My Tentative Itinerary for China October 2008
 

Hi fellow fodorites!

Here's my updated itinerary.

9 October 2008 Thursday: Washington Dulles to Beijing

10 October Friday: Arrive Beijing
11 October Saturday Beijing
12 October Sunday Beijing
13 October Monday Beijing
14 October Tuesday Beijing
15 October Wednesday Beijing.
15 October Wednesday Beijing:

Overnight Z Train to Shanghai (2-person soft sleeper compartment) or a.m. flight to Shanghai, arriving around 2:00pm, if I can't get the 2-person sleeper.

16 October Thursay: Morning arrival Shanghai train station (or flight arrival the day before)
17 October Friday: Shanghai
18 October Saturday: Day trip to Suzhuo and/or Tongli

19 October Sunday: Morning flight to Luoyang
20 October Monday: Day trip to the Longmen Caves

21 October Tuesday: Fly to Xian
22 October Wednesday: Xian – Terra cotta warriers & museum; Dumpling feast dinner; Tang dynasty musical review
23 October Thursday: Xian - Big Goose Pagoda, the Great Mosque, Temple to the Eight Great Immortals; dinner in the Muslim quarter. Late flight to Chengdu

24 October Friday: Early a.m. visit to the Panda Preserve
25 October Saturday: Visit sights in Chengdu

26 October Sunday: Fly to Guilin; Taxi to Yangshuo (probably will stay at Riverview Grand).
27 October Monday: Day trip to the Rice Terraces
28 October Tuesday: Li river boat trip

OR transfer to Li River Retreat; afternoon bikding or hiking/scenery.

29th October Wednesday: Yangshuo – Visit to Xing Ping’s market; Yangdi-Xingping hike – best mountain scenery, easy walking.
30th October Thursday: Yangshuo - Morning:__________________; 3:30pm – 7pm Cooking class

31st October Friday: a.m. flight to Hong Kong
1 November Saturday: Hong Kong
2 November Sunday: Hong Kong
3 November Monday: Hong Kong - Fly home.

Note: I’m very tempted to skip Luoyang and the Longmen caves and adding a day in Shanghai (for a day trip possibly) and Yangshuo.


Would love your expert opinions please.

Thanks!

Monica ((F))

PS: Also thinking if I drop Luoyang, I could visit Hangzhou from Shanghai and/or Nanxun.

Thoughts?

Thanks!!

Monica ((F))

The itinerary looks good... if anything I would consider overnight in Tongli rather than a day-trip... the village is magical first thing in the morning before the crowds arrive.
We also REALLY enjoyed mount Huangshan... it is absolutely unique.
Regardless, you'll have a great time.

Thanks chiefie for the overnight in Tongli suggestion. Sounds like maybe opportunities for great a.m. picture taking?

Also, if I skip Luoyang and had the extra day/night in Tongli, can I get to Xian from Tongli; or do I have to back track to Shanghai and fly from there?


Thanks!

Monica ((F))

So envious you have more than 3 weeks! Do you really want to stay in Beijing for 5 days? Perhaps you can cut 1 and use it somewhere else.

You cannot get to Tongli directly from Xian, have to go from Shanghai, and you don't fly from S to T. Tongli is tiny, no airport, no train station. Cab directly or train/bus to Suzhou and another bus to Tongli.

chiefie - Did you find a direct bus from S to T?

Hi, Monica, I was reading ekscrunchy's trip report and came upon your postings. I don't think you remember me but way back in 1999 (?) we've communicated in European forum (specifically France). So it was a pleasant surprise that when I started planning our first Asian trip, I see your postings as we have almost the same travel personalities. What did you end up doing with your China trip. I assume independent? Would you mind sharing the logistics of Shanghai, Beijing and Great Wall travel? Would appreciate it esp. the hotel, transportation portion. Thanks.

Hi Shanghainese,

Yes, 24 nights! I figure I won’t get back there for quite a while, so I might as well make the best of it. I wish I could add a few more days and add Bangkok!

The reason I have 5 days for Beijing is that I’m thinking of the jetlag time and not having such a rushed time in a big city. It is a consideration though. That would mean 3 days for the city and 1 for the great wall. I'll have to read up and see how to fit everything in 3 days.

Thanks for the Tongli-Xian logistics. That would mean back tracking to Shanghai. If I were to cut 1 day in Beijing, then maybe I could add it to Tongli for a 2-day visit? Or maybe that’s too much for Tongli.

Hi Cheryl,

Sorry, it’s been so long that I don’t remember you. Thanks for remembering me! Haven’t gone yet to China. Yes, I am going independent with my Mom’s cousin. We’re going in October and should get there on the 9th.

For Beijing we're going to stay at the Crowne Plaza. It's very central and apparently a popular choice. I haven't narrowed it down yet for the other cities. Oh, for Hong Kong we're staying at the Salisbury YMCA, as I want the city skyline views.

How about you? When do you plan to go?

By the way, since our correspondence in 1999 (which I don't remember) I created my personal travel web site. You can check it out. http://www.luvtotravel.homestead.com/home.html My email is there too.

Monica ((F))

We're still in the planning stage, either May or October. in China, we'll just go to Beijing (incl. the Great Wall, and Shanghai and then we'll go to Bangkok and Manila. I might also go in Sept. as I now Cathay Pacific has this Asia package/airline sale. Do you already have a hotel in Shanghai?

Monica, just remembered. I think you ended up staying in Hotel Balcons (Paris) and we stayed in Rue de Cler. I also remember that we went to Greece at the same year.

Let me know if you end up going in October! Who knows, maybe we can meet up for a GTG.

No, I haven't selected a hotel yet for Shanghai. There's the JW Marriott and I have a friend that can get me a discount. I'm just not sure yet if it's in a good location. I'm currently taking a business law class that ends at the end of January, so I'll be diving deep into planning this trip all February.

Monica ((F))

Here's another idea I'm thinking: Instead of Luoyang for the 2 nights there, I can add one for Shanghai and one to Chengdu to see the giant buddha in Leshan. I think it's doable by local bus. Maybe a taxi?

Monica ((F))

Heavens, Monica, Tongli is tiny, the entire town will fit into 4 DC city blocks crisscrossed with canals! 2 days is way too much unless you have 240 days in China, my DD did 3 water towns in a day and a half.

No, I don't want Tongli for 2 nights. I'd use the "extra" 2 nights for: 1 night for Shanghai and 1 night for Chengdu as an example.

;)

monica ((F))

Hi friends!

I revised my itinerary and took out Luoyang and the Longmen Caves, one less day in Beijing, added a night to Shanghai and one to Yangshou. Well, when I did my revision, I ended up with 6 nights in Yangshuo because I forgot about the 1 night less in Beijing. I’m not sure if that’s too many nights for Yangshuo. Are there towns/sights within a 1-2 hour drive that we could do as a day trip?

Other option is to change Shanghai back to 3 nights and have 1 night in Tongli, but what about the logistics of getting from Shanghai to Tongli, and then a flight to Xian?

Or maybe I should put Luoyang back in the picture and back to my 3 nights in Shanghai and 5 nights in Yangshuo? Then, I’ll have to think of transportation from Shanghai to Luoyang and then to Xian.

The other thing would be an extra day in Hong Kong, arriving the 30th, but if I remember correctly, there’s usually a convention of some sort and not to arrive before the 31st?

I’d appreciate your comments and suggestions.

Thanks!

Monica ((F))



9 October 2008 Thursday: Washington Dulles to Beijing

10 October Friday: Arrive Beijing
11 October Saturday Beijing
12 October Sunday Beijing
13 October Monday Beijing
14 October Tuesday Beijing. Early evening Overnight Z Train to Shanghai

15 October Wednesday: Morning arrival Shanghai
16 October Thursday: Shanghai
17 October Friday: Day trip to Suzhuo and/or Tongli.
18 October Saturday: Shanghai`

19 October Sunday: Fly to Xian
20 October Monday: Xian - Terra cotta warriers & museum
21 October Tuesday: Xian – City sights

22 October Wednesday: a.m. flight to Chengdu
Visit People’s Park and other sights in Chengdu
23 October Thursday: Early a.m. visit to the Panda Preserve
24 October Friday: Day trip to Leshan Buddha

25 October Saturday: Fly to Guilin/taxi to Yangshuo
26 October Sunday: Yangshuo
27 October Monday: Day trip to the Rice Terraces
28 October Tuesday: Transfer to Li River Retreat; Afternoon li river trip.
29th October Wednesday: Yangshuo – Xing Ping market; Yangdi - Xing Ping hike
30th October Thursday: Yangshuo - Morning:____________; 3:30pm – 7pm Cooking class

31st October Friday: a.m. flight to Hong Kong
1 November Saturday: Hong Kong
2 November Sunday: Hong Kong
3 November Monday: Hong Kong - Fly home.

That sounds like too long in Yangshou to me. How about adding a day to Chengdu - you could visit Qingchen Shan, which I thought was magical even in a light rain - and a day to Shanghai for another day trip. Or add a day in Hangzhou.

I agree. Or perhaps add a day in Chengdu, not to Qingchen Shan, but make it a two-day trip to Leshan and then Ermei Shan.

I don't think you need to overnight in Tongli. Do Suzhou and one of the several watertowns in the area as a long day trip from Shanghai. Or stay overnight in Suzhou.

October 15-20 and 25-30 is the Fall Canton Fair in Guangzhou. Hotels in Hong Kong is expensive around that time of the year, but doensn't mean it's a big dropoff between 10/31 and 1/1.

Thanks for the suggestions! I knew I could count on my fellow fodorites!

I'll check out the places you both mentioned and will update the itinerary.

Re: Hotels: I actually have reservations in HK at the Salisbury YMCA for a room with the city skyline view. They haven't given me pricing yet and won't until May. Should I book a second hotel just in case the YMCA prices are higher than I want to pay and have the second hotel as a backup? If so, any recommendations? Looking to keep it approx $150/night.

Thanks!

Monica ((F))

It's too early to get good rates from basically any hotel in Hong Kong right now for late fall. Don't worry about it for now.

rkkwan - interested that you suggest doing Emei Shan as a two-day combo with Leshan. From the Lonely Planet write-up I thought Emei Shan needed two or better three days on its own?

monica - I was in Chengdu in October '04, and it was cold and damp, so be prepared!

Well, to do the whole Emei Shan, you need more time. But I believe a 2-day trip from Chengdu is possible with first day visiting Leshan and then overnight at the bottom of Emei. Second day, visit the very top of Emei and then return to Chengdu in the evening.