Self-Launched China: Great Wall, Gobi Desert, Xi'an & Chengdu
10 days · China
G Adventures charges £5,300
No-markup version: ~£1,880 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched, backpacker-friendly take on a 10-day National Geographic Signature journey from Beijing to Chengdu. You'll tick off the Forbidden City and Temple of Heaven, hike the quieter Jinshanling stretch of the Great Wall, fly west to Silk Road oasis Dunhuang for the Mogao Grottoes and the singing dunes of Mingsha, then ride China's bullet trains to Xi'an (Terracotta Warriors, Muslim Quarter, city wall) and Chengdu (giant pandas). Everything is booked direct or via GetYourGuide/Klook and hosted in hostels and budget guesthouses instead of five-star suites — costs are approximate and assume hostel dorms/private budget rooms, local transport and self-booked tickets.
Day-by-day
Arrive Beijing — hutong evening
Beijing
Land at Beijing Capital or Daxing Airport and take the Airport Express train + metro to a hostel near Nanluoguxiang or Dongsi (about £3, ~60-75 min). Check in, sort a Chinese eSIM/Airalo data plan before you arrive (avoid relying on Google Maps — use Amap or Baidu Maps and Didi for rides). Spend the evening wandering the hutongs, eat zhajiangmian noodles or jianbing for under £4, and pre-book tomorrow's Forbidden City ticket online (passport number required, released 7 days ahead — sells out).
🚌Airport Express + metro ~£3; walking + Didi in the city
🛏Hutong hostel or budget guesthouse, Beijing (dorm £12-18 / private £30-40)
- →Hutong wander and street-food dinner
- →Book Forbidden City ticket (¥60 / ~£7) online
Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven & Tiananmen
Beijing
Start early at the Forbidden City (enter via Meridian Gate, ~£7 self-booked). Walk north through the courtyards to Jingshan Park for the classic roofline view over the palace (~£1). After lunch take metro Line 5 to the Temple of Heaven (¥15-35 / ~£2-4) — go mid-afternoon when locals dance and play cards in the surrounding park. Swing past Tiananmen Square (free, but bring your passport for security checks) in the late afternoon when the queues thin, then find a cheaper local Peking duck spot in the hutongs (£12-18pp) instead of the hotel restaurant.
🚌Metro and walking, ~£2
🛏Hutong hostel or budget guesthouse, Beijing
- →Forbidden City entry (~£7)
- →Jingshan Park (~£1)
- →Temple of Heaven (~£3)
- →Tiananmen Square (free)
- →Local Peking duck dinner
Jinshanling Great Wall hike & sunset
Jinshanling / Gubeikou
Take a direct tourist shuttle from Dongzhimen or an early bus from Beijing to Jinshanling (~2.5-3 hrs, £8-12 each way; several companies run day trips for £25-30 return). Buy the wall ticket on arrival (~£7). Hike the restored-to-wild sections toward Gubeikou (3-4 hrs, moderate). Stay the night in a village guesthouse near the wall rather than returning to Beijing (~£25-35 private room). For sunset, walk up to the wall independently (some sections stay open near the village access points) with snacks and a picnic rather than an exclusive catered duck dinner — the view is the same. Alternatively, join a small-group sunset day trip via GetYourGuide/Klook if you'd rather not overnight.
🚌Shuttle bus Beijing–Jinshanling ~£8-12 each way
🛏Village guesthouse near Jinshanling (~£25-35 private; dorm options ~£12)
- →Jinshanling Great Wall entry (~£7)
- →Wall hike to Gubeikou
- →Sunset picnic on the wall
Back to Beijing, fly west to Dunhuang
Dunhuang
Return to Beijing by shuttle or bus in the morning (or use the same day-trip operator's return leg). Take the metro or a Didi to the airport and fly to Dunhuang (2.5 hrs direct; book 3-6 weeks ahead on Trip.com or Ctrip for £90-150 one way — cheaper flights often connect via Lanzhou). From Dunhuang Mogao Airport a taxi to the dunes area is ~£4-6. Check into a guesthouse near the Shazhou Night Market. Evening: eat at the night market (lamb skewers, apricot juice, £5-8) and watch the dunes glow at dusk from the free public roadside viewpoints.
🚌Shuttle back to Beijing ~£10; flight Beijing–Dunhuang ~£90-150; airport taxi ~£5
🛏Dunhuang guesthouse near Shazhou Night Market (£15-25)
- →Shazhou Night Market dinner
- →Dune sunset from public viewpoint (free)
Mogao Grottoes & Mingsha Mountain sunset
Dunhuang
Book Mogao Grottoes tickets yourself at the official Dunhuang Academy site or via Klook (~£25-30 for a standard A ticket incl. the digital cinema and shuttle; book at least a week ahead in peak season). You'll see 8 caves with a guide — the restricted VIP caves the tour buys aren't open to independent bookings, but the standard route covers the headline murals and the site museum is excellent. Afternoon: head to Mingsha Mountain & Crescent Spring (~£6 entry). Climb the dunes (rent sandals ~£2 or go barefoot), then linger for the golden hour. Camel rides are ~£15 if you want one.
🚌City bus or Didi to Mogao/dunes, ~£3-5 total
🛏Dunhuang guesthouse near Shazhou Night Market
- →Mogao Grottoes self-booked ticket incl. shuttle
- →Mingsha Mountain & Crescent Spring entry
- →Optional camel ride
Yadan 'Devil City' & Yumen Pass day trip
Dunhuang
Yadan National Geological Park and Yumen Pass are ~180 km west of Dunhuang with no public bus — the practical independent option is a shared day tour booked through your guesthouse or Klook (~£30-40pp, 7-8 hrs, includes both sites and the Han-dynasty Great Wall ruins at Yumen). Alternatively, hire a driver for the day (~£60-70 per car, split between 2-3 people). Bring water and snacks — food options out here are minimal. Back in Dunhuang by early evening for market food and an early night.
🚌Shared day-tour vehicle ~£30-40pp
🛏Dunhuang guesthouse near Shazhou Night Market
- →Yadan National Geologic Park entry (~£6)
- →Yumen Pass & Han Great Wall ruins (~£5)
- →Night market dinner
Bullet train to Xi'an — city wall & Muslim Quarter
Xi'an
Fly or take the high-speed train from Dunhuang to Xi'an (the direct train is long, ~13 hrs; a flight via Lanzhou/Xi'an is faster — flights ~£70-110, train second class ~£45 if you prefer the rail route and have the day). Check into a hostel inside the city wall near the Bell Tower. Rent a bike on the Ming city wall (~£5 for 2 hrs, entry £6) and ride the full 14 km loop, stopping at the West Gate. In the evening eat your way through the Muslim Quarter — roujiamo, biangbiang noodles, yangrou paomo (£6-10 total) — and catch the free light show at the Big Wild Goose Pagoda plaza if you have energy left. Skip the ticketed Tang Dynasty show (~£35); the musical fountain is free.
🚌Flight Dunhuang–Xi'an ~£70-110 (or train ~£45); city transport ~£5
🛏Hostel inside Xi'an city wall (£12-20 dorm / £30-40 private)
- →City wall bike rental & entry
- →Muslim Quarter food crawl
- →Free fountain/light show
Terracotta Warriors & Great Mosque
Xi'an
Take Bus 306/游5 from the Xi'an railway station (¥7, ~1 hr) or a Didi direct to the Terracotta Army Museum (~£12-15 each way). Buy entry at the gate or on Klook (~£13); audio guide ~£4 or piggyback a licensed guide for a fraction of the price. Allow 3-4 hrs across the three pits. Afternoon: back in town, visit the Great Mosque in the Muslim Quarter (~£3) and the nearby Hui community lanes. Evening: free walk on the illuminated wall or a cheap beer on a rooftop hostel terrace.
🚌Bus 306 ~£1 each way or Didi ~£12-15
🛏Hostel inside Xi'an city wall
- →Terracotta Warriors entry (~£13)
- →Great Mosque (~£3)
- →Muslim Quarter wander
Bullet train to Chengdu & pandas
Chengdu
Morning high-speed train Xi'an North to Chengdu East (~3-4 hrs, second class ~£35-40 on Trip.com — book a few days ahead). Drop bags at a hostel near Chunxi Road, then take metro Line 3 to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding (entry ~£6, panda-viewing best before 10am — if you arrive too late, do pandas tomorrow morning instead and swap in Jinli Street or People's Park teahouse today). Evening: hotpot dinner in a local spot (~£8-10) and a walk along the Jinjiang river.
🚌High-speed train ~£35-40; metro ~£2
🛏Chengdu hostel or budget hotel (£12-18 dorm / £28-38 private)
- →Panda base entry (~£6)
- →Jinli Street or People's Park teahouse
- →Sichuan hotpot dinner
Chengdu departure
Chengdu
If you missed the pandas, go at opening time (7:30am) for the best activity. Then take metro Line 10 to Chengdu Shuangliu Airport (~£1) or Line 18 to Tianfu International (~£2, 50 min) for your onward flight. Add a Sichuan cooking class (~£25-35 via Klook) if you have an evening flight.
🚌Metro to airport ~£1-2
🛏N/A — departure day
- →Optional morning panda visit
- →Optional Sichuan cooking class
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,880 | £5,300 |
| Duration | 10 days | 10 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £3,420 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.~£1,880
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: Great Wall, Gobi Desert, Xi'an & Chengdu cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,880 per person for 10 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 £5,300 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,880 — a saving of roughly £3,420 (65%) per person.
How long is the China trip?+
This itinerary runs 10 days, covering 10 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, adventure, 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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