TravelJoyously

Hi, I'm looking for some itinerary advice for the middle part of my first trip to China in September.Starting point Xi'an 9/10 afternoon/night flight south. Ending point Hong Kong 10/1 via Shenzhen.

I'm looking at eitiher itinerary A (West to East): Xi'an, Lijiang, Dali, Kunming,Guilin,Yangshuo, Shenzhen,HK . or itinerary B (East to West) Xi'an, Guilin, Yangshuo, Kunming, Dali, Lijiang, Shenzhen, HK. Has anyone done either of these journeys? Any advise?

Details of A:
Xi'an to Kunming flight( $126) -quickly find bus or train to Dali
Dali 1-2 days - train/bus to Lijiang
Lijiang 1-2 days -
fly Lijiang back to Kunming - ($74-$126)
fly Kunming to Guilin ($158) -quickly bus/car to Yangshuo - Is this 'quickly' really possible? I don't think I have any interest in spending time in Kunming or Guilin except for transport hubs.
Yangshuo 3-4 days - rafting, explore, bikes,hostels
bus/car to Guiling for flight to Shenzhen $80 or take the night train 13hrs $83

Details of B:
Xi'an to Guilin flight ($100-$162) quickly get to Yangshuo by bus/car
Yangshuo 3-4 days
bus/car back to Guilin
Guilin to Kunmin flight ( $158/flight). quickly find Kunming to Dali bus/train
Dali - 1-2 days - train/bus to Lijian
Lijiang - 1-2 days.
fly Lijiang-Kunming. $74-183, depending on the day. Then fly Kunming - Shenzhen $162-$200

Are either of these rough itineraries realistic?
Thanks!

tansmets

Not sure about logistics of the itineraries, but I just did a trip to Guilin/Yangshou/Longji 3 weeks ago, and I really recommend taking some time out of Yangshou (one night) to check out the Longji rice terraces. They are stunning and the area is gorgeous. http://www.genkin.org/cgi-bin/photo....longsheng-0005

JPDeM

Both are ok and pretty much equivalent. I think that LiJiang and the area deserves more time than Dali.
also note that October 1 is the start of the National holidays in China and tickets for trains or buses will be hard to get around that time.
There is no bus from the Guilin airport to Yangshuo. Have your hotel send a taxi from Yangshuo to pick you up.

Hanuman

I agree with JPDeM that Lijiang deserves more days. Kunming is an industrial town, typical town, but Guilin could be added for at least a night if you have the time. How about this:

Xi'an to Dali and spend the day wondering in Dali then connect to Lijiang. 2 Nights in Lijiang.

From Guilin airport to Yangshou is about 2.5 hours using the tollway.

TravelJoyously

Thanks Hanuman.
If I arrive in Guilin at 18:35 - can I get transport to Yangshuo? Do I need to ask my hostel to arrange that for me?

Not sure where I'm staying in Yangshou yet. I'm hoping for a helpful youth hostel where I can meet up with other travelers to exlpore the area. Any tips?