Trip Overview
When: June 2020 (summer, hot but pleasant after rainy season)
Duration: 3 days
Travelers: Couple
Budget: ~2,000 RMB (~$280 USD)
Transportation: Self-driving from Guangzhou to Shenzhen (~2 hours)
Essential Foreigner Info
Getting There: Driving from Guangzhou takes about 2 hours via Shenzhen-Guangzhou Expressway. Alternatively, take a high-speed train from Guangzhou South to Shenzhen North (about 40 minutes).
Money Matters: Most places accept WeChat Pay and Alipay. Taxis in Shenzhen are reliable and use meters—uniform green/blue sedans across the city.
Language: Mandarin is widely spoken. Younger locals speak some English, but having your destination in Chinese characters is helpful for taxi drivers.
Best Time to Visit: October to November offers cooler weather. Summer is hot (30°C+) with occasional typhoons—check weather forecasts!
Day 1: Shenzhen Garden Expo (园博园)
After weeks of rainy weather, the sun finally appeared, and our wanderlust kicked in. Since long-distance travel wasn't ideal during COVID-19 times, we decided to drive to Shenzhen for a spontaneous weekend getaway. We left Guangzhou at 8 AM and arrived by 10 AM—couldn't be easier.
We checked into Miju Hotel (觅居酒店), formerly Boyuan Business Hotel (博园商务酒店), just 200 meters from Shenzhen Garden Expo. The hotel reopened in February 2020 after renovations—everything was spotless and modern. Great value for money!
Room Features: The room was spacious with a unique layout—bathroom and vanity on opposite sides of the hallway. All switches are touch-panel with clear labels (helpful at night!). The automatic curtains are a dream—insert your key card and they open automatically; pull it out and they close. Best feature? These curtains are blackout curtains—you can sleep until noon!
Shenzhen Garden Expo (园博园): Just a 2-3 minute walk from our hotel. This sprawling park was the site of the 5th China International Garden and Flower Expo. It's now a free theme park covering a huge area—walking the entire perimeter takes hours. Perfect for families or morning exercise enthusiasts!
Foreigner tip: The park is divided into sections—domestic gardens are concentrated in the southwest, international gardens in the northeast. Enter from different gates based on what you want to see.
We entered from the South Gate but only managed a short walk—the summer heat was intense! If you're visiting in summer, bring water and go early morning or late afternoon.
Day 2: Shenzhen Bay Park (深圳湾公园) & Happy Coast (欢乐海岸)
Early morning, we took a taxi to Shenzhen Bay Park, entering from Hongshulin (红树林) Ecological Park on the east side. The scenery blew us away!
Shenzhen Bay Park (深圳湾公园): This massive coastal park stretches 10.5 kilometers along Shenzhen Bay, covering 128.74 hectares. On one side: stunning bay views. On the other: lush greenery. Across the water: Hong Kong's New Territories and the Shenzhen Bay Bridge connecting Shenzhen and Hong Kong.
Pro hack: Rent a bike to cover more ground—this park is massive! Since it wasn't a weekend, the park was peacefully quiet.
We walked from east to west along the coastline, sweating profusely in the summer heat. We made it to Haiyun Park (海韵公园) before calling it quits and grabbing a taxi to Happy Coast.
Happy Coast (欢乐海岸): Part of the OCT (Overseas Chinese Town) group, this water-themed entertainment complex features Qu Shui Wan (曲水湾)—a network of restaurants, bars, and traditional-modern architecture. Includes a shopping center, Ocean Dream Hall (海洋奇梦馆), and Happy Coast Water Show Theatre (欢乐海岸水秀剧场).
We were here mainly to escape the heat and relax, so we headed straight into the shopping center. We ended up at Brew Bar, ordering a latte, red bean oat milk, and a white chocolate mille crepe—perfect way to spend a lazy afternoon!
Day 3: Departure
On the morning of day 3, we checked out and planned to visit Citizens Square (市民广场) before heading back to Guangzhou. But it started raining—and with Typhoon #2 approaching—we decided to head home early.
Left in sunny weather, returned in rain. Goodbye for now, Shenzhen! There are still so many places we didn't get to explore—definitely coming back. After all, it's only a 2-hour drive away!