Great Wall of China at Mutianyu

@hamishslens  /  16 Days  /  6 Cities

The
China
Route

Beijing to Shanghai. Ancient walls, vertical cities, Avatar mountains, 2,000-year-old river towns. All from personal experience on the ground.

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01 / Days 1–3
Beijing
Imperial capital
02 / Days 4–7
Chongqing
The vertical city
03 / Day 8
Furong
Ancient town
04 / Days 9–10
Zhangjiajie
Avatar mountains
05 / Days 11–12
Changsha
Mao country
06 / Days 13–16
Shanghai
The Bund

01 / Beijing

Imperial walls. 5,000 years compressed into three days.

Great Wall at Mutianyu
Great Wall, Mutianyu
Temple of Heaven
Temple of Heaven, Beijing
Chongqing skyline bridge
Chongqing skyline

02 / Chongqing

A city built vertically. Nowhere else looks like this.

Chongqing sunrise Yangtze
Sunrise over the Yangtze
Chongqing skyline night Raffles
CBD from the Raffles skywalk
Chongqing night river
Jialing River at night
Chongqing bridge night view
Chongqing from the riverbank

03 / Furong Ancient Town

2,000 years old. A waterfall runs through the middle.

Furong Ancient Town blue waterfall
Furong Ancient Town, night illumination

04 / Zhangjiajie

The mountains that inspired Avatar. Every bit as surreal in person.

Zhangjiajie Avatar mountains misty
Yuanjiajie, Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

05–06 / Changsha + Shanghai

Mao country to the future. Two wildly different finales.

Changsha Xiang River light show
Xiang River light show, Changsha
Shanghai towers in fog
Jin Mao + Shanghai Tower in the clouds
Shanghai Bund Oriental Pearl Tower
The Bund, Shanghai
Shanghai skyline from the Bund
Pudong skyline at night
Neon city night
China at night

What's inside

Everything you need. Nothing you don't.

📍
16 Structured Days
Where to stay, eat, and go every day. Paced so you're not wrecked by day four. Based on the trip Hamish actually did.
💵
Real Budget Breakdown
Daily cost estimates by category. Full trip range of $1,400–$1,900 USD. No "budget varies" hedging.
🚂
Every Transport Leg
All six transitions covered. Cost, time, how to book. China's high-speed rail network made simple.
🔢
Visa Guide
China's 30-day visa-free policy for most Western passports. Verified for 10 countries.
📲
Apps + Tech Setup
The real deal on eSIMs, WeChat Pay, Alipay, and the apps you actually need. Including why you don't need a VPN.
🏠
Hotel Picks (Where I Stayed)
Merica Hotel Chongqing, Hilton Garden Inn Zhangjiajie, URSIDE Hotel South Bund. Real stays, real prices.

Essential apps

The six apps that run your trip.

WeChat
Messaging + Payments
China's everything app. Message locals, pay at restaurants, scan QR codes everywhere. Link your foreign Visa or Mastercard under Settings. Works without a Chinese bank account.
Alipay
Digital Wallet
Download the International Version, add your foreign card, done. Most places take both. Have each as backup for the other.
Didi
Ride-hailing
Chinese Uber, works in every city on this route. Always use it over street taxis to avoid meter manipulation. Set pickup on the map, pay in-app.
Trip.com
Trains + Flights + Hotels
English-friendly booking for every train and domestic flight on this route. Book 1–2 weeks ahead in peak season.
Amap
Navigation
China's Google Maps, far more accurate for local transit and walking routes than any Western app. Download offline maps before you fly.
Google Translate
Language + Menus
Download the offline Chinese pack before landing. The camera mode is the real trick: point it at any menu or sign and it translates in real time. No typing, no searching.

Note: Most people think you need a VPN. You don't. The right eSIM bypasses restrictions entirely. Holafly and Simify both work, personally tested on two separate trips. Full recommendations inside the guide.

Day-by-day

The full route

Day 01Land in Beijing, Orient YourselfBeijing
Day 02Great Wall at Mutianyu + Temple of HeavenBeijing
Day 03Forbidden City + Summer PalaceBeijing
Day 04Fly to Chongqing + Vertical City First LookChongqing
Day 05Wulong National Park Full Day TripChongqing
Day 06Ciqikou Ancient Town + Raffles City SkywalkChongqing
Day 07Morning Departure + Transfer to FurongChongqing to Furong
Day 08Furong Ancient Town, the Waterfall TownFurong
Day 09Tianmen Mountain + Glass SkywalkZhangjiajie
Day 10Avatar Mountains + Bailong Elevator + Glass BridgeZhangjiajie
Day 11Hunan Museum + Orange Isle + Street Food CrawlChangsha
Day 12Tianxin Pavilion + IFS + Xiang River NightChangsha
Day 13Arrive Shanghai + The Bund + Pudong SkylineShanghai
Day 14French Concession + Tianzifang + Din Tai FungShanghai
Day 15Shanghai Museum + Huangpu River CruiseShanghai
Day 16Final Morning + Fly HomeShanghai
6
Cities on one clean route north to south
16
Days structured day by day
$1.4k
Realistic budget floor in USD, flights excluded
0
Filler. No vague advice, no tourist-board takes.

Who it's for

You've wanted to do China.
You just haven't known where to start.

Written for first-timers who want to move properly through one of the world's most rewarding countries. Not rush the Great Wall, actually understand Chongqing, spend real time in the parks that look like they belong on another planet. Mid-range travel, done with intent.

Book the trip.
Use the guide.

Instant download. Every hotel, restaurant, train and tip from someone who actually did it.

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