Spring 2027  ·  ~6 weeks  ·  2 travelers

Asia, in seven moods

The route in order — click a numbered pin for mood, highlights, and a link through to its own presentation. Full detail for every stop is in the cards below.

1Shanghai
2Huangshan
3Chongqing
4Zhangjiajie
5Taiwan
6Japan
7Hong Kong
Numbers = visiting order. Map tiles © CARTO, © OpenStreetMap contributors. Photos via Wikimedia Commons. Open this file in the same folder as the seven *_presentation.html files for the links to work.
1

Shanghai

Days 1–4  ·  4 days  ·  China
Art deco glamour meets neon skyline
  • The Bund promenade & the Pudong skyline at night
  • Yu Garden and the Old Town bazaar — try xiaolongbao at Nanxiang Mantou Dian
  • French Concession — Tianzifang laneways, Wukang Road architecture
  • Cherry blossoms at Century Park (central, easy metro) or Gucun Park (biggest)
  • Pudong observation decks (Shanghai Tower / Jin Mao) or a Huangpu night cruise
  • M50 art district or Jing'an Temple as a rainy-day option
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2

Huangshan

Days 5–7  ·  3 days  ·  China · Anhui
Ink-wash mountains, a sea of clouds
  • Summit hike — Bright Top (Guangming Ding), Lotus Peak, Xihai Grand Canyon loop
  • Sea of clouds at sunrise / sunset — stay overnight on the mountain for this
  • Cable car or a 3–4h hike up the eastern steps
  • Hongcun & Xidi — UNESCO Hui-style ancient villages at the base
  • Tunxi Old Street — 300+ Hui-style buildings, ink-stick and tea shops
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3

Chongqing

Days 8–12  ·  5 days  ·  China
Neon cliffs and fire-red hotpot
  • Hongya Cave lit up at night — the stilted riverside complex
  • Ciqikou Old Town — Ming/Qing-era streets, tea houses
  • Liziba monorail station — the train that runs through a building
  • Dazu Rock Carvings — UNESCO Buddhist/Taoist/Confucian carvings (day trip)
  • Wulong karst — Three Natural Bridges & Furong Cave (overnight)
  • Eling Park or a Yangtze/Jialing confluence cruise at dusk
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4

Zhangjiajie

Days 13–16  ·  4 days  ·  China · Hunan
Avatar pillars in the mist
  • Golden Whip Stream — easy valley walk, good warm-up day
  • Yuanjiajie ridge — the famous pillar-forest scenery
  • Grand Canyon Glass Bridge — glass-bottomed, genuinely vertigo-inducing
  • Tianzi Mountain cable car & pillar-forest views from another angle
  • Tianmen Mountain — Heaven's Gate cave & cliffside plank walks
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5

Taiwan

Days 17–25  ·  9 days  ·  Taipei → Taroko → Alishan → Sun Moon Lake
Night markets, lantern light, mountain tea
  • Taipei & Jiufen's lantern-lit hillside streets
  • Taroko Gorge — marble canyon, Shakadang Trail & Swallow Grotto
  • Alishan — cypress groves, the (crowded but classic) sunrise train
  • Sun Moon Lake — shoreline cycling, cable car to the culture village
  • Trimmed from the original 14-day loop — Kenting/Kaohsiung/Tainan cut for time
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6

Japan

Days 26–35  ·  10 days  ·  Tokyo → Kyoto → Osaka
Cherry blossoms over temple stone
  • Tokyo — Shinjuku Gyoen, Asakusa, a Hakone day trip (Fuji views, onsen)
  • Kyoto — Fushimi Inari torii hike, Philosopher's Path, Arashiyama bamboo grove
  • Osaka — Dotonbori, Osaka Castle Park
  • Nara half-day trip from Kyoto — deer park & Todai-ji
  • Cherry blossoms forecast ~28 Mar–5 Apr 2027 (official forecast lands Feb 2027)
  • Kamikochi (Japan Alps) doesn't open until mid/late-April — noted for a future trip
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7

Hong Kong

Days 36–39  ·  4 days  ·  China SAR
Neon harbour nights
  • Victoria Peak & the Central skyline at sunset
  • Dragon's Back — ridge hike above Shek O, ~2–3h
  • Kowloon — Star Ferry, Temple Street Night Market, Symphony of Lights
  • Lantau — Big Buddha cable car & Tai O fishing village
  • Hong Kong Arts Festival (late Feb–late Mar) and HK Sevens (9–11 Apr) — check overlap
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