High-speed rail direct access, suitable for visiting in June-July, five coastal cities.

1️⃣ Qingdao · The collision of red tiles, green trees, and beer foam

💰 3 days 2 nights budget (2 adults 1 child)

- Budget: 4k-5k (homestay + subway + seafood market processing)
- Comfortable: 6k-8k (seaview hotel + chartered car tour + trendy restaurants)

🌊 Must-visit attractions

- Zhanqiao Pier feeding seagulls: Few people and many seagulls at 7 AM! Hold up bread for instant photos🕊️
- Jinshatan Beer City: Open only in June-July! Night light show + beach disco, kids scream with joy🎇
- Xiaomai Island picnic: Green slope facing the sea + sunset orange sea, full of comic vibes🌅
- Laoshan tidal secret spot: Yangkou Beach reveals a "shell road" at low tide, barefoot walking is super healing🐚

📆 Lazy route

Day1: Zhanqiao Pier → Catholic Church ice cream check-in → Beer Museum DIY original brew🍺 → Taidong Night Market
Day2: Bada Guan cycling → Xiaomai Island lawn picnic → Shilaoren Bathing Beach tide hunting (check tide on mini program!)
Day3: Laoshan Yangkou route → Qingshan Fishing Village farmhouse feast → Shazikou Fishing Port buy freshly caught swimming crabs🦀️
🦐 Food highlights

👉 Chuange Fish Dumplings: Squid dumplings + mackerel dumplings combo, dipping in garlic paste is amazing!

👉 Tuandao Agricultural Market: Choose your own seafood for processing, oysters and shrimp 15 RMB/jin + 10 RMB processing fee🔥

👉 Lao Xie Wild Wontons: Late-night soul food! Bone broth wontons + microwave grilled skewers, locals’ secret

2️⃣ Weihai · The jelly sea and sky ceiling with fewer people and beautiful scenery

💰 3 days 2 nights budget

- Budget: 3k-4k (Han Lefang homestay + bus)
- Comfortable: 5k-6k (Torch Eight Street seaview room + electric scooter rental) Driving along Huanhai Road is super enjoyable!

🌊 Healing activities

- Naxianghai Diamond Beach: Rent the windmill coast before 8 AM, take photos of jelly sea with transparent boats🚣♀️
- Blue Weiss shipwreck: Navigate to "Xiao Wu Team Station," cinematic stranded giant ship + seagull flock
- Haiyuan Park wooden boardwalk: Pick starfish on the reef at low tide, kids’ marine biology class starts🌟
- Xixiakou Shendiao Mountain Zoo: Giraffes facing the sea dining! Feeding elephants apples is super healing🐘

📆 Slow travel route

Day1: Torch Eight Street → International Seawater Bathing Beach tide hunting → Oulefang Night Market Korean food
Day2: Liugong Island (Jiawu Museum AR tour) → Haiyuan Park → Heqing Wharf buy seafood
Day3: Chartered tour to Rongcheng (shipwreck + Naxianghai) → Motianling cross-sea cableway to see two-colored sea🌊
🍱 Korean seafood freedom

👉 Han Lefang Gaoji Wuchun Chicken: Cheese-wrapped chicken cutlet + fish cake soup, 40 RMB per person, so good you’ll lean on the wall

👉 Zhen Jiabao Private Kitchen: Mackerel fish cakes + seaweed buns! Owner gives kids little sea snails🐚

👉 Heqing Wharf: Fishing boats return at 3 PM, mantis shrimp 10 RMB/jin! Homestay steams super fresh

3️⃣ Xiamen · Double hit of art and lively atmosphere

💰 3 days 2 nights budget

- Budget: 5k-6k (Zengcuoan homestay + bus)
- Comfortable: 8k-9k (Gulangyu Manor Hotel + chartered car) Staying one night on the island is worth it!

🌸 Niche activities

- Gulangyu dawn: Avoid crowds at 7 AM! Shuzhuang Garden Piano Museum + Gangzaihou Beach🏝️
- Huangcuo Beach sunrise: Navigate to "Yefengzhai," sunrise + pink sky + reef silhouette is breathtaking
- Shanhai Trail Forest Line: Wanshi Canghai → Pan Gui Tower, shuttle through forest and sea🌲
- Jimei School Village sea subway: Same style as Spirited Away! Take stunning reflection photos at dusk during high tide🚉

📆 In-depth route

Day1: Gulangyu (stay on the island) → Haitiantang listen to Nanyin music → Wormhole Bookstore afternoon tea
Day2: Huangcuo sunrise → Island ring road cycling → Shapowei Art West District → Zhonggu Cableway
Day3: Nanputuo vegetarian meal → Jimei School Village → Ten-mile embankment seaside concert🎵
🍜 Traditional flavor hits

👉 Jiawei Zaitian: Taro dumplings + shrimp noodles, 60-year-old aunt calls out in Minnan dialect!

👉 Bashi Zhong Lijun Manjian Cake: Peanut and sesame combo, sticky and just sweet enough🍰

👉 Liangshan Food Stall: Stir-fried vermicelli with strong wok flavor! Owner teaches kids how to peel mantis shrimp on site

4️⃣ Rizhao · Newly accessible high-speed rail tide hunting paradise

💰 3 days 2 nights budget

- Budget: 2.5k-3.5k (fisherman’s homestay + bus)
- Comfortable: 4k-5k (Wanpingkou Hotel + car rental) New Rizhao-Lan high-speed rail opens in July!

🐚 Wild fun experience

- Renjiatai Reef Park: Turn over stones after low tide! Small crabs + starfish fill a bag with one scoop🦀️
- Seaside Forest Park: Rent tandem bikes to ride through dawn redwood forest, feed deer carrots🦌
- Wanbao Tide Hunting Park: Locals’ secret spot! Bamboo clam jumps out automatically when salt is sprinkled, kids laugh crazily😆
- Sailing Base: 99 RMB sailing trip, kids get to be "little captain" steering⛵

📆 Fun route

Day1: Lighthouse Square → Wanpingkou Gate 3 wedding photography base → Dongyi Town
Day2: Renjiatai tide hunting → Seaside Forest Park → University Town Night Market
Day3: Sailing base outing → Ocean Park jellyfish touch → Seafood market DIY dinner
🦪 Seafood highlights

👉 Chocolate Fisherman’s: Steamed seafood tower + mackerel dumplings, seafood jumps lively into the pot!

👉 University Town Night Market: Sea sand noodles + cream waffles, 10 RMB fills you up👏

👉 Shijiu Market: Grab "swan eggs" (local shellfish) at 7 AM, steamed eggs softer than pudding🍮

5️⃣ Rongcheng · National Geographic certified hidden treasure!

💰 3 days 2 nights budget

- Budget: 3k-4k (fishing village homestay + bus)
- Comfortable: 5k-6k (Chengshantou seaview room + chartered car) High-speed rail from Weihai in 0.5h!

🌌 Secret adventures

- Chengshantou End of the Sky: Mainland’s easternmost point! Chase the first sunrise, cliff boardwalk to see sea erosion caves☀️
- Jianggujiao Black Reef Beach: Volcanic rock + jelly sea, instantly feels like Iceland’s black sand beach🗻
- Hailv Island seagull feeding: Boat tour around the island (no landing), seagulls dive to snatch small fish! Kids cover their heads screaming🐦
- Yandunjiao Swan Lake: No swans in summer, but there is bioluminescent sea! Night glowing algae and blue waves are breathtaking💧

📆 Niche route

Day1: Weihai → Rongcheng (0.5h high-speed rail) → Stay at cliff homestay in Chengshantou
Day2: Motianling cableway → Hailv Island tour → Jinshi Bay seaweed house
Day3: Jianggujiao → Ailian Bay Beach → Return trip
🍲 Fishing village life

👉 Hongyuan Fisherman’s: Fish pot with cornmeal pancakes, mixed fish so fresh it blows your mind!

👉 Chengshantou Fishing Village Feast: Sea anemone egg soup! Dark cuisine surprisingly delicious🤤

👉 Roadside seafood stall: Fresh sea urchin 10 RMB each, eat directly with wasabi soy sauce

💡 Mom’s hard-earned tips

1. Strong sun protection: ✅ Weihai/Rongcheng are windy! Choose UPF50+ sun hats + face bikinis, physical sun protection is the best✅ Wear water shoes for tide hunting! Reef oyster shells are very sharp⚠️
2. Off-peak tricks:
- Enter Qingdao Jinshatan at 7 AM! Travel groups arrive after 9 AM
- Buy Gulangyu ferry tickets 3 days in advance (Xiamen Gulangyu Pier → Sanqiutian), least crowded in the afternoon
3. Transportation tips: 🚄 Qingdao/Weihai/Rizhao offer discounts with high-speed rail tickets! Laoshan tickets 20 RMB off (official website booking)🛵 Xiamen/Weihai electric scooter rental 40 RMB/day, 10 times better than taxis!