🇨🇳 Koch family · Shanghai & around

China 2026 · Shanghai

October 7 – October 22, 2026  ·  14 nights  ·  nonstop both ways
Oliver Hisa Noah Adam Zoe (lap infant)
✈️ Outbound SWISS LX188 · ZRH → PVG Wed 7 Oct · 12:55 → 06:30 (+1)
✈️ Return SWISS LX189 · PVG → ZRH Thu 22 Oct · 10:45 → 18:15
🎫 Booking reference X2UJA2 SWISS · 5 travellers
🛬 Destination Shanghai, China Pudong Intl (PVG)

Flights

SWISS · nonstop · booking X2UJA2
🛫
Wed 7 Oct 2026 · Outbound
SWISS LX188 · Zurich → Shanghai
Zürich (ZRH) → Shanghai Pudong (PVG)
ZRH Zürich 12:55 · Wed 7 Oct
11h 35m Nonstop
PVG Shanghai Pudong 06:30 · Thu 8 Oct
Airbus A350-900 · Economy Comfort Arrives the next morning (Thu 8 Oct, local Shanghai time).
✓ Booked X2UJA2
🛬
Thu 22 Oct 2026 · Return
SWISS LX189 · Shanghai → Zurich
Shanghai Pudong (PVG) → Zürich (ZRH)
PVG Shanghai Pudong 10:45 · Thu 22 Oct
13h 30m Nonstop
ZRH Zürich 18:15 · Thu 22 Oct
Airbus A350-900 · Economy Comfort Arrives the same day (Thu 22 Oct, local Zürich time).
✓ Booked X2UJA2

Travellers

5 on booking X2UJA2
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦
The Koch family
5 travellers · 4 seats + 1 lap infant
Oliver · Hisa · Noah · Adam · Zoe (lap infant) All five on a single SWISS round-trip, booking reference X2UJA2.
5 pax

Accommodation

Where we'll stay in Shanghai
🏨

Hotels & stays

TBD · coming soon

Accommodation for the Shanghai leg is still being arranged. Hotel names, addresses, check-in / check-out dates and booking references will be added here once confirmed.

Itinerary

Day-by-day · Shanghai 3 · Beijing 4 · Shenzhen 2 · Chongqing 2 · Shanghai 3
🛬
Day 1 · Thu 8 Oct · Shanghai
Arrival & jet-lag reset
Easy first day — nothing ticketed
Land PVG 06:30, head to the hotel to check in / nap. Gentle Bund stroll at dusk to ease into the time zone.
Shanghai
🐼
Day 2 · Fri 9 Oct · Shanghai
Pandas & the old town
AM zoo · PM garden & bazaar
AM: Shanghai Zoo / Wild Animal Park (pandas). PM: Yu Garden & Yuyuan Bazaar.
Shanghai
🏰
Day 3 · Sat 10 Oct · Shanghai
Shanghai Disneyland
Go at open, leave mid-afternoon
Rain backup: Shanghai Science & Technology Museum.
Shanghai
🚄
Day 4 · Sun 11 Oct · Shanghai → Beijing
High-speed train to Beijing
Dep ~09:00–10:00 · 4.5–6h
Travel morning by high-speed train, then an easy evening once we arrive.
→ Beijing
🛕
Day 5 · Mon 12 Oct · Beijing
Temple of Heaven & pandas
AM park · PM zoo
AM: Temple of Heaven Park. PM: Beijing Zoo (pandas).
Beijing
🧱
Day 6 · Tue 13 Oct · Beijing
Mutianyu Great Wall
Full day
Cable car up, toboggan down — the family-friendly way to do the Wall.
Beijing
🏯
Day 7 · Wed 14 Oct · Beijing
Summer Palace & Forbidden City
AM palace · PM city & square
AM: Summer Palace. PM: Forbidden City + Tiananmen (partial — go at a kid's pace).
Beijing
✈️
Day 8 · Thu 15 Oct · Beijing → Shenzhen
Flight to Shenzhen
~3h 15m · evening waterfront
Sea World / Shekou waterfront in the evening once we land.
→ Shenzhen
🐼
Day 9 · Fri 16 Oct · Shenzhen
Safari Park & pool time
AM animals · PM park / pool
AM: Safari Park (panda) or a theme park. PM: Lianhuashan Park or pool.
Shenzhen
✈️
Day 10 · Sat 17 Oct · Shenzhen → Chongqing
Flight to Chongqing
~2–2.5h · Hongya Cave by night
Hongya Cave lit up at night — a great first-evening view.
→ Chongqing
🚠
Day 11 · Sun 18 Oct · Chongqing
Pandas, cableway & monorail
AM zoo · midday rides
AM: Chongqing Zoo (pandas). Midday: Yangtze River Cableway + the Liziba monorail (it runs through a building!).
Chongqing
✈️
Day 12 · Mon 19 Oct · Chongqing → Shanghai
Flight back to Shanghai
~3h · easy evening
Travel day — settle back in Shanghai with an easy evening.
→ Shanghai
🦖
Day 13 · Tue 20 Oct · Shanghai
Buffer / flex day
Pick what suits the day
Maglev ride, Natural History Museum, or a relaxed park afternoon — keep it flexible.
Shanghai
🧳
Day 14 · Wed 21 Oct · Shanghai
Easy last day
Pack & wind down
Take it slow, pack, and confirm the airport transfer for tomorrow.
Shanghai
🛫
Thu 22 Oct · Departure
Fly home
Depart hotel ~07:30 for the 10:45 flight
Leave with buffer for PVG check-in and security.
Fly home
🚉
Inter-city legs
Shanghai → Beijing is a high-speed train (~4.5–6h). The other three hops — Beijing → Shenzhen, Shenzhen → Chongqing and Chongqing → Shanghai — are flights (by train those would be 8–13h).
1 train · 3 flights

Things to do

Sights, food & family ideas
📸

Ideas & wishlist

TBD · coming soon

A running wishlist of sights, neighbourhoods, food spots and kid-friendly activities for Shanghai will live here. Add suggestions as you find them.

Before you go · Travel checklist

Sort these before flying
💳
Payments
Set up both Alipay + WeChat Pay before you go (link a Visa/MC, verify passport) — foreign cards barely work at vendors/taxis. Carry 500–1000 RMB cash as backup.
📶
Internet
The Great Firewall blocks WhatsApp / Google / Maps. Swisscom roaming often bypasses it; otherwise a travel eSIM with VPN, or our self-hosted WireGuard VPN. Test before flying. (Apple Maps works; Google Maps doesn't.)
🛂
Passports & visa
Everyone incl. kids needs their own passport. German + Brazilian = visa-free for stays ≤ 30 days (re-verify before travel).
🚐
Transport
5 travellers → book a 6-seater / van for airport runs and DiDi rides (DiDi = the local Uber, with in-app English).
🍼
Baby kit
Bring Zoe's formula; diapers/wipes are easy to buy locally. Pack a portable clip-on high-chair. Nursing rooms (母婴室) are common in malls/stations.
🧥
Packing
Layers — Beijing cool/dry (10–21°C), Shenzhen warm/humid (24–30°C), Shanghai/Chongqing mild (15–25°C). Rain gear + a baby carrier (Chongqing is stair-heavy).
🚄
Bookings
High-speed train via 12306 / Trip.com (passport = ticket); internal flights via Trip.com (add Zoe as a lap infant). Book ~30 days out.

Visa & documents

Entry requirements
🛂

Entry & passports

TBD · re-verify

German and Brazilian passport holders are currently visa-free for stays of up to 30 days in mainland China. This trip is under that limit — but entry rules change, so re-verify with official sources nearer to travel. Passport validity, photos and any registration steps will be tracked here.

This page covers the China / Shanghai leg only — part of a larger multi-leg October 2026 trip.