China Uncovered — Self-Launched: Chengdu to Shanghai via Mount Emei & Yangshuo

Land at Chengdu Tianfu (TFU) or Shuangliu (CTU) and take the metro into the city centre (~5–8 CNY, £1). Check into a hostel or budget hotel near Chunxi Road / Tianfu Square. No meeting, no group — just orient yourself. Wander the Wide and Narrow Alleys (Kuanzhai Xiangzi) and People's Park, where you can sip jasmine tea at a lakeside tea house for ~25 CNY (£3) and watch the city slow down. Dinner: a bowl of dan dan noodles (~15 CNY) or a proper Sichuan hotpot if you're feeling brave (~60–80 CNY). Set up Alipay or WeChat Pay with your UK card before you land — most of China is cashless.

🚌Airport metro ~£1; walking and shared bikes locally (DiDi rides ~10–20 CNY)

🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel near Chunxi Road (~£20)

• →Kuanzhai Alley wander
• →People's Park tea house (~£3)
• →Sichuan street food dinner

Take an early high-speed train from Chengdu East to Leshan (about 1 hour, ~54 CNY / £6). From Leshan station, bus No. 601 or a DiDi gets you to the Giant Buddha scenic area. Entry is ~80 CNY (£9); the classic move is the 20-minute cliff staircase down beside the statue's toes — go early, queues build by 10am. Optional river boat for the full frontal view (~70 CNY). In the afternoon take the local bus or train to Emeishan city (~1 hour, ~20 CNY) and check into a guesthouse near Baoguo Monastery at the mountain's base. Evening: vegetarian dinner at the monastery area or simple noodle shops.

🚌High-speed train Chengdu–Leshan ~£6; local bus to Emeishan ~£2–3

🛏Guesthouse near Baoguo Monastery, Emeishan (~£20)

• →Leshan Giant Buddha entry (~£9)
• →Optional river boat view (~£8)

Buy your Mount Emei entrance ticket on arrival (~160 CNY / £18) plus the shuttle bus up to Wannian Temple car park (~40 CNY / £4.50 round trip). From there walk the classic monastery loop: Wannian Temple, Qingyin Pavilion, Guangfu and Fuhu monasteries, Shengshui Ge and Chunyang Dian, finishing at Wuxiangang car park where the shuttle brings you back down to Baoguo. It's roughly 10–12 km with plenty of stairs — allow 5–6 hours and carry water and snacks (cheap at the base, pricey on the trail). Monkeys on the route are bold: don't carry food in your hand. If you're still buzzing, extend on foot to Fuhu Nunnery before walking back to Baoguo.

🚌Mountain shuttle bus ~£4.50; walking

🛏Same guesthouse near Baoguo Monastery (~£20)

• →Mount Emei entrance (~£18)
• →Monastery trail hike (free)
• →Extend to Fuhu Nunnery on foot

Head back to Emeishan station and catch a high-speed train. Direct services are limited, so the usual independent route is a morning train to Guilin (~7–8 hours total via Guiyang or Chongqing, roughly 550–620 CNY / £60–68) — book on the 12306 app or Trip.com a few days ahead. From Guilin West, a shuttle bus to Yangshuo (~30 CNY, 1.5 hours) or a DiDi. Check into a hostel in the old town. Evening orientation is easy: walk West Street, then escape to the riverside near the Yangshuo bridge for the karst peaks at golden hour. Dinner at a local riverside restaurant — beer fish if you eat fish (~80 CNY to share).

🚌High-speed train Emeishan–Guilin ~£64; shuttle bus to Yangshuo ~£3.50

🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Yangshuo old town (~£22)

• →West Street wander
• →Riverside karst viewpoints at sunset

Take local bus No. 1 from Yangshuo bus station to Xingping (~6 CNY, ~45 mins). Shared bamboo rafts run the most beautiful stretch of the Li River between Xingping and Nine Horse Fresco Hill — around 120–180 CNY per person when shared (~£14–20), bookable at the pier or via Klook. This is the scenery on the 20-yuan note. Afterwards walk 20 minutes upstream to Dabeicun village, a small rural community of mud-brick lanes and farmland; pop into the Jia Community Restaurant-style village eateries for a home-cooked lunch supporting local women-run businesses (~40 CNY). Back in Yangshuo, treat yourself to a Chinese cooking class if you want it (~200 CNY / £22, bookable via GetYourGuide/Klook) or catch the Impression Liu Sanjie night show (298 CNY) — skip both and the day still delivers.

🚌Local bus to Xingping ~£0.70; shared raft ~£16

🛏Same Yangshuo hostel (~£22)

• →Xingping–Li River shared bamboo raft (~£16)
• →Dabeicun village walk (free)
• →Optional cooking class or Impression Liu Sanjie show

Hire a bicycle (~30–50 CNY / £4–6 per day) and ride the flat country lanes through rice paddies and past water buffalo towards Moon Hill — the ride out is 8 km each way and the Moon Hill entrance plus short climb is ~15 CNY. Stop at a village farmhouse for lunch (~40 CNY). Early risers can join a roadside Tai Chi session with a local teacher (~100 CNY / £11) or a countryside yoga class. Alternatively take a DiDi to the Yulong River for a quieter stretch of karst and another shared raft. In the evening, catch the West Street nightlife or keep it slow with a riverside beer.

🚌Bicycle hire ~£5; occasional DiDi

🛏Same Yangshuo hostel (~£22)

• →Countryside cycle to Moon Hill (~£2 entry)
• →Optional Tai Chi class (~£11)
• →Farmhouse lunch
• →Optional Yulong River raft

Morning bus back to Guilin (~£3.50) then airport bus or DiDi to Guilin Liangjiang airport. Book a domestic flight to Shanghai Pudong or Hongqiao in advance (~£45–70 one way via Trip.com — note China bans power banks without the CCC mark on domestic flights). Alternatively, the high-speed train Guilin–Shanghai takes ~10 hours for ~£85; the flight is the better call if you're time-bound. Metro to your hostel in the Bund/People's Square area (~£1). Walk Nanjing Road down to the Bund as the skyline lights up — the classic free Shanghai moment. Optional upgrade: Shanghai Tower observation deck (180 CNY / £20).

🚌Bus to Guilin ~£3.50; domestic flight ~£55; Shanghai metro ~£1

🛏Hostel or budget hotel near the Bund (~£28)

• →Nanjing Road walk
• →The Bund waterfront at dusk (free)
• →Optional Shanghai Tower (180 CNY)

Shanghai Museum on People's Square is free (book a timed slot online a few days ahead; closed Mondays). Then metro to Yuyuan Gardens — the classical Ming-dynasty garden entry is 40 CNY (£4.50); the surrounding bazaar is free but touristy, so eat in the lanes off Fuxing Road instead. Afternoon options: the Former French Concession for plane trees and cafés, Tianzifang for craft shops, or a short metro hop to Jing'an Temple. Evening: budget for a Shanghai acrobatics show (~180–280 CNY via Klook) or a rooftop drink with a skyline view — or simply Xiaolongbao dinner for ~£8.

🚌Metro day of rides ~£2

🛏Same Shanghai hostel (~£28)

• →Shanghai Museum (free, book ahead)
• →Yuyuan Gardens (~£4.50)
• →French Concession wander
• →Optional acrobatics show

Coffee and a last wander through a wet market or the Bund at dawn, then metro or Maglev (50 CNY / £5.50 to Pudong) to the airport. If your flight is late, store bags at the hostel and do a final dumpling run. Depart at any time — no group to wait for.

🚌Metro or Maglev to airport ~£1–5.50

🛏None (departure day)

• →Morning market wander
• →Last dumplings