Best of China: Beijing to Shanghai, Self-Launched
12 days · China
G Adventures charges £2,900
No-markup version: ~£1,015 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A 12-day independent version of the Beijing–Xi'an–Yangshuo–Shanghai route: the Great Wall at Mutianyu, the Forbidden City, the Terracotta Warriors, cycling Xi'an's walls, a Li River boat trip and countryside cooking class in Yangshuo, and the Bund in Shanghai. You'll do it on high-speed trains and budget guesthouses instead of a guided group, booking each activity yourself via Klook/GetYourGuide or direct. Costs are rough backpacker estimates in GBP and exclude international flights.
Day-by-day
Arrive Beijing — hutong evening & Peking duck
Beijing
Land at PEK or PKX and take the Airport Express (¥25, ~25 min) plus metro to a hostel in the Dongcheng/Nanluoguxiang area. Settle in, then wander the hutongs around Nanluoguxiang at dusk and have a cheap Peking duck dinner at Siji Minfu (book ahead via Dianping or the queue app) or a budget duck joint in the backstreets — roughly ¥120-160 pp.
🚌Airport Express + metro, ~£3
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, Dongcheng (e.g. around Nanluoguxiang/Beixinqiao)
- →Airport transfer
- →Hutong evening wander
- →Peking duck dinner
Mutianyu Great Wall day trip
Beijing
Take the 867 bus or book a shared minibus from Dongzhimen to Mutianyu (or a Klook day-transfer ~£18-25). Entry ¥40 in low season/¥45 otherwise, plus ¥100-140 for the cable car up and the toboggan down if you fancy it. Walk the restored and unrestored sections between towers 14 and 20; aim for an early start to beat tour buses. Return to the city in the late afternoon.
🚌Shared minibus or express bus to Mutianyu, ~£10 return
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, Dongcheng
- →Mutianyu Great Wall hike
- →Cable car ascent (optional)
- →Toboggan descent (optional)
Forbidden City, Tiananmen, Temple of Heaven
Beijing
Book Forbidden City tickets online in advance (¥60, passport required, released 7 days ahead — sells out). Enter from the south through Tiananmen Square (free, security queue). Spend 3-4 hours inside, exit north to Jingshan Park (¥2) for the classic rooftop view. Afternoon: Temple of Heaven (¥34 combined ticket) — try to catch the early-morning or late-afternoon tai chi groups in the park.
🚌Metro, ~£2
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, Dongcheng
- →Forbidden City
- →Tiananmen Square
- →Jingshan Park
- →Temple of Heaven
Beijing to Xi'an by high-speed train
Xi'an
Morning free for the Summer Palace or 798 Art District if you want more. Take an afternoon G-train from Beijing West to Xi'an North (~4.5-5 hrs, second class ~¥515 / £57 — book via Trip.com or the 12306 app a few days ahead). Check into a hostel inside the city walls near the Bell Tower; evening stroll to the Drum Tower and the Muslim Quarter.
🚌High-speed train Beijing–Xi'an, ~£58
🛏Hostel dorm inside the city walls, near Bell Tower
- →Summer Palace (optional)
- →Drum Tower & Muslim Quarter stroll
Cycle the city walls & Muslim Quarter food
Xi'an
Rent a bike on top of the Ming city walls (¥45 for ~2 hrs incl. ¥54 wall entry) and do the 14 km loop. Afternoon: Gao's Grand Courtyard for shadow puppetry and a short craft street walk, then a Muslim Quarter orientation wander — lamb skewers, roujiamo, biangbiang noodles (budget ¥60-100 for a full food crawl). Optional evening dumpling banquet at Defachang (~£12).
🚌Walking + metro, ~£2
🛏Hostel dorm inside the city walls
- →Xi'an city wall cycling
- →Muslim Quarter street food
- →Shadow puppetry at Gao's Grand Courtyard
Terracotta Warriors & village lunch
Xi'an
Take bus 306/游5 from the Xi'an railway station east square (¥7-8, ~1 hr) or a Klook shared transfer to the Terracotta Army site. Entry ¥120; hire an audio guide (¥40) or join an English guide-share on site. Spend 3 hours across the three pits. On the way back stop in a village near Lintong for a home-style lunch, or eat at the site cafeterias and grab lunch back in the city.
🚌Local bus 306 to Terracotta Warriors, ~£2
🛏Hostel dorm inside the city walls
- →Terracotta Warriors
- →Village lunch stop
Fly to Guilin, Li River to Yangshuo
Yangshuo
Short domestic flight Xi'an–Guilin (~£45-60 on Spring/China Eastern, book on Trip.com) or overnight train if you want to save. From Guilin airport bus to the city, then a bus to Yangshuo (~¥30, 1.5 hrs) — or take the scenic Li River cruise from Zhujiang Pier (¥215-270, 4 hrs) if you'd rather see the karst scenery from the water. Check into a countryside guesthouse in the Yulong River area; evening in Yangshuo's West Street.
🚌Flight to Guilin + bus to Yangshuo, ~£65
🛏Countryside guesthouse near Yulong River
- →Li River scenery
- →West Street evening
Countryside cycling & Chinese cooking class
Yangshuo
Rent a bike (¥30/day) and ride the Yulong River loop past Moon Hill and the rice paddies — no guide needed, all signposted. Afternoon cooking class (book via Klook or direct with a Yangshuo school, ~£28-35 incl. market visit and the meal you cook). Evening free to see the Impression Liu Sanjie light show on the river (¥198-298) if you're keen.
🚌Bike hire, ~£4
🛏Countryside guesthouse near Yulong River
- →Yulong River cycling
- →Central Chinese cooking class
- →Impression Liu Sanjie (optional)
Tai chi at dawn & Yangshuo slow day
Yangshuo
Most Yangshuo guesthouses and the riverside parks run tai chi sessions with a teacher for ¥50-100 — join a morning class at 7am on the Yulong riverside. Rest of the day: bamboo raft on the Yulong, cave visit at Moon Water Cave, or just nap. Great place to do laundry and reset.
🚌Walking/bike, ~£2
🛏Countryside guesthouse near Yulong River
- →Tai chi class
- →Bamboo raft (optional)
- →Moon Water Cave (optional)
Yangshuo to Shanghai
Shanghai
Bus to Guilin (1.5 hrs), high-speed train Guilin to Shanghai (~9-10 hrs, ~¥700/£78 second class) — a long travel day, so take the early train. Alternative: fly Guilin–Shanghai (~£50-70, 2.5 hrs). Arrive, metro to a hostel in the Former French Concession or near People's Square, and do an evening orientation walk along the Bund to see the Pudong skyline light up.
🚌Bus + high-speed train Guilin–Shanghai, ~£80
🛏Budget hotel or hostel, Former French Concession/People's Square
- →The Bund evening walk
Shanghai old town, gardens & acrobatics
Shanghai
Morning at the Shanghai Museum (free, book a timed slot) or Yuyuan Garden (¥40) and the surrounding bazaar. Afternoon wander the French Concession's plane-tree lanes, Tianzifang and Xintiandi. Evening: Shanghai Acrobatic Troupe show at the Shanghai Centre (~£25-35 via Klook) or a rooftop drink over the Bund.
🚌Metro, ~£2
🛏Budget hotel or hostel, Former French Concession
- →Yuyuan Garden
- →Shanghai Museum
- →French Concession walk
- →Shanghai Acrobatic show
Depart Shanghai
Shanghai
Last morning for breakfast xiaolongbao and a final Bund stroll, then metro line 2 or the Maglev (¥50 to Longyang Road, then metro) out to Pudong or Hongqiao for your flight home. If you have time, add a day trip to Suzhou by high-speed train (~25 min, ¥40) or water town Zhujiajiao by bus.
🚌Maglev + metro to airport, ~£7
🛏—
- →Breakfast xiaolongbao
- →Departure transfer
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,015 | £2,900 |
| Duration | 12 days | 12 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,885 per person (65%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,015
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.
Customise with Tour BusterCreated by
Travel Crew
0 trips
Frequently asked questions
How much does Best of China: Beijing to Shanghai, Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,015 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 £2,900 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,015 — a saving of roughly £1,885 (65%) 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?
Drop your comment below — if you've done a similar route, tell us what worked, what you'd add, or what you'd skip.
No comments yet — be the first to share your take.
Sign in to leave a comment.