Qingdao with Seniors and a Child: A First-Timer’s Experience

A first-timer took elderly parents and a child to Qingdao, and just had to share the experience of these few days.

Dates: June 24–29

Travelers: me, almost 40, with two 65‑year‑old parents (both with bad legs and lumbar disc issues) and a child about to start elementary school. (This set the pace for our whole trip.)

Weather: not very cooperative, mostly overcast, temps in the low 20s °C, not hot or sunny, but quite windy.

Day 1 (Shanghai – Qingdao – hotel – Taidong Seafood Street)

Morning: took the 8:41 high‑speed train, five and a half hours to Qingdao North (guidebooks say Qingdao Station is more convenient, but Qingdao’s subway is handy and it makes little difference; our home is near the departure station, so we chose this).

3:30 PM: took the subway and checked into Hanting Hotel in Taidong (Address: No. 7 Changyi Road).

Rested a bit, then went to Taidong Seafood Street for dinner. The places are all similar; we picked one that looked clean, called Qiaoxifu BBQ & Seafood, had a group‑deal seafood platter, ordered beer and such. Total ¥350 (I think it wasn’t good value – that platter was clearly overpriced).

Evening: strolled nearby, then back to the hotel.

Day 2 (Sea Fishing – Zhanqiao Pier)

Booked a sea‑fishing package on Ctrip (with onboard BBQ), guide Xiao Deng, a college student who hasn’t graduated yet.

Called to confirm meeting at 9:20 AM at the parking lot entrance of Qingdao Seafood Wholesale Market (No. 39 Xinxian Road). I checked, about 4 km by taxi. To avoid holdups, I usually pre‑book a car, but in Qingdao it’s really hard to book short trips – nobody accepts. After trying multiple ride‑hailing platforms with no luck, I gave up. Got up at 7:30, ate breakfast at the hotel, hailed a taxi – plenty of time.

Sea fishing wrapped up around 2:00 PM, about 12 people on the boat. The wind was strong, the boat rocked, but you could still fish. The kid had good luck – after getting the hang of it, he was the first to catch four little mixed fish (no idea what kind, they died soon after being caught). Since the package included a BBQ feast, the boat provided water, fruit, etc. Seafood was steamed, BBQ grilled by Xiao Deng – you could eat your fill.

Afternoon: visited Zhanqiao Pier, less than 2 km on foot from the seafood wholesale market.

That little bit of walking was too much for my parents’ legs, so we went nowhere in the evening, took the bus back to the hotel, and ordered takeout for dinner.

Day 3 (Shilaoren Beach – Badaguan – No. 1 Bathing Beach – Taidong Commercial Street)

After hotel breakfast, at 9:30 AM took a taxi to Shilaoren Beach. The kid saw the sand and didn’t want to leave.

Played until noon, then went to nearby Jinshi Plaza to eat. It’s a big mall and there were lines everywhere; we ended up at Chuangeyu Dumplings.

Finished lunch around 1:30 PM. We split up: my parents took the subway back to the hotel to rest, while I took the kid to Badaguan and No. 1 Bathing Beach.

Evening: back near Taidong, strolled the snack street and had dinner at the same time.

Day 4 (University Road – Huangdao Golden Beach)

After breakfast, took the kid to stroll along University Road; parents stayed at the hotel.

Returned to the hotel, ordered takeout, and checked out at 1:00 PM (I’m a silver member, so I could delay checkout until 2:00 PM).

Took a taxi to Huangdao Golden Beach.

We’d booked a homestay here – not cheap, honestly. Personal feeling: if you’re bringing parents, don’t book a homestay; they aren’t very comfortable with it, and would rather stay in a budget chain hotel than in someone else’s home.

Afternoon: parked ourselves on Golden Beach. Because of the weather, the water was still cold, so we didn’t wade much, just stepped on the sand.

Evening: ate at the seafood stall street at Golden Beach. The seafood was much cheaper than Taidong, but BBQ was more expensive.

Day 5 (Golden Beach)

Had originally planned to go on the Qindao Eye Ferris Wheel + Sunac Land, but the kid didn’t want to go, so we just stayed in the room.

Day 6 (Return trip)

Booked a private car on Ctrip, and took the 2:00 PM high‑speed train from Qingdao North back to Shanghai.

1. Itinerary: I knew traveling with seniors and a child meant I had to build in extra time. Normally four days in Qingdao is enough – we came for six. I’d done a lot of research beforehand, wanting to explore every street and alley. In the end, we didn’t get to most of it: the kid wasn’t interested in some things, my parents couldn’t walk much, so we had to compromise. Really regret we couldn’t make it to Laoshan.

2. Accommodation: when traveling with parents and a kid, don’t skimp on hotel costs. I should have booked better.

3. Transportation: Qingdao isn’t big. You can basically get around by taxi and subway. If you plan to take the bus, just get a nationwide transit card in advance – it works on both subway and bus.

4. Food: you come to Qingdao to eat seafood and drink beer. After chatting with locals, I learned that the seafood in Taidong is pricey and the beer isn’t authentic – it’s mainly for tourists. The beer at the Qingdao Beer Museum is definitely genuine. Locals drink unpasteurized beer for about a dozen yuan per jin, so the ¥48 or ¥38 a pitcher you’re sold in restaurants isn’t real, and they shortchange you. Snack street stuff is much the same nationwide. Because of the weather, we saved a lot on milk tea.

All of the above is my personal experience – hope it helps.