Ji"nan, the capital
city of Shandong Province, is
the stopping point for people coming to and from the Jiaozhou Peninsular, which is easily
accessible either by train or plane. As a result, this is the first stop on the Shandong
Tour. Day 1: In the morning, take a local bus to 1000 Buddha Mountain, and in the
afternoon go to Daming Lake and of
course, Baotu Spring, the symbol of
the city. In the evening, check in at a local hotel. Day 2: Get up early in the morning and take a long-distance bus to Mt. Tai (about two hours).
Take the cable car up the hill and walk down. You can have lunch on Heavenly Street. In the afternoon,
continue walking downhill while appreciating all the sights along your way. There are some
good hotels at the foot
of the mountain where you can rest. Day 3: Take a long-distance bus to Qufu, the birth place of
Confucius (about two hours). In the morning, visit Confucius Residence and The Confucius Temple by pedi-cab. You can
have a typical Kongfu Banquet at a
local restaurant. In the afternoon, go out of town to pay tribute to the awesome Confucius Forest, Confucius" resting
place. After seeing all these sights, go back to the city and take a train back to Ji"nan
(about two to three hours, running until late). Stay at a local hotel. Day 4: Take either train or coach to Qingdao (about 4 hours) in the morning. Have lunch
at a small restaurant
(seafood is definitely the best). Visit the Catholic Church and Qingdao Protestant Church, both by local
bus or on foot. This can be finished by around four in the afternoon. Try out one of the
many local restaurants in
the evening. Day 5: If the hotel you choose is near the railway station, go to Small Qingdao Island and Zhanqiao Bridge by foot in the morning,
otherwise, take a local bus or taxi. In the afternoon, go to Ba Da Guan Scenic Area by bus, on foot or
by taxi. After that, you should visit the Beaches
nearby. (If you go to Qingdao in summer and you are a keen sunbather, spend one more day
trying out these beaches). Day 6: In the morning, take a bus to Taiqing
Palace (about an hour). You can find some restaurants around, but they might charge
more than expected; a packed lunch of Tsingtao and German sausage is recommended. In the
afternoon, have a wander around Laoshan. You can leave Shandong either on the same day or
stay at a hotel for another night. |