As summer draws to an end, there is only one sure-fire means of curing your kid’s back-to-school blues: making spring break plans! Our family vacations are designed to delight child and parent alike, and are great for both experienced China veterans as well as first-time visitors. Here are our favorite family vacations for Spring Break.
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Marco…Polo!
Of all the great journeys throughout history, perhaps none has captured the imagination of centuries of adventurers like Marco Polo’s, a journey of thousands of miles, crisscrossing remote desert terrain.
WildChina has recreated much of Marco Polo’s route across the Taklamakan Desert of western China, weaving an itinerary rife with the breathtaking scenery of the area, from the blazing red sandstone peaks of the Flaming Mountains to the pristine waters of Lake Karakul. On our Marco Polo’s Silk Road journey you’ll ride a camel across the blazing sands with your children and feel like Marco Polo himself.
As a family, you’ll have the chance to learn the process of hand-making noodles and try a fresh batch yourself in a local Uighur kitchen. Both kids and adults will be fascinated by the 4,000 year old mummies accidentally preserved by the fierce desert elements of the area and you can make like Indiana Jones as you explore the caverns.
For those thrill-seekers out there, dive feet-first down the sand dunes on a special sand sled. It’s truly fun for the whole family! Spring is a great time to retrace Marco Polo’s steps as weather is cooler in the desert portions and the foliage around the northern area is blossoming.
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Kung Fu Fighting
Stretching from the glistening skyscrapers of Shanghai to the Himalayan peaks of Lijiang, our Family Kung Fu and Kicks private tour offers an opportunity to experience the cultural and natural diversity that makes China one of the most spectacular countries in the world.
Whether your kids prefer learning kung fu from the famed monks of Shaolin Temple or practicing their Mandarin in the local markets, this trip is brimming with opportunities for parents and kids to share in fun, unforgettable experiences. Giant pandas, hand-made Chinese dumplings, ancient warrior statues, kung fu lessons, and so much more! Your kids will thank you for getting a taste of how travel and history can enrich their lives. We love this tour in Spring because all the destinations will have the perfect temperate spring weather, great for practicing your kung-fu outside. Even more, the pandas will be active for you to get up-close-and-personal!
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Uncharted Sichuan Exploration
For families of nature-lovers, our Sichuan Natural Wonders tour offers visitors both the spectacular scenery of the rugged Himalayan foothills of Sichuan, as well as the opportunity to track and encounter some of China’s most famous and unique wildlife. Over the course of nine days, adventurers will wander among the thick bamboo forests of Qingcheng Mountain, trek through the misty crags and waterfalls of the Wild Panda Nature Reserve, and marvel at the brilliantly still lakes of Jiuzhaigou National Park.
In addition, you will have the opportunity to interact with China’s most famous non-human residents. You’ll meet pandas as you volunteer as a panda keeper for the day (available to visitors over the age of six), learn how to care for the endangered gentle moon bear, and track leopards and civets through primeval forests in the dead of night.
This region of Sichuan is famed for its beautiful flowers, and March and April are perfect times to catch them in bloom.
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From East to West
Spread over 15 days, WildChina’s Family Fun tour offers travelers the opportunity to experience the best that China has to offer. Beginning in Beijing, adventurers will start by exploring some of China’s most famous sites, from climbing the Great Wall to wandering among the meticulously preserved royal palace of the Forbidden City.
As the tour continues, visitors will find themselves swept away in a whirlwind of unforgettable experiences. You’ll wandering amongst the terracotta army in Xi’an, and cuddle young pandas at the Bifengxia Giant Panda Base in Chengdu. This journey will make a special voyage to Yangshuo where you can bike atop iconic rice terraces and float on bamboo rafts through misty karst mountains on the Li River. Spring is by far the most magical season to visit this part of the country, as trees bloom across the city with the vivid purples of the zijing orchid.
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Whether you’re volunteering as a panda keeper in Chengdu or practicing kung fu at Shaolin Temple, there is no better time than spring for these family friendly experiences. The flowers are blooming, the weather is pleasant, and the opportunity to encounter rare wildlife is at its peak. Family travelers with WildChina will experience this country at its best, through itineraries carefully crafted to ensure that all adventurers, old and young, will fall in love with the Middle Kingdom.
