flying wins here). Land at Sanyi Airport and take the airport shuttle bus to Lijiang Old Town (~£3). Note: power banks without the CCC mark are confiscated at Chinese airports — check yours. Evening wander the lantern-lit canals of the UNESCO Old Town.

🚌Domestic flight ~£60; airport shuttle ~£3

🛏Guesthouse in Lijiang Old Town (~£16)

• →Lijiang Old Town evening walk (free)

Walk to Black Dragon Pool Park (~£4) in the morning for the postcard view of the marble bridge with Jade Dragon Snow Mountain behind it. Climb Lion Hill and Wangu Tower (~£5) for rooftops over the Old Town, and visit the Mufu Museum (~£6). Afternoon free — Naxi minority culture is everywhere here. If you want the mountain itself, book a GetYourGuide day trip (~£55) including the cable car.

🚌Walking / local bus ~£2

🛏Guesthouse in Lijiang Old Town (~£16)

• →Black Dragon Pool ~£4
• →Wangu Tower ~£5
• →Mufu Museum ~£6

Take a shared minibus or public bus from Lijiang bus station to Jianchuan then on to Shaxi (~£4, ~3h). Shaxi is a beautifully preserved medieval Tea Horse Road town with far fewer visitors than Lijiang. Walk the Old Market Square, the Ming-era Old Theatre and Yujin Bridge, and hike 20 minutes out to Xingjiao Temple (~£3) for its Buddhist murals. Sleep in a courtyard guesthouse.

🚌Local bus Lijiang–Jianchuan–Shaxi ~£4

🛏Courtyard guesthouse in Shaxi (~£14)

• →Shaxi Old Town walking route (free)
• →Xingjiao Temple ~£3

Early bus back toward Jianchuan and Dali, stopping at Xizhou Old Town (~£5 total). Xizhou's Bai minority architecture is gorgeous — the Yan Family Compound and the morning market are highlights, and a Xizhou baba flatbread from a street vendor is the local breakfast. Continue to Dali (~£2) and settle into a guesthouse in Dali Old Town. Evening: dinner of Bai cuisine (rushan cheese and wild mushrooms) and the lantern-lit streets.

🚌Buses ~£7 total

🛏Guesthouse in Dali Old Town (~£14)

• →Xizhou Old Town walk (free)
• →Dali Old Town evening (free)

Free day. Best options: cycle the west shore of Lake Erhai on a rented e-bike (~£7/day) through Bai villages and past the Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple (~£13 entry); hike up Cangshan Mountain on the Zhonghe trail or take the cable car (~£15 one way); or do a half-day tie-dye workshop with a Bai family in Zhoucheng (~£12, book locally or via GetYourGuide). Sunset from the Old Town walls is free and brilliant.

🚌E-bike hire ~£7

🛏Guesthouse in Dali Old Town (~£14)

• →E-bike Lake Erhai ~£7
• →Three Pagodas ~£13
• →Optional Cangshan cable car ~£15
• →Optional tie-dye workshop ~£12

Take a morning high-speed train Dali–Kunming (~£16, 2h). Spend the afternoon in Kunming: Green Lake Park, the Yunnan Provincial Museum (free) and a bowl of cross-the-bridge noodles. In the evening catch an overnight sleeper bus from Kunming South to Jianshui or continue toward Hekou (~£18). Alternatively, take an afternoon train to Jianshui and stay there — slightly more comfortable.

🚌Dali–Kunming train ~£16; overnight bus ~£18

🛏Overnight sleeper bus

• →Green Lake Park (free)
• →Yunnan Provincial Museum (free)

Arrive in Jianshui and explore its Ming and Qing architecture: the Confucian Temple, Zhu Family Garden and the Twin Dragon Bridge. Join a short tofu workshop (Jianshui's grilled tofu is famous across Yunnan, ~£4) at a local family shop. Walk the old streets in the evening — this is one of Yunnan's most underrated towns.

🚌Local buses/taxis ~£3

🛏Small hotel in Jianshui (~£13)

• →Zhu Family Garden ~£6
• →Tofu workshop ~£4
• →Old town walk (free)

Long travel day: bus Jianshui–Gejiu–Yuanyang (Xinjie) then a shared van up to Duoyishu or Pugaolao village (~£10 total, 5–6h). Check into a basic guesthouse with terrace views over the terraces (~£12). Sunset over Bada or Laohuzui viewpoint is the money shot. Bring cash — ATMs are scarce up here.

🚌Buses + shared van ~£10

🛏Village guesthouse, Yuanyang (~£12)

• →Sunset terrace viewpoint ~£3

Get up for sunrise over the flooded terraces (best at Duoyishu, ~£3 in low season or free depending on the gate), then walk the terrace trails between villages for 2–3 hours — gentle, mostly flat paths along the ridges. Afternoon shared van and bus down to Hekou on the Vietnamese border (~£12, 5h), arriving in the evening. Chinese visa application city of departure is Honghe/Hekou, as noted by the operator.

🚌Shared van + bus ~£12

🛏Simple guesthouse in Hekou (~£11)

• →Sunrise terraces ~£3
• →Terrace hiking (free)

Walk the Hekou–Lao Cai land border (open to pedestrians; Vietnamese e-visa accepted, print it out). Change money in Lao Cai — the rate is fair. Grab a public minibus or motorbike taxi from Lao Cai up to Sapa (~£4, 1h, winding mountain road). Settle into a homestay in Ta Van or a guesthouse in Sapa town (~£12). Afternoon walk down to Cat Cat village or just drink in the Hoang Lien Son valley views.

🚌Border crossing (free) + minibus ~£4

🛏Homestay in Sapa/Ta Van (~£12)

• →Sapa town & valley walk (free)

Book a one-day guided trek via GetYourGuide, Klook or directly through your homestay (~£25) — you'll walk 12–15km through Lao Chai, Ta Van and Giang Ta Chai past terraced valleys and Hmong villages, with lunch included. Add a batik workshop with a Black Hmong family (~£10) — you dye hemp with indigo and wax-draw your own design. Evening: a bánh mì and hot cocoa in Sapa town.

🚌Local transfers included in trek

🛏Homestay in Sapa/Ta Van (~£12)

• →Sapa valley trek ~£25
• →Hmong batik workshop ~£10

Take the morning Sapa Express or a local sleeper bus from Sapa to Hanoi (~£10–14, 5–6h; book on Klook or at your homestay). Arrive Hanoi mid-afternoon, drop bags in a hostel in the Old Quarter (~£10). Hire a cyclo around Hoan Kiem Lake and the 36 streets (~£4/hour, negotiate first), and finish with a meal at KOTO on Van Mieu (a social enterprise training street youth — mains ~£5). bún chả and egg coffee are compulsory before you leave. Book an airport transfer for tomorrow morning (~£8).

🚌Sapa–Hanoi bus ~£12; cyclo ~£4

🛏Hostel dorm, Hanoi Old Quarter (~£10)

• →Hanoi cyclo tour ~£4
• →KOTO dinner ~£5
• →Hoan Kiem Lake walk (free)