royben

My husband and I are going for a great trip and a friend in China who use to be a tour guide recommends the following...what do you think?
Shanghai - 2 days
Hangzhou - 2 days
Hong Kong - 5 days
Canton - 1/2 day
Guilin - 2 1/2 days: Li river, Longsheng
Kunming - 2 day Reed Flute Cave, Seven Star park, Elephant Truck Hill, West Hill, flower bird market, birdseye view of the Dianchi
Lijiang - 2 1/2 days: Full day tour to Yak Meadow of Jade Snow Mountain including cable car. Visit Baisha Fresco, Yuhu Naxi minority,Tiger Cleeping Gorge, The fist Bend of the Yangtze river
Jiuzaigou - 1 1/2 days: Yellow Dragon Scenic Spot
Chengdu - 1/2 day: Poet Dufus memorial Park, Zoo.
Zhangjiajie - 2 days: cable car to Huangshi Zai, Liuqi Pavillian, Jinbian Stream, Yellow Cave, Baofeng Lake
SHANGHAI 4 days: on our own and then back home I also want to thank everyone who shared their thoughts on hotels in Hong Kong and look forward to your comments.

rkkwan

I won't bother with Guangzhou. And skip Chongqing if you're not doing the Yangzhi Cruise.

And why not fly in and out of Hong Kong instead? Fares to HKG are often a little bit cheaper than Shanghai, and you save on some visa fees. Or maybe skip Hong Kong altogether?

And give yourself a rest day or two in the middle. You'll be exhausted.

[Some of the sites you listed under Kunming are actually in Guilin.]

Cicerone

I don't see Beijing or xina on your itinerary, both of whiuch definately merit a visit, esp over a place like Canton (now called Ghangazhou). Also, what month are you going? That would make a difference in where you would go, IMO.

I agree that this schedule looks a bit exhuasting, esp with all the half day trips. Distances are vast in China.

royben

We were in China in 2001 and visited many cities: Beijing, Taiyuan, Xian, Chongqing, Yangtze cruise, Hangzhou, Suzhou and Wuxi.

Going in and out of Hong Kong would have been better but certain reasons (too long to get into here) have us landing in Shanghai.

We will be in China for the month of April so hopefully the weather will cooperate with us. As for long distances and 1/2 days, we are splurging and taking airplanes.

Last time we visited we took so many 3,7,12 and 24 hour trains we thought we'd spend more time in cities instead of on the train. This hopefully will help with the fast pase we're on for this trip and explains a little of our itinerary.

By the way, one of our tour guides from 2001 is helping us arrange everything. We've kept in touch with her and she's become a friend. She's even offered to cook us a meal while visiting her in Hangzhou. That will be one of the biggest highlights of the trip.

About luggage restrictions on internal air within China, I've read on this forum and others that they only allow 44 lbs. What about the size of the luggage, any restrictions there?

Thanks all for reading my post! I'll keep a diary and report about the trip upon my return.

rkkwan

Want to say something about Jiuzhaigou and Zhangjiajie. Since the respective airports open in recent years, both places are very crowded. My parents visited Jiuzhaigou last fall, and said the experience was much worse than a few years back. Now one must take a designated bus in the main Jiuzhaigou area, and you know it's not always plesant with a lot of local Chinese tourists around you.

If you do go, make sure you go to a new area called "Fairy Lake" or "Angel Lake". It's a pristine area contracted to an American company to run the park. The admissions is of course pretty high, but my parents like it a lot - mainly because of the lack of crowds.

I was looking at the flight schedule of the Jiuzhaigou airport, and there are now many flights a day. Compared to needing 1.5 days by road just to get there. Huge difference.

BillT

Sounds like a "If it's Tuesday this must be Belgium" plan!!! Cut down the destinations and spend more time enjoying the places.

jimdrew

I'm not as "seasoned" as most of you, but I'm young and this still seems exhausting like the others have said.

I know you're focusing on south China, but have you thought about Luoyang, Henan Province? It's famous for China's national flower, the Peony. I was there in April and it was excellent, not to mention other great sites in the area (Longmen Grottoes, Peony Festival, White Horse Temple is okay, oldest Buddhist Temple in China, Shaolin Temple is not too far away either). Just a thought since you're flying everywhere.

LynnieD

Kunming imho is a nice place, but an ordinary big city. Reed Flute Cave is nice but I would not make a special trip to Kunming for it, it is like Carlsbad Caverns here in the US. In fact all of the places you list in Kunming are nice but not particularly special. As I see no mention of a visit to the Stone Forest I would rather do this with my 2 days:

1. Stay 2 days in Yangshou at the tail end of the Li River cruise, bicycle thru the countryside, hang out on West Street, etc.
or

2. Add a few days to Lijiang and/or go into Da Li for a few days. (Try to go to the locals morning market in Lijiang. My best direction is that it is across the big street from the Shiner Hotel. We ate breakfast from the street vendors every morning-fresh fruit, baked goods, dim sum, bread that they fry up when you order it, my mouth is watering as I think of it.)

or

3. fly into Xishuanbanna if your trip is not in the dead of summer (it is sub-tropical). Visit the botanical gardens. If you are at all intersted in horticulture it is not to be missed. Take a bamboo raft trip down the Mei Cong river. (This was the highlight of our recent trip)

I absolutly agree with skipping Guangzhou.