China made Easy - The South

15 days from Guangzhou to Hong Kong: the practical guide to exploring South China and planning it all on your own.

You've heard of Beijing and Shanghai, but Southern China is a different story: karst mountains that look painted in ink, rice terraces, futuristic skyscrapers, historic trams and the lights of Hong Kong harbour.

A year after my first trip, I went back to China to discover its south, and once again I planned everything myself, with no agencies and no tour packages. In these pages I hand you the exact itinerary I followed, day by day.

The trip: 5 stops in 15 days

Guangzhou → Yangshuo → Guilin → Shenzhen → Hong Kong and Macau

What's inside (49 illustrated pages)

• ✅ Day-by-day schedule with timings, transfers and breaks
• ✅ Illustrated guides to every stop: Canton Tower, Shamian Island, bamboo rafting in Yangshuo, Ruyi Peak, the Longji rice terraces, Reed Flute Cave, the Four Lakes cruise, Ping An Center, indoor skydiving at iFly, the Big Buddha on Lantau, Tai O, Victoria Peak and a day trip to Macau
• ✅ High-speed trains: routes, journey times and approximate prices between cities
• ✅ The best area to stay in each city, for transport and a central location
• ✅ Hong Kong without breaking the bank: it's a very expensive city, and I explain how I solved it with a room on Airbnb in the heart of Kowloon
• ✅ Ready-made Chinese texts to show taxi drivers and at stations, with pinyin
• ✅ Everything you need before you go: visa, VPN, eSIM, Alipay and WeChat, must-have apps
• ✅ Official arrival-form QR code and the warning about power banks needing the CCC mark, or they'll be thrown away at security
• ✅ Small culture shocks and a final checklist so you forget nothing

How I did it all on my own

I booked hotels, trains and attractions on Trip.com, which also sells eSIMs at very good prices.

For flights and insurance we relied on a travel agency.

Perfect for you if…

• you want to plan Southern China on your own, as a couple, with family or with friends
• you've already seen the north and want to discover another side of the country
• you love tech, food, spectacular landscapes and trips without improvisation
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📘 PDF format, to read on your phone or print. Download it and set off with everything ready.

Times, prices and entry rules can change: always check them before you travel.