Itinerary · 10 days · relaxed
China honeymoon in 10 days
Shanghai to Hangzhou to Yangshuo to Lijiang — four cities chosen for their scenery, pace, and relative ease.
This itinerary avoids the obvious honeymoon traps while still being accessible. Shanghai provides cosmopolitan energy and good restaurants; Hangzhou offers West Lake in the early morning before tour groups arrive; Yangshuo gives karst scenery with enough boutique accommodation to justify lingering; Lijiang combines Naxi culture, mountain views, and proximity to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. The pace throughout is unhurried — three nights in each major stop rather than the usual one.
Day by day
Day 1 · shanghai
Arrive Shanghai
Check into a hotel in the French Concession — the neighbourhood's plane trees, 1930s townhouses, and dense café scene make it a better base than the Bund hotels for a relaxed stay. Evening walk along Wukang Road and dinner at a Shanghainese restaurant.
Day 2 · shanghai
Shanghai — Bund morning, afternoon free
Early morning on the Bund before crowds. Mid-morning at Yu Garden then the surrounding tea houses. Afternoon is deliberately free — the French Concession has enough cafés, bookshops, and boutique concept stores to fill several hours without a plan.
Attractions: the-bund, yu-garden, french-concession, wukang-mansion
Day 3 · hangzhou
Travel to Hangzhou — West Lake
High-speed rail Shanghai to Hangzhou: 1 hour. Check into a lakeside hotel — the northwestern shore near Yuquan is quieter than the Broken Bridge end. Afternoon boat circuit of West Lake, which takes roughly 1.5 hours. Sunset from Lei Feng Pagoda viewing platform.
Attractions: west-lake-hangzhou, lei-feng-pagoda
Day 4 · hangzhou
Hangzhou — tea and temples
Early morning at the China National Tea Museum (free entry) followed by a walk through Meijiawu Tea Village if the timing is right. Afternoon at Lingyin Temple — the temple itself is busy, but the Feilai Feng grottos alongside it are quieter and more interesting.
Attractions: china-national-tea-museum, lingyin-temple
Day 5 · yangshuo
Fly to Guilin, transfer to Yangshuo
Morning flight Hangzhou to Guilin (approximately 2 hours). Bus or private transfer from Guilin to Yangshuo: 1.5 hours. Alternatively, the Li River cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo (4.5 hours) is a gentler arrival if time and budget allow — book in advance. Check into a boutique guesthouse in the old quarter or on the countryside edge.
Attractions: li-river-cruise
Day 6 · yangshuo
Yangshuo — cycling the karst countryside
Hire bicycles for the day — the back road loop through Baisha, Yangdi, and the Moon Hill area takes 4–5 hours at a comfortable pace. The Yulong River section is less crowded than the main Li River route and passes through working villages. Return for sunset from the West Street rooftop.
Attractions: yulong-river-bamboo-rafting
Day 7 · lijiang
Fly to Lijiang — old town evening
Flight Guilin to Lijiang (approximately 2 hours). Check in. Lijiang Old Town is at 2,400 metres — allow the afternoon to acclimatise rather than rushing up stairs. Evening walk through the old town canals; the crowd in the Sifang Square area ebbs after 9 pm.
Attractions: lijiang-old-town
Day 8 · lijiang
Jade Dragon Snow Mountain
Cable car to Blue Moon Valley and the glacier viewing platform on Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. The altitude at the top station exceeds 4,500 metres — oxygen canisters are sold at the base and are worth having. Afternoon rest back in the old town. Sunset from the Wanggu Tower.
Attractions: jade-dragon-snow-mountain
Day 9 · lijiang
Shuhe old town and Lashi Lake
Half-day in Shuhe, Lijiang's quieter satellite old town (3 km north, free entry). Afternoon at Lashi Lake if water levels are sufficient — the lake has migratory birds and basic boating. The Dongba Cultural Research Institute holds morning ceremonies on weekdays.
Attractions: shuhe-old-town
Day 10 · lijiang
Lijiang — depart
Morning free — Black Dragon Pool Park across from the old town reflects Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in good conditions. Depart from Lijiang Three Parallel Rivers Airport. Connections to Kunming, Chengdu, and beyond.
Attractions: black-dragon-pool-lijiang
Budget guide (CNY per day)
| Backpacker | ¥500 |
| Mid-range | ¥1400 |
| Comfortable | ¥3800 |
Boutique accommodation in Yangshuo and Lijiang ranges CNY 400–1800/night; two domestic flights add approximately CNY 1200–2400 per person.
Cities covered
Attractions covered
Other itineraries visiting Shanghai
- Shanghai in 3 days
3d · Bund, French Concession, Pudong, Yu Garden, museums.
- Shanghai weekend — 3 days in the city
3d · Three full days in Shanghai covering the Bund, French Concession, Yu Garden, Tianzifang and Pudong — the city's distinct neighbourhoods at a pace that leaves time for coffee and wandering.
- China in 5 days: fastest first-timer route
5d · Beijing's big three sights, a flight south, and two days navigating Shanghai's contrasts.
- Beijing + Shanghai — 5-day first-timer classic
5d · Two of China's three great cities in five days: imperial Beijing followed by the modern skyline of Shanghai, linked by a quick domestic flight or overnight train.
- Shanghai–Suzhou–Hangzhou triangle in 5 days
5d · Two days in Shanghai, a day and a half in Suzhou's classical gardens, then West Lake and Hangzhou.
- Water towns circuit in 5 days
5d · Shanghai to Tongli to Wuzhen to Zhujiajiao — four of the Yangtze Delta's most visited canal towns in a compact loop, using a Shanghai base with day excursions and one overnight in Wuzhen.