China & Taiwan: Great Wall, Terracotta Warriors & Night Markets (Self-Launched)
16 days · China & Taiwan
G Adventures charges £3,749
No-markup version: ~£1,023 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched 16-day version of G Adventures' Beijing-to-Taipei route, done on high-speed rail, metros, night buses and one cheap internal flight. You'll hike Mutianyu's Great Wall towers, wander the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square, stand with the Terracotta Army in Xi'an, ride the overnight sleeper east to Suzhou's classical gardens, follow the Bund in Shanghai, then cross to Taiwan for Taipei's temples and Elephant Mountain, the Bunun village experience at Shuanglong, the Sun Moon Lake bike loop, and historic Tainan's Anping lanes. All the same highlights — booked yourself, at backpacker prices. Costs are approximate and exclude international flights to Beijing / home from Taipei.
Day-by-day
Arrive Beijing
Beijing
Land at PEK or PKX and take the Airport Express + metro (about £6) or a DiDi taxi (£12-15) to your hostel near Dongsi or Qianmen. Set up Alipay or WeChat Pay linked to your card before you fly — almost nothing in China takes foreign cards. Grab jianbing from a street stall and an early night, then wander the hutongs around Nanluoguxiang for your first night-market fix at Gui Street if you've got energy.
🚌Airport Express + metro, ~£6
🛏Hostel dorm near Dongsi/Qianmen (£10-15/night)
- →Airport transfer by metro
- →Hutong wander
- →Gui Street snack crawl
Mutianyu Great Wall & Tiananmen Square
Beijing
Take the 916 Express bus from Dongzhimen to Huairou (£1), then a shared local minivan (£2) up to Mutianyu. Buy the cable car up and toboggan down (£12-15 total — genuinely worth it) and walk towers 14 to 20 for the empty, ridge-hugging views. Back in the city, visit Tiananmen Square (free, security queue — bring your passport) and, if you're not walled out, the Drum and Bell Towers (£3.50). Peking duck dinner at Siji Minfu or a cheap roast duck joint (£8-10).
🚌916 bus + shared minivan, ~£3; metro ~£1
🛏Hostel dorm, Beijing
- →Mutianyu Great Wall hike
- →Cable car + toboggan
- →Tiananmen Square
- →Drum & Bell Towers (optional)
Forbidden City → fast train to Xi'an
Beijing → Xi'an
Pre-book Forbidden City tickets on the official WeChat mini-programme (£7) the moment they open — they sell out 7 days ahead. Metro to Tian'anmen East, spend 3 hours walking north through the palaces to Jingshan Park for the rooftop view. Grab lunch, then take the G-series bullet train from Beijing West to Xi'an North (4.5-5.5 hrs, £55-70 second class). Check in near the Bell Tower and eat your way down the Muslim Quarter — roujiamo, biangbiang noodles, yangrou paomo.
🚌Beijing–Xi'an high-speed rail, ~£60
🛏Hostel or budget hotel near Bell Tower (£12-18/night)
- →Forbidden City
- →Jingshan Park viewpoint
- →Muslim Quarter street food
Terracotta Warriors, City Wall & overnight train
Xi'an → Suzhou
Take bus 306/游5 from the main station to the Terracotta Warriors (£1 each way, site entry £13). Hire an audio guide or join a small GetYourGuide group tour for context, then allow 3 hours across the three pits. Back in town, rent a bike on the Ming City Wall (£5) and ride the full 14km circuit. Dinner in the Muslim Quarter, then board the overnight sleeper to Suzhou (soft sleeper ~£45, hard sleeper ~£28).
🚌Bus 306 ~£2; overnight train Xi'an–Suzhou ~£30-45
🛏Overnight sleeper train (soft or hard sleeper)
- →Terracotta Warriors
- →Xi'an City Wall cycle
- →Muslim Quarter dinner
- →Overnight sleeper train
Suzhou gardens and canals
Suzhou
Arrive early, drop bags at the hostel near Pingjiang Road, and hit a noodle breakfast. Visit the Master of the Nets Garden (£5) — arrive at opening to have the courtyards nearly to yourself — then wander Shantang Street and the Pingjiang Road canal lanes. Afternoon option: the Humble Administrator's Garden or Suzhou Museum (free but book ahead). Dinner of Suzhou-sweet river fish and noodles by the canal (£6).
🚌Local metro/bus, ~£2
🛏Hostel dorm or guesthouse, Suzhou (£10-16/night)
- →Master of the Nets Garden
- →Shantang Street walk
- →Pingjiang Road canals
- →Suzhou Museum (optional)
Bullet train to Shanghai, Bund orientation
Suzhou → Shanghai
Short 25-minute bullet train to Shanghai (£7). Check into a hostel in the French Concession or near People's Square. Walk the Bund from the south end at dusk — arrive before sunset to watch the Pudong skyline light up — then follow Nanjing Road east. Cheap dinner of shengjianbao soup dumplings and scallion noodles (£4-6).
🚌High-speed train ~£7; metro ~£1
🛏Hostel dorm, central Shanghai (£12-18/night)
- →Suzhou–Shanghai bullet train
- →The Bund walk
- →Nanjing Road
- →Soup dumpling dinner
Shanghai museums, gardens and acrobatics
Shanghai
Morning at the Shanghai Museum (free, book the timed slot online) or the Yuyuan Gardens (£4.50). Wander the French Concession's Plane Tree-lined Wukang Road and the Tianzifang lanes for lunch. In the evening, book an acrobatics show at the Shanghai Circus (£15-25) or catch the free Bund light show at 7pm. Finish with a bowl of xiaolongbao in a local canteen.
🚌Metro day, ~£2
🛏Hostel dorm, Shanghai
- →Shanghai Museum
- →Yuyuan Gardens
- →French Concession walk
- →Shanghai acrobatics show
Fly Shanghai → Taipei
Shanghai → Taipei
Cheap carriers (Spring, Juneyao, EVA from Shanghai Pudong) run this route for £70-120 one-way if booked early — 2 hours in the air. Arrive at Taoyuan, take the Airport MRT to Taipei Main Station (£1.30) and check into a hostel in Ximending or near Zhongshan. Evening: your first Taiwanese night market — Raohe Street for pepper buns and pork rib soup, or Shilin for the full chaos.
🚌Flight ~£90; MRT ~£1.50
🛏Hostel dorm, Ximending/Taipei Main (£12-18/night)
- →Internal flight to Taipei
- →Airport MRT transfer
- →Raohe or Shilin night market
Taipei temples, memorial hall & Elephant Mountain
Taipei
Easy DIY walking day on the MRT (£1-2 per ride). Longshan Temple early (free), then Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, and lunch at a beef noodle shop in Yongkang Street. Late afternoon, hike Elephant Mountain's 20-minute stair trail for the classic Taipei 101 skyline view at golden hour — free and the best photo you'll take all trip. Optional Taipei 101 observatory (£15) or the National Palace Museum (£10) if it rains.
🚌MRT day pass, ~£2
🛏Hostel dorm, Taipei
- →Longshan Temple
- →Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
- →Elephant Mountain hike
- →Yongkang Street food
High-speed rail to Taichung & Bunun village experience
Taipei → Sun Moon Lake
Take the HSR to Taichung (1 hr, £20), then the Nantou bus or a shared taxi to Shuanglong Bunun Village (£8-10, ~1.5 hrs). Book the community experience directly through the Shuanglong Bunun leisure agriculture area or via Klook — the name-giving ceremony, the Rainbow Suspension Bridge hike to Shuanglong Waterfalls, and a village lunch with folk storytelling run around £25-35 per person. Afterwards, bus or taxi onward to Sun Moon Lake (£5) for a guesthouse night by the water.
🚌HSR ~£20; bus/shared taxi ~£15
🛏Guesthouse near Sun Moon Lake (£18-25/night)
- →Taipei–Taichung HSR
- →Shuanglong Bunun Village visit
- →Bunun name-giving ceremony
- →Rainbow Suspension Bridge hike
Sun Moon Lake by bike
Sun Moon Lake
Rent a bike (£7-9) and ride the 30km lakeside loop — the Xiangshan visitor centre section over the water is the money shot and has been ranked among the world's best bike paths. Stop at Wenwu Temple and Ita Thao for lunch. Afternoon swap for a hop-on-hop-off lake ferry (£6) or a tea plantation tasting in the hills (£10). Sunset from the Ci'en Pagoda steps.
🚌Bike hire ~£8
🛏Guesthouse near Sun Moon Lake
- →Sun Moon Lake bike loop
- →Wenwu Temple
- →Ita Thao village
- →Tea plantation visit (optional)
Historic Tainan & Anping
Sun Moon Lake → Tainan
Bus or shared van down to Tainan (£8-10, ~2 hrs). Tainan is Taiwan's oldest city and its food capital — start with danzai noodles and coffin bread (£4). Join a free-ish local walking tour or self-guide Anping Old Street, the Banyan Tree House (Anping Tree House, £1.50), Fort Zeelandia (£1.50) and, south of town, the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas at Lotus Pond. Evening at Tainan's Garden Night Market if it's open (Thu/Sat/Sun).
🚌Bus to Tainan ~£9; local bus ~£2
🛏Hostel or budget hotel, Tainan (£15-22/night)
- →Anping Old Street walk
- →Anping Tree House
- →Fort Zeelandia
- →Dragon & Tiger Pagodas
- →Garden Night Market
Tainan to Kaohsiung and Jiufen detour prep
Tainan → Kaohsiung
Local train to Kaohsiung (£4, 40 mins) for a half-day: take the ferry to Cijin Island (£1) for seafood and bike hire, or visit the Pier-2 Art Center. In the afternoon, take the HSR back north to Taipei (£28, 1.5 hrs) and check into a hostel, positioning yourself for tomorrow's Jiufen trip.
🚌Trains + HSR ~£33
🛏Hostel dorm, Taipei
- →Kaohsiung & Cijin Island
- →Pier-2 Art Center
- →HSR north to Taipei
Jiufen, Golden Waterfalls & Heping Island
Taipei / Northeast Coast
Bus 1062 from Taipei to Jiufen (£2, 1 hr). Get there by 9am before the crowds, walk the lantern-lit Shuqi Road alleys, drink tea in a hillside teahouse (£4), then take a local bus to Jinguashi for the Golden Waterfalls and Yin Yang Sea lookout (free). Continue to Heping Island Park in Keelung (£1.50) for its wave-cut rock platforms, and catch the bus back to Taipei for a final night market dinner.
🚌Buses ~£6
🛏Hostel dorm, Taipei
- →Jiufen old street
- →Teahouse stop
- →Golden Waterfalls
- →Yin Yang Sea lookout
- →Heping Island Park
Taipei free day & farewell night market
Taipei
Your buffer and shopping day: Beitou hot springs (£2-4), Dadaocheng's old streets and tea shops, or the Songshan Cultural Park. Pick up pineapple cakes and oolong tea for the flight home. Final dinner at Ningxia Night Market — oyster omelette, stinky tofu, mango shaved ice — and an early night.
🚌MRT ~£2
🛏Hostel dorm, Taipei
- →Beitou hot springs
- →Dadaocheng old streets
- →Ningxia Night Market
- →Souvenir shopping
Depart Taipei
Taipei
MRT back to Taoyuan Airport (£1.30) for your flight home. If you're flying out of Shanghai instead, take the HSR to Taoyuan and a budget flight to Pudong — but booking an open-jaw Beijing-in/Taipei-out ticket is by far the cheapest way to do this route.
🚌Airport MRT ~£1.30
🛏N/A — departure day
- →Airport transfer
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,023 | £3,749 |
| Duration | 16 days | 16 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £2,726 per person (73%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,023
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 China & Taiwan: Great Wall, Terracotta Warriors & Night Markets (Self-Launched) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,023 per person for 16 days in China & Taiwan. 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 £3,749 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,023 — a saving of roughly £2,726 (73%) per person.
How long is the China & Taiwan trip?+
This itinerary runs 16 days, covering 16 day-by-day stops through China & Taiwan.
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, city-breaks trip through China & Taiwan, 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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