Don't fly to Shenzhen (SZX)

The flight to Shenzhen is not the problem.

The problem is the choice most founders get:

• Pay a premium for a mediocre nonstop to SZX, or
• "Save money" by connecting inside mainland China.

Option #2 is how you lose Day 1. And sometimes Day 2.

If you're a scrappy founder, your real currency is calendar days, not airfare.

The hidden cost of a trip is attention. Meetings, taxis, borders, check-ins, and "quick calls" do not pause the business. They stack on top of it. I always get exhausted on business trips, because the trip activities get added on top of what I am supposed to do anyway: running the business.

That is why I optimize the trip to be as smooth as possible. Less friction = more brain left for work.

A clean nonstop into Shenzhen (SZX) can be great, especially if you stay in Baoan (or go to Dongguan). Take it if you have it.

But for many origin cities, nonstops to SZX are absent or inconvenient. So people take the "reasonable" plan: connect via another mainland airport. That is where time disappears. One extra airport. One extra boarding. One extra delay window. You arrive late at night at best, and completely drained.

I have been coming to Shenzhen so many times that I cannot even estimate the count. At some point I was doing a transcontinental flight every 2 weeks for months. This is when I optimized my itinerary to perfection. Here it is.

My default route to Shenzhen:

1. Fly into Hong Kong (HKG). Not Guangzhou, not anywhere else. Hong Kong
2. Exit the airport and book a taxi on Uber to Shenzhen Bay checkpoint. The ride is about 25 minutes
3. Walk across: Hong Kong exit, then China entry. Usually 10-30 minutes, depending on the lines
4. On the China side, go LEFT and find the official taxi boarding line. It moves fast, so worry not
5. Take a taxi to your hotel. Baoan is a great base if you want easy access to factories across Shenzhen and Dongguan

On a good run, this is close to wheels down > hotel room in about two hours. Not a guarantee, but consistently fast.

Practical notes:

• I use the Hong Kong resident e-Channel to skip entry lines. I will write a separate post on how to qualify for e-Channel without being a HK resident
• Shenzhen Bay passenger crossing is not 24/7. Land in Hong Kong in the morning or afternoon
• Hong Kong taxis are cash only. Uber saves you the ATM hassle and leftover HKD
• Set up Alipay (and WeChat Pay if you can) before you fly. Do not rely on cash. Even if cash is accepted, drivers have no change
• Have your hotel name and address PRINTED in CHINESE. Don't rely on your phone
• Have China data (roaming or travel SIM/eSIM)
• Shenzhen Bay does not offer a port visa. Have your visa/entry status sorted

If you are investing your time to go to Shenzhen, save your time and energy for factories and decisions. Do not spend it on trip logistics.