A ready-to-run 12-14 day plan across southwest and south China - pandas and tea in Chengdu, hotpot and the Yangtze in Chongqing, and the Li River karst around Guilin. Built for the 30-day visa-free route, with a day-by-day itinerary, food, budget, a before-you-go checklist and the pitfalls to dodge.
Three very different Chinas in two weeks, with almost no backtracking - and every city is a designated entry port, so you can fly in and out flexibly.
| City | Days | Role | Airport | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chengdu | 4 | Start · pandas, tea, malls | CTU + TFU (Tianfu, larger intl) | city-chengdu |
| Chongqing | 3-4 | Hotpot, Yangtze, transit hub | CKG (Jiangbei) | city-chongqing |
| Guilin / Yangshuo | 3-4 | Li River karst, scenic end | KWL (Liangjiang) | city-guilin |
Connections: Chengdu→Chongqing high-speed rail ~1 hour; Chongqing→Guilin ~4-5 hours. Fly home from Guilin (KWL) or loop back to Chengdu. The full set of entry cities is on the best entry cities page.
A relaxed 12-day core (stretch to 14 with buffer days). Book intercity rail on the 15-day window and reserve timed tickets a few days ahead.
| Day | Morning | Afternoon | Evening |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Land TFU/CTU; metro to centre; bind foreign card in Alipay/WeChat | Kuanzhai Alley (old lanes, tea houses) | Hotpot dinner, Chunxi Road stroll |
| Day 2 | Giant Panda Base (arrive at opening) | Jinli ancient street, Wuhou Shrine | Sichuan opera / tea house |
| Day 3 | Dujiangyan day trip (ancient irrigation) | Du Fu Thatched Cottage or a tea-market browse | Mapo tofu & local noodles |
| Day 4 | Taikoo Li / Chunxi Rd malls (tax-free stores) | Shu embroidery & Sichuan tea shopping | Evening HSR to Chongqing (~1h) |
| Day | Morning | Afternoon | Evening |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 5 | Arrive CKG; Jiefangbei CBD + tax-free malls | Hongyadong stilt houses | Hotpot + Hongyadong night view |
| Day 6 | Ciqikou ancient town (snacks, tea, crafts) | Yangtze River cable car | Jiefangbei promenade |
| Day 7 | Liziba monorail (train through a building) | Eling Erchang creative park | Yangtze night cruise |
| Day 8 | Three Gorges Museum / Chaotianmen | Last hotpot-base souvenirs | HSR to Guilin (~4-5h) |
| Day | Morning | Afternoon | Evening |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 9 | Land KWL; airport bus/DiDi to Guilin centre | Elephant Trunk Hill, city ring | Guilin rice-noodle dinner |
| Day 10 | Li River cruise Guilin→Yangshuo | Yangshuo West Street | Karst sunset, bike the trails |
| Day 11 | Yangshuo countryside (raft or e-bike) | Reed Flute Cave or a tea terrace | Beer-fish dinner (local specialty) |
| Day 12 | Last buys; depart KWL or HSR onward | - | - |
For the entry, SIM, payments and airport logistics behind each stop, open the Chengdu, Chongqing and Guilin city guides. The rail legs are covered in the high-speed rail guide.
Hotpot, mapo tofu, dan dan noodles, twice-cooked pork. Wash it down with jasmine or Sichuan tea; Shu embroidery and Emei tea make great gifts.
Fiery hotpot, xiaomian (chili noodles), and chili products to take home. Ciqikou and Jiefangbei are the souvenir hubs.
Guilin rice noodles for breakfast, beer fish (pijiu yu) along the river, and osmanthus-scented sweets. Light, fresh, scenic.
Every meal is paid by Alipay/WeChat scan - no tipping. The Eating in China guide covers ordering and manners.
| Category | Per day | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hotel (mid-range) | 300-600 CNY | Double that for peak holiday weeks |
| Food | 80-150 CNY | Street to mid restaurant |
| Local transit | 30-60 CNY | Metro, DiDi, buses |
| Intercity rail | - | Chengdu→Chongqing ~150 CNY; Chongqing→Guilin ~350-450 CNY |
| Tickets | 50-200 CNY/day | Panda Base ~55; Li River cruise ~210-400 |
Rough total for ~13 days: 5,000-8,000 CNY (about 700-1,150 USD) per person, excluding international flights and shopping. Keep a 500-1,000 CNY emergency reserve and remember the tax refund on departure for any designated-store shopping.
Not as written. The 240-hour (10-day) transit rule requires an onward ticket to a third country or region, so it suits a single-city loop, not a 12-14 day multi-city route. This plan is built for the 30-day unilateral visa-free entry (if your country is on the 50-country list) or another visa. Each of the three cities is separately a 240-hour transit port if you want a shorter version.
It is west-to-east with minimal backtracking: Chengdu and Chongqing are only about 1 hour apart by high-speed rail, then a single 4-5 hour rail leg takes you to Guilin. Flying home from Guilin (KWL) or looping back is easy.
High-speed rail. Chengdu to Chongqing is about 1 hour; Chongqing to Guilin is about 4-5 hours. Book through the 12306 system or the rail guide - seats open 15 days ahead and sell out around holidays, so book right at release.
Get an eSIM before you fly or a carrier SIM at any international arrivals hall; then bind a foreign card inside Alipay and WeChat Pay before you leave the airport. DiDi, the metro and almost every shop take the two apps - cash is rarely needed. See the payment and eSIM guides.
About 5,000-8,000 CNY per person for roughly 13 days excluding international flights - mid-range hotels, local food, high-speed rail and attraction tickets. Add your shopping (tea, hotpot bases, embroidery, souvenirs) on top, and keep a refund emergency reserve.
Policy numbers change. Before you book, confirm the current eligible-country lists, ports and participating tax-refund stores on the official English sources below.