Shenzhen Day Tour from Hong Kong: Lo Wu to Ping An Finance Centre

See Shenzhen's 40-year rise from the observation deck of one of the world's tallest buildings

A full-day private tour from Hong Kong into Shenzhen that crosses the Lo Wu border by local train, walks the oldest neighborhoods to understand the city's rapid development, stops at Dongmen for local street food and shopping, climbs to the 118th floor of Ping An Finance Centre, and returns via high-speed rail. Your guide speaks English, Cantonese or Chinese and travels with you throughout.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Shenzhen city and return to Hong Kong

• Pick up from hotel
• Take local train to Lo Wu border
• Assist with landing visa at border
• Stroll through oldest city part
• Rest and snack at Dongmen pedestrian area
• Visit skyscraper observatory and 3D interaction
• Take subway to commercial district
• Explore underground mall and local retail culture
• Dine at mall restaurant
• Ride high speed rail back to Hong Kong

The experience

The day starts with pickup from your Hong Kong hotel, then a local train ride to the Lo Wu border crossing. You'll handle your own visa entry (bring a clean passport page), a process the operator estimates at around 30 minutes. Once through, you're in Shenzhen proper. A city that has built itself almost entirely in the last four decades. Your guide walks you through the oldest neighborhoods to show what that transformation actually looks like on the ground, then you rest at Dongmen pedestrian area, a local hangout where you can watch how Shenzhen residents spend their afternoons: browsing street food vendors, shopping, moving through the retail markets that define how people here spend their free time.

The tour then moves to a deeper look at Shenzhen's scale. You'll see a 3D graphic demonstration of the city's development and learn about the architecture and engineering of the four tallest skyscrapers in the world. Then comes the climb: a ride up to the 116th level of Ping An Finance Centre, where you stand at 1,956 feet above a city of 14 million people. From there, a subway takes you into the financial district. You'll ride alongside the workforce, watch the commercial energy of the place, and visit one of the biggest underground malls in China. This is where you see how locals actually move through their city after work: the retail habits, the food choices, the rhythm of commute and dinner. You choose a restaurant in the mall for your meal.

After dinner, you head to the connecting train station inside the mall and board the high-speed rail back to Hong Kong. The train travels at 200 km/h and the journey takes just under 10 minutes. Fast enough that you experience the full sequence: the station itself, the immigration control for both mainland China and Hong Kong (both in one station), and the high-speed train station in West Kowloon where you arrive. Hotel drop-off follows.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off.
• private guide in English, Chinese or Cantonese.
• local train to the Lo Wu border.
• subway rides through Shenzhen's commercial districts.
• entry and ride to the 116th floor of Ping An Finance Centre.
• access to one of China's largest underground malls.
• high-speed rail return to Hong Kong with immigration processing at both borders.

Options for this experience

2 options

Shenzhen Tour by Public TransportGuide in English, Cantonese or Chinese · 08:00The tour gets around by taxi, Uber, public transport and buses. Pickup is included.

Shenzhen Tour in a VehicleGuide in English, Cantonese or Chinese · 08:00A private vehicle with driver and fuel is included for the tour, which can be used for up to 10 hours during the day. Includes pickup.

You pick the guide language when booking.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:00

Book up to12h before

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Cantonese and Chinese

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 48 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

ConfirmationConfirmation within 48 h

Good to know

Moderate physical effortWheelchair accessible

Operated by This Is Asia Private Tours

Is this one for you?Book the vehicle option if you want to move between neighborhoods without navigating the local transit system. Choose public transport if you want to experience how Shenzhen residents actually commute and prefer to keep costs lower. Either way, the day is built around a single guide who stays with you, so the pacing and the explanations don't change: only how you get between stops.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Chinese and Cantonese.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 48 h before the start.

What do I need to bring to cross the Lo Wu border into Shenzhen?

You need a current valid passport with at least one clean, blank page for the visa stamp. You must confirm and obtain any visa requirements before the day of travel: visa requirements are your responsibility. The border crossing process takes around 30 minutes.

What is Dongmen and what do people actually do there?

Dongmen is the oldest part of Shenzhen and now a popular local pedestrian area where residents gather in the late afternoon. You'll visit street food vendors and local retail markets to see what shopping and eating habits look like for people who live in the city, not just pass through it.

How high up does the Ping An Finance Centre observatory go?

The observatory deck is on the 116th floor at a height of 1,956 feet. From there, you look down at a city of 14 million people spread beneath you.

Is food included, or do I pay for my own meal?

Food and drinks are not included. You choose a restaurant in the underground mall where you dine, and you pay for your meal there.

What's the difference between the vehicle option and the public transport option?

The vehicle option includes private transportation to and from attractions. The public transport option uses local trains and subways for those segments. Both options include hotel pickup and drop-off, a private guide, and the same stops and experiences throughout the day.