Honeymoon

Honeymoon in China, route and special hotels

Q: How many days do we need?

Twelve days is ideal for this route. With one more, add it to Beijing, which has just three, or to Yangshuo for the Longji rice terraces. If you drop one, take it from Shanghai.

Q: What does it cost per person?

With the prices in this guide, from €971 per person with comfortable hotels and from €1,974 with special hotels, in a double room. That covers hotels, the train, both domestic flights and entry tickets. It does not include your international flight or meals. This is an example for November.

Q: Li River or Zhangjiajie?

Both are stunning. The Li River is calmer, with bikes, boats and hotels by the water. Zhangjiajie is the Avatar pillars, with more hiking and steps. If you want the pillars, look at the 12-day route with Zhangjiajie.

12 days from Beijing to the Li River and the Bund, with special hotels from €140 a night and the best months to go. A different honeymoon.

The route, from the Li River to the Bund

Twelve days, four stops. Three in Beijing, two in Xi'an, three in Yangshuo and four in Shanghai. It mixes the must-sees with slow days among the peaks and a long finale by the Bund. It is the route with the most time together and the least rush.

Beijing and Xi'an, days 1 to 5

The first days are all history. Beijing to Xi'an is a bullet train of about 4 h 30, and Xi'an to Guilin a flight of about 2 hours.

Day 1. Arrive and walk along Wangfujing
Day 2. Forbidden City and the view from Jingshan hill
Day 3. Great Wall at Mutianyu
Day 4. Train to Xi'an and the city wall by bike
Day 5. Terracotta Army

Yangshuo, days 6 to 8

Stay in Yangshuo, not Guilin. A direct bus from Guilin airport takes about 90 minutes. This is where you slow down, by bike and by boat among karst peaks.

Day 6. Arrive and stroll West Street
Day 7. Li River cruise, 4 to 5 hours, 215 yuan
Day 8. Cycling along the Yulong River

Shanghai, days 9 to 12

Guilin to Shanghai is a flight of about 2 h 30. Four days let you drop the clock, with long dinners and the Bund lit up.

Day 9. Arrive and take a night cruise on the Huangpu
Day 10. Yuyuan Garden early, before the groups
Day 11. Shanghai Museum East and the former French Concession
Day 12. Flight home

Special hotels

You do not need a luxury hotel in every city. Pick one or two as a treat, for example in Yangshuo and Shanghai. Prices are from, per night and room, checked on Trip.com for a night in November 2026.

Beijing. The PuXuan, with Forbidden City views, from €384
Xi'an. Sofitel Legend, in a 1953 landmark building, from €160
Yangshuo. Sugar House, a former sugar mill on the Li River, from €241
Yangshuo. Banyan Tree, riverside villas with a spa, from €275
Shanghai. Fairmont Peace Hotel, the 1929 classic on the Bund, from €384

The best months

For this route, late September and October, from the 8th onwards. In Guilin, October is about 26 °C at its warmest with around 7 rainy days, while April has about 18. July and August are hot. From January to March the Li River runs low and the long cruise is swapped for a short stretch.

The route in this guide

12 daysFrom the Li River to the BundThe Li River among the peaks, the most romantic stretchBeijing · Xi'an · Guilin · ShanghaiFrom 970 € per person · Comfortable

Frequently asked questions

How many days do we need?

Twelve days is ideal for this route. With one more, add it to Beijing, which has just three, or to Yangshuo for the Longji rice terraces. If you drop one, take it from Shanghai.

What does it cost per person?

With the prices in this guide, from €971 per person with comfortable hotels and from €1,974 with special hotels, in a double room. That covers hotels, the train, both domestic flights and entry tickets. It does not include your international flight or meals. This is an example for November.

Li River or Zhangjiajie?

Both are stunning. The Li River is calmer, with bikes, boats and hotels by the water. Zhangjiajie is the Avatar pillars, with more hiking and steps. If you want the pillars, look at the 12-day route with Zhangjiajie.

Is China a good honeymoon destination?

Yes, and very different from the usual. It mixes palaces, karst landscapes and a big modern city. With a couple of special hotels and some free days, you travel at your own pace.

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