Tips & Answers · Community post
How to travel China during Golden Week + hidden nature gems
Hey all — we are two friends who will travel China from 24 September to 15 October, and the dates cannot be moved. We now understand this spans Golden Week, which has major implications for logistics and tourist numbers. The places we want to see, while staying open to alterations in order and time per stop, are:
- Beijing, including the Great Wall - Shanghai - Zhangjiajie - Chengdu or Chongqing - Another nature spot such as Tiger Leaping Gorge or Guilin/Yangshuo
What would you recommend to structure this in a way that works around Golden Week craziness? I would guess being in cities is easier than going out to somewhere like the Great Wall?
If you have any other hot tips, especially for nature, please shout. Many thanks.
Comments (1)
I have to say, your timing is really something. October 1–7 are arguably the busiest days for China's transport system and tourist attractions.
Let me give you some advice. Your itinerary covers major cities: Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu and Chongqing. My suggestion is to stay within these big cities on October 1 and October 7. Avoid travelling out of town — neither trips to other cities nor excursions to surrounding areas are recommended.
I do not know your entry and exit ports for China. If you share that information, I can help fine-tune your full travel plan. The general rule is: during these peak-crowd dates, stay in city centres. If you travel outside, you will face overwhelming crowds everywhere, which will hardly make for an enjoyable experience.
Late September and the days right after October 7 are when you can actually have a great time sightseeing.