September has just begun but before you know it, we’ll be welcoming in October and the week-long National Holiday (aka traffic jams, crazy lots of tourists, and so much more). It is very wise to plan your family trips ahead of this short autumn break. Here we’ve listed some activities to do in Beijing. If you’re adventurous enough to join the mass exodus and see more of why China is so awesome, then start booking your travel seats now!
Staying in the ‘Jing
October Holiday Adventure Camp for Kids, Sep 30-Oct 8
This upcoming National Holiday, Imagine brings a new adventure for the little ones of the house (age 7+): indoor skiing (室内滑雪), climbing (室内攀岩), parkour (跑酷), Civilization Game (文明帝国游戏), and Adventure Park (奇妙探险乐园). This camp is the perfect choice for parents who want to stay in Beijing but are looking for outdoor activities which are creative and challenging at the same time to send their kids to.
Kids 7+. RMB 900 per day for indoor skiing; RMB 700 per day for climbing or parkour; RMB 750 per day for Civilization Game or Adventure Park. Click here for more information about each activity. 8am-6pm. Imagine. (WeChat ID: Imagine24X7service, 5739 4933)
Parenting Workshop, Oct 6
Join Sheri Hansen, founder of Character Education International and author of Conscious Parenting, for a Q&A after a presentation on best parenting practices at GREEN T. HOUSE. Make an afternoon of it and come early for lunch, or enjoy dinner by reserving directly with the venue.
Adults. RMB 300. To register, scan the QR code in the poster below and transfer the registration fee before Oct 2. Activity starts 2pm. GREEN T. HOUSE, 318 Cuige Zhuang Xiang Hege Zhuangcun, Chaoyang.
Get Out and Explore China…
A panoramic view of one village in Guizhou.
Four-Day Southeast Guizhou (Ethnic Culture, Hiking, Village Homestay), Sep 30-Oct 4
Guizhou of Southwest China has long been remote and undeveloped. However it’s also unspoiled by the sort of tourism development seen in surrounding provinces such as Guangxi, Yunnan, and Sichuan. Its relative isolation has made the region one of the best-kept secrets in China; its stunning landscape, characterized by limestone karst hills, jagged peaks and terraced rice fields, as well as its colorful ethnic minority cultures that have made Guizhou a paradise for anthropologists, photographers and adventurous travelers. This 4-day tour will go into mountains and valleys of Yungui Plateau to explore several charming nature villages, hike the fields and hills of remote areas and organize one-night homestay in the village houses.
Kids 12+ to adults. RMB 6,800. China Culture Center. The Victoria Gardens D4, Chaoyang Park West Road, Chaoyang 朝阳区朝阳公园西路维多利亚花园D4 (WeChat ID: china-culture-center, 6432 9341 for weekdays 9am-6pm, 8420 0671 for after hours and weekends, info@chinaculturecenter.org)
READ: Packing for a Family of Three
The entrance to Mogao Caves in Gansu
Travel to the Ancient Silk Road, Sep 30-Oct 8
The Silk Road was an ancient network of trade routes which were the center of cultural interaction between the East and West for many centuries. It is an important part of Chinese culture, and there are many magnificent landforms and ancient sites on the route totally worth visiting. The trip includes a tour of Xining, a major commercial hub in the Hexi Corridor of the Northern Silk Road; the Mogao Caves of Gansu Province, a World Cultural Heritage Site that consists of a complex of 492 Buddhist temples; and the Zhangye National Geopark, famous for its gorgeous and colorful rock formations.
Kids 10+ to adults. RMB 3,100 (group discounts available). Price includes a round trip bus ride from Beijing and local transportation, six nights hotel accommodation, breakfast meals and drinking water, and travel insurance. Price doesn’t include lunch/dinner (but group lunch is available) and entrance fees to major attractions. RSVP before midnight of Sep 25. Notes: No refund for the hotel cost (RMB 1,000) if you withdraw after Sep 15 and for the whole price 7 days before the trip. Click/tap here to see the full itinerary and list of prices per attraction. Foreigner China Network. (WeChat ID: FFENGXIN123)
Travel to Shanxi and Xi’an, Oct 1-8
If your family is up for a rugged trip to some of the most historic places in the country, join Foreigner China Network (FCN) for their trip to Shanxi and Xi’an. According to the group, tourists joining this tour will see China’s largest yellow waterfalls and most thrilling mountains, hike one of the ten biggest ancient tombs in the world, visit some well-known ancient cities, and of course, try local delicacies – all of which will definitely make you love China more! The itinerary includes a visit to Shanxi’s Pingyao City, a World Cultural Heritage Site where you can see a well-preserved ancient city dating to the Ming Dynasty; Mount Hua; the Terracotta Warriors in Xi’an; and so much more.
Kids 12+ to adults. RMB 1,700 (group discounts available). Price includes a round trip bus ride from Beijing and local transportation, five nights hotel accommodation, breakfast meals and drinking water, and travel insurance. Price doesn’t include entrance fees to major attractions. RSVP before midnight of Sep 28. Click/tap here to see the full itinerary and list of prices per attraction. Foreigner China Network. (WeChat ID: FFENGXIN123)
READ MORE: Cheap Escapes from the Rush of Golden Week
Zhuangdaokou to the Walled Village, Oct 3
This hike starts off behind a small village to visit the 300-year-old “Phoenix and Dragon” pine trees before hiking up to the Zhuangdaokou Great Wall. From the wall, hikers will have the option to climb some of the towers. The hike ends at the Walled Village, a settlement that has grown up inside and around an old army barracks that used to house soldiers tasked with guarding the Great Wall. 2–3 hours of relaxed walking.
Kids 12+ to adults. RMB 420 (regular price), RMB 380 (for Beijing Hikers members), RMB 200 (for under 12). Click/tap here to make an online booking. Price includes lunch at a restaurant at the foot of the Huanghuacheng Great Wall. Hikers with extra energy have the option to finish lunch early and take a short climb up. 8am-4pm. Pickup at Liangmaqiao subway station at 7.30am. Beijing Hikers.
Photos: Courtesy of Imagine and Beijing Hikers; wplsunboy, lin2015, nhluoj, christels, via Pixabay
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