BEST Genshin Impact Real-Life China Itinerary To Do In 2026
Introduction
I started playing Genshin Impact shortly after its launch and have accumulated well over 1000 hours. Don’t know exactly how much. But I do know the game very well.
I am Chinese so I played using the Chinese voiceover.
If you are a Genshin player, you must check out this itinerary!
What This Itinerary Covers
This itinerary focuses on the Liyue region only, drawing inspiration from real life locations in China.
I have not created itineraries for other regions, because this website focuses on helping people with China travel.
It is intended to help you experience similar locations to the in-game locations in Liyue. Covers most of the key locations in the original Liyue map.
As with any game, no locations are an exact like-for-like match, so don’t get your expectations way too high.
If you have time, I recommend adding a couple of extra days of rest time from all the travelling around.
📅 You can cut and rearrange this itinerary to suit the amount of days you are planning to spend in China.
Key Stops:
Datong ➡️ Huanglong + Jiuzhaigou ➡️ Zhangjiajie ➡️ Fenghuang ➡️ Guilin + Yangshuo ➡️ Huangshan
Minimum days needed for full itinerary: 12-15 days
Best City To Land In China
To get to the first stop in this itinerary, I suggest flying into Beijing, where you can take the train from Beijing North to Datong.
Up to you whether you want to explore Beijing this time, but it is not part of this itinerary. Check out my Ultimate Beijing Travel Guide!
It’s also possible to do the itinerary in reverse!
By the way, you could save money by:
👉 Comparing flight prices to China HERE
👉 Comparing hotel rates in China HERE
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Day 1 - Wangshu Inn ➡️ Xuankong Temple (Hanging Temple) of Hengshan, Datong│悬空寺，大同市
How to get there: train to Datong Nan station 大同南站 ➡️ hail a taxi
➡️ On your way back, consider spending at least 1 day exploring the city of Datong, especially the Yungang Grottoes.
⬇️ EITHER flight to Jiuzhai Huanglong Airport 👉 Check out prices and times HERE
OR train to Chengdu East 成都东 -> transfer -> train to Huanglongjiuzhai station 黄龙九寨站
❗this is a long journey. Consider stopping off at Pingyao (ancient city), Xi’an (terracotta warriors), or Chengdu (pandas) on the way if you have time.
Day 2-3 - Luhua Pool ➡️ Huanglong Five-Color Pond, Sichuan + Jiuzhaigou National Park, Sichuan│ 黄龙五彩池 + 九寨沟
Arrive at: Jiuzhai Huanglong airport / Huanglongjiuzhai station 黄龙九寨站 ➡️ take the dedicated bus or hail a taxi
⬇️ train to Chengdu 成都东 -> transfer -> train to Zhangjiajiexi 张家界西站 👉 Check out prices and times HERE
(ps. I do think there are some elements of Chongqing in Liyue, especially Hongyadong and the multi-layered aspects of the city.
You can consider stopping off here for a couple of days before Zhangjiajie if you have time! It’s totally worth it!)
Day 4-5 - Huaguang Stone Forest + Mt Aozang + Mt Hulao + Qingyun Peak + Jueyun Karst ➡️ Zhangjiajie National Forest Park│ 张家界国家森林公园
Arrive at: Zhangjiajiexi station 张家界西站 ➡️ take the dedicated bus or hail a taxi
⬇️
Day 6 - Mt Tianheng + Staircase to Liyue Harbor ➡️ Tianmen Mountain│天门山
How to get there: Tianmen Mountain is on the south side of Zhangjiajie. Take the dedicated bus or hail a taxi
⬇️ train from Zhangjiajiexi 张家界西站 -> Fenghuanggucheng 凤凰古城站 👉 Check out prices and times HERE
Day 7-8 - Liyue Harbour ➡️ Fenghuang ancient town, Hunan│凤凰古城
Arrive at: Fenghuanggucheng station 凤凰古城站 ➡️ take maglev line to the 2nd to last station
⬇️ train from Fenghuanggucheng 凤凰古城站 to … (see below for 2 options) - you will likely need transfers at a station along the way
Day 9 - Qingce Village ➡️ Honghe Hani rice terraces, Yunnan│红河哈尼梯田 OR Longji Mountain Rice Terraces, Guangxi│龙脊梯田
(Honghe is much bigger but is in far southern Yunnan so can be quite a hassle to get to.
Longji is a smaller version but basically 2 hours from Guilin, which you’re visiting next anyway.
Choose Longji if you don’t want to spend an extra day getting to Honghe.)
How to get to Honghe: train to Kunming South station 昆明南站 ➡️ metro to Kunming station 昆明站 ➡️ train to Jianshui station 建水站 ➡️ take the dedicated bus or hire a private car
How to get to Longji: train to Guilin North station 桂林北站 ➡️ take the dedicated bus or hire a private car
⬇️ If you chose Honghe, take the train back from Jianshui to Kunming station/Kunming South station -> take train to Guilin.
If you chose Longji, just head back to Guilin using the same transport.
Day 10-12 - Dihua Marsh + Guili Plains ➡️ The karst mountains and rivers of Guilin + Yangshuo│ 桂林 + 阳朔
Arrive at: Guilin North station 桂林北站 or Guilin station 桂林站 ➡️ take taxi
Day 12 afternoon - depart for Huangshan
⬇️ there is no direct train to Huangshan. You should search for trains or flights from Guilin to Huangshan Xi 👉 Check out prices and times HERE
On the way, you might like to consider Wangxiangu 望仙谷, which has a similar aesthetic to Liyue Harbor when lit up at night. It’s south of Huangshan, an hour by high speed rail.
Day 13-14 - Qiaoying Village ➡️ Huangshan + Hongcun│黄山 + 宏村
Arrive at: Huangshan Xi station 黄山西站 / fly to Huangshan Tunxi airport ➡️ take the dedicated bus or hail a taxi
Day 15 - Genshin Impact Shanghai merchandise
Up to you whether you want to go to Shanghai for merchandise or you just want to see the city.
It’s around 2.5 hours from Huangshan by train. 👉 Check out prices and times HERE
Good place to fly home anyway.
How to get there: train to Shanghai Hongqiao station 上海虹桥站 / Shanghai Nan 上海南站 ➡️ take the metro
My suggestion: One of the best places is the IPSTAR·潮玩星球(新世界城店) store on Nanjing Road.
Don’t forget to save money by:
Wishing you the greatest Liyue journey! 😝
I spent a lot of time crafting this itinerary. Please consider supporting using my links or my support page
Also check out my articles First Time In China? A Beginner’s Bucket List For Tourists
and Is China Expensive For Tourists? Full Breakdown For First Time Visitors
Note 1: this itinerary is subjective and is not related to the creators of Genshin Impact in any way. It’s aimed to give you an experience of Liyue and perhaps bring you some nostalgia.
There are other Genshin Impact itineraries available and every itinerary has some differences. Only the creators can verify the exact locations of their inspiration.
Note 2: there are other transport options available. These are my suggestions for the fastest way to the destination.
