Self-Launched 10 Days: Beijing to Ulaanbaatar Across China & Mongolia
10 days · China & Mongolia
Agate Travel charges £2,620
No-markup version: ~£1,000 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A DIY version of Agate Travel's private 10-day Beijing–Ulaanbaatar itinerary, rebuilt for independent travellers. You'll cover Beijing's headline sights (Tiananmen, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Mutianyu Great Wall, Summer Palace, Lama Temple, hutongs), then ride the legendary Trans-Mongolian soft-sleeper train into Mongolia for Gandan Monastery, the National Museum, Genghis Khan Statue Complex, Terelj National Park and a herder stay — all bookable yourself via metro, public buses, shared taxis and GetYourGuide/Klook day tours. Costs are backpacker/budget-mid estimates in GBP and exclude international flights; they assume shared dorm or twin rooms and mostly self-guided sightseeing with a couple of small-group day tours.
Day-by-day
Arrive Beijing & orient yourself
Beijing, China
Land at Beijing Capital (PEK) or Daxing (PKX) and take the Airport Express train (£2.80) or the cheaper public bus (£1.50) to the city, then the metro (£0.40–0.80 per ride) to your hostel near Dongsi or Nanluoguxiang. Check in, grab a SIM/eSIM or pocket wifi upfront (roughly £8–12 for data), and use the afternoon to wander the hutongs around Gulou and Houhai. Evening: cheap jianbing or dumplings at a local spot. Book your Forbidden City ticket online in advance — it sells out and requires passport ID.
🚌Airport Express ~£2.80, metro rides ~£0.40–0.80
🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse near Dongsi/Nanluoguxiang (dorm ~£12–16/night)
- →Airport Express to city
- →Hutong wander (Gulou/Houhai)
- →Book Forbidden City ticket online in advance
Tiananmen, Forbidden City & Temple of Heaven
Beijing, China
Start early at Tiananmen Square (free, but you need a passport-based reservation through the WeChat mini-program). Walk north into the Forbidden City — book the 60 RMB ticket (£6.50) on the official Palace Museum site a week ahead. Spend 3–4 hours exploring, exit at the north gate, then take metro Line 5 to Temple of Heaven (ticket ~£5, or ~£6.50 for the combo). Late afternoon: stroll Tiantan Park where locals play cards and dance. Either self-guide with a downloaded audio guide or join a small-group GetYourGuide walking tour (~£25–35).
🚌Metro ~£1 total across the day
🛏Same Beijing hostel/guesthouse
- →Tiananmen Square (free, reserve online)
- →Forbidden City entry ~£6.50
- →Temple of Heaven ~£5–6.50
- →Optional GetYourGuide small-group walking tour ~£30
Mutianyu Great Wall day trip
Beijing, China
Skip the private car — take the direct tourist bus 867 from Dongzhimen (departs 7:00–8:30am, ~25 RMB / £2.70 each way) or a listed shared shuttle to Mutianyu. Entry ~40 RMB (£4.30) plus round-trip cable car ~120 RMB (£13). Walk the restored battlements, bring your own supermarket wine if you want the 'toast on the wall' moment the tour includes. On the way back, stop for photos of the Bird's Nest Olympic Stadium (metro Line 8, free to view outside) and browse a local market in the evening.
🚌Public tourist bus 867, metro
🛏Same Beijing hostel/guesthouse
- →Bus 867 to Mutianyu ~£5.40 return
- →Great Wall entry ~£4.30 + cable car ~£13
- →Bird's Nest exterior (free)
- →Optional GetYourGuide Mutianyu day tour ~£35
Summer Palace, Lama Temple & hutong rickshaw
Beijing, China
Morning at the Summer Palace (metro Line 4 to Beigongmen, entry ~30 RMB / £3.20, plus optional boat across Kunming Lake ~£2). Afternoon metro to Lama Temple (Yonghegong, entry 25 RMB / £2.70) — the incense-smoke atmosphere is unforgettable. Finish with a hutong circuit: a shared/public pedicab in the Shichahai area is around 60–100 RMB (£6.50–11) if you bargain, or simply walk the alleys for free. Try zhajiangmian noodles for dinner.
🚌Metro ~£1.50
🛏Same Beijing hostel/guesthouse
- →Summer Palace entry ~£3.20
- →Lama Temple entry ~£2.70
- →Hutong rickshaw ride ~£7 (or walk free)
- →Optional Beijing cooking class ~£30
Board the Trans-Mongolian soft sleeper to Ulaanbaatar
Beijing → Ulaanbaatar (onboard)
A slow travel day. Buy the Beijing–Ulaanbaatar train ticket in advance via a China rail booking agent such as Trip.com or China Highlights (K3/K23 weekly trains, soft sleeper 4-berth roughly £100–140 depending on route and season). Ticket collection needs your passport at Beijing station; arrive an hour early. Stock up on snacks and water from a convenience store. The train crosses the Chinese border at Erlian around midnight then swaps bogies at Zamyn-Üüd — a surreal two-hour process. Sleep well, the views onto the Gobi steppe the next morning are spectacular.
🚌Train ticket ~£100–140 booked via Trip.com or a rail agent
🛏Soft sleeper 4-berth compartment on train (~£110)
- →Trans-Mongolian train Beijing–Ulaanbaatar
- →Border crossing at Erlian / Zamyn-Üüd
- →Watch the bogie change at the border
Arrive Ulaanbaatar & get your bearings
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
The train rolls into Ulaanbaatar station around mid-afternoon. Change some money at the station or a city ATM (tögrög only — cards are patchy outside UB), buy a Unitel/Mobicom SIM (~£8 for 20GB), and take a taxi or marshrutka into the centre (a taxi should be £1.50–3; agree the fare first or use the UB Cab app). Check in around Sukhbaatar Square, then walk the square at dusk. Evening: try buuz (mutton dumplings) at a local guanz — a plate is £2–3.
🚌Taxi from station ~£2–3
🛏Budget hotel or hostel near Sukhbaatar Square (~£15–22/night)
- →Arrival walk to Sukhbaatar Square
- →Buy local SIM
- →Try buuz at a local guanz
Gandan Monastery, museums & city markets
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Self-guided city day. Start at Gandan Monastery (free entry, small donation for the Migjid Janraisig temple ~£2) for the morning chanting. Walk or hop a bus to the National Museum of Mongolian History (entry ~15,000 MNT / £3.50) and the State Government House on Sukhbaatar Square. Afternoon: browse the State Department Store and the Narantuul 'black market' for cashmere, boots and souvenirs. Book your Terelj tour or guesthouse for tomorrow today — either through GetYourGuide (~£35–45 group day tour) or by calling a Terelj ger camp directly.
🚌City bus/taxi ~£2 total
🛏Same UB hotel/hostel
- →Gandan Monastery
- →National Museum of Mongolian History ~£3.50
- →State Department Store & Narantuul market
- →Book Terelj transport/ger camp
Genghis Khan Statue & Terelj National Park
Terelj National Park, Mongolia
Take a shared taxi or marshrutka from UB's eastern bus terminal toward Terelj (~£4–6 each way, roughly 1.5 hours). Stop at the Genghis Khan Statue Complex (entry ~30,000 MNT / £7) and climb to the horse's head for the view. Continue into the park to Turtle Rock and hike the short trail up to Ariyabal Meditation Temple (~30 mins, free). Check into a ger camp or guesthouse for the night (~£18–25 with dinner and breakfast). Arrange a herder family visit through your camp — expect ~£10–15 for tea and dairy tasting. Optional horse riding ~£10–15 an hour.
🚌Shared taxi/marshrutka from UB ~£8–12 return
🛏Ger camp or park guesthouse (~£20 incl. dinner & breakfast)
- →Genghis Khan Statue Complex ~£7
- →Turtle Rock (free)
- →Ariyabal Meditation Temple hike
- →Herder family visit ~£10–15
- →Optional horse riding ~£10–15/hr
Back to Ulaanbaatar: Bogd Khan Palace, Zaisan & folklore show
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Hike or ride around the park in the morning, then catch a shared taxi back to UB. Visit the Winter Palace of the Bogd Khan (entry ~10,000 MNT / £2.30) — the last Mongolian king's collection of thangkas and robes. Late afternoon, climb the 300 steps to the Zaisan Memorial for the city panorama (free). In the evening, book tickets at the door or online for the Tumen-Ekh ensemble's 'Wonders of Mongolia' folklore show (~40,000–60,000 MNT / £9–14) — a genuinely impressive throat-singing and contortion performance.
🚌Shared taxi back ~£5, taxi around town ~£3
🛏Budget hotel/hostel in central UB
- →Winter Palace of the Bogd Khan ~£2.30
- →Zaisan Memorial (free)
- →Wonders of Mongolia folklore show ~£9–14
Depart Ulaanbaatar
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Final morning for souvenir shopping at the State Department Store or a last cashmere scarf, then take a taxi or the official airport shuttle to Chinggis Khaan International (a taxi is ~£10–14, allow 45–60 minutes). If you're flying out late, consider a morning visit to the Choijin Lama Temple Museum (~£3). Check visa days remaining and keep a few tögrög for airport snacks.
🚌Taxi to airport ~£10–14
🛏N/A (departure day)
- →Last-minute souvenirs
- →Optional Choijin Lama Temple Museum ~£3
- →Taxi to airport
Self-launched vs. Agate Travel
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Agate Travel | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,000 | £2,620 |
| Duration | 10 days | 10 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,620 per person (62%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Agate Travel-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,000
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 Self-Launched 10 Days: Beijing to Ulaanbaatar Across China & Mongolia cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,000 per person for 10 days in China & Mongolia. 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 Agate Travel?+
Yes — Agate Travel charges around £2,620 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,000 — a saving of roughly £1,620 (62%) per person.
How long is the China & Mongolia trip?+
This itinerary runs 10 days, covering 10 day-by-day stops through China & Mongolia.
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, budget trip through China & Mongolia, 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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