Help with China itinerary please
 

Hi,

I am travelling to China next month (May) with my Mom, and have been obsessing about the itinerary. I would really appreciate any advice.

We are arriving in Beijing and leaving from Shanghai and have 16 nights in total to spend in China. We would love to see nature, mountains, temples as well as the sights in/around Beijing and Shanghai. However, we can't be too active or too adventurous as I am treavelling with my mother.

I have come up with the following itinerary but am worried that it might be too ambitious. (We would be flying as much as possible). Please let me know what you think:

Beijing - 4
Xian - 2
Chengdu - 3
Guilin - 3
Shanghai - 4

Also, we would love to see some of Yunnan. Is it possible to make a worthwhile trip to Yunnan over 3-4 days. If so, what would you cut out of this itinerary to do that?

Thanks so much!

Cut out Chengdu, unless there's specific places around there you want to see - like the Panda Reserve or Ermei Mountain.

I would cut out Chengdu and Guilin and try to get to Hong Kong if possible. When you visit the great wall, access it through the Mutianyu section (less touristy). You guys are going to have a fabuolus trip!

I would cut Chengdu and some of the time in Shanghai to fit in Yunnan. What are you planning for Shanghai that would need 4 days? I figure one day for the Bund and museum (and maybe Yuyuan), and one for a day trip to Suzhou, should be plenty. I travel in China alone & I'm old enough to be a grandmother, so I'm not sure about characterizing your mother as not up for active and adventurous!

bk77 there isn't that much to see in Shanghai as a tourist. It is still an interesting city but those days would be better spent elsewhere.

Xian is worth the trip, but cut it as short as you can. A single overnight is enough.

Here's what I suggest

Beijing - 5
Xian - 1
Yangshuo (south of Guilin) 3
Lijiang (in Yunnan) 2
Dali (Also Yunnan) 2
Shanghai 2

Yunnan is certainly worth the trip.
Chengdu is nice if you can squeeze it in for the Panda sanctuary (and the food is top notch, if you can handle the really spicy stuff). But reallocating the time to see Lijiang is worth it.

Thank you very much! Your replies have been very helpful. I decided to cut out Chengdu and half of the time I had planned to spend in Shanghai and added Lijiang and Dali.

I am so excited!

Have you considered a Yangtze cruise as part of your itinerary? I've found it's a great way, especially when traveling with MY mother, to cut down on the packing/cab/train or fly/cab/unpack hassles (which often leave her too exhausted to sightsee.) Here's our itinerary for an upcoming trip- more time in Beijing because of work commitments, but quite 'do-able' in your time frame. Just another piece of input to help drive you crazy!
awkward connections but free, to SIN from NY Overnight Singapore SIN Transit hotel

SAT APR 21
SQ802 SIN-PEK 0850-1450 JING BIN HOTEL /DR. JIANG
SUN APR 22 Beijing Great Wall
MON APR 23 Beijing Forbidden city, palace MOVE TO TRADER’S THIS EVENING
John has welcome reception
TUE APR 24 Beijing John conference begins Li Family restaurant???

WED APR 25 Beijing conf
THU APR 26 Beijing conf ends1PM

FRI APR 27 Beijing "Downtown, shopping"
Beijing-Xian O/N TO XIAN
www.seat61.com/China.htm#Beijing%20-%20Xian
SAT APR 28 XIAN arr 758 am Train number: Z19 * Xian Sightsee mosque, etc
SOFITEL Xi’an

SUN APR 29 XIAN, Ancient Warriors
O/N TO CHONGQING
. Xian 16:58 Chongqing 07:31
MON APR 30 VICTORIA PRINCE LEAVES 11AM

TUE MAY 1 SHIP 4 HOURS LESSER GORGES
WED MAY 2 SHIP 2 HOURS 3 GORGES
THU MAY 3 SHIP 8 HOURS WUHAN
FRI MAY 4 SHIP 9 HOURS HUANGSHAN MT

SAT MAY 5 SHIP 12 HOURS NANJING
SUN MAY 6 SHIP, ARRIVE SHANGHAI 10AM
No. 9 Hotel Shanghai

MON MAY 7 SHG-SIN SQ 825 PVG-SIN1430-1945
TUE MAY 8 SIN-NRT SQ12 SIN-NRT 9:45-17:35
NRT-LAX SQ12 NRT-LAX 1845-1250 LAX-JFK DL 472 LAX-JFK1540-1157

Just a thought... we figure (I may be as old as your mom at 55) that checking onto the ship (we're paying $900 for balcony cabin, so that covers room, meals, transportation and shore excursions) we'll have time to see things, and also relax during the week.

Why Xian in 1 day? A quick look at the sites there show an easy 3-4 days of major sites (museum, Hua Shan, tombs, several smaller temples). I have 13 days in China, into and out of Beijing, and am wondering how long to spend in Xian.

We just came back from Xian and Xian in one day is plenty. We were there for two nights and it was too long. You can cover most of the sights in a day and a half - the bell and drum tower, terra cotta warriors, hot springs, tombs, bampo village, bike ride around the wall, llama temple, muslim quarters (we did with two kids under 11 years old and two elderly people). The area within the city walls is also very polluted and dirty so it's not the most pleasant place to visit.

I agree that one day in Xian is enough, there was a museum where they had these ~2000 year old bells and was able to buy a CD of the music (fantastic!). I think that it was a museum attached to the Terra Cota Warrior site.

IMHO, After the Terra Cota Warriors and the Budhist Temple, I would move on.