Family groups are welcome
Trips with children and older travellers are among the most rewarding we arrange, and they are also among the most common. What they need is not a different itinerary so much as a well-judged one, where the pace and the accommodation are chosen with the whole group in mind.
A tailor-made trip is naturally suited to this. Because nothing is fixed by a group schedule, we can shorten a driving day, build in more rest, or move a hotel closer to the sights so that nobody is rushing.
Adjusting the pace
When there are young children or older travellers, we look at each day and ask whether it is realistic. Long transfers can be broken up. Where a sight can be reached partly by vehicle rather than on foot, we arrange that. Time is left open for rests, and hotels are chosen for lifts and steady heating rather than only for style.
- Shorter daily driving where the group is mixed.
- Rides arranged across the parts of a sight that involve the most walking.
- Rest time built into the day rather than squeezed out.
- Hotels with lifts and reliable heating.
Matching routes to the group
Children often surprise their parents with how much they enjoy the Panda Base, the Terracotta Army or a grassland day, and we prepare simple explanations of the history and landscape so the trip means something to them too. Older travellers are usually most comfortable on low-altitude routes such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guilin and Sichuan, where walking distances are modest.
High altitude and health
For Qinghai, Tibet and other high-altitude regions, the sensible advice is to speak to a doctor before booking. If you tell us the ages and any health considerations in your group, we will suggest routes and a pace that suit everyone.