Destination guides
China travel guide
for families who go big
Everything we learned getting online, getting around, and getting up the Great Wall of China with a six-year-old — organized by what to plan first.
We didn’t ease into China. Our trip included a mainland SIM and VPN setup before we’d even landed, a five-day Beijing itinerary with a kindergartner in tow, and a night sleeping inside a Great Wall watchtower. This page pulls together everything we wrote about that trip, grouped in the order you’ll actually need it — not the order we happened to publish it.
If you’re planning a first trip to China with young kids, start with “Before you go,” then work down.
Start Here
The order we’d plan it in, if we were doing it again.
1. Sort out internet and money before you fly
A Chinese-network SIM or eSIM, a VPN if you need one, and knowing how Alipay and WeChat Pay actually work — all easier to set up at home than after you land.
2. Book where you’ll stay in Beijing
We’ll tell you honestly what worked and what didn’t about our own stay.
3. Plan your Beijing days
A full itinerary built around traveling with a young kid, plus the practical tips we wish we’d known first.
4. Decide how you’ll do the Great Wall
Which sections, how steep it really is with kids, and what it’s like to sleep in a watchtower if you want to go further than a day trip.
Stage 1
Before you go
The logistics that are much easier to sort out before you land than after.
How to Get Internet in China: SIM, eSIM & VPN Guide (2026)
What we used to get online, which apps are blocked, and how to set it up before you fly.
How to Pay in China as a Foreigner in 2026: Alipay, WeChat Pay, Cash & Cards
Alipay, WeChat Pay, cash, and cards — what actually works for visitors.
Stage 2
Where we stayed
An honest look at our Beijing hotel — the good and the not-so-good.
Jian Guo Garden Hotel Review: Is It Worth Staying? (2026)
What it’s actually like staying here with a family, room by room.
Stage 3
Planning your Beijing days
A full itinerary and the first-timer tips we wish someone had given us.
25 Essential Beijing Travel Tips for First-Time Visitors (2026)
The practical stuff that makes the trip smoother from day one.
5 Day Beijing Itinerary With Kids: A Practical First-Time Guide
A practical, first-time itinerary built around traveling with a young child.
Stage 4
The Great Wall
Three different ways to experience it, from a day trip to sleeping on it.
Is the Great Wall of China Hard to Climb? What It’s Really Like
What the steep sections are really like, and what to expect with kids.
We Slept Inside a Great Wall Watchtower: What It Was Really Like
What it was really like spending the night on the Wall itself.
2 Day Great Wall of China Itinerary: Jinshanling, Gubeikou & Mutianyu
How we split the Great Wall across two days and three sections.
Quick answers
The questions we get asked most about traveling China with kids.
Do I need a VPN in China?
If you\’re on a normal mainland Chinese SIM or hotel Wi-Fi and want Google, Gmail, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube, yes. Some internationally routed travel eSIMs can access these without one. See our full internet guide →
How many days do you need in Beijing?
We built our trip around five days, which gave us room to cover the city and a two-day Great Wall trip without rushing a young kid through it. See the full itinerary →
Is the Great Wall hard to climb with kids?
Some sections are steep in a way photos don\’t really show. Which section you pick matters a lot. Read the full breakdown →
Can you actually sleep on the Great Wall?
Yes — we spent a night inside a watchtower on one of the wilder, unrestored sections. Read what it was really like →
Planning your own ambitious trip?
Get our free framework for deciding if a trip is doable with a kid — plus the checklists and packing lists that keep us from getting stuck.