7 Days in China — Solo Luxury Travel (Shanghai to Hong Kong)

Arrive at Shanghai Pudong International Airport

Clear customs and immigration — your 30-day mainland China visa clock starts today (April 1). Pre-arrange airport pickup with your hotel or take the Maglev to Longyang Road then metro Line 2 into the city.

Check in — The Peninsula Shanghai

One of Shanghai's finest hotels, perfectly positioned at the northern end of the Bund with stunning river views. Request a Bund-facing room — worth the upgrade.

Walk the Bund Promenade

Stroll the iconic 1.5km waterfront promenade lined with Art Deco and neoclassical buildings from the colonial era. The late afternoon light on the Pudong skyline across the Huangpu River is extraordinary.

Explore the French Concession

Wander through tree-lined streets of the Former French Concession — browse boutique shops on Changle Road and Xintiandi, and soak in the unique mix of Shikumen longtang architecture and café culture.

Night view from CHAR Bar, Hotel Indigo Bund

Head to this rooftop bar for one of the best night views of the Bund and Pudong skyline — far less crowded than the Orient Pearl Tower and with excellent cocktails.

Yu Garden (Yuyuan Garden)

A classical Ming-dynasty garden tucked in the Old City — arrive early to beat the tour groups. The rockeries, pavilions, and dragon-topped walls are genuinely beautiful before 10am.

Yu Garden Bazaar & Old Street

The surrounding bazaar is touristy but fun — grab a fresh soup dumpling (xiaolongbao) from one of the street stalls and browse tea shops and silk stores in the winding alleyways.

Xintiandi Shikumen Open House Museum

A preserved 1920s longtang neighbourhood turned upmarket dining and retail precinct — the Shikumen museum gives excellent context on how ordinary Shanghainese lived in lane houses.

Shanghai Tower Sky Observation Deck

Take the world's fastest elevator to the 118th floor of China's tallest building for panoramic views of the entire city. On a clear spring day you can see for 80km.

M50 Creative Park (Optional if time allows)

Shanghai's premier contemporary art hub in converted factories along Suzhou Creek — a worthwhile detour if you want a break from landmarks and into edgy local art.

Check out & transfer to Hongqiao Railway Station

Allow 45 minutes from the Bund by DiDi to Hongqiao. The G-class high-speed train to Beijing South takes approximately 4.5 hours — book first class for a genuinely comfortable experience with meal service.

G-Train: Shanghai Hongqiao → Beijing South

The journey through Jiangsu and Hebei province is smooth and scenic. The train reaches 350km/h — genuinely one of the great infrastructure experiences in the world.

Arrive Beijing South, check in — Rosewood Beijing

The Rosewood at Sanlitun is one of Beijing's finest luxury properties — spacious rooms, excellent spa, and well-located for both Chaoyang nightlife and quick metro access to historical sites.

Forbidden City (Palace Museum)

Enter from the south via Tiananmen Gate and walk the full north-south imperial axis. Pre-book tickets online (mandatory — no walk-up sales). Aim to reach the back gardens (Imperial Garden) before 5pm closing.

Jingshan Park Sunset Viewpoint

Climb the artificial hill immediately north of the Forbidden City for the best aerial view of the entire imperial palace complex — especially beautiful at golden hour in spring.

Evening stroll through Nanluoguxiang Hutong

One of Beijing's most atmospheric preserved hutong (alleyway) neighbourhoods — browse craft beer bars, local snack stalls, and boutique shops in a network of lanes dating back 700 years.

Private car to Mutianyu Great Wall

Hire a private driver through your hotel concierge for the 90-minute drive to Mutianyu — the best-restored, least-crowded section easily accessible from Beijing. Avoid Badaling in peak April season.

Walk Mutianyu Great Wall

Take the cable car up and walk east along the restored battlements — the 2km stretch between towers 6 and 20 is stunning in spring with green hills stretching to the horizon. Return via the toboggan slide (excellent fun).

Lunch at Brickyard Retreat Restaurant

An eco-retreat directly below the wall serving good Chinese food in a beautiful setting — the terrace has unobstructed wall views. Better food than the tourist stalls at the main entrance.

Temple of Heaven (Tiantan Park)

The circular Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests is one of China's most photographed structures and genuinely awe-inspiring in person. Arrive by 4pm and walk the southern end for the Echo Wall and Imperial Vault.

Locals at Tiantan Park

The park fills with Beijing residents doing tai chi, playing erhu, singing Peking opera, and ballroom dancing in the late afternoon — one of the most authentic public life spectacles in China.

Transfer to Beijing Capital Airport for morning flight to Xi'an

Multiple daily flights from Beijing Capital (PEK) to Xi'an Xianyang (XIY) — Air China or Hainan Airlines, roughly 2 hours. Book the earliest available to maximize Xi'an time.

Arrive Xi'an, transfer to hotel — Sofitel Legend Peoples Grand

The Sofitel Legend is Xi'an's grandest hotel, housed in a restored 1953 government guesthouse — French-Chinese fusion architecture, huge rooms, and a 10-minute walk from the Bell Tower and Muslim Quarter.

Muslim Quarter (Huimin Jie) Street Food Lunch

Dive into Xi'an's famous Muslim Quarter immediately — the pedestrian lane is packed with stalls selling yangrou paomo (bread soaked in mutton broth), roujiamo (Chinese burger), and cold rice noodles (liang pi). Essential Xi'an experience.

Terracotta Army Museum (Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum)

Xi'an's unmissable sight — take a taxi or tour bus (~1 hour east of city) to see Pit 1 (the main hall with 6,000 warriors) plus Pits 2 and 3. The scale genuinely overwhelms in person. Allow 2.5–3 hours minimum.

Xi'an City Wall — Sunset Walk or Cycle

Rent a bicycle (¥45/hour) on top of the 14km Ming-era city wall and cycle the full circuit at sunset — the wall is fully intact and wide enough to ride comfortably. Extraordinary golden hour light.

Morning flight Xi'an Xianyang → Chengdu Tianfu/Shuangliu

Short 1h15min flight — multiple options daily. Chengdu now has two airports; confirm your arrival airport when booking as Tianfu (TFU) is further from the city than Shuangliu (CTU).

Check in — The Temple House (Niccolo Chengdu)

One of Chengdu's most design-forward luxury hotels built around a Ming-era Taoist temple complex — rooms overlook ancient courtyards and a reflecting pool. Located in Taikoo Li shopping precinct.

Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding

Go early — pandas are most active in the morning before 12pm. The base has over 80 resident pandas. Spring (April) is ideal as cubs from the previous year are on display. Allow 2–2.5 hours.

Jinli Ancient Street & Wuhou Shrine

Wuhou Shrine is the most complete Three Kingdoms-era memorial complex in China — historically rich and visually impressive. Jinli pedestrian street adjacent is packed with Sichuan snacks and folk crafts.

Kuanzhai Xiangzi (Wide and Narrow Alleys)

Three preserved Qing-dynasty alleyways filled with teahouses, galleries, and upscale street food. More refined than Jinli — ideal for an afternoon tea at a traditional teahouse with an ear-cleaning performance (a Chengdu specialty).

Leisurely morning at Renmin Park Teahouse

Spend your last mainland morning at the famous open-air teahouse in People's Park — order a pot of Sichuan green tea for ¥12, recline in a bamboo chair, and watch locals play mahjong, get ear-cleanings, and gossip. Quintessential Chengdu.

Last Sichuan lunch and check out

Check out of The Temple House and store luggage at concierge for a final lunch before your afternoon flight to Hong Kong.

Transfer to Chengdu Tianfu/Shuangliu Airport

Allow 60–90 minutes to the airport by DiDi. Afternoon flights to Hong Kong depart from both Chengdu airports — Cathay Pacific and Air China operate the route (roughly 2h45min).

Arrive Hong Kong International Airport — Crossing into a different world

Note: upon landing in Hong Kong you have LEFT mainland China — your 30-day visa clock pauses here. Hong Kong is a separate entry (Australian passport gets 90 days visa-free). Clear HK immigration and take the Airport Express to Hong Kong Station (24 mins).

Check in — The Peninsula Hong Kong

The Grande Dame of Asian hotels on the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront — Peninsula HK is one of the world's great hotels and the perfect capstone to this journey. Request a harbour view room for the full impact of the Victoria Harbour skyline.

Rooftop at OZONE Bar, ICC Tower

The highest bar in the world on the 118th floor of the International Commerce Centre — order a cocktail and take in one of the planet's most dramatic urban views across Victoria Harbour at night.