What We’d Do Differently on Our China Trip with a Young Child

Traveling to China with a young child was worth it for us, and we’d go again. Sleeping on the Great Wall and seeing Zhangjiajie with our 6-year-old were worth the time, money, and effort. But after nine nights in China, there are a few things I’d plan differently.

China was one part of a longer trip. We had a month of PTO and had already traveled elsewhere before we arrived, so our time in China was a choice about how to split that month.

What we’d keep: the Great Wall overnight, Zhangjiajie, Didi rides, hotels with pools, and a slower final stop in Shanghai.

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We Would Arrive in China With Fewer Bags

We flew around Asia with nine pieces of luggage and brought six of them into China, all packed for a whole month rather than nine nights.

I was already using compression bags. They kept our clothes organized and fit more into each bag, but they couldn’t cut down the number of bags we hauled through airports and hotels.

Most nights in China meant opening bags, rearranging, and digging out what we needed for the next day. Then we packed it all up again for the next city.

Next time, I’d rethink our luggage for the whole month before we reached China. By that point in the trip, we just had too many separate pieces. Our China packing list with kids covers what we actually used.

We’d Leave More Time Around Domestic Flights

Missing our Beijing-to-Zhangjiajie flight was the biggest disruption of the trip.

We’d booked it on Air China with Aeroplan points. Air China wouldn’t move us to another flight, so we lost the 24,000 points, spent the night at Beijing Capital Airport, and bought new tickets there the next morning. We also paid for a Zhangjiajie hotel night we never used.

The replacement flight was fairly inexpensive. The bigger loss was time. We only had a few days in Zhangjiajie, and losing one meant Tianmen Mountain and the Glass Bridge no longer fit.

Next time, I’d leave a much bigger buffer before any domestic flight that the next day depends on. I’d also check change and rebooking rules before using points on a flight that several later reservations hinge on. Points lowered our upfront cost, but they didn’t help much once we missed the flight.

Our Beijing-to-Zhangjiajie transportation guide compares flying with taking the train, and our China trip cost breakdown shows what the missed flight added to our total.

We’d Think Harder About Xi’an

The Terracotta Army was the hardest major attraction for us with a 6-year-old.

The crowd was so thick that it was too much for our daughter, and she could barely see. It took more patience than the Great Wall or Zhangjiajie. It got better once the crowd opened up, but it wasn’t one of her favorite parts of China.

If the Terracotta Army matters to you, go. Keep the rest of the day light, and leave when your family has seen enough.

For our own trip, I’d seriously consider using the Xi’an time somewhere else. Another day in Zhangjiajie could have covered one of the places we missed, or given us another day in Beijing or an easier transfer. Our nine-night China itinerary with a young child walks through how we’d now decide what to keep and cut.

We’d Still Use Didi

We spent about 1,600 yuan on Didi rides in China, and I’d spend it again. One ride cost just 4 yuan.

With six bags and a 6-year-old, some rides were easily worth it. Didi got us between airports, hotels, and attractions without turning every transfer into a project. Public transportation costs less, but it wasn’t always the best use of our time or energy. I’d just budget for it from the start.

We’d Still Leave Room for Unplanned Purchases

We never set a souvenir budget. When we found something we really wanted, our thinking was usually, “We’re already here, and we may not get another chance.”

I’d add a flexible shopping line to the budget. It wouldn’t be there to stop us from buying things. It would just make the budget match how we actually travel.

We’d Still End Slow, With a Clearer Plan

Shanghai was our slower final stop, but we still did plenty. We rode the bullet train there, and we missed the panda zoo we’d planned.

That’s the tradeoff I’d plan for next time. A slower last stop helps after several flights, hotels, and long sightseeing days, but slowing down means something on the list might not happen. I’d decide before we arrived whether the pandas were a real priority or something we’d happily skip.

Hotel pools helped too. Swimming gave our daughter something familiar to look forward to, and gave us a reason to head back to the hotel instead of adding more.

What We’d Keep the Same

We’d keep the Great Wall overnight. Sleeping inside a watchtower at Gubeikou took extra planning, but it became one of the most memorable parts of the trip. Our daughter treated the hiking and camping like an adventure. Here’s what sleeping on the Great Wall was actually like with our 6-year-old.

Zhangjiajie stays too. Even after losing a day, we saw the Avatar Mountains, rode the Bailong Elevator, used the mountain buses, stopped at several viewpoints, took a long cable-car ride, and visited Baofeng Lake.

We’d also keep:

• Apps and internet access set up before arrival
• An ambitious route built around experiences we really wanted

Our daughter handled more than we expected. The hard part was stacking flights, hotel changes, luggage, crowds, and early starts without much room between them.

How We’d Plan China With a Young Child Now

I’d still build the trip around the two experiences we cared about most: the Great Wall and Zhangjiajie. Then I’d make the changes above: fewer bags, a bigger buffer around the Zhangjiajie flight, a hard look at Xi’an, and a decision on the pandas before we landed.

If you’re weighing a big trip like this with your own kid, here’s how we decide if a big trip is actually doable.

Continue Planning Your China Trip

• China Travel Guide
• China Visa for US Citizens: What We Paid and How We Applied
• How Much Does a Trip to China Cost? Our 9-Night Total
• What Is China Really Like? 17 Things We Didn’t Understand Until We Went

Once your route takes shape, grab our free China Travel Cheat Sheet to set up apps, payments, and internet before you arrive.