Beijing and Shanghai for 11 days

[beanstalk6]

not sure, but since it's first time, a bit of everything i guess, plus food

5 to 7 days should do the trick.

 

[s-ghost]

5 to 7 days should do the trick.

thanks

i see the weather either is super hot now or rainy

 

[ZacharyA]

Anything to recommend in Shanghai for 6 full days? (3 weekends 3 weekdays, Sunday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday)

1st week having business trip (Monday - Friday) and will only have night time available to explore dinner options around Parkyard hotel area.

So far only planned to go Disneyland on Monday (full day), and intending to go Hangzhou (or Suzhou) on a day trip. Should this be planned on a weekday / weekend?

Will want to do some light shopping at Qipu Lu, AP Plaza, Nanjing Pedestrian Street, Bund (cruise ride / visit observatory tower at night. Visit Yu Yuan / Xin Tian Di / Tianzifang.

Any recommendations for food other than the goto xiao long bao and crab roe noodles? Peking Duck and BBQ recommendations will be great.

 

[endlssorrow]

Is Ten Fu's Tea at Beijing worth the price to hoot some tea bags back? Or other better places

 

[Innocuous*]

Anything to recommend in Shanghai for 6 full days? (3 weekends 3 weekdays, Sunday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday)

1st week having business trip (Monday - Friday) and will only have night time available to explore dinner options around Parkyard hotel area.

So far only planned to go Disneyland on Monday (full day), and intending to go Hangzhou (or Suzhou) on a day trip. Should this be planned on a weekday / weekend?

Will want to do some light shopping at Qipu Lu, AP Plaza, Nanjing Pedestrian Street, Bund (cruise ride / visit observatory tower at night. Visit Yu Yuan / Xin Tian Di / Tianzifang.

Any recommendations for food other than the goto xiao long bao and crab roe noodles? Peking Duck and BBQ recommendations will be great.

Visit the LV ship at Taikoo Hui.

 

[endlssorrow]

Forbidden palace is like one day liao
Kind of wasted though

 

[mummynew]

Is my estimated timing for Mutianyu hiking do-able for a normal average person? Will probably be joining MuBus tour. Just wanna make sure i have sufficient time to do the hike, and make it back to the tour bus lol.

Cable Car up to Tower 14. Walk towards Tower 19, skipping Tower 20.
Then from Tower 19 walk backtrack, and head all the way towards Tower 6.
Then take Toboggan down.

In Text:

Spoiler

Part 1:
Tower 14 - 15 (260m): 8.5 Minutes
Tower 15 - 16 (300m): 10 Minutes
Tower 16 - 17 (140m): 4.5 Minutes
Tower 17 - 18 (185m): 7.5 Minutes
Tower 18 - 19 (125m): 5 Minutes
Tower 19 - 20 (Skip): 20 Minutes~
(Rest and take pictures. 10 Minutes)
Time Spent: 45.5 Mins

Part 2:
Tower 19 - 18 (125m): 5 Minutes
Tower 18 - 17 (185m): 7.5 Minutes
Tower 17 - 16 (140m): 4.5 Minutes
Tower 16 - 15 (300m): 10 Minutes
Tower 15 - 14 (260m): 8.5 Minutes
(Rest and toilet break. 10 Minutes)
Time Spent: 45.5 Mins

Part 3:
Tower 14 - 13 (130m): 5 Mins
Tower 13 - 12 (140m): 5.5 Mins
Tower 12 - 10 (275m): 11 Mins
Tower 10 - 9 (140m): 5.5 Mins
Tower 9 - 8 (115m): 4.5 Mins
Tower 8 - 7: (155m): 4.5 Mins
Tower 7 - 6 (195m): 8 Mins
(Rest/Slow Walk towards Toboggan): 10 Mins
Time Spent: 54 Mins

Total Time (excluding cable car): 2 Hr 25 Mins

Hello, can share your Mutianyu experience?

@Spike rekindled my memories of Beijing and so planning a short trip there around end Mar with my girl (who is keen to visit Great Wall and others).

Badaling I been there and found it easy but Mutianyu seems a bit 'tougher'. I have a hiking stamina (averaged challenging terrain) of about 4 hours and would like to hear from your experience to estimate what I can do with my limited stamina.

*will be using private transfer there (coz of my limited stamina that I need to 'conserve energy').

 

[mummynew]

I prefer the 1.10 am flight ETA 7+ am (coz I night owl) but my girl prefers the 4.55 pm ETA 11 pm flight (she early sleeper). That's why I always prefer to travel alone.

I believe it is safe to take a didi to hotel around midnight if I agree with the ETA 11 pm flight.

Is my 'belief' correct?

 

[Spike]

We did go to those

I am just warning folks NOT to bother with Beijing Zoo - thought we can go watch pandas without having to go to Chengdu but big mistake hahah

Frankly, don't bother to go to Chengdu panda enclosure.. you are not going to see like a dozen pandas or anything.

The queue is also ridiculous just to see one Panda..

You get a better deal at River Safari.

 

[natas]

Frankly, don't bother to go to Chengdu panda enclosure.. you are not going to see like a dozen pandas or anything.

The queue is also ridiculous just to see one Panda..

You get a better deal at River Safari.

I visited Chengdu panda b4 covid, was good to visit. Definitely more than 1 panda to see but maybe after many yrs, it changed.

 

[Spike]

I visited Chengdu panda b4 covid, was good to visit. Definitely more than 1 panda to see but maybe after many yrs, it changed.

I visited last year.. frankly, it's more like a park than a panda enclosure..

 

[loganrunning]

I believe it is safe to take a didi to hotel around midnight if I agree with the ETA 11 pm flight.

Is my 'belief' correct?

I've never had issues/problems with didi

 

[mummynew]

I've never had issues/problems with didi

Coz I have never taken didi so late at night (12-1 am) and so having some reservation that I wondering I maybe too kiasi unnecessarily.

*most time traveling alone and so I make it a point to be back in the hotel room by around 10 pm.

 

[loganrunning]

Coz I have never taken didi so late at night (12-1 am) and so having some reservation that I wondering I maybe too kiasi unnecessarily.

*most time traveling alone and so I make it a point to be back in the hotel room by around 10 pm.

my long version.

if in tier 1 or 2 cities, no problems. available anytime of day, usual wait max 30min (eg heavy rain storm + rush hour traffic jam in Tianhe, GZ).
past mid night also no problem.
at worst, advance booking, but i find it unnecessary.

if in tier 3 or lower cities, or in way out villages, i avoid flights after 2200, or arrival before 0600.

often advance booking will not get response, but you 30-60min before specified departure, will get a notification that a car is already waiting (or scheduled to arrive soon)
I am told that this is due to the different pricing for advance vs spot booking -- if no one responds for advance booking, 1 hour before, the system puts it out as a spot booking.

 

[loganrunning]

if you unsure about didi advance booking, can arrange with hotel for transport (hotel's own/contracted limo or their own pool of preferred taxi drivers). Just pay the small premium for assured transport.

again, IMHO not necessary for tier 1, 2 cities.

small cities, you may consider this alternative.

or just go earlier, enjoy the food as late night supper at the airport


edit: i just re-read your original message and realised you are flying into Beijing. IMHO, i don't think you will face a problem getting a didi.

 

[Innocuous*]

Coz I have never taken didi so late at night (12-1 am) and so having some reservation that I wondering I maybe too kiasi unnecessarily.

*most time traveling alone and so I make it a point to be back in the hotel room by around 10 pm.

If you are taking DiDi at airport or high traffic flow area should be no problem. But the rate at odd hours would be higher. I booked DiDi 顺风车 at around 5am at Shanghai Pudong Airport T1. I chose DiDi 顺风车as it is cheaper, similar to grab hitch. However, this option is troublesome. Suggest you pay more to just use DiDi ride hailing service.

 

[loganrunning]

If you are taking DiDi at airport or high traffic flow area should be no problem. But the rate at odd hours would be higher. I booked DiDi 顺风车 at around 5am at Shanghai Pudong Airport T1. I chose DiDi 顺风车as it is cheaper, similar to grab hitch. However, this option is troublesome. Suggest you pay more to just use DiDi ride hailing service.

agree with not using the sharing/hitch option. i find it too unpredictable, just like in sg.
anyway, didi fares are not expensive, even with choosing the faster toll/highway option.

 

[pclow59]

 

[cherynsq]

I just reserved successfully on trip.com for airport transfer for my upcoming trip next Monday. flight landing around 1130pm . the problem is trip.com doesn't guarantees the car is confirm. it says it will do a refund if they didn't secure a vehicle. in this case, its back to square 1, zero assurance it seems

 

[mummynew]

I just reserved successfully on trip.com for airport transfer for my upcoming trip next Monday. flight landing around 1130pm . the problem is trip.com doesn't guarantees the car is confirm. it says it will do a refund if they didn't secure a vehicle. in this case, its back to square 1, zero assurance it seems

You managed to get your vehicle number before you fly?

If not, then maybe better to cancel it and just book didi upon arrival.

*trip.com airport transfer rate maybe double or triple of didi iirc.