China: Cafés & Karst Mountains — Self-Launched

Land at HKIA and take the Airport Express to Tsing Yi, then MTR to Mong Kok/Kowloon for a hostel bed (around HK$115 total, ~£11). Drop bags, then head to the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront by 8pm for the Symphony of Lights. Dinner: dim sum in a cheap Cantonese canteen in Jordan or Sham Shui Po (£6-9). Buy a SIM/eSIM and register WeChat Pay/Alipay — essential for China. Tonight or tomorrow, register for your China visa or check you meet the 240-hour visa-free transit rules, and pre-book all bullet trains on Trip.com (China trains open 15 days ahead and sell out in holiday periods, notably Golden Week 1-7 Oct).

🚌Airport Express + MTR ~£11; walking/MTR in town

🛏Hostel dorm, Mong Kok or Tsim Sha Tsui (~£15/night)

• →Victoria Harbour Symphony of Lights (free)
• →Temple Street Night Market
• →Dim sum dinner

Cross at Luohu/Futian to Shenzhen, then take a high-speed train from Shenzhen North to Guilin West or Yangshuo Station (about 3 hours, from ~¥180 / £20 — book the direct Shenzhen North–Yangshuo service if available). From Yangshuo Station, a shuttle bus (£1.50) or taxi (£6) reaches Yangshuo town. Check into a West Street-area hostel and walk the riverside; evening bars and cafés along the Li River.

🚌MTR to border + bullet train Shenzhen–Yangshuo ~£20 + local shuttle ~£1.50

🛏Hostel dorm or twin, West Street area (~£10/night)

• →Border crossing on foot
• →Li River evening stroll
• →West Street nightlife

Rent a bike (£5/day) and ride out early to the Yulong River for sunrise mist over the karst peaks. Loop the countryside past rice paddies and water buffalo, then lunch at the women-run Jia Community Restaurant in Liandaowan Village (book a day ahead — around £6-8, supports the Rural Women's Development Foundation). Afternoon: a central Chinese cooking class (Yangshuo Cooking School, ~¥250 / £27 via Klook or direct). Evening: riverside bars.

🚌Bike rental ~£5

🛏Hostel dorm or twin, West Street area (~£10/night)

• →Yulong River sunrise cycle
• →Jia Community Restaurant lunch
• →Chinese cooking class (~£27)

Morning tai chi lesson with a local teacher (¥80-150 / £9-16, arrange at any café board). Hike Moon Hill (~¥15 entry, 45-60 min up) for the valley panorama, or take a kung fu lesson instead. Afternoon at leisure in cafés. Book the Impression Liu Sanjie riverside light show for tonight (~¥298 / £32) — buy direct or via Klook; it's weather-dependent.

🚌Bike or local bus to Moon Hill ~£2

🛏Hostel dorm or twin, West Street area (~£10/night)

• →Tai chi lesson (~£12)
• →Moon Hill hike (~£2 entry)
• →Impression Liu Sanjie show (~£32)

Take a bullet train back through Guilin and on to Chengdu East (roughly 8-9 hours total with a change; ¥600-700 / £65-78). Alternatively fly Guilin–Chengdu if fares are competitive. Settle into a hostel near Chunxi Road or Wenshu Monastery and head out for a first Sichuan meal — hotpot or mapo tofu for under £8.

🚌Bullet train Guilin/Shenzhen-bound to Chengdu ~£65-78

🛏Hostel dorm, Wenshu Monastery area (~£10/night)

• →High-speed rail through Guangxi and Guizhou
• →Sichuan hotpot dinner

Take the high-speed train to Leshan (about 1 hour, ~¥60 / £7) for the 71-metre Giant Buddha carved into the cliff. Back in Chengdu, drink tea at He Ming Teahouse or a People's Park teahouse (£2-3) and take an evening tuk-tuk food tour if you want the local snacks circuit (self-organise by following Shuxiafang/organise via a local guide, ~£20) — or DIY it around Kuanzhai Alley. Optional Wenshu Monastery visit (£0.50).

🚌Train to Leshan return ~£14 + local metro ~£2

🛏Hostel dorm, Wenshu Monastery area (~£10/night)

• →Leshan Giant Buddha
• →People's Park teahouse
• →Kuanzhai Alley street food

Get to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding at opening (7:30-8am), when the pandas are active (~¥58 / £6 entry; DiDi from the hostel ~£4). Then a high-speed train to Xi'an North (3-4 hours, ~¥263 / £28). Check into a hostel inside the city walls near the Muslim Quarter and eat your way down the snack street — roujiamo, biangbiang noodles.

🚌DiDi to panda base ~£4 + bullet train Chengdu–Xi'an ~£28

🛏Hostel dorm, Bell Tower/Muslim Quarter (~£10/night)

• →Giant Panda Breeding Base (~£6)
• →Muslim Quarter food crawl

Morning: local bus 306 from Xi'an railway station to the Terracotta Warriors (~¥8 / £1 each way, ¥120 / £13 entry — book a small-group guide via GetYourGuide for ~£20 if you want commentary). Afternoon: rent a bike on the Ming city wall and ride the 14km loop (~¥45 / £5). Evening: karaoke box with friends you've made at the hostel (private room ~£10/hr split) or free tai chi with locals on the city wall at dawn if you prefer.

🚌Bus 306 return ~£2

🛏Hostel dorm, Bell Tower/Muslim Quarter (~£10/night)

• →Terracotta Warriors (~£13)
• →City wall cycle (~£5)
• →Karaoke night (~£8)

Morning bullet train to Luoyang Longmen (about 1.5 hours, ~¥175 / £19). Dump bags at a hostel and take the local bus to the Longmen Grottoes (~¥120 / £13, 1km of Buddhist carvings in limestone cliffs — go late afternoon for softer light and fewer crowds). Dinner in Luoyang's old city near the night market.

🚌Bullet train Xi'an–Luoyang ~£19 + local bus ~£1

🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel, Luoyang (~£12/night)

• →Longmen Grottoes (~£13)
• →Luoyang old town night market

Local bus from Luoyang to Dengfeng (~¥25 / £3, about 1.5 hours). Stay in a simple guesthouse at the foot of Mount Song. Afternoon hike in Song Shan's valleys and pools, or take the cable car up for cliff views (~£16; check it's running). Quiet evening in the village.

🚌Local bus Luoyang–Dengfeng ~£3 + local transport ~£2

🛏Guesthouse, twin or triple (~£12/night)

• →Mount Song hike
• →Optional cable car (~£16)

Early visit to Shaolin Temple (~¥80 / £9), birthplace of Chan Buddhism and kung fu — catch a warrior-monk training demonstration mid-morning. Optional short beginner kung fu class at a nearby martial arts school (~£15). Back to Luoyang, collect bags, then a bullet train to Beijing West (roughly 4 hours, ~¥368 / £40). Check into a hutong hostel near Dongcheng.

🚌Dengfeng–Luoyang bus ~£3 + bullet train Luoyang–Beijing ~£40

🛏Hutong hostel dorm (~£12/night)

• →Shaolin Temple (~£9)
• →Kung fu demonstration
• →Optional kung fu class (~£15)

Pre-book Forbidden City tickets online (¥60 / £6.50, passport-linked, released 7 days ahead — they sell out). Walk through to Tiananmen Square (free, security check). Afternoon at the Factory 798 art district (free), then an evening in the hutongs or a Beijing acrobatics show (~£25 via Klook). Optional dish of Beijing duck if the hostel crew is up for it.

🚌Metro ~£2

🛏Hutong hostel dorm (~£12/night)

• →Forbidden City (~£6.50)
• →Tiananmen Square
• →Factory 798 art district
• →Optional acrobatics show (~£25)

Take the direct tourist bus from Dongzhimen or a DiDi to Mutianyu (~£8-12). Entry + cable car up and toboggan down (~¥140 / £15). Walk the restored ridges between the 22 towers — the best-preserved section. Return to Beijing for the evening; rest day before the overnight leg.

🚌Bus/DiDi to Mutianyu return ~£10

🛏Hutong hostel dorm (~£12/night)

• →Mutianyu Great Wall (~£15 incl. cable car)

Bullet train Beijing South–Shanghai Hongqiao (about 4.5-6 hours, from ~¥553 / £60; consider the overnight D-train sleeper to save a night's accommodation). Settle into a hostel near the Bund or Jing'an. Evening walk along the Bund for the Pudong skyline.

🚌Bullet train Beijing–Shanghai ~£60

🛏Hostel dorm, Jing'an/Bund (~£14/night)

• →The Bund at night
• →Pudong skyline view

Free walking tour of the old town, Yu Garden bazaar and People's Park (garden entry ~£5). Afternoon in the leafy French Concession — Wukang Road, coffee shops, Tianzifang lanes. Shanghai is where the café culture of the tour title lives: budget £10 for coffee and snacks.

🚌Metro ~£3

🛏Hostel dorm, Jing'an/Bund (~£14/night)

• →Old town free walk
• →Yu Garden (~£5)
• →French Concession cafés

Bullet train to Wuyishan (about 3 hours, ~¥250 / £27). Stay in a guesthouse near the scenic area. Afternoon Nine-Bend River bamboo raft (~¥180 / £20) drifting between red sandstone peaks — book at the scenic area gate or via Klook.

🚌Bullet train Shanghai–Wuyishan ~£27 + local bus ~£2

🛏Guesthouse, Wuyishan (~£13/night)

• →Nine-Bend River bamboo rafting (~£20)
• →Wuyishan scenery

Buy the scenic area ticket (~¥140 / £15) and hike the trails: Tianyou Peak and the Dahongpao cliff tea trail where the famous rock oolong grows. Tea tasting in the village (~£3). Early night.

🚌Local bus ~£2

🛏Guesthouse, Wuyishan (~£13/night)

• →Wuyishan scenic area hiking (~£15)
• →Wuyi rock tea tasting (~£3)

Bullet train to Xiamen (about 2.5-3 hours, ~¥180 / £20). Check into a hostel near Zhongshan Road. Evening stroll down Zhongshan Road's arcaded shopping street and seaside snacks.

🚌Bullet train ~£20 + local bus ~£2

🛏Hostel dorm, Xiamen (~£12/night)

• →Zhongshan Road evening walk

Ferry to car-free Gulangyu (¥35-100 return / £4-11, book online with passport to guarantee a slot — daily visitor cap). Wander the colonial villas, piano museum and beaches, then return for a night out around Shapowei or Zhongshan Road.

🚌Ferry ~£8 + local transport ~£2

🛏Hostel dorm, Xiamen (~£12/night)

• →Gulangyu Island ferry and walk (~£8)
• →Shapowei nightlife

Bus or train to Longyan/Yongding, then a local bus to Hongkeng in the Fujian tulou cluster (total ~4-5 hours, ~£12). Stay the night in a traditional Hakka roundhouse guesthouse — the earth-walled communal homes are a UNESCO site and the highlight of a rural stay. Evening home-cooked Hakka meal with the host family (~£7).

🚌Bus/train to Longyan + local bus ~£12

🛏Hakka tulou guesthouse, twin or shared bathroom (~£15/night)

• →Tulou interior tour (~£10)
• →Hakka home-cooked dinner

Morning walk between the tulou villages of Hongkeng and Gaobei (guided by a villager ~£10 or self-guided with maps). Afternoon transport toward Shenzhen via Longyan or Xiamen — bullet train to Shenzhen North (~£30, 4-5 hours). Hostel in Luohu or Futian; cheap Cantonese dinner.

🚌Local buses ~£3 + bullet train to Shenzhen ~£30

🛏Hostel dorm, Shenzhen Luohu (~£14/night)

• →Tulou village walk (~£10)

Cross at Luohu or Futian on foot in the morning (~£4 MTR on each side). Spend the afternoon in Hong Kong: hike Dragon's Back or take the Peak Tram up Victoria Peak (~£12), then explore Sheung Wan's café strip — the 'cafés' half of the trip title. Hostel in Kowloon.

🚌MTR and border crossing ~£10

🛏Hostel dorm, Kowloon (~£15/night)

• →Dragon's Back hike or Peak Tram (~£12)
• →Sheung Wan cafés

Take the ferry to Lamma or Cheung Chau island for a cheap seafood lunch on the waterfront (~£10). Back in town, browse Ladies' Market and the Temple Street night market, and finish with a final Victoria Harbour sunset.

🚌Ferry and MTR ~£8

🛏Hostel dorm, Kowloon (~£15/night)

• →Island ferry trip (~£8)
• →Seafood lunch
• →Night markets

Flexible morning for last-minute shopping or a final dim sum breakfast. Airport Express to HKIA (~£11). Loose ends: any unused yuan, your Octopus card refund, and — if you're heading elsewhere in China again — your visa/vaccination paperwork.

🚌Airport Express ~£11

🛏—

• →Dim sum breakfast