72 hour Visa Shanghai - Hong Kong Macau

In reality, your situation is very simple and you will definitely be eligible for 144 hour visa free transit in Shanghai area.

If you are a US citizen, you can travel to and stay in Hong Kong and Macau visa free. In other words, you can travel between Hong Kong and Macau and back as much as you wish using a ferry or a bus if you want to see HZMB bridge.

You can travel directly to Los Angeles from Hong Kong without a need to go through Shanghai. Anyway, if the ticket via Shanghai is cheaper, then it would be probably a better option. If the ticket via Shanghai is cheaper, you will be again eligible for visa free transit, but assuming that you will just take a short transit in Shanghai, in this case, you would be covered by 24 hour visa free transit.

To conclude, your itinerary is eligible for 144 hour visa free transit in Shanghai area and you don't need any kind of visa. Also, you are perfectly allowed to travel between Hong Kong and Macau and vice versa visa free. To return back home, you can choose a direct Hong Kong to Los Angeles or Hong Kong to Shanghai to Los Angeles flights. All the mentioned is absolutely visa free.

Thank You for the response. Most likely I will fly back to LAX from Shanghai as well.

Do I have to do anything before, print my plane tickets, hotel reservations? or once I arrived to Shanghai I will get more information. Just want to be ready before my trip starts.

Thank You

You must print your tickets showing the long ticket number. You will need them when you check in at LAX and on arrival in China. Also print your accommodation details including the telephone number for your arrival in Shanghai.

Thanks again for the response. Another question. Once I get to Shanghai, if I decide to fly to Macau instead of Hong Kong, then get a ferry to Hong Kong, would that still be ok?

That's fine.

Thanks for the reply. Decided to arrive in Shanghai on a Wednesday, fly to Macau on Friday, return from Macau to Shanghai on Sunday, and return to the USA on Monday from Shanghai. From all your notes above, this should be fine as well, correct?

Yes, as long as your flights to and from Macau are nonstop.