10 Days Hong Kong to Guilin, Zhangjiajie, Chongqing & Shanghai — Self-Launched
10 days · China (Guilin, Zhangjiajie, Chongqing, Shanghai)
Top China Travel charges £2,248
No-markup version: ~£771 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Top China Travel's 10-day private tour from Hong Kong through Guilin, Yangshuo, Zhangjiajie, Chongqing and Shanghai. Instead of a private guide, driver and 4-star hotels, you'll use China's excellent high-speed rail network, book the same scenic areas (Longji Terraces, Li River cruise, Yuanjiajie, Tianmen Mountain, Hongya Cave, the Bund) directly, and sleep in hostels and budget guesthouses. The route is fast-paced but hugely rewarding: karst landscapes, the floating mountains of Avatar, a Yangtze-side megacity and a sleek riverfront metropolis. Note that China now offers visa-free entry for many nationalities (currently 240-hour transit and up to 30-day unilateral visa-free schemes depending on passport) — check the latest rules for yours before booking flights. All costs are approximate per person.
Day-by-day
Arrive Hong Kong, cross to Guilin
Hong Kong → Guilin
Land at Hong Kong International Airport and take the Airport Express to West Kowloon Railway Station (HK$105 / ~£10, ~25 min). From West Kowloon take a high-speed train to Guilin West (roughly 3.5–4.5 hours, ~£45–60); Guangzhou South is the usual interchange if direct trains don't suit. Note that crossing into mainland China is where visa/entry formalities are checked — confirm your eligibility beforehand. Check into a Guilin hostel or budget guesthouse near the central city or the Two Rivers and Four Lakes area, then spend the evening walking the lakes and grabbing a bowl of Guilin rice noodles (~£2).
🚌Airport Express HK$105 (~£10); high-speed train West Kowloon → Guilin West ~£45–60
🛏Guilin hostel or budget guesthouse, dorm/private from ~£12
- →Airport Express to West Kowloon Station
- →High-speed rail to Guilin
- →Evening stroll around the Two Rivers and Four Lakes
- →Guilin rice noodles dinner
Longji Rice Terraces & Ping'an village
Longji, Guilin
Take a local bus or shared minivan from Guilin Qintan bus station to Longji (Dazhai or Ping'an entrance), about 2 hours, ~£6–8 each way. Pay the Longji Terraces scenic area entry (~£9) and hike between the viewpoints — the 'Seven Stars with the Moon' and 'Nine Dragons and Five Tigers' platforms are the classics. Ping'an village is an easy base for a wander among the Zhuang stilt houses. You can either day-trip back to Guilin or stay in a Ping'an guesthouse for the night for sunrise over the terraces.
🚌Bus/minivan Guilin ↔ Longji ~£12–16 return
🛏Guilin hostel/guesthouse ~£12 (or Ping'an village guesthouse ~£14)
- →Longji Rice Terraces scenic area hike
- →Ping'an Zhuang village walk
- →Viewpoint platforms and terraces photography
Li River cruise to Yangshuo & West Street
Yangshuo
Book a Li River cruise leg from Zhujiang Pier to Yangshuo (~4 hours) through Klook, GetYourGuide or any Guilin hostel — expect ~£40–55 including the cruise and bus transfer to the pier. It's the postcard karst scenery section. Alternatively, the local ferry is cheaper but slower. Arrive in Yangshuo, check into a hostel, and in the evening stroll West Street and the riverside. If you have energy, rent a bike for a loop of the Yulong River and the Ten-Mile Gallery countryside.
🚌Cruise with pier transfer included; walking and bike hire in Yangshuo
🛏Yangshuo hostel, private room from ~£14
- →Li River cruise to Yangshuo
- →West Street evening stroll
- →Optional bike hire along the Yulong River and Ten-Mile Gallery
Guilin sights then high-speed train to Zhangjiajie
Guilin → Zhangjiajie
Morning bus back to Guilin (~£6). Visit Elephant Trunk Hill park (~£8) and Reed Flute Cave (~£12); both are easily reached by city bus or DiDi. In the late afternoon take the high-speed train from Guilin North to Zhangjiajie West (~7–8 hours; ~£55–70). Trains are frequent but long — buy tickets on the 12306 app or Trip.com a few days ahead. Arrive late and take a DiDi to a hostel in Zhangjiajie city or Wulingyuan.
🚌Local bus Yangshuo → Guilin ~£6; high-speed train Guilin North → Zhangjiajie West ~£55–70
🛏Zhangjiajie city or Wulingyuan hostel/guesthouse ~£12–15
- →Elephant Trunk Hill park
- →Reed Flute Cave
- →Overnight high-speed rail transfer
Yuanjiajie, Bailong Elevator & Tianzi Mountain
Wulingyuan, Zhangjiajie
Buy the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park 4-day ticket (~£25) and the park shuttle buses are included. Enter early at the Wulingyuan gate, then ride the Bailong Elevator (~£8) up to Yuanjiajie — the Hallelujah/Avatar mountains and the 'First Bridge Under Heaven'. In the afternoon take the shuttle to Tianzi Mountain for the viewpoints and ride the Ten-Mile Gallery mini-train (~£4) on the way back. Wear grippy shoes; paths can be slick and crowded by mid-morning.
🚌Local bus/DiDi to Wulingyuan gate; park shuttles included in ticket
🛏Wulingyuan hostel/guesthouse ~£13
- →Yuanjiajie Scenic Area
- →Bailong Elevator ride
- →Tianzi Mountain viewpoints
- →Ten-Mile Gallery mini-train
Grand Canyon Glass Bridge & Tianmen Mountain
Zhangjiajie
Start with the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge (~£20 including canyon entry) — take a local bus or DiDi from Wulingyuan (~40 min). In the afternoon head to Tianmen Mountain. Book the cable car ticket online (~£35) which covers the cableway, glass skywalk, Tianmen Temple, Bonsai Garden, Heaven-Linking Avenue and the huge Tianmen Cave arch. Allow 4+ hours; pick a later cable car slot if the morning runs over. Combine the two only if you start early — otherwise split across a second day.
🚌Local bus/DiDi to Grand Canyon then Tianmen cableway base station; ~£10 total
🛏Zhangjiajie hostel/guesthouse ~£13
- →Grand Canyon Glass Bridge
- →Tianmen Mountain cable car
- →Glass skywalk
- →Tianmen Temple and Bonsai Garden
- →Tianmen Cave and Connected-Heaven Avenue
High-speed train to Chongqing
Zhangjiajie → Chongqing
A relaxed travel day: take the high-speed train from Zhangjiajie West to Chongqing North or Chongqing West (~5–6 hours, ~£45–55). Book via Trip.com or 12306. Arrive, check into a hostel near Jiefangbei, and sample hotpot in the evening — the Chongqing version is famously numbing and cheap (~£10). If you arrive early enough, walk down to Hongya Cave for its lit-up night view.
🚌High-speed train Zhangjiajie West → Chongqing ~£45–55; metro/DiDi locally
🛏Chongqing hostel in Jiefangbei ~£14
- →High-speed rail across Hunan and Chongqing
- →Chongqing hotpot dinner
- →Evening walk to Hongya Cave
Chongqing city sights & evening flight to Shanghai
Chongqing → Shanghai
Free-day version of the tour's Chongqing highlights, all easily done by metro: Three Gorges Museum (free with ID), the Ciqikou ancient town (free), a ride on the Yangtze River Cableway (~£3), and the famous Liziba monorail station where the train passes through a building (metro fare only). Finish at Hongya Cave at dusk for the illuminated stilt houses. Then take a late flight Chongqing → Shanghai (~£45–70 with Spring, Juneyao or China Eastern) and check into a Shanghai hostel near the Bund or People's Square.
🚌Metro ~£2; Yangtze Cableway ~£3; flight Chongqing → Shanghai ~£45–70
🛏Shanghai hostel near the Bund ~£18
- →Chongqing Three Gorges Museum
- →Ciqikou Ancient Town
- →Yangtze River Ropeway
- →Liziba monorail station
- →Hongya Cave at night
Shanghai: Shikumen, Yuyuan & the Bund
Shanghai
Walk the Shikumen lanes and Xintiandi area in the morning (free), then visit Yuyuan Garden (~£5) and Yuyuan Bazaar / Chenghuangmiao Old Street. Pop into the Shanghai City History Museum if it suits your timing (~£4). Ride the metro or a DiDi to Lujiazui and go up the Oriental Pearl Tower 2nd ball (~£22) or, cheaper, the Shanghai World Financial Center observation deck. End the day walking the Bund at dusk when the Pudong skyline lights up.
🚌Metro and DiDi ~£4 total
🛏Shanghai hostel near the Bund ~£18
- →Shikumen alleys and Xintiandi
- →Yuyuan Garden and Yuyuan Bazaar
- →Shanghai City History Museum
- →Oriental Pearl TV Tower observation deck
- →Lujiazui and the Bund at dusk
Shanghai departure
Shanghai
Breakfast at the hostel, then take the Maglev (~£5, 8 min to Longyang Road) or metro line 2 to Pudong Airport, or metro line 10/2 to Hongqiao depending on your flight. If you have a late departure, leave bags at the hostel and squeeze in one more Bund walk or a coffee in the French Concession.
🚌Maglev ~£5 or metro ~£1 to Pudong Airport
🛏—
- →Last walk along the Bund or French Concession
- →Transfer to Shanghai airport
Self-launched vs. Top China Travel
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Top China Travel | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£771 | £2,248 |
| Duration | 10 days | 10 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,477 per person (66%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Top China Travel-style trips? Check them out here.~£771
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does 10 Days Hong Kong to Guilin, Zhangjiajie, Chongqing & Shanghai — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £771 per person for 10 days in China (Guilin, Zhangjiajie, Chongqing, Shanghai). This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Top China Travel?+
Yes — Top China Travel charges around £2,248 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £771 — a saving of roughly £1,477 (66%) per person.
How long is the China (Guilin, Zhangjiajie, Chongqing, Shanghai) trip?+
This itinerary runs 10 days, covering 10 day-by-day stops through China (Guilin, Zhangjiajie, Chongqing, Shanghai).
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a adventure, culture, hiking trip through China (Guilin, Zhangjiajie, Chongqing, Shanghai), self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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