How Long to Travel for on a Family Trip to China

It is recommended to spend 12-14 days on a family trip to China.

This would allow you to cover the most popular cultural and natural highlights in China while giving you a chance to enjoy various experiences and activities with your children. This would also ensure a comfortable travel pace, and you shouldn’t get travel weary.

If your time permits and you want to take advantage of the opportunity to explore more of China’s landscapes and cultures, for example discovering some off-the-beaten-path routes with your children, it is advisable to spend three weeks or longer.

However, if your vacation time is limited, 7 to 9 days are needed to cover China’s top highlights in Beijing, Xi’an, and Shanghai.

Where to Go for a Family Trip to China

Beijing, Xi’an, and Shanghai are the must-visit cities for first-timers. They provide a great introduction to China’s history, culture, and modernity.

Besides these three cities, there are more recommendations for families:

• Guilin is the best choice if you are looking for a fun and relaxing holiday with various outdoor activities and beautiful countryside views.
• If you and your kids are adventure lovers and love nature, Zhangjiajie is recommended.
• Chengdu is best for families who want to have an encounter with lovely pandas.
• If you want to enjoy a more leisurely pace or if you are planning a multi-generational family trip, you could consider including a Yangtze River cruise in your journey.
• If you want to explore bucket-list routes, Tibet and Yunnan would be good choices.

Top 5 Itineraries for a Family Trip to China

Here, we’ve selected five itineraries based on different family ages and interests. All our itineraries can be personalized for your family’s travel goals, available travel days and dates, and other requirements.

1. 11-Day China Family Itinerary — Top Recommendation

This 11-day itinerary is our top recommendation for families, especially for families with teenagers. It is also suitable for a summer-holiday trip.

This itinerary provides fun ways for children to learn about Chinese culture and history in the top three classic cities — Beijing, Shanghai, and Xi’an, like finding the mythical animals in the Forbidden City and an exciting toboggan ride on the Great Wall.

It also includes interesting outdoor activities for parents and children to enjoy quality family time in the beautiful scenery of Guilin, such as farming experiences and cycling around old villages.

• Days 1‒4: Beijing (the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, visit hutongs, and enjoy a tai chi class)
• Days 5‒6: Xi’an (the Terracotta Warriors with a hands-on experience, cycling experience, visit museums, etc)
• Days 7‒9: Guilin (countryside views, a river cruise, biking, and farming experience)
• Days 10‒11: Shanghai (the Bund, Yu Garden, and some free time)