Great Wall of China at Mutianyu

@hamishslens  /  16 Days  /  6 Cities

The
China
Route

Beijing to Shanghai. Ancient walls, vertical cities, Avatar mountains, 2,000-year-old river towns. The exact route I took, mapped day by day.

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01 / Days 1 to 3
Beijing
Imperial capital
02 / Days 4 to 7
Chongqing
The vertical city
03 / Day 8
Furong
Ancient town
04 / Days 9 to 10
Zhangjiajie
Avatar mountains
05 / Days 11 to 12
Changsha
River city
06 / Days 13 to 16
Shanghai
The Bund

01 / Beijing

Imperial walls. 5,000 years in three days.

On the Great Wall at Mutianyu
Great Wall, Mutianyu
Temple of Heaven
Temple of Heaven
Great Wall ridge line
The wall, north of the city

02 / Chongqing

A city built vertically. Nowhere else looks like this.

Sunrise over the Yangtze, Chongqing
Sunrise over the Yangtze
Chongqing skyline at night from above
The CBD after dark
Hongya Cave lit up at night
Hongya Cave
Chongqing red bridge and river at night
Qiansimen Bridge at night

03 / Furong Ancient Town

2,000 years old. A waterfall runs through the middle.

Furong Ancient Town and its waterfall
Furong Ancient Town

04 / Zhangjiajie

The mountains that inspired Avatar.

Zhangjiajie stone pillars in mist
Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

05 to 06 / Changsha + Shanghai

River city to the future. Two finales.

Changsha riverfront light show
Changsha riverfront
Shanghai Pudong skyline and Oriental Pearl Tower
The Bund, Shanghai

What's inside

Everything you need. Nothing you don't.

📍
16 Days, Mapped
Every day planned across all 6 cities. Paced so you're not wrecked by day four. The exact trip I did.
🏠
Where I Stayed
My actual hotel in every city, with nightly prices. Booked, slept in, rated. No guesswork.
🍝
Where I Ate
Named food spots in each city and what to order. The meals worth crossing town for.
🚂
Every Transport Leg
All 6 intercity moves. Which train or flight, what it costs, how far ahead to book.
💵
The Real Budget
What the trip actually costs, broken down by category. No "budget varies" hedging.
📱
Apps, Pay + eSIM
The exact setup that makes China frictionless from the moment you land. No VPN needed. I explain why inside.

A look inside

The first three days. On the house.

Day 01Land in Beijing, settle in, orient around the centreBeijing
Day 02Great Wall at Mutianyu, then Temple of Heaven at duskBeijing
Day 03Forbidden City, Jingshan view, Summer PalaceBeijing
🔒
Days 4 to 16 unlock with the guide
Chongqing, Furong, Zhangjiajie, Changsha and Shanghai. Every stay, meal, train and tip.
Unlock the Full Route
6
Cities on one clean route, north to south
16
Days structured day by day
$1.4k
Realistic budget floor in USD, flights excluded
0
Filler. No vague advice, no tourist-board takes.

Who it's for

You've wanted to do China.
You just didn't know where to start.

Written for first-timers who want to move properly through one of the most rewarding countries on earth. Not rush the Great Wall. Actually understand Chongqing. Spend real time in the parks that look like another planet. Mid-range travel, done with intent.

Hamish on the Great Wall

Every photo here is mine.

Shot on the actual trip, across all 6 cities. This isn't scraped from a blog or generated by an app. It's the route I walked, the trains I caught, the meals I ate, written down so you can do it without the guesswork. A guide by @hamishslens.

Book the trip.
Use the guide.

Instant download. Every hotel, meal, train and tip from someone who actually did it.

Get the Guide · $19.35 AUD
From $19.35 AUD Instant download
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