Private family journeys in China
Pandas, rainforest and gentle trails — a trip that works for the youngest and the oldest in your party.
Boutique China plans private family trips through Yunnan and Sichuan for parties of up to 8 — parents and children, and multi-generational groups travelling with grandparents. The guide, driver and vehicle are yours alone, so the pace follows your youngest traveller, and routes favour lower altitude where it matters: Chengdu's pandas, Xishuangbanna's rainforest and elephants, Dali, and Tengchong's hot springs. One of our most family-friendly routes, Gentle Summer in Yunnan, starts from about A$3,700 per person, twin share.
Family travel in China works best when the day is built around the people in it. With a private guide and your own vehicle, rest stops, snack breaks and an early finish are part of the plan, not a problem for the group.
Get a proposal for your party
Tell us your dates and what moves you. We reply within one business day, then shape a proposal — no obligation, never a templated package.
We wanted a journey that would challenge our teenagers while keeping them engaged with the world. Their itinerary planning for our trek through the Tiger Leaping Gorge was flawless. Our local guide was exceptional. He talked with the kids, not at them, and turned every stop into something they were actually curious about. Three months later they're still bringing it up at dinner.
Why private works for families
-
Paced for your youngest
We adapt the pace and activities to the youngest member of your party — manageable transfers, earlier finishes, and real time off between the highlights.
-
Grandparents included
Multi-generational trips need routes that suit grandparents and grandchildren at once. We keep altitude sensible and walks short or optional — Gentle Summer in Yunnan was built for exactly this, with Yunnan warmth and no high altitude.
-
Rooms that fit your family
We choose stays with the room set-up your party needs — from family resorts like Anantara Xishuangbanna, built for family pace with a pool and river, to boutique inns where rooms can sit side by side.
-
Experiences children remember
Pandas in Chengdu, elephants in Xishuangbanna, hot springs and volcano country in Tengchong, Dali's succulent garden village — see Family Holidays for the modules we build in.
Family-friendly starting points
Every route is built from scratch — these are starting points to react to, not fixed packages.
-
Gentle Summer in Yunnan
Wild elephants in Xishuangbanna, then three days on UNESCO-listed Jingmai Mountain among ancient tea trees and Blang villages. Eight to twelve days — built for families, works equally well without them.
See the itinerary -
Chengdu & Jiuzhai Valley
Giant Pandas at the Chengdu Research Base, then three days in the alpine lakes of Siguniang or Jiuzhai Valley. City culture first, mountain silence after.
See the itinerary -
Chongqing & Chengdu: Two Rivers, Two Tables
A 5–6 day private tour weighted toward Chongqing — neon river cities, UNESCO Wulong Karst, the Longji (Dragon's Backbone) ridge hike above the Yangtze, and two different tables of Sichuan heat. Bookended with a soft Chengdu landing.
See the itinerary -
Guilin: Rivers, Peaks & Hidden Trails
Five days on the Li River and Longji terraces — bamboo rafting, karst ridge walks, and heritage lodges in Yangshuo and the Longsheng highlands.
See the itinerary -
Classic China: Rivers, Warriors & the Great Wall
Fourteen days across China's greatest first-time hits — Shanghai and the Bund, a Li River cruise from Yangshuo, Chongqing's vertical city, Xi'an's Terracotta Army, and Beijing's Great Wall and Forbidden City. Private throughout, at an unhurried pace.
See the itinerary
Family experiences we build in
-
Xishuangbanna Family Adventure
Where family trips actually become stories worth telling — hand-feeding wild elephants in Mengyang Valley, rainforest canopy walks 70 m above the treetops, Dai-village dress-up afternoons. Yunnan's tropical southwest, designed for school-age kids and up.
-
Chengdu Family Adventures
Pandas at first light, Bronze Age bronzes from a civilisation no one can quite explain, lantern-lit teahouse evenings, snow-peak valleys three hours west, and a 2,000-year-old cypress road. Five experiences that together make the case for Chengdu as a place — not a stopover.
-
Dali Family Fairytale
Dali's countryside reads like a real-life fairytale — a Swiss-Alps aesthetic with a local Bai twist. Garden DIY workshops, sheep-feeding on a lakeside meadow, a mini-train ride through Xizhou's emerald rice fields. Three days of soft, hands-on countryside for families.
-
Tengchong Family Adventure
Four days through Tengchong's volcanic heart with elderly relatives and children alike — sunrise hot-air ballooning over the craters, geothermal egg-cooking at Rehai, Heshun's heritage lanes, and winter waterfowl on Beihai wetland. Built for multi-generational families.
How your trip comes together
- 01
Tell us what matters
A short call or note. Where you're heading, who's travelling, the kind of trip you keep daydreaming about. We listen first, pitch nothing.
You speak to someone who's actually been there — never a form.
- 02
We design your route
Within three working days, a one-of-one itinerary lands in your inbox — properties, pacing, the moments worth flying for. Costed line by line.
Every stay scouted in person. Every guide vetted.
- 03
Refine over a call
We talk it through. Move days, swap stays, sharpen the brief until it's the trip you actually want — not the one a template assumes you want.
No templates, no upsells, no hidden margins.
- 04
Land in China
From the moment you clear the airport, your private guide and a 24/7 concierge handle the rest. You travel; we handle the friction.
WhatsApp goes to a real human on our team — usually within minutes.
Before you plan
01 Which of your routes suit families best?
Gentle Summer in Yunnan is one of our most family-friendly routes — Xishuangbanna's rainforest and elephants, tea villages and warm weather without high altitude. Chengdu's pandas pair naturally with Jiuzhai Valley or Chongqing, and Guilin's rivers are easy with children. We adapt any route to the youngest member of your party.
02 Can grandparents come too?
Yes — multi-generational groups are a natural fit for private travel: one party, one guide and a pace that works for everyone. Gentle Summer in Yunnan was designed with multi-generation groups in mind, and on any route we keep altitude sensible and walks short or optional where it matters.
03 What ages suit your family trips?
It depends on the route. Elephants in Xishuangbanna are a highlight for children of any age, while our Chengdu family adventures suit school-age children and up. Tell us everyone's ages and we'll shape the plan around them.
04 How is pricing worked out for a family?
Prices are quoted per person on a twin-share basis. Because the guide, driver and vehicle are shared across your party, the per-person cost falls as your group grows. Tell us your party's ages and room set-up and we'll quote it exactly.
Plan a private journey for your party
A real human on our team — usually within minutes on WhatsApp, one business day by email.