ventoso_west

Can you please let me know what you think of this itinerary? There will be my husband, myself and my 13 yr old son traveling in March.

Shanghai - Yangshuo(3) - Lijiang(4) - Chengdu(1) - Beijing (4)

I've read varying reports about the weather in each of these areas in March and they dont seem great, but we don't have any flexibility on the date. Any weather comments would be greatly appreciated.

Also, if anyone has any "don't miss" off-the-beaten track suggestions in each of these areas, please list them. I am quite familiar with the standard activities and have a list them for each area.

Thanks very much for the help.

JPDeM

My initial impression is that you have one place too many. It would not be so bad if these places were not so far apart. There is a lot of long traveling involved.
About the weather, yes it will be cold. The problem is potentially in LiJiang and Yangshuo. Most hotels do not have heating so you need to make sure that the ones you pick have it, usually ok in high-end hotels. In Beijing, which is the furthest north, heating is not an issue. The good news is that most tourist places will not be busy.

ventoso_west

I tossed Chengdu in there at the last minute for my son. Maybe I should take that out.

Weather: My other "window" is July or the last 2 weeks of March. I've heard that is awefully hot and rainy in July. Thee is a remote chance I can get a couple weeks in the first two weeks of June. What would you recommend?
In March will there be any green anywhere, like at the Great Wall or the rice paddies or is everything going to be brown and dead.

I will check for the heaters. I am thinking of Moondance Boutique Resource in Yangshuo and The Bruce Chalet in Lijiang.

rkkwan

No point going to Chengdu for a day.

JPDeM

They plant rice in Yangshuo in early May as I recall. Shanghai will be somewhat mostly still brown in Beijing.
If you can make early June it would be better than July.. Best times are May, September and October (avoiding Chinese holidays though).

ventoso_west

I'll see if I can get the last week in May and the first week in June. To many schedules to juggle these days. If I have to choose between last two weeks of March or July, March would be better right?

Thanks again for the help.

JPDeM

Better in the sense of more bearable and less rain. There is some text missing in my previous post. In March Shanghai will be somewhat green and Beijing still brown although colors get greener towards the end of March. At that time of the year you should plan your trip from south to north.

JPDeM

Everybody has a different taste as I would recommend avoiding the cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo. big, noisy boat going too fast. Better go on the bamboo rafts on the Yulong river while in Yangshuo.