This is great trip for visiting China and Hong Kong with Qatar Airways flights too! I've tried to give you enough time to enjoy places rather than rush but China is fascinating and I could have spent weeks there! You can spend far less on accommodation (hostels etc) or far more but the places I've picked are central and with good ratings.
2-6 October
You fly to Shanghai arriving on 3 October. You will stay for 3 nights which is enough for a taster of the city. You will stay at the Shanghai Holiday Inn Express as it's in a good location for public transport and rates are cheap too.
6-11 October
You'll take the train today which is around 4 hrs into Beijing. The fast high speed trains in China are clean and efficient. You also get WiFi on some of them too. Once in Beijing you'll stay for 5 nights at the highly rated Michaels House. I think 5 nights in Beijing is really good as you can spend a day on or around the wall (Beijing Hikers are a good company for those wanting to do some proper hiking). You can spend a day around the Summer Palace and then of course the Forbidden City is another day (closed Mondays). You can't go wrong with the metro system in Beijing it is far easier than the Underground and all in English too. You really don't need a driver to do everything in the city itself.
11-13 October
You'll take the high speed train to Xian today. This is the bullet train and again it is fast and efficient. In Xian I've picked a place I've stayed in myself. It is the Xian Ancient City Hostel. Yes it's a hostel but it's lovely! Rooms have private bathrooms and public transport is right outside the door. Staff gave us really helpful instructions on using the public buses to get to and from the terracotta warriors and we had a leaflet with a picture of them on so just showed it the bus driver who then indicated when to get off the bus. I'd also recommend the Muslim quarter for fantastic, and varied food and cycling tandem along the city walls.
13-18 October
You'll fly to Hong Kong today and stay there for 5 nights. Another good hotel the 4* central Hotel Sar. This is central to public transport and will mean you can get out and about.
You'll leave Hong Hong on 18 October for your flight back to UK.
Breakdown
Flights for 2 UK to Beijing, Hong Kong to UK with Qatar £286.31pp/£572.26 book at Expedia
3 nights Shanghai book with Holiday Inn Express direct 1080cny/£113.47
Train from Shanghai to Beijing 553cny (total for 2 £111.94) you will need to book with China diy and they will secure you train tickets. I've used these myself and they got me tickets at Chinese new year, great service.
5 nights in Beijing £227.21 book at Venere using code AFFQ18PP
Train to Xian for two £108.16
2 nights in Xian £34 at booking.com
Flights from Xian to Hong Kong £225.22 for two book at gotogate.com
5 nights in Hong Kong £292.68 book at Venere using code above.
Total £1398.81/£699.40
Top comments
rachelandgromit
20 May 169#10
I don't know how some people stay in a resort and on AI holiday for a week or two, but then we're all different :innocent:
Not sure is this is great value.
Sure it is :smile:
But heat added for the effort regardless :wink:
psychobitchfromhell
20 May 162#3
Excellent price . We went to China last year and loved it . We went to chengdu to the panda sanctuary which was wonderful . My son is a train freak so the bullet train was great but boy was it long . Xian was fantastic because I'd always wanted to see the terracotta warriors . Holiday of a lifetime
rachelandgromit
20 May 16#4
We did Shanghai, Beijing, including the ice festival, 2 days hiking on the wall, Xian, Pingyao and Datong (Mt Heng and the hanging monastry). We didn't spend as much as this on accommodation but I've picked 'posher' hotels. We did some overnight trains but compared to the overnight trains in Europe these weren't great (despite no smoking rules we could still smell smoke in the cabins). Remember you'll need a visa.
psychobitchfromhell
20 May 161#5
Visa was a nightmare . Arrived just days before we went . Suitcase went to Hong Kong but we didn't . That was British airways fault and Chinese were super efficient in getting it to us . Loved it but boy was it tiring
andrewmaclennan2
20 May 16#6
Just came back from 7nights China inc breakfast , lunches, 2 nights dinner, guided tours panda centre,terracotta warriors, forbidden city and Great Wall with voyage jules Verne £1292 each
rachelandgromit
20 May 16#7
You really don't need guided tours, in my opinion China is one of the easiest places to navigate in and food is sooo cheap, if not a little challenging at times! Make sure you have duck at a good restaurant, eg Siji Minfu it was amazing.
You can do your visa in person at Manchester (10 mins walk from train station). It is easy although they did want a full itinerary and proof of hotels and itinerary etc.
plunet
20 May 162#8
Don't forget to count the cost of the visa. For a British passport holder it's currently an eye-watering £171.
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Opening post
2-6 October
You fly to Shanghai arriving on 3 October. You will stay for 3 nights which is enough for a taster of the city. You will stay at the Shanghai Holiday Inn Express as it's in a good location for public transport and rates are cheap too.
6-11 October
You'll take the train today which is around 4 hrs into Beijing. The fast high speed trains in China are clean and efficient. You also get WiFi on some of them too. Once in Beijing you'll stay for 5 nights at the highly rated Michaels House. I think 5 nights in Beijing is really good as you can spend a day on or around the wall (Beijing Hikers are a good company for those wanting to do some proper hiking). You can spend a day around the Summer Palace and then of course the Forbidden City is another day (closed Mondays). You can't go wrong with the metro system in Beijing it is far easier than the Underground and all in English too. You really don't need a driver to do everything in the city itself.
11-13 October
You'll take the high speed train to Xian today. This is the bullet train and again it is fast and efficient. In Xian I've picked a place I've stayed in myself. It is the Xian Ancient City Hostel. Yes it's a hostel but it's lovely! Rooms have private bathrooms and public transport is right outside the door. Staff gave us really helpful instructions on using the public buses to get to and from the terracotta warriors and we had a leaflet with a picture of them on so just showed it the bus driver who then indicated when to get off the bus. I'd also recommend the Muslim quarter for fantastic, and varied food and cycling tandem along the city walls.
13-18 October
You'll fly to Hong Kong today and stay there for 5 nights. Another good hotel the 4* central Hotel Sar. This is central to public transport and will mean you can get out and about.
You'll leave Hong Hong on 18 October for your flight back to UK.
Breakdown
Flights for 2 UK to Beijing, Hong Kong to UK with Qatar £286.31pp/£572.26 book at Expedia
3 nights Shanghai book with Holiday Inn Express direct 1080cny/£113.47
Train from Shanghai to Beijing 553cny (total for 2 £111.94) you will need to book with China diy and they will secure you train tickets. I've used these myself and they got me tickets at Chinese new year, great service.
5 nights in Beijing £227.21 book at Venere using code AFFQ18PP
Train to Xian for two £108.16
2 nights in Xian £34 at booking.com
Flights from Xian to Hong Kong £225.22 for two book at gotogate.com
5 nights in Hong Kong £292.68 book at Venere using code above.
Total £1398.81/£699.40
Top comments
All comments (31)
Sure it is :smile:
But heat added for the effort regardless :wink:
You can do your visa in person at Manchester (10 mins walk from train station). It is easy although they did want a full itinerary and proof of hotels and itinerary etc.