Shenzhen is more than twice the size of Hong Kong, and each district has a completely different personality: Futian is the business heart, Luohu is a bargain-hunting paradise, Nanshan is full of artsy spaces, Bao'an has mega malls, and Yantian is where you go for the sea. Tired of wandering the same mall every trip? Here are day-trip routes organised by district, all starting from the border crossings and linked by metro:
🏙️ Futian District — Border-Crossing Direct · Business Hub Day Trip
Route: Futian Port → Convention & Exhibition Center / COCO Park → Lianhuashan Park → One Avenue → back to the port
- Cross at Futian Port and you're straight onto the Shenzhen metro; start at COCO Park or One Avenue (卓悅中心) for shopping and lunch
- In the afternoon, stroll through Lianhuashan Park and climb to the summit plaza for a full view of the Futian CBD
- Head back to the Convention & Exhibition Center area for dinner — the choices are endless
- Best for: travellers on their first trip to Shenzhen who want mall time without too much hassle
🛍️ Luohu District — Bargain Hunter's Paradise · Down-to-Earth Food Day Trip
Route: Luohu Port → Dongmen Pedestrian Street → KK Mall / MixC → Wenheyou → back to the port
- Five minutes' walk from Luohu Port and you're at Dongmen Pedestrian Street — clothes, shoes, snacks, knick-knacks, everything. A bargain hunter's paradise
- After that, cool off with lunch at KK Mall (金光華廣場) / MixC
- In the afternoon, hit Shenzhen Wenheyou (深圳文和友) for photos (Luohu branch) and a trip back to 1980s Changsha street scenes
- At night, keep hunting through the Dongmen night market until your legs give out, then head back to Hong Kong
- Best for: travellers who love a bargain, want local food, and are on a budget
🌿 Nanshan District — Artsy Cafés · Seafront Views Day Trip
Route: Shenzhen Bay Port → Sea World → OCT-LOFT → Shenzhen Bay Park → Coastal City
- Cross at Shenzhen Bay Port and start at Sea World (海上世界) to see the Minghua ship and international restaurants
- In the afternoon, head to OCT-LOFT (華僑城創意文化園), a former factory turned artsy quarter packed with cafés and galleries
- At dusk, walk the waterfront at Shenzhen Bay Park — on a clear day you can see Hong Kong across the water
- At night, eat and shop at Coastal City (海岸城) / MixC World (萬象天地)
- Best for: artsy types, couples, and travellers who want to relax
🏬 Bao'an District — Mega Malls · New District Exploring Day Trip
Route: Shenzhen Bay Port / Airport → Uniwalk → OH Bay → Bao'an Central District
- Uniwalk (壹方城) is one of Shenzhen's mega malls — a full day isn't enough to cover it, with restaurants and cinemas galore
- Afterwards, head to OH Bay (歡樂港灣) (waterfront park plus Ferris wheel) — the sunset views are superb
- Best for: travellers who want to explore new malls, or who live in Bao'an / near the airport
🎢 Longgang District — Family Fun · Big Attractions Day Trip
Route: Futian Port → Universiade Center / Longgang Wanda → Gankeng Ancient Town
- Longgang has plenty of big attractions and family parks, and newer malls like Wanda Plaza are huge
- For an old-town fix, try Gankeng Hakka Ancient Town (甘坑客家古鎮) — free entry and great for photos
- Best for: families, and travellers who want to escape the packed malls downtown
🌊 Yantian District — Sea Views & Seafood · Resort Vibe Day Trip
Route: Liantang / Shatoujiao Port → Chung Ying Street → Dameisha / Xiaomeisha → Seafood Street
- Yantian has Chung Ying Street (中英街) (a historic site) and the beaches at Dameisha / Xiaomeisha
- For seafood, go to Yantian Seafood Street — caught fresh and cooked to order, at reasonable prices
- Best for: travellers who want sea views, seafood, and a break from the city
Planning Tips
- All routes are linked by metro / walking — set your route in Amap before you set off
- Malls get crowded on weekends; go on a weekday if you want a more comfortable stroll
- Every district has a mall as a "bail-out plan": if it rains or gets too hot, move indoors
- Want to know what else there is to do in Shenzhen? Check out our Shenzhen play guide and shopping guide
💰 Quick Ticket / Fee Reference by Stop (Many Are Free)
- Lianhuashan Park (6030 Hongli Road, Futian District; Metro Line 3, Lianhuacun Station, Exit D): Free entry, park open all day, and climbing to the summit plaza for the full Futian CBD panorama costs nothing.
- Shenzhen Central Park (1 Zhenhua West Road, Futian District; Metro Line 3, Huaxin Station, Exit A1): Free; the park has an automated sightseeing cart called "Fududu", rental RMB ¥39.8 per half hour, with audio commentary on the sights along the way. It covers over 1.168 million square metres, divided into zones A–E.
- Lizhi Park (1001 Hongling Middle Road, Futian District; Metro Line 3/9, Hongling Station, Exit F): Free entry, 28.8 hectares, with boating in the park; the Moon-Catching Bridge (攬月橋) is a photo spot.
- Shenzhen People's Park (3071 Renmin North Road, Luohu District; Metro Line 3, Shaibu Station, Exit D1): Free, opened in 1983, with Chinese roses in every season.
- Guan Shanyue Art Museum + Museum of Contemporary Art and Urban Planning (6026 Hongli Road / 184 Fuzhong Road, Futian District; Metro Line 3, Children's Palace Station, Exit B): The two are next to each other, about an 8-minute walk apart, free entry; note they close on Mondays.
- COCO Park (Futian) (Fuhua 3rd Road, Futian District; Metro Line 3, Shopping Park Station, Exit C): Free entry, 6 floors, 12 indoor streets, 8 atriums, and over 20 popular eateries.
- Luohu Yitian Holiday Plaza (羅湖益田假日廣場) (junction of Aiguo Road and Huali Road, Luohu District; Metro Line 3, Cuizhu Station, Exit B): Luohu District's second-largest mall, with 100,000 square metres of retail space, plus an outdoor street area and standalone art buildings. 15 minutes from Luohu Port, all indoors.
- Dafen Oil Painting Village (junction of Yanhe Road and Busha Road, Longgang District; Metro Line 3, Dafen Station, Exit A1): Free entry, around 200 galleries in the village, some offer oil-painting experiences from about ¥33.
- Shenzhen Wenheyou (Luohu): Free entry; crayfish, sugar-oil rice cakes and other Changsha snacks are charged separately.
- Gankeng Hakka Ancient Town (Longgang): Free entry to the ancient town; individual exhibition halls / experience activities are charged separately.
🚇 Actual Journey Times and Fares from the Border Crossings
- Luohu Port: Exit at Luohu Station on Line 1; one stop to Laojie Station (¥2). Change to Line 3 for Shaibu (Dongmen, People's Park), Cuizhu (Luohu Yitian Holiday Plaza) and Dafen (Oil Painting Village).
- Futian Port: Exit at Futian Port Station on Line 4; change to Line 3 for Shopping Park (COCO Park), Lianhuacun (Lianhuashan Park), Huaxin (Shenzhen Central Park) and Children's Palace (the two art museums).
- Shenzhen Bay Port: Line 13, change to Line 2/8 or Line 11; about 30–40 minutes to Houhai (Coastal City), Window of the World and Sea World.
- Fares: Shenzhen metro starts at ¥2, typically ¥2–5 within the city centre; longer trips from the port to Longgang or Bao'an run ¥6–9.
- Border crossing hours: Luohu Port 06:30–24:00, Futian Port (Lok Ma Chau Spur Line) 06:30–22:30, and Shenzhen Bay Port 06:30–24:00 for travellers and private cars (only cargo runs 24 hours). None of the three is open all night — the only 24-hour land crossing is Huanggang (Lok Ma Chau). Leave extra time when heading back to Hong Kong at night.
FAQ
Do I need to buy tickets in advance for a day trip?
Most stops on these routes are free (parks, art museums, malls, ancient towns) and need no booking. Only a few paid parks and experience activities (such as OCT theme parks or oil-painting experiences) require tickets in advance — buying through Meituan or Dianping usually gets you a discount.
Which route is best for a first trip to Shenzhen?
The Futian route is the safest bet: the metro is right at the border crossing and you don't have to change trains too many times. For bargain hunting, pick the Luohu route (Dongmen); for sea views, pick the Nanshan route (Shenzhen Bay Park + Sea World).
What's the backup plan if it rains?
Every route can switch to a mall at any time: Futian has COCO Park and One Avenue; Luohu has MixC, KK Mall and Luohu Yitian Holiday Plaza; Nanshan has Coastal City and MixC World — all are above or directly connected to metro stations.
What's the rough per-person budget for a day trip?
If you stick to free attractions plus a meal in a mall, RMB ¥150–250 per person (about HK$175–290) is plenty; add theme park tickets and shopping on top of that.
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