--- title: "Two Clocks, One Bay" description: "5 days from a Shenzhen components market to a Wing Chun stance in Foshan" type: "tour" route_id: "greater-bay-area-5-days" total_days: 5 price: 1430 highlights: ["Shenzhen", "Guangzhou"] url: "https://www.lyriktrip.com/en-GB/tours/greater-bay-area-5-days" canonical_url: "https://www.lyriktrip.com/en-GB/tours/greater-bay-area-5-days" locale: "en-GB" alternates: {"en-US":"https://www.lyriktrip.com/tours/greater-bay-area-5-days","en-GB":"https://www.lyriktrip.com/en-GB/tours/greater-bay-area-5-days","zh-CN":"https://www.lyriktrip.com/zh-CN/tours/greater-bay-area-5-days","zh-TW":"https://www.lyriktrip.com/zh-TW/tours/greater-bay-area-5-days","de-DE":"https://www.lyriktrip.com/de-DE/tours/greater-bay-area-5-days","fr-FR":"https://www.lyriktrip.com/fr-FR/tours/greater-bay-area-5-days","es-ES":"https://www.lyriktrip.com/es-ES/tours/greater-bay-area-5-days","it-IT":"https://www.lyriktrip.com/it-IT/tours/greater-bay-area-5-days","x-default":"https://www.lyriktrip.com/tours/greater-bay-area-5-days"} --- # Two Clocks, One Bay 5 days from a Shenzhen components market to a Wing Chun stance in Foshan The bay, end to end. Nantou Old Town, a 35-minute train, morning tea and the Guangzhou waterfront, with English-speaking guides city by city. - Two long walking days on city streets. No climbs anywhere on this plan, and the one move between cities is a 35-minute train. ## Overview Shenzhen did most of its growing in around forty years. Forty minutes down the road sits Foshan, where the martial arts still belong to the courtyards of an old temple and to the neighbourhood around it. This plan puts both within one week, with a 35-minute train in the middle and only two hotels. Two nights in Shenzhen go to the electronics trade and to the old town underneath the new city. Two nights in Guangzhou hold the Foshan day and the river. Nothing here asks you to climb anything, and there is no domestic flight at all. By the last morning you'll stop hearing "new" and "old" as opposites. — LyrikTrip travel designers Every LyrikTrip journey begins with a conversation. Tell us your dates, who is coming and where you are flying from. First reply within four hours; a clear price for your dates within one business day. On this route we will also tell you plainly where the seven open items stand before you are asked for anything, and if your dates or your departure airport do not fit this plan, we say so instead of selling. ## Summary - Route ID: greater-bay-area-5-days - Duration: 5 days / 4 nights - Starting price: $1,430 - Status: active - Highlights: Shenzhen, Guangzhou - Cover image: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/cYQapjQk.webp ## Hero tags - private - From 1 guest - Max: no fixed limit ## Highlight notes - The bay, end to end. Nantou Old Town, a 35-minute train, morning tea and the Guangzhou waterfront, with English-speaking guides city by city. - 5 days from a components market in Shenzhen to a Wing Chun stance in Foshan. Understand what new means. ## Selling points - Walk a whole electronics market floor by floor, from trays of components up through prototypes to finished machines: you go home able to explain how the thing in your pocket actually gets made. - Spend an afternoon wandering an old town in the city everyone calls new: the same afternoon that begins in a hall about the next forty years ends in streets that were here first. - Take the first Wing Chun stance from a local instructor in Foshan, two hours of history first and hands second: this is the part of the week where nothing else gets a look in. - Sit down to a Cantonese morning tea on your last morning, with one seating each, ordered at your own pace rather than served at ours. - Unpack twice in five days: two nights in Shenzhen, two in Guangzhou, one 35-minute train between them and no airport in the middle of the week. ## City highlights - Shenzhen (2 days): Land, and let the city wait - Image: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/99d5f2fb8f33.jpg - Guangzhou (3 days): The city explains itself, then the old town answers back - Image: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/5wcQq4Zx.webp ## Experiences The bay, end to end. Nantou Old Town, a 35-minute train, morning tea and the Guangzhou waterfront, with English-speaking guides city by city. - Huaqiangbei (Shenzhen): one of the world's best-known electronics districts. You walk floors and streets where components, prototypes and finished devices sell side by side, and the supply chain behind the world's gadgets stops being an abstraction: it has counters, prices and business cards. Your guide keeps the logic straight while you browse. - Subtitle: one of the world's best-known electronics districts - Tags: Tech - Host: Shenzhen, Shenzhen Lens — Drones and future mobility - Access: Your guide keeps the logic straight while you browse. - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/f3ad2afbd3b2.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/200120e470fb.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/968fce5767a5.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/403ff3a81a73.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/b0f4ce04c70d.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/92c50a687090.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/2c610df7011f.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/dd5d5cbe7e98.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/2a799aaa4b8b.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/4576ade7ac05.jpg - The DJI flagship store (Shenzhen): an in-store visit of about 60 minutes to the flagship shop of the drone maker headquartered in this city, with drones, imaging equipment and consumer hardware on display and in demonstration. This is a store visit: no factory tour and no headquarters tour is part of this plan, and we do not sell it as one. Purchases are on your own account. - Subtitle: an in-store visit of about 60 minutes to the flagship shop of the drone maker headquartered in this city, with drones, imaging equipment and consumer hardware on display and in demonstration. - Tags: Tech - Host: Shenzhen, Shenzhen Lens — Drones and future mobility - Access: an in-store visit of about 60 minutes to the flagship shop of the drone maker headquartered in this city, with drones, imaging equipment and consumer hardware on display and in demonstration. This is a store visit: no factory tour and no headquarters tour is part of this plan, and we do not sell it as one. Purchases are on your own account. - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/c59277e3e14e.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/0d25a4a7e92f.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/7224e5883a44.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/5e1aa2efa99d.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/4abd75f91392.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/d58a4ceeb483.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/28f088cf0ce7.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/1ec91b2b91c6.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/67f5d80ad08b.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/b18a7a302c1f.jpg - A Robotaxi ride (Shenzhen): about 60 minutes in a self-driving taxi hailed on a screen and running on a commercial operator's live service lines, not on a demonstration track. Booked by date before you arrive and reconfirmed after you land. The service belongs to the operator, so its availability is not ours to promise. Where it is suspended on your day, the ride comes out of the plan and day two runs Huaqiangbei and the store as planned. Your quote states in writing what that does to your price. Stated to you as a conditional item before you pay, and never sold as a headline. - Subtitle: about 60 minutes in a self-driving taxi hailed on a screen and running on a commercial operator's live service lines, not on a demonstration track. - Tags: Tech - Host: Shenzhen, Shenzhen Lens — Drones and future mobility - Access: about 60 minutes in a self-driving taxi hailed on a screen and running on a commercial operator's live service lines, not on a demonstration track. Booked by date before you arrive and reconfirmed after you land. The service belongs to the operator, so its availability is not ours to promise. Where it is suspended on your day, the ride comes out of the plan and day two runs Huaqiangbei and the store as planned. Your quote states in writing what that does to your price. Stated to you as a conditional item before you pay, and never sold as a headline. - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/664627200a07.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/a2c22647c007.jpg - The Shenzhen city planning exhibition (Shenzhen): Admission to the municipal hall, where this city presents its growth and future plans, with models, plans and industrial history all under one roof. Admission is included in the base price. Its opening times and booking method have not yet been verified by us, so your quote will state in writing whether the hall is open on your third day and what alternative is offered if it is not. - Subtitle: admission to the municipal hall where this city lays out how it grew and what it plans next, models, plans and industrial history in one building. - Tags: Museum - Host: Shenzhen, Shenzhen Lens — Drones and future mobility - Access: admission to the municipal hall where this city lays out how it grew and what it plans next, models, plans and industrial history in one building. Admission is included in the base price. Its opening calendar and reservation method are not yet verified by us, so your quote states in writing whether the hall opens on your day three and what runs in its place where it does not. - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/c4d2ac05565d.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/36b2f6ada8e0.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/cf4c114b1d3e.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/b0f4ce04c70d.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/f76fb233d39d.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/968dd623286b.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/1fa064d31f0b.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/92c50a687090.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/a28194fbb218.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/a7613fe4218e.jpg - Shekou and Nantou Old Town (Shenzhen): about 150 minutes on foot through Shekou and the lanes of Nantou Old Town, a street-level walk through the old town that stands inside the modern city. The walk is at street level only. Where an individual house museum inside the old town charges its own admission, that charge is not in this plan and nothing of the kind is sold to you here. - Subtitle: about 150 minutes on foot through Shekou and the lanes of Nantou Old Town, a street-level walk through the old town that stands inside the modern city. - Tags: Heritage - Host: Shenzhen, Shenzhen Lens — Drones and future mobility - Access: about 150 minutes on foot through Shekou and the lanes of Nantou Old Town, a street-level walk through the old town that stands inside the modern city. The walk is at street level only. Where an individual house museum inside the old town charges its own admission, that charge is not in this plan and nothing of the kind is sold to you here. - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/6e42eb78c05a.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/ee6f5aca3e76.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/a9f733993980.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/7fe027cbcc5e.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/bacbe4bbc80d.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/27660217ea60.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/07f3ceea8440.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/9c043f296123.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/d0b2dd4ecb27.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/2dab0e8342ae.jpg - Shenzhen to Guangzhou by high-speed rail (Shenzhen): one train, about 35 minutes of running time, on the afternoon of day three. Station transfers at both ends are in your private vehicle. The seat class booked for your order is stated in writing in your quote, and the actual train is named at confirmation. The 35 minutes is the trunk-network figure and we confirm it against the timetable for your dates. - Subtitle: one train, about 35 minutes of running time, on the afternoon of day three. - Tags: Transport - Host: Shenzhen, Shenzhen Lens — Drones and future mobility - Access: one train, about 35 minutes of running time, on the afternoon of day three. Station transfers at both ends are in your private vehicle. The seat class booked for your order is stated in writing in your quote, and the actual train is named at confirmation. The 35 minutes is the trunk-network figure and we confirm it against the timetable for your dates. - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/562edfba7ca9.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/657532699f1f.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/e64fcdad571a.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/c54c82274c5d.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/9355e756281d.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/673e97272b64.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/ec5b8ff6b5da.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/456ffccae8e2.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/3669b1c85578.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/60eb70c6e497.jpg - Foshan Ancestral Temple (Foshan): admission to the old temple complex around which Foshan's religious life, its martial arts and its neighbourhood life all grew. Inside are courtyards, decorative architecture and cultural displays. Admission is included in the base price. - Subtitle: admission to the old temple complex around which Foshan's religious life, its martial arts and its neighbourhood life all grew. - Tags: Heritage - Host: Foshan, Foshan Lens — Martial arts, temple traditions and Lingnan streets - Access: admission to the old temple complex that Foshan's religious life, its martial arts and its neighbourhood life all grew around. Inside are courtyards, decorative architecture and cultural displays. Admission is included in the base price. - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/e63decabec6c.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/4060f37c2872.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/76c15ba6ae4d.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/2da36a0b81c8.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/4a4e86a40460.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/ecf9904580d9.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/3f7f3e0940a4.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/c8982f41d30d.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/9925807ca62a.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/46457618859d.jpg - Lion dance and martial arts at the temple (Foshan): a performance of about 45 minutes in the temple grounds, lion dance and martial arts by performers who train here, followed by the courtyards and the displays. In the base price. The daily performance times are being confirmed with the site, so your quote states in writing the time your day four is built around. - Subtitle: a performance of about 45 minutes in the temple grounds, lion dance and martial arts by performers who train here, followed by the courtyards and the displays. - Tags: Stage - Host: Foshan, Foshan Lens — Martial arts, temple traditions and Lingnan streets - Access: a performance of about 45 minutes in the temple grounds, lion dance and martial arts by performers who train here, followed by the courtyards and the displays. In the base price. The daily performance times are being confirmed with the site, so your quote states in writing the time your day four is built around. - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/ce602709993e.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/00a0f32ba0ae.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/f3185f56aacf.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/33f9a0abfa59.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/07dda953aec2.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/4f62f1d18cec.jpg - A Wing Chun session (Foshan): about 120 minutes with a local instructor of Wing Chun, a southern Chinese boxing style taught in Foshan. History and principles come first, then you take the basic stances and work through the basic movements yourself. No experience needed, no uniform needed, and nobody is hit. In the base price. - Subtitle: about 120 minutes with a local instructor of Wing Chun, a southern Chinese boxing style taught in Foshan. - Tags: Hands-on - Host: Foshan, Foshan Lens — Martial arts, temple traditions and Lingnan streets - Access: about 120 minutes with a local instructor of Wing Chun, a southern Chinese boxing style taught in Foshan. History and principles come first, then you take the basic stances and work through the basic movements yourself. No experience needed, no uniform needed, and nobody is hit. In the base price. - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/64ff5c6f754a.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/87f9298cf59b.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/9e35927f723c.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/f99b6bff2754.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/513ca979db70.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/4384c2860a74.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/f23a3a708cda.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/979bc77425de.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/6aa74dabfd64.jpg - Cantonese morning tea (Guangzhou): one seating per guest at a long-established teahouse on day five, in the base price. On the table: har gow, siu mai, cheung fun and char siu bao. Seasonal dim sum comes with whatever the kitchen has that week. This is a separate seating on top of your hotel breakfast, not a replacement for it. The house is named in your written confirmation, and which city it sits in is being finalized with our ground partner. - Subtitle: one seating per guest at a long-established teahouse on day five, in the base price. - Tags: Meal - Host: Guangzhou, Guangzhou Lens — Trade history and southern city life - Access: one seating per guest at a long-established teahouse on day five, in the base price. On the table: har gow, siu mai, cheung fun and char siu bao. Seasonal dim sum comes with whatever the kitchen has that week. This is a separate seating on top of your hotel breakfast, not a replacement for it. The house is named in your written confirmation, and which city it sits in is being finalized with our ground partner. - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/7a614a04d484.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/d322ea3473c4.jpg - Haixinsha and Zhujiang New Town (Guangzhou): about 120 minutes on foot along the contemporary waterfront and through the towers of Guangzhou's newer centre, public spaces, the river and the skyline the Greater Bay Area puts on its postcards. No ticket item. - Subtitle: about 120 minutes on foot along the contemporary waterfront and through the towers of Guangzhou's newer centre, public spaces, the river and the skyline the Greater Bay Area puts on its postcards. - Tags: City - Host: Guangzhou, Guangzhou Lens — Trade history and southern city life - Access: about 120 minutes on foot along the contemporary waterfront and through the towers of Guangzhou's newer centre, public spaces, the river and the skyline the Greater Bay Area puts on its postcards. No ticket item. - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/1bca40b03bf3.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/d02edcb53073.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/b365687f933b.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/e5dadda275c9.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/8de205c488c4.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/5d49d29f76f1.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/cfb77aaa5d36.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/db09cbf1ac4f.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/c1d66b265ace.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/245d78eac6d4.jpg ### Capture banner - Label: Save this itinerary - Title: Send the full route to your inbox - Subtitle: We will include the latest hotels, hosts and pacing notes. - Placeholder: Email address - CTA: Send route - Sent label: Sent ## Itinerary ### Two Clocks, One Bay - 5 days Journey #### Shenzhen (2 days) - Subtitle: Land, and let the city wait - Recommendation: Your driver meets your flight or your train, whatever time it comes in. Nothing is asked of you today. - Transport: High-speed rail - Transport mode: train Airport or railway station pickup · Shenzhen through the window · Evening - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/99d5f2fb8f33.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/8AH70UD0.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/h4WopDz7.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/j3OhqX9B.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/0540e86e5dd0.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/09971fb8ed55.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/0cb198f8a49d.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/1dabf6d8d82e.jpg ##### Day 1: Land, and let the city wait - (transport) — Your driver and vehicle are waiting against the flight number or train number on your confirmation, and the run into the city is yours to sleep through. - (sight) — the road runs between towers that all went up within one working life, glass and lit signage stacked the whole way. Look up at the ridge line of the skyline as you come in: almost nothing you can see is older than your driver. - (note) — Nothing is scheduled. Your guide is available, and dinner near your hotel is recommended and booked for you if you would like it, at your own expense. - (accommodation) Kempinski Hotel Shenzhen — Hotel stay in Shenzhen. ##### Day 2: How a machine gets made - (sight) — You walk the electronics market floor by floor for about 150 minutes: trays of components at the bottom, prototype boards and half-built machines in the middle, finished products at the top. Your guide reads the ecosystem as you go, who sells to whom and at what quantity. Stand at a counter while a seller tests a board in front of a buyer: fifteen seconds, no translation needed. Somewhere on the second floor you'll notice you have stopped taking photographs and started asking questions. - (sight) — about an hour inside the flagship store of the drone maker headquartered in this city, with drones, imaging equipment and consumer hardware on display and in demonstration. It is a store, not a factory, and we say so before you come. - (sight) — about an hour in a self-driving taxi, hailed on a screen and running on the operator's live service lines. Sit in the back and watch the wheel turn itself at a junction. Where the operator suspends service on your day, this ride comes out and the day runs on the two stops above. #### Guangzhou (3 days) - Subtitle: The city explains itself, then the old town answers back - Recommendation: A morning about the next forty years, an afternoon about the centuries before them. The contradiction is the point. - Transport: Flight - Transport mode: airplane The Shenzhen city planning exhibition · Shekou and Nantou Old Town · Afternoon train to Guangzhou - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/5wcQq4Zx.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/7rOa5eZw.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/1983e458756c.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/1bca40b03bf3.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/7a614a04d484.jpg ##### Day 3: The city explains itself, then the old town answers back - (sight) — models, plans and industrial history in one municipal hall: how the city grew, and what it intends to build next. Your admission is in the plan. If the hall is closed on your date, day three runs the old town as its main item and the train moves earlier, and we tell you which one you are getting before you pay. - (sight) — about 150 minutes on foot through Shekou and the lanes of the old town, at street level. Walk out of a lane and look back the way you came, with the towers standing over the low roofs: that is the picture the whole day was arranged for. - (transport) — your vehicle takes you to the station, and the train itself takes about 35 minutes' running time. Sit on the right and watch the delta go past at speed: factory towns, water, then another skyline. - (accommodation) Conrad Guangzhou — Hotel stay in Guangzhou. ##### Day 4: Forty minutes, the other clock - (transport) — about forty minutes each way by private vehicle. Your bags stay in Guangzhou and your room stays booked: this is a day out, not a move. - (sight) — the old temple complex around which this town's religious life, martial arts and neighbourhood life grew up. Inside are courtyards, decorative roofs and cultural displays. Your admission is included in the plan, and your guide walks the courtyards with you. - (sight) — This source is a SINGLE translation unit. Even if it contains many lines, list items, paragraphs, or sub-sections, translate the ENTIRE source as ONE string. Do NOT produce one translation per line — the whole source becomes exactly one output string. Do NOT split a source into multiple translations even if it contains many list items or paragraphs — the whole source becomes exactly one output string. Do NOT split a source into multiple translations even if it contains many list items or paragraphs — the whole source becomes exactly one output string. - (sight) — about two hours with a local instructor. History and principles first, sitting down; then you take the basic stance and work the basic movements, arms in front of you, weight where you are not used to putting it. Ten minutes in you'll feel muscles in your forearms that you have never had a reason to think about. ##### Day 5: Tea first, then the river - (dining) — a seating of your own at a long-established teahouse: har gow, siu mai, cheung fun and char siu bao, ordered a few at a time rather than brought out at once. Morning tea is how this region does its socialising, so the seating is unhurried and your guide orders with you, not for you. You'll notice the local table beside you has been sitting over one pot of tea for two hours. - (sight) — about two hours on foot along the waterfront and through the towers of the newer centre. Stand on the island with the river on one side and the towers on the other: the same delta you crossed by train two days ago, seen from its front row. - (transport) — your driver takes you to Guangzhou airport, timed against your departure with room to spare. If your flight is late in the day, tell us and we plan the gap around your check-out rather than around a timetable. ## Daily plan ### Day 1 — Land, and let the city wait Your driver meets your flight or your train, whatever time it comes in. Nothing is asked of you today. - Airport or railway station collection: your driver and vehicle are waiting against the flight number or train number on your confirmation, and the journey into the city is yours to sleep through. - Shenzhen through the window: the road runs in between towers that all went up within a single working lifetime, glass and illuminated signage stacked the whole way. Look up at the ridge line of the skyline as you come in: almost nothing you can see is older than your driver. - Evening: Nothing is scheduled. Your guide is available, and dinner near your hotel is recommended and booked on your behalf if you would like, at your own expense. - Stay: Shenzhen - Meals: None included today ### Day 2 — How a machine gets made Today is the city at work, not the city on show. You leave knowing how a design becomes a product here. - Huaqiangbei: you walk the electronics market floor by floor for about 150 minutes: trays of components at the bottom, prototype boards and half-built machines in the middle, finished products at the top. Your guide reads the ecosystem as you go, who sells to whom and at what quantity. Stand at a counter while a seller tests a board in front of a buyer: fifteen seconds, no translation needed. Somewhere on the second floor you'll notice you have stopped taking photographs and started asking questions. - The DJI flagship store: about an hour inside the flagship store of the drone maker headquartered in this city, with drones, imaging equipment and consumer hardware on display and in demonstration. It is a store, not a factory, and we say so before you come. - A Robotaxi ride: about an hour in a self-driving taxi, hailed on a screen and running on the operator's live service lines. Sit in the back and watch the wheel turn itself at a junction. Where the operator suspends service on your day, this ride comes out and the day runs on the two stops above. - Stay: Shenzhen - Meals: Breakfast at the hotel ### Day 3 — The city explains itself, then the old town answers back A morning about the next forty years, an afternoon about the centuries before them. The contradiction is the point. - The Shenzhen City Planning Exhibition: models, plans and industrial history in one municipal hall: how the city grew, and what it intends to build next. Your admission is included in the plan. If the hall is closed on your date, day three runs the old town as its main item and the train moves earlier, and we tell you which one you are getting before you pay. - Shekou and Nantou Old Town: about 150 minutes on foot through Shekou and the lanes of the old town, at street level. Walk out of a lane and look back the way you came, with the towers standing over the low roofs: that is the picture the whole day was arranged for. - Afternoon train to Guangzhou: your vehicle takes you to the station, and the train itself takes about 35 minutes of running time. Sit on the right and watch the delta go past at speed: factory towns, water, then another skyline. - Stay: Guangzhou - Meals: Breakfast at the hotel ### Day 4 — Forty minutes, the other clock A day trip to Foshan and back to the same room tonight. Today you use your hands instead of your camera. - The road to Foshan: about forty minutes each way by private vehicle. Your bags stay in Guangzhou and your room stays booked: this is a day out, not a move. - Foshan Ancestral Temple: the old temple complex that this town's religious life, martial arts and neighbourhood life grew up around. Inside are courtyards, decorative roofs and cultural displays. Your admission is included in the plan, and your guide walks the courtyards with you. - Lion dance and martial arts: about 45 minutes in the temple grounds, drums first, then the lion up on the posts and a martial arts set after it. Stand at the front left corner of the yard where the drum sits. - A Wing Chun session: about two hours with a local instructor. History and principles first, sitting down; then you take the basic stance and work the basic movements, arms in front of you, weight where you are not used to putting it. Ten minutes in you'll feel muscles in your forearms that you have never had a reason to think about. - Stay: Guangzhou - Meals: Breakfast at the hotel ### Day 5 — Tea first, then the river One sitting at a teahouse, one walk along the water, then the airport. The last morning is the one you'll describe first when you get home. - Cantonese morning tea: a table of your own at a long-established teahouse: har gow, siu mai, cheung fun and char siu bao, ordered a few at a time rather than served all at once. Morning tea is how this region socialises, so the seating is unhurried and your guide orders with you, not for you. You'll notice the local table beside you has been sitting over one pot of tea for two hours. - Haixinsha and Zhujiang New Town: about two hours on foot along the waterfront and through the towers of the newer centre. Stand on the island with the river on one side and the towers on the other: the same delta you crossed by train two days ago, seen from its front row. - Airport drop-off: your driver takes you to Guangzhou airport, timed against your departure with room to spare. If your flight is late in the day, tell us and we plan the gap around your check-out rather than around a timetable. - Stay: Trip ends - Meals: Breakfast at the hotel, plus the morning tea seating ## Hotels ### The Westin Guangzhou - City: Guangzhou - Description: The Westin Guangzhou, in Tianhe District near Canton Tower, offers modern rooms close to the CBD. - Image: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/c0kRmF4q.jpg ### Guangzhou Marriott Hotel Tianhe - City: Guangzhou - Description: Guangzhou Marriott Hotel Tianhe. A selected stay in Guangzhou. - Image: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/fed425e7b60a.jpg ### Mandarin Oriental, Guangzhou - City: Guangzhou - Description: Mandarin Oriental, Guangzhou. A selected stay in Guangzhou. - Image: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/8a41f79830b6.jpg ### Novotel Guangzhou Baiyun Airport - City: Guangzhou - Description: Novotel Guangzhou Baiyun Airport. A selected stay in Guangzhou. - Image: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/f382d85a9e4d.jpg ## Included / Excluded ### What's Included - Private vehicle: Air-conditioned private vehicle for all listed touring and all land transfers on days one to five: the Shenzhen pickup, the touring in both cities and the Foshan round trip, ending with the Guangzhou airport drop-off - High-speed rail: One leg, Shenzhen to Guangzhou on the afternoon of day three, about 35 minutes of running time. Station transfers at both ends are in the vehicle above. The seat class booked for your order is stated in writing in your quote, and your train is named at confirmation - Hotels: 4 nights at your chosen level, four-star, five-star or quality boutique, breakfast included: Shenzhen 2 · Guangzhou 2 - Guide: Licensed English-speaking guide on every touring day, including the Foshan day trip - Admissions: The Shenzhen city planning exhibition on day three · Foshan Ancestral Temple on day four. These two are the only ticketed sites on this plan - Experiences, Shenzhen: Huaqiangbei on foot for about 150 minutes with guide commentary · the DJI flagship store for an in-store visit of about 60 minutes · a Robotaxi ride of about 60 minutes conditional on the operator's service that day · Shekou and Nantou Old Town on foot for about 150 minutes - Experiences, Foshan and Guangzhou: The lion dance and martial arts performance at the temple for about 45 minutes, then the courtyards and displays · a Wing Chun session with a local instructor for about 120 minutes · Haixinsha and Zhujiang New Town on foot for about 120 minutes - Meals: 4 hotel breakfasts, days two through five, plus one Cantonese morning tea seating per guest on day five. That seating is arranged on top of the day-five hotel breakfast, not instead of it - Insurance: Travel accident insurance ### Not Included - International flights: Flights into Shenzhen and out of Guangzhou, and any connecting leg you need to reach Shenzhen. Who issues a connecting leg is stated in writing in any quote that carries one - Visas: Visa fees and processing for guests who require a Chinese visa - Meals: Beyond the four breakfasts and the one morning tea seating: lunches and dinners are recommended and booked by your guide, on your own account - In-venue spending: Anything bought inside Huaqiangbei or the DJI flagship store, and any shipping, customs or tax-refund cost it brings. Both are visits, not shopping allowances - In-park transport: Shuttles, carts, cableways or lifts where a site charges for them separately. None is needed by this plan as written - Optional add-ons: None on this route at present. Nothing in the included list is an upsell - Personal: Gratuities, single or extra-room difference, personal spending ### Special Notes A few things on this route follow the calendar, a supplier's confirmation or a review we have not finished. Here they are, told straight. - Bookings are not open yet: This plan was written up ahead of its own internal review, and that review has not been run. The remaining items have to be settled before we take a first order: Until those items are done we take no orders and no deposits. Tell us your dates and we write to you on the day it opens. - Guests flying from the United States: this plan as written is not sold to you, and we would rather say so than quote something we cannot fly you into. Shenzhen is the entry airport here and it has no nonstop service from any United States hub, while the exit airport Guangzhou does have nonstop service to San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York. Reopening this plan for you means rebuilding its entry side, which is a planning decision rather than a sales one. The United States is also outside the 30-day visa-free list, so a Chinese tourist or business visa applies in any case. - Departure dates: no departures October 1 to 7, the national holiday week, when every site on this plan runs at peak crowd levels. The autumn trade fair sits in Guangzhou somewhere inside the October to November window and we have not verified its 2026 dates, so October and November orders have Guangzhou rooms confirmed in writing first and we tell you where the fair stands. - The Shenzhen exhibition's closing day: We have not verified which day of the week this hall closes, and a comparable municipal hall elsewhere in China closes on Wednesdays rather than the more usual Monday. So we check the actual date of your departure against the hall before taking your order. Where it is closed, day three runs Shekou and Nantou Old Town as its main item and the train moves earlier. - The Robotaxi ride: it runs on a commercial operator's live service and the service is not ours to promise. It is booked by date before you arrive and reconfirmed after you land. Where the operator suspends service that day, the ride comes out of day two and Huaqiangbei and the store run as planned. Your quote states in writing what that does to your price. We tell you this before you pay, and we never sell the ride as a headline. - The temple performance times: The daily schedule of the lion dance and martial arts item is being confirmed with the site. Your day four is built around the confirmed time, and that time is written into your quote before you pay. - The morning tea house: the teahouse and the city it sits in are being finalized with our ground partner. One seating per guest on day five is included in your price either way, and the house is named in your written confirmation before you pay. - Foshan is a day trip: Three city names appear on this plan and it sells as two bases. Foshan is about forty minutes from Guangzhou by road; you go and come back the same day, and your Guangzhou room does not change that night. - Visa window: the 30-day visa-free policy currently runs through December 31, 2026. Because this is a 5-day plan, departures on or before December 27, 2026 finish inside that window; later dates are quoted only after the official renewal is announced. - Confirmation and changes: The confirmation-time commitment and the change and refund terms are being finalised with our ground partners. Until they are settled, each quote states in writing its own confirmation deadline and its own change and refund conditions. ## Is Five Days Your Length? Fewer than five days, or more? ### Fewer than five days, or more? The two halves come apart cleanly: the Shenzhen side stands on its own for two or three days, and the Foshan and Guangzhou side does the same. This plan also runs as the closing segment of a longer China trip. Tell us your dates and who is coming, and we cut days rather than cut the pace. ## Good to Know - Group: Private, just your party. From 1 guest. No fixed maximum party size. - Pace: Two bases in 5 days: Shenzhen 2 nights, Guangzhou 2 nights, with Foshan as a day trip. One 35-minute train, no domestic flight - Effort: Two long walking days on city streets, up to about 12,000 steps. No climbs on this plan and no cable cars - Ports: Arrive in Shenzhen, depart from Guangzhou. Pick-up from airport or railway station on day one, drop-off at Guangzhou airport on day five - Visas: British and most European passports enter visa-free for days; Canadian, Australian and New Zealand ones do too. Checked order by order against your dates. This plan as written is not sold to guests flying from the United States - Language: Licensed English-speaking guides throughout, in both cities and in Foshan - Payment: When this route opens for orders: From 1 guest. A 10% deposit (minimum $399) locks your dates. The balance is due 14 days before departure. "Or similar" never means a quiet downgrade - Season: Selling window October to December 2026. No departures 1 to 7 October. October and November dates have Guangzhou rooms confirmed in writing first ## Your Private Concierge - Name: Jason Hu - Title: Private China Route Concierge - Tagline: A bilingual planning desk for tailor-made China journeys. - Bio: Our China team tailors the pacing, hotels and local hosts to suit each route style. - Avatar image: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/c0TBypRh.png ### Stats - 20+ Years - 300+ Trips designed - 24/7 On-trip care ### The Conversation Every LyrikTrip journey begins with a conversation. Tell us your dates and who's coming — and if this length isn't right for you, we'll say so and shape a shorter arc. First reply within four hours; a clear price for your dates within one business day. - CTA: Start the conversation ### Step 01: Tell us what excites you Not your dates and budget — your curiosity. Where have you always wanted to go? What do you want to feel? We start there. - 24h: First concept delivered ### Step 02: We design it around you Your specialist builds the itinerary from scratch — routes, hosts, hotels, and experiences you won't find anywhere else. - 100%: Bespoke, never off-the-shelf ### Step 03: Lock it in with 10% When the plan feels right, a 10% deposit holds your entire trip. Balance due 30 days before departure. - 10%: Deposit to secure everything ### Step 04: Travel. We handle the rest. Your Trip Pack arrives before you fly. On the road, your concierge is one message away — for the expected and everything you didn't plan for. - 24/7: Support throughout your journey - Free cancellation up to 30 days - English-speaking concierge - Secure payment via Stripe - CTA: Talk to Us ## Guest Reviews - Overall rating: 4.9 - Total reviews: 523 - Count label: from 523 verified reviews 4.9 / 5 ### Platforms - google: 4.9 (312 reviews) - tripadvisor: 5.0 (211 reviews) - Filter tabs: All, Google, TripAdvisor - Emily Carter (🇺🇸 Seattle, USA · 5★ · May 2026 · google): Perfect for couples - My partner and I had an amazing time in China. Everything was arranged for us — transfers, hotels, guides. No stress at all. - Claire Brooks (🇬🇧 London, UK · 5★ · Apr 2026 · tripadvisor): Great for families - Traveled with my two kids and had zero issues. The team made sure the pace wasn't too rushed and included things the kids would enjoy. Communication was easy throughout. Will definitely use them again for our next Asia trip. - Laura Bennett (🇨🇦 Toronto, Canada · 5★ · Mar 2026 · google): Alisa made the whole experience easy - Alisa was our point of contact throughout and she was brilliant — patient, knowledgeable, and always quick to reply. The trip itself was wonderful. Beijing and Guilin were highlights. - Mark Henderson (🇺🇸 Denver, USA · 4★ · Feb 2026 · tripadvisor): Good service, minor hiccup but sorted quickly - Really good service. There was a small mix-up with one of our restaurant bookings but it got sorted quickly. The rest of the trip was seamless. - Rebecca Miller (🇺🇸 Boston, USA · 5★ · Jan 2026 · google): Really listened to what we wanted - Really helpful team. They listened to what we wanted and delivered. Beijing and Xi'an were incredible. ## China Ready We've solved the hard parts. Here's everything a first-time Western traveller needs to know before arriving. ### VPN & Internet Access - Badge: Do this before you fly - What's blocked: Google, Gmail, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, and most Western news sites are inaccessible in China without a VPN. - Download before you leave: It's nearly impossible to download a VPN once inside China. Install and test at home. Recommended: Astrill (most reliable), Mullvad, ExpressVPN — subscribe to at least two in case one stops working. - Hotel Wi-Fi tip: Some hotels block VPN connections on their Wi-Fi. Use your phone's mobile data as a hotspot if the VPN drops. - Good news: WhatsApp works perfectly through a VPN, so your messaging stays unchanged. Apple iMessage and Signal also work. ### Paying in China - Badge: Your concierge sets this up on Day 1 - China is cashless: Alipay and WeChat Pay are used for almost everything — restaurants, taxis, markets, tickets. Cash is rarely accepted in cities. - International cards now work: Foreign Visa/Mastercard can now link directly to Alipay (set up in minutes, $5,000 single transaction limit). Your concierge walks you through the setup on your first morning. - Carry some cash: We recommend ¥500–800 RMB in cash for the rare vendor that won't accept digital payment, and for small towns. - Booking this trip: Your deposit and balance are charged via Stripe — the same trusted platform used by Airbnb and Booking.com. USD billing, no surprise conversion fees. ### Visa & Entry - Badge: We handle the paperwork - Do you need a visa?: Most US, UK, EU, Australian, Canadian, and New Zealand passport holders need a tourist (L) visa for stays over 10 days. We provide a visa invitation letter with every booking — it significantly speeds up approval. - 240-hour visa-free transit: Citizens of 55+ countries (including USA, UK, most of EU, AUS, NZ, Canada) can enter China visa-free for up to 10 days if transiting through eligible ports. This covers our 12-day itinerary only if you have a confirmed onward flight. - Processing time: Apply 4–6 weeks before departure. Standard processing: 4–7 business days. Express (3 days) and same-day options available at most Chinese consulates. - What we provide: Visa invitation letter, hotel confirmation for all nights, suggested itinerary document — everything the consulate needs, formatted correctly. ### Safety & Practical Tips - Badge: Our responsibility, always - Is China safe?: China consistently ranks among the safest countries for foreign tourists. Violent crime against visitors is extremely rare. Cities have extensive CCTV coverage and a visible police presence. - Emergency numbers: Police: 110. Ambulance: 120. Your concierge is your first call for any non-emergency situation — she has local contacts for every city on the itinerary. - Health & medications: Bring a full supply of any prescription medication. International pharmacies exist in major cities but may not carry your brand. Travel insurance is required — we can recommend policies that cover China specifically. - Language: English fluency outside hotels and tourist sites is limited. Your guides all speak English. We provide a printed pocket card with essential Chinese phrases and emergency contacts for every traveller. ## Before You Book Everything worth knowing before you book. ### Can I book this today? Not yet, and we would rather tell you than take your money. This plan was packaged ahead of its own internal review, and seven things are settled before we take a first order. Those include the ground confirmations, the exhibition's opening calendar, the temple's performance times and the review itself. No orders and no deposits until then. Send us your dates now and we will write to you the day it opens, with the named hotels and the confirmed times in that first email. ### We're flying from the US. Can you run this for us? Not as written, and here is the reason. Shenzhen is where this plan starts and there is no nonstop service into Shenzhen from any United States hub, so we would be selling you a connection we have not planned. This plan ends in Guangzhou, which does have nonstop service to San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York. Send us your dates anyway: rebuilding the entry side is a planning job, and we would rather redraw the plan than sell you the wrong one. A Chinese tourist or business visa applies for United States passports in any case. ### Is the driverless taxi guaranteed? No, and we will not pretend otherwise. It runs on a commercial operator's live service lines, so the operator decides whether it runs on your day. We book it by date before you arrive and reconfirm it after you land. Where it is suspended, the ride comes out of day two and your quote states in writing what that does to your price. What you still get that day: the whole of Huaqiangbei floor by floor with your guide explaining the trade, and the flagship store. The technology story of the day does not depend on the ride, which is why the ride is never sold as the reason to come. ### Three cities in five days. Are we packing every night? No. Two hotels in five days: two nights in Shenzhen, two in Guangzhou. Foshan is a day trip from Guangzhou, about forty minutes each way, and your Guangzhou room stays yours that night. The only move between cities is one 35-minute train on the afternoon of day three, and your vehicle runs both ends of it. ### Do we need a visa? Most guests on this route do not. British and most European passports enter visa-free for stays days; Canadian, Australian and New Zealand ones do too. We check your 5 days plus any other days in China against that window before you pay. The current policy runs through December 31, 2026, so departures on or before December 27, 2026 finish inside it; for later dates we quote once the official renewal is announced. United States passports are a separate case: see the question above.