China planning assistance please
 

OK, let me apologise first ! I am asking for something that I know I should do myself but I keep getting different opinions (mainly from travel agents:( ). So I throw myself at the feet of you folk who hold so much direct knowledge on the subject of China. Here is the brief, a party of 5,2 adults and three teenage children, reasonably fit, experienced travellers (europe) very open to new experiences. We want to spend a total of three weeks in China and Tibet at the end of June beginning of July in 05. Fly into either Beijing or Shanghai and out of the one we didn't fly in to. In between the only definates are Xian and Lhasa. Happy to fly internally. Thanks in advance.

please.

You need to be more specific. What kind of advice are you trying to get here? General itinerary and cities to visit? Tour companies? Transportation? Are you going with a tour group or just by yourselves? Etc, etc...

a general itinerary and cities to visit please, travelling just by ourselves. Hoping to make use of guides in places suggested and with our own brains everywhere else.

Okay, three weeks. You should give Lhasa at least 3-4 days, to allow for altitude adjustment. And that also means a visit to Chengdu, as most flights to Lhasa leave from there. If you like natural beauty, you can visit the Jiuzhaigou and Wanglung national parks (3-4 days), or Ermei mountain (~2 days) from Chengdu. Or go down to Chongqi and take a cruise through the 3 Gorges of the Yangzhi.

Beijing will take 5-6 days. Xian maybe 2-3. Shanghai itself 1-2, but you can easily go to Suzhou, Hangzhou, or the many "watertowns" or Huangshan (Yellow Mountain) in that general area.

I think that's pretty good for 3 weeks already. Or you can go from Xian to Langzhou, and then travel part of the Silk Road to Dunhuang (or beyond).

Or spend more time around Beijing to visit the summer palace city of Chengde or the sacred Wutai Mountain.

Many choices, all pretty worthwhile. Really depends on your interest. Whether you want to see mostly natural beauty, historical sites, religious sites, etc...

anyone else like to input ? I am happy to have " the holiday that fodors built " !

I think rkwan has covered a lot of areas for you. The only other region that wasn't mentioned is the southeast part of China. Guilin and the Li river is bueatiful. From Guilin you can go on to Kunming in the Yunnan privince. The Stone Forest near Kunming is good. However, the best atraction in Yunnan is LiJiang, a well preserved old town of the Naxi minority.

Had a few votes for Guilin, looks like its in. almost got it together. :)