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Beijing 4 · Xi'an 2 · Zhangjiajie 3 · Guilin 3 · Shanghai 3. Zhangjiajie and the Li River in one trip.
By Armando Pacheco, who lives in Shanghai ·
Prefer pandas and Chongqing? See the train variant →
58 s · No sound · Shows the same as the text
Once you use it, you can add or remove days and cities, and we will remind you of every booking.
Metro line 1, Tiananmen East · 3-4 h
Mubus from Dongzhimen, or DiDi in 80-100 min · 4-5 h
Metro line 5, Tiantan Dongmen · 2-3 h
Tourist coach from the Bell Tower, 1 h · 5-6 h
Wulingyuan east gate, eco-bus to the Bailong lift · 1 día
Forest Park gate, free eco-bus · 2-3 h
Taxi to Mopanshan pier, 28 km · 4-5 h
E-bike from Yangshuo · medio día
Metro lines 10 and 14, Yuyuan Garden · 1,5 h
Two landscapes in one trip, the Zhangjiajie pillars and the Li River peaks. In Zhangjiajie you can stay at Stone Haven, with cave-style suites and an infinity pool, and in Yangshuo by the river. April, September and October are the best months.
Honeymoon in ChinaHikes among the Zhangjiajie pillars, then bikes and boats on the Li River. A train of about 7 hours links the two. Avoid July and August, when Zhangjiajie is packed and hot.
All routes · Nature and adventurePer person, in a double room and without your flight to China.
It covers hotels, trains in second class (first class for Special), domestic flights, main entry tickets, food and getting around town. Two trains, Beijing-Xi'an and Zhangjiajie-Guilin, and two flights.
KOI hotels checked on Trip.com for a night in November 2026, with trains, flights and food from 2026 sources. How it is worked out, in China trip cost
This route pairs the Avatar pillars of Zhangjiajie with the karst peaks of the Li River, after Beijing and Xi'an. It is made for couples, honeymoons and longer trips. At Guilin, the best base to sleep by the river is Yangshuo.
There are direct flights only from April to October. The rest of the year you go by train with a change in Changsha, 8.5 to 10 hours. If you travel then, the other 15-day route reaches Zhangjiajie by train from Chongqing. China by train, 15 days
The same 15 days, with the Chengdu pandas and vertical Chongqing instead of Guilin. Six cities, mostly by bullet train and with no seasonal flights to rely on.
Best months. March, April, May, September, October and November.
Estimated budget. Per person, in a double room and without your flight to China. Budget €800 to €1,150, Comfortable €1,250 to €2,250, Special €2,900 to €4,650. Four trains and one flight, Zhangjiajie-Shanghai.
Zhangjiajie by train. The direct flight from Xi'an to Zhangjiajie only runs from April to October. This route reaches Zhangjiajie by bullet train from Chongqing, so it works the same all year. Only the last leg, to Shanghai, is better by plane, about 2 h 30, though there is also a 7 h 04 train. If you would rather see Guilin and the Li River, look at the other 15-day route.
Avoid Golden Week, 1 to 7 October, and Chinese New Year, 6 February 2027. Which route to do each month
For couples, honeymoons and longer trips. It brings together China's two great landscapes, the Zhangjiajie pillars and the Li River, with time for each. With kids it works if they are good walkers, as Zhangjiajie has lots of steps.
Beijing to Xi'an by bullet train, about 4 h 30. Xi'an to Zhangjiajie by plane, 1 h 30, with direct flights only from April to October. Outside those months, take the train via Changsha, 8.5 to 10 hours. Zhangjiajie to Guilin by train, about 7 hours. Guilin to Shanghai by plane, 2.5 to 3 hours, or by train, 8 h 41 on the fastest.
April, September and late October to November, when the good seasons in Zhangjiajie and Guilin overlap. Avoid July and August, with crowds and rain in Zhangjiajie, May for the rain in Guilin, and December to February, when the Li River runs low. In November there is no direct flight from Xi'an, so plan on the train.
China by train swaps Guilin for the Chengdu pandas and Chongqing, and reaches Zhangjiajie by train, so it does not rely on the seasonal flight. This one is more about scenery and a slower pace.
If you add one, give it to Zhangjiajie, as a buffer for fog, or to Yangshuo for the Longji rice terraces. If you cut one, take it from Beijing, which gets 4 here.
Per person, in a double room and without your flight to China, €850 to €1,250 with simple hotels, €1,300 to €2,350 with comfortable hotels and €3,100 to €4,850 with special hotels. That covers hotels, trains, domestic flights, tickets, food and getting around town.