China Travel Guide - Choosing Your Family-Friendly Itinerary

Traveling to China with kids? China is such a great land, where should you go? what is there to do with the children? what's the best way to get there and around? We try to answer these questions in the following pages, as well as give you some ideas of what has worked for us when traveling with our kids in China.

Plan your family-friendly itinerary to include a Pedicab trip through the Beijing alleyways, a Toboggan ride down the Great Wall, biking through the countryside among gumdrop mountains... planning a trip to China with the kids will take a little more work, but in the end, it's all worth it!

Don't try to cram too many places in a short period of time. After all, you wouldn't try to see the Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, Yosemite, New York City, Disneyworld, the Florida Keys and the Everglades all in two weeks...

Yes, China is BIG, and there is so much to see and experience. This is one of the world's ancient civilizations and is so full of history and culture. When all that history and culture becomes "too much" for the kids, take a boat ride, fly kites, watch a kung fu show!

Here are a few of our favorite places for a great China Family Adventure:

Beijing Beijing, the capital of the Republic and home to many of China's most famous historical sites, including the Forbidden City and the Great Wall. Kids will enjoy a ride in a rickshaw through the old alley ways, dragon boat rides, flying kites in the world's largest square, kung fu shows...

Xian Xian's claim to fame is the Army of Terracotta Warriors, a most intriguing archaeological discovery. But there is more to Xian than the Terracotta Army. Kids will enjoy riding bicicles on the ancient city wall, visiting food markets, musical fountains and more.

Yangtze River Cruise and Three Gorges The Yangtze River offers charming mountain scenery at the Three Gorges and the largest hydroelectric project at the Three Gorges Dam. A visit to an ancient ghost town is on the way, and riding the peapod rafts is also great fun.

Shanghai Shanghai is the nation's business and financial center. A place where East meets West, old meets new... One of the world's most vibrant cities. There's much to keep everyone entertained, from a boat ride through an ancient and quaint watertown to riding the fastest train in the world... and everything in between. Shanghai is the home of the World Expo 2010.

Chengdu In Chengdu you will see Pandas as close to their natural habitat as you can get, a great treat for the kids to come face to face with one of these wonderful creatures. Many of the Panda Preserves were affected by the Sichuan Earthquake but most have reopened. Chengdu is a good place to use as a base for exploring the nearby area and is also the gateway for travel into Tibet.

Guilin/Yangshuo Guilin and Yangshuo is where you find those picture-perfect magical limestone peaks... You feel as if you were in the middle of a classical Chinese painting... Children will enjoy a bike ride through the countryside, or cruising the rivers on bamboo rafts... it's a great place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the big cities.

Leshan Leshan boasts some beautiful countryside as well as the world's largest Buddha, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Kids will enjoy climbing down to Dafo's feet and having a picnic on one of the gigantic toe nails!

Hong Kong Hong Kong is a complex modern metropolis where glass and steel skyscrapers bond with the ancient culture giving this city such an exotic flavor... Kids will enjoy the Star Ferry, getting up Victoria Peak, the markets and yes, there is Disneyland!... Click here for more on Hong Kong travel tips from Anna, a native Chinese residing in Hong Kong.

Stone Forests - the Avatar Mountains? Several places in China claim to be the model for the beautiful floating mountains featured in the movie Avatar. Both the peaks of Zhangjiajie National Park and the Chinese Mountains at Huangshan are the biggest rivals. They are both equally breathtaking and have been declared Unesco's World Heritage Sites. Besides the jaw-dropping scenery, there are plenty of activities for the active families like hiking and rafting.

Use this link to the China Map for a quick reference when planning your itinerary!

What about traveling to the more remote areas of China? Some "off the beaten path" places away from the main tourist sites that can be visited with children? Try some of these:

• Inner Mongolia: Horseback riding in the grasslands, camping out in a yurt, get a taste of Mongolian culture...

• The Great Wall on the North Korean Border: no crowds, beautifully restored.

• Mount Emei, Sichuan Province: One of China's four famous Buddhist mountains, great for hiking...

• Jiuzhaigou Nature Reserve: Gorgeous scenery, hiking, horseback riding, visit Tibetan villages...

What about Tibet? Is it OK to travel to Tibet with children? Here are some answers about altitude sickness, strong sun, food, Tibetan dogs, and alternative family-friendly choices to experience Tibetan Culture.

Check out these China Travel Guidebooks and start planning your destinations!

Back from China Travel Guide Destinations to Home Page