Shenzhen
Hong Kong Day Trip from Shenzhen
Fifteen minutes on the train, then Kowloon, the Star Ferry, Central's banking district and the tram up to Victoria Peak.
From US$149/per person
View tourShenzhen
Dapeng Fortress & Coast Day Tour
A Ming garrison town 600 years older than Shenzhen, then a bay of fishing boats and a beach that most visitors never find.
The short version
Shenzhen is 40 years old; Dapeng Fortress, at the tip of the Dapeng peninsula, is 600. It is a walled Ming garrison town of one main street and a handful of temples, and beyond it the coast opens into bays of fishing boats and a beach that most visitors never reach. About 9 hours door to door.
- Dapeng Fortress predates the city by 600 years — one walled street, no crowds on weekdays.
- The peninsula's bays still work as fishing harbours.
- Xichong beach is cleaner and quieter than the city beaches at Dameisha.
- Nine hours, with about 1h 30m of driving each way.
What not to miss
07:30
Hotel pickup
Private vehicle east along the coast road. Leaving early keeps the drive ahead of the weekend traffic to the beaches.
09:15
Dapeng Fortress
A walled Ming garrison: one granite-paved street, the old barracks, and the temple at the far gate. Built to defend the coast against pirates.
11:00
The fishing bay
Down to the water, where boats are unloading and the catch is being sorted on the quay.
12:30
Seafood lunch
Whatever came in that morning, cooked plainly — steamed with ginger, or wok-fried with scallion. Pick it from the tray yourself.
14:30
Xichong beach
An hour and a half on the sand. It is a surf beach with a shore break, and on a weekday it is close to empty.
16:30
Drive back
Back on the coast road at 16:30, at your hotel around 18:00.
What's included and what isn't
Includes
- Private vehicle and driver for the full day
- Licensed English-speaking guide
- Dapeng Fortress entrance ticket
- Seafood lunch
- Beach towels and bottled water
- Tolls, fuel and parking
Not included
- Surfboard or kayak rental
- Breakfast and dinner
- Gratuities
- Personal travel insurance
Pickup, timing and getting around
Pickup at 07:30 from hotels in Futian, Nanshan and Luohu. The peninsula is 1h 30m away, and on Saturday morning it can be two — which is why we push departure to 07:00 on weekends.
Bring swimwear and a change of clothes if you want the beach. If you would rather miss it, we spend the extra time in the fishing villages on the north side of the peninsula instead.
Route diagrams are schematic and illustrative, not to scale.
More day tours from Shenzhen
Shenzhen
Dafen Art Village & OCT Day Tour
Watch painters work in a village that once supplied the world's hotel lobbies, then cross town to Shenzhen's contemporary art district.
From US$89/per person
View tourFrequently asked questions
How old is Dapeng Fortress?
Founded in 1394 as a Ming coastal garrison against piracy. The walls and the main street survive, and unlike most restored sites in the region it is not heavily themed — there are still households inside.
Is the beach clean?
Xichong is the cleanest of the peninsula beaches and one of the better ones in Guangdong, but it is a working stretch of coast, not a resort. Weekdays are genuinely empty; summer weekends are not.
Can we swim?
Yes, between May and October, with the usual caution about a shore break. There are lifeguards in season. Outside those months the water is cold enough that most people walk instead.
What if there is a typhoon warning?
Beaches close and the coast road can be affected. We cancel with a full refund, or switch the day to the Dafen art tour and the OCT galleries, which are inland.
Explore next
More in this city
Before you fly
- Do I Need a Visa for China? Requirements, Costs and How to Apply
- China's 240-Hour Visa-Free Transit: Who Qualifies and How It Works
- Paying in China: Alipay, WeChat Pay, Cards and Cash
- China's High-Speed Rail: How to Book, What It Costs, How Fast It Goes
- Is China Safe for Tourists? Honest Risks and How to Avoid Them
- Best Time to Visit China: Month by Month, Region by Region
Tell us your dates.
We'll do the rest.
Free itinerary design, a revised plan within one working day, and nothing charged until you approve the final version.