Traveling with kids during the July-August summer vacation? These 6 cool summer destinations are perfect!
Meaning of family travel:
Summer family trips are the best "natural classroom" for children.
When the city heatwave arrives with the sound of cicadas, we hold our children's hands and escape to the 25℃ mountains and fields—finding transparent little fish in the stream, sharing chilled watermelon under the shade, and wrapping in light blankets at night to count stars together. These 25℃ summer memories will become the most beautiful recollections for children.
01🏮Yunnan · Mile
🧨A 25℃ summer in a small town in southern Yunnan
The red brick buildings of Dongfengyun Town look like exotic castles, and the pink muhly grass sea at Taiping Lake Forest stretches to the horizon. The sandy beach at Huquan Ecological Park lets kids dig and play in the water, taste grape juice at Yunnan Red Wine Estate, and soak away fatigue in the mid-mountain hot springs.
✅3-day itinerary:
Day1: Dongfengyun → Yunnan Red Wine Estate → Honghe Water Town
Day2: Jinping Mountain Mile Temple → Keyi Town → Huquan Ecological Park
Day3: Taiping Lake Forest Park → Mile High-Speed Rail Station
✅Family must-dos: Flower sea mini train, hot spring water play, Dongfengyun creative painting experience, vineyard picking
✅Transportation tips: High-speed rail to Mile Station
✅Local delicacies: Braised chicken rice noodles, rose jelly, grape steam pot chicken, mutton soup pot, flower cakes
✅Accommodation suggestions: Huquan Hot Spring Hotel / Dongfengyun Meijingge
✅Average summer temperature: 19-26℃
✅User review: "The fairy-tale buildings in Dongfengyun are perfect for photos, my child said it feels like stepping into a picture book!"
02🏮Inner Mongolia · Hulunbuir
🧨22℃ grassland natural classroom
Chase sheep by the Morigele River, ride horses at Heishantou to watch the most beautiful sunset. Take the fairy tale mini train at Manzhouli Matryoshka Square, feed reindeer and touch antlers at the Oroqen tribe, and lie in a Mongolian yurt at night counting shooting stars.
✅5-day itinerary:
Day1: Hailar Ancient City → Hailar Museum → Genghis Khan Square
Day2: Morigele River → Hulunbuir Grassland → Oroqen Reindeer → Enhe
Day3: Shiwei → Border checkpoint → Horse riding at Heishantou → Heishantou sunset
Day4: Private ranch → 186 Ribbon River → Hulun Lake → Manzhouli
Day5: National Gate Scenic Area → Grassland Nadam Festival → Cross the grassland
✅Family must-dos: Grassland horse riding, milking cows, archery, staying in Mongolian yurts, bonfire party
✅Transportation tips: Fly to Hailar Airport, car rental or self-driving recommended
✅Local delicacies: Hand-held mutton, roasted whole lamb, Buryat buns, milk tea
✅Accommodation suggestions: Grassland Mongolian yurts / homestays in Enhe, Shiwei, etc.
✅Average summer temperature: 15-26℃
✅User review: "My child saw so many stars for the first time, was so excited they wouldn’t sleep! Kept counting stars all night!"
03🏮Liaoning · Dalian
🧨Northern seaside cool paradise
Watch penguins stroll at Laohutan Ocean Park, feed alpacas and milk sheep at Sanhuan Ranch. Search for dinosaur fossils at Jinshitan Geological Park, and enjoy fireworks lighting up the fairy-tale summer night at Discovery Kingdom.
✅5-day itinerary:
Day1: Natural History Museum → Sun Asia Ocean World → Xinghai Square
Day2: Dalian Forest Zoo → Silver Beach → Fujiazhuang Park
Day3: Laohutan → Fisherman’s Wharf → Lingjiao Bay → Bangchui Island
Day4: Music Fountain → Gangdong Fifth Street → Venice Water City
Day5: Discovery Kingdom → Jinshitan
✅Family must-dos: Marine animal shows, dinosaur exploration hall, ranch experience, water park
✅Transportation tips: High-speed rail to Dalian Station
✅Local delicacies: Seaweed buns, Spanish mackerel dumplings, Dalian fried steamed cakes, spicy stir-fried clams
✅Accommodation suggestions: Hotels near Xinghai Square / Zhongshan Square
✅Average summer temperature: 24-29℃
✅User review: "The Ultraman-themed hall at Discovery Kingdom drove my little boy crazy, he was super excited!!"
04🏮Northwest · Qinghai-Gansu Grand Loop
🧨Cool summer in the great northwest
Cycle around Qinghai Lake to see rapeseed flower seas, step on the "Mirror of the Sky" at Chaka Salt Lake. Slide down dunes and ride camels at Dunhuang Mingsha Mountain, admire the colorful Danxia landforms at Zhangye. The marmots on Qilian Grassland are cuter than toys.
✅7-day itinerary:
Day1: Xining → Riyue Mountain → Qinghai Lake → Chaka Town
Day2: Chaka Salt Lake → Dacaidan Emerald Lake → Dacaidan
Day3: 315 U-shaped Road → Water Yadan → Dacaidan
Day4: Heidushan → Lenghu Oil Town → Dunhuang
Day5: Mogao Caves → Crescent Spring → Mingsha Mountain → Shazhou Night Market
Day6: Son of the Earth → Jiayuguan → Zhangye Danxia → Zhangye
Day7: Zhangye → Qilian Mountain Grassland → Menyuan Rapeseed Flowers → Xining
✅Family must-dos: Qinghai Lake cycling, camel riding at Mingsha Mountain, desert sand sliding, grassland horse riding, mural copying
✅Transportation tips: Fly to Xining Caojiabao Airport, attractions are scattered, car rental or self-driving recommended
✅Local delicacies: Hand-grabbed mutton, Qinghai clay hotpot, donkey meat yellow noodles, yak yogurt, mutton clay pot
✅Accommodation suggestions: Hotels or homestays in Chaka Town / Dacaidan / Dunhuang / Zhangye
✅Average summer temperature: 15-28℃
✅User review: "The Qinghai-Gansu Grand Loop is totally worth it, my child was amazed by nature all along the way! So many questions~"
05🏮Shandong · Weihai
🧨A holiday paradise of blue sea and sky
The beach at Naxianghai lets you build dreamy castles, the seals at Shendiao Mountain Zoo clap their fins. The sunrise at Chengshantou dyes the sea red, seagulls fly around boats at Hailv Island.
✅3-day itinerary:
Day1: Liugong Island → Haiyuan Park → Heqing Wharf → Hanlefong
Day2: Naxianghai → Jiming Island → Brewis → Jinshi Bay
Day3: Maotoushan → International Seaside Bathing Beach → Torch Eighth Street
✅Family must-dos: Digging clams on the beach, feeding seagulls, Hanlefong food DIY, tide pooling
✅Transportation tips: High-speed rail to Weihai Station / flight to Dashuipo International Airport
✅Local delicacies: Spanish mackerel dumplings, Weihai seafood noodles, scallion-braised sea cucumber, Weihai figs
✅Accommodation suggestions: Hotels near International Seaside Bathing Beach / Torch Eighth Street
✅Average summer temperature: 23-28℃
✅User review: "The seawater is especially clean, totally comparable to Sanya’s jelly sea, my child played for three days and never got bored!"
06🏮Guizhou · Anshun
🧨Natural air-conditioned room under the waterfall
Adventure in the Water Curtain Cave at Huangguoshu Waterfall, take a boat through caves at Longgong Scenic Area, learn Buyi tie-dyeing at Gaodang Ancient Village. At night in the starry sky homestay, the whole family eats chilled bayberry while listening to the frog symphony.
✅3-day itinerary:
Day1: Huangguoshu Waterfall → Tianxing Bridge Scenic Area → Duopotang Waterfall
Day2: Longgong Scenic Area → Gaodang Buyi Ancient Village
Day3: Yunfeng Eight Villages → Jiuzhou Ancient Town
✅Family must-dos: Searching for waterfall rainbows, cave exploration, wax dye DIY, firefly watching
✅Transportation tips: High-speed rail to Anshun West Station
✅Local delicacies: Anshun wrapped rolls, silk rolls, duoduo noodles, Anshun buckwheat jelly
✅Accommodation suggestions: Hotels in Anshun city / homestays near Huangguoshu Scenic Area
✅Average summer temperature: 20-26℃
✅User review: "Taking a boat through caves at Longgong, my child said it felt like an adventure from 'The Lost Tomb'!"