HELP! itinerary woes...

Replies: 19 - Last Post: 27-Oct-2007 08:48 Last Post By: FireArm

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piglet44

24-Oct-2007 06:19
Posts: 20

HELP! itinerary woes...

Okay I have max 21 days. I want to see Beijing (3 days?) Xi'an (2 days) then fly to Guilin , and on to Yangshuo.(4 days?) then what?
I would also like to see Suzhou, Hangzhou ( do I need both?) and then Shanghai (2 days) and back to BJ
that makes 11 days but what to do in between? I can't do Lijiang and Kunming can I ??
don't want to fly too much ,but want to see the most varied places I can. Not sure I will be able to afford to do this again.
so please advise me all you sinophile experts!
thank you

rploehn

24-Oct-2007 06:54
Posts: 262

Please answer the few questions I posed in response to your post at TripAdvisor.com. With more info, the people here can provide great suggestions on typical and off-the-beaten-path destinations.

Always looking for new adventures, new cultures, interesting geography.

ellyse

24-Oct-2007 09:40
Posts: 8,932

Yes, what are your sightseeing interests and preferences? Any daily budget in mind?
Cheers!

piglet44

24-Oct-2007 11:11
Posts: 20

I want to see people, culture, beautiful scenery and NO SHOPPING!! tell me how this itinerary sounds to you Ellyse, I know you are an expert:
here is my modified itinerary- all comments welcome:
days 1-4 Beijing
day 5 train to Xian
day 6 Xian
Day 7 fly to Kunming
Day 8 kunming
Day 9 Kunming
Day 10 Fly to Guilin
Day 11 boat/bus to Yangshuo
Day 12 -14 Yangshuo
Day 15 fly to Shanghai
Day 16-18 Shanghai (day trip to Suzhou/Hangzhou)
Day 19 train to Beijing
Day 20-21 Beijing
I took out Chengdu (not so crazy about the panda thing) and Pingyao which I originally wanted.
how does this look to you?

aijnim

24-Oct-2007 11:24
Posts: 1

Mmm, it looks kind of hectic, if you ask me, but it seems to be what you had in mind. Kunming is beautiful (great weather, sort of like Miami), but I didn't really think there was much to do there. It was just another city. I would spend some time in Yunnan, because it's close by to there and frankly speaking it's gorgeous. Most of the minorities in China are located there so you get a variety of different cultures to interact with and the weather is fantastic (not sure about this time of year, but in general, it's located on the border of Burma/Myanmar, so the weather is similar). I would spend some time in Xishuangbanna and Lijiang (which is the UN world treasure city). I would also spend some time in the Gansu/Sichuan area to see some Tibetan culture without having to deal with the expensive travel licenses and altitude sickness of actually going to Tibet, but that's just me.

And the Suzhou/Hangzhou area is definitely worth going to, very beautiful. And I think you've apportioned the right amount of time, though I would look to finding a hotel there if you can find one that's not too pricey, because if I remember correctly, staying in the town at night was completely worth it--as it's the Venice of China and the touristey parts empty out at night, and it's a real experience.

piglet44

24-Oct-2007 11:32
Posts: 20

so how could I make it less hectic aijnim? If I want to get down to Yunnan I have to go to Kunming right? from there I go to Lijiang. I want to go there but can't figure out how to do it without Kunming.
would you stay in Suzhou or Hangzhou? which is teh venice of China?

ellyse

24-Oct-2007 12:11
Posts: 8,932

I would seriously advise you to leave out Yunnan province on this trip instead of trying to "wedge" it in and not really experiencing what it has to offer. Yunnan province is more than just Kunming and/or Lijiang. Save it for a time when you can afford 2 weeks or more.
If you're still going to Yunnan province, it'll be more time-economical to take the overnight train for Kunming -- Guilin. Flights don't necessarily save you time.
Argh and you think you can see Shanghai, Suzhou and Hangzhou in 3 days? What are you on, some crazy package tour?
If you're skipping Yunnan province, I would suggest that you use the extra days in the Shanghai region: 2.5 for Shanghai, 1.5 for Hangzhou, and the remaining 1 for an overnight in Xitang or Tongli, instead of Suzhou. I know ALL these places (and more) claim to be the Venice of China, but Suzhou has to be pretty far from it as far as I'm concerned.
Cheers!

ellyse

24-Oct-2007 12:11
Posts: 8,932

Oh and remember another thing: Quality, not quantity!
Cheers!

piglet44

24-Oct-2007 12:51
Posts: 20

thanks Ellyse that's really helpful :-)

lhasaipso

24-Oct-2007 13:17
Posts: 287

sounds to me like china in three days

beijing alone would take more than a week to discover

yunnan is more ore less a world of its own

shanghai would take 4 or more days

concentrate on the big cities and you got plenty to see

rploehn

24-Oct-2007 15:00
Posts: 262

Beijing-5 days plus two days at end=7 days
Xian-1+ days (night train)
Lijiang-3 days
Yangshuo-5 days
Shanghai-4+ days (night train)

I have seen much, much worse. In fact, I have seen this squeezed into two weeks! :-( I think it is a good compromise. OP says, "Not sure I will be able to afford to do this again." Some do not have the luxury of one week or more at a single destination.

Always looking for new adventures, new cultures, interesting geography.

ellyse

24-Oct-2007 21:22
Posts: 8,932

That's true #10. That's the reason for my answers in #6 and #7. OP might not have a chance to come back to China in the future -- that probably also means that his memories of China should most preferably not be of trains, planes, airports, buses etc instead of the sights!
Cheers!

piglet44

24-Oct-2007 23:20
Posts: 20

Is there a direct flight from Lijiang to Guillin? I can't seem to find one anywhere... thanks again

ellyse

25-Oct-2007 09:26
Posts: 8,932

AFAIK no. You'll have to transit in Kunming.
Cheers!

ellyse

25-Oct-2007 09:27
Posts: 8,932

Or fly/overnight bus Lijiang -- Kunming, then overnight train Kunming -- Guilin. Either way you'll still have to transit in Kunming.
Cheers!

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