How to Plan a Shenzhen Tour

The metropolis Shenzhen is located in the southern portion of Guangdong Province, on the eastern shore of the Pearl River Delta. For the geography location, Shenzhen has a subtropical monsoon climate with very mild winters and hot, muggy and rainy summers. Spring (March to May) is very mild or pleasantly warm. In mid-March, the temperature increase and in May, it can reach around 30 °C. Summer (June to August) is hot, humid and rainy, sometimes with heavy showers or thunderstorms. Daytime temperatures are around 32 °C. The probability of typhoons which bring heavy rainfall and strong winds for a few days with the risk of flooding and landslides, is highest in this season. In Autumn (September to November), the rainfall becomes rare and generally not abundant and the sun is a bit more frequent than in the other seasons. September is still hot, the heat of October can still be muggy and gradually becomes more pleasant and in November, the temperature is generally pleasant with highest temperature around 25°C. Winter (December to February) is very mild and the days are with cloudy skies, fog and drizzle become more and more frequent.

In general, Shenzhen can be visited nearly all year round, however, the best time is during mid-March to Mid-April and mid-October to late November when the temperature is comfortable and rainfall occurs less.

Learn more about Shenzhen Weather, Climate, Temperature & Best Time to Go >>

By Air

Shenzhen Airport, or Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport, has flights from 27 international cities & regions, 108 domestic cities and 4 cities in Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan area. Taking flight is time-saving and conveniently linking with most cities you want to go. If you come from mainland China, you can take flights from Beijing, Xian, Shanghai, Chengdu, Chongqing, Kunming, Lijiang, Lanzhou, Hangzhou, Wuhan, Nanjing, Tianjin, Luoyang, Zhangjiajie, Guiyang, etc. It is located on the east bank of the Pearl River in Bao’an District, about 45 kilometers (28 miles) northwest of the city center of Shenzhen. T3 terminal is the only terminal in use at present.

By High Speed Train

Taking high speed train to Shenzhen is a very popular way to reach Shenzhen, with great comfort and convenience. No matter you travel within Guangdong Province to Shenzhen or from other destinations all over China, Shenzhen is well linked by high speed train.

You can go to Shenzhen from Guangzhou (0.5 hour), Hong Kong (14 minutes), Zhuhai (2 hours), Shanghai (8-11.5 hours), Beijing (8-11.5 hours), Guilin (3 hours), Yangshuo (2.5 hours), Guiyang (5-5.5 hours), Xian (9.5 hours), Xiamen (3-3.5 hours), Changsha (3-3.5 hours), Wuhan (4.5-5 hours) and more cities in China. There are altogether five train stations in use in Shenzhen and among them three are frequently used - Shenzhen Railway Station, Shenzhen North Railway Station and Shenzhen Futian Railway Station.

Learn Detailed Shenzhen Transportation Info about Get There & Around >>

Guangzhou - Shenzhen

The distance between Guangzhou and Shenzhen is about 137 kilometers. There are several ways to transfer between Guangzhou and Shenzhen. Most of travelers will take high speed train which needs only 0.5-3.5 hours. There are over 200 daily high speed trains for 0.5-1.5 hours and about 24 normal trains for 1.5-3.5 hours. Meanwhile, you can take private car, coach or bus to get from Guangzhou to Shenzhen. Flight is not recommended which needs a transfer, taking about 6 hours. To choose your suitable way to go from Guangzhou to Shenzhen, you can check Transport from Guangzhou to Shenzhen / Shenzhen to Guangzhou 2025.

Hong Kong - Shenzhen

Shenzhen borders Hong Kong on the south, which is about 50 kilometers away. Travelers can take metro, high speed train, taxi, coach, bus, ferry from Hong Kong to Shenzhen. If you go by metro, travelers can take the Hong Kong MTR East Rail Line to arrive at Luo Wu (罗湖) or Futian Port (福田口岸) to go through Luohu Port or Futian Checkpoint to Shenzhen downtown. If by high speed train, travelers will go from Hong Kong West Kowloon Station to Shenzhen North Railway Station which needs only about 15-20 minutes. Ferries are available from Hong Kong International Airport (香港机场码头) and Hong Kong Macau Ferry Terminal (香港港澳码头) to Shekou Ferry Terminal (蛇口邮轮中心), Shenzhen Fuyong Ferry Terminal (深圳机场福永码头). To select your way to go from Hong Kong to Shenzhen and know more about checkpoint policies, you can check How to Travel from Hong Kong to Shenzhen / Shenzhen to Hong Kong 2025.

Macau - Shenzhen

Shenzhen is located in the northeast of Macau, about 60 kilometers away. Travelers can go by ferry, train or private car from Macau to Shenzhen. If go by ferry, you should go to Macau Taipa Ferry Terminal (澳门氹仔客运码头), Out Harbor Ferry Terminal (澳门外港客运码头) for scheduled cruise to Shekou Ferry Terminal or Shenzhen Fuyong Ferry Terminal. If you want to try high speed train, you should first reach Zhuhai and then take the high speed train from Zhuhai Railway Station to Shenzhen North Railway Station. If you use private car, you can experience the Hong Kong - Zhuhai - Macau Bridge on the way. To know more details about Macau to Shenzhen, you can check Macau to Shenzhen / Senzhen to Macau.

Normally foreign visitor should apply and get a Chinese Visa to visit Shenzhen (China) before departure. However, different visa exemptions has been operated in Shenzhen. 1.) Singapore, Brunei, Japan citiznes can visit Shenzhen visa free for tour, business and family visit for 15 days. 2.) Nationals from San Marino, Mauritius, Seychelles, Bahams, Fiji, Grenada, Ecuador, Tango, Serbia, Barbados, United Arab Emirates, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Belarus, Qatar can travel to to Shenzhen without visa for no more than 30 days. 3.) Holders of APEC Business Travel Card (business entry for 6 months), China Residence Permit, China Permanent Residence ID Card and visitors granted Visa-Free Transit (24 or 144 Hours) or 6-Day Visa-Free Entry to Pearl River Delta.

Besides, since May 1, 2019, Guangdong Province has been implementing 144-hour visa-free policy for nationals from 53 countries. The qualified travelers can enter Guangdong via its three airports - Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport, Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport and Jieyang Chaoshan International Airport, and exit via the province’s 32 ports. Learn more about 144-hour Visa-free Policy in Shenzhen >>

Border Crossing:

Crossing the border between Hong Kong and Shenzhen involves two steps. First, you will exit Hong Kong at an exit gate / point, where your passport will be checked and stamped. Then, you will enter Shenzhen at a separate entry gate / point, where you will complete an entry card and your passport and Chinese visa will be check and passport stamped. When returning, you will go through the process in reverse.

Learn more about Shenzhen Hong Kong Border Crossing / Top 10 Shenzhen Checkpoints

Splendid China Folk Village is a theme park contained two areas - Splendid China Miniature Park and China Folk Culture Village. There are 82 famous tourist attractions all over China scatted according to the geography location in China. It means in Splendid China Miniature Park you can travel from Forbidden City & Great Wall of Beijing to the picturesque Li River in Guilin, from the sacred Potala Palace in Lhasa to the classic gardens in poetic Jiangnan area...China is vast that you can learn and view most parts of China in several hours. Besides, you won’t miss the great opportunity to encounter 27 ethnic groups in China, join them to sing, dance and experience ethnic customs. In China Folk Culture Village, you’ll have the same chance to know all the highlights of the ethnic minorities and you don’t need to spend several days in Yunnan Province for exploration. Learn more about Splendid China Folk Village >>

No.2: Window of the World Shenzhen

Shenzhen Window of the World is a theme park showing the famous landscape, natural scenery, historical sites and performances of folk customs all over the world. The whole park is divided into 8 major parts: square of the World, International Street, Asia Region, Europe Region, Africa Region, America Region, Oceania Region and Garden of World Sculptures. There are about 130 tourist spots all over the World that you can have a better understanding about the famous attractions in each area, including Eiffel Tower in France, Pyramids in Egypt, Taj Mahal Mausoleum in India, the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy, Grand Canyon in America...Within several hours, you will travel across the whole world and meet a new side of the world. Learn more about Window of the World Shenzhen >>

No.3: Dafen Oil Painting Village

Dafen oil Painting Village, located in the northeast of Shenzhen, is about 14 kilometers away from new downtown in Futian District. Dafen Oil Painting Village is the world’s largest oil painting reproducting center and is one of China’s leading suppliers of high quality oil painting copies. This village is not large, but full of creation and romance. There are more than 12000 art studios and over 8000 painters. You can have a look at their daily painting life and if you like, you can buy some artworks you favored.

No.4: Shenzhen Museum

Shenzhen Museum is worth your exploration to know Shenzhen deeper. It is a large comprehensive museum of collecting, protecting, researching and exhibiting. It has ranked among the First Grade National Museums of China. Shenzhen Museum has several exhibitions like Ancient Shenzhen, Modern Shenzhen, Shenzhen Reform and Opening-up History, Shenzhen Folk Culture and Wild Animal Specimens. With a visit to Shenzhen Museum, you will have a better understanding about why Shenzhen has been developing so fast from a fishing village into a modern metropolis for over 40 years.

No.5: OCT Loft Creative Culture Park

OCT Loft Creative Culture Park (Overseas Chinese City Creative Culture Park) is the No.1 place in Shenzhen for creative types. The area exhibits all kinds of art including design work, photography, paintings, and animation. There are many cute shops to explore creative arts as well cafes and restaurants. It is good for a relaxing walk here. You can enjoy a bottle of wine, a cup of coffee in a leisure afternoon...

To learn more things to see and do in Shenzhen, you can check Top 10 Attractions in Shenzhen | Featured Activities in Shenzhen.

Shenzhen as a world famous metropolis offers extremely abundant selections of hotels from luxury, comfort to budget and hostels, homestays for your great stay there. A lot of deluxe international brands can be found, including Shangri-La, Wyndham, Hilton, Hyatt, Four Seasons, etc.

Dongmen Old Street area and Luohu District is good for shopping and savor local life and offers most luxury and cheap accommodations. Overseas China Town and Nanshan District is good for family stay to enjoy the fun time in the amusement parks. Huaqiangbei Commercial Area and Futian District with many skyscrapers are good to enjoy the modern cityscape, enjoy the culture of electronics there, and most chosen for business people. Baoan District and area around Baoan Airport is better for early or late flight catching.

Learn more about Best Areas with Recommended Hotels to Stay in Shenzhen / Luxury Hotels in Shenzhen / Comfortable Hotels in Shenzhen

Shenzhen is a migrant city that you can taste China’s regional cuisine, especially traditional Cantonese cuisine & dim sum in this city. For travelers who want to have a try Cantonese Food, you are recommended to go:

● Shengji Restaurant (胜记饭店): the old-brand restaurant featured with “delicate”, “fresh”, “clean”, “moderate” and “surprise”. Address: Baigua First Road, Futian District, Shenzhen (福田区八卦一路).

● Danguixuan Restaurant (丹桂轩): good environment, good quality of the food, a little expensive. Address: Xiangshan Street, Overseas Chinese Town, Nanshan District, Shenzhen.

Shenzhen is also famous for its “Eating Streets” where you can have a bite of snacks and street food from all over China. Some of the bets known are set out below.

● Bagua First Road Eat Street (八卦一路食街): This was Shenzhen’s first eat street. Cantonese food is still good here but you can get food from all over China.

● Huaqiang Bei Eat Street (华强北食街): The food’s in the streets and alleys parallel to Huaqiang Bei. Hunan and Chaozhou are specialties.

● Dongmen Food Street (东门食街): This is Shenzhen’s favorite comfort shopping street also have lots of cheap and cheerful food. You can select food from Cantonese, Sichuan, Hunan and also Thai, Southeast Asian and even German food. All the chains are represented.

To know more Cantonese restaurants and food streets information, you can contact our friendly travel consultants directly and they are here ready to offer you useful info.

Most of travelers will make a short stay in and around Shenzhen, usually spend 1 or 2 days here.

One-day in Shenzhen means they take full day exploration in this amazing metropolis to witness the fast development of Shenzhen and have fun in its amusement parks. The tourist spots they usually visit including Splendid China Folk Village, Shenzhen Museum, Ping’an Financial Center (or Diwang Mansion), Lychee Park, and if time permits, they have a look or do some shopping at Luohu Commercial City.

>> Shenzhen Day Tour from Guangzhou

Two-day in Shenzhen means they will spend almost one and half day for sightseeing or two full days for visiting. They will explore more, including Splendid China Folk Village, Shenzhen Museum, Ping’an Financial Center (or Diwang Mansion), Lychee Park, as well as Dafen Oil Painting Village, Dongmen Pedestrian Street, OCT Harbor. Travelers will not only have a glimpse of Shenzhen, but also have a general understanding about splendid China as well as its stunning ethnic groups.

>> 2 Days Shenzhen Short Stay Tour with All Essences

>> 3 Days Classic Shenzhen Tour

Actually, Shenzhen welcomes you spend more time here to experience more. You can add 1 or 2 days to its nearby city - Guangzhou, or combine together with Hong Kong and Macau. It is a good idea to see to the fullest in Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area for inspirations.

>> 6 Days Best of Guangdong Tour (Guangzhou/Foshan/Jiangmen/Shenzhen)

>> 4 Days Classic Hong Kong Shenzhen Tour (By Bullet Train)

>> 6 Days Hong Kong Macau Shenzhen Fusion Tour

>> 8 Days Hong Kong Macau Shenzhen Guangzhou Tour

As mentioned above, you are highly recommended to travel with some destinations in Guangdong - Hong Kong - Macau area for in-depth visiting no matter you want to see the modern metropolis, seek for root, do some business for inspiration...It is a good idea to spend 5 to 8 days in this area.

Traveling further, you can extend to other provinces and hot destinations, like Guilin / Yangshuo / Longji in Guangxi Province, Xiamen / Tulou in Fujian Province, Shanghai - Suzhou - Hangzhou - Huangshan in Jiangnan Area, or head north to Beijing...All the sites will be different from Shenzhen and you’ll meet a comprehensive and splendid China in short time. If you have your ideas to travel around China, just tell us your needs, destinations, budget, time and number of group, our professional travel consultants will help you to design a satisfactory trip for you and your family or group! Values are guaranteed! Feel free to let us know any of your plan!

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