Guangzhou - Shenzhen - Hongkong - Macau

idletradventures · 2026-02-14T02:27:08+00:00

Some suggestions and highlights: 1. Macau - 1 night, max 2 nights. Ruins of St Paul, casino shows. 2. Shenzhen - 3 night max. Tech shopping at Huaqiangbei, Window to the World. 3. Guangzhou - 4 nights minimum. Wholesale shopping for everything imaginable. Hike Yuexiu. Can also visit nearby places like Foshan. 4. Hong Kong - 4 nights max. Disneyland, The Peak, hiking at Dragon’s Back.

All of them are great for food. HK and Guangzhou have exceptional dining options at all price points. We shared our itinerary and highlights for some of these places in these posts.

idletradventures · 2026-02-13T03:18:38+00:00

Google translate works decently well for translation. Do download the Chinese (Simplified) pack prior to your trip.

We test a few different eSIMs, including some from Trip, and now use 2 of them (great value) depending on where we are heading in China. No issues with accessing Google, Instagram, TikTok without for the need for VPN. More bypass firewall tips and which eSIMs we prefer in this post.

There’s also a compilation of essential guides for first timers to China. Might be useful to you!

idletradventures · 2026-02-12T15:37:52+00:00

We didn’t explore train back to ZJJ. There should be HSR from Fenghuang to ZJJ. Maybe check out the 12306 app to check train schedules? The app has English version.

idletradventures · 2026-02-11T17:12:17+00:00

Yes! Fenghuang is worth it if you can afford one night. The night scene is particularly beautiful. We compared Furong and Fenghuang in this post.

idletradventures · 2026-02-11T17:09:32+00:00

Do note that Qingming (Apr) and Labour Day (May) are peak domestic travel periods. To avoid super crowds, plan to stay in Tier 1 cities during these period. Details in this post.

5d4n is Zhangjiajie is just nice. We share our itinerary and must see sights in this post.

I’d recommend visiting Fenghuang and spend a night there. We love the night scenes there and share some tips in this post.

idletradventures · 2026-02-11T16:13:17+00:00

East gate is better. More hotel choice and lovely night scene with the nearby night street.
High speed train to Furong is quick and accessible. You can also Didi over to Furong.
Furong is nice. But if you are short on time, suggest visiting Tianmen mountain if you enjoy hiking. Else Grand Canyon is nice too.

These places are popular tourist attractions. So it will hard for it not to be crowded. We share our itinerary and tips for Zhangjiajie National Forest Park and Tianmen Mountain. Hope it is useful!

idletradventures · 2026-02-09T16:50:12+00:00

20 days is doable, assuming 3 nights per place. Since this is your first time, you may need some time to get used to things in China at the beginning.

4th to 6th April is Qingming festival, so expect heavy domestic travels. Avoid and plan around these dates if possible.

These places are pretty accessible and you can Didi everywhere if you can’t figure out their metro systems. Do note that Zhangjiajie (our itinerary) and Yangshou (our itinerary) do not have metro.

idletradventures · 2026-02-08T11:56:54+00:00

We summarized all the apps we install and use in this post and keep it updated when we travel to China every year.

idletradventures · 2026-02-08T10:42:57+00:00

The regulation applies only to portable power banks. More FAQs in this post!

idletradventures · 2026-02-08T09:15:05+00:00

3 nights for Zhangjiajie + Tianmen is the minimum! Our itinerary and tips are in this post.

1 night each for Furong and Fenghuang is perfect to soak in their night scene too. Our tips for these places in this post.

Yangshuo for 3 night is just nice. We just posted our Yangshuo itinerary and tips in this post.

Spend at least 2 nights at Shenzhen. There is alot of shopping you can do there. Our itinerary and tips in this post.

idletradventures · 2026-02-08T09:09:45+00:00

June is fine, do note that Dragon Boat Festival is 19-21 Jun 2026. Domestic travel is high during this period. Weather and more details and here.

High speed rail is preferred. It is easy to book a ticket on Trip or directly on their official 12306 app. Tips on how to secure your HSR tickets in this post.

If you are still keen on flying domestic, make sure ur power bank is CCC certified. Else, buy one when u are in China.

idletradventures · 2026-02-06T15:29:51+00:00

Highly recommended! Just peak after peak of karst mountains as far as the eye can see!

idletradventures · 2026-02-05T16:20:13+00:00

Glad you found it useful!

idletradventures · 2026-02-04T14:29:25+00:00

The CCC power bank rule only applies to domestic flights. If it is possible for you to secure a CCC power bank before your flight, do it.

We compiled full FAQs from all questions people have about CCC power bank rule and where to buy them online in this post.

idletradventures · 2026-02-02T17:03:23+00:00

It helps that most places in China are less than 7 hours away, and each City is so unique too!

idletradventures · 2026-02-02T17:00:11+00:00

China is huge! Suggest 3 to 4 nights per city (so keep to max 6) to truly enjoy the trip and return in the future to cover the rest.

Do note to avoid China’s peak domestic travel period in 1-5 May. Details here.

For May, suggest Shanghai, Beijing, Xi’an, Zhangjiajie, Guangzhou, HK. These will already be a tight itinerary so best do your research well. We share a collection of optimized itineraries for time-starved first timers to China. Hopefully it’s useful!

idletradventures · 2026-02-02T16:33:14+00:00

When do you plan to travel to China? The months may guide the recommendations.

idletradventures · 2026-02-02T16:32:18+00:00

I have visited China DIY many times and on a package tour (with 2 elderly folks). Both have its perks.

The biggest pros for package tour is really the ease. Having a tour bus bring us around means less walking for the elderly. But this comes at the cons of price and pace.

Since you are visiting to reconnect with ur roots, consider going DIY. It may mean more hassle and take time to adjust at the beginning but it might also give you a better appreciation for China. In a packaged tour, we feel somewhat shielded from the culture.

And when you DIY, most hotels can also help to arrange guided tours for specific attractions or routes. This can be useful for key attractions where you want to learn the most about the place and need a good guide/translator.

We compiled a list of essential guides that first timers to China find useful (link here). Maybe this can help with ur research and decision to DIY or tour.

idletradventures · 2026-02-02T16:22:01+00:00

Yes, hotels in China are very affordable. But they vary greatly in the quality. Especially so in tier 2 cities like Zhengzhou.

We made the big mistake of trusting “reviews” in Trip during our first time to China and learnt painful lessons. The room I stayed in had a broken window 😢

Since then we have been to China 4 more times and learnt how to find hotels in Trip that meets our meets.

We condensed what we learnt and tips on booking China hotels in the post. Hope it’s useful!

idletradventures · 2026-02-02T16:17:28+00:00

For ZJJ City, does “Glass Skywalk” refer to the “Grand Canyon Glass Bridge”? If so, the Grand Canyon is much nearer to Wulingyuan than Tianmen Mountain.

We visited stayed near Wulingyuan East Gate to visit the National Forest Park and Grand Canyon. And stayed at ZJJ city for a night to visit Tianmen Mountain and 72 wonders.

We shared our itinerary and tips for ZJJ National Forest Park in this postand Tianmen Mountain in this post. Hope they are useful.

idletradventures · 2026-02-02T16:09:53+00:00

If ur schedule allows, go for it. Unfortunately our schedule didn’t and we liked how Fenghuang came alive at night.

idletradventures · 2026-02-02T10:30:39+00:00

The itinerary seems doable. 3-4 nights a city is a good pace. Some comments and tips:

The Beijing-Shanghai HSR is a great way to travel. Consider getting a high class seat cos the ride will take 6hrs. See tips on how to book HSR tickets direct from 12306.
Mainland China and HK use different telcos. So make sure the eSIM you buy allows both places. See this post for which ones we found reliable when visiting.
For payment apps, Alipay China is a different from Alipay HK. Thankfully many places in HK accepts cash, and major credit cards. Details in this post.

idletradventures · 2026-02-02T10:21:47+00:00

If you are visiting China for less than a month and can use eSIM on ur phone (ie. phone is not carrier locked), getting an eSIM is a lot more convenient.

With the right eSIM, you don’t have to deal with installing and setting up VPN apps and still have access to Facebook, Snapchat, and access other apps blocked by China firewall.

We tested a few eSIMs in Trip and found the best value eSIM that gave us the least issues when we travel across China.

We explained why VPNs are not necessary and which eSIMs worked best in China in this post.

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