Itinery for China

statina

Am in the planning stages of a 3 month trip to Asia. I have booked an organised tour to go from Beijing to Nepal via Tibet in October. Aside from Beijing, I have about 2 weeks, 3 days for the rest of China.

I am planning to visit Xian-Chengdu-Jiuzhaigou-Tiger Leaping Gorge- Yangshuo- Hong Kong. Plan to travel by overnight trains for the majority of the journies and fly from Hong Kong to Beijing.

Is 2 weeks enough time to visit all of the above or will I be completely rushing it? Is there any places ye would add in/take out?

Does anyone have any recommendations of hostels along the way. Im a female solo traveller and would like to stay in places that are easy to meet fellow travellers. Have got a recommendation for Sims Cozy Guesthouse in Chengdu so will stay there for a night or two.

All advice is much appreciated!

killbillvol2

That's a crazy itinerary. You need to look at a map. Tiger Leaping Gorge to Yangshuo is over 1,700 km. Yangshuo to HK is another full day travelling. Jiuzhaigou is a full day's travel from Chengdu IIRC and the same back.

All of the places you mentioned are worth visiting so I couldn't tell you what to leave out. The obvious one is Tiger Leaping Gorge as it's so far from Beijing in the wrong direction for HK.

statina

Thanks, I appreciate the reply. The places I had said are the ones that really appeal to me but Im only at the early stages of planning so happy to leave places out.

Axel Lamp

Internal flights with Air China would make it easier, expensive, but easier.

Do you have to go back to Beijing? As a lot of the trains to Tibet go from Chengdu. Could you meet the organised trip somewhere before entering Tibet?

statina

Since I started the thread, I have done alot more research. Ive decided to cancel the Beijing to Kathmandu organised trip. Im instead transferring onto a tour of Delhi- Kochi. So I am now going to start the trip in Beijing, spend a couple of days there. Then get the overnight train to Xian and fly to Hong Kong from there. Will fly from Hong Kong to Chengdu and sort out a Tibet trip from there.

Debating whether to include Dali and Liajing in the trip. Its a long flight so I think I'll just leave it out. But then alot of people say it was their favourite part of China.....thoughts?

halkar

Do you have multiple entry visa for China? If not you will need to get visa again from HK to China.

statina

Havent got my Chinese Visa yet but I'll make sure to apply for multiple entry.

statina

Just filling in the paperwork for a multiple entry visa. Have to list all the places I will be visiting. We're flying from Hong Kong to Chengdu. Then we're going from Chengdu to Lhasa via flight (organised tour). So I presume I say my exit point is Chengdu? Do I have to provide proof of flights to prove this is my exit point?

killbillvol2

statina wrote: »

Just filling in the paperwork for a multiple entry visa. Have to list all the places I will be visiting. We're flying from Hong Kong to Chengdu. Then we're going from Chengdu to Lhasa via flight (organised tour). So I presume I say my exit point is Chengdu? Do I have to provide proof of flights to prove this is my exit point?

I included a copy of my flight confirmation and copies of my hotel bookings just to be on the safe side. The hotels were all booked with booking.com and I cancelled them afterwards so the itinerary I put on the form was probably nothing like what I'll do. If you have the paperwork give it to them.

statina

killbillvol2 wrote: »

I included a copy of my flight confirmation and copies of my hotel bookings just to be on the safe side. The hotels were all booked with booking.com and I cancelled them afterwards so the itinerary I put on the form was probably nothing like what I'll do. If you have the paperwork give it to them.

Thanks for this. Just wondering how it will go if I give the flight details from Chrngdu to Lhasa, will that not create hassle??

halkar

You will need Tibet travel permit for Tibet. Unless you can provide details of your tour if you put Lhasa on your Visa form you will likely to get declined. It may be better to get your Chinese visa here and apply for your Tibet travel permit in China or get the tour organizer to do this for you. Chinese visa rules changes often, better check with Embassy about your planned trip before submitting your application.

Challo

Where are you going after Tibet?

ballsymchugh

if funds aren't an issue, you could try going to north korea for a four day trip out of beijing.
look up www.koryogroup.com

you're not really missing anything by leaving out liajiang and dali.
liajang is very tacky. aimed at tourists coming and going from tiger leaping gorge which, in fairness, is pretty amazing.
if you do opt for that, liajiang is an overnight bus trip from kunming which has a pretty decent airport.

statina

I have a tour organised from Chengdu via Lhasa to Kathmandu. We're going on from there to India, Sri Lanka and Maldives. The tour operator is organising our Tibet visa.

Are the Chinese Embassy very strict about proof of exit flights? I can put down all the guesthouses we're staying in but I dont have proof of flights from Chengdu?? Technically I do as we're flying from Chengdu to Lhasa but Im not going to put that down as they probley wont give me a visa if I say anything about Lhasa?

North Korea sounds class but will leave it for another trip. Our itinery for China so far is Beijing for 5 nights. Then overnight train to Xian and stay there for 3 nights. Flying from Xian to Hong Kong for 4 nights. Then flying from Hong Kong to Chengdu for 4 nights. Hoping to go to Juiziaghou from Chengdu. Think we'll have to leave out the Tiger Leaping Gorge at this stage as its a long (and expensive) flight to Liajing

Really appreciate the replies, my head is abit fried with this Chinese Visa craic- the Indian Visa was a doddle compared to this!!

ballsymchugh

since you're in hong kong for 4 days, go to macau for 1. it's a one hour boat trip away. you can do the worlds highest bungy there. 4 seconds of pure hell followed by the best 15 seconds ever!
honestly, i just thought hong kong was another big city. no need to spend 4 days there.