Reply      8/6/2009 12:50:00 PM

Hi Nuria,
The best and reasonable itinerary is as follow if you want to visit Xian:
Shanghai ( 2 nights / 3 days )
DAY 4 fly from Shanghai to Kunming and then take by night train K9601 (21:43--06:15) from Kunming to Dali (360km) lasting about 8 hours 32 minutes.
DAY 5 At 06:15 Arrive Dali and sightseeing Dali Scenic Area including Cangshan Mountian, Erhai Sea, Jianchuan Shibao Mountain, Jizu Mountain, Weibao Mountain and Zibi Lake Hot-spring. Stay in Dali
DAY 6 take by bus from Dali to Lijiang (about 200km) lasting about 4 hours and sightseeing WORLD CULTURAL HERITAGE and The TOP 6 of China's Six Most Beautiful Country Towns And Villages: Lijiang Old Town (Music and thought). Stay in Lijiang
DAY 7 Sightseeing Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and Yushui Stockade Village. Stay in Lijiang
DAY 8 Take by bus from Lijiang to Daju Town (about 105km) lasting about 2 hours and sightseeing The TOP 2 of China's Ten Most Beautiful Gorges: Hutiao Gorge (The Tiger Leaping Gorge). Stay in Daju Town.
DAY 9 Sightseeing the Tiger Leaping Gorge again in whole day. Stay in Daju Town.
DAY 10 Take by bus from Daju to Lijiang and then take by flight from Lijiang to Kunming directly. Stay in Kunming
NOTE: suggest you take by train from Kunming to Dali and then fly from Lijinag to Kunming directly because Do NOT misses Tiger Leaping Gorge and save your time.
DAY 11/12 Fly from Kunming to Xian. Sightseeing and stay in Xian. On DAY 12 take by night train from Xian to Beijing (1200km) lasting about 11 hours.
Day 13 At morning arrinve in Beijing. Sihgtseeing and stay in Beijing.
DAY 14/15/16 sightseeing in Beijing. on DAY 16 fly from Beijing to SHanghai or take by night train from Bejing to Shanghai.
DAY 17 Leave from Shanghai.

Reply      8/6/2009 12:52:00 PM
Hi Laura,
You can NOT buy the train ticket online in China. You have to buy the ticket on station but impossible to get it or I can help you to buy it in advance 10 days. please mail to me.
The ONLY ONE train 2671 (16:36--09:05) start from Datong to Xian (1006km) lasting about 16 hours 29 minutes and the price RMB223/person for soft sleepers.

Reply      8/6/2009 2:04:00 PM
The best iitinerary and spending your time as follow:
4 DAYS. arrive Beijing on first day--3 days in Beijing would be better. Mutianyu Great Wall is better and half day would be OK. on the 4th day take by overnight train from Beijing to Xi'an (1200km) lasting about 11 hours.
Xian 3 days would be Better. Huashan Mountain 1 day and Terracotta Warriors and other places on another day. Then on 2nd day take by overnight train from Xian to Shanghai (1509km)lasting about 13--18 hours.
Shanghai 3 days is OK. then on 3rd day fly from SHanghai to Guilin.
Guilin & Yangshuo 4 days would be better. and then take by night train from Guilin to Shenzhen (1040km) lasting about 13 hours and then take by train or bus or boat from Shenzhen to Hong Kong. This is the budget way.
Hong Kong 2 days. then fly out of Hong Kong to US.

Reply      8/5/2009 9:49:00 PM
The BEST itinerary day by day is as follow:
DAY 1 Arrive in Beijing. Stay Beijing.
DAY 2 sightseeing Tiananmen Square and Tiananmen City Tower, World Cultural Heritage Forbidden City and Beihai Park.
DAY 3 sightseeing World Cultural Heritage: the Summer Palace and the Temple of Heaven. At evening look around the TOP FIVE of Five Most Beautiful City Districts: Shichahai Park.
DAY 4 stay hard or soft sleeper if you take by train.
Take by private car to sightseeing World Cultural Heritage: Mutianyu Great Wall at morning and then look around Bird's Nest and Water Cube at afternoon by yourself. and then take by night train to Suzhou.
DAY 5 sightseeing the top TWO of China's Five Most Beautiful City Districts: Suzhou Old City in Suzhou City of Jiangsu Province: Antiquity in the midst modernity.
DAY 6 take by train from Suzhou to Hangzhou (about 287km) lasting about 3.5 hours and then sightseeing Western Lake.
DAY 7 Take by train from Hangzhou to Shanghai (167km) lasting about 1-2 hours and sightseeing in Shanghai.take by night trian from SHanghai to Beijing (1463km) lasting about 9-13 hours.
DAY 8 self-tour in Beijing and depart from Beijing.
SO your time is very TIGHT.

Reply      8/5/2009 4:17:00 PM
Only from Chengdu to Jiuzhaigou have flight.
NO dircet flight from Beijing to Jiuzhaigou. You have to transfer from Chengdu to Beijing.

Reply      8/5/2009 4:14:00 PM
In April, May, Sep and Oct are called "GOLDEN BEIJING" for tourists so it is the best time to sightseeing in Beijing but 2 days is NOT enough. At least 3 days in Beijing would be better.
DAY1 sightseeing Tiananmen Square and Tiananmen City Tower, World Cultural Heritage Forbidden City and Beihai Park.
DAY2 sightseeing World Cultural Heritage: the Summer Palace and the Temple of Heaven.
DAY3 sightseeing World Cultural Heritage: Mutianyu Great Wall at morning and then look around Bird's Nest and Water Cube or other places you are interested in.
Xian 2 full days is enough.
Shanghai 3 days would be better.
Hangzhou at least 2 days is OK.
Above is 10 days from 15 to 25 October.

Reply      8/4/2009 1:57:00 PM
I do NOT know what date you fly from Xiamen to Shanghai. There are 18 flights daily to run and the full pirce is RMB 960+50/person one way. After discount you can get RMB 500+50/person one way I checked now. The cheapest price is RMB 370+50/person one way but you have to book it earlier.
Take by Airport shuttle bus LINE 7 From Pudong Airport to Shanghai South Train Station directly and the price is about RMB 20/person.
Take by bus 925 to Yan'an Western Road OR Kaixuan Road  and then transfer subway line 3 to Shanghai South Train Station and the price is about RMB6/person.
Take by train from Shanghai South Train Station to Yiwu.

Reply      8/4/2009 1:42:00 PM
Take by train K198 (22:14--22:49)from Xiamen to Shanghai directly (about 1274km) lasing about 24 hours 35 minutes.
There are many flights from XIamen to Shanghai.
There are many many trains from SHanghai to Yiwu (about 312km)daily lasting about 2-4 hours.

Reply      8/4/2009 1:31:00 PM

Sightseeing Yangshou, Longshen, Beijing, Xian, Dali, Lijiang, TLG and Zhongdian back to HK in 3 weeks would be OK and enough.
The best route and itinerary day by day just for your reference:
Hong Kong through Shenzhen (1 day), Guilin & Yangshuo (4 days), Kunming, Dali, Lijiang, Tiger Leaping Gorge and Zhongdian (11 days), Xian (2 days), Beijing (3 days), 22 days trip

DAY 1 Transfer by boat or by bus or train from Hong Kong to Shenzhen and then take by night train from Shenzhen to Guilin (1040km) lasting about 12 hours 51 minutes. OR you can fly from Shenzhen to Guilin directly.
DAY 2/DAY 3/DAY 4/DAY 5 Sightseeing in Guilin & Yangshuo and then then take by night train from Guilin to Kunming (1260km) lasting about 18 hours 24 minutes. OR you can take by flight from Guilin to Kunming directly.
DAY 6 Then take by night train from Kunming to Dali (360km) lasting about 8 hours 32 minutes.
DAY 7 sightseeing Dali.Stay in Dali
DAY 8 take by bus from Dali to Lijiang (about 200km) lasting about 4 hours and sightseeing Lijiang Old Town. Stay in Lijiang
DAY 9 Sightseeing Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and Yushui Stockade Village. Stay in Lijiang
DAY 10 Take by bus from Lijiang to Daju Town (about 105km) lasting about 2 hours and sightseeing Hutiao Gorge (The Tiger Leaping Gorge). Stay in Daju Town.
DAY 11 Sightseeing the Tiger Leaping Gorge again in whole day. Stay in Daju Town.
DAY 12 Take by bus from Daju Town back to Lijiang lasting about 2 hours and then take by bus from Lijiang to Zhongdian (about 200km) lasting about 4 hours. Stay in Zhongdian
DAY 13/14/15 Sightseeing in Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture Stay in Zhongdian
DAY 16 Take by flight from Zhongdian to Kunming and then take by night train from Kunming to Xian (1942km) lasting about 35 hours 18 minutes.
DAY 17/DAY 18 Sightseeing in Xian And then take by night train from Xian to Beijing (1200km) lasting 12 hours 26 minutes. OR you can fly from Xian to Beijing directly.
DAY 19/DAY 20/DAY 21 sightseeing in Beijing and At evening take by night train from Beijing to Shenzhen (2372km) lasting about 23 hours 45 minutes.
DAY 22 At 19:45 arrive in Shenzhen and then you have to transfer by bus or boat or train from Shenzhen to Hong Kong. Stay in Hong Kong.

Reply      8/4/2009 1:10:00 PM

IF to provide the detailed information is better.
NO necessary to join the day tour.

There are many many trains from Shanghai to Hangzhou/Suzhou daily so it is very easy for you. you can choose the shuttel bus because of not far between Shanghai, Suzhou and Hangzhou.

At morning take by train from Shanghai to Suzhou (about 84km) lasting about less than 1 hour and then sightseeing WORLD Cultural HERITAGE and the top TWO of China's Five Most Beautiful City Districts: Suzhou Old City in Suzhou City of Jiangsu Province: Antiquity in the midst modernity.

At morning sightseeing in Suzhou again and at afternoon take by train (about 287km) lasting about 3.5 hours or you can take by boat at night from Suzhou to Hangzhou through Jinghang Grand Canal.
At morning Take by bus from Hangzhou to Qiandao (Thousand Islets) Lake in Chun’an County (about 130km) lasting about 2 hours and then sightseeing Thousand Islets. Stay in Qiandao Lake

At morning sightseeing Qiandao (Thousand Islets) Lake again and then take by bus back to Hangzhou and sightseeing the TOP FIVE of China's Five Most Beautiful Lakes: West Lake: The light of water shines in the sun, magic the haziness of the hill in the rain.