Chaoshan · Travel · Four days

Four days in Chaoshan: the three cities, plus Haojiang in Shantou

Three days on the three cities, then a fourth that does not cross a city line: stay in Shantou and go south to the water — Mayu Island, Dahao, Queshi.

Route at a glance

Trip facts and effort

Suggested time4 day

Base One night Chaozhou, two nights Shantou; three cross-city legs

Walking Moderate: 6 to 9 km a day, easier on the fourth, with half a day given to the sea

Transport load No early start; climbing optional; one or two boat crossings

Depends on Last ferry, the day’s tides, and the Queshi cable car stopping at 17:00

Main risk Missing the last boat or the cable car, and being stuck at Queshi on the fourth afternoon

Most likely to go wrong Putting Queshi last in the afternoon

Good for Not wanting to rush, and willing to give a whole day to the sea

Elders and children Fine for the first three days. The fourth is windy by the water; bring elders a jacket

Distances and effort are this site’s estimates on level ground; steps and hill paths count separately. Cross-city legs assume the default base and route order, and exclude transfers to and from Chaoshan. Live conditions follow the official word that day.

Route flow

Day one · Chaozhou (a full day in the old city)

Day 1Guangji Bridgewalk 10 minPaifang Streetwalk 5 minKaiyuan Templewalk 8 minJilue Huang Hallwalk 12 minXu Prince-Consort Residencewalk 15 minChaozhou West Lake

Day two · Shantou (the Xiaogongyuan cluster)

Day 2the Chaozhou old citycross-city 45—60 minXiaogongyuan arcadeswalk 20 minXidi Parkferry 10 minQueshi

Day three · Jieyang (the Rongcheng triangle, with Xima Road as a film location; back that night to Shantou to sleep)

Day 3Xiaogongyuancross-city 45—60 minJieyang Confucian Templewalk 6 minCity God Templewalk 12 minJinxian Gatewalk 5 minXima Roadreturn set by your station

Day four · Haojiang, Shantou (no city crossing: ferries and short drives)

Day 4Mayu Islanddrive 20 minDahao old towndrive 15 minQueshiferry back to the cityXiaogongyuan (dinner)

Mayu Island takes about an hour, Dahao old town about thirty minutes, the climb at Queshi two to three hours, with the Piaoran Pavilion over the inner bay. Without climbing, take Beishan Bay or Qingyun Rock instead; neither needs a boat.

Time budget

Item	Four days	Notes
Net sightseeing	18—21 hours	One main district a day for three days; the fourth inside Shantou
Travel	3—4 hours	Three cross-city legs of 45—60 min; none on the fourth day
Eating and rest	6—8 hours	1.5—2 hours a day
Buffer	2—4 hours	Half an hour to an hour a day; the Queshi climb is counted separately
Total	29—37 hours	About 40 hours out over four days; the rest is the night and the station runs

Details and tailoring

Transport and time

Start and finish in Shantou, with no further crossing: on the fourth day you need not carry luggage. City buses plus the square ferry, about ten minutes across; the climb at Queshi cannot be done on foot alone, and there are both a shuttle and a gentle slope. Put Queshi in the morning, since the afternoon sun is hard on the climb; the reverse works too, only the Piaoran Pavilion view of the inner bay, clearer towards evening.

Party and stamina: what to drop

Timings below are per day and are estimates. What you drop becomes somewhere to sit, not another stop.

Driving　The fourth day is the one for a car: Mayu, Dahao and Queshi are scattered across Haojiang and buses mean waiting. Leave the car at the hotel for three days and bring it out on the fourth.
With elders　Take the cable car up at Queshi rather than climbing; on top, stay on the platforms and skip the back hill. The cable car stops at 17:00, so do not leave the climb to the end of the afternoon, and go by the notice on site. On Mayu, look from the embankment rather than the beach: the wind is strong.
With children　Give the fourth day wholly to the coast, and at Queshi go only as far as the upper cable-car station. Low tide is for sand; check the tide times before going in.
If boats are a problem　Reverse Queshi and Dahao: drive over the bridge first and come back by ferry, leaving the rough stretch for last.

Main line and optional stops

The Piaoran Pavilion at Queshi is the main line; Mayu is optional, and when time is short drop the island and keep Queshi. Dahao old town is half an hour’s worth, seen on the way rather than as a main stop.

What to eat on the way

Lunch at Dahao: fish balls, fish rice. Dinner back in the city on beef hotpot. For how Shantou eats, see What to eat in Shantou.

Risks and checks

In high winds the ferry stops: switch to Beishan Bay or Qingyun Rock, neither of which needs a boat.
If Queshi is wet and slippery, stop at the seaside promenade below.
With children and a falling tide, check the tide before fixing a time in the water.

Three things to check again before setting off (live information; the official word of the day governs): the Queshi cable car stops at 17:00, so start up before three in the afternoon; the last square ferry; the weather on day four, and if it rains, Queshi gives way to something inside the city.

Entries

Mayu Island, Dahao old town, Queshi, Xiaogongyuan port area, Nan ao Island.

Sources

Distances, drive times, fares and hours here share their source with the overview page and are listed in the sources of the Chaoshan travel guide, checked 19 October 2026. The stops themselves follow the sources on their entry pages.

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