Classic Beijing to Hong Kong: Self-Launched
14 days · China (Beijing to Hong Kong)
G Adventures charges £1,850
No-markup version: ~£1,010 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A 14-day DIY run through China's greatest hits — Beijing's Great Wall and Forbidden City, Xi'an's Terracotta Warriors, Shanghai and Suzhou's classical gardens, the karst scenery of Yangshuo, and the Longji rice terraces — ending in Hong Kong. You ride the same high-speed trains and overnight sleepers the group tour uses, stay in hostel dorms, guesthouses and budget hotels, and book the handful of guided visits you actually need (Great Wall transfer, Terracotta Warriors, cooking class) yourself through GetYourGuide/Klook or direct. Note: China now has a visa-free (or easy e-visa) entry scheme for many nationalities — check current rules, and carry digital payment apps (Alipay/WeChat Pay) as cash is rarely used. All costs are rough backpacker estimates in GBP.
Day-by-day
Arrive Beijing
Beijing
Land at Beijing Capital (PEK) or Daxing (PKX) and take the Airport Express train (¥25, ~£3) to Dongzhimen, then metro/taxi to your hostel near the Dongcheng or Qianmen area. Set up Alipay/WeChat Pay with your card, buy a local SIM or eSIM, and grab jianbing or dumplings for dinner. Early night — jet-lagged sightseeing starts tomorrow.
🚌Airport Express train ¥25 (~£3) + metro ¥3-6
🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel, Dongcheng district (~£14/night)
- →Arrival transfers
- →Neighbourhood wander
- →Set up mobile payments and SIM
Mutianyu Great Wall
Beijing / Mutianyu
Best-preserved, least-rammed section of the Wall. Book a direct bus (Tourist Bus Line or a hostel-arranged minibus, ~£10-15 return) or a GetYourGuide 'Mutianyu transfer + ticket' package (~£20-25). Walk towers 14-20 for the big mountain views; optional toboggan down (¥100, ~£11). Back in Beijing, swing by the Drum and Bell Towers (¥30, ~£3.50) at sunset for photos over the hutongs, then dinner in Nanluoguxiang.
🚌Return bus/minibus to Mutianyu ~£12; metro ¥6
🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel, Dongcheng district (~£14/night)
- →Mutianyu Great Wall entry + cable car (¥140, ~£15)
- →Optional toboggan (¥100, ~£11)
- →Drum & Bell Tower visit (¥30)
Forbidden City, Tiananmen & fast train to Xi'an
Beijing → Xi'an
Pre-book Forbidden City tickets online (£, 60元; they sell out — release is 7 days ahead at 20:00 Beijing time). Walk in from Tiananmen Square, spend 3 hours inside, then metro to Beijing West for an afternoon high-speed train to Xi'an (G-series, ~4h30, second class ~¥515, ~£56 — book on Trip.com or 12306 English app). Evening stroll on the Muslim Quarter food street near the Drum Tower.
🚌Metro ¥6 + high-speed train Beijing-Xi'an ~£56
🛏Hostel/hotel near Xi'an city wall or Bell Tower (~£14/night)
- →Forbidden City + Tiananmen Square (¥60)
- →Muslim Quarter street food
Terracotta Warriors & city walls
Xi'an
Take Bus 306/游5 from Xi'an railway station or a Klook half-day tour (~£30-35 incl. ticket and guide) to the Terracotta Army pits — allow 3 hours. Afternoon: rent a bike on the Ming-era city wall (¥45, ~£5) for a full 14km loop at sunset, then Big Wild Goose Pagoda (¥50) or the Great Mosque in the Muslim Quarter (¥25).
🚌Local bus 306 to warriors ¥7 each way; metro ¥4
🛏Hostel/hotel near Xi'an city wall or Bell Tower (~£14/night)
- →Terracotta Warriors entry + guide (~£32)
- →City wall bike hire (¥45)
- →Great Mosque (¥25, optional)
Xi'an to Shanghai
Xi'an → Shanghai
Morning at leisure — bike-free walk on the wall or a hutong breakfast of roujiamo and biangbiang noodles. Take the early-afternoon high-speed train to Shanghai (~6h, second class ~¥670, ~£73). Arrive into Shanghai Hongqiao, metro line 2/10 to your hostel in the French Concession or Jing'an (great walkable area with cheap eats and bars).
🚌High-speed train Xi'an-Shanghai ~£73; metro ¥5
🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel, French Concession (~£17/night)
- →Neighbourhood walk in the French Concession
Suzhou day trip
Shanghai / Suzhou
Hop the 25-minute G-train from Shanghai to Suzhou (~¥40, ~£4.50). Visit the Master of the Nets Garden (¥30-40, UNESCO-listed classical garden) in the morning, then walk or bus to Tiger Hill Pagoda and its bonsai garden. Return in the evening for xiaolongbao at a local dumpling house.
🚌Return high-speed train Shanghai-Suzhou ~£9; local bus ¥2
🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel, French Concession (~£17/night)
- →Master of the Nets Garden (¥40)
- →Tiger Hill (¥60)
Shanghai free day & acrobatics
Shanghai
Free day: the Bund at sunrise, Yuyuan Garden (¥40), the free Shanghai Museum, and the French Concession's plane-tree streets. In the evening catch an authentic acrobatics show — Shanghai Circus World or the Shanghai Acrobatics School tickets ¥180-380 (~£20-42), bookable on Klook; budget showings from the hostel or ticket office are the cheapest.
🚌Metro day pass ¥18 (~£2)
🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel, French Concession (~£17/night)
- →Yuyuan Garden (¥40)
- →Shanghai Museum (free, book ahead)
- →Acrobatics show (~£25)
Free day then overnight train south
Shanghai → Guilin/Yangshuo
Spend the day on anything you missed — M50 art district, Jing'an Temple, or the Propaganda Poster Art Centre. Then board an overnight hard-sleeper train toward Guilin (approx. 15-17h, hard sleeper ~¥380-450, ~£42-50; book early on Trip.com). Bring snacks and a padlock for your bag. This is the budget-friendly equivalent of the tour's included sleeper.
🚌Overnight sleeper train Shanghai-Guilin ~£45
🛏Overnight hard-sleeper train berth (~£45)
- →Free daytime sightseeing
- →Overnight train experience
Arrive Yangshuo
Yangshuo
Arrive into Guilin, then bus or shared van to Yangshuo (~1.5h, ¥30-50, ~£4-6). Check into a guesthouse in town or in the countryside near the Yulong River (~£15/night). Rent a bicycle (¥30/day) and ride out to Moon Hill (¥15 entry) — the classic karst views — ending with a beer at a riverside bar.
🚌Bus Guilin-Yangshuo ~£5; bike hire ¥30
🛏Guesthouse in Yangshuo or riverside countryside (~£15/night)
- →Bike hire
- →Moon Hill hike (¥15)
- →West Street evening
Yangshuo free day: climbing, tai chi or cooking
Yangshuo
Full free day. Options: a half-day Chinese cooking class including a market tour (¥200-300, ~£23-35 — self-book via Klook or directly with Yangshuo Cooking School), a tai chi or calligraphy lesson, rock climbing on the karst cliffs (~£35 with a local guide), or a bamboo raft on the Yulong River (~¥200).
🚌Bike or local taxi ¥20-40
🛏Guesthouse in Yangshuo or riverside countryside (~£15/night)
- →Chinese cooking class (~£28)
- →Optional bamboo raft (~£22)
- →Optional rock climbing (~£35)
Li River float & Longji terraces
Yangshuo → Longji (Ping'an)
Morning on the Li River — the Xingping section is the famous ¥20 banknote view; a shared bamboo raft or small boat from Xingping costs ¥150-220 (~£18-25), or take the public ferry segment. Lunch at a rural women's cooperative restaurant in the villages (~£5) supporting local employment. Then shared van/bus to Longji Rice Terraces (~2.5-3h; transfer ~¥100-150, ~£12-17), staying in a Zhuang or Yao village guesthouse.
🚌Shared van Yangshuo-Longji ~£15
🛏Village guesthouse in Ping'an or Dazhai, Longji (~£16/night)
- →Xingping Li River raft (~£20)
- →Cooperative village lunch (~£5)
- →Terraces sunset viewpoint
Village-to-village rice terrace trek
Longji
Self-guided day hike across the Longji terraces linking Ping'an and Dazhai villages — 5-7 hours on stone paths, well signposted (free, or ¥100 with a local Yao guide if you'd like company). Views of 'Seven Stars with Moon' and 'Dragon's Backbone' viewpoints. Back to the guesthouse for dinner; onward travel logistics planned.
🚌Walking; optional local transport ¥20
🛏Village guesthouse in Ping'an or Dazhai, Longji (~£16/night)
- →Longji village-to-village trek (free)
- →Optional local guide (~£11)
Longji to Hong Kong
Longji → Shenzhen → Hong Kong
Early bus/van to Guilin (~2h), then high-speed train Guilin to Shenzhen North (~4-5h, second class ~¥380, ~£42), and metro (lines 4/10) to Futian/Luohu checkpoint into Hong Kong (HK$45-60, ~£5-6) — or a direct coach Guilin–HK if available (~£35). Check into a hostel in Mong Kok or Tsim Sha Tsui (~£22/night), then wander Temple Street Night Market.
🚌Van + high-speed train + metro border crossing ~£50
🛏Hostel dorm, Mong Kok or Tsim Sha Tsui (~£22/night)
- →Temple Street Night Market
- →Kowloon wander
Hong Kong finale & departure
Hong Kong
Morning hike on the Dragon's Back ridge or ride the Star Ferry across Victoria Harbour (HK$4, ~£0.40). Lunch of dim sum in Central, then an afternoon visit to the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront for the free Symphony of Lights at 20:00 if you're flying out late — otherwise head to the airport by Airport Express (~£12) or the cheaper A21 bus (~£4).
🚌Star Ferry ~£0.50; Airport Express ~£12 (or A21 bus ~£4)
🛏Depends on flight — hostel if staying on (~£22/night)
- →Star Ferry crossing
- →Dragon's Back hike (free)
- →Symphony of Lights (free)
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,010 | £1,850 |
| Duration | 14 days | 14 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £840 per person (45%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,010
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 Classic Beijing to Hong Kong: Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,010 per person for 14 days in China (Beijing to Hong Kong). 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 £1,850 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,010 — a saving of roughly £840 (45%) per person.
How long is the China (Beijing to Hong Kong) trip?+
This itinerary runs 14 days, covering 14 day-by-day stops through China (Beijing to Hong Kong).
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, adventure, hiking trip through China (Beijing to Hong Kong), 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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