Self-Launched China: Beijing, the Great Wall, Xi'an, Chengdu, Yangshuo & Hong Kong
12 days · China
Intrepid Travel charges £2,760
No-markup version: ~£1,045 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched 12-day take on Intrepid's "China Family Holiday" — Beijing's imperial sights, a Great Wall homestay, Xi'an's Terracotta Army, pandas in Chengdu, karst countryside and cooking classes in Yangshuo, ending in Hong Kong. You book the same hostels, guesthouses and high-speed trains yourself, use GetYourGuide/Klook or direct bookings for the big-ticket sights, and eat where locals eat. Costs are backpacker/budget estimates per person in GBP and exclude international flights; China's visa-free transit policies vary by nationality so check before booking.
Day-by-day
Arrive in Beijing
Beijing
Land at Beijing Capital or Daxing and take the Airport Express (¥25, ~£2.80) plus metro to a hutong hostel or budget hotel near Dongsi or Nanluoguxiang. Shake off the jetlag with a walk through the hutongs and an optional Peking duck dinner at a no-frills local roast duck shop (¥80-120, ~£9-13) rather than a tourist banquet. Install a VPN and an eSIM before you fly — Google/WhatsApp don't work on local networks.
🚌Airport Express + metro ~£3
🛏Hutong hostel or budget guesthouse, Beijing (dorm ~£12, private ~£28)
- →Hutong wander
- →Optional Peking duck dinner
Tiananmen, Forbidden City & Great Wall sunset
Beijing to Great Wall (Mutianyu/Jiankou guesthouse)
Pre-book Forbidden City tickets online via the official WeChat mini-programme (¥60, ~£6.50) — they sell out days ahead and you can't buy on the door. Morning at Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, then lunch, then a shared minibus or pre-booked transfer to a Great Wall guesthouse near Mutianyu or Jiankou (~£15-20 per person shared). Late-afternoon short hike on the wall at sunset, then a dumpling-making session at the guesthouse (many family-run guesthouses offer this for ~£8).
🚌Shared minibus to wall area ~£18
🛏Great Wall family guesthouse (shared/twin ~£15-20 pp)
- →Tiananmen Square
- →Forbidden City (¥60)
- →Great Wall sunset hike
- →Dumpling-making at guesthouse
Great Wall hiking & return to Beijing
Great Wall to Beijing
Breakfast at the guesthouse, then a self-guided 3-5 hour hike on a restored-to-raw stretch of the wall — Mutianyu has a cable car (¥100 one way); Jiankou is wilder and free but requires care. Book a seat on the shared minibus or the direct tourist bus back to Beijing (¥30-50, ~£3-5.50). Evening: optional acrobatics at Chaoyang Theatre (tickets from ¥180, ~£20) or a cheap group dinner and an early night.
🚌Shared minibus/bus back to Beijing ~£4
🛏Hutong hostel or budget guesthouse, Beijing (dorm ~£12, private ~£28)
- →Self-guided Great Wall hike
- →Optional Chaoyang Theatre acrobatics ~£20
High-speed train to Xi'an
Beijing to Xi'an
Take the G-series high-speed train from Beijing West to Xi'an North (~4.5-5.5 hours, second class ¥515, ~£56 — book on Trip.com or the official 12306 app 1-2 weeks out). Check into a hostel near the Bell Tower, then an evening walking loop of the Bell and Drum Towers, the illuminated city wall and the Muslim Quarter food street (yangrou paomo, roujiamo, biangbiang noodles — ¥30-50 for a full feed, ~£3-5.50).
🚌Beijing-Xi'an high-speed train ~£56; metro ~£2
🛏Hostel near Bell Tower, Xi'an (dorm ~£11, private ~£25)
- →Bell & Drum Tower exterior
- →City wall evening walk
- →Muslim Quarter food crawl
Terracotta Army
Xi'an
Get to Xi'an railway station early and take bus 306/游5 (¥7, ~£0.80) to the Terracotta Army — 45 minutes, no tour needed. Entry ¥120 (~£13); rent the audio guide (¥40) or book a GetYourGuide small-group entry+guide if you want context. Back in the city by mid-afternoon: Shaanxi History Museum (free, book online) or cycle the Ming city wall (¥45 bike hire + ¥54 entry, ~£11). Night market dinner in the Muslim Quarter.
🚌Bus 306 return ~£1.60
🛏Hostel near Bell Tower, Xi'an (dorm ~£11, private ~£25)
- →Terracotta Army (¥120)
- →Shaanxi History Museum (free)
- →City wall cycle (optional ~£11)
Train to Chengdu: hot pot & parks
Xi'an to Chengdu
High-speed train Xi'an North to Chengdu East (~3.5-4 hours, ¥263, ~£29). Drop bags at a hostel near Chunxi Road, then a self-guided wander: Tianfu Square, People's Park for tea at a bamboo teahouse (¥20-30, ~£2-3) and people-watching, and the Tibetan Quarter around Wuhouci. Dinner is a proper Sichuan hot pot — ¥60-100 pp (~£7-11) with a local spot, cheaper than any guided dinner.
🚌Xi'an-Chengdu high-speed train ~£29; metro ~£2
🛏Hostel near Chunxi Road, Chengdu (dorm ~£10, private ~£24)
- →Tianfu Square
- →People's Park teahouse
- →Tibetan Quarter
- →Sichuan hot pot dinner
Giant Pandas & Wide and Narrow Alleys
Chengdu
Be at Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding for opening (07:30) — pandas are active before the heat. Metro line 3 to Panda Avenue plus shuttle, or a Didi (~¥40); entry ¥55 (~£6). Back by lunch, then an afternoon at Wide and Narrow Alley and Jinli Street, and optionally a Sichuan opera face-changing show (¥120-180, ~£13-20).
🚌Metro/Didi ~£4
🛏Hostel near Chunxi Road, Chengdu (dorm ~£10, private ~£24)
- →Giant Panda Breeding Base (¥55)
- →Wide & Narrow Alleys
- →Optional Sichuan opera ~£15
Fly to Guilin, transfer to Yangshuo
Chengdu to Yangshuo
Morning flight Chengdu to Guilin (budget fares ¥400-600, ~£45-65 — book 3-6 weeks ahead), then the airport shuttle or bus to Guilin bus station and a 1.5-hour bus to Yangshuo (¥30, ~£3.30). Alternatively take the high-speed train Chengdu-Guilin (~7-8 hours) if you prefer land travel. Check into a guesthouse in Yangshuo town or the quieter Yulong River area, rent a bike on arrival, and take an evening stroll along West Street.
🚌Flight ~£55 + buses ~£5
🛏Yangshuo guesthouse (dorm ~£10, private riverside ~£22)
- →West Street evening walk
- →Bike rental recce
Karst cycling, market & cooking class
Yangshuo
Rent a bike (¥30-50/day, ~£3-5) and do the classic Yulong River loop past Moon Hill and rice paddies — self-guided is easy and flat. Join a half-day cooking class (Yangshuo cooking schools charge ¥180-280, ~£20-31 including market tour and the meal you cook). Late afternoon: a Tai Chi or kung fu taster class (¥80-120, ~£9-13) at one of the town's schools, or a bamboo raft on the Yulong River (¥150-200, ~£17-22).
🚌Bike hire ~£4
🛏Yangshuo guesthouse (dorm ~£10, private riverside ~£22)
- →Yulong River bike loop
- →Farmers market + cooking class ~£25
- →Tai Chi/kung fu class ~£10
Yangshuo to Hong Kong
Yangshuo to Hong Kong
Bus to Guilin (¥30) then the high-speed train Guilin West to Hong Kong West Kowloon via Shenzhen (~4 hours, ¥230-280, ~£25-30) — clear immigration at West Kowloon. Check into a hostel in Tsim Sha Tsui or Jordan (dorms from £16, private from £40), then see the Symphony of Lights laser show from the TST waterfront at 20:00 (free) and eat at a dai pai dong or noodle shop (£6-9).
🚌Bus + Guilin-Hong Kong high-speed train ~£30; MTR ~£1.50
🛏Hostel in Tsim Sha Tsui/Jordan, Hong Kong (dorm ~£18, private ~£45)
- →Symphony of Lights (free)
- →Temple Street night market
Victoria Peak, Star Ferry & harbour
Hong Kong
Self-guided orientation day: MTR to Central, ride the Peak Tram (return HK$88, ~£9) or hike up the Old Peak Road for free, and walk the Lugard Road loop for the classic skyline view. Down to Central Pier for the Star Ferry to TST (HK$4, 40p) — the cheapest harbour cruise going. Afternoon options: Dragon's Back hike (bus 9 from Shau Kei Wan, free apart from the bus), Hong Kong Science Museum (HK$20, ~£2) or the free Museum of History.
🚌MTR, Peak Tram, Star Ferry ~£13
🛏Hostel in Tsim Sha Tsui/Jordan, Hong Kong (dorm ~£18, private ~£45)
- →Victoria Peak / Lugard Road
- →Star Ferry crossing
- →Optional Dragon's Back hike
- →HK Science Museum ~£2
Depart Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Last morning for dim sum (HK$60-100, ~£6-10), a walk through Kowloon Park or Mong Kok's goldfish market, then the Airport Express (HK$115, ~£11.50) or A21 bus (HK$34, ~£3.40) to the airport. Check mainland visa/transit rules if you're re-entering China on the way home.
🚌Airport Express/bus ~£4-11
🛏None (departure day)
- →Dim sum breakfast
- →Mong Kok markets
Self-launched vs. Intrepid Travel
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Intrepid Travel | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,045 | £2,760 |
| Duration | 12 days | 12 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,715 per person (62%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Intrepid Travel-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,045
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 China: Beijing, the Great Wall, Xi'an, Chengdu, Yangshuo & Hong Kong cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,045 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 Intrepid Travel?+
Yes — Intrepid Travel charges around £2,760 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,045 — a saving of roughly £1,715 (62%) 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, hiking 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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