Best of the Silk Road: Beijing to Kashgar Self-Launched
10 days · China (Silk Road)
Silk Road Trips charges £2,360
No-markup version: ~£1,585 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched 10-day run along China's Silk Road corridor: imperial Beijing, the Terracotta Army in Xi'an, the sand dunes and painted caves of Dunhuang, the oasis ruins of Turpan, the mountains above Urumqi, and the bazaars of Kashgar. Every element of the original group tour — 4-star hotels, private drivers, guided site visits — is replaced with hostel/budget-hotel beds, high-speed trains, sleeper trains, local buses and self-booked tickets via Trip.com, GetYourGuide or the venue's own WeChat mini-programme. Realistic budget estimate; prices are approximate and pre-booked site tickets in Xinjiang may require passport details, and some sites (notably the Mogao Caves) sell out days in advance — book early. Note that foreign travellers need a valid China visa and should carry their passport at all times; some Xinjiang sites have extra registration requirements.
Day-by-day
Arrive Beijing — hutong evening
Beijing
Land at Beijing Capital or Daxing and take the Airport Express (¥25, ~30 min) or the Capital Airport shuttle bus to Dongzhimen, then metro to your hostel near Yonghegong or Nanluoguxiang. Check in, get a Chinese eSIM/SIM (China Unicom tourist SIM from a city shop, ~¥100 for 30 days) and download WeChat, Alipay and DiDi. Evening wander through the Nanluoguxiang hutongs and eat zhajiangmian or jianbing for under £5. Fix your Beijing sites tickets tonight: the Forbidden City sells out and requires passport-number booking via the Palace Museum WeChat mini-programme (¥60), Great Wall tickets via the Mutianyu official channel (¥40 + optional cable car ¥100).
🚌Airport Express + metro, ~£4
🛏Hutong hostel or budget hotel near Yonghegong (dorm £12–18, private ~£28)
- →Airport transfer
- →Nanluoguxiang hutong walk
- →Book Forbidden City & Mutianyu tickets online
Mutianyu Great Wall + Summer Palace
Beijing
Early start to beat the crowds: from Dongzhimen take bus 916 Express to Huairou (¥12, ~1 hr), then a local taxi or the H23/H24 shuttle to Mutianyu (¥10–40). Allow 3–4 hours to walk the wall between towers 14 and 20. Return the same way and hit the Summer Palace in late afternoon (¥30, metro Line 4 to Beigongmen). Alternatively book a small-group Mutianyu day trip on GetYourGuide (~£30–40) with hotel pickup if you'd rather not navigate buses.
🚌Public bus 916 Express + local taxi, ~£6 return
🛏Hutong hostel or budget hotel near Yonghegong
- →Mutianyu Great Wall (¥40)
- →Toboggan down from tower 6 (¥100 optional)
- →Summer Palace (¥30)
Forbidden City, Tiananmen & night train to Xi'an
Beijing → Xi'an
Morning at Tiananmen Square (free, passport security check — queue early) then the Forbidden City on your pre-booked timed ticket (¥60, 3–4 hrs). Lunch in the alleys behind Jingshan Park. Catch the afternoon high-speed G-train from Beijing West to Xi'an North (2nd class ~¥515, 4.5–5 hrs) or the cheaper overnight Z/K sleeper (~¥300, 11 hrs) if you want to save a hotel night and travel while you sleep. Check into a hostel inside the City Wall near the South Gate.
🚌Beijing West → Xi'an North high-speed train, ~£55 (2nd class)
🛏Hostel or budget hotel inside Xi'an City Wall (dorm £10–15, private ~£25)
- →Tiananmen Square
- →Forbidden City (¥60)
- →Jingshan Park view (¥2)
Terracotta Army & Xi'an City Wall
Xi'an
Beat the tour buses: take metro Line 9 or bus 306/游5 from the railway station to Bingmayong (¥8, 1 hr) and be at the Terracotta Warriors gate for opening (¥120, allow 3 hrs — pits 1–3 plus the bronze chariots hall). Back in town, walk or rent a bike on the Ming City Wall (¥54 entry + ¥45 bike for 100 min) at sunset, then dive into the Muslim Quarter for yangrou paomo, roujiamo and biangbiang noodles (£6–8 total).
🚌Metro + local bus, ~£3
🛏Hostel or budget hotel inside Xi'an City Wall
- →Terracotta Warriors Museum (¥120)
- →City Wall cycle (¥99 with bike)
- →Muslim Quarter food crawl
Fly to Dunhuang — Singing Sand Dunes at sunset
Xi'an → Dunhuang
Morning flight Xi'an to Dunhuang (Dunhuang Mogao International, ~2 hrs, budget fares £45–75 booked 2–4 weeks ahead) — flying is far cheaper and faster than the 20-hour train. Or take the overnight train (K/Y class sleeper ~¥400) the previous evening if you prefer. Check into a guesthouse in the old town, then head to the Singing Sand Dunes and Crescent Spring (¥110 combined ticket) around 5pm to climb the dunes for sunset and optional camel ride (¥100). Evening at Shazhou Night Market for lamb skewers and apricot juice.
🚌Flight Xi'an → Dunhuang, ~£55
🛏Dunhuang guesthouse or budget hotel (dorm £10–14, private ~£22)
- →Singing Sand Dunes & Crescent Spring (¥110)
- →Camel ride (¥100 optional)
- →Shazhou Night Market
Mogao Caves, then overnight train to Turpan
Dunhuang → Turpan
Book Mogao Caves online in advance (¥238 including the two films and shuttle; the A-class ticket sells out — reserve via the official Mogao WeChat mini-programme or Trip.com at least a week ahead). Take the 8:30 or 9:30 slot: digital cinema, then shuttle to the caves with a site guide for 8 caves. Afternoon back in town, then the evening train from Dunhuang/Liuyuan to Turpan (~11–13 hrs, hard sleeper ~¥230) arriving early morning. Book a hard sleeper rather than hard seat for a bearable night.
🚌Dunhuang → Turpan sleeper train, ~£25
🛏Overnight hard sleeper train
- →Mogao Caves (¥238)
- →Dunhuang night market
Turpan oasis ruins: Jiaohe, Gaochang & Bezeklik
Turpan
Arrive Turpan early, drop bags at a guesthouse and hire a local taxi or shared minibus for the day (~¥300–400 split between travellers, ~£20 each) — distances between sites make this the only practical option. Hit the Ancient City of Jiaohe (¥70), Gaochang (¥70) and the Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves (¥70), then the Karez Irrigation System (¥40) and Emin Minaret (¥45) on the way back. Eat Uyghur laghman and grilled lamb at the night food street. Remember Xinjiang is one hour behind Beijing time officially unofficially — check bus times carefully.
🚌Shared taxi/hired car for the day, ~£20
🛏Turpan guesthouse or budget hotel (dorm £10–14, private ~£20)
- →Jiaohe Ancient City (¥70)
- →Gaochang (¥70)
- →Bezeklik Caves (¥70)
- →Karez Irrigation System (¥40)
- →Emin Minaret (¥45)
Turpan to Urumqi via Heavenly Lake
Turpan → Urumqi
Morning high-speed or regional train Turpan North to Urumqi (~1.5 hrs, 2nd class ~¥100). Drop bags at a hostel near the Grand Bazaar, then take the public bus or a shared minivan to Tianchi (Heavenly Lake) from Urumqi's Nianzigou or Beijiao bus station (~¥60–100 return, 2 hrs each way) — entry ¥95 plus ¥90 mandatory internal shuttle. Alternatively join a GetYourGuide-style Tianchi day tour (~£35) if you don't want to manage the transfers. Evening at the Urumqi International Grand Bazaar for dried fruit, naan and kebabs.
🚌Train Turpan North → Urumqi ~£11 + bus, ~£8
🛏Urumqi hostel or budget hotel (dorm £10–15, private ~£24)
- →Heavenly Lake / Tianchi (¥185 total)
- →Urumqi Grand Bazaar
Fly to Kashgar — old town & Id Kah Mosque
Urumqi → Kashgar
Morning flight Urumqi to Kashgar (~2 hrs, £45–70 with China Southern or Tianjin Airlines booked ahead; the 24-hour train is a punishing alternative). Check into a guesthouse inside the Kashgar old town, then explore on foot: Id Kah Mosque (¥45), the Apak Khoja Mausoleum (¥30, a 30-min taxi or bus 20), and the Handicraft Street workshops. Late afternoon coffee on a rooftop overlooking the old town, then dinner of polo (pilaf) and samsa.
🚌Flight Urumqi → Kashgar, ~£55
🛏Kashgar old-town guesthouse or budget hotel (dorm £10–15, private ~£22)
- →Id Kah Mosque (¥45)
- →Apak Khoja Mausoleum (¥30)
- →Kashgar old town walk
Kashgar Sunday livestock market & departure
Kashgar
If your dates allow a Sunday, the animal market at the edge of town (free, taxi ~¥40 each way, 8–10am is peak) is one of the great Silk Road spectacles. Otherwise spend the morning in the old town and the Chini Bagh area. Fly out of Kashgar Airport (taxi ~¥30 from the centre, 25 min) or begin the long journey home — China Southern via Guangzhou is the common connection to Europe/Australia.
🚌Airport taxi, ~£4
🛏—
- →Sunday livestock market (free)
- →Old town morning walk
Self-launched vs. Silk Road Trips
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Silk Road Trips | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,585 | £2,360 |
| Duration | 10 days | 10 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £775 per person (33%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Silk Road Trips-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,585
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 Best of the Silk Road: Beijing to Kashgar Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,585 per person for 10 days in China (Silk Road). 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 Silk Road Trips?+
Yes — Silk Road Trips charges around £2,360 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,585 — a saving of roughly £775 (33%) per person.
How long is the China (Silk Road) trip?+
This itinerary runs 10 days, covering 10 day-by-day stops through China (Silk Road).
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 adventure, culture, budget trip through China (Silk Road), 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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