Hi, my DH and I are planning for a June 2008 trip to China (5/31-6/14). The dates are firm as I have the Boards May 30 and start clinicals June 16.

My DH and I have travelled Europe extensively, visited Japan/Guam, and spent our honeymoon in Kenya/Rwanda/Egypt this past July. We travelled independently in Japan/Guam and Europe. We used a safari company for Kenya and Rwanda (it was a private safari not a tour), but went it alone in Egypt (after our Cairo experience, we probably should have it arranged).

I am at a loss on how to start with China. All I know is we want to go to Wolong and interact with pandas. We want to see the regular sites--the Great Wall and the Bei Jing sights like the Forbidden City. Besides that we aren't sure and are a bit overwhelmed with options.

Can anyone suggest an itinerary that hits the highlights for first time visitors and that is logistically possibly time-wise (we have no idea about that)? We like mueseums as well as outdoor activities. We are not the type to stay in once place for a long time--backpacking Europe a day or two was all we needed for most cities besides London and Rome. As well as suggestions for inter-China travel--flying I would think but what airlines should we be looking at?

I know it is a wide open question, but that's how we started planning our safari trip on the Africa and it was extremel useful.

Have you checked out any of the useful trip reports on this site?

Yes, but there are hardly any that include Wolong which will eat a chunk of time. Also, it seems like we are a bit more go go than most.

If the components of the trip are:

Days
4 Beijing
3 Chengdu/Wolong
3 Lhasa
4 Shanghai

How would ordering it go? As I've posted? Getting back from Lhasa to Shanghai...possible or does that involve backtracking all the way back to Beijing?

Can Xian be worked in to see the Terra Cotta army somewhere? I'm not sure about flights? What websites for internal China flights--Expedia? Kayak? I've tried a couple but it seems wonky.

Your current order is okay, except 3 days in Lhasa is not much. You'll need time to get yourself acclimated there. Then you can fly Lhasa - Chengdu - Shanghai. No need to go back to Beijing.

If you want to put Xian into it, you can take the overnight train from Beijing, then fly there to Chengdu. And cut a day from Shanghai at the end.

RooMoo,

I have a feeling we have chatted, but it might have been about gorillas not pandas. If we've already discussed pandas and Wolong, sorry for the repetition.

Here is a link to my report of volunteering with the pandas at Wolong.
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34836559