Summer cities where traveling with kids is easy
When traveling with kids, the hardest part isn’t the kids fussing, it’s the adults getting exhausted first. Choosing the right destination is ten times more effective than bringing every toy. These cities are reachable by high-speed train within two hours or by direct flight within three hours. Some allow strollers all the way through, others have barely any steps, and the temperature is several degrees cooler than at home. Who says summer vacation with kids has to be a struggle? Try a new way this year.
1️⃣ Shanghai
The top choice for families with young kids, with stroller-friendly spots everywhere. The grass at the Expo Park lets kids run around for half an hour without getting bored. Next to it, the China Pavilion has a spiral ramp that you can glide up without pushing uphill.
⚠️ Avoid Yuyuan Garden at noon. It’s packed with people and strollers can’t get through, which will drive you crazy. Instead, go to the Nine-Bend Bridge around 4:30 PM when most tourists have left. Kids can spend 10 minutes watching the koi by the bridge.
If your child is over 4, Guangfulin Cultural Site is perfect. The underwater museum feels like time travel, and kids will keep asking, “How are the houses underwater?”
🚄 For Disney Resort, buy a two-day ticket. Spend the first day on rides and the second day taking photos and watching parades. Kids won’t get tired, and you won’t lose your mind.
🍜 For dinner, head to a local noodle shop on Nanjing West Road. Order scallion oil noodles—kids love it even more than chicken legs.
2️⃣ Qiannan Buyi and Miao Autonomous Prefecture|Guizhou
Heading this way in summer is truly smart. It feels 3 to 5 degrees cooler than Guiyang. Libo Zhangjiang is basically a water park for kids, with water shallow to the knees and so clear you can count toes.
⏰ Arrive at Xiaoqikong at 8:30 AM. It’s less crowded, the mist hasn’t cleared, and the whole area feels like air conditioning.
Just bring swimwear and water guns for the kids—they can play in one pool for two hours without moving.
⚠️ Don’t try to see both Xiaoqikong and Daqikong in one day. With kids, just do Xiaoqikong. Enter from the east gate, take the shuttle to Wolong Pool, then walk downhill all the way to save energy.
🍜 At noon, buy a bowl of iced jelly at the entrance. It’s so loaded with toppings it can be a meal.
3️⃣ Baoding|Hebei
Only 40 minutes from Beijing by high-speed train, but much cooler. Qingxiling is the quietest tomb area I’ve seen, almost empty. Push a stroller along the stone statue path, and kids will ask, “Are the stone lions asleep?”
⚠️ Skip rafting at Yesanpo. The current is so strong even adults get scared. Instead, go to Baishi Mountain, which has a cable car to the top so kids don’t have to climb.
⏰ After 4 PM, the sea of clouds at the summit looks like cotton candy—great for photos. If your child isn’t into history, go to Baiyangdian in Anxin and take a rowboat through the reeds. Kids will excitedly point at water birds.
🚄 A taxi from Baoding high-speed train station to downtown costs about 20 yuan. Meals are half the price of Beijing. Don’t miss the donkey meat sandwich—one is enough to fill a kid.
4️⃣ Chongqing
Don’t be intimidated by the “mountain city” label. Wulong Karst Tourist Area has sightseeing buses and elevators all the way, so kids don’t have to climb any steps. The bottom of the Tian Sheng San Qiao is very cool, about 10 degrees cooler than downtown. Standing in the bridge arch and looking up, the sky forms a perfect line.
⚠️ Avoid Dazu Rock Carvings—they have many steep steps, and carrying kids up and down will leave your legs shaking for days. Instead, go to Jinyun Mountain. Take the cable car up, and the summit has lawns and swings. While kids play, you can relax under a tree with tea.
🍜 Don’t go to Hongya Cave at night—it’s too crowded to walk. Instead, go to Nanbin Road, where you can watch the night view across the river while kids eat iced rice balls and count the lit-up buildings.
If your child is over 5, the Yangtze Three Gorges cruise is worth it. You can enjoy the canyon views by day, and there’s a kids’ activity room at night so parents can take a break.
🚄 There’s a direct shuttle bus from Chongqing West Station to Jiefangbei for 20 yuan. Avoid unlicensed taxis.
5️⃣ Mianyang|Sichuan
Cooler than Chengdu and with half the crowds. Beichuan Qiang City surprised me with its stroller-friendly paths, as smooth as a plaza. Kids are more interested in the Qiang watchtowers than expected, pointing at the white stones on top and asking, “Why put stones there?”
⚠️ Don’t go at noon—it’s too hot and kids will complain. Arrive before 10 AM, see the watchtowers and plaza, then head indoors to the folk museum. It has air conditioning and you can watch Qiang grandmothers weaving.
🍜 Afterward, have a bowl of Mianyang rice noodles. They’re as thin as vermicelli and kids can eat them with a spoon.
If your child is 5 or 6, tell them the Qiang story of “white stone worship.” They’ll remember it for days.
6️⃣ Huanggang|Hubei
Half an hour from Wuhan by high-speed train but feels like a different, cooler world. The waterfalls at Luotian Tiantangzhai are perfect for summer. Walking along the plank road, you’ll get misted by water now and then.
⚠️ For young kids, don’t do the full trail. Turn back at the first waterfall—it’s only a half-hour round trip. Kids can play in the water while you enjoy the view.
If your child is older, climb Guifeng Mountain in Macheng. There’s a cable car up and down. The rhododendrons at the summit have finished blooming, but the shaded paths are very cool.
⏰ Arrive at the summit around 4 PM. The wind is strong enough to dry your sweat.
🍜 On the way down, have a bowl of hanging pot stew. The cured meat is tender enough for kids to chew.
7️⃣ Shannan|Tibet
If your child is over 8 and has no history of altitude sickness, summer here is better than Lhasa. The color of Yamdrok Lake will excite kids to the point of squealing. From the viewing platform, the lake’s blue looks unreal.
⚠️ Don’t stay by the lake for more than an hour. The wind and sun can easily cause colds in kids.
⏰ Arrive at 9:30 AM when the sunlight hits the water perfectly, making the colors most vivid. If traveling with kids, it’s best to rent a car. Stock the trunk with oxygen tanks and snacks, as service stations are scarce.
🍜 Have a bowl of yak beef noodles in Langkazi County at noon. Kids can drink half the broth.
8️⃣ Hangzhou|Zhejiang
Don’t think Hangzhou is just crowded spots. You just haven’t found the right places. Instead of the crowded Broken Bridge, go to Taiziwan Park. The lawn is big enough for rolling around, and kids can chase pigeons for half an hour without getting tired.
If it rains, the rowboats at Xixi National Wetland Park are perfect. The boat canopy keeps you dry while you enjoy the scenery, and kids can lean over the side to scoop water plants.
🍜 The China Umbrella Museum near Gongchen Bridge is highly recommended. It’s air-conditioned, and kids will be curious about the various oil-paper umbrellas for a long time.
⚠️ Never go to West Lake on weekends. It’s so crowded strollers can’t get through. Instead, go on Monday afternoon when there are half as many tourists. You can slowly push a stroller along Su Causeway.
Traveling with kids isn’t about pushing your limits. It’s about fresh air and new sights. Among these eight places, I personally recommend Shanghai and Qiannan the most—one has everything without the exhaustion, the other is so cool you won’t want to leave. If you’ve taken your kids to any of these, share your experience in the comments to help other parents avoid pitfalls.