Iconic China: Beijing to Hong Kong (Self-Launched)
16 days · China
G Adventures charges £4,200
No-markup version: ~£1,980 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of G Adventures' 16-day "Iconic China" National Geographic Journey — Beijing's imperial sights and the Great Wall, Xi'an's Terracotta Warriors, futuristic Shanghai, the Avatar peaks of Zhangjiajie, pandas and hotpot in Chengdu, then the karst scenery of Yangshuo and a Hong Kong finish. You book the same bullet trains, budget hotels and self-bookable activities yourself, cutting roughly two-thirds off the group tour price. Costs are approximate backpacker/budget rates in GBP.
Day-by-day
Arrive Beijing
Beijing
Land at Beijing Capital or Daxing airport and take the Airport Express train or metro to a hostel near Dongcheng or the Qianmen area (~£5). Set up Alipay or WeChat Pay with your card before you arrive — cash is a backup only. Grab jianbing or dumplings near your hostel and rest off the jet lag.
🚌Airport Express train + metro (~£5)
🛏Hostel dorm or budget hutong guesthouse, Beijing (£15-20)
- →Airport Express into the city
- →Evening stroll around Qianmen / hutong neighbourhood
Temple of Heaven, Tiananmen and the Forbidden City
Beijing
Get to the Temple of Heaven park early (entry ~£5) to watch locals doing tai chi and join a cheap public tai chi session in the park (many run for free or a small donation). Then walk or metro to Tiananmen Square (free, passport needed for security checks) and pre-book your Forbidden City ticket online via the official WeChat mini-program (~£8, sells out — book 7 days ahead). Lunch on Peking duck at a mid-range local roast duck restaurant (~£10-15). Evening wander in Nanluoguxiang hutongs.
🚌Metro day ticket (~£2)
🛏Hostel dorm or budget hutong guesthouse, Beijing (£15-20)
- →Temple of Heaven park and tai chi with locals
- →Tiananmen Square
- →Forbidden City (pre-booked ticket)
- →Peking duck lunch
Great Wall hike at Jinshanling
Jinshanling / Beijing
Take the early tourist shuttle or a shared minibus from Dongzhimen to Jinshanling (~£10-15 return, ~2.5 hrs) — this is the unrestored, quieter section the group tour uses. Pay the ~£6 entry and hike the ridge section between towers (3-4 hrs, moderate). Pack your own snacks and a beer for the classic wall-side toast. Return to Beijing in the evening.
🚌Shared shuttle/minibus Dongzhimen–Jinshanling (~£13 return)
🛏Hostel dorm or budget hutong guesthouse, Beijing (£15-20)
- →Jinshanling Great Wall hike
- →Sunset viewpoints from the watchtowers
Bullet train to Xi'an and Muslim Quarter
Xi'an
Book a G-series bullet train from Beijing West to Xi'an North (~4.5 hrs, second class ~£60 via Trip.com or the 12306 app — reserve a few days ahead). Check into a hostel inside the city wall near the Bell Tower. Evening orientation walk through the Muslim Quarter: roujiamo, biangbiang noodles and lamb skewers for dinner (~£8).
🚌Beijing–Xi'an bullet train, second class (~£60)
🛏Hostel or budget hotel inside the city wall, Xi'an (£14-18)
- →High-speed rail journey
- →Muslim Quarter food crawl
Terracotta Warriors and ancient city wall
Xi'an
Take tourist bus 5 (306) from Xi'an railway station to the Terracotta Warriors (~£1 each way, entry ~£15 — book through the official WeChat mini-program or a GetYourGuide ticket that includes the shuttle). Spend 3 hours in the pits, eat noodles at a local family restaurant outside the site, then return to town and rent a bike on the Ming city wall (~£6, 1.5 hrs loop). Skip-the-line guided add-on via Klook ~£25 if you want the history explained.
🚌Public bus 306 to the Warriors (~£2 return) + taxi back to centre
🛏Hostel or budget hotel inside the city wall, Xi'an (£14-18)
- →Terracotta Warriors Museum
- →Xi'an city wall cycling
- →Noodle lunch near the site
Bullet train to Shanghai and Huangpu night cruise
Shanghai
Morning bullet train Xi'an North to Shanghai Hongqiao (~6 hrs, second class ~£75). Check into a hostel in the French Concession or near the Bund. Evening Huangpu River night cruise (book a public cruise ticket ~£12-15 at the Shiliupu or Jinling Road pier, or via Klook) for the skyline between the Bund, Pearl Tower and Shanghai Tower.
🚌Xi'an–Shanghai bullet train, second class (~£75) + metro (~£1)
🛏Hostel or budget hotel, French Concession/Bund area (£18-22)
- →High-speed rail journey
- →Huangpu River night cruise
Shanghai walking day: shikumen alleys and xiao long bao
Shanghai
Self-guided walking loop: Xintiandi and the Shikumen Open House Museum, the plane-tree streets around Wukang Road, then the Yuyuan old town. Lunch on xiao long bao at a local dumpling house (Jia Jia Tang Bao ~£4, or Din Tai Fung ~£12). Afternoon free for the Power Station of Art or a tea break. Sunset walk along the Bund.
🚌Metro day (~£2)
🛏Hostel or budget hotel, French Concession/Bund area (£18-22)
- →Self-guided shikumen and French Concession walk
- →Xiao long bao lunch
- →The Bund at sunset
Fly to Zhangjiajie
Zhangjiajie
Morning flight Shanghai to Zhangjiajie Hehua airport (~2 hrs, ~£60-80 on Spring Airlines or China Eastern booked 3-4 weeks ahead). Take the airport bus or DiDi to Wulingyuan town (~£4) and check into a guesthouse near the national park gate. Afternoon acclimatise with a stroll along the Suoxi stream.
🚌Flight Shanghai–Zhangjiajie (~£70) + bus to Wulingyuan (~£4)
🛏Guesthouse near Wulingyuan park gate (£14-18)
- →Domestic flight
- →Wulingyuan town wander
Zhangjiajie National Forest Park and the Hallelujah Mountains
Wulingyuan
Buy the 4-day park ticket (~£25) and use the free shuttle buses inside the park. Cable car up Tianzi Mountain (~£8), walk to Yuanjiajie for the Avatar Hallelujah Mountains viewpoint, and descend via the Bailong Elevator (~£8, the world's tallest outdoor lift). Bring water and snacks; park food is pricey. Allow 7-8 hours.
🚌Park shuttle buses + cable car + elevator (~£18)
🛏Guesthouse near Wulingyuan park gate (£14-18)
- →Yuanjiajie / Hallelujah Mountains
- →Tianzi Mountain cable car
- →Bailong Elevator descent
Tianmen Shan: Heavenly Gate and glass skywalk
Zhangjiajie
Take bus 4 or a taxi to the Tianmen Shan cable car station (~£2) and ride the long cable car up (~£28 including park entry — buy on site or via Klook). Walk the 999 steps to Heaven's Gate, brave the cliff-hugging glass skywalk (~£3 shoe covers) and return down via the escalators and shuttle bus. Back in town, eat sanxiaguo (three-pot stew) for dinner.
🚌Local bus/taxi + cable car (~£30)
🛏Guesthouse near Wulingyuan park gate (£14-18)
- →Tianmen Shan cable car
- →Heaven's Gate
- →Glass skywalk
Train to Chengdu and People's Park hotpot night
Chengdu
High-speed train Zhangjiajie West to Chengdu East (~7 hrs, ~£60, limited daily departures — book early). Check into a hostel near Chunxi Road. Afternoon in People's Park: teahouse, mahjong watchers and calligraphy (free). Dinner at a classic Sichuan hotpot restaurant (Shu Daxia or Xiaolongkan, ~£12-15).
🚌Zhangjiajie–Chengdu high-speed train (~£60) + metro (~£1)
🛏Hostel or budget hotel near Chunxi Road, Chengdu (£14-18)
- →High-speed rail journey
- →People's Park and teahouses
- →Sichuan hotpot dinner
Panda base and free afternoon
Chengdu
Take the metro line 3 plus the panda shuttle bus, or a DiDi (~£6) to the Dujiangyan Panda Base or the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, arriving by 8am for feeding time. Entry ~£6-8 (book online). Optional volunteer/keeper half-day programmes run ~£60-90 through Klook if you want closer access. Back in Chengdu, free afternoon for Jinli Street or a Sichuan opera face-changing show (~£15).
🚌Metro + DiDi (~£8)
🛏Hostel or budget hotel near Chunxi Road, Chengdu (£14-18)
- →Giant Panda research base
- →Optional panda volunteer programme
- →Jinli Street / Sichuan opera
Fly to Guilin and transfer to Yangshuo
Yangshuo
Morning flight Chengdu to Guilin (~1h45, ~£55-70) or the slower high-speed train (~7 hrs, ~£50). From Guilin airport take the shuttle to Guilin city (~£3) then the direct bus to Yangshuo (~£3, 1.5 hrs). Check into a guesthouse on West Street or out in the countryside near the Yulong River. Evening free to wander and eat beer fish.
🚌Flight Chengdu–Guilin (~£60) + airport shuttle + bus to Yangshuo (~£6)
🛏Guesthouse in Yangshuo (£12-16)
- →Domestic flight or train
- →Yangshuo orientation walk
Li River bamboo raft, tea plantation and rural lunch
Yangshuo
Rent a bike (~£4) and cycle to Xingping for a bamboo raft on the Li River (~£20-25 for a shared raft, book on arrival or via Klook) past the 20-yuan note scenery. Stop at the Qixianfeng tea plantation for a tea ceremony and tasting (~£8-10). For lunch, look for a village community restaurant run by the Rural Women's Development Foundation network near Liandaowan, or any farmhouse restaurant (~£6). Sunset at Moon Hill if you have energy.
🚌Bike hire + shared shuttle (~£8)
🛏Guesthouse in Yangshuo (£12-16)
- →Li River bamboo raft
- →Qixianfeng tea plantation ceremony
- →Countryside cycling
Train to Hong Kong via Shenzhen
Hong Kong
Bus back to Guilin (~£3), then the high-speed train Guilin West to West Kowloon, Hong Kong (~3.5 hrs, ~£30-40; note you pass through immigration at West Kowloon station). Check into a hostel in Jordan, Mong Kok or Causeway Bay. Evening: Symphony of Lights at Victoria Harbour at 8pm (free) and a dim sum dinner in Kowloon (~£10-12).
🚌Bus to Guilin + Guilin–West Kowloon train (~£38)
🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse, Kowloon (£20-28)
- →Guilin–Hong Kong high-speed train
- →Symphony of Lights
- →Dim sum dinner
Hong Kong and departure
Hong Kong
Morning at the Peak Tram or the Star Ferry across the harbour (~£3), a final bowl of wonton noodles, then the Airport Express (~£10) out to HKIA. If you're flying from mainland China instead, allow time to re-cross the border.
🚌Star Ferry + Airport Express (~£13)
🛏—
- →Star Ferry harbour crossing
- →Peak Tram or Temple Street market
- →Airport transfer
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,980 | £4,200 |
| Duration | 16 days | 16 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £2,220 per person (53%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,980
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 Iconic China: Beijing to Hong Kong (Self-Launched) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,980 per person for 16 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 £4,200 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,980 — a saving of roughly £2,220 (53%) per person.
How long is the China trip?+
This itinerary runs 16 days, covering 16 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, foodie 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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