DainaJ

I know...most of you experienced travelers recommend avoiding guided tours, but the travel company in Canada I work with has assembled a terrific ten-day tour thanks to some irresistible pricing this spring. Beijing and Shanghai are the two major centres of the ten-day trip with Suzhou and Hangzhou between. The dates are March 9th to March 19th, with a busy, well-planned schedule of sight-seeing. I will be traveling mainly with active seniors like myself and would appreciate advice on clothing and footwear to pack. I am considering climate- but cultural expectations as well. I will not be the official escort, but since I represent the agency to some extent, I'd like to offer helpful, comforting, and enthusiastic advice to my fellow travelers.

JPDeM

Wow, this is very rushed. You'll only get a glimpse of Beijing!
Understand that March is still winter in Beijing. No snow but cold. Temperature will be between 0 and 15 celsius. Shanghai will be a bit warmer but still cold. Bring layers as you can always get a warm front. No need to dress fancy in China, even for good restaurants (which are not likely in any case with a tour). Get very comfy shoes as a lot of walking is involved in these big places. They may take you to some factory visit and other types of shopping "opportunities" )even though doing so is now illegal in China). This is only meant to subsidize your trip (40% commission to the tour company).Do not buy there as you can get the same stuff in regular shops for 25% if not 10% of what they are asking there.

thursdaysd

Shopping ops are now illegal??? When did that happen? Very good news if true, AND enforced..... at least for those on tours.

kmkrnn

I would say warm foot wear as the ground will be cold still. The rest of you can be layered. I find polar tech packs well (put in zip lock Baggie and squeeze all the air out as you zip it closed) and can be layered over a long sleeve tee, matching quilted vest, and maybe a coat that is waterproof with tencelon lining you should be warm enough. A pair or two of silk long johns might feel good also. Have fun, traveling when there are not a lot of tourist around is a good.

chris45ny

Good walking shoes as already recommended are a must. It will be chilly- in the 40s, maybe 50s F in Beijing. A bit warmer as you travel south. The up side is that there will be less tourists. Take warm clothing and utilize the concept of layering.

10 days will give you a taste of China. It is an amazing country-filled with big city vibes (Beijing and Shanghai) and lovely landscapes (Hanzhou). My husband and I ( seniors) also did a tour as we weren't experts in Mandarin and unsure how much English is spoken/understood. There were only 7 of us so a very nice small group. We had only 3 nights in Beijing but still managed a lot-Tiananmen Square & the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, the Great Wall, Drum Tower, performance of the Beijing Opera, time spent in the hutong area, visit to a local Kindergarten, and lunch at a courtyard home. I really would have preferred more time-1 or 2 more nights as there is a lot to see and do in Beijing. We did the highlights. Hanzhou was beautiful. Loved the scenery. We had only 2 nights here and did West Lake, a tour to the Dragon Well Tea Plantation, Lingyin Temple. In Shanghai we had 3 nights and I felt that was enough. We did a tour through the Yu Garden, explored the Pudong area, went up the Jinmao Tower but view obscured by fog/clouds, walked along the Bund, spent time at the Shanghai Museum, saw a performance of the Shanghai acrobats, and had a free day for shopping. We did not get to Suzhou. I'm thinking that with 10 days your itinerary may be similar.

Have a great trip!

Shanghainese

We were in the same cities more than 10 years ago. The lakes were still frozen in Beijing with skaters on them. In addition to all the good suggestions above, bring your warm hat, scarf and gloves. The other 3 locations were not as cold but the chilly rain can make you feel cold. Enjoy your trip!

JPDeM

@thursdaysd - since October. A friend from Beijing was visiting Canada in early October and there was no shopping to the great disappointment of the Chinese tourists. However Chinese tour companies continue to take foreign tourists to these "factory visits" as most tourists have no clue of the regulation.
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2...t_16449587.htm

thursdaysd

I also note "the law says tourism sites should issue early warnings to the public if the number of visitors to a site is expected to reach maximum capacity" - that should be interesting.

kja

Fascinating! But as I read it, the article JPDeM linked doesn't actually say that "shopping opportunities" are now illegal. To paraphrase (and I'm no lawyer, so I could easily be wrong!), it seems to indicate that travel agents/agencies may not sell services at or below cost specifically to attract travelers who are later FORCED to purchase goods or tip agents and may not sell services at low prices to attract tourists by arranging for them to purchase goods at designated stores OTHER THAN than those listed in the contracts [caps added]. It has a provision that allows travel agencies to be banned for 3 years if certification has been revoked for luring or forcing tourists to purchase goods.

As I read what is in this article, there is no prohibition against "shopping opportunities" so long as they are mentioned in the contract and so long as tourists are not obviously forced to purchase anything.

What am I missing?

JPDeM

They do not regulate price, only the shopping. Just google the topic for several other sources. A lot more information is available in Chinese but I assume that the typical reader here cannot read Chinese.

eliztravels2

Be prepared for really bad air pollution. It varies by the time of year but often the air is so bad that children and the elderly are advised not to go outside. Much of it is caused by coal burning for manufacturing as well as heating. When we were there in September 2006 there was a perpetual haze over everything all the time, even when we were in the countryside. Only when we got at altitude on the Tibetan Plateau were we able to breathe fresh air. Although it is a fascinating country with a lifetime of things and places to explore I would hesitate to go back for this reason.

DainaJ

Thank you SO much to everyone! With the valuable information provided here- and an unquenchable desire to learn something new at 68 years of age- I have also joined WordPress and started blogging. My first attempt is aimed solely at the 15 people on this tour.I am hoping you won't mind my adding some of the wise suggestions noted here. I am particularly grateful about the "factory shopping" warning. Years ago, in Cuba and then in the Dominican, this "guided shopping trip" seemed to be part of every tour. I don't recall being pressured...but was certainly glad we waited to see what prices were in town or at the airport.