Guiyang With Kids and a Grandparent: Our Seven-Day Summer Itinerary
By Peter CronaLast updated
By early August, after several weeks visiting family in Shanghai, I was ready for a break from the heat. For someone used to Swedish summers, it took some getting used to. My wife and I wanted somewhere we could explore with our eight-year-old son, five-year-old daughter and my father-in-law, who was close to seventy, without moving hotels every other morning.
We chose Guiyang and stayed there from 5 to 11 August 2026. On our first evening we ate sour-soup hotpot. The following day brought rain so heavy that it was hard to see the road even with the windscreen wipers at full speed. We had come to escape the Shanghai heat, but we still needed a plan for wet days.
Guiyang worked well for a trip with our children and their grandfather. We could stay in one hotel, get around by metro and ride-hailing services such as Didi, and do less when someone needed a rest. Tianhetan gave us boats and caves, Qingyan gave the children a wall to climb, and Longli gave them a day of rides. Allow time for rain and rest: our week included two travel days and a day when some of us stayed at the hotel.
Where we stayed, and what that choice meant
We chose a quieter area in the northern part of Guiyang, with a metro station nearby. It suited us: we could come back to somewhere calmer in the evening and still get around easily. If you stay in this part of town, look for a hotel within an easy walk of the metro and somewhere to eat.
We did need to travel into the centre rather than step straight out into the old streets. If you want to walk to dinner and wander home afterwards, a central hotel may suit you better. We were happy with the quieter evenings.
How we moved five people around
For Tianhetan and Longli we combined the metro with ride-hailing. There were five of us, so we generally requested two cars through a ride-hailing service within WeChat or the Didi app: my father-in-law took one child, and my wife and I took the other. We entered the same destination in both apps so both cars would take us to the same place.
That arrangement worked for our family, but it means budgeting for two fares and coordinating two arrivals. Agree where to meet, and make sure the adult in each car can contact the other group. If you need child seats, arrange them in advance rather than assuming the car will have them.
Our week, day by day
| 5 August | Train from Shanghai to Guiyang North; sour-soup hotpot Keep arrival evening simple. |
|---|---|
| 6 August | Geological museum, local dinner, Wenchang Pavilion and Taiping Road night market Book the museum ahead and explore outdoors when the rain stops. |
| 7 August | Tianhetan: raft ride, cave boat ride, cave walk and waterfalls Choose the longer cave walk or the short exit according to how much walking each person wants to do. |
| 8 August | Qingyan Ancient Town Make the wall climb the main event, then slow down. |
| 9 August | Longli Oil Painting Grassland Give the children a day built around play. |
| 10 August | Hotel rest for our son and his grandfather; Qingyun Market for the rest of us Staying in one hotel makes it easy for some people to rest while others go out. |
| 11 August | Train from Guiyang East back to Shanghai Check the departure station: it was different from our arrival station. |
5 August: seven hours on a train, then hotpot
We took a direct train from Shanghai to Guiyang North. Seven hours sounded long beforehand; books, drawing, lunch and milk tea made it pass surprisingly smoothly. In the evening we ate the local sour-soup hotpot, a good first meal to mark the change of city.
The booking, food and station details are in Shanghai to Guiyang With Kids: Our Seven-Hour Train Journey.
6 August: a museum first, the city after the rain
We had booked the Guizhou Geological Museum in advance and were glad of it when the heavy rain arrived. The museum gave the children plenty to look at while we waited out the rain.
By the time we finished, the rain had stopped. We went into the centre for laoguo, the local hotplate-style meal, then walked towards Wenchang Pavilion, passing through the lively Taiping Road night market. There was plenty for the children to take in, although some food stalls had long queues. For us, wandering through was worthwhile without needing to join every line.
7 August: Tianhetan, where splitting up improved the day
We started with a bamboo raft, then changed boats to travel through the water cave. After that, we could either explore the next cave on foot or take a short exit. Our son came with my wife and me on the roughly fifty-minute cave walk with stairs; our daughter and my father-in-law took the roughly three-minute shortcut.
That way, our son could keep exploring without making his sister and grandfather tackle all those stairs. We still had the waterfalls and lake to enjoy afterwards.
We had not bought tickets ahead and had to queue at the entrance. Next time I would book in advance, making sure the ticket includes the boat rides we want.
8 August: climbing Qingyan’s town wall
Qingyan’s wall gave the children a small version of the wall-climbing adventure they had imagined. It is an ancient town wall, not the Great Wall of China, but the steps and views were enough to make them keen to keep going. Some stretches were steep. We came down by another staircase and spent time strolling through the busy market streets.
9 August: Longli, a day chosen for the children
After several sightseeing days, it was our turn to follow their interests. At Longli Oil Painting Grassland we rode a slow cable car uphill, then spent time grass sliding and riding camels. The downhill carts later in the day were another highlight. It started raining a little towards the end, but the children were far too excited about the ride to mind.
10 August: our plans got smaller
Our son was unwell. After a stop at a nearby pharmacy, he and my father-in-law stayed at the hotel to rest while my wife and I took our daughter to Qingyun Market. Staying in one place meant we could make that change without a checkout or a train to catch.
Our daughter found a shop full of Hello Kitty, and later had matcha ice cream. I was happy to come across Captain George, a coffee shop. The Panama beans I had hoped to try were sold out, but I enjoyed the Colombian pour-over instead. A few shops, ice cream and a good coffee were enough for that day.
11 August: back to Shanghai, from a different station
The direct journey home also took us about seven hours and went smoothly. This time we left from Guiyang East, not Guiyang North. That is the station detail I would double-check before requesting a ride in the app.
Which outing would I choose with less time?
Choose Tianhetan for boat rides, caves and waterfalls, checking that the boats and caves are open before setting off. Choose Qingyan for a wall climb followed by a wander through the old town. Choose Longli for a day centred on the children’s favourite activities, checking that those rides are running.
With fewer days, I would drop an outing rather than fill every spare hour. We were glad to have time to wait for the rain to pass, and to rest when our son needed it.
What I would prepare before doing this again
I would book the trains and museum early, choose a Tianhetan ticket that includes the boat rides we want, and buy it ahead if possible. I would also give each group a small bag with rain protection, water and snacks, so nobody has to wait for the other car to arrive before getting something they need.
If you are travelling with a younger child who still needs a stroller on city days, our travel stroller buying guide can help you choose one that is easy to fold and carry. Tianhetan’s cave stairs and Qingyan’s wall need a separate plan, though; these are not stroller walks.
I would stay in one hotel again. We had plenty to do together, and it was easy to split up when someone needed a quieter day.