Qingdao青岛

Qingdao's appeal shifts with season and geography. The old city around Zhanqiao is best on foot, Fushan Bay and the Olympic waterfront feel modern, Laoshan needs a dedicated route, and the West Coast beaches sit across Jiaozhou Bay. Summer brings swimming, sailing and the beer festival but also crowds, fog and variable sea conditions; outside summer, architecture, museums, markets and mountain walks remain strong reasons to visit.