Beijing and Xi'an with Kids?
 

Hello - We are on our way to Beijing in February and are bring our 5 and 2 year olds. Is it better to stay in Beijing for the full week that we have, or 4 days in Beijing and 3 days in Xi'an? In other words, is Xi'an worth visiting with kids? Thanks!!!!

I seriously doubt the kids will care one way or another, so it's simply whether the adults want to visit Xian. It is definitely a city worth visiting with a week in China.

Definitely worth a visit. Kids might not appreciate it though. You can do Xi-an in 2 days. Nice to go via sleeper train from Beijing.

It will be quite cold in both cities so bundle up.

Thanks for the replies! True the kids won't care, although one is not a great traveler. But I guess my question more revolves around the worth of packing them all up, spending the time to travel, trying to see as much as possible vs. slowing it down a bit, trying to experience the culture of Beijing. That is the trade off, seeing the sights in Beijing and Xi'an quickly, or slowing down and experiencing Beijing.

Will look into the sleeper and will bundle up. We are traveling from German so we should be appropriately dressed.

Thanks again!!!

This is an interesting question. My first reaction is to say yes visit Xian. We were there with three kids in 2008, but they were 15, 13 and 9. But then I recall what it is like to travel with very young kids in cold weather (we live in Canada). So my second reaction is stay in Beijing.

Hmmm. If I thought I would never visit China again, I would go to Xian. If I thought I would be there again, I would stay in Beijing.

That was exhausting.

By the way we just went to Cappadocia this summer. It gets so much easier as the kids get older.

colduphere - Thanks for your input...it is exhausting, huh? Ahh, Cappadocia, what a great place to visit. We spent a week in Goreme (sp?) a few years back and absolutely loved it.

Thanks again for your input. It is a tough decision which we are still pondering!