Shenzhen: Ultimate Travel Guide By A Chinese (2025)

City Guides

12 Oct

Written By YenKid

(This guide has been written by the creator of the China online travel guide, YenKid In China, who lives near Shenzhen and has visited the city more times than he can count).

Introduction

Shenzhen is best known for

being a technology city - home to drones, robots, smartphones, electronics, electric vehicles, software
its modern architecture with a jungle of supertall skyscrapers
a 100% fully electric bus fleet and taxi fleet

A Few Facts about Shenzhen

Contained mostly fishing villages in 1980. Nearly everything you see was built in the last 40 years.
Shenzhen now has more than 185 buildings over 200 metres tall, more than any other city in the world, even Hong Kong next door. Iconic buildings including Ping An IFC and the Spring Bamboo.
Known by many people as a city for entrepreneurs, workers, and innovation. Famous companies include DJI, BYD, Huawei, Tencent, HeyTea.

Half-jokingly, some residents say the parks and the malls are the highlights. But there are definitely things worth doing and seeing for some of Shenzhen’s 18 million residents. It even has decent beaches!

What I liked particularly about Shenzhen

futuristic skyscrapers and incredible transport infrastructure
one of the greenest and cleanest cities I’ve visited
you can enjoy city views, park views, mountain views, and ocean views within an hour of each other

Whenever I walk through Shenzhen, I don’t really get a sense of extreme density compared to Hong Kong. The streets are wide and there are many open spaces and lots of greenery. The streets are not noisy or polluted, due to the amount of electric vehicles.

3 Things To See + photographic spots not to be missed

Seeing the Shenzhen skyline from the top of Lianhuashan Park
Going up high in the sky at the observation deck on 116th floor of Ping An IFC (usual opening hours are 10am to 8pm)
Visiting Gangxia North station - one of the most stunning metro stations I’ve ever seen

3 Things To Do

Strolling through Talent Park, taking a picture of the Nanshan skyline, and witnessing food delivery by drone
Going on a DIY skyscraper city walk (see my itinerary below)
Ascending Wutongshan for spectacular views of Shenzhen, Hong Kong, and the ocean

Time-dependent

Skyscraper light show at Civic Center - Friday, Saturday, and public holidays. Exact times subject to change, usually hourly in early to mid-evening period.
There is a special viewing zone - if you want to do this you have to book a place through the WeChat mini-program, which is not possible at the moment without a China mainland phone number.
You can see it from other places around Civic Center, but it’s obviously not as good as the designated zone.
Drone shows at night - usually at Civic Center or Talent Park on specific days (only on big public holidays, anniversaries, or special events)

Unique Experiences to Consider

Taking a boat tour from Shekou Port to Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge (the world’s longest sea bridge)
Riding a driverless taxi (you either need to have a Chinese phone number to book it through the mini-program, get help from a tour guide, or use a third party service)

Points of Interest / Attractions to Visit

The skyscrapers - main ones to look out for:
- Ping An IFC - world’s 5th tallest building as of 2025
- China Resources Tower - shaped like a pointy bamboo shoot and nicknamed “Spring Bamboo”
- KK100 - a slim 100 storey skyscraper
- Shun Hing Square - a skyscraper with two vertical antenna
- DJI Sky City - a futuristic twin-tower skyscraper with floating blocks
- Tencent Binhai Mansion - a twin tower skyscraper with multiple connecting skybridges

Note: You can’t really capture the entire skyline in one picture because the tallest buildings are spread too far apart in different districts.

The parks and outdoors
- Lianhuashan Park - centrally located park and nice place to relax. You can walk from Lianhuashan Park down to the Civic Center using the dedicated walkway. Amazing views of the city.
- Fairy Lake Botanical Garden - beautiful flowers and plants. I got stunning pics from here.
- Dameisha - take in oceanic views from the beach and walk along the seaside promenade walkway — a nice contrast away from the city. There can be a sea of people on weekends and public holidays.
- Wutongshan (944m) - only for those who like hiking and have a full day to dedicate to it. Spectacular views of Shenzhen and northern Hong Kong on a clear day.

Shenzhen Urban Planning and Contemporary Art Museum - a fascinating exhibition of Shenzhen’s city planning and modern artwork inside a futuristic building.

Huangqiangbei - the famous electronics market. Check it out for the hustle and bustle. You can try buying some electronics or accessories. Remember to bargain.

Splendid China Folk Village - I would only visit it if you aren’t visiting any other cities in China and want a taste of the different famous landmarks or interested in miniature models. It is a theme park so don’t expect to see anything like the real thing.

Shekou Seaworld - a lower density leisure area with a large ship (on land) containing a hotel and restaurants and views of Shenzhen Bay

Oh Bay (huan le gang wan) - great for families and a nice place to relax. There are views of the ferris wheel, the bay leading out to the Pearl River, and Shenzhen-Zhongshan Bridge. Lower density, parks, and a lot of open space compared to the denser districts. It is also home to the Yuxin Bookstore, a bookstore with a striking spiral feature.

My Suggested Itinerary

General highlights

Day 1 - Lianhuashan Park ➡️ Shenzhen Urban Planning Museum ➡️ Ping An IFC ➡️ Coco Park ➡️ Link Street ➡️ Gangxia North Station
Day 2 - Fairy Lake Botanical Garden ➡️ Dongmen Pedestrian Street ➡️ Huangqiangbei ➡️ Talent Park ➡️ Seaworld

+ allow one day for Wutongshan or 1/2 day for Dameisha

My skyscraper city walking tour (that you can do yourself)

Citymark ➡️ Shun Hing ➡️ KK100 ➡️ Ping An IFC ➡️ Spring Bamboo Building ➡️ Tencent HQ ➡️ DJI Sky City

OR bonus expanded version including other types of structures (if you are a big fan of infrastructure marvels)

Citymark ➡️ Shun Hing ➡️ KK100 ➡️ Gangxia North station ➡️ Ping An IFC ➡️ China Merchants Bank Global HQ ➡️ Spring Bamboo Building ➡️ Tencent HQ ➡️ DJI Sky City ➡️ Shenzhen Zhongshan Bridge

You could easily spend at least 1/2 day or even a full day on my skyscraper tour (especially if you come across other interesting architecture along the way). There are malls, restaurants, and shops very near to each building, so you can take a break whenever you want.

Summary of Attractions

Attraction | Ticket Price | Metro Station Exit

Ping An IFC | ~200rmb | Line 1/3, Shopping Park, Exit E
Lianhuashan Park | free | Line 3/4, Children’s Palace, Exit F1
Talent Park | free | Line 13, Talent Park, Exit B1
Shenzhen Museum of Contemporary Art and Urban Planning | free | Line 3/4, Children’s Palace, Exit A2
Dongmen Pedestrian Street | free | Line 1/3, Laojie, Exit F
Fairy Lake Botanical Garden | 15rmb | Line 2, Xianhu Road, Exit C3
Huangqiangbei | free | Line 2/7, Huaqiang North, Exit D1
Shekou Sea World | free | Line 2/12, Sea World, Exit A
Oh Bay (huan le gang wan) | free | Line 5, Linhai, Exit B
Dameisha | free | Line 2/8, Dameisha, Exit A/B

(Information last checked in Sept 2025)

Recommended Days in Shenzhen

1-2 days depending on your interests

Best Time to Visit

Mid-October to Mid-May for the most comfortable temperatures. Can get a little cold in the winter months.
Extremely hot and humid during the summer, 30-35C in the daytime and 25-30C at night.
See my Weather Dashboard for temperature ranges by month.

How to Get There

By air:

Land at Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport
OR land at Hong Kong International Airport + take a ferry at the Skypier/take a high speed train from West Kowloon/take a cross-border bus to the mainland border
OR land at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport + take the metro to Guangzhou East Railway station and transfer to a train

By land:

Take the high speed train to Shenzhen North railway station (more regular services from all over the country, 20-30 minutes by metro to the central districts)
OR Futian railway station (more limited services, in the centre of the city)

How to Get Around

The most convenient way is Shenzhen Metro which has 17 lines - it’ll take you to most places worth visiting.
City taxis or DiDi are also widely available.
Check out these articles if you’re stuck:
How to Ride the Metro in China: Ultimate Guide to Getting Around the City (2025)
How to Hail a DiDi Driver in China (2025 Guide)

Where Should You Stay

Futian and Luohu districts are the two most central locations. Can also consider Nanshan district.
I recommend staying close to one of Line 1 to 4 or 11 for convenient access. Shenzhen is the perfect city to experience robot delivery to your room. Remember to check the hotel list for this feature. Check out my article Things To Consider When Booking a Hotel in China
If you’re here mainly for Huangqiangbei, be sure to select places in the immediate area. Huangqiangbei is easily accessible from Luohu and Futian districts.
As for specific hotels, I don’t have one that is outstanding. I recommend you use Trip, since it is the top hotel booking platform in China and has the bigger range of hotels. Always cheaper for me as well. Check out my article How to Get The Best Deal For Hotels in China.

What Should You Eat

Shenzhen has a very diverse food scene, since many of its residents are from other provinces.
It’s a Cantonese city, so Cantonese food is still the dominant regional cuisine with lots of Hakka and Chaoshan restaurants as well.
Some Cantonese specialties in Shenzhen are:
- 椰子鸡 | Yēzǐ jī | coconut chicken
- 煲仔饭 | bāo zǎi fàn | claypot rice
- 肠粉 | cháng fěn | rice noodle rolls
- dim sum (many varieties)
Check out my list of Cantonese dishes here.

Where Should I Eat

Link Street + One Avenue + Coco Park in Futian district
Area around Dongmen Pedestrian Street (东门步行街) in Luohu district
Seaworld + Coastal City in Nanshan district

Don’t forget the streetside restaurants. You can use Dianping to check out the food and reviews. Check out my article How to Find Great Restaurants in China - A Simplified Guide to Dianping and RedNote.

If you’re staying in another district, just search for your nearest mall or streetside restaurants.

Things To Consider Buying

Buy electronics, such as DJI or Huawei, which are from Shenzhen.
Buy accessories, many brands for phone cases, power banks, and cables are from Shenzhen.

Best Places to Relax

Parks: my personal favourites are Talent Park and Lianhuashan Park.
Malls: Coco Park, One Avenue, Link CentralWalk, MixC World - all have numerous chain restaurants and shops. The biggest mall by far is Uniworld, but it’s at least 30 minutes away from the central districts and a 10 minute walk from the nearest metro station.
Outdoor areas: Shekou Seaworld, Oh Bay
Beaches: Dameisha and Xiaomeisha. You can also consider Xichong Beach in Dapengwan, but it is over 1 hour away and only accessible by road transport.

For Children

OCT-East and Happy Valley are theme parks. Qianhai Snow World offers experiences in the snow. Oh Bay has lots of large open areas by the water. Dameisha is one of the biggest beaches with nice oceanic views and small town vibes.

Some Extras:

Nantou Ancient Town - something different, if you’re nearby and want a slow paced day away from the city
Window of the World - basically a theme park of the world’s iconic attractions. A lot of guides recommend this attraction, but I would say - only go if you like miniature attractions and want to see a collection of famous attractions from around the world.