Zibo Three-Day Travel Guide

📍 Highlights: Barbecue feast, Qi culture exploration, ceramic and glass art, mountain and water hidden gems
👫 Suitable for: Foodie special forces, history enthusiasts, artsy youth, families with children
💰 Budget reference: 800-1500 RMB per person (including round-trip transportation from Jinan/Qingdao)

📅 Itinerary
Day 1: Barbecue pilgrimage & Qi culture time travel
🚄 Morning: Arrive in Zibo

30 minutes by high-speed train from Jinan / 1.5 hours from Qingdao to Zibo Station, recommended to take a taxi or rent an electric scooter (city attractions are concentrated)
Accommodation options:

Zhangdian District (core barbecue battlefield, recommended "Yinzuo Jing Su" near Wanxianghui)
Linzi District (for Qi culture lovers, choose "Qiyun Hotel")

🔥 Noon: Soulful barbecue (queue from 10:30!)

Muyangcun Barbecue (4+ hour queue)
Locals’ secret alternatives:

Wu’s Barbecue (old shop on Jinjing Avenue, mix of lean and fatty meat)
Xiao Han Yang Barbecue (freshly cut meat, unseasoned purist style)

Must-order formula: small pancake + scallions + sauce + pork belly, paired with garlic chili sauce

🏛️ Afternoon: Millennium dialogue

Qi Culture Museum (free, Linzi District, 40 minutes by car)

Treasure: Warring States bronze tableware (ancient hot pot set)
Hidden feature: VR time travel to Spring and Autumn battlefield

Football Museum (free, birthplace of world football)

🌃 Evening: Night tour of the new hotspot

Haidailou Zhongshu Pavilion (free, one of China’s most beautiful bookstore night scenes)

Photo spots: mirrored ceiling + Qi culture themed bookshelves

Shuijing Street Night Market (try "fried pancake" if barbecue gets boring)

Day 2: Ceramic and glass art & natural healing
🏺 Early morning: Boshan ceramic and glass day (1 hour by car / K1 bus)

Boshan Ceramic and Glass Art Center (50 RMB ticket):

Watch glass hot shaping show (10:00/14:00 sessions)
DIY experience: blow glass ornaments (198 RMB/person)

Yanshen Ancient Town (39 RMB ticket, cultural street renovated from ancient kiln site)

🍲 Noon: Boshan cuisine feast

Sisi Xi Restaurant (must order: tofu box, fried spring rolls, crispy pot)
Carb supplement: Jiaozhuang sesame seed cake (brown sugar + meat filling combo)

⛰️ Afternoon: Natural therapy

Tanxi Mountain (80 RMB ticket, glass bridge + cliff hotel):

Stunning autumn red leaves, summer high-altitude rafting

Lazy option: Xiaofu River Wetland Park (free, city camping)

🌙 Evening: Barbecue encore or artsy night

Badaju Convenience Market (morning market turns night market, new internet celebrity):

"Old Bai San Meatball" fried pancake
"Uncle Deshan" grilled chicken rack

Or Zibo Grand Theater (immersive performance on Qi Kingdom theme)

Day 3: Off-the-beaten-path secrets & return
🌄 Early morning: Ancient village sunrise

Niuji’an (free, cliffside ancient village, 1.5 hours by car)

Check in at 400-year-old ancient locust tree, eat farmhouse clay pot chicken

Or Zhoucun Ancient Mall (60 RMB ticket, filming location of the big dyeing workshop)

🛍️ Morning: Souvenir shopping

Must-buy list:

Glass crafts (Boshan "Xiye Workshop" handmade)
Zhoucun sesame seed cake (thin and crispy, look for "Zhoucun" trademark)
Qingmeiju crispy beef jerky (century-old brand)

🍜 Noon: Final bowl of "Zibo flavor"

Lao Ze Private Kitchen (pig trotters + rolled pancakes with rice)
Or Old Sun’s near train station (mutton soup + fried dough)

🚄 Return:

Recommend afternoon train (can bring barbecue pancakes on board)

💡 Local insider tips
✔ Transportation:

Riding shared electric scooters in Zhangdian District is most convenient (barbecue shops concentrated within 3 km)
Boshan/Linzi recommend chartering a car (about 400 RMB/day) or joining a day tour

✔ Accommodation tips:

Book 2 weeks in advance on weekends! Prefer near People’s Park
For quiet stay, choose Zichuan District (30% cheaper than Zhangdian)

✔ Pitfall avoidance:

Avoid "trendy new barbecue shops," find smoky old brands
Buy glass crafts labeled "Boshan origin," roadside goods in scenic spots are mostly Yiwu wholesale

✔ Seasonal specials:

April: Zibo Barbecue Festival (citywide carnival)
September: Qi Culture Festival (cuju football performance + cultural relics exhibition)
December: Tanxi Mountain Icefall Light Festival

🔥 Zibo is more than just barbecue! Three days and two nights, from the clashing swords of the Warring States to the fiery forging of glass, finally understanding the down-to-earth nature of Shandong people through everyday life~