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15 Day itinerary in Hong Kong, Asia

Scenic South China Adventure with Zhangjiajie

An adventure trip to explore scenic south China! You will experience amazing sceneries from Karst landscapes in Guilin & Yangshuo to highland mountains capped with snow in Lijiang, from panda adventure experience in Chengdu to magical hallelujah wonders at Zhangjiajie. Culture of ethnic tribes in so... Read More

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YiCharlie

By Yi and Charlie

Overview

Physical Difficulty

Average
help_outline

Recommended Age

Everyone

Operated in

English

GUIDANCE

On Some Day Trips

starting point

Hong Kong

trip type

Private

trip attributes

Cycling

Hiking

Rafting

Meet local people

Indigenous culture

Outdoors & Nature

Start

Night

End

Highlights

1

Li River Cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo

2

Lijiang Ancient Town

3

Panda Volunteer Work

4

Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

Itinerary

Mid-Range Accommodation expand_more

Day 1

place Arrival in Hong Kong

Hong Kong is one of the two Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China. It is located at the south end of mainland China, neighboring with Shenzhen, the star city of China in past 30 years. This is a place with multiple personalities as a result of being both Cantonese Chinese and having been under British colonization. For traveller who speaks English, it is easy to travel around with some simple guidance. Upon your arrival, you will be met and transferred by private car to hotel check in. Free at leisure for rest of the day, in which you can walk around to get a glance of the city.

Accommodation:

  • Mid-Range Accommodation: 3* Hotel
Day 2

place City tour of Hong Kong

This morning, you will have a half day (4.5hrs) guided tour of Hong Kong. After breakfast, you will be transferred to visit the Victoria Peak on the western half of Hong Kong Island. With an elevation of 552 m (1,811ft), it is the highest hill on Hong Kong Island. From the top, you can take a panoramic view of the metropolis and the harbor. Then transfer to visit Repulse Bay, a bay in the southern part of Hong Kong Island and one of the most expensive residential areas in the world. Continue to the nearby Aberdeen Fishing Village, where contain 600 junks and is home to 6000 people who lived on fishing. Although Aberdeen has now been transformed into a semi-commercial district, it has maintained the style of a fishing village. After some free shopping at the Stanley Market, you will visit the Avenue of Stars. You can see plaques honoring celebrities from the silver screen, and those behind the camera. Transfer back to hotel or continue your own afternoon exploration from here.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

  • Mid-Range Accommodation: 3* Hotel
Day 3

place Train to Guilin and visit Reed Flute Cave

Pick up from hotel and transfer to railway station for high speed train to Guilin, which takes around 3.5hrs. You will be met by your guide in Guilin upon arrival and transfer to hotel. After a refreshing, take a visit to Reed Flute Cave, which is praised as “Natural Art Gallery”. The cave is 250 meters in depth and 500 meters in length, normally it will take you one hour to finish the tour. Inside this water-eroded cave is a spectacular world of various stalactites, stone pillars and rock formations created by carbonate deposition and illuminated by colored lighting. Later, visit East and West Alleys at the foot of ancient city wall. By restoring the old architectures of Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) styles, the alleys turn to be a replica of old Guilin and like a time machine that gives insight into the city’s history and modern changes. Trying different local snacks is another fun of the trip.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

  • Mid-Range Accommodation: 3* Hotel
Day 4

place Li River cruise to Yangshuo

Guilin is a world known scenic city, and its highlight is along the Li River to Yangshuo. Today, you will take a Li River cruise to soak in its beauty. The pier is around 40min drive from hotel and then a 3.5hrs relaxing time on the ship. You will pass by many famous attractions such as Nine Horses Fresco Hill, Chinese 20-Yuan Banknote Hill, Yellow Cloth Shoal, Xingping Ancient Town and Schoolboy Hill during the cruise period. Arrive in Yangshuo in early afternoon, you will have leisure time to walk around the West Street, with a history of over 2000 years. It is very popular among international travelers and local Westerners. Take your time at the street, savoring local culture, bars and etc. OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES Impression Liusanjie Show – An open-air live show beside Li River of Yangshuo, it introduces the beautiful scenery of Li River, the colorful culture of the ethnic groups in Guangxi and the brave imagination of the excellent artists in China.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation:

  • Mid-Range Accommodation: 3* Hotel
Day 5

place Countryside cycling in the morning and free in the afternoon

Yangshuo is a place where you can have a close-up experience with the farming world of China. Here rice is grown twice a year with other interesting local farm products like kumquat. The small trails on the farmland make it possible for you to have a quiet scenic riding. Family visits will also be arranged and you will learn more about China’s vast rural world. After around 2hrs leisure riding, have lunch to taste special local foods including dumpling dishes. Afternoon is free at leisure for you to explore more of your interests. OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES Yulong River Bamboo Rafting - For around 1.5 hrs duration, take in the landscape of rolling karst hills, green bamboo forests, water buffaloes wandering the fields, farmers tending the rice paddies, village women washing clothes beside the river, and kids swimming in the water - the idyllic scenes of simple rural life. (Note: this bamboo rafting is only for passengers from 7-70 years old and over 120cm in height) Cooking Course - You will learn how to cook some traditional Chinese food at local restaurant. Enjoy good experience for the cooking course and learn some history about Chinese food. Moon Hill – A natural limestone cave on the hill, it is a good place for you get panoramic view of Yangshuo

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation:

  • Mid-Range Accommodation: 3* Hotel
Day 6

place Fly to Lijiang & visit ancient town

Transfer to Guilin Airport for morning flight to Lijiang in the morning. Originally called Dayan, Lijiang is a very well preserved old town built by Naxi people with unique cultural background. It was listed as the World Cultural Heritage Sites in 1997. Upon arrival in Lijiang, you will be met and transferred to hotel. In the afternoon, take a walk in Lijiang Old Town. You will climb up to Lion Hill to take a panoramic view of the town and view the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain with white snowcapped peak. The Mu’s Mansion at the foot of the Lion Hill was once the residential and working site of the Naxi rulers of Lijiang in the ancient time. The complex embodies the wisdom and skills of Naxi architects and it is said to be the Forbidden City of Naxi people.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

  • Mid-Range Accommodation: 3* Hotel
Day 7

place Visit Yuhu Village, Baisha Village & Shuhe Ancient Town

We will go to the villages that Naxi people live to learn their culture, history and view the amazing landscapes. Yuhu Village is located at the foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, 15km north of Dayan Ancient Town. The houses in the village were made of a unique stone called monkey head by Naxi people. Visit Former Residence of Dr. Joseph Rock, an Austria-American botanist and explorer, lived in Yuhu village and other places in that region from 1922 to 1949. He was also a naturalist and Photographer, and the first foreign scholar to introduce Lijiang ethnic culture to the western world. Continue to Yufeng Temple, a lamasery combining architectural styles of Buddhism, Taoism and Naxi Dongba Religion. It is also famous for a 500 year old Camelia tree. In the afternoon, you will visit Baisha Village, one of the oldest villages in Lijiang. It is not only the cradle-land of the Tusi Dynasty evolved from the Mu Clan, but also the first Naxi minority ancestor settling stronghold. In the village, you will visit Baisha Mural, an artwork painted in Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) with religious stories of Buddhism, Taoism and Lamaism. Wander in Shuhe Ancient Town before transferring back to hotel.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation:

  • Mid-Range Accommodation: 3* Hotel
Day 8

place Fly to Chengdu

Free at leisure in the morning to enjoy the relaxing town. You will be picked up from hotel in time to take afternoon flight to Chengdu. In Chengdu, you will be met and transfer to hotel. Noted for panda and Sichuan Cuisine, Chengdu is also a historical and cultural city. In the next two days, you will have chance to enjoy the charm of the city.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

  • Mid-Range Accommodation: 3* Hotel
Day 9

place Full day Panda Volunteer Work

You will take a full day volunteer work in panda reserve today. After breakfast in hotel, you will be transferred to China Panda Conservation and Research Center – Dujiangyan Base, located approximately 55kilometers (34miles) away from Chengdu. After learning safety announcement and signing the security agreement, you will be given the work uniform, gloves and prepare to start the volunteer work. Your work includes learning scientific knowledge about giant pandas, helping to protect panda habitats, tidying up the houses they live in and making yummy food (e.g. bamboo cake, steamed corn bread) to feed them personally. After the full day’s panda volunteer experience, you’ll get the panda volunteer certificate and souvenirs. Transfer back to hotel in late afternoon. OPTIONAL ACTIVITY Sichuan Opera - Sichuan Opera is a type of local Chinese opera mainly prevailing in Southwestern China's Sichuan province. It is more like a play than other forms of Chinese opera, and the acting is highly polished. The traditional formula is quite systematic with a combination of stunts like face-changing, tihuiyan, sword-hiding, fire-spitting and beard-changing with the plot and different characters. Among them, Face-Changing is the most attracting. Performers wear brightly colored costumes and move to quick, dramatic music. They also wear vividly colored masks, wave their arms and twist their heads, and their painted masks change repeatedly.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation:

  • Mid-Range Accommodation: 3*Hotel
Day 10

place Visit Sanxindui Museum, People's Park & Kuanzhai Alley

With the excavated of golden face mask in 2021, Sanxingdui has caused a sensation in the world again. Today, you will go to view this museum and try to discover the mysterious history of this area. Many of the artifacts unearthed here have bizarre style, like human figures with large noses and bulging eyes. Such an outlandish style goes beyond people's normal ideas of traditional Chinese civilization, while the artefacts also speak volumes about its diversity and deep-rooted history. Back to downtown after the visit, you will enjoy authentic Sichuan cuisine in local restaurant. Later, visit Chengdu People’s Park, the most popular park in Sichuan's capital city and is host to a colorful mix of Chengdu residents who are always out enjoying themselves in the open air. You will go to the tea house to drink tea like a local, and may also have interests to play mahjong with locals. Visit Kuanzhai Alley to try local snacks to finish today’s trip.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation:

  • Mid-Range Accommodation: 3* Hotel
Day 11

place Fly to Zhangjiajie & visit Huangshizhai Scenic Area

Take morning flight to Zhangjiajie, one of the most famous scenic destinations in China. Upon arrival, you will be met at the airport and transfer to Wulingyuan Scenic Area. Visit Huangshizhai Scenic Area (Yellow Stone Stronghold) in the afternoon. Located west of the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, it is the biggest observation platform in the area with an elevation of 1,080 m and an area of 16.5 hectares. There is a local saying that one cannot claim to have visited Zhangjiajie without reaching Yellow Stone Stronghold.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

  • Mid-Range Accommodation: 3* Hotel
Day 12

place Full day visit Zhangjiajie Natural Forest in cluding Avatar Hallelujah Mountain

Today, you will take a full day to explore highlights of Zhangjiajie. Ascending Yuanjianjie Mountain by Bailong Elevator - a glass elevator which was built into the side of a huge cliff, and it is the fastest elevator in the world. Experience the speed while taking in the breathtaking views. Take about 2.5 hours to discover the amazing pillar scenery of the southern sky, which was used to inspiration for the famous “Avatar Hallelujah Mountain”. Afterwards, take the sightseeing bus to visit the beautiful Tianzi Mountain Nature Reserve, including Helong Park, West Sea Scenic Area and some other sights. Marvel at a notable setting of quartzite peaks that seem so the otherworldly. Later, take cool Tianzi Mountain cable car down the mountain and to enjoy a brisk walk along the picturesque Ten-mile Natural Gallery, lined with peaks resembling human, fingers, monkeys, lions, etc.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation:

  • Mid-Range Accommodation: Three Gorges' Cruise
Day 13

place Visit Tianmen Mt. and fly to Shanghai

Today you will take an excursion to Tianmen Mountain, which is regarded as the symbol and soul of Zhangjiajie. The highest peak is around 1518.6 meters above sea level. The mountain is named after the natural huge cave half way up the mountain just like a gate to the heaven. With profound cultural background, Tianmen Mountain is always considered as the holy mountain by locals. You will take cable car (about 30 minutes) to the peak of the Mountain, this 7455 meters cableway is the longest one in the world so far. The stunning sightseeing includes Tianmen Cave, the 99 Bends, glass skywalk and so on. On the mountain, your guide will take you to have a challenging walk on the glass skywalk along the cliff. After the exciting adventure, our guide and driver will escort you to Zhangjiajie airport to catch your flight to Shanghai.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 14

place Full day Shanghai city tour including Yu Garden, Xintiandi, the Bund and Oriental Pearl TV Tower

From rural China with different landscapes, you’ve back to mordent metropolis. Shanghai is the economic and financial center of China, but like many other cites, it is also a city with long history and a perfect blend of East and West. Your first stop today is the most traditional Chinese garden, Yu Garden. A typical Chinese garden is enclosed by walls and includes one or more ponds, rock works, trees and flowers, and an assortment of halls and pavilions within the garden, connected by winding paths and zig-zag galleries. By moving from structure to structure, visitors can view a series of carefully composed scenes, unrolling like a scroll of landscape paintings. Out from the garden, you will take a free shopping in the adjacent market and then head to Xintiandi, an affluent car-free shopping, eating and entertainment district. The district is composed of an area of reconstituted traditional mid-19th century shikumen (stone gate) houses on narrow alleys, some adjoining houses which now serve as book stores, cafes and restaurants, and shopping malls. Enjoy dim sum lunch in local restaurant. This afternoon, go for a walk along the Bund, which is the famous water front with new-erect modern skyscrapers on the opposite Pudong district and aged buildings of the colonial period along the Huangpu River. Later, visit Oriental Pearl TV Tower by taking elevator to the sightseeing floor at 263 meters. You will have a panoramic view of the city and Huangpu River below flowing west to the sea. OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES ERA Intersection of Time Acrobatic Show - performed by Shanghai Acrobatic Troupe, one of the best of all Chinese acrobatic troupes. As a multimillion-dollar stunning acrobatic extravaganza, the first of its kind in China , ERA is a multimedia odyssey whose inspiration is a direct result of the combination of traditional Chinese acrobatic arts and modern technology.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 15

place Shanghai departure

Free at leisure before being picked up from hotel in time and transfer to airport for your flight back to sweet home.

Meals: Breakfast

What’s Included

Accommodation expand_less

  • 3* Hotel
  • 3*Hotel
  • Three Gorges' Cruise

Meals expand_less

  • Breakfast (14)
  • Lunch (8)

Transport expand_less

  • All transfers during day tours
  • Airport Transfers
  • Train
  • Domestic Flights

Activities expand_less

  • Hong Kong city tours
  • Guilin & Yangshuo city tours
  • Lijiang City tours
  • Chengdu tours
  • Panda Volunteer Work
  • Shanghai City tour
  • Zhangjiajie tours

Extras expand_less

  • 24/7 local assistance

Not Included expand_less

  • International Flights
  • Visa
  • Travel Insurance
  • Other Meals/Drinks
  • Personal Expenses

About Yi

TEAM LEAD

+1 Local experts

verified Baboo Certified

Expertise: 

Meet local people

Indigenous culture

Hiking

Visit markets

Cycling

Travel with Purpose

After the graduation from university in 1993, I began to work in a travel company in Guilin. Today I've become an experienced travel specialist of China thanks to the extensive exploration of the country and 10+ other countries.

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FROM PRICE PER TRAVELER

$4,500.00 USD