China 2026 – Innovation, Architecture & Culture

Select leg

Built around a single question: what drives the Chinese innovation mindset? Not just the products, but the system, the urgency, and the cultural logic behind it. The route moves from the hardware and EV heartland of Guangdong, through Chongqing's vertically impossible urbanism, to Beijing's intersection of imperial history and contemporary ambition.

Route

Guangzhou · Day 1

Shenzhen · Days 2–5

Chongqing · Days 6–8

Beijing · Days 9–10

Flight route

What's included — and why

Guangzhou: Xpeng factory visit if confirmed
Shenzhen: The raw innovation story — fishing village to 13M in 40 years
Chongqing: The world's most complex vertical city
Beijing: Political/cultural weight + contemporary architecture

What's excluded — and why

Shanghai: More polished, finance-driven. Shenzhen tells the same story better.
Great Wall: Buses and souvenir stalls. Tells imperial China, not innovation China.
4th overnight base: Extra hotel moves and fatigue without proportional gain

Recommended reading before departure

Kai-Fu Lee — AI Superpowers

Best single book on the Chinese tech ecosystem and the mindset driving it

Ezra Vogel — Deng Xiaoping and the Transformation of China

Context for why Shenzhen exists

Yuen Yuen Ang — China's Gilded Age

Clear-eyed on corruption, growth, and authoritarian capitalism

Guangzhou · Arrival + Xpeng

Logistics base · one night · on to Shenzhen in the morning

Guangzhou Baiyun Airport · arrival

Keep day 1 light after a long flight. Check in, get oriented.

Xpeng factory visit Tech

Xpeng's main assembly facilities are in Guangzhou (headquarters) and Zhaoqing. The visit shows degree of automation, production speed, and quality control culture that makes Chinese EV competitiveness real. Contact their corporate communications with your DIS/university affiliation — frame it as a study visit, not tourism.

Fallback: GAC Innovation Center Alternative

Guangzhou Automobile Group's innovation centre is open to visitors. Hands-on EV and autonomous vehicle exhibits, interesting campus. Works as a full replacement for the Xpeng visit.

Dinner · Tianhe district Food

Modern, high-energy district. Good contrast to Copenhagen.

Overnight

Guangzhou centre · One night · on to Shenzhen by high-speed rail 08–09

Keep day 1 light. Shenzhen starts early tomorrow.

25 min

To Shenzhen

~75 CNY

Train fare

1 night

Guangzhou

Industry focus

Guangzhou → Shenzhen · Arrival

25 min by high-speed rail · orientation and first impressions

High-speed rail Guangzhou → Shenzhen

25 minutes, approx. CNY 75. The infrastructure is itself part of the story — punctual, comfortable, faster than most European intercity trains.

Futian CBD · evening walk Architecture

Density, vertical scale, and the complete absence of any heritage layer. A city with no obligation to the past.

Dinner · OCT Loft or Nanshan Food

Creative industrial quarter, different atmosphere from the corporate core.

Overnight

Shenzhen centre · 3 nights · Futian or Nanshan district recommended

Technology and architecture

Two of Asia's most important contemporary buildings in one afternoon

Shenzhen Science & Technology Museum Architecture Must

Opened May 2025, designed by Zaha Hadid Architects. 950 exhibits on AI, robotics, space, and quantum computing. Architecturally extraordinary: stainless steel skin with undulating terraces facing Shenzhen Bay. Allow 3 hours.

Shenzhen Bay Culture Square (SCS) Architecture

Adjacent project, designed by MAD Architects (Ma Yansong), opened November 2024. Nine exhibition halls — one of the world's largest design-focused museum complexes. CNY 3.7bn government initiative.

These two buildings in the same afternoon = one of the densest concentrations of serious contemporary architecture anywhere in Asia.

Overnight

Shenzhen centre · night 2 of 3

Corporate campuses and hardware culture

Three places that together explain why innovation happens here

Huawei Ox Horn Campus, Songshan Lake Tech Must

Looks like a European medieval town — canals, stone towers, cobblestones — built for 25,000 R&D staff. Sit with the strangeness: why did China's most strategically important tech company build itself a replica of somewhere else? It tells you something real about corporate aesthetics and civilisational self-understanding.

DJI Sky City (Foster + Partners) Architecture

Headquarters of the company controlling 70%+ of the global consumer drone market. Striking building, significant company.

Huaqiangbei Electronics Market Tech

The world's largest electronics market. A thousand shops selling every conceivable component. Understand this place and you understand why hardware innovation happens in Shenzhen.

Overnight

Shenzhen centre · night 3 of 3

Creative and cultural layer

The city's range — from industrial zone to first free-trade street

OCT Loft / Overseas Chinese Town Culture

Former industrial zone converted to galleries, studios and design offices. The contrast with Huaqiangbei tells you about the city's range — both happen in the same city.

Shekou waterfront Culture

Historically significant — the first area opened to foreign investment in 1979. Understanding this starting point makes everything else make sense.

Optional: Hong Kong for the evening Optional

1 hour by ferry from Shekou. Not necessary, but interesting as contrast. Same Pearl River Delta geography, radically different political reality.

Depart

Fly Shenzhen → Chongqing · approx. 2 hours

Shenzhen has excellent healthcare infrastructure.

3 nights

Shenzhen

ZHA + MAD

Architecture

Huawei

Campus visit

1979

SEZ founded

Shenzhen → Chongqing · Arrival

Approx. 2 hour flight · first encounter with the vertical city

Fly from Shenzhen · arrival + check-in

Book hotel in the Jiefangbei area (Liberation Monument). This is the one city on the route where hotel placement really matters — Chongqing is hilly.

Liziba Station · Line 2 metro Architecture Must

Buy a ticket and ride the train through the building. The metro passes between the 6th and 8th floors of a 19-storey residential block. This one image explains a great deal about the relationship between infrastructure and urban life in China.

Hongya Cave at night Architecture Must

Stacked cliffside structure of restaurants, shops and walkways hanging over the Jialing River. 11 storeys of urban life built into a cliff face. Best seen after dark when lit up.

Overnight

Jiefangbei area · 3 nights · central location is essential

Chongqing is hilly — the one city on the route where terrain matters. Use cable cars and funiculars freely; they are regular transit, not tourist attractions.

Architecture and urban complexity

A city that shouldn't exist by European planning logic — but does

Raffles City Chongqing (Moshe Safdie, 2019) Architecture Must

Eight towers connected 250 metres up by a curved sky bridge called The Crystal. Walk across it. The views explain the city better than any map. Manageable on foot with a short walk.

Chaotianmen Bridge Architecture

One of the world's longest arch bridges. Chongqing has over 40 major bridges in the metropolitan area. The title 'Bridge Capital of China' is earned.

Jiefangbei pedestrian area Tech

The urban core. Good for watching how the city moves. Observe sensor networks at intersections, autonomous delivery robots, cashless payments everywhere — not exhibitions, the actual city.

Dinner · Guanyin Bridge area Food

Regenerated urban quarter, good food, younger crowd.

Overnight

Jiefangbei area · night 2 of 3

Cultural contrast and rest

The layer beneath the futurism — and the great Yangtze confluence

Ciqikou Ancient Town Culture

Well-preserved Ming/Qing-dynasty river town. Go in the morning before crowds. Important for understanding the civilisational layer beneath the futurism — that is where the confidence comes from.

Yangtze River cruise (1–2 hours) Optional

Multiple operators run short loops. The river confluence at the heart of the city is best understood from the water. Relaxed, low effort, high reward.

Depart

Fly Chongqing → Beijing · approx. 2.5 hours

Day 8 can work as a rest day if needed. Chongqing rewards slow walking and looking more than a checklist approach.

32M

Population

3 nights

Jiefangbei

40+

Bridges in city

250 m

Raffles skybridge

Chongqing → Beijing · Power and civilisation

Approx. 2.5 hour flight · arrive late morning · two high-signal sites in one day

The Forbidden City (Gu Gong) Culture Must

Arrive early — book timed entry online in advance, slots sell out. Allow 2–3 hours. The scale communicates something no photograph can. Flat, well-maintained, accessible. Do not skip this.

Tiananmen Square Culture

Immediately south of the Forbidden City. The scale is deliberately overwhelming. The political weight is impossible to ignore. You will walk through it.

CCTV Headquarters (Rem Koolhaas / OMA, 2012) Architecture Must

20 minutes by taxi from Tiananmen. View from outside. This is the state broadcaster. That a government commissioned one of the most formally radical buildings of the 21st century to house its propaganda apparatus tells you something specific about Chinese modernity that no museum can.

Dinner · Sanlitun or Dongcheng Food

Well-developed restaurant areas, easy to navigate.

Overnight

Beijing centre · Dongcheng or Chaoyang district

Contemporary China + departure

From East German-built factory to contemporary art zone — and home

798 Art District (2 hours, morning) Culture Architecture Must

Former military electronics factory (built by East German engineers in the 1950s) converted into one of Asia's most significant contemporary art zones. The tension between what the space was and what it has become is exactly the kind of productive contradiction this trip is about. Some of the art will be censored or self-censored — that is also part of the content.

Zhongguancun (1 hour) Tech

China's original tech hub, adjacent to Peking University and Tsinghua. Less polished than Shenzhen, more academic and spin-out oriented. AI labs, quantum computing startups.

Olympic Park · Bird's Nest + Water Cube Architecture Optional

Herzog & de Meuron and PTW Architects. The 2008 Olympics was a deliberate civilisational statement: China arriving on the world stage. Worth seeing even briefly.

Depart from Beijing

Note: Beijing has two airports — Capital International (PEK) and Daxing (PKX). They are far apart. Check which your airline uses well in advance.

Home

Beijing → Copenhagen · direct or via hub

2 days

Beijing

OMA

CCTV · Koolhaas

798

Art District

2008

Olympics · H&dM

Between cities

Route · transport · booking channels

Guangzhou → Shenzhen: High-speed rail

25 min, approx. CNY 75. Book on Trip.com or at the station. The infrastructure is itself part of the experience.

Shenzhen → Chongqing: Flight

Approx. 2 hours. Book via Trip.com or Ctrip.

Chongqing → Beijing: Flight

Approx. 2.5 hours. Book via Trip.com or Ctrip.

Within cities

Metro in all four cities is excellent, cheap, and has English signage. DiDi app (China's Uber) — now accepts foreign cards. Essential for taxis.

Beijing has two airports — Capital International (PEK) and Daxing (PKX). They are far apart. Verify your airline's terminal well in advance.

Money and digital prerequisites

Set these up before leaving Copenhagen

WeChat Pay and Alipay

Both now support foreign Visa/Mastercard — much easier than before. Set up before departure. Physical CNY cash as backup; ATMs in all major cities accept foreign cards.

VPN

Google, WhatsApp and Instagram are blocked. Set up a VPN before departure — the App Store itself is restricted once you are on a Chinese network.

SIM / eSIM

Get a travel SIM on arrival, or use eSIM (Airalo works well). Essential for DiDi, maps, payments, etc.

WeChat

Essential in China. Install and activate before leaving Copenhagen.

Physical considerations · city by city

All sites on this route can be done in short bursts with taxis between

Guangzhou

Flat, manageable, one night only.

Shenzhen

Flat, excellent metro, very manageable. Outstanding healthcare infrastructure.

Chongqing ⚠️

The one city with terrain challenges. Book centrally in Jiefangbei. Use cable cars and funiculars freely — they are part of the transit system, not tourist extras. All recommended sites are reachable with short walks + taxis.

Beijing

Flat in the central areas. The Forbidden City requires walking but is accessible. Nothing on this itinerary requires sustained physical effort.

Climate and best time to travel

Avoid typhoon season, summer heat, and rainy periods

✓

Best windows: April–May and September–November

Autumn (September–November) is the universally recommended window across all four cities. Spring (April–May) also works well, though the south sees some rainy periods. Both seasons offer pleasant temperatures, low humidity, and clear skies for sightseeing.

GZ/SZ

Guangzhou & Shenzhen — avoid June–September

Typhoon season runs July–September and brings fierce wind and intense rainfall to the Pearl River Delta. July and August also combine extreme humidity with high temperatures. October–December is the sweet spot: mild, dry, and largely clear. If travelling in spring, April and May are fine but expect occasional rain.

Chongqing — avoid July–August

Chongqing is known as one of China's 'furnace cities' — summers regularly exceed 35°C with humidity above 70%. Heatstroke is a real risk during daytime sightseeing. April, May, September, and October are ideal: mild temperatures, little rain, and the dramatic fog and mist that makes the city's topography spectacular.

Beijing — avoid July–August and January–February

July and August are the rainy season in northern China, and Beijing's summers can be hot and hazy. Winters are cold and dry (down to –10°C). The clear, crisp autumn (September–October) is widely considered Beijing's finest season for visitors. Spring (April–May) is also good, with the caveat of occasional sandstorms.

→

Recommendation for this itinerary

October is the ideal month across all four cities simultaneously — post-typhoon in the south, post-summer heat in Chongqing, and Beijing's golden autumn. Late September also works. Avoid June through August entirely if possible.

	Day 1 Arr GZ	Day 2 GZ	Day 3 GZ	Day 4 GZ→SZ	Day 5 SZ	Day 6 SZ→CQ	Day 7 CQ	Day 8 CQ→BJ	Day 9 BJ	Day 10 Dep BJ
Transportation
Guangzhou	Arrive	Shamian · Yuexiu	Architecture	→ Shenzhen
Shenzhen				Arrive	ZHA + MAD	→ Chongqing
Chongqing						Arrive	Ciqikou · Stilts	→ Beijing
Beijing								Arrive	Forbidden City	Dep CPH

Select leg

An alternative route structured around the two direct Copenhagen flights. Fly in to Shanghai, end in Beijing. You gain one of the world's great cities — exceptional architecture, food, and cultural sophistication. You trade Chongqing's vertically impossible urbanism for Shanghai's layered modernity. Both are compelling; they are genuinely different trips.

Route

Shanghai · Days 1–3 · CPH direct in

Shenzhen · Days 4–7

Beijing · Days 8–10 · CPH direct home

Direct CPH flight

Internal flight

What Plan B offers vs. Plan A

Shanghai: world-class contemporary architecture, French Concession, best food in China
Both international flights are direct CPH — simpler logistics, no hub connections
Shanghai easier arrival city: more English, international infrastructure
Shenzhen leg identical to Plan A — no content lost there
Beijing leg identical to Plan A

What Plan B loses vs. Plan A

Chongqing — the most singular city on the planet for urban form; nothing else like it
Xpeng/Guangzhou factory opportunity (though that was never confirmed)
The raw industrial/EV heartland of Guangdong as an entry experience
Shanghai tells a more polished story — less urgency, more finesse

Plan B route logistics

CPH → Shanghai Pudong (PVG)

China Eastern · ~5x/week · approx. 10h15m direct

Shanghai → Shenzhen

High-speed rail (7–8 hrs, scenic) or flight (~2.5 hrs). Train recommended — the infrastructure is part of the story.

Shenzhen → Beijing

Flight · ~3 hours · book via Trip.com or Ctrip

Beijing (PEK) → CPH

Air China · ~7x/week · approx. 8h50m direct

Copenhagen → Shanghai · Arrival

Direct flight ~10h15m · China Eastern · arrive Pudong (PVG)

Shanghai Pudong Airport (PVG) · arrival

Keep day 1 light. The Maglev train from the airport to the city (7 minutes at 430 km/h) is itself worth experiencing — it's the world's fastest commercial train and makes the point about Chinese infrastructure immediately.

The Bund · evening walk Architecture

Shanghai's most iconic view: colonial-era European banking architecture on the west bank facing the Pudong skyline on the east. The contrast tells you everything about the last 150 years in one glance. Best seen at dusk and after dark. Flat, easy walk.

Dinner · Xintiandi or Huangpu area Food

Shanghai's food scene is exceptional. Xintiandi is a good first-night base — converted 1930s shikumen longtang housing, high density of good restaurants.

Overnight

Shanghai centre · 3 nights · Jing'an, Luwan, or Huangpu district recommended

The Maglev (430 km/h, 7 min) runs from PVG to Longyang Road metro station. Take it. It's worth the ticket just to feel the speed.

Architecture day

Old and new Shanghai in one day — the city's full architectural range

Pudong skyline from the water · Huangpu River ferry Architecture Must

The short public ferry across the Huangpu (¥2, 5 minutes) gives the best view of both banks — the Bund on one side, the Pudong towers on the other. The Shanghai Tower (632m, Gensler), the Pearl Tower, and the World Financial Center together form one of the most extraordinary skylines on earth.

Shanghai Grand Opera House (Snøhetta, 2025) Architecture Must

Opened 2025 on the Huangpu Riverfront in the former Expo site. 140,000m², three performance halls. Inspired by the Chinese fan form. One of the most significant new public buildings in Asia. Even if you don't attend a performance, the building is worth seeing.

French Concession · afternoon walk Culture Architecture

Tree-lined streets, 1920s–30s villas and apartment blocks, independent boutiques and cafés. The best-preserved colonial district in China. Architecturally unlike anything in Shenzhen or Beijing — this is Shanghai's unique layer. Tianzifang (converted longtang alleys) is a good focal point.

Jing'an Temple area · evening Culture

Active Buddhist temple surrounded by luxury retail and skyscrapers — the juxtaposition is very Shanghai. Good restaurants nearby in the Jing'an district.

Overnight

Shanghai centre · night 2 of 3

Innovation + depart for Shenzhen

Morning in Zhangjiang · afternoon train or flight to Shenzhen

Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park Tech

Shanghai's primary innovation district — semiconductor companies, biotech, AI labs, and the Shanghai Supercomputing Center. Less visual than Shenzhen's campuses but gives you the flavour of state-directed innovation at scale. Short visit (1–1.5 hrs) on the way to the station.

Depart Shanghai → Shenzhen

High-speed rail (7–8 hrs, recommended — the route through Zhejiang, Fujian and Guangdong is scenic and the infrastructure is the story) or flight (~2.5 hrs). Rail departs from Hongqiao station; flights from Pudong or Hongqiao airports.

Overnight

Shenzhen centre · first night in Shenzhen

The high-speed rail Shanghai → Shenzhen is one of the great train journeys in Asia. If you can afford the 7–8 hours, take it over the flight.

3 nights

Shanghai

632 m

Shanghai Tower

430 km/h

Maglev

Snøhetta

Opera House 2025

Arrive Shenzhen · orientation

Settle in · Futian CBD evening walk · dinner OCT Loft or Nanshan

Arrive from Shanghai · check in

Shenzhen went from fishing village to 13 million people in 40 years. That pace is not accidental — it is the product of Deng Xiaoping's Special Economic Zone experiment. The city is the argument.

Futian CBD · evening walk Architecture

Density, vertical scale, and the complete absence of any heritage layer. A city with no obligation to the past — which is exactly what makes it feel different from Shanghai.

Dinner · OCT Loft or Nanshan Food

Creative industrial quarter, different atmosphere from the corporate core.

Overnight

Shenzhen centre · 3 nights · Futian or Nanshan district

Technology and architecture

Two of Asia's most important contemporary buildings in one afternoon

Shenzhen Science & Technology Museum (ZHA, 2025) Architecture Must

Opened May 2025, designed by Zaha Hadid Architects. 950 exhibits on AI, robotics, space, and quantum computing. Stainless steel skin with undulating terraces facing Shenzhen Bay. Allow 3 hours.

Shenzhen Bay Culture Square (MAD Architects, 2024) Architecture

Adjacent. Designed by MAD Architects (Ma Yansong). Nine exhibition halls — one of the world's largest design museum complexes.

These two buildings in the same afternoon = one of the densest concentrations of serious contemporary architecture anywhere in Asia.

Overnight

Shenzhen centre · night 2 of 3

Corporate campuses and hardware culture

Three places that together explain why innovation happens here

Huawei Ox Horn Campus, Songshan Lake Tech Must

Looks like a European medieval town — canals, stone towers, cobblestones — built for 25,000 R&D staff. Why did China's most strategically important tech company build itself a replica of somewhere else? It tells you something real.

DJI Sky City (Foster + Partners) Architecture

Headquarters of the company controlling 70%+ of the global consumer drone market.

Huaqiangbei Electronics Market Tech

The world's largest electronics market. A thousand shops selling every conceivable component. Understand this and you understand why hardware innovation happens in Shenzhen.

Overnight

Shenzhen centre · night 3 of 3

Creative and cultural layer

The city's range — from industrial zone to first free-trade street

OCT Loft / Overseas Chinese Town Culture

Former industrial zone converted to galleries, studios and design offices. The contrast with Huaqiangbei tells you about the city's range.

Shekou waterfront Culture

The first area opened to foreign investment in 1979. Understanding this starting point makes everything else make sense.

Depart

Fly Shenzhen → Beijing · approx. 3 hours

3 nights

Shenzhen

ZHA + MAD

Architecture

Huawei

Campus visit

1979

SEZ founded

Shenzhen → Beijing · Power and civilisation

Approx. 3 hour flight · Forbidden City · Tiananmen · CCTV HQ

The Forbidden City (Gu Gong) Culture Must

Arrive early, book timed entry online in advance. Allow 2–3 hours. The scale communicates something no photograph can. Do not skip this.

Tiananmen Square Culture

Immediately south. The scale is deliberately overwhelming. The political weight is impossible to ignore.

CCTV Headquarters (Rem Koolhaas / OMA, 2012) Architecture Must

20 minutes by taxi. View from outside. The state broadcaster, in one of the most formally radical buildings of the 21st century. The contradiction is the content.

Dinner · Sanlitun or Dongcheng Food

Well-developed restaurant areas, easy to navigate.

Overnight

Beijing centre · Dongcheng or Chaoyang district

Contemporary China + departure

798 Art District · Zhongguancun · fly home CPH direct

798 Art District (2 hours, morning) Culture Architecture Must

Zhongguancun (1 hour) Tech

China's original tech hub, adjacent to Peking University and Tsinghua. Less polished than Shenzhen, more academic. AI labs, quantum computing startups.

Fly Beijing (PEK) → Copenhagen · direct Direct flight home

Air China · ~7x/week · approx. 8h50m. Note: Beijing has two airports — Capital International (PEK) and Daxing (PKX). They are far apart. Verify your airline's terminal well in advance.

Home

Beijing → Copenhagen · Air China direct

3 days

Beijing

OMA

CCTV · Koolhaas

798

Art District

Direct

Flight home CPH

Plan B transport

All legs · booking channels · airport notes

CPH → Shanghai Pudong (PVG) · China Eastern

~5x/week, approx. 10h15m direct. Book early — seats fill. On arrival: Maglev train to the city (430 km/h, 7 min, ~¥50). Do not take a taxi from PVG.

Shanghai → Shenzhen

Recommended: high-speed rail from Hongqiao station (~7–8 hrs, G-train class). Scenic, comfortable, punctual. Alternative: flight ~2.5 hrs from Pudong or Hongqiao airports.

Shenzhen → Beijing

Flight, ~3 hours. Book via Trip.com or Ctrip.

Beijing (PEK) → CPH · Air China

~7x/week, approx. 8h50m direct. Note: Beijing Capital (PEK) vs. Daxing (PKX) — they are far apart. Confirm your terminal early.

Within cities · metro + DiDi

Metro in all three cities is excellent, cheap, English signage. DiDi app (China's Uber) accepts foreign cards.

Money and digital prerequisites

Same requirements as Plan A — set up before leaving Copenhagen

WeChat Pay and Alipay

Both support foreign Visa/Mastercard. Set up before departure. Physical CNY cash as backup.

VPN

Google, WhatsApp and Instagram are blocked. Set up before departure — the App Store is restricted on Chinese networks.

SIM / eSIM + WeChat

Get a travel SIM on arrival (Airalo eSIM works). Install and activate WeChat before leaving Copenhagen.

	Day 1 Arr SH	Day 2 SH	Day 3 SH	Day 4 SH	Day 5 SH→SZ	Day 6 SZ	Day 7 SZ	Day 8 SZ→BJ	Day 9 BJ	Day 10 Dep BJ
Transportation
Shanghai	Arrive	Bund · Lujiazui	French Concession	West Bund	→ Shenzhen
Shenzhen					Arrive	ZHA + MAD	Campuses	→ Beijing
Beijing								Arrive	Forbidden City	Dep CPH

Select leg

A slower, deeper plan. Five days in Shanghai lets you actually absorb the city rather than skim it. You fly in direct from Copenhagen, move south to Shenzhen for the innovation story, then finish in Chongqing — the most architecturally singular city on earth. You fly home from Shanghai, which has the direct CPH flight. No Beijing this time: that layer comes if and when you return.

Route

Shanghai · Days 1–5 · CPH direct in & out

Shenzhen · Days 6–8

Chongqing · Days 9–10

Direct CPH flight

Internal flight

Why Plan C works

5 days in Shanghai is the right amount — 3 is a skim, 5 lets you settle in and explore properly
Both CPH flights (in and out) are on the same city: simplest logistics of all three plans
Shenzhen is unchanged — the full innovation programme fits in 3 days
Chongqing at the end works well as a wind-down: it rewards slow walking, not rushing

What Plan C gives up

Beijing — the political/cultural weight and contemporary architecture (CCTV, 798, Forbidden City)
The narrative arc of moving from south to north — this plan loops back instead
Guangzhou/Xpeng opportunity (same as Plan B)

Plan C route logistics

CPH → Shanghai Pudong (PVG)

China Eastern · ~5x/week · approx. 10h15m direct

Shanghai → Shenzhen

High-speed rail (~7–8 hrs, scenic, recommended) or flight (~2.5 hrs)

Shenzhen → Chongqing

Flight · ~2 hours · book via Trip.com or Ctrip

Chongqing → Shanghai (PVG) → CPH

Chongqing → Shanghai flight ~2.5 hrs, then China Eastern direct back to Copenhagen. Same airline, same airport.

Fredag 30. oktober · Arrival

CPH dep 20:00 tor 29/10 · arrive PVG 13:30 · China Eastern direct

Shanghai Pudong Airport (PVG) · arrival

Keep day 1 light after a long flight. The Maglev from the airport (430 km/h, 7 minutes) is worth taking for its own sake.

The Bund · evening walk Architecture

Colonial European banking architecture on the west bank facing the Pudong towers on the east. The contrast tells you everything about the last 150 years in one glance. Best seen at dusk and after dark.

Dinner · Xintiandi or Huangpu area Food

Converted 1930s shikumen longtang housing, high density of good restaurants. Good first-night base — walkable and easy to navigate.

Overnight

Shanghai · Jing'an or French Concession · 5 nights: 30 okt – 3 nov

The Maglev (430 km/h, 7 min) runs from PVG to Longyang Road metro station. Take it. You arrive at 13:30, leaving a full afternoon to get settled before the Bund at dusk.

Lørdag 31. oktober · Architecture day

Skyline, new opera house, and the city's full architectural range

Pudong skyline from the Huangpu ferry Architecture Must

The short public ferry (¥2, 5 min) gives the best view of both banks. Shanghai Tower (632m, Gensler), the Pearl Tower, and the World Financial Center together. One of the most extraordinary skylines on earth.

Shanghai Grand Opera House (Snøhetta, 2025) Architecture Must

Opened 2025, Huangpu Riverfront. 140,000m², three performance halls, inspired by the Chinese fan form. One of the most significant new public buildings in Asia.

Jing'an Temple area · evening Culture

Active Buddhist temple surrounded by luxury retail and skyscrapers. The juxtaposition is very Shanghai.

Overnight

Shanghai · nat 2 af 5 · lør 31/10

Søndag 1. november · French Concession

The layer of Shanghai that exists nowhere else in China

French Concession · morning walk Culture Architecture

Tianzifang Culture

Converted longtang (lane-house) alleys in the French Concession. Small galleries, design shops, and food stalls. Best before noon — gets crowded.

Xintiandi · afternoon + dinner Food

Restored shikumen housing converted to upscale dining and retail. The architecture is interesting; the food scene is exceptional. Site of the 1921 founding of the Chinese Communist Party — another productive contradiction.

Overnight

Shanghai · nat 3 af 5 · søn 1/11

Mandag 2. november · Innovation

Zhangjiang, West Bund museums, and state-directed tech at scale

Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park Tech

Shanghai's primary innovation district — semiconductors, biotech, AI labs, and the Shanghai Supercomputing Center. State-directed innovation at scale. Less visual than Shenzhen's campuses, more academic. Allow 1.5–2 hours.

Shanghai Museum of Art (West Bund) Architecture

Part of the West Bund cultural cluster — multiple significant museums on the southern Huangpu. David Chipperfield designed. Good afternoon option combining architecture and contemporary art.

West Bund waterfront walk Architecture

Regenerated industrial riverfront — former aviation fuel depot, now museum district. Excellent for understanding what China does with obsolete infrastructure.

Overnight

Shanghai · nat 4 af 5 · man 2/11

Tirsdag 3. november · Rest + depart Shenzhen

Free morning · afternoon/evening departure to Shenzhen

Free morning · Shanghai at your own pace

Use this for anything you want to revisit, a market you missed, or just coffee in the French Concession. You have 5 days so you don't need to fill every hour.

Depart Shanghai → Shenzhen

High-speed rail (7–8 hrs, recommended — the route through Zhejiang, Fujian and Guangdong is scenic) or flight (~2.5 hrs). Rail departs from Hongqiao station.

Overnight

Shenzhen · Futian eller Nanshan · første nat i Shenzhen · tir 3/11

The high-speed rail Shanghai → Shenzhen is one of the great train journeys in Asia — but given you have only 3 nights in Shenzhen and want to arrive with energy, the 2.5-hour flight makes more sense here. Depart PVG or Hongqiao mid-afternoon on the 3rd.

5 nights

Shanghai

632 m

Shanghai Tower

430 km/h

Maglev

Snøhetta

Opera House 2025

Where to stay · Shanghai

★

Jing'an district Recommended

The best base for this itinerary. Central, walkable, metro access to everything. Tree-lined streets, good restaurants at every price point, and you are 10 minutes from the French Concession on foot. Hotels here tend to be quieter and more comfortable than in Huangpu. Look at the area around Jing'an Temple (metro line 2/7).

Luwan / Former French Concession

Atmospheric, walkable, excellent food. Slightly less convenient for Pudong-side visits but worth it if you want to be in the middle of the city's best neighbourhood. Boutique hotels here are significantly better than chains.

Huangpu / Bund area

Great location for the Bund views and proximity to the river but prices are high and the area can feel touristy. Worthwhile if you find a good deal on a room above the 15th floor — the skyline at night is worth it.

✗

Avoid: Pudong / east of the river

Spectacular skyline from the outside, but staying there means crossing the river every time you want to be in the real city. The metro works but adds 20 minutes to everything.

Tirsdag 3. november · Arrive Shenzhen

The antithesis of Shanghai — raw, unfinished, pure speed

Arrive from Shanghai · check in

Coming from 5 days in polished Shanghai, Shenzhen's rawness is immediately striking. Fishing village to 13 million people in 40 years. The pace shows.

Futian CBD · evening walk Architecture

Density, vertical scale, no heritage layer whatsoever. A city with no obligation to the past — which is exactly what makes it feel different from Shanghai.

Dinner · OCT Loft or Nanshan Food

Creative industrial quarter. Different atmosphere from the corporate core.

Overnight

Shenzhen · Futian eller Nanshan · 2 nætter: 3–4 nov

Onsdag 4. november · Architecture

ZHA + MAD — two of Asia's most important contemporary buildings

Shenzhen Science & Technology Museum (ZHA, 2025) Architecture Must

Opened May 2025, designed by Zaha Hadid Architects. 950 exhibits on AI, robotics, space, and quantum computing. Stainless steel skin with undulating terraces facing Shenzhen Bay. Allow 3 hours.

Shenzhen Bay Culture Square (MAD Architects, 2024) Architecture

Adjacent. Designed by MAD Architects (Ma Yansong). Nine exhibition halls — one of the world's largest design museum complexes.

Huaqiangbei Electronics Market Tech

The world's largest electronics market. A thousand shops selling every conceivable component. Understand this and you understand why hardware innovation happens in Shenzhen.

These two buildings in the same afternoon = one of the densest concentrations of serious contemporary architecture anywhere in Asia.

Overnight

Shenzhen · nat 2 af 2 · ons 4/11

Torsdag 5. november · Campuses + depart

Huawei, DJI, then fly to Chongqing

Huawei Ox Horn Campus, Songshan Lake Tech Must

DJI Sky City (Foster + Partners) Architecture

Headquarters of the company controlling 70%+ of the global consumer drone market. Striking building, significant company.

Fly Shenzhen → Chongqing

Approx. 2 hours. Book via Trip.com or Ctrip.

Overnight

Chongqing · Jiefangbei · første nat i Chongqing · tor 5/11

2 nights

Shenzhen

ZHA + MAD

Architecture

Huawei

Campus visit

1979

SEZ founded

Where to stay · Shenzhen

★

Futian district Recommended

The most practical base. CBD central, directly on metro lines 3 and 4, and equidistant between the ZHA/MAD buildings to the west and Huaqiangbei to the north. The area around Civic Center and Convention Center has a large range of hotels. Futian also has the cross-border rail station if you are considering a Hong Kong day trip.

Nanshan district

Worth considering if you want a more creative atmosphere. Home to OCT Loft, Shekou waterfront, and many tech company headquarters. Slightly further from Huaqiangbei but closer to the ZHA museum and the bay. More international feel — Shekou has been expat-friendly since 1979.

–

Note on the city

Shenzhen is large and spread out. The metro is excellent but you will use it constantly. Both Futian and Nanshan sit on line 1 (east–west spine), making either a reasonable base. Hotel quality is generally very high for the price — this is a business travel city.

Torsdag 5. – fredag 6. november · Vertical city

Arrive evening 5/11 · full day 6/11 · Liziba · Hongya Cave · Raffles

Fly Shenzhen → Chongqing · arrive evening 5/11 · check in

~2 hour flight. Arrive evening, settle in. Book in Jiefangbei — hotel placement matters in Chongqing. The full programme runs on 6/11.

Liziba Station · Line 2 metro Architecture Must

Hongya Cave at night Architecture Must

Stacked cliffside structure of restaurants, shops and walkways hanging over the Jialing River. 11 storeys built into a cliff face. Best after dark when lit up.

Raffles City (Moshe Safdie, 2019) Architecture Must

Eight towers connected 250 metres up by a curved sky bridge — The Crystal. Walk across it. The views explain the city better than any map.

Overnight

Jiefangbei · Chongqing · 2 nætter: 5–6 nov

Chongqing is hilly. Use cable cars and funiculars freely — they are regular transit, not tourist attractions. You have one full day (6/11) so prioritise the big three: Liziba, Raffles skybridge, Hongya Cave.

Lørdag 7. november · Fly home

Early morning Chongqing → Shanghai · dep PVG 13:20 · arr CPH 18:00

Early flight Chongqing → Shanghai Pudong (PVG)

Book the 07:00–08:30 departure from Chongqing Jiangbei (CKG) — there are several direct options landing at PVG by 10:00–10:30. This gives a comfortable 2.5–3 hour connection before the CPH flight. Do not cut this tighter.

Shanghai Pudong (PVG) → Copenhagen · dep 13:20 · arr 18:00 Home

China Eastern direct. Arrive Copenhagen 18:00 same day. PVG is large — allow time to transit between domestic arrivals and the international departure hall. Book both Chongqing–Shanghai and the CPH leg on the same booking reference if possible.

→

Ciqikou Ancient Town — move to Day 6 (6/11) Reschedule

Given the early departure on 7/11, Ciqikou fits better as an afternoon option on the 6th, after Liziba and Raffles in the morning. The Yangtze short cruise can also slot in there. Keep the morning of 7/11 clear.

Home

CPH ankomst lørdag 7. november · kl. 18:00

CKG → PVG: book earliest morning departure (~07:00). PVG dep 13:20 → CPH 18:00. Allow 2.5–3 hrs connection at PVG domestic → international. Book on same reference if possible.

32M

Population

2 nights

Jiefangbei

40+

Bridges in city

250 m

Raffles skybridge

Where to stay · Chongqing

★

Jiefangbei / Liberation Monument Non-negotiable

This is the only sensible base in Chongqing for this itinerary. The central peninsula formed by the Yangtze and Jialing rivers — everything on the programme is walkable or a short taxi from here. Chongqing's topography means that an off-centre hotel adds 30–45 minutes of hillside navigation to every outing. Raffles City, Hongya Cave, Liziba Station, and the cable car are all within 15 minutes on foot. Do not compromise on this.

Specifically: within 600m of Jiefangbei Square

The square itself is a useful anchor point. Hotels within walking distance include the Raffles at Raffles City (on-site, convenient but expensive) and numerous mid-range business hotels. The Westin, Hyatt, and W Chongqing are all in this zone. Book on the high floors — Chongqing at night from above is extraordinary.

✗

Avoid: Jiangbei district or Shapingba

These are across the river or further out. Fine for residents, but for a 2-night stay they add real friction. The river crossings look short on a map and are not short in practice.

Plan C transport

All legs · booking channels · airport notes

CPH → Shanghai Pudong (PVG) · tor 29/10 dep 20:00 · fre 30/10 arr 13:30

China Eastern direct. On arrival: Maglev to city (430 km/h, 7 min, ~¥50). Do not take a taxi from PVG.

Shanghai → Shenzhen · tir 3/11 afternoon

Flight ~2.5 hrs recommended given the limited time window. Depart PVG or Hongqiao mid-afternoon to arrive in Shenzhen with energy for the evening.

Shenzhen → Chongqing · tor 5/11 afternoon/evening

Flight, approx. 2 hours. Book via Trip.com or Ctrip. Arrive Chongqing evening — settle in, brief orientation walk.

Chongqing → Shanghai Pudong · lør 7/11 dep ~07:00 · arr ~10:00

Book earliest morning departure from CKG. Multiple options around 07:00–08:30. Aim to arrive PVG by 10:00–10:30 for a comfortable connection.

Shanghai Pudong (PVG) → CPH · lør 7/11 dep 13:20 · arr 18:00

China Eastern direct. Same airline and airport as arrival. Book both legs 4 and 5 on the same reference where possible.

Within cities · metro + DiDi

Metro in all three cities is excellent, cheap, English signage. DiDi app (China's Uber) accepts foreign cards. Essential for taxis.

Money and digital prerequisites

Same requirements across all plans — set up before leaving Copenhagen

WeChat Pay and Alipay

Both support foreign Visa/Mastercard. Set up before departure. Physical CNY cash as backup.

VPN

Google, WhatsApp and Instagram are blocked. Set up before departure — the App Store is restricted on Chinese networks.

SIM / eSIM + WeChat

Get a travel SIM on arrival (Airalo eSIM works). Install and activate WeChat before leaving Copenhagen.

	30/10 Arr SH	31/10 SH	1/11 SH	2/11 SH	3/11 SH→SZ	4/11 SZ	5/11 SZ	6/11 SZ→CQ	7/11 CQ→PVG
Transportation
Shanghai	Arrive	Architecture	French Concession	West Bund	→ Shenzhen
Shenzhen					Arrive	ZHA + MAD	Campuses	→ Chongqing
Chongqing								Arrive	→ PVG
PVG Depart									CPH 13:20

Select leg

The nature plan. Same CPH flights as Plan C, same dates — but Chongqing is replaced by Guilin and the Li River. Shanghai gets 4 full days, Shenzhen 2 nights, and Guilin 1 night plus a full Li River cruise day. You fly to PVG the same evening as the cruise and sleep at the airport hotel — departure day is completely stress-free.

Route

Shanghai · Days 1–4 · CPH direct in & out

Shenzhen · Days 5–6

Guilin · Day 7 · Li River cruise + fly PVG

Direct CPH flight

Internal flight

What Plan D offers vs. Plan C

Guilin: the Li River karst landscape — one of the genuinely extraordinary natural experiences in Asia
Total contrast to Shanghai and Shenzhen — city/city/nature rather than city/city/city
Shenzhen → Guilin: 1-hour flight or 3-hour high-speed rail — easy leg
Return via Shanghai: fly Guilin → PVG on evening of 6/11, relaxed departure 7/11
No strenuous terrain — Li River cruise is 4–5 hrs on a comfortable boat, completely passive

What Plan D gives up vs. Plan C

Chongqing — the most singular urban experience on the trip; nothing else like it
One Shanghai day cut — the innovation/West Bund day is the casualty
Guilin doesn't connect to the innovation narrative — it is classical China, not modern China
One extra internal flight leg (Guilin → Shanghai on 6/11)

Plan D route logistics

CPH → Shanghai Pudong (PVG) · tor 29/10 dep 20:00

China Eastern direct · arrive PVG fre 30/10 kl. 13:30

Shanghai → Shenzhen · man 2/11 afternoon

Flight ~2.5 hrs from PVG or Hongqiao. 3 nights Shanghai (30 okt – 2 nov).

Shenzhen → Guilin · tor 5/11

High-speed rail ~3 hrs (recommended — comfortable, scenic, no airport friction) or flight ~1 hr. 3 nights Shenzhen (2–5 nov).

Guilin → Shanghai Pudong · fre 6/11 evening

~2 hr flight. Arrive PVG ~21:00. One night in Shanghai airport hotel or nearby — relaxed, no stress. 2 nights Guilin (5–6 nov).

Shanghai Pudong (PVG) → CPH · lør 7/11 dep 13:20 · arr 18:00

China Eastern direct. No early morning rush — you're already at PVG. This is the cleanest return of all four plans.

Fredag 30. oktober · Arrival

CPH dep 20:00 tor 29/10 · arrive PVG 13:30 · China Eastern direct

Shanghai Pudong Airport (PVG) · arrival

Keep day 1 light. Maglev from PVG to the city (430 km/h, 7 min) — take it. You arrive at 13:30, leaving a full afternoon before the Bund at dusk.

The Bund · evening walk Architecture

Colonial European banking architecture on the west bank facing the Pudong towers on the east. The contrast tells you everything about the last 150 years in one glance. Best at dusk and after dark.

Dinner · Xintiandi Food

Converted 1930s shikumen housing, good density of restaurants. Easy first-night base.

Overnight

Shanghai · Jing'an eller French Concession · 4 nætter: 30 okt – 3 nov

4 days covers the full programme — Bund, Opera House, French Concession, and the West Bund innovation belt. One of the strongest urban itineraries in Plan D.

Lørdag 31. oktober · Architecture day

Skyline from the water · Snøhetta Opera House · Jing'an

Pudong skyline from the Huangpu ferry Architecture Must

Public ferry ¥2, 5 min. Shanghai Tower (632m, Gensler), the Pearl Tower, the World Financial Center — one of the most extraordinary skylines on earth, best seen from the water.

Shanghai Grand Opera House (Snøhetta, 2025) Architecture Must

Opened 2025, Huangpu Riverfront. 140,000m², three performance halls. One of the most significant new public buildings in Asia.

Jing'an Temple area · evening Culture

Active Buddhist temple surrounded by luxury retail and skyscrapers. The juxtaposition is very Shanghai. Good restaurants in the district.

Overnight

Shanghai · nat 2 af 4 · lør 31/10

Søndag 1. november · French Concession

The architectural layer that exists nowhere else in China

French Concession · morning walk Culture Architecture

Tree-lined streets, 1920s–30s villas, Tianzifang alleys. Best in the morning before crowds arrive. This neighbourhood was built by a foreign power and then appropriated by a communist one — the political layers are thick.

Tianzifang · afternoon Culture

Shikumen alley blocks converted to studios, galleries, cafes. Crowded but worth it — one of the few places in Shanghai where the human scale of old lilong housing is still intact.

Dinner · French Concession neighbourhood Food

The Concession has the best restaurant density in Shanghai. No need to go far — explore the side streets around Yongkang Lu or Wulumuqi Lu.

Overnight

Shanghai · nat 3 af 4 · søn 1/11

Mandag 2. november · Innovation + depart

West Bund museum belt · afternoon flight to Shenzhen

West Bund museum district · morning Architecture

David Chipperfield's Long Museum West Bund (2014) and Tadao Ando's Tank Shanghai (2019) anchor a 10km stretch of former industrial waterfront now dense with cultural institutions. Walkable, flat, and architecturally serious.

Fosun Foundation (Foster + Partners) Architecture

Kinetic bronze screen façade on the Bund waterfront — one of the most discussed new buildings in Shanghai. Rotating fins change the skin throughout the day.

Depart Shanghai → Shenzhen · afternoon flight

~2.5 hrs from PVG or Hongqiao. Aim for 14:00–16:00 — arrive Shenzhen with time for an evening walk through Futian CBD.

Overnight

Shenzhen · Futian eller Nanshan · første nat i Shenzhen · man 3/11

4 nights

Shanghai

632 m

Shanghai Tower

430 km/h

Maglev

Snøhetta

Opera House 2025

Where to stay · Shanghai

★

Jing'an district Recommended

Central, walkable, metro access to everything. 10 minutes to the French Concession on foot. Good restaurants at every price point. Look at the area around Jing'an Temple (metro line 2/7).

Luwan / Former French Concession

More atmospheric, slightly less convenient for Pudong. Boutique hotels here are significantly better than chains if you can find availability.

Mandag 3. november · Arrive Shenzhen

The antithesis of Shanghai — raw, unfinished, pure speed

Arrive from Shanghai · check in

Shenzhen went from fishing village to 13 million in 40 years. Coming from polished Shanghai, the rawness is immediately striking.

Futian CBD · evening walk Architecture

Density, vertical scale, no heritage layer whatsoever. A city with no obligation to the past.

Dinner · OCT Loft or Nanshan Food

Creative industrial quarter, different atmosphere from the corporate core.

Overnight

Shenzhen · Futian eller Nanshan · 2 nætter: 3–5 nov

Tirsdag 4. november · Architecture

ZHA + MAD — two of Asia's most important contemporary buildings

Shenzhen Science & Technology Museum (ZHA, 2025) Architecture Must

Opened May 2025, designed by Zaha Hadid Architects. 950 exhibits on AI, robotics, space, and quantum computing. Stainless steel skin with undulating terraces facing Shenzhen Bay. Allow 3 hours.

Shenzhen Bay Culture Square (MAD Architects, 2024) Architecture

Adjacent. Nine exhibition halls — one of the world's largest design museum complexes.

Huaqiangbei Electronics Market Tech

The world's largest electronics market. Understand this and you understand why hardware innovation happens in Shenzhen.

ZHA and MAD in the same afternoon = one of the densest concentrations of serious contemporary architecture anywhere in Asia.

Overnight

Shenzhen · nat 2 af 2 · tir 4/11

Onsdag 5. november · Campuses + depart Guilin

Huawei · DJI · afternoon train or flight to Guilin

Huawei Ox Horn Campus, Songshan Lake Tech Must

DJI Sky City (Foster + Partners) Architecture

Headquarters of the company controlling 70%+ of the global consumer drone market.

Depart Shenzhen → Guilin · afternoon

High-speed rail ~3 hrs from Shenzhen North (recommended) or flight ~1 hr. Arrive Guilin early evening — enough time for a riverside walk before dinner.

Overnight

Guilin · city centre · første nat i Guilin · ons 5/11

2 nights

Shenzhen

ZHA + MAD

Architecture

Huawei

Campus visit

1979

SEZ founded

Where to stay · Shenzhen

★

Futian district Recommended

CBD central, on metro lines 3 and 4, equidistant between ZHA/MAD to the west and Huaqiangbei to the north. Also has the cross-border rail station for a possible Hong Kong day trip.

Nanshan district

More creative/expat atmosphere, closer to Shekou waterfront and the ZHA museum. Slightly further from Huaqiangbei. Both Futian and Nanshan sit on metro line 1.

Onsdag 5. november · Arrive Guilin

Evening arrival · city centre Li River walk · Reed Flute Cave optional

Arrive from Shenzhen · check in

Guilin is small, calm, and easy after Shenzhen. The pace drop is immediate and welcome. Book centrally — the city is walkable and the Li River runs through the middle of it.

Li River city walk · Two Rivers and Four Lakes Culture

Guilin's restored urban waterway system — lit up at night, flat, completely walkable. The karst peaks appear at the edge of the city. Good gentle introduction before the full cruise tomorrow.

Reed Flute Cave (optional) Optional

Illuminated limestone cave, 5km from the centre. Visually spectacular, 45-min walk-through, no terrain. Worth adding if you arrive early enough.

Overnight

Guilin centre · 1 nat: 5 nov

Torsdag 6. november · Li River cruise + fly PVG

84 km · Mopanshan Pier → Yangshuo · evening flight to Shanghai

Li River cruise · Guilin → Yangshuo Must

84 km of karst limestone peaks rising straight from flat water, rice paddies, fishermen, cormorants, water buffalo. The landscape is on the 20 yuan note. Departs Mopanshan Pier ~09:30, arrives Yangshuo ~14:00–15:00. Comfortable air-conditioned boat — entirely passive, no walking required. Book 4-star class (¥370–450 CNY, ~€47–57).

Yangshuo · brief afternoon Culture

Coffee and a walk in Yangshuo — the karst peaks surround the town. Return to Guilin by bus or taxi (~1.5 hrs, ¥25–35 CNY). Head straight to the airport from the bus drop.

Fly Guilin → Shanghai Pudong (PVG) · evening

~2 hr flight, dep ~17:00–19:00, arr PVG ~19:00–21:00. Check in to PVG airport hotel — everything connected by walkway. Breakfast included tomorrow. Alarm set for a relaxed morning.

Overnight

PVG airport hotel · Shanghai · tor 6/11 · dep fre 7/11 kl. 13:20

October–November is ideal for the Li River: post-typhoon, 18–24°C, clear skies, low crowds. Flying to PVG the same evening locks in the calmest possible departure day.

Fredag 7. november · Fly home

Breakfast at PVG hotel · check-in · dep 13:20 · arr CPH 18:00

Breakfast at the airport hotel · no rush

You are already at Terminal 2. Departure is 13:20 — you have a full morning. Check in opens ~10:00. Walk across, security, done. This is what stress-free looks like.

PVG → CPH · dep 13:20 · arr 18:00 · China Eastern direct

Direct back to Copenhagen. 10 days, three cities, one river.

Hjemme

Arrival CPH · fre 7/11 kl. 18:00

By sleeping at PVG on 6/11, departure day is completely stress-free. No early alarm, no race to the airport, no tight connection. The extra hotel night costs ~€100–150 and buys a genuinely relaxed final morning.

84 km

Li River cruise

4–5 hrs

On the water

18–24°C

Nov. weather

¥450

4-star cruise

Where to stay · Guilin

★

City centre · near Zhengyang Pedestrian Street Recommended

Guilin is small and easy — unlike Shenzhen or Shanghai, location is not critical. Anything in the central area near the river is fine. The Shangri-La and Sheraton are both solid options near the waterfront. Mid-range boutique hotels along the Li River also work well and are significantly cheaper.

→

Night 2: PVG airport hotel (6/11)

Pullman Shanghai Pudong Airport (Terminal 2, direct walkway) is the top pick. Book early — it fills up. Ramada by Wyndham PVG and Holiday Inn Express are cheaper alternatives with the same connectivity.

Plan D transport

All legs · dates · booking notes

CPH → PVG · tor 29/10 dep 20:00 · fre 30/10 arr 13:30

China Eastern direct. Maglev from PVG (430 km/h, 7 min, ~¥50) to city on arrival.

Shanghai → Shenzhen · man 3/11 afternoon

Flight ~2.5 hrs from PVG or Hongqiao. Aim 14:00–16:00 departure. 4 nights in Shanghai (30 okt – 3 nov).

Shenzhen → Guilin · ons 5/11 afternoon

High-speed rail ~3 hrs from Shenzhen North (recommended) or flight ~1 hr. Arrive Guilin early evening. 2 nights Shenzhen (3–5 nov).

Guilin → PVG · tor 6/11 dep ~17:00–19:00 · after Li River cruise

~2 hr flight. Arrive PVG 19:00–21:00. Check in to PVG airport hotel — connected via walkway. 1 night Guilin (5/11), fly PVG on 6/11 evening.

PVG → CPH · fre 7/11 dep 13:20 · arr 18:00

China Eastern direct. Already at the airport. No taxi, no rush. Easiest departure of all four plans.

Return routing · how it works

Li River cruise on 6/11 · fly PVG same evening · stress-free 7/11

Li River cruise finishes ~14:30–15:00 in Yangshuo

Bus or taxi back to Guilin city (~1.5 hrs, ¥25–35). Head directly to Guilin Liangjiang Airport (15 min from centre).

Fly Guilin → PVG · tor 6/11 dep ~17:00–19:00 · arr ~19:00–21:00

~2 hr flight. Multiple daily frequencies. Book the latest flight that gets you to PVG by 21:00 comfortably. From Yangshuo, you have a realistic 2–2.5 hr buffer before needing to be at the airport.

PVG airport hotel · one night Baked in

Pullman Shanghai Pudong Airport (T2, direct walkway) is the top pick. Ramada by Wyndham PVG and Holiday Inn Express are cheaper with the same connectivity. Book early — airport hotels fill. Wake up with 4+ hrs before the 13:20 departure — no taxi, no panic.

PVG → CPH · fre 7/11 dep 13:20 · arr 18:00

China Eastern direct. Breakfast at the hotel, walk to the terminal — 5 minutes. This is the cleanest return of all four plans.

	30/10 Arr SH	31/10 SH	1/11 SH	2/11 SH→SZ	3/11 SZ	5/11 SZ→GL	6/11 GL · cruise	6/11 eve PVG hotel	7/11 Dep PVG
Transportation
Shanghai	Arrive	Architecture	French Concession	→ Shenzhen
Shenzhen				Arrive	ZHA + MAD	→ Guilin
Guilin						Arrive · Reed Flute	Li River → fly PVG
PVG Hotel								Night at PVG	CPH 13:20

Select leg

The simplest plan. Two cities, no internal complexity — Shanghai for the architecture and culture, Shenzhen for the innovation and contemporary buildings. Two optional detours: a Hangzhou/West Lake day trip from Shanghai (45 min by HSR), or a Hong Kong day trip from Shenzhen (40 min by MTR) — pick one or neither. You return to Shanghai on the final evening and sleep in the city — the Maglev covers the 30km to PVG in 7 minutes the next morning.

Route

Shanghai · Days 1–5 · CPH direct in & out

Shenzhen · Days 6–7

Hong Kong · optional day trip from Shenzhen

Direct CPH flight

Internal flight / Maglev

Why Plan E works

Two cities only — no packing stress, no airport days mid-trip
Shanghai gets the full 5-day treatment: everything from Plan C, nothing cut
Shenzhen: ZHA, MAD, Huawei campus — the three essential stops in 2 days
Hong Kong is 40 min by MTR from Futian — either a full day or an afternoon
Final night back in Shanghai city: charming neighbourhood, proper dinner, relaxed morning. The Maglev makes PVG a non-issue.

The trade-off

No Chongqing, no Guilin — if you want either, look at Plans C or D
Shenzhen compressed to 2 nights — you get the highlights but not the depth
Hong Kong requires a multiple-entry China visa — arrange this before departure
The return flight SZX→PVG (~2.5 hrs) adds one internal leg, but it's short and frequent

Plan E route logistics

CPH → Shanghai Pudong (PVG) · tor 29/10 dep 20:00

China Eastern direct · arrive PVG fre 30/10 kl. 13:30 · Maglev to city (7 min)

Shanghai → Shenzhen · ons 4/11 afternoon

Flight ~2.5 hrs. 5 nights Shanghai (30 okt – 4 nov).

Optional: Hong Kong day trip · tor 5/11 eller fre 6/11

MTR from Futian Cross-Border station → Hung Hom, ~40 min. Day return — no overnight needed. Requires multiple-entry China visa.

Shenzhen → Shanghai · fre 6/11 evening

Flight ~2.5 hrs. 2 nights Shenzhen (4–6 nov). Arrive Shanghai, sleep in Jing'an or French Concession.

Shanghai Pudong (PVG) → CPH · lør 7/11 dep 13:20 · arr 18:00

China Eastern direct. Maglev from Longyang Road station → PVG, 7 min, dep ~11:30. No airport hotel. Final morning in the city.

Fredag 30. oktober · Arrival

CPH dep 20:00 tor 29/10 · arrive PVG 13:30 · Maglev to city

Maglev · PVG → Longyang Road Must

430 km/h, 7 minutes, ¥50. The fastest train journey you'll ever take. Worth doing on arrival even just for the experience — it covers 30km in the time it takes to find a taxi queue.

The Bund · dusk walk Architecture

Colonial European banking facades on one side, Pudong's tower skyline on the other. The contrast is the whole story of Shanghai in one glance. Best at dusk.

Dinner · Xintiandi Food

Converted 1930s shikumen housing. Easy first night — good density of restaurants at every price point.

Overnight

Shanghai · Jing'an eller French Concession · 5 nætter: 30 okt – 4 nov

Lørdag 31. oktober · Architecture day

Pudong skyline · Snøhetta Opera House · Jing'an

Pudong skyline · Huangpu ferry Architecture Must

Public ferry ¥2, 5 min across. Shanghai Tower (632m, Gensler), the Pearl Tower, the World Financial Center — one of the most extraordinary skylines on earth, best seen from the water.

Shanghai Grand Opera House (Snøhetta, 2025) Architecture Must

Opened 2025, Huangpu Riverfront. 140,000m², three performance halls. One of the most significant new public buildings in Asia. Walk here from the ferry.

Jing'an Temple · evening Culture

Active Buddhist temple surrounded by luxury retail and skyscrapers — the juxtaposition is very Shanghai.

Overnight

Shanghai · nat 2 af 5 · lør 31/10

Søndag 1. november · French Concession

The architectural layer that exists nowhere else in China

French Concession · morning walk Architecture Culture

Tree-lined streets, 1920s–30s villas, Tianzifang alleys. Best in the morning before crowds. This neighbourhood was built by a foreign power and appropriated by a communist one — the political layers are thick.

Tianzifang · afternoon Culture

Shikumen alley blocks converted to studios, galleries, cafes. One of the few places in Shanghai where the human scale of old lilong housing is still intact.

Dinner · neighbourhood restaurants Food

The Concession has the best restaurant density in Shanghai. Explore the side streets around Yongkang Lu or Wulumuqi Lu.

Overnight

Shanghai · nat 3 af 5 · søn 1/11

Mandag 2. november · West Bund innovation belt

Chipperfield · Ando · Fosun · the new cultural waterfront

Long Museum West Bund (Chipperfield, 2014) Architecture

Former coal hopper converted into a major contemporary art museum. Chipperfield kept the industrial structure — the adaptive reuse is the architecture.

Tank Shanghai (Tadao Ando, 2019) Architecture

Five repurposed aviation fuel tanks on the riverfront — Ando's intervention is characteristically minimal and powerful.

Fosun Foundation (Foster + Partners) Architecture

Kinetic bronze screen façade on the Bund waterfront — rotating fins change the building's skin throughout the day.

Overnight

Shanghai · nat 4 af 5 · man 2/11

This stretch of former industrial waterfront is one of the densest concentrations of serious contemporary architecture in Asia. All three buildings are within walking distance of each other.

Tirsdag 3. november · Slow morning + depart

Breakfast in the neighbourhood · afternoon flight to Shenzhen

Slow morning · Jing'an or French Concession

Last morning in Shanghai. No agenda — coffee, a bookshop, a park. The neighbourhood around Jing'an Temple has excellent breakfast options and is completely walkable.

Yuyuan Garden (optional) Optional

Classical Ming-dynasty garden in the Old City — compact, beautifully restored, 45 minutes. Worth a look if you haven't been.

Depart Shanghai → Shenzhen · afternoon flight

~2.5 hrs from PVG or Hongqiao. Aim for 14:00–16:00 departure — arrive Shenzhen with time for an evening walk through Futian CBD.

Overnight

Shenzhen · Futian eller Nanshan · første nat i Shenzhen · tir 3/11

Hangzhou · West Lake · dagsudflugt Optional

Swap any free Shanghai day — best on Day 3 (søn 1/11) or Day 4 (man 2/11)

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Hotel → Metro Line 2 → Hongqiao Railway Station

Grand Central is steps from People's Square on Line 2. Hongqiao station is 10 stops west — about 35–40 min, ¥5. Leave the hotel by 08:30–09:00.

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Hongqiao → Hangzhou East · HSR

~45 min, ¥47–73 second class. ~360 trains daily — no need to book far ahead. Arrive Hangzhou East by 10:30.

Hangzhou East → West Lake · Metro Line 1

6 stops to Longxiangqiao, exit C, 400m walk to the lake. About 25 min, ¥4. Or taxi ¥40–60 in 20–30 min if you're in a hurry.

West Lake · Su Causeway + Bai Causeway Must

Walk the causeways across the lake — the Su Causeway is the longer one (2.8 km), shaded and quiet in the morning. Leifeng Pagoda for the view. A boat to the mid-lake island Xiaoying Zhou if you want to get on the water.

Lunch near the lake · Hangzhou cuisine

Dongpo pork (东坡肉) and longjing shrimp (龙井虾仁) are Hangzhou signatures worth ordering. The area around Nanshan Road near the south lake has good options at all price points.

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Return · Hangzhou East → Hongqiao → hotel

Leave Hangzhou by 17:00–18:00. Back at hotel by 20:00. Total door-to-lake roughly 2 hours each way — budget a full day.

This is a rest day in character — water, hills, and silence after several days of dense urban Shanghai. No architecture agenda. Worth doing if you want contrast; skip it if you'd rather stay in city mode and go deeper into Shanghai's outer neighbourhoods.

5 nights

Shanghai

430 km/h

Maglev

Snøhetta

Opera House 2025

Chipperfield · Ando · Foster

West Bund

Where to stay · Shanghai

★

Jing'an district Recommended

Central, walkable, metro access to everything. 10 minutes to the French Concession on foot. Good restaurants at every price point. Area around Jing'an Temple (metro line 2/7). Also your final night hotel on return from Shenzhen.

Luwan / Former French Concession

More atmospheric, slightly less convenient for Pudong trips. Boutique hotels here are significantly better than chains if you can find availability.

Tirsdag 3. november · Arrive Shenzhen

The antithesis of Shanghai — raw, unfinished, pure speed

Arrive from Shanghai · check in

Shenzhen went from fishing village to 13 million in 40 years. Coming from polished Shanghai, the rawness hits immediately.

Futian CBD · evening walk Architecture

Density, vertical scale, no heritage layer whatsoever. A city with no obligation to the past — everything here was built in the last 40 years.

Dinner · Nanshan or Futian Food

Both districts have good restaurant concentrations. OCT Loft for a more creative atmosphere.

Overnight

Shenzhen · Futian eller Nanshan · 1 af 2 nætter: 3–4 nov

Onsdag 4. november · Architecture day

ZHA + MAD + Huaqiangbei — full day, no rush

Shenzhen Science & Technology Museum (ZHA, 2025) Architecture Must

Opened May 2025. Zaha Hadid Architects. 950 exhibits on AI, robotics, space. Stainless steel skin with undulating terraces facing Shenzhen Bay. Allow 3 hours.

Shenzhen Bay Culture Square (MAD Architects, 2024) Architecture

Adjacent to ZHA. Nine exhibition halls — one of the world's largest design museum complexes.

Huaqiangbei Electronics Market Tech

The world's largest electronics market. Walk through it and you understand why hardware innovation happens in Shenzhen and nowhere else.

ZHA and MAD are adjacent on the Shenzhen Bay waterfront — morning there, afternoon Huaqiangbei, easy evening back in Futian. With a second night you're not racing to catch a flight today. Huawei Ox Horn and DJI Sky City are 40 min out — save those for a dedicated SZ trip.

Overnight

Shenzhen · Futian eller Nanshan · 2 af 2 nætter: 4–5 nov

Torsdag 5. november · Fly back to Shanghai

Morning buffer · fly SZX → SH · arrive Shanghai afternoon

Morning · slow start · checkout

No pressure. Late breakfast near Futian, pack up, check out.

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Fly Shenzhen → Shanghai · tor 5/11

~2.5 hrs from Shenzhen Bao'an (SZX) to PVG or Hongqiao. Multiple daily departures — aim for 11:00–14:00 to arrive Shanghai afternoon. Maglev or metro to hotel.

Arrive Shanghai · afternoon/evening

You know this city. Settle back in, dinner in the neighbourhood.

Fly out

Shenzhen → Shanghai · tor 5/11 · 2 nætter total i Shenzhen

2 nights

Shenzhen

ZHA + MAD

Architecture

Huaqiangbei

Electronics

40–45 min

HK option

Where to stay · Shenzhen

★

Futian district Recommended

CBD central, metro lines 3 and 4, equidistant between ZHA/MAD to the west and Huaqiangbei to the north. Futian Cross-Border station (MTR to HK) is here. 2 nights — easy base for everything.

Nanshan district

More creative atmosphere, closer to ZHA/MAD and Shekou waterfront. Slightly further from Huaqiangbei and the HK border crossing.

Torsdag 5. november · Arrive back Shanghai

Flight in from Shenzhen · afternoon arrival · settle in

Fly SZX → SH · arrive PVG or Hongqiao

~2.5 hrs. Afternoon arrival depending on departure time. Maglev from PVG T2 to Longyang Road (7 min, ¥50), then metro onward. Or taxi direct from Hongqiao.

Hangzhou · West Lake day trip Optional — if arriving early enough

If your SZX departure is 09:00–10:00, you arrive Shanghai by noon and still have time for a half-day in Hangzhou. Metro Line 2 → Hongqiao → HSR 45 min → West Lake. Return by 20:00. See Practical tab for full logistics.

Evening · dinner in the neighbourhood

You're back. No agenda tonight — eat well and sleep.

Overnight

Shanghai · Jing'an eller French Concession · 1 af 2 nætter · tor 5/11

Fredag 6. november · Final full day in Shanghai

Last real day · slow pace · revisit a favourite · proper final dinner

Morning · neighbourhood coffee + walk

No agenda. The streets around Jing'an or the French Concession are at their best in the morning before the crowds. Wuyuan Road, Anfu Road, Fuxing Park.

Afternoon · revisit what moved you most

The Bund at dusk again. Or simply decompress. Use the day for what the week didn't give you time for.

Final dinner · book in advance Food

Last meal in China — don't waste it on a hotel restaurant. The French Concession has a concentration of serious restaurants in a 10-minute walk.

Overnight

Shanghai · Jing'an eller French Concession · 2 af 2 nætter · fre 6/11

Two nights back in Shanghai keeps the return relaxed. You know the city, the airport logistics are clean. No rush, no stress.

Lørdag 7. november · Maglev → depart CPH

Breakfast in the city · Maglev 7 min · dep PVG 13:20 · arr CPH 18:00

Breakfast in the neighbourhood · slow morning

You have until ~11:00–11:30 before needing to leave for the airport. Proper breakfast, pack, check out.

Metro to Longyang Road → Maglev → PVG Key

Maglev departs every 15 min from Longyang Road station (metro lines 2/7/16). 7 minutes, 430 km/h, arrives at PVG T2. Depart hotel by 11:15 — you'll be at check-in by noon. Departure 13:20.

PVG → CPH · dep 13:20 · arr 18:00 · China Eastern direct

Home. 10 days, two cities, one of the most interesting trips you can do in Asia right now.

Hjemme

Arrival CPH · lør 7/11 kl. 18:00

Plan E transport

All legs · dates · the Maglev explained

CPH → PVG · tor 29/10 dep 20:00 · fre 30/10 arr 13:30

China Eastern direct. Maglev from PVG T2 to Longyang Road (430 km/h, 7 min, ¥50). Metro or taxi onward to hotel.

Shanghai → Shenzhen · tir 3/11 afternoon

Flight ~2.5 hrs from PVG or Hongqiao. Multiple daily departures. Aim 14:00–16:00. 5 nights Shanghai (30 okt – 3 nov).

Shenzhen → Shanghai · tor 5/11

Flight ~2.5 hrs. Morning or early afternoon departure from SZX — arrive Shanghai afternoon. 2 nights Shenzhen (3–5 nov). Two nights back in Shanghai (5–7 nov).

Longyang Road → PVG Maglev · lør 7/11 ca. kl. 11:30

Departs every 15 min. 7 minutes to PVG T2. Check-in ~noon. Departure 13:20. No stress, no airport hotel.

PVG → CPH · lør 7/11 dep 13:20 · arr 18:00

China Eastern direct. You slept in the city. This is the cleanest departure of all five plans.

Hong Kong — if you go

What to know before deciding

Multiple-entry China visa required

When you cross into Hong Kong (a separate jurisdiction), you technically leave mainland China. Re-entering requires a multiple-entry visa. A single-entry visa will strand you in HK. Arrange this before departure — Danish citizens apply through the Chinese consulate in Copenhagen.

MTR from Futian Cross-Border → Hung Hom

~40 min, ~¥35 CNY. The High Speed Rail from Shenzhen North to Hong Kong West Kowloon is faster (14 min, ¥78) but requires passport control and is more crowded. Both work fine.

What to do with a full day in HK

Victoria Peak tram for the skyline (worth it despite the tourists). The Star Ferry across to Hong Kong Island. Lunch dim sum in Central or Sheung Wan. PMQ design complex. The IFC and HSBC building by Foster — the financial district as architectural exhibition. Back to Shenzhen by 18:00 to fly to Shanghai.

Is it worth it?

Honestly, it depends on whether you've been before. First visit — yes, the density and verticality of Hong Kong is extraordinary and unlike anywhere. Return visit with limited days — probably skip it and give the time back to Shenzhen or Shanghai. HK as a day trip is enough to get the impression; it is not enough to get the city.

Hangzhou · West Lake — if you go

Day trip from Shanghai · best on Day 3 or 4 · swap any free Shanghai day

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Logistics: hotel → Metro Line 2 → Hongqiao → Hangzhou East

People's Square station is steps from Grand Central Hotel on Metro Line 2. Hongqiao is 10 stops west (~40 min, ¥5). Then 45 min by HSR to Hangzhou East (¥47–73 second class, ~360 trains daily). Total door-to-lake: ~2 hours. Leave hotel by 08:30.

Hangzhou East → West Lake · Metro Line 1

6 stops to Longxiangqiao, exit C, 400m walk to the lake shore. ~25 min, ¥4. Taxi is ¥40–60 if preferred.

West Lake · Su Causeway + Bai Causeway

Walk the causeways across the lake — the Su Causeway (2.8 km) is shaded and quiet. Leifeng Pagoda for the elevated view. Boat to Xiaoying Zhou mid-lake island optional. Allow 3–4 hours.

Lunch · Hangzhou cuisine

Dongpo pork (东坡肉) and longjing shrimp (龙井虾仁). Restaurants around Nanshan Road on the south lake are reliable and not tourist traps.

HK or Hangzhou — pick one

These are alternative detours — not both. HK is urban, vertical, dense. Hangzhou is water, hills, and silence. Choose based on what you want the trip to feel like. Neither is essential.

	30/10 Arr SH	31/10 SH	1/11 SH	2/11 SH	3/11 SH→SZ	4/11 SZ	5/11 SZ→SH	6/11 SH	7/11 Dep PVG
Transportation
Shanghai	Arrive	Architecture	French Concession	West Bund	→ Shenzhen		Arrive back	Final day	Maglev → PVG
Shenzhen					Arrive	ZHA + MAD	Fly → SH
HK (opt.)						Multi-day add-on — see Practical tab
Hangzhou (opt.)								West Lake day trip

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