Shanghai Loop Self-Launched: Shanghai, Yangshuo, Chongqing, Chengdu, Xi'an, Dengfeng, Beijing & Hangzhou

Land at Pudong or Hongqiao, grab an Alipay/WeChat Pay setup and a Chinese SIM or eSIM (China Unicom tourist SIM ~£15 for 30 days of data), then head to the Bund for a first look at the skyline. In the evening take the metro to Shanghai South or Hongqiao station for the overnight train toward Guilin/Yangshuo (soft sleeper ~£35-45, roughly 15-18 hours) — or fly Shanghai to Guilin (~£40-60 on Spring/China Eastern) if you want to save a day and a night of sleep.

🚌Airport metro ~£1; overnight soft-sleeper train ~£40

🛏Overnight sleeper train (or hostel dorm in Shanghai if flying)

• →Bund evening walk
• →Set up Alipay/WeChat Pay and data SIM
• →Overnight sleeper train booking

Arrive into Guilin or Yangshuo station, then take the local bus (Y17 or the Guilin-Yangshuo bus, ~£2) into Yangshuo town. Check into a guesthouse in the West Street area or just outside it for quiet. Spend the afternoon wandering West Street, cycling the lanes and getting your bearings on the Li River. Book a cooking class for tomorrow at one of the local schools (Yangshuo Cooking School or a hostel-arranged class, ~£15-25).

🚌Local bus Guilin/Yangshuo ~£2

🛏Yangshuo guesthouse/hostel dorm (e.g. Sudder Street area, ~£10-14)

• →West Street wander
• →Li River riverside walk
• →Book cooking class for the next day

Rent a bike (~£3-5/day) and cycle the flat country lanes out to the Yulong River. Book a bamboo raft ride directly at one of the river piers (~£25-35 for a shared raft, cheaper if you split it with other travellers — don't book through middlemen). Pedal back through the rice paddies and stop for lunch at a farmhouse restaurant. Optional afternoon: hike Moon Hill (~£2 entry) for the classic karst view, or do the mud-bath cave complex near the Yulong River (~£15).

🚌Bike hire ~£4

🛏Yangshuo guesthouse/hostel dorm

• →Bamboo raft on Yulong River
• →Rice-field cycling
• →Moon Hill hike

Morning rock climbing on the karst peaks — book directly with a Yangshuo climbing operator (Yangshuo Climbing or Black Rock Climbing) ~£25-30 for a half-day guided session with gear, which is noticeably cheaper than the tour's upcharge. Afternoon cooking class: shop at the local market, then learn to make beer fish and dumplings (~£20). Evening: KTV or a cheap beer on West Street.

🚌Local transport ~£2

🛏Yangshuo guesthouse/hostel dorm

• →Half-day rock climbing
• →Yangshuo cooking class
• →West Street evening

Take the high-speed rail from Yangshuo (or Guilin) up to Chongqing (~£45-60, roughly 6-7 hours with a change; check 12306 app for exact trains). Check into a hostel near Jiefangbei. In the evening walk down to Hongya Cave — the 11-storey stilted complex lit up over the Jialing River — and eat Chongqing hotpot or street skewers nearby (~£8-12).

🚌High-speed rail ~£50; metro ~£1

🛏Chongqing hostel dorm near Jiefangbei (~£10-14)

• →High-speed rail to Chongqing
• →Hongya Cave at night
• →Chongqing hotpot dinner

DIY day: ride metro Line 2 to Liziba Station where the monorail passes straight through a residential block. Visit the People's Great Hall (free-ish, small entry), walk the old air-raid shelter tunnels, then hike Eling Park for sunset views over the river bends. Evening in Guanyinqiao for street food and bars. All public transport, all cheap.

🚌Metro day pass ~£3

🛏Chongqing hostel dorm

• →Liziba monorail station
• →People's Great Hall
• →Eling Park hike
• →Guanyinqiao nightlife

Short high-speed train to Chengdu (~£15-20, about 1.5-2 hours). Check into a hostel in the Kuanzhai Alley or Jinli area. Afternoon: wander Jinli Ancient Street or the Wide and Narrow Alleys. Evening: Sichuan hotpot at a local chain like Haidilao or a cheap neighbourhood spot (~£10).

🚌High-speed rail ~£18; metro ~£1

🛏Chengdu hostel dorm (~£10-14)

• →Train to Chengdu
• →Jinli / Kuanzhai Alley wander
• →Sichuan hotpot

Get to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding by 7:30am (ticket ~£6, taxi or metro+shuttle ~£3) — pandas are most active early. Back in town by lunch. Afternoon free or a short Mandarin lesson booked through a local language school if you fancy it. Evening: Sichuan opera face-changing show at the Shufeng Yayun teahouse in the People's Park (~£15-25).

🚌Taxi/metro ~£5

🛏Chengdu hostel dorm

• →Panda Breeding & Research Center
• →Sichuan opera face-changing show

Take the high-speed train from Chengdu East to Leshan (~£7, 1 hour), then local bus 601 to the Giant Buddha scenic area (~£1). Entry ~£8. Climb down the 71-metre carved Buddha or take the river boat for the full view (~£8). Return to Chengdu by late afternoon.

🚌High-speed rail ~£14 return; local bus ~£2

🛏Chengdu hostel dorm

• →Leshan Giant Buddha
• →Leshan old town stroll

High-speed train Chengdu to Xi'an (~£30-40, 3-4 hours). Check into a hostel inside or near the city walls. Rent a bike on the Ming Dynasty City Wall (~£7 including entry) and ride the 14km circuit at golden hour. Then walk to the Bell and Drum Towers and dive into the Muslim Quarter for street food — roujiamo, yangrou paomo, biangbiang noodles (~£7).

🚌High-speed rail ~£35; metro ~£1

🛏Xi'an hostel dorm inside the walls (~£10-14)

• →City Wall cycling
• →Bell & Drum Towers
• →Muslim Quarter street food

Take bus 306/游5 from Xi'an railway station to the Terracotta Warriors (~£1, 1 hour). Entry ~£13 — book on the official WeChat mini-program or at the gate. A DIY audio guide (~£3) is plenty. Afternoon back in Xi'an: Big Wild Goose Pagoda and its free evening fountain and light show. Optional: Tang Dynasty dinner show.

🚌Bus 306 ~£2 return; local transport ~£2

🛏Xi'an hostel dorm

• →Terracotta Warriors & Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum
• →Big Wild Goose Pagoda
• →Evening fountain show

High-speed train Xi'an to Zhengzhou (~£25, 2.5 hours), then bus (~£2) or shared taxi to Dengfeng. Check into a guesthouse near Shaolin Temple. Book a kung fu lesson at one of the many local martial arts schools (Shaolin Tagou or a small school directly, ~£15-25 for a class) — most schools run drop-in beginner sessions. Evening: the Shaolin Temple kung fu show (~£10).

🚌High-speed rail ~£25; bus ~£3

🛏Dengfeng guesthouse (~£10-15)

• →Train to Zhengzhou/Dengfeng
• →Kung fu lesson at a local school
• →Shaolin Temple kung fu show

Full day at Shaolin Temple: entry to the temple and Pagoda Forest ~£10. Hike up to Dharma Cave (Damo Dong), the small cave where Bodhidharma is said to have meditated — a 1.5-hour walk with great valley views. If you have energy left, a shared taxi (~£8) to the Longmen Grottoes near Luoyang is possible as a long afternoon or a separate day (entry ~£12).

🚌Local bus/shared taxi ~£8

🛏Dengfeng guesthouse

• →Shaolin Temple & Pagoda Forest
• →Dharma Cave hike
• →Optional Longmen Grottoes

High-speed train Zhengzhou to Beijing West (~£40, 2.5-3 hours). From Beijing, take a bus to Huairou or Miyun (bus 916 from Dongzhimen, ~£2) then a local taxi or pre-booked shared minibus (~£15-25) to the village base of a wild-wall section like Jiankou or Gubeikou. Camping on the wall itself is a grey area — many sections are officially off-limits to camping; the legal, widely-doable option is to sleep in a village guesthouse at the wall base and hike up for sunrise. Guesthouses cost ~£15-20/night. If you do want to camp, use a licensed local outfitter and check current rules.

🚌High-speed rail ~£40; bus ~£2; shared taxi ~£20

🛏Village guesthouse at the Great Wall base (~£18)

• →Bullet train to Beijing
• →Bus to Huairou/Miyun
• →Hike on the wild Great Wall
• →Overnight at wall base

Hike up for sunrise on the wall (allow 45-60 minutes from the village). Descend, shower, and take the bus back into Beijing. Check into a hostel in the hutong area (Xisi, Nanluoguxiang or Dongsi). Afternoon: 798 Art District (free, metro Line 14) or a lazy wander around Houhai Lake.

🚌Bus back to Beijing ~£2; metro ~£1

🛏Beijing hostel dorm in a hutong (~£14-20)

• →Great Wall sunrise hike
• →Return to Beijing
• →798 Art District or Houhai

Book Forbidden City tickets on the official WeChat mini-program in advance (~£8; they sell out — get them 7 days ahead). Enter at Meridian Gate, walk through to the north exit, then climb Jingshan Park (~£1) for the classic palace-roof view. Afternoon: Temple of Heaven (~£4) or a hutong walk in Nanluoguxiang. Evening: Peking duck at a mid-range spot like Siji Minfu (~£15) and, if you're game, the Beijing acrobatics show (~£15-25).

🚌Metro ~£2

🛏Beijing hostel dorm

• →Forbidden City
• →Jingshan Park
• →Temple of Heaven
• →Peking duck dinner

Morning: Tiananmen Square (free, ID needed) and the Temple of Heaven or Summer Palace if you didn't fit it in yesterday. Afternoon: pick up supplies for the night train. Evening: overnight soft-sleeper train Beijing to Hangzhou (~£40-55, about 12 hours) — book on 12306 or Trip.com a few days ahead.

🚌Metro ~£2; soft-sleeper train ~£48

🛏Overnight sleeper train

• →Tiananmen Square
• →Summer Palace or Temple of Heaven
• →Overnight sleeper train

Arrive into Hangzhou East, drop bags at a hostel near West Lake or the Hefang Street area. Take a public boat across West Lake to the islands (~£3-5) or just walk the Su Causeway. Afternoon: cycle or bus to the Longjing tea fields and the National Tea Museum (free). Sunset hike on Jiuyao Mountain if the legs allow. Evening on Hefang Road for snacks.

🚌Train arrival; local bus/metro ~£3

🛏Hangzhou hostel dorm or budget hotel (~£12-18)

• →West Lake boat and causeway walk
• →Longjing tea fields & Tea Museum
• →Hefang Road evening

Morning hike through the Nine Creeks in Misty Woods (Jiuxi Yanshu) — a beautiful, free 3-4 hour trail through tea terraces and bamboo. Afternoon high-speed train Hangzhou to Shanghai (~£10, 1 hour). Check into a hostel near the Bund. Evening: Huangpu River ferry (~£1) or riverside walk for the Lujiazui skyline at night.

🚌High-speed rail ~£10; metro ~£1

🛏Shanghai hostel dorm near the Bund (~£14-20)

• →Nine Creeks hike
• →Train to Shanghai
• →Huangpu River night walk

Self-guided Bund and French Concession walking day. Morning: Yu Gardens (~£5) and the surrounding bazaar. Afternoon: People's Square and West Nanjing Road. Sunset: Jinmao Tower observation deck (~£15, book on Trip.com or Klook — often cheaper than walk-up). Evening: Bund promenade or a rooftop bar for the skyline.

🚌Metro ~£2

🛏Shanghai hostel dorm near the Bund

• →Bund walking tour (self-guided)
• →Yu Gardens
• →Jinmao Tower observation deck
• →French Concession lanes

Pick your own adventure: bus or metro+train to Zhujiajiao Watertown (~£2-4, 1 hour) for canals, bridges and boat rides (~£10 for a boat). Or stay in town for the Shanghai Museum (free, book ahead), Moganshan Art Street, and Tianzifang lanes. Evening: Shanghai pub crawl or a jazz bar in the French Concession.

🚌Bus/metro ~£4

🛏Shanghai hostel dorm

• →Zhujiajiao Watertown
• →Shanghai Museum
• →Moganshan Art Street
• →Tianzifang

Last full day: revisit favourite spots, hit the Propaganda Poster Art Centre (~£3) if it interests you, shop on Nanjing Road, or finally do the Jinmao skywalk (~£20) if you skipped the indoor deck. Farewell dinner of xiaolongbao at Din Tai Fung or a cheap local dumpling shop (~£10).

🚌Metro ~£2

🛏Shanghai hostel dorm

• →Propaganda Poster Art Centre
• →Nanjing Road shopping
• →Xiaolongbao dinner

Train to Shanghai Railway Station or metro to Pudong/Hongqiao for your flight home. If you've got a late flight, leave bags at the hostel and squeeze in one last Bund walk.

🚌Metro to airport ~£1

🛏None

• →Departure