Where to go for 1 week outside of Beijing?

My college age daughter is in a study abroad program in Beijing and they have a 1 week spring break, April 4-12. She and her program friends are looking for ideas on where to go/what to do during that week. They%26#39;ve seen much of Beijing and surrounding area and this weekend the program is taking them on a trip to Xian. Yunnan has been suggested, and they are interested, but people in Beijing have said that transportation in/around that area is very limited/sketchy, so maybe it%26#39;s not a good idea? Any other ideas? or help with Yunnan?

Thanks.

(I%26#39;m trying to play last minute travel agent/planner for them; their daily schedule is very hectic!)

Where to go for 1 week outside of Beijing?

Yunnan is a big, topographically complex province, and the transportation can be quite an agony. Having said that, you shouldn%26#39;t worry too much about it, because there are a number of hot destinations in Yunnan (Kunming, Dali, Lijiang etc), and tourism is a pillar industry there. So the transportation can%26#39;t be that bad (but don%26#39;t expect it to be supreme either), especially in hot spots.

Where to go for 1 week outside of Beijing?

I am guessing as they only have a week they will be flying to somewhere?

Yunnan - get a flight to Kunming %26amp; from there either a bus to Dali or short flight to Lijiang. Yunnan is well know for it%26#39;s scenery %26amp; the old cities of Dali %26amp; Lijiang. Can also visit outlying areas from these cities.

Yangshuo - Get a flight to Guilin %26amp; arrange hotel to pick them up from the ariport %26amp; short drive to Yangshuo. Heaps of activities %26amp; will run into other tourists - very popular.

Shanghai - Get the modern overnight train to Shanghai. From Shanghai you can do day trips to Shuzhou - beaufiful gardens. Tongli - a water town. Then get the train to Hangzhou (1.5 hrs)- wonderful place to visit %26amp; wander around the west lake.

Good luck with your planning. I will be in Lijiang %26amp; Yangshou in April too!!

I am sure you will get lots of help on this forum. Not sure if you have a guide book but might be worth getting your hands on the DK eyewitness guide for China.

Annie

Sorry meant to add if they do the Shanghai option it is better to see Hangzhou as an overnight stay not a day trip. So stay a night or 2 in Hangzhou %26amp; fly back to Beijing from there.

I would also suggest Sichuan -Chengdu, the Pandas %26amp; seeing EmeiShan, Leshan. There is also the area of Jiuzhaigou %26amp; Huanglong but Jiuzhaigou is a bit hard to get to at the moment from the sound of it.

If they could speak some Manderin,they will be fine to visit Yunnan

Beijing fly to Kunming(but i noticed in april plane tickets to kunming not lots of discount)i will go there soon,but i will visit Luoping flowers bloosm,yuanmou earth forest and heijing old town.:)yes,it is true,if visit yunnan they need 4 flights,without good discount that is a problem,also waste time on the way.

Here have few of my suggestion

1:Beijing overnight train to Taishan,visit Taishan mountain,then qufu --hometown of Confucious--train to Luoyang, visit Longmen grotters and Shaolin temple,then train back to Beijing

2:at this time of the year,Flowers bloosm,very beautiful.so they also could do

Beijing overnight train to Shangrao,then visit Wuyuan (most beautiful village in China,i just visited there,beautiful but commerical and expensive,entranc fee is 150rmb p/p for 2 days,then you have to hire local taxi,one place is far from another)but at this time of the year great view,flowers all bloosm with villages

then Wuyuan back to Shangrao by bus,bus to Wuyishan mountain(very beautiful),then overnight train or fly back to Beijing

3:Beijing fly to Xi%26#39;an,terro cotta warriors andother sites for one day,Huashan mountain one day,another city tour in Xi%26#39;an then overnight train to Pingyao,visit old town,then bus to Datong,yun gang grottoes and hanging temple.Then bus or train back to Beijing

These places if they want to go is better they can speak some manderin

I will be visiting Yunnan soon %26amp; I don%26#39;t have any Mandarin. I have spoken to other independent travelers who have been %26amp; they only speak English as well and didn%26#39;t find it too different to anywhere else in terms of getting around. Like anywhere in China I guess - pointing works well lol.

I can see what you are saying tho Qing in that with only a week there are less taxing places to go:) Where you are going sounds nice.

UNCMickey - I would seriously look into Yangshuo for your daughter %26amp; friends _ heaps of things to do %26amp; lots of backpackers having fun. If you look on these 2 websites you will get an idea of the things to do %26amp; see %26amp; the amazing scenery.

www.yangers.com

www.yangshuorosewoodinn.com

I also think Yunnan is one of the easier places for non Chinese speakers to visit. There is an established %26#39;backpacker trail%26#39; - Kunming - Dali- Lijiang - TLG - Zhongdian - each with hostels and backpackers and travel agents who are all willing to help and able to speak English. Flying into Kunming, and then working there way up to TLG sounds a nice one week trip.