6 weeks in China

iv got a couple of months to kill before i start a new job so i have randomly just booked a flight to Beijing to go out on Feb 12th and returning from Hong Kong March 23rd......going on my own....a 22 year old female.

i Have always wanted to see Beijing and Hong Kong and especially the great wall of China.

So im arriving in Beijing and my first plans are to obviously see the city and then to go on a tour to the great wall.

After that??? nothing as of yet planned. As long as im in Hong Kong five and a half weeks later to fly home.

So anyone give me any suggestions ?

Planning not to fly around the country, preferably bus and train it and stay in hostels.
With this in mind, does £1500 sound enough to last me?

And do i need to get a visa in advance to enter hong kong?? or can i sort that out at the border?

cheerz x

Beijing our capital, for more than 800 years. Thirty-four emperors have lived and ruled the nation in Beijing and it has been an important trading city from its earliest days. With the biggest central square in the world - Tian'anmen Square, the Forbidden City that is the largest and best-preserved imperial palace complex, a superbly preserved section of the Great Wall,as well as the largest sacrificial complex in the world - the Temple of Heaven, Beijing attracts both domestic and foreign visitors who all come to wonder at its century-old history and unique cultural relics.Although now Beijing is a modern and fashionable city, you can experience authentic Beijing life and become acquainted with 'old Beijing' by exploring its many teahouses, temple fairs, Beijing's Hutong and Courtyard and enjoy the Peking Opera.

Being the must-see section of the Great Wall, it is sometimes flocked with visitors especially during holidays. You may want to avoid the peak seasons or visit the Mutianyu Great Wall instead. It is even more beautiful and has fewer tourists. If you are nostalgic for old times, the Simatai and Gubeikou sections should be on your itinerary. These two sections are well maintained in their original states. The strong, primitive walls enhance the beauty of the wilderness. If you are energetic and daring, adventures on the Huanghuacheng and Jiankou sections await you. The steep peaks and broken bricks will challenge your courage and curiosity. Remember to bring complete a mountaineering outfit, food and water. Water is unavailable on the wild sections.

i think you need to get a visa in advance to enter hong kong.
for our chinese live in mainland.it takes a couple of weeks to get a visa.not sure how long it will takes u . enjoy ur day here.

btw,could u tell me what's ur new job? hehe

This is probably too late anyway, but it's best to get visa for China before hand, or you can get it in Hongkong, but you might have to wait. I think you can pay a bit extra to get it done in 24 hours.

1500 pounds should last you 2 months definately, obviously cant do anything super expensive. My advice is to not take tours where possible, they'll only take you to areas where the tourists go, and that means lots of crowds, people selling stuff all over the place and you probably wont see the real China. But then again, if you're not well prepared and/or dont have time, it might be a good choice.

From beijing you can head west to visit Xi'an, Lanzhou and the old silk road, then down south to tibet. Or you can head down south to Shanghai, zhejiang, Sichuan and Yunnan. Endless places to go really. Hopping on off trains between cities should be easy as well, english might be a problem though.

Anyway, all the best and enjoy yourself!

Quoting Nicip

And do i need to get a visa in advance to enter hong kong?? or can i sort that out at the border?

No, British citizens do not require visa to enter Hong Kong for up to 180 days.

hello from snowy urumqi
china is one of the best place to travel in the world nowadays!
hope all your trip joyful here.

Nic, £1500 won't be enough if you spend your time in cities 'cause they ain't cheap. Hong Kong is comparable to a big European city, price-wise.

Some of the popular places to go where you can stretch your money a bit further (£1500 would be more than enough if you spend 3-4 weeks of your 6 in them) are Yunnan, Sichuan and the Guilin area. We spent 3 weeks in Yunnan a couple of years ago. It was a fantastic trip - the province stretches from the tropical border with Burma to the Tibetan plateau so the sheer variety and scale is breathtaking. Look at my blog for some pictures etc.

Nice choice! China is one of the most attractive places in the world! Well, if you are not sure where to go after you visit Beijing, go find the 15 Tibet and Yunnan tour in [snip] . I just came back from there. I went to see so many scared temples in Lhasa and the most famous heavenly places Shangri-La and Yunnan province. They are amazing! You will never imagine you could find places like those. Being there is like being in another world! The only problem I think for you is that £1500 is not enough to visit all these places. But, trust me, it's definitely worth it.

As for your visa, I think British Citizens do not need to require visa to enter Hong Kong unless you stay there over 180 days.

Good luck!

[ Edit: Sorry, no promos please. ]