Trip itinerary

China

Hong Kong → Shenzhen → Zhangjiajie → Chongqing → Shanghai → Beijing, six stops threaded together by border crossings, flights, and one long train ride.
Depart Aug 28 Return Sept 19 6 cities · 22 nights

Trip map

Every hotel, sight, food stop, and shop tagged across the itinerary — filter by city or scroll each city's own map further down.

Hotel Sight Food Shop Transport
Victoria Harbour skyline, Hong Kong
Victoria Harbour · Wikimedia Commons
01 / 06

Hong Kong

Aug 29 – 31 · The Salisbury, YMCA of Hong Kong, Kowloon
41 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui · check-in 3:00 PM · check-out 11:00 AM
Hotel
Booked
Aug 29 — Tsim Sha Tsui
9:15 AM
Arrive Hong Kong
3:00 PM
The Salisbury, Hong Kong
Check in — The Salisbury
Grab an Octopus card at the metro station on the way in — covers transport, convenience stores, vending machines
K11 Art Mall, Hong Kong
K11 Art Mall
The Forest Bakery+ custard-filled bolo bao (Kiosk 17) · HEYTEA (G32 & G33)
Chatham Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Twist and Buckle
Michelin-recognized churros — 29-31 Chatham Road
Sunset
Tsim Sha Tsui Star Ferry Pier
Star Ferry
Across Victoria Harbour
8:00 PM
A Symphony of Lights, Hong Kong
Symphony of Lights
~10 min show, Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront by the Cultural Centre / Avenue of Stars
Aug 30 — Mong Kok & Jordan
K11 MUSEA, Hong Kong
K11 Musea
HEYTEA LAB, B201-31 & 32 — 10 min from K11 Art Mall
Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong
Tim Ho Wan
Michelin dim sum — 9-11 Fuk Wing St, Sham Shui Po
Tung Choi Street, Mong Kok
Ladies Market
Tung Choi St, Mong Kok
Tung Choi Street, Mong Kok
All Day Chicken Lab
Popular Hainanese chicken rice, right on the market street
Evening
Temple Street, Hong Kong
Temple Street Night Market
Jordan
Aug 31 — Central, then the border
Star Ferry, Hong Kong
Star Ferry to Central
Cross to the island side
Hong Kong Observation Wheel
Observation Wheel
AIA Vitality Park, Central — Mon–Thu 12:00–22:00, Fri–Sun 11:00–23:00
Jervois Street, Sheung Wan
Shiu Shing Hong
Hotel scent dupes — Wah Hei Building, 130 Jervois St, Sheung Wan
Wellington Street, Central
Uoya Zen
Bluefin tuna cutting show, check times — 108 Wellington St
Train to Shenzhenconfirm route
Salisbury Rd → East Tsim Sha Tsui MTR → Tuen Ma Line 1 stop → East Rail Line to Lo Wu (~40 min) → walk through HK/Shenzhen immigration → Shenzhen Metro onward to Huaqiangbei Station (hotel is now Futian, not Luohu — recheck the transfer)
More Hong Kong — food & extras not yet slotted in
Food to work in
If there's time
  • Coca-Cola Museum · Pink McDonald's
  • Starstreet brunch (OWO, Oolaa) → walk Tamar Park → ferry to TST
  • 1881 Heritage · Harbour City
  • Aqua rooftop bar
  • @mius.hongkong
Night life
Logistics
  • Forward luggage via Didi — steps saved in the Instagram post
  • Taxis charge extra for large luggage in the trunk
  • Trams: board at the back, pay when you exit the front
Futian commercial skyline, Shenzhen
Futian, Shenzhen · Wikimedia Commons
02 / 06

Shenzhen

Aug 31 – Sept 4 · Shenzhen Huaqiang Plaza Hotel, Futian
23F, Tower A, Huaqiang Plaza, 1019 Huaqiang North Road, 518028 · check-in after 2:00 PM · check-out before 12:00 PM
Hotel
Booked
Aug 31 — Crossing in
Arrive via Lo Wu border
Continuing from the Hong Kong route above
2:00 PM+
Huaqiangbei, Futian, Shenzhen
Check in — Huaqiang Plaza Hotel
Local dinner near the hotel
Keep it easy after a travel day
Sept 1 — Futian
Futian COCO Park, Shenzhen
Futian COCO Park
5 levels, 85,000 sqm, big outdoor square
Dafen Oil Painting Village, Shenzhen
Dafen Oil Painting Village
Dinner
Try lychee — one of Shenzhen's featured fruits
Sept 2 — Luohu
Dongmen Pedestrian Street, Shenzhen
Dong Men Pedestrian Street
Street food
Luohu Commercial City, Shenzhen
Luohu Commercial City
Lo Wu Shopping Plaza
Sept 3 — Nanshan, omakase & tea
PINGU: 45th Anniversary Antarctic Wonderland
MXTR Gallery, L4 North Zone, Shenzhen MixC World, Nanshan — Metro Line 1 to Hi-Tech Park Stn, Exit A, ~9 min walk
Omakasepick one
Sushi Song (Coastal City, Nanshan) · Sushi Huan (Luohu Greater China Maoye Plaza) · Sushi Kan all-you-can-eat (Futian, near Qiaocheng North exit B) — book ahead
HeyTea storefront (representative)
HeyTea Lab OCT Harbour
Zhongyaotang Gelato
TCM gelato / herbal cola, Mix C
Sept 4 — Fly out
Morning free / pack
Check out by 12:00 PM
4:40–6:40 PM
Flight to Zhangjiajie
SZX → DYG · 1 carry-on 7kg, checked 20kg, max 40×60×100cm
Sandstone pillars, Zhangjiajie National Forest Park
Wulingyuan, Zhangjiajie · Wikimedia Commons
03 / 06

Zhangjiajie

Sept 4 – 7 · 4D3N package tour
Tour
Booked
This leg runs on a booked 4D3N tour, so day-by-day stops are set by the operator rather than planned here. Worth confirming with them: pickup point and time, whether Tianmen Mountain and the Glass Bridge are included, and meal arrangements. Onward train to Chongqing: Zhangjiajie West → Chongqing East, 3:54–5:59 PM — ticket not yet booked.
Tianmen Mountain, Zhangjiajie
Tianmen Mountain
Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge
Glass Bridge
Hongyadong lit up at night, Chongqing
Hongyadong, Chongqing · Wikimedia Commons
04 / 06

Chongqing

Sept 7 – 10 · Holiday Four Seasons Hotel
60 Linjiang Road, Yuzhong District (Jiefangbei / Hongyadong) · check-in 3:00 PM · check-out 12:00 PM
Hotel
Booked
Sept 7 — Arrival
5:59 PM
Train from Zhangjiajieto book
Zhangjiajie West → Chongqing East, 3:54–5:59 PM
3:00 PM
Jiefangbei, Chongqing
Check in — Holiday Four Seasons Hotel
Evening
Hongyadong, Chongqing
Hongyadong
Best seen lit up at night
Sept 8 — Riverside & old town
Yangtze River Bridge, Chongqing
Yangtze River Bridge
Liziba Monorail Station, Chongqing
Chongqing Liziba Station
The monorail that runs through the building
Ciqikou Ancient Town, Chongqing
Ciqikou Ancient Town
"Little Chongqing"
Sept 9 — Hot pot & a drone show
Pipa Yuan
Guinness World Record hot pot
Xia Hao Lane
Evening
Drone showcheck schedule
Sept 10 — Fly out
Free morning
Last call for Chongqing small noodles, hot & sour rice noodles, or spicy grilled fish
11:25 AM
Flight to Shanghaito book
Chongqing Jiangbei T3 → Shanghai Hongqiao T1, 11:25 AM–1:55 PM · 1 carry-on 10kg (20×40×55cm), checked 20kg
The Bund waterfront, Shanghai
The Bund, Shanghai · Wikimedia Commons
05 / 06

Shanghai

Sept 10 – 14 · Atour Light Hotel, Bund Dashijie (Great World)
3F, No. 118 Yunnan South Road, Huangpu District · check-in 2:00 PM · check-out 2:00 PM
Hotel
Booked
Sept 10 — Arrival & the Bund at night
1:55 PM
Flight from Chongqing
Check in — Atour Light Hotel
Drop luggage
Lailai Snack Dumpling
Michelin-recommended XLB — 504 Tianjin Rd, Huangpu. Explore around Tianjin Rd / Jing'an
5:30 PM
Former French Concession — golden hour
Wukang Road & Anfu Road — historic villas, Wukang Mansion, boutiques, cafés, bookstores, galleries
7:00 PM
Tianzifang
Shikumen lanes, boutiques, street food, lantern-lit alleys at night
8:00 PM
Quick dinner near the Bund
Nanjing East Road area — keep it fast, save time for the riverfront
8:30 PM
The Bund at night, Shanghai
The Bund
Walk the full promenade facing the illuminated Pudong skyline — Shanghai Tower, World Financial Center, Jin Mao Tower. Optional: Huangpu River night cruise to close out the evening
Sept 11 — Legoland
Legoland Shanghai Resortbuy tix closer to date
Sept 12 — Yu Garden & Zhujiajiao
9:30 AM
Yu Garden, Shanghai
Yu Garden & Zhujiajiao guided tourpick guided or self-guided
Guided: meet at Renaissance Shanghai Yu Garden Hotel (Line 10/14, YuYuan Garden Stn, Exit 3) → Yu Garden (1hr) → Old City God Temple market (1hr) → Zhujiajiao (2hr self-guided) → The Bund (30 min) — ends 4:30 PM
Self-guided alternative
Yu Garden (9:00–10:45) → Jiuqu Bridge & Yuyuan Bazaar (10:45–11:30) → City God Temple (11:30–12:15) → lunch (Xiaolongbao, shengjian mantou) → metro toward Zhujiajiao (~2:15 arrival, explore canals & Fangsheng Bridge incl. a boat ride till 5:30) → back to the Bund by ~7:00
Evening
INS clubbook via WeChat
Sept 13 — Shopping day? Mall day?to plan
Still deciding
Candidates: Qibao Ancient Town (empty stomach and bag — souvenirs), a big mall, or the night market circuit below
Shanghai Tourism Festival Grand Parade
The Bund promenade (Zhongshan East 1st Rd) closes to traffic for 25 illuminated floats plus dance/music troupes — free curbside viewing, very crowded
Bund Fengjing Weekend Market at BFC
Street beside The Bund Finance Center goes pedestrian — pop-up stalls, artisan designers, craft beer bars, food trucks
Night
Night market options
10 min from hotel: Yuyuan Bazaar Night Market, Nanjing Road pedestrian alleys. 30–40 min: Sijing Night Market (Line 9, Exit 3), Zhoupu Night Market (Pudong)
Sept 14 — Onward to Beijing
Morning free / pack
11:00 AM
Train to Beijingto book
Shanghai Hongqiao → Beijing South, 11:00 AM–3:30 PM
More Shanghai — food & extras not yet slotted in
Xiao long bao & noodles
Duck, tea & sweets
  • Peking Chamber · Sheng Yong Xiao — Peking duck
  • Zhongyaotang Gelato — Hunan Rd / Xiangyang / Panlong locations
  • BAs D Ban — popular bakery, flaky pastries
  • Ahma's Handmade — milk tea with steamed taro mochi
If it's a shopping/mall day (Sept 13)
Other
The Forbidden City, Beijing, viewed from Jingshan Park
Forbidden City, Beijing · Wikimedia Commons
06 / 06

Beijing

Sept 14 – 19 · Sunworld Dynasty Hotel Wangfujing
50 Wangfujing Avenue, 100006 · check-in after 2:00 PM · check-out before 12:00 PM
Hotel
Booked
Sept 14 — Arrival
3:30 PM
Train arrival from Shanghai
Beijing South Station
2:00 PM+
Wangfujing Street, Beijing
Check in — Sunworld Dynasty Hotel
Sept 15 — Tiananmen & the Forbidden City
9:30 AM
Forbidden City, Beijing
Guided Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City & Treasure Museum tour
4.5 hrs — meet at BeijingFang, 10 min early. Subway: Line 2/8 to Qianmen, Exit I, walk 150m west. Taxi: "请带我去无印良品酒店北京坊" (Muji Hotel BeijingFang). Tour ends at the North Gate (Shenwu Gate) — free to continue into Jingshan Park. Return options: 12:30 PM or 4:30 PM. Klook booking
Sept 16 — Gubei Water Town & Simatai Great Wall
7:00 AM
Simatai section of the Great Wall
Pickup at the hotel — Gubei Water Town & Simatai
1-day tour, cable car & lunch included — pickup 7:00 AM @ 50 Wangfujing Avenue. Includes the water-town music & drone light show, opera/acrobatics, and street performance. Klook booking
10:00 PM
Return
Shaoyaoju Subway Station (10:00 PM) or Wangfujing Street (10:30 PM)
Sept 17 — Open
Temple of Heaven, Beijing
Open dayto plan
Could fit the Coca-Cola Museum, a hutong walk, or Temple of Heaven
Evening
Banquet dinnerbook ahead
Sept 18 — Open
Open dayto plan
Remaining sights, shopping, or a rest day
Sept 19 — Fly home
Pack / morning free
6:40 PM
Flight home via Hong Kong
1 carry-on 7kg, 2 checked bags up to 50lbs each

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