It is possible via some agencies (I guess you don't speak any Chinese?). I have used TravelChinaGuide and I was very happy with it. My train tickets waited me in my hotel room.

https://www.travelchinaguide.com/china-trains/

nfmungard

I would suggest to book on Ctrip. Ctrip has 30 RMB service charge per ticket while travelchinaguide charges $5.5 - roughly the same. The advantage on trip though is they give 50 RMB coupons for every ticket (so book them separately) that you can use to book hotels. I think you need to sign-up to get their discount though. And usually, Ctrip has better hotel rates in China than booking.com, Agoda or Expedia.

Once you have booked the train tickets, you can just get them at the first railway station you'll be embarking on.

For you other question, I haven't been to Guilin but of the three that I have visited, I would rate Kaiping Diaolou as the best and Danxiashan the least.

For the Hong Kong question, I will be not of help as I have not visited it. I will find out if it's worth it on Sept. I will stay there for 5 days before my planned trip to Cambodia.

Have you considered doing Macau as a return trip from HK, and then travel onwards from HK to Shenzhen / Guilin?

You could basically leave HK to Macau in the morning, stay as long as you see fit, and then return to HK; next day you could then travel from HK to Shenzhen and onwards to Guilin? From Zhuhai (border town from Macau) you only have 2 trains in the morning (at least it seems so after a quick google search) that directly go to Guilin, so you probably would have to transfer in Guangzhou or somewhere else...

@Zos: Thanks. Will check CTRIP out.

@Khuft: From Macau there seem to be frequent connections to Guangzhou and that's where I would plan to arrive that evening. So I can save myself the boat trip back. The next morning I will take care of the Kaiping Diaolou and continue to Guilin in the evening. Key question to me is if Hongkong warrants more time... A late afternoon and morning hours must do :)

if you are not a shopping person or Cantonese food connoisseur, I think you could get a much "grand" and better thing in the Mainland than HK. For Asians we go to HK only for these two reasons :)

Hong Kong is routinely listed amongst the best cities in Asia. Food, culture, museums, and atmosphere are all excellent. For the world heritage traveller? No, its not a key destination, though the ease of visiting Macau from HK is beneficial.

I do believe Hong Kong may get a world heritage site one day, though not any time soon.

Pictures of some of the most important historic sites in HK
- Historic Hong Kong

Previously rumored tentative nomination, though unorthodox to say the least!
- Chi Lin Nunnery and Nan Lian Garden

@duriain, winterjm: thanks for the comments. i have settled on arriving in mainland china saturday evening by train from macao. hongkong will get a 20h treatment.

A garden in my name is obviously a must see :D

Beijing in the weekend

I will be in China for 8 days this October. It is my annual "no family" week of travel. I will be in Beijing for 2 Saturdays. Which WHS will be least busy on a weekend?

Also is Chengde seeable in a full day or do I need to spend more time? Finally is two days too long for Pingyao? I'm a very slow traveller compared with some whs collectors and prefer to see well rather than more!

Thanks!

Looking back at my calendar, it seems I went to Peking Man Site on the Saturday (also in October) it certainly wasn't very busy when I visited. And the Metro line extensions should make it an easier place to visit now.

Just looking at it on Google Maps Satellite view (NB it is always out of sync with the street map in China) it seems there is a giant canopy being built over the whole place so I'm not sure if that may restrict access.

Also perhaps a trip out to the Grand Canal at Baliqiao which may would also avoid the crowds, though you can also get a tick by going to the much more central Shichahai, just behind the forbidden city.

I was trying to engineer it so I wasn't in a big touristy place over the weekend, but I visited the Forbidden City on Sunday, and except at the tighter more confined bits at the end, the crowds were very manageable.

That is finished now, see the recent news link http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1120845.shtml

paul
When in october will you be there? Oct 1-8 will be crowded for sur as its China National holiday.

Forbidden City and Badaling Great Wall will be crowded most of the time.
Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven and grand Canal Shichahai are crowded depending on the time of visit. Visit summer palace and temple of heaven right after they open (around 9) or before it closes (around 5). Crowd at Shichahai is manageable except at night when its bursting at the seams.

Peking Man Site and Grand Canal: Tonghui Section are not crowded.

Chengde can be done as day trip from Beijing. I do suggest take the sleeper train to chenge (leaving around midnight and arriving at 5:30 am. You can the. Take the bus or train back to beijing at lat afternoon.

Pingyao - stay 1 night there as the only time without crowd is late evening or early morning. You can visit the two other inscribed temples on day 1 or day 2.

I would add Yin Xu at Anyang if you have extr time.

paul
Also, I would be glad to take you to some watering hole if you have some time too. Beijing has some good craft breweries. I will only be back in Beijing after Oct 8 though.

Thanks for your offer Zos! I am in Beijing last week October - I may contact you when my itinerary is fixed!

I arrive early on a Saturday Morning and will leave the same evening on the night train to PingYao - so I need a gentle itinerary for a jet lagged whs collector.

I will have three full days in Beijing later in the week for the forbidden city etc.

I will see the the great wall by walking the ~ 20km from Gubeikou to Simatai West. I'm not sure of the validity of the site "tick"but I am sure that the experience and authenticity are better than at Badaling.

I will take your suggestion and visit Chengde as a long day trip before going to Gubeikou.

Thanks for your help!

Zos: We will be in Beijing next week, first week of november, ee are up for some vraft beer if you have time

I am finalizing my trip to China (and Vietnam) for early January.
Can someone shine a light on the train connection between Hanoi and the Zuojiang Huashan Rock Art area at Ningming?

- There is the night train MR1 between Hanoi and Nanning. Zos states in her review that this also stops at Ningming, but when I look at the schedule online it seems you have to change at Pingxiang (border town at the Chinese side). So - will the MR1 stop or do I have to buy a ticket to Pingxiang and then switch to a local train?