Shandong Province is located in the eastern part of China and the lower reaches of the Yellow River, bordering Bohai Sea and Yellow Sea in the East, Henan Province in the west, Hebei Province in the north, Anhui and Jiangsu Provinces in the south, facing the Korean Peninsula and the Japanese archipelago across the sea. It is one of the birthplaces of Chinese nation with a history over 5000 years. The great sage Confucius, one of the most influential people in human being history, was born in Shandong. Stepping on to this legendary land, you will not only get amazed by the magnificent historical and cultural heritages, but also enjoy endless landscape. You will also be warmly welcomed by local Shandong people who are famous for their hospitality.
You can plan your Shandong tour according to your favorite destinations, seasons you come and trip duration. Generally speaking, Qigndao, Mount Tai and Qufu are the golden-triangle destinations in Shandong, which can be visited in a 4~5 days tour. You can take a flight to Qingdao first, then spend 2 days visiting the beautiful Laoshan Mountain, golden beach, exotic Badaguan, etc., then take a high speed train to Qufu to explore Confucian culture. Continue on to hike Mount Tai which is only about 75km from Qufu. If you have 2 more days, you can extend your tour to Jinan, the City of Springs, to experience authentic Chinese living and visit the wondrous springs. If you prefer leisure coastal holiday, you can travel from Qingdao to Weihai, Yantai, etc. A Shandong Panorama tour is also recommended if you have about 9~10 days to stay in Shandong, which unlocks deeper culture of Shandong in Weifang, Zibo, etc.
There are six tourist areas in Shandong province: Jinan, Tai'an and Qufu "landscape and sage area”, mainly related to Confucius culture, local culture and scenery; “beautiful coastal tourism area” including Qingdao, Yantai and Weihai; “folk tourism area” – Weifang, the city of kites, New Year's Paintings of Yangjiabu; “Ancient Qi Dynasty Culture” – Zibo; “Yellow River Wonders” – Dongying; the "Water Margin tourism line" – Liangshan and Yanggu. Shandong has also launched tourism festivals such as Qingdao International Beer Festival, Qufu International Confucius Culture Festival, Weifang International Kite Festival and Mount Tai International Mountaineering Festival, and more than 30 special tourism activities, including Confucius culture experience, Qilu folk custom tour, calligraphy class, etc.
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With a long history, profound culture and diverse natural forms, Shandong has over one thousand attractions and many grand festivals, including the sacred Mount Tai, World Heritage Site Confucius Temple, beautiful Laoshan Mountain, magnificent Qingdao Beer Festival, etc. Below are top 10 tourist attractions and activities in Shandong Province. For more attraction information, please check Top 8 Things to Do in Shandong | Top Shandong Tourist Attractions.
Mount Tai is the most sacred mountain in China, a UNESCO World Natural and Cultural Heritage Site as well as a World Geographical Park.
Laoshan Mountain offers you breathtaking view of picturesque seascape and peculiar peaks together, also an opportunity to explore Taoist Culture.
Confucius Temple is a World Cultural Heritage Site, the largest of its kind in the world. Best place to learn about Confucian culture.
Taste beers from different places, enjoy a lot of cultural activities. Usually takes place on the second weekend of August every year and lasts for 16 days.
Baotu Spring is the most famous spring in China. It is located in a beautiful local park where you can enjoy some relaxed walkings.
Fly your own kite or enjoy grand scene of thousands of kites of unique shapes flying in the blue sky of Weifang, the birthplace of kites.
Learn about the history and production skill of Tsingtao Beer which is the most famous beer in China. Also enjoy some fresh beers.
Dai Temple
Dai Temple is the place where ancient Chinese emperors worship the gods of Mount Tai and hold the ceremony of sacrifice, also acts as a national museum.
Liugong Island
The Island is reputed as a fairy isle on the sea' for its great environment, beautiful scenery and various kinds of animals. It is the birthplace of China’s first modern navy.
Penglai Pavilion
Built in Song Dynasty (960~1279), Penglai Pavilion is one of the China’s Four Greatest Towers, also a large themed park with many Chinese cultural existences.
Shandong Province has a warm temperate monsoon climate, without extreme weather. Spring is dry, windy and dusty, summer is hot and rainy, autumn is sunny and cool, and winter is cold and dry. The average temperature is about 13 ℃. Southwestern area, including Jinan, Qufu, Mount Tai, etc., is warmer (or hotter) than northeastern area, including Qingdao, Yantai, Weihai, etc. January is the coldest month when the average temperatures can be below 0 ℃. July is the hottest month with an average temperature about 27.5 ℃. The temperature gradually increases from January to July. After August, the temperature dropped month by month. The rain season is June to August. The yearly average annual precipitation of Shandong province is about 600-750mm. Mount Tai has the most frequent rainfall among all places in Shandong.
Generally speaking, Shandong is available for traveling all year round, but the best time is from April to October. Winter months are cold while spring months are dusty. It is not recommended to travel to Shandong during festivals, such as the May Day, National Holiday, etc. You should also pack and wear accordingly to the season you come.
Best Places to Visit in Spring: Jinan, Qufu, Yantai, etc.
Best Places to Visit in Summer: Qingdao, Weihai, Yantai, etc.
Best Places to Visit in Autumn: Mount Tai, Jinan, Qufu, Yantai, Weihai, etc.
Best Places to Visit in Winter: Jinan, Qufu, etc.
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Shandong can be arrived flexibly by flight, train, cruise and highway. Jinan and Qingdao are two major transportation hubs. You can choose or combine available transportation tools according to your travel plan.
By Flight
International air lines are only connected to Japan, Korea, some southeastern Asian countries, and a few countries in Europe and North America. For better flights rates and flexible schedule, you are suggested to take an international flight to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu and other China hubs first, then change to domestic flights or trains to Shandong.
By Train
Currently there are frequent high speed trains to Jinan, Qufu, Tai’an (Mount Tai) and other places in western Shandong from Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai and other nearby provinces. If you want to go to Qingdao, Yantai and Weihai in eastern Shandong from other parts of China, such as Beijing, Shanghai, you are suggested to take flights instead of trains. If you want to transfer from cities in western Shandong to Qingdao, Weihai and Yantai, taking train is more recommended.
By Cruise
Some international cruises from Japan, Korea or Singapore usually make stops at Qingdao. Make fully use of your off-board time to explore beautiful Shandong.
It is recommended to use high speed trains when you travel between destinations which are not close to each other, such as Jinan – Qingdao, Qingdao – Qufu, Mount Tai – Qingdao, Qingdao – Weihai, etc. Jinan, Qufu and Mount Tai are located closely, thus you can transfer among them by car. Flights and waterways are seldom used for city-to-city transfer in the province.
To get rid of hustle and bustle of public transportation and time-consuming tickets booking, it is strongly recommended to travel Shandong with our packaged tour which includes not only tour guide, hotels, meals, attractions, etc., but also takes care of all the transfers during your trip, from airport/train station pick up, high speed train, flights to private vehicle and your own driver, so that you can focus all your time and energy on enjoying magnificent culture and beautiful landscape of Shandong.
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Tourism industry has developed well in Shandong so is its accommodation. It is usually easy to find a good hotel that is well located and equipped with good facilities, because most of the popular attractions of Shandong are located in or near bigger cities, such as Qingdao, Qufu, Jinan, etc. The two biggest cities Qingdao and Jinan has the highest-end hotels with many international luxury hotels brands and domestic luxury hotels brands offering suites, deluxe rooms, standard rooms, etc. Smaller cities like Tai’an, Qufu, Weifang, etc. mainly offers Chinese hotels, including featured guest house, valuable 3-star 4-star and 5 star hotels. Coastal cities, such as Weihai, Yantai and Penglai, also provide great hotels, including some top-class resorts.
As for hotels areas, we suggest you choose those hotels not too far away from city center, business districts and transportation stations. If you are independent travellers, you are suggested to stay close to train stations, shopping streets, major attractions so that you find public transportation, food and shops easily. If you prefer a worry-free tour operated by travel agencies like China Discovery, you can accommodate around the commercial center, or stay away from the crowds. Your travel agencies will find a well-located and well-equipped hotel for you.
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To help you learn about Shandong’s location, transportation, attractions and plan your Shandong trip easily, here we have collected some useful Shandong travel maps including Shandong China Map, Shandong Attractions Map and maps of Qingdao, Mount Tai, Jinan, Qufu, Weihai, etc. more Shandong maps >>.
Qingdao Travel Map
Mount Tai Hiking Map
China is vast and diverse. You can choose your favorite destinations among more than 70 tourist destination and regions, like Beijing, Shanghai, Xian, Chengdu, etc. Following are 8 popular destinations you may get interested in. Check all destinations in China.
Over the past few years, we've had the pleasure of helping many global travelers create unforgettable memories in Shandong. One of our favorite stories comes from a lovely couple who spent 21 days exploring China, with a particularly memorable experience in Shandong. They shared their journey with us, and we’re thrilled to have been part of their adventure! Travel with China Discovery to craft your own unforgettable China experience!
All itineraries and side trips can be customized privately, so please feel free to contact with our travel consultants if you have this kind of need.
Visit Qufu – the birthplace of Confucius, Mount Tai – the most sacred mountain in China and Jinan, the city of springs with a leisured pace. All the highlights are covered.
Best of Shandong Tour: 6 days private tour from springs city Jinan to romantic Qingdao via majestic Mount Tai and famous Qufu. Fully-inclusive tour package with local tour guide, great hotels, meals, etc.
Start your vacation in Qingdao, the city of bear and coastal landscape, then travel to Qufu, the hometown of Confucius, finally hike the majestic Mount Tai.Private tour package includes your own guide and driver.
China World Heritage Tour to visit Great Wall, Forbidden City, Mount Tai, Shaolin Temple, Longmen Grottoes, Terracotta Warriors and many World Heritage Sites. Best Chinese culture experience.
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