Best of China: Beijing to Shanghai Self-Launched Adventure

Touch down in Beijing and make your way into the city independently. The Airport Express train runs from both Terminal 2 and Terminal 3 directly to Dongzhimen station in under 25 minutes (~£3.50) — far cheaper than a taxi or private transfer. Check in to your hostel or budget hotel in the Dongcheng or Qianmen district, both brilliantly placed for sightseeing. Once settled, head out to explore the backstreets around Wangfujing or the Qianmen pedestrian street. Kick off your China food adventure tonight — hunt down a Peking duck restaurant (try Siji Minfu or Da Dong for affordable options, ~£8–12 for a half duck), or grab savoury jianbing crepes and baozi from street stalls for just a few yuan.

🚌Airport Express train from airport to Dongzhimen, ~£3.50. Metro Line 2 or Line 1 to your accommodation area, ~£0.50.

🛏Generator Beijing, Leo Hostel, or Red Lantern House — dorm from ~£8/night, private room from ~£22/night

• →Arrive at Beijing Capital International Airport or Beijing Daxing Airport
• →Take the Airport Express train to the city centre (~£3.50)
• →Check in to hostel/budget hotel in Dongcheng or Qianmen district
• →Evening wander around Wangfujing Snack Street or Qianmen
• →Dinner: Peking duck or street food at Wangfujing Night Market (~£8–12)

Rise early and head to the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall — widely considered the most scenic and less crowded than Badaling. You can book a self-guided day trip via Klook (~£30–35 including return bus transfer and cable car) or go fully DIY: take Bus 916 from Dongzhimen to Huairou, then a shared minibus to Mutianyu (~£3 total each way). Buy entrance tickets at the gate (~£8) and take the cable car up (~£6) or hike up the steps. Walk the wall at your own pace, soak up the mountain forest views, and descend via the toboggan run for extra fun (~£4). Back in Beijing by late afternoon — celebrate with dinner and a cold beer in the Nanluoguxiang hutong neighbourhood.

🚌Option A (budget): Bus 916 from Dongzhimen + shared minibus to Mutianyu, ~£3 each way. Option B (easy): Klook/GetYourGuide return transfer, ~£12–15 extra.

🛏Same Beijing hostel/hotel as night 1

• →Travel to Mutianyu Great Wall (bus or Klook day-trip transfer)
• →Explore the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall at your own pace
• →Cable car up and optional toboggan run back down
• →Photography stops along the watchtowers
• →Evening drinks in Nanluoguxiang hutong neighbourhood

Dedicate the day to Beijing's imperial heart. Start at Tiananmen Square (free entry) before crossing into the Forbidden City — the largest preserved royal palace complex in the world. Book your timed entry ticket in advance online via the Palace Museum official website (~£8); tickets often sell out days ahead so don't leave it to the gate. Spend 3–4 hours exploring the 980 buildings, hidden gardens, and Imperial Treasury at your own pace — download the official Palace Museum audio guide app for rich commentary without the group tour price tag. In the afternoon, stroll through Jingshan Park behind the palace for panoramic rooftop views (~£0.75). End the day with a sunset walk along the moat and dinner in a nearby hutong restaurant.

🚌Metro Line 1 to Tiananmen East or West station, ~£0.50.

🛏Same Beijing hostel/hotel

• →Tiananmen Square (free)
• →Forbidden City — pre-book timed entry tickets online (~£8)
• →Download the Palace Museum audio guide app for self-guided commentary
• →Jingshan Park for panoramic views over the Forbidden City (~£0.75)
• →Evening hutong dinner and wander

Check out of your Beijing accommodation and head to Beijing West Railway Station for the high-speed G-train to Xi'an — a smooth 4.5–5 hour ride through the North China Plain. Tickets book via Trip.com or 12go.asia (~£35–50 second class). Arrive in Xi'an, check in near the Muslim Quarter or city centre, and head straight out. Rent a bicycle at the South Gate (~£2.50/hr) and cycle the full 14km circuit of the ancient Ming Dynasty city walls — one of the best-preserved in China with sweeping 360° city views. As evening hits, dive headfirst into the famous Huimin Street Muslim Quarter night market for lamb skewers, hand-pulled noodles (biang biang mian), and pomegranate juice.

🚌G-train Beijing West → Xi'an North, ~£35–50 second class. Book via Trip.com. Metro or taxi to accommodation in Xi'an, ~£1–3.

🛏Han Tang Inn, Xi'an Melody Hostel, or similar near the Muslim Quarter — dorm from ~£8, private room from ~£20

• →High-speed G-train: Beijing West to Xi'an North (~4.5–5 hrs, ~£35–50 second class)
• →Check in to Xi'an hostel near the Muslim Quarter
• →Rent a bicycle and cycle the full circuit of the Xi'an City Walls (~£2.50/hr rental + ~£4.50 entry)
• →360° city views from the walls
• →Evening at Huimin Street Muslim Quarter Night Market — lamb skewers, biang biang noodles (~£6–8)

One of the world's greatest archaeological discoveries awaits. The Terracotta Army museum is located ~1.5 hours east of Xi'an city — take public Bus 306 or the tourist bus from Xi'an Railway Station (~£1.50 each way) or book a budget day tour via Klook (~£20–25 including transport and entry). Entrance to the three excavation pits costs ~£16. Spend 3–4 hours marvelling at the 2,000+ individual warrior statues, each with unique facial features, buried to guard China's first emperor Qin Shi Huang. The on-site museum and documentary film add great context. Back in Xi'an by mid-afternoon — catch the evening Tang Dynasty show if it interests you (book via Klook, ~£15), or keep it low-key with more street food and tea.

🚌Public Bus 306 from Xi'an Railway Station to Terracotta Army, ~£1.50 each way. Or Klook day trip (~£20–25 all-in).

🛏Same Xi'an hostel/hotel

• →Bus or Klook transfer to Terracotta Army Museum (~1.5 hrs each way)
• →Explore all three excavation pits (~3–4 hrs, entry ~£16)
• →Optional: Tang Dynasty cultural show in the evening (~£15 via Klook)
• →Final Xi'an street food crawl — try rou jia mo (Chinese burger) and cold rice noodles

Board the high-speed train from Xi'an North to Chengdu East — a scenic 3-hour journey through Shaanxi and Sichuan (~£25–35 second class, book via Trip.com). Arrive in Chengdu and check in near Jinli Ancient Street or the city centre. Spend the afternoon soaking up Chengdu's famous slow pace of life: duck into a traditional teahouse in Renmin Park, sip a bowl of gaiwan tea (~£1.50), and watch locals play mahjong. In the evening, explore the lantern-lit Jinli Ancient Street for handicrafts and snacks. Dinner is non-negotiable: a Sichuan hotpot. Head to Haidilao (queue-buster: book ahead on WeChat) or any local hotpot restaurant for a mouth-numbing, soul-warming feast (~£8–12/person).

🚌G/D-train Xi'an North → Chengdu East, ~£25–35 second class. Book on Trip.com. Metro Line 1 to city centre, ~£0.50.

🛏Chengdu Mix Hostel, Traffic Inn, or Flip Flop Hostel — dorm from ~£7, private from ~£18

• →High-speed train Xi'an North → Chengdu East (~3 hrs, ~£25–35 second class)
• →Check in near Jinli Ancient Street or city centre
• →Traditional teahouse experience at Renmin Park (~£1.50 for gaiwan tea)
• →Browse Jinli Ancient Street — lanterns, street food, local crafts
• →Sichuan hotpot dinner (~£8–12)

Set your alarm — arriving early (gates open 7:30am) is the key to seeing the giant pandas at their most active and playful, and beating the crowds. Take a taxi or rideshare (DiDi app) to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding (~20 mins from the city centre, ~£4–6 each way). Entry is ~£10. Book in advance via the official WeChat mini-programme or the official website as daily visitor numbers are capped. Spend the morning with both giant and red pandas in beautifully landscaped enclosures. Back in the city by noon — spend the afternoon exploring Kuanzhai Alley (Wide & Narrow Alleys) for more street food, local souvenirs, and people-watching. Optional: Sichuan cooking class in the evening via GetYourGuide (~£25–35).

🚌DiDi (Chinese Uber) or taxi from city centre to Panda Base, ~£4–6 each way. Download DiDi app before you go.

🛏Same Chengdu hostel/hotel

• →Early morning visit to Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding (arrive by 8am — entry ~£10)
• →Spot giant pandas and red pandas
• →Afternoon exploring Kuanzhai Alley (Wide & Narrow Alleys)
• →Street food crawl — dan dan noodles, rabbit head (local delicacy), tea-smoked duck
• →Optional: Sichuan cooking class via GetYourGuide (~£25–35)

Today involves a travel day with a magical payoff. Take an early high-speed train from Chengdu East to Zhangjiajie West (~5.5–6 hrs, ~£30–40) — Furong Ancient Town (Furong Zhen) is a short detour en route or can be reached via a connecting bus from Jishou (~1.5 hrs). The town is the real-life filming location of the classic Chinese film 'Hibiscus Town', and it's extraordinary: traditional Tujia wooden stilt houses cascade down terraced hillsides to a dramatic waterfall. Entry ~£8. Explore the cobbled streets, hunt down the famous red rice tofu (hongmi doufu), and stay into the evening for the acclaimed light and sound show that transforms the whole town after dark (~£10). Book accommodation in Furong town itself for the full atmosphere.

🚌High-speed train Chengdu → Zhangjiajie West/Jishou (~5.5–6 hrs, ~£30–40 via Trip.com). Bus or taxi to Furong Zhen, ~£3–5.

🛏Guesthouses within Furong Ancient Town from ~£12–18/night — staying in town gives you the evening light show experience

• →High-speed train Chengdu East → Zhangjiajie West (or via Jishou), ~£30–40
• →Bus or taxi to Furong Ancient Town (~£3–5)
• →Explore traditional Tujia stilt-house architecture and cascading waterfalls (entry ~£8)
• →Try hongmi doufu (red rice tofu) — the town's famous dish
• →Evening light and sound show (~£10)

Travel from Furong Town to Zhangjiajie (bus or taxi to Jishou, then train, ~£10–15 total) and check in near the national park entrance. Buy a 2-day park pass (~£30) which covers today and tomorrow — well worth it. Head straight into Zhangjiajie National Forest Park and make for the Bailong Elevator — the world's tallest outdoor lift, rising 326 metres up a sheer sandstone cliff face (~included in pass). The views from the top are the inspiration for the floating Hallelujah Mountains in James Cameron's Avatar. Spend the afternoon exploring the Yuanjiajie plateau — Hallelujah Avatar Mountain viewpoint, the Natural Bridge, and the Sky-High Platform. Mist drifts between the towering quartzite pillars. It's completely otherworldly.

🚌Taxi/bus from Furong Town to Jishou station, train to Zhangjiajie (~1.5 hrs), then taxi/bus to park entrance. Total ~£10–15. Shuttle buses run throughout the park (included in pass).

🛏Pippi Hostel, TNT Youth Hostel, or guesthouse near park entrance — dorm from ~£8, private from ~£18

• →Travel from Furong Town to Zhangjiajie (~2–3 hrs, ~£10–15)
• →Buy 2-day Zhangjiajie National Forest Park pass (~£30)
• →Ride the Bailong Elevator — world's tallest outdoor elevator
• →Yuanjiajie plateau: Hallelujah Avatar Mountain viewpoint
• →Natural Bridge and Sky-High Platform viewpoints
• →Free explore: hike the Lovers' Road or West Sea Cliff walking paths

A second full day in one of China's most extraordinary landscapes. Use your 2-day park pass to explore deeper into the park, or head to the two big optional highlights nearby. The Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge (the world's longest and highest glass-bottomed bridge) requires a separate ticket — book online in advance via the official Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge website (~£14). For Tianmen Mountain, take the world's longest cable car (9.5km!) up to the summit (~£27 return, book via Trip.com or at the cable car station), then walk the dramatic glass-floored cliffside walkway to Heaven's Gate arch. Alternatively, enjoy a full day of emerald forest hiking within the national park at your own pace — the Golden Whip Stream trail is one of the most beautiful.

🚌Free park shuttle buses within Zhangjiajie NP. Separate taxi to Glass Bridge or Tianmen Mountain cable car station, ~£3–5.

🛏Same Zhangjiajie hostel/guesthouse

• →Option A: Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge — book in advance online (~£14)
• →Option B: Tianmen Mountain cable car (world's longest at 9.5km) + Heaven's Gate arch (~£27 return)
• →Option C: Golden Whip Stream trail hike through the national park (free with park pass)
• →Final sunset views from a park viewpoint
• →Evening street food in Zhangjiajie town centre

A big travel day, but an exciting one. Take the high-speed train from Zhangjiajie West to Changsha, then connect onward to Shanghai Hongqiao — total journey around 6–7 hours (~£40–55 second class, book via Trip.com). Alternatively, an overnight train saves a night's accommodation cost. Arrive in Shanghai and take Metro Line 2 directly from Hongqiao Railway Station into the city centre (~45 mins, ~£0.80). Check in near the French Concession or People's Square — brilliant central bases. Freshen up and head straight out: Shanghai truly comes alive at night. Walk the Bund for those legendary Pudong skyline views, grab a drink at a rooftop bar, hit the neon-lit streets of Nanjing Road East, or find a late-night ramen spot. The city won't disappoint.

🚌High-speed trains Zhangjiajie → Changsha → Shanghai Hongqiao, ~£40–55 total second class. Book via Trip.com. Metro Line 2 into the city, ~£0.80.

🛏Captain Hostel, Marvel Hotel Shanghai, or Mingtown Hiker Hostel (French Concession) — dorm from ~£10, private from ~£25

• →High-speed train Zhangjiajie West → Changsha → Shanghai Hongqiao (~6–7 hrs total, ~£40–55)
• →Metro Line 2 from Hongqiao to city centre (~£0.80)
• →Check in to French Concession or People's Square area hostel/hotel
• →Evening walk along the Bund — Pudong skyline views (free)
• →Rooftop bar drinks or late-night street food exploration

Your final full day — make it count. Start with the Yu Garden in the Old City (entry ~£4.50) — a 450-year-old classical Chinese garden of serene ponds, rockeries, and pavilions hidden within the bustling city. The surrounding Yu Garden Bazaar is perfect for last-minute souvenirs. Lunch is non-negotiable: head to Nanxiang Mantou Dian (established 1900) for Shanghai's legendary xiaolongbao soup dumplings — a few pounds for a bamboo steamer basket. Walk off lunch along the Bund waterfront promenade (free), admiring the Art Deco colonial buildings on one side and the Pudong skyline on the other. Optional: take the Huangpu River ferry across to Pudong for the view (~£0.50) or head up the Shanghai Tower observation deck (~£17). Toast to an incredible trip over one last hotpot dinner.

🚌Shanghai Metro is cheap, efficient and fully signposted in English — day pass ~£3 or pay per journey ~£0.50–1.00.

🛏Same Shanghai hostel/hotel

• →Yu Garden — classical garden in Shanghai's Old City (~£4.50 entry)
• →Xiaolongbao soup dumplings at Nanxiang Mantou Dian (~£3–5 for a steamer)
• →Browse Yu Garden Bazaar for souvenirs
• →Walk the Bund waterfront promenade (free)
• →Optional: Huangpu River ferry to Pudong (~£0.50) or Shanghai Tower observation deck (~£17)
• →Farewell hotpot dinner (~£10–14)

Your China adventure draws to a close. Check out of your accommodation and head to your departure airport — Shanghai has two: Pudong International (PVG, served by Maglev from Longyang Road Metro station, ~£6, 8 mins!) or Hongqiao (SHA, served directly by Metro Lines 2 and 10). If you have time before your flight, grab one last bowl of sheng jian bao (pan-fried soup dumplings) from a street stall. Extending your stay? Shanghai has brilliant onward connections across Asia. Ask other travellers at your hostel, or check Skyscanner and Trip.com for budget flights to Japan, Vietnam, Thailand and beyond.

🚌Pudong Airport: Maglev from Longyang Road Metro station, ~£6. Hongqiao Airport: Metro Lines 2/10 direct, ~£0.80.

🛏N/A — departure day

• →Check out and transfer to Pudong (PVG) or Hongqiao (SHA) airport
• →Pudong: take the Maglev from Longyang Road (~£6, 8 mins) — an experience in itself!
• →Hongqiao: Metro Line 2 direct, ~£0.80
• →Optional last breakfast: sheng jian bao pan-fried dumplings from a local street stall (~£1.50)