Serica Journeys Day journeys in China
North China coast · 青岛

Qingdao

A German colonial town on a Chinese coast, and the brewery it left behind.

Typical day
6–9 hours
Party size
1–6 guests
Guiding
English
Pick-up
Qingdao hotels

Qingdao was leased to Germany in 1898 and built accordingly — red tile, granite, a Protestant church on a hill above a Chinese fishing bay. The result is unlike anywhere else in China and is best walked rather than driven.

The brewery the Germans founded in 1903 is still going, and the mountain behind the city is the birthplace of a Daoist tradition that predates all of it by two thousand years.

Journeys

2 private day journeys in Qingdao.

Prices are quoted per party once we know your dates and numbers. Every itinerary below can be adjusted — they are how we run the day by default, not a fixed menu.

7 hours Private departureEnglish guide

The German Quarter and the Tsingtao Brewery

Old town · Governor's residence · St Michael's · Brewery · Pier

Itinerary
09:00
Pick-up. Old town walking: Zhongshan Road, St Michael's Cathedral.
10:30
Governor's Residence.
12:00
Lunch — Shandong seafood.
13:30
Tsingtao Brewery museum and the original brewhouse.
15:30
Zhanqiao Pier and the bay.
16:30
Back at your hotel.
Highlights
  • The colonial quarter on foot, with the treaty history told straight
  • The Governor's Residence, largely as it was furnished
  • The original 1903 brewhouse, and beer from the tank rather than the bottle
  • Zhanqiao Pier and the seafront at the end of the day
Included
  • Private vehicle and driver
  • English-speaking guide
  • Residence and brewery entry
  • Beer tasting
  • Lunch
  • Bottled water
Not included
  • Additional drinks
  • Gratuities

Know before you go. The brewery tasting is included for adults. We will substitute it happily if you would rather not drink.

9 hours Private departureEnglish guide

Laoshan Mountain and the Coast Road

Taiqing Palace · Coastal granite · Mountain tea · Fishing village

Itinerary
08:00
Pick-up. East along the coast road.
09:30
Taiqing scenic area and the palace complex.
11:30
Coastal walk beneath the granite.
13:00
Village lunch.
14:30
Tea garden and tasting.
16:00
Return.
17:00
Back at your hotel.
Highlights
  • One of the birthplaces of Daoism, on a granite coast
  • Taiqing Palace, with cypress older than the buildings
  • Laoshan green tea, grown at the sea's edge
  • A fishing village lunch rather than a scenic-area canteen
Included
  • Private vehicle and driver
  • English-speaking guide
  • Scenic area entry and shuttle
  • Tea tasting
  • Lunch
  • Bottled water
Not included
  • Cable car
  • Personal spending
  • Gratuities

Know before you go. Laoshan's scenic area operates a compulsory internal shuttle and can cap entry on peak days. We book ahead.

Other cities
Beijing
Shanghai
Xi'an
Chengdu
Hangzhou
Guilin & Yangshuo