Where to go in China with children

An honest read on our regions, including the ones we sometimes talk families out of. We are building individual guides for each destination below.

Yunnan · winterXishuangbanna

Xishuangbanna

Tropical rainforest on the Mekong. Rescued Asian elephants, Dai villages, night markets and tea forests. Warm year round, which makes it our default winter answer for families escaping northern cold.

Best Sep–AprAges 3+3–5 days

Yunnan · lakeDali

Dali

Lake Erhai, caravan-road villages and Bai tie-dye workshops. Flat cycling paths and a genuinely slow pace make this the easiest high-altitude city to travel with small children.

Best Mar–Jun, Sep–NovAges 4+2–3 days

Yunnan · highlandsLijiang & Shangri-La

Lijiang & Shangri-La

Old town water channels at 2,400 m rising to 3,200 m in Shangri-La. Beautiful and genuinely demanding — we route altitude gradually and will say so honestly if you have very young children.

Best Apr–OctAges 6+3–4 days

A note on altitude and young children

Kunming sits around 1,900 m and Dali around 1,970 m, which most children handle without issue. Lijiang is 2,400 m and Shangri-La is above 3,200 m, which is where we start asking questions. Our rule is to add at least two nights at lower altitude before going higher, keep the first day in a high town deliberately gentle, and never arrive directly by air from sea level to 3,200 m.

If you are travelling with a child under four, or anyone with a heart or respiratory condition, tell us before we plan the route — we will propose alternatives rather than reassure you vaguely.

Not sure which regions fit your family?

Send us their ages and how many days you have. We will tell you what we would pick, and what we would leave out.

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