Going to Seoul and coming back from Vietnam was a total logistical nightmare since I am using miles for my tickets with Delta. There are very few award seats available nowadays. Hopefully I will not be too worn out by the flights and the long days. I chose not to stay overnight in Paris on the way back because I think after 2 months I will probably just want to get back home.

Any and all suggestions are as usual most welcome.


Oct 5 9.10 am Delta #5270 JFK –arr Toronto 11.07 am dep Korean Air # 74 11.50 pm
Oct 7 arr Seoul 2.30 am
Oct 7 Seoul
Oct 8 Seoul Mingle
Oct 9 DMZ Panmunjom
Oct 10 Seoul
Oct 11 Seoul
Oct 12 Kyongju
Oct 13 Golgusa Temple for Temple stay
Oct 14 return to Kyongju
Oct 15 Andong and Sorak Mountains
Oct 16 Sorak National Park and hot springs
Oct 17Dep Seoul 11.50 am #879 Korean Air
Oct 17 Arrive Beijing 12.40 pm
Oct 18 Beijing
Oct 19 Beijing
Oct 20 Beijing
Oct 21 Beijing
Oct 22 night train to Xi An T43/46 dep 9.36 pm
Oct 23 arrive 8.42am Xi An
Oct 24 Xi An night train to Shanghai dep 21.02 T137/140
Oct 25 arr 11.34 Shanghai
Oct 26 Shanghai
Oct 27 Shanghai
Oct 28 Shanghai day trip to Souzou
Oct 29 leave for Hangzhou D657 dep. 9.30 am. arr. 10.48 am
Oct 30 Hangzhou – Jiashang bus to Xitan
Oct 31Shanghai - Guilin Air China CH1969 dep. 1.45 pm arr. 4 pm
Transfer to Yangshou
Nov.1 Yangshou
Nov 2 Yangshou
Nov.3 Yangshou
Nov 4 Guilin to Kunming night train dep. 4.53 pm. K393
Nov 5 arr.11.20 am Kunming
Nov 6 Kunming dep 10.35 arr Dali 11.10 China Southern CZ3481
Nov 6 Dali
Nov 7 bus to Lijiang
Nov 8 Lijiang
Nov 9 Lijiang
Nov 10 Lijiang China Southern CZ3492 to Kunming dep. 1 pm arr 1.40 Kunming
Nov 10 Night bus to Vietnam
Nov 11 Sapa
Nov 12 Sapa
Nov 13 night train to Hanoi
Nov 14 arr Hanoi
Nov 15 Hanoi
Nov 16 Hanoi
Nov 17 Hanoi
Nov 18 Hanoi dep 12.40 Arr Hue 13.50 VN245
Nov 19 Hue
Nov 20 Hue-Hoi An
Nov 21 Hoi-An
Nov 22 Hoi An
Nov 23 Hoi An
Nov 24 Hoi An –Ho Chi Min
Nov 25 Ho Chi Min
Nov 26 Ho Chi Min
Nov 27 Ho Chi Min – Phu Quoc
Nov 27 Phu Quoc
Nov 28 Phu Quoc
Nov 29 Phu Quoc – Ho Chi Min
Nov 29 Ho Chi Min - Siam Reap
Nov 30 Siam Reap
Dec 1 Siam Reap
Dec 2 Siam Reap
Dec 3 Dec 2 Siam Reap – Ho Chi Min
Dec 4 dep 12.05 am Ho Chi Min arr Seoul 7 am Korean air #682
Dec 4 AF # 267 10.05 am arr Paris 2.30 pm Dep 6.50 pm AF #8 arr NYC 9.05 pm

Can I come too, lol! Looks good. I take it you're flying HCMC to Siem Reap and back? The only change I might make would be to cut back on Hoi An and HCMC to get a couple of nights in Phnom Penh. Unless you're a major shopper there's not that much to do in Hoi An after you've ordered some clothes and visited My Son.

You are zigzagging across China. And 2 overnight trains in 3 nights is too much.

I'd train from Beijing to Shanghai, and then fly from Hangzhou to Xian. Then fly Xian to Guilin and continue that way.

If you decide to stick with training from Beijing to Xian, there's a nightly non-stop Z train. Don't take the T one unless you can't get tickets on the Z.

Also, you're wasting time and effort training Guilin to Kunming, stay a night and then fly to Dali next day. I'd just fly Guilin-Kunming-Dali in a day; if you want to visit Kunming and areas around it, add it to the day after you come back from Lijiang.

I'd like to come with you too!

I agree with rkkwan, too much zigzag in China and his suggestions are great, one thought is fly Guilin - Kunming and bus to Dali. Have you booked your China internal flights and with whom?

Very good suggestions. Thank you all.

Will book a flight Xian - Shanghai.

Good idea I will change Guilin - Dali to a flight and give my self a night in Kunming before going on to Vietnam.

The reason the trip is a little convoluted is that I want to be in Hangzhou on Oct 29th for the new moon and the tidal bore, and couldn't figure out how to do that, except current plans.

No I am not a major shopper, but I thought that there were some day trips to take around Ho An. This is not by any means an iron clad schedule. Probably worth taking a look at.

I have not booked any transportation as yet. Should I and if so with whom?
Thanks again.