China Delights

Due to the limitation of airplane's range and the far distance, there is no direct flight between Brazil and China. However, travelers can choose other cities to take connecting flights to Beijing for sightseeing. The following are some recommendations. 

If you are leaving from Brasilia Brazil, you can take the Air France flight AF515 2230/ 1410+1 to Paris first, and then connect the Air China flight CA934 2020/1225+1 to Beijing after a 6-hour stopover. The above whole journey needs 27 hours. 

To travel from Rio De Janeiro to Beijing, you can fly to Paris by Air France flight AF443 1605/0800+1, have a transit stop there for 6 hours, and then connect the flight AF128 1400/0555+1. The above journey takes nearly 27 hours. Alternatively, you can take flight AC099 2005/0540+1 to Toronto and then transfer to the flight AC031 1455/1605+1. The airfare might be lower sometimes for the latter option, but your travel time will be about 33 hours.

People live in Sao Paulo can take the Air China flight CA908 1805/0455+2 to Beijing, and this flight has a two-hour stopover in Madrid. According to the current flight schedule, it is only available on every Thursday and Sunday. If the flight is not available on your travel date, you can fly to Frankfurt by CA7110 2210/1455, stop there for 5 hours & 20 minutes, and then transfer to the flight CA932 2015/1125. Leaving from Salvador, Belo Horizonte, Manaus, Recife, Goiania, Cuiaba and Porto Alegre, you can go to Sao Paulo to take the above recommended flights.

As Beijing time is 11 hours ahead of Brasilia time, you will arrive in Beijing on the third day. It is two days later than your departure date no matter which flight you take. When planning your China holiday tours from Brazil, you may want to know whether certain vaccination is needed before leaving for the country. Generally speaking, no specific inoculation is needed as currently China has no severe infectious disease. However, you need to have a valid vaccine certificate of yellow fever since Brazil is confirmed as yellow fever prevalent area by WHO, and the certificate is required for traveling to China.

Like many other China backpacking routes, this itinerary covers the most popular travel destinations of China, such as Beijing, Xian, Guilin and Shanghai. Currently, years of high-speed train development makes rail trip easier and faster, and this special train journey will slow down your pace to embrace the wonders along the road.

Upon arrival at Beijing Capital Airport, you can get to your hotel by subway or taxi. Our recommendation for your four nights' stay in Beijing is the 3-star Beijing Traditional View Hotel. It is conveniently located in the old Ju'er Hutong, close to the famous leisure quarter, South Gong and Drum Lane, and Nanluoguxiang subway station of line 6 and line 8. It is highly rated by foreign visitors, especially for its clean rooms, helpful staff, and easy transportation.

Traveling with heavy luggage, we suggest you take a taxi to the hotel directly, and the fare is approximately CNY120 per cab. 

Accommodation Suggestion: Beijing Traditional View Hotel

After the buffet breakfast in the hotel, you can start your exploration in Beijing City from its center, the Tiananmen Square. A taxi ride from the hotel to the square may cost you CNY20. Heading all the way north across the square, you will reach the imperial palace, the Forbidden City. It is said there are over 9,000 houses and halls in the palace, so we suggest that you rent an audio guide or hire an English guide at the entrance and visit the most famous buildings. You will exit from the north gate, Gate of Devine Prowess, in about three hours, and there you can find a nearby restaurant for lunch. 

After lunch, continue your visit to the Jingshan Park, which is on the opposite of the Devine Prowess Gate. On the top of the Jingshan Hill, you can appreciate the panoramic view of the Forbidden City. After descending down from the West Gate, you can walk south along Jingshan West Street for 50 yards to Xibanqiao bus stop for bus No. 5. Get off at Qianmen stop, and stroll along the Qianmen Street and Dashilar Street among the old-style buildings and shops, where you can also sample local snacks and buy some souvenirs.

A visit to China's national treasure, the giant panda, cannot be missed in your China tours from Brasilia Brazil. You can have a chance to see this lovely creature at Beijing Zoo. The best time to visit the giant pandas is at their feeding time, which is about 8:30 - 10:00 in the morning, so you'd better get there during that period. From your hotel, you can walk south along South Gong and Drum Lane to Nanluoguxiang subway station to take line 6 to Ping'anli, and transfer to line 4 to Beijing Zoo. Exit from Exit B and you can see the zoo. The zoo is very large, we suggest that you follow the map to the Panda House directly and then see other animals if you are interested. 

In the afternoon, you can get to the Summer Palace by taking subway line 4 to Beigongmen station and leave via Exit D. Go westwards to enter the palace from the north gate and follow the route of Suzhou Market Street - Four Great Regions - Tower of Buddhist Incense - Hall of Dispelling Clouds - Long Gallery - Ferry Boat on the Kunming Lake - Seventeen-Arch Bridge - Tower of Literary Prosperity - Hall of Joyful Longevity - Hall of Benevolence and Longevity - Eastern Palace Gate. The recommended visiting time is about 3 hours. 

We suggest that you continue to visit the Drum Tower and the nearby hutongs as well as courtyards to gain an appreciation of the life style of local inhabitants. You can walk eastward from the Summer Palace to take subway line 4 to Xizhimen, and change to line 2 to Gulou Dajie. Exit from Exit G and walk south for 70 yards to find the Drum Tower. You may also have dinner in one of the nearby featured restaurants. For the way back to the hotel, you can walk eastwards along Gulou East Street for 550 yards, and then turn south to enter the South Gong and Drum Lane for another 200 yards; turn into Ju'er Hutong to find your hotel.

A visit to Great Wall should be the highlight of your independent Beijing tour from Brazil. We recommend the Juyongguan Great Wall, which is the nearest section from the city center. It is one of the most popular China backpacking destinations. However, for those who come to China for the first time, we recommend the famous Badaling or Mutianyu, which presents the best parts of the Great Wall. Get up early in the morning, put on a pair of comfortable shoes, pick up some fast food and bottled water to set off for the Great Wall! You can take subway line 8 from Nanluoguxiang to Zhuxinzhuang Station. Take Exit B2 and walk south for 130 yards to take bus Chang 19 or Zhuan 49 to Shahe Stop. Afterwards, connect bus Chang 68 at the same bus stop to the Juyongguan Great Wall. Or you can rent a private car for a one-day tour through your hotel, and the fare may be about CNY400.

Our suggestion for today is to visit the Temple of Heaven and the Yonghe Lamasery, and then take a high-speed train to Xian. Lunch will be late, so you can have a big breakfast and take some snacks with you. Check out of the hotel and leave your luggage at the reception desk. Walk east along the Ju'er Hutong for 300 yards, and turn south for 50 yards to take bus Te 11 from Jiaodaokou South to the West Gate of Temple of Heaven (Tiantan Ximen). There is a public park inside, where you can see locals doing their morning exercises. It takes about 2 hours to visit the major buildings there. You can leave from the east gate to take subway line 5 to the Yonghegong Station and get out from Exit C to enter Yonghe Lamasery from the West Asi Gate. There are many nice restaurants near the lamasery, providing both Chinese and western cuisines. You can have lunch there after visiting the temple. 

Then please take a taxi back to the hotel at a cost of CNY13 to pick up your luggage. Walk to Nanluoguxiang subway station to take line 6 to Baishiqiao South, and then transfer to line 9 to Beijing West Railway Station, where you are going to take an onward high-speed train to Xian. The train ride takes 5 hours, so we suggest that you take a train leaving Beijing before 17:00. The tickets are in great demand during travel peak seasons and holidays, so you'd better book your tickets in advance. By the way, you can also search the schedule and book with TravelChinaGuide with the Train Search Tool at the bottom of this page. 

Upon arrival at Xian North Railway Station, you can take a subway or taxi to downtown area. We recommend that you stay at the Atour Hotel Xian Nanmen, which is located at the foot of ancient City Wall. You can take subway line 2 from the train station to Yongningmen. Leave from Exit D2 and walk north to reach the Huancheng South Road. Stroll east along the road for 450 yards, you will reach the hotel. 

Accommodation Suggestion: Atour Hotel Xian Nanmen

You are recommended to visit the Shaanxi History Museum in the morning and the iconic Big Wild Goose Pagoda and City Wall in the afternoon. From the hotel, you can walk east along Huancheng South Road for 300 yards, and then turn south to enter the North Wenyi Road for another 50 yards forward, you will reach Wenchangmen Bus Stop. There you can take bus No.710 to Cuihua Road. When alighted, you will see the museum. You can either queue up for the free tickets or buy a ticket of CNY 20 for the special exhibition without waiting in line to enter the museum. We suggest that you hire a guide, so that you can learn the background stories of the relics. After that, walk east along Xiaozhai East Road in front of the museum for about 550 yards to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. You may have lunch at a restaurant in the Ci'en Town, located in the northwest of the North Square of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda and then visit the pagoda. Afterwards, take a taxi at a cost of CNY15 back to the Yongning Gate, one of the major entrances to ascend the City Wall. It will be an enduring experience to stroll along the ancient wall in the rosy sunset. You can also take a cycling trip around the wall. Still descend from the Yongning Gate and walk back to your hotel.

In the morning, we suggest that you pay a visit to the eighth world wonder, the Terracotta Army Museum. Check out of the hotel and walk east along Huancheng South Road for 400 yards to Wenchangmen bus stop, where you can catch bus No. 40 or No. 41 to Xian Railway Station. You can deposit your luggage at the Left Luggage Service Center, and then take the tourist bus No. 5 (306) on the east square of the train station to the museum directly. The bus fare is CNY 7 per person and it takes about one hour on the way. Both audio guide and English-speaking guide are available in the museum, and the recommended visiting time is two hours. There are not many decent restaurants near the museum, so you can have your lunch in one of the fast-food restaurants near the parking lot, such as KFC, SUBWAY and King Coffee. Then get back to the train station by tourist bus No.5. 

From the train station, walk south to take bus No. 251 to the Bell Tower (Zhong Lou). Head toward the Drum Tower direction and you will find the bustling Muslim Quarter behind it. Walk along the street and turn left to Huajue Lane, and you will find yourself in front of the famous Great Mosque after 150 yards' walk. When leaving the mosque, continue to walk to the end of Huajue Lane, where you will find many restaurants serving delicious Muslim food. After feasting yourself with various cuisines, take a taxi back to the railway station with a fare of CNY15 and pick up your luggage. There is only one train leaving Xian for Guilin at around 19:00, so you need to arrive at the railway station by 18:00. You can buy the tickets at any railway station by yourself or book in advance with TravelChinaGuide and collect the paper tickets at the railway station.

The train ride takes 26 hours and you will arrive in Guilin at around 21:30. Traveling in daytime provides a good opportunity for you to enjoy the beautiful scenery of cities and countries on the way. You will travel through cities like Zhengzhou, Wuhan, Yueyang, and Changsha, and also pass the Wuhan Bridge over the Yangtze River. Upon arrival at Guilin North Railway Station, we recommend the Guilin Osmanthus Hotel, and the taxi fare to the hotel is within CNY25. 

Accommodation Suggestion: Guilin Osmanthus Hotel

Guilin is known for its beautiful hills, rivers, and karst caves, so we suggest that you spend a whole day exploring its charming landscape. After breakfast, you can walk across the road to take bus No.3 to Reed Flute Cave (Lu Di Yan), where you will be mesmerized by the stalactites and stalagmites of various shapes. Then take a taxi to the Elephant Trunk Hill Park at a cost of about CNY25. You can have lunch in a nearby restaurant and then visit the park. Posing in front of the huge natural stone 'elephant' for photos will be fun. 

Leave the park from the north gate and take a taxi at a cost of CNY9 to Jiefangqiao Dock, you will find the ticket office for the night cruise of Two Rivers and Four Lakes. We suggest that you book the ticket at the dock and then walk east to visit the Seven Stars Park. Exit the park from the West Gate and have dinner in a nearby restaurant to taste the local rice noodles. Then walk to the dock and board the night cruise ship. The cruise tour will take you to the Li River and Taohua River, Ronghu Lake, Shanhu Lake, Guihu Lake and Mulong Lake; the most fascinating part is the folk shows during the cruise. You will disembark at the Wenchang Bridge Dock, which is only 900 yards' walk from your hotel. You can walk across the Wenchang Bridge and turn west to the Nanhuan Road. Go down the road for about 500 meters and turn south to the South Zhongshan Road for another 100 yards, you will reach the hotel.

Our suggestion for today is to take a Li River cruise and stay overnight in Yangshuo, so we suggest that you book a one-night stay in Days Hotel Frontier Yangshuo. You can pack a light bag for the night and leave the rest luggage at the reception of the hotel in Guilin. Check out and take a taxi to the Mopanshan Dock with an approximate fare of CNY 70, and then board the Li River cruise ship. As for the cruise ticket, you can book it in advance through your hotel. The ship departs at 9:00 and arrives in Yangshuo around 13:00. 

Upon arrival in Yangshuo, take a taxi to the Days Hotel Frontier at a cost of CNY15. Check in and have a short rest. In the afternoon, you can take a leisure stroll northwards for 600 yards to the West Street. You may enjoy local delicacies and have some drinks in a bar. At night, you can go to watch the Impression Sanjie Liu singing and dancing show directed by the famous director Zhang Yimou. The ticket of the show is CNY 190 per person for an ordinary seat, and you can book the ticket through your hotel or at the ticket office of the Lijiang Landscape Theater. You can get to the theater by a battery car from the West Street in 10 minutes. 

Accommodation Suggestion: Days Hotel Frontier Yangshuo

Check out and leave your heavy bags at the hotel. You have the full morning to indulge yourself in the charming scenery of hills, rivers and the countryside of Yangshuo. Riding a bike along the country road would be very interesting. The rental of a bike is only CNY 10-40 per day. From your hotel, ride westward to Kangzhan Road and go down the road for 700 yards, you will reach the Jingfeng Road. Keep riding northwest for another 0.7 miles, you need to turn west to Xiangshui Road and cycle for another 2.2 miles. There you will reach a fork, and you are supposed to take the road on your left and get to the Chaoyang Dock. This bicycle trip takes only 30 minutes. From the dock you can take a bamboo raft to drift downstream along the Yulong River, costing around CNY 180 per person and taking 2 hours. The cruise company will transfer your bike to the arrival dock, Gongnong Bridge. Then ride back to the town to pamper yourself with delicious local food. 

After lunch, pick up your bags at the hotel and take a taxi at a cost of CNY15 to Yangshuo North Bus Station to catch a bus to Guilin City. One hour's bus ride takes you to Guilin General Bus Station. You can walk northeast along the South Zhongshan Road for 250 yards to the Osmanthus Hotel. Fetch your luggage and take a taxi at a cost of CNY25 to Guilin North Railway Station for an overnight soft sleeper train to Shanghai. Five trains are available from Guilin to Shanghai daily, and we suggest that you take train T26, which takes 19.5 hours. Remember to book the tickets in advance. Or you can book the tickets with TravelChinaGuide and have the tickets delivered to your hotel or pick them up by yourself at the railway station. Train T26 leaves at around 19:30, please get to the railway station at least one hour prior to the departure and have dinner around the train station before departure. The train will arrive in Shanghai at around 15:00 the next afternoon, so you can also take some fast food with you, as the food on the train is a little expensive and may be not to your taste. 

Accommodation: Soft Sleeper Train

We suggest the Riverview Hotel on the Bund for your three nights' stay in Shanghai. When you arrive at the Shanghai South Railway Station, take a taxi to the hotel directly, and it may cost you CNY50. Check in and have a good rest. Then you can go for a leisurely walk eastward to South Zhongshan Road and go northwards to the Bund, which is at the western bank of Huangpu River. There, you will view many skyscrapers in different architectural styles across the river. 

Accommodation Suggestion: Riverview Hotel on the Bund

Today, we advise you start the exploration from the nearby Yuyuan Garden, and then continue the trip to Nanjing Road. After breakfast, hail a taxi to Yuyuan Garden directly, and the cab fare may cost you CNY15. The recommended visiting time is about two hours. The nearby Yuyuan Mart and Old City God Temple are also worth a visit. The Shanghai Old Street, where the Old City God Temple is located, is a good place to enjoy local snacks while strolling among the old-style buildings. 

Then walk north to Fuyou Road and go west to take subway line 10 from Yuyuan station to East Nanjing Road and leave the station from Exit 4. If the Shanghai Old Street reveals the city's past, then the Nanjing Road represents today's Shanghai. You can shop around and enjoy the authentic Shanghai cuisine in a decent restaurant. Then take a taxi back to your hotel for a fare of CNY20.

The Shanghai Museum is one of the four most famous museums in China, so it is a must-see in this city. A taxi ride from your hotel to the museum may cost you CNY15. After visiting the museum, you can walk north to the Urban Planning Exhibition Hall to learn more about this city. After the visit, you can have lunch in a restaurant near the People's Square. In the afternoon, you can take subway line 8 from the People's Square to Lujiabang, and then change to line 9 to Dapuqiao. Exit from Exit 1 and you will find the famous Tianzifang, where cafés, bars and small shops are dotted among the old houses and narrow lanes. It is an ideal place to enjoy a leisurely afternoon. At last, take a taxi back to the hotel at a cost of CNY25.

Your memorable China tour from Brazil ends today. Please check out of the hotel before 12:00 and go to Pudong Airport for your homeward international flight by taxi. The fare to the airport is about CNY 180 per cab. 

Flying back to Brasilia, you can take the Air France flight AF5201 0005/0630 to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, and then transfer to the flight AF520 1330/1935, which takes off 7 hours later. To Rio De Janeiro, you can take Lufthansa Airlines LH729 1315/1900 to Frankfurt, have a transit stop there for 3 hours and 15 minutes, and then connect the flight LH800 2215/0505+1. To Sao Paulo, you can book the American Airlines flight AA128 1610/1645 to Dallas, and stay at the airport for 4.5 hours, and then make connection to the flight AA963 2120/0925+1. We wish you a pleasant journey home!