South China — Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Yangshuo and Guilin, 10 days

Day by day

1. Day 1 · hong-kong

   Arrive Hong Kong, Victoria Harbour

   Arrive Hong Kong International Airport. Airport Express to Kowloon or Hong Kong Station. Evening walk along the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront — Victoria Harbour and the Hong Kong Island skyline. The Symphony of Lights display at 8pm.

   Stay in: Kowloon — more affordable than Hong Kong Island, easy access to the MTR.

2. Day 2 · hong-kong

   Kowloon markets and dim sum

   Morning traditional dim sum at a local tea house in Jordan or Sham Shui Po. Temple Street Night Market area in the afternoon. Victoria Peak by the Peak Tram at dusk for the harbour view. Hong Kong is a useful English-language, English-menu transition into the region.

3. Day 3 · guangzhou

   HSR to Guangzhou, evening yum cha

   Morning HSR West Kowloon → Guangzhou South (47 min). Arrive Guangzhou. Check in near Liwan district. Afternoon: Shamian Island — colonial architecture from the treaty port era. Evening yum cha (night dim sum session) at a traditional Cantonese tea house.

   Attractions: shamian-island

   Stay in: Liwan district — excellent access to traditional Cantonese restaurants.

   HSR West Kowloon → Guangzhou South, 47 min, HK$270.

4. Day 4 · guangzhou

   Chen Clan Academy, Canton Tower

   Morning at the Chen Clan Ancestral Hall (an 1894 complex of carved wood, ceramic and stone relief work — outstanding craftsmanship). Afternoon at Canton Tower (600m, observation deck). Roast goose dinner in the Liwan area.

   Attractions: canton-tower

5. Day 5 · yangshuo

   Train to Guilin, bus to Yangshuo

   Morning HSR Guangzhou South → Guilin North (3h, ¥340). Bus from Guilin to Yangshuo (1.5h). Arrive Yangshuo mid-afternoon. Evening at West Street (tourist but lively) and a riverside walk as the karst peaks silhouette at dusk.

   Stay in: Yangshuo — guesthouses on the town edges are quieter than the West Street centre.

   HSR Guangzhou → Guilin 3h ¥340, then bus to Yangshuo 1.5h.

6. Day 6 · yangshuo

   Yulong River bamboo raft, countryside cycle

   Morning bamboo raft on the Yulong River — a quieter version of the Li River. Hire a bicycle after noon and ride the flat country roads south of Yangshuo — rice fields and karst peaks at eye level.

   Attractions: yulong-river-bamboo-rafting

7. Day 7 · yangshuo

   Moon Hill, Xingping village

   Morning hike to Moon Hill (40 min up to the natural arch). Afternoon at Xingping village on the Li River — the 20-yuan note scenery viewpoint is here. Return to Yangshuo by motorbike taxi or bus.

8. Day 8 · guilin

   Li River cruise to Guilin

   Morning departure upstream — take the Li River cruise in reverse or the bus back to Guilin. Reed Flute Cave in Guilin after arrival — 240m of illuminated limestone formations.

   Attractions: reed-flute-cave

9. Day 9 · guilin

   Longji Rice Terraces day trip

   Full day trip to the Longji Dragon-Spine Terraces (2h north of Guilin). Ping'an and Dazhai viewpoints — terraces cascading down the hillside in rows. Minority Zhuang and Yao communities live in the villages. Return Guilin in the evening.

   Attractions: longji-rice-terraces

10. Day 10 · guilin

    Departure

    Morning at leisure in Guilin city. Two Rivers and Four Lakes waterway walk if time allows. Fly KWL → Hong Kong (1h) or directly to home destination.

    Flight KWL → HKG or direct to home destination.

Budget guide (CNY per day)

Per person total 10 days including Hong Kong–Guangzhou HSR (HK$270) and Guangzhou–Guilin HSR (¥340). Hong Kong accommodation is significantly more expensive than mainland China. International flights excluded.