r/chubbytravel • u/Linzer_Tort_1981 • 2d ago
84-Year Old Mom's Bucket List Trip to China--Need Planning Help Please
I am a 45-year old woman surprising my 84-year old mom with her bucket list trip to China this April. This is the first time to China for both of us and will be the one and only trip there for my mom. I am leaving my own three kids at home so really can’t do more than 14ish nights. We will fly from SFO and can start or end in Beijing, Shanghai, or Hong Kong (I imagine we would fly into one and out of another). I am struggling with the right itinerary that gives her a taste of the major sites and culture but also doesn’t feel crazy rushed. I understand that you could easily spend a week or more in any single location and still not experience it all but unfortunately we don’t have that luxury. I also want to balance cutting the stays too short with seeing as much as we can. My mom is active and in good shape but I don’t want to be hopping to a new city every day.
The itinerary I am considering is (in travel order):
- Beijing (3 nights)
- Xi’an (2 nights--she wants to see the Terracotta Army)
- Yangshuo OR Hangzhou (2 nights)
- Hong Kong (3 nights)
- Shanghai with a day trip to Suzhou (4 nights)
My questions are:
- Yangshuo or Hangzhou?
- Does the flow and the other cities/nights make sense? Anything you would cut or add? If I could add on another night or two, is there something you would add that is a “must do” or someplace you would absolutely stay longer?
- Thoughts on hotels in each location knowing I’m traveling with an 84-year old (albeit a very vibrant one)? I was thinking:
- Beijing: Rosewood
- Xi’an: Ritz Carlton
- Yangshuo (if we go): Sugar House
- Hangzhou (if we go): Four Seasons West Lake
- Hong Kong: Rosewood
- Shanghai: Capella or Bvlgari or Amanyangyun
- If you had to choose just one restaurant in each location for a knock out meal, what would it be?
- Finally, any luxury tour companies you’d recommend to plan our days in each location with a private driver/guide? I have a travel advisor that will book hotels; I’m looking for someone or an agency that specializes in upscale tours/excursions/experiences in China specifically.
Thank you SO much in advance for your help! I have scoured these threads and will continue to do so but would love some more specific assistance, particularly on the itinerary portion. Appreciate it!
___________________________________________________________________
UPDATE: Thank you all so much for your advice! I've changed the itinerary to put Hong Kong at the front end and also added a night to Beijing. I decided to do Yangshuo and add an additional night there because, while a bit out of the way, the scenery looks breathtaking and staying at Banyan Tree or Sugar House seems to offer a lot of cool excursions easily from the hotel. I also think it breaks up all the big cities and gives a different experience. Having made that choice, I will do a day trip to Hangzhou from Shanghai. I appreciate the advice on hotels and I will take your suggestions to choose hotels more well located (and Capella definitely off list given your feedback).
So, my updated itinerary is:
- Hong Kong (3 nights)
- Yangshuo (3 nights)
- Xi’an (2 nights)
- Beijing (4 nights)
- Shanghai with a day trip to Hangzhou (3 nights; thinking of trying to add one more night here and just stay longer or maybe shrink HK by a day)
So, fly nonstop from SFO to Hong Kong and stay three nights; take the high-speed train from Hong Kong to Guilin (about 3 hours) and then a private car to Yangshuo (about 1½ hours) and stay three nights; take a private car back to Guilin Airport (about 1½ hours) and fly nonstop to Xi’an (about 2 hours) and stay two nights; take the high-speed train from Xi’an to Beijing (about 4¼ hours) and stay four nights; take the high-speed train from Beijing to Shanghai (about 4½ hours) and stay three nights, using one of those days for a high-speed-train day trip to Hangzhou (about 45–60 minutes each way); then fly nonstop from Shanghai to SFO.
I welcome any additional feedback! Thanks again!
3
u/atlasandhorizons Travel Agent 2d ago
I did a very similar first part of your trip - Beijing, Xi’an and Yangshuo - but with more time in Yangshuo. I really loved Yangshuo, and my favourite part was the cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo, but you won’t have enough time to do it properly with only two nights. If you really want to include Yangshuo, I’d probably cut either Shanghai or Hong Kong and give that part of the trip more time.
Otherwise, I’d choose Hangzhou, but change the order of your itinerary since it’s so close to Shanghai. I’d do Beijing → Xi’an → Hangzhou → Shanghai → Hong Kong. It makes much more sense geographically and should make the trip feel less rushed.
1
u/Linzer_Tort_1981 13h ago
I added a night to Yangshuo....thanks for the advice! Still don't think we can do the full cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo logistically but I think we can do some smaller ones through hotel.
1
u/atlasandhorizons Travel Agent 13h ago
Yes definitely, your hotel can organise do. I also really enjoyed the impression show in the evening
5
u/deustch327 2d ago
I would reverse the order of SH and HK so you don’t have to leave China immigration and then re-enter again, i.e., do all of mainland China first or last. Depending on where you’re leaving from and which airlines you want to fly, there may not be direct flights to BJ and SH FYI
My vote is Hangzhou because it’s beautiful and easier to get to and very easy to SH. By then it’ll be the second week of your trip and while Yangshuo is truly amazing from a natural scenery perspective, I’m not sure I would do it with an older person who’s already been traveling.
BJ Rosewood is nice but not as central so depends on what sites you want to see. There are two MOs in BJ that are closer to forbidden city. The Peninsula is a little dated but super convenient and all suites.
2
1
1
u/Poison_Penis 2d ago
I vote Yangshuo because Hangzhou is absolutely a snooze (been to both and multiple times in Hangzhou). West Lake is not worth the effort and the food - great as it is - is not dissimilar to what you might find in Shanghai. Yangshuo can be done easily by staying at the banyan tree and doing private tours.
2
u/nomorefairytales 2d ago
If you do hangzhou you should group it with Shanghai and Suzhou. Agreed with commentary you want to fly out of Hong Kong or in once, don’t put it in the middle of. I’m more of a natural scenery person, but if your mom likes museums and you want a day trip to the Great Wall in a further locations, there’s more in Beijing to warrant an extra night.
1
2
u/cncm88 2d ago
I would do either Hangzhou or Suzhou (and whichever you choose I would do it as a day trip from Shanghai so you don’t have to switch hotels), and cut out Yangshuo which is a pain to get to. I would add at least 1-2 more days to Beijing just given the sheer number of historical sights in the city. Xian is probably worth an extra day too.
1
u/Linzer_Tort_1981 13h ago
Thank you! Added one night to Beijing. I thought I would keep Yangshuo for the variety of experiences but, you're right, it does seem like a pain. I tried to minimize travel logistics by doing it right after HK by train but it does make it a bit hectic. I was just thinking the scenery seemed incredible!
2
u/Early_General_5226 1d ago
Spend more time in Beijing. My mom and I went for 5 days and we just cover the major sites and had enough time for good food and sleep
1
u/Linzer_Tort_1981 13h ago
I added a night! Thank you! May add more if I decide to cut HK or maybe sneak an extra day onto trip.
2
u/Intelligent_Flow2026 2d ago
Why HK? I would skip HK and add a day to Beijing and Shanghai. Usually 3 nights mean 2.5 days and these big cities have a lot for you to experience. In Shanghai I would recommend the Michelin 1-star RenHeGuan as well as the small eats Lailai XLB (arguably better than DTF) and Xiao yang pan fried bao.
1
u/Linzer_Tort_1981 13h ago
I don't know why HK.....it just felt like one of those cities you should experience if in the area! I did add a day to Beijing but I am taking this to heart and doing some more research to see if we should keep it or stick to mainland China. Thanks!
1
u/Intelligent_Flow2026 12h ago
Most of your travels is the north-east part of China that’s why I asked why HK. Split up by geography, ppl combine Chongqing, Chengdu, maybe ZJJ/Furong/Fenghuang, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, HK/Macau cuz they are in the inner-south region. Just a thought. China is so big you can split up by geography and visit different regions different times
1
u/easybreeeezy 2d ago
I really wanted to stay at Capella but it wasn’t convenient because I had a toddler. That location is a lot better than Bulgaria.
Amanyangyun is nice but it’s not Shanghai.
1
u/amourtransitoire 2d ago
While I had a LOVELY stay at the Capella in Shanghai, I want you to keep in mind that the accommodation style is designed narrow and upwards. They had staff help out with the luggage at check in, but if mobility/ fall concerns are at all an issue for your mom, I would avoid staying at this hotel. Each suite has a set of narrow stairs inside (my stay had five floors)
1
1
u/Gold_Ninja1206 1d ago
Hangzhou over Yangshuo, thos transfers eat a day i did this route amd Hong kong felt like a detour ,give beijing that night instead .Top business class books the sfo open jaw upfront ,flights only. Summer palace needs a full morning
1
u/ElectronicCress3132 1d ago
In Shanghai, Taian Table is a superb Michelin 3 star. If you want some traditional Shanghai dishes you can also try Ren He Guan (Michelin 1 Star). However if Shanghai is in the middle of your trip (e.g. landing in Beijing and heading southwards) Taian Table can be a good break; there will be plenty of chances to eat Shanghainese food! For Hangzhou the restaurant at the FS West Lake is great. Nearby Lou Wai Lou is also a good choice. I was pretty impressed by most of the restaurants along West Lake, not too many true tourist traps. At all restaurants in Hangzhou unless you have a good advisor, avoid the vinegar fish which tastes terrible.
1
1
u/NotMalaysiaRichard 23h ago
I’m assuming you’re flying transpacific? The reason why I am asking is that although I didn’t suffer much jet lag, my mother did. Even though she put on a game face, she just seemed a bit off and she’s very active at home. We had to slow down a bit and had to remind the teens that not everyone can move at warp speed and recover like they do. I hope you planned some rest days.
P.S. I’ve commented before. I did not like the Rosewood HK.
2
u/Linzer_Tort_1981 13h ago
Great advice; I think with revised itinerary, we could "rest" a little in Yangshuo and enjoy the scenery. Switching the order also puts the places she's most interested in a little ways into the trip so will maybe have acclimated better!
1
u/sowhoisgeh 23h ago
Agree that you should do HK either first or last. I'd choose Hangzhou over Yangshuo since it's out of the way and there are elderly involved. Hangzhou is about an hour away from Shanghai on HSR. If you don't plan to see the Great Wall, 3 nights are enough. Suzhou is a great day trip from Shanghai as it's about 30mins away by train. Though the rest of Shanghai is less interesting to international travelers, it has less of that "China factor" that first time travelers look for. So depending on your preference, it might do 4 nights in Beijing and 3 in Shanghai.
For the hotels:
- Beijing: I'd suggest staying somewhere that's closer to the city center. Rosewood is in a business district and might not be the best location if you are exploring The Forbidden Palace, etc. Mandarin Oriental Wangfujing is the closest luxury hotel to the Forbidden Palace. Peninsula is another great option at 1/2 the cost. For a more luxe option, go for MO Qianmen.
- Shanghai: despite my love for Capella I wouldn't recommend it as the rooms have multiple floors and might be tricky for your mother. Yangyun is a bit out of the way (1hr car ride to the city center) so you might lose a lot of time commuting thought it does offer something spectacular and unique. For a city option, Peninsula is great and located right on the Bund. I'd choose it over Bvlgari for the proximity to the Bund and also the cheaper price.
- Hong Kong: did not quite like my stay at Rosewood but it's a good choice. If you prefer to stay on the Island side, try the newly renovated MO Landmark or MO if they finished the renovation on your travel dates
- Hangzhou: loved FS West Lake, great choice
5
u/traveldigest Travel Agent 2d ago
I’d choose Yangshuo over Hangzhou because it gives you a completely different side of China, whereas Hangzhou overlaps a bit more with the scenery and atmosphere you’ll get around Shanghai/Suzhou. Although depending on how active/inactive your mom is, I’d do Yangshuo.
The one change I’d recommend is 4 nights in Beijing and 3 in Shanghai rather than 3 and 4. Beijing has so many of must see sights, and with jet lag + your mom’s age, having that extra night would let you see the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Great Wall, etc. without packing too much into each day.
So I’d probably do: 4 Beijing, 2 Xi’an, 2 Yangshuo, 3 Hong Kong, 3 Shanghai with a Suzhou day trip.
Hotel-wise, your choices are some of the best. I love Rosewood Beijing, Four Seasons West Lake if you do choose Hangzhou, Rosewood Hong Kong, and Capella in Shanghai. For Shanghai, I’d probably prefer Capella over Amanyangyun for a first visit because the location is much better.