The 5 Self-Guided Tours in China That Repay a Whole Day

1.Self-guided challenging hiking from Jinshanling to Gubeikou

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 14 reviews · 1 day Our pick

You’ll leave your Beijing hotel at 7am with a private driver and hike from Jinshanling East to Gubeikou, crossing restored brickwork, jungle trails, and wild Wall. The route is self-guided, not accompanied on foot. You receive a map, instructions, bottled water, and WeChat support. Expect steep steps, 8 kilometers of walking, and roughly 6 to 7 hours with breaks.

“A once in a lifetime opportunity! It might seem pricey but so worth the overall experience. We basically had the wall to ourselves for most of the day, and were able to take our time and enjoy. The first hour of the hike is steep, but there are lots of rest areas and benches. Once you’re on the wall it’s a lot of up and down but manageable for most mobile people. The walk took us 5 hours to the half way mark, at which point the company gives you the option to continue or to stop the trek if you’re tired or running out of daylight. The company was…”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.Wuzhen Water Town Self-Guided Tour with Private Transfer from Hangzhou

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 12 reviews · from $87Top rated

Travel by private, air-conditioned vehicle from Hangzhou to Wuzhen with a local driver handling the door-to-door transfer. Explore East Zha and West Zha without a guide, taking in canals, old residences, stone lanes, bridges, markets, and a ferry ride. Entrance fees are extra, and the eight-hour service limit includes travel time.

“worked as a charm ! the driver was right on time for pickup and on time with pickup during the day. the experience was pleasant.”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.Datong Private Self-guided Tour with Chartered Car

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 10 reviews · from $79Best value

Travel by private car from your Datong hotel, railway station, or airport to the Hanging Temple and Yungang Grottoes. Your driver waits while you explore independently. The route suits 1 to 10 people, with entrance tickets and guide service arranged separately. Book Yungang tickets online before you go.

“Driver Mr Li picked me up from the train station. From Datong South Rail station to Hanging Temple was about 1 hour in automobile. Driver was great. I highly recommend this trip. I was supposed to go to the Grottoes but I was too tired and decided to go back to the hotel (but Read more”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.Shenzhen Self-Guided Tour with Private Car and Driver Service

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 10 reviews · from $83

You choose how to spend 6 to 8 hours in Shenzhen while a private driver handles the roads and waits during your visits. Pick up is available at a Shenzhen hotel, railway station, or border crossing. Expect a clean, air-conditioned car, limited English, and a translation app that makes communication easier.

“We had s chinees driver. And we asre from Holland. But with google translate everything went fine. The driver was very friendly and understood what we would like ro see.”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.2 Day Chengdu to Jiuzhaigou&Huanglong Self-Guided w/Transfer

★★★★★★★★★★3.0 · 3 reviews · 2 days · from $386

Travel from Chengdu to Jiuzhaigou by high-speed train, explore the valley independently, then visit Huanglong before returning to Chengdu. Sunny China Travel arranges private station and hotel transfers, scenic-area tickets, Jiuzhaigou’s excursion bus, and Huanglong’s uphill cable car and battery car. You set your own pace, but pay separately for trains, hotels, and meals.

“I posti da visitare sono bellissimi, ma il servizio offerto è davvero pessimo una truffa per quanto pagato. Non danno niente che non possa essere organizzato in autonomia a prezzi più accessibili e con servizio più confortevole. Lunghe attese e personale scortese passi più tempo in stazione ad attendere il treno che altro. Spero di ricevere un rimborso in quanto farò un reclamo”

Check availability →Read our full review