I too suggest considering organising everything yourself. With Trip.com, Booking.com and Hotels.com all working for China, it's actually surprisingly easy. Trains and metros are all straightforward (provided you've done your research), and if you use Didi then urban road transport is also simple.

​​​​My one caveat would be if you're going anywhere properly rural, but if you're open-minded and not in a rush then that too should probably be ok.

As mentioned above, the benefit of doing your own thing is avoiding the mandatory shopping stops, choosing your own pace, and it could well end up cheaper too.