Two big wins for senior travellers in China: nearly every government-run attraction is free or half-price on your passport from 60 or 65 depending on the site, and the high-speed rail network makes long-distance travel dramatically easier than flying multiple hops.
Attraction discounts by age
China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism operates a nationwide senior discount policy at government-run attractions. Foreign passports count as age proof. The typical scheme:
- 60–64 years: half-price ticket at most sites.
- 65+ years: free or half-price, depending on the site.
- 70+ years: free entry at effectively all government-run sites.
Site-specific notes for the most-visited attractions:
- Forbidden City: half-price (¥30) at 60+. Book online in advance — the discount is applied at booking, not at the gate, and the passport age is verified at entry.
- Great Wall (Mutianyu, Badaling, Jinshanling):half-price at 60-64, free at 65+. Cable car ticket is separate and full price.
- Terracotta Army (Xi'an): half-price at 60-64, free at 65+. Shuttle bus is separate.
- Summer Palace: free at 60+ (year-round).
- Temple of Heaven: free at 60+.
- Potala Palace (Lhasa): half-price at 60+; still needs a Tibet Travel Permit.
- West Lake (Hangzhou): the lake and most surrounding parks are already free; senior discounts apply to the fee-paying gardens (Lingyin Temple half-price at 60+).
- Yu Garden (Shanghai): half-price at 60+, free at 70+.
- Shanghai Museum, National Museum of China: already free (all ages, mandatory advance booking).
Private / commercial attractions (Shanghai Disneyland, HK Disneyland, Ngong Ping 360, hotel-run venues, Ocean Park) do NOT offer age discounts.
Suggested pacing
A default private-driver itinerary shape that works well for 60+ first-timers:
- Days 1-4 Beijing: arrival + hotel, Forbidden City + Jingshan (afternoon rest), Great Wall Mutianyu (with cable-car both ways), Temple of Heaven half-day + hutong walk.
- Day 5 Xi'an: morning flight or afternoon HSR, Muslim Quarter dinner.
- Day 6 Xi'an: Terracotta Army morning, city wall afternoon (rickshaw not bike).
- Days 7-9 Shanghai:HSR from Xi'an, Bund and Yu Garden, French Concession + Xintiandi, Shanghai Museum morning. Depart from Pudong.
The extra day at each stop matters more with age. A private guide who can adapt the daily start-time and add rest afternoons is worth the premium over a group tour for anyone who doesn't want to be moved through on someone else's schedule.
Altitude — thresholds and Tibet
Most of eastern China is at or near sea level. The high-altitude destinations to think carefully about:
- Kunming (1,900m): generally fine but noticeable if you have significant heart or lung conditions.
- Lijiang (2,400m): borderline. Take it easy on arrival day; drink extra water.
- Shangri-La (3,200m): altitude sickness is common even in fit 30-somethings. Plan 2+ days of pre-acclimatisation via Lijiang.
- Lhasa (3,656m): requires deliberate preparation regardless of age; more so at 60+. Consult a doctor. Xining-Lhasa altitude-controlled train is easier than flying.
Anyone with uncontrolled hypertension, recent cardiac events, severe COPD, or on supplemental oxygen should avoid altitudes above 2,500m.
Medications
Bring 1-3 months' supply in original pharmacy bottles with your name visible. Carry a printed prescription and a doctor's note (Chinese translation useful but not always required). Prohibited or restricted:
- Sedatives, sleeping pills containing controlled substances (Ambien / zolpidem is restricted; benzodiazepines restricted).
- ADHD medications (Adderall, Ritalin) — treated as narcotics; do NOT bring.
- CBD / cannabis-derived products — illegal regardless of source country and prescription status.
- Codeine-containing painkillers — many US and UK OTC brands include codeine; check the label. Codeine is a controlled substance in China.
- Blood thinners, insulin, blood pressure, cholesterol, statins:all permitted for personal use. Insulin can be carried through security in reasonable quantities with a doctor's note.
Chinese pharmacies stock most common medications but under different brand names — bring a note of the generic name (INN) as a fallback.
Medical care
English-speaking care is concentrated in tier-1 cities:
- Beijing: Beijing United Family Hospital, Peking Union Medical College Hospital (international department), Vista Medical Center, Raffles Medical Beijing.
- Shanghai: Shanghai United Family Hospital, Parkway Health, Jiahui International Hospital, Ruijin Hospital International Medical Center.
- Guangzhou / Shenzhen: United Family Guangzhou, Clifford Hospital, Distinct Healthcare Shenzhen.
- Chengdu:Chengdu Global Doctor, West China Hospital international clinic (Sichuan University's teaching hospital; excellent for complex cases).
Emergency: 120 for ambulanceanywhere in mainland China. Any Chinese SIM connects; no balance needed. Public-hospital ERs will treat foreigners but the language barrier and payment system take work. International travel insurance is essential — call the insurer before heading to a hospital; they'll route you to a foreign-friendly facility and set up direct billing where possible.
Frequently asked questions
- Do senior travellers get discounts at Chinese tourist attractions?
- Yes — extensively. The typical scheme at government-run attractions (which is most of them): free entry for over-70s on presentation of any government photo ID including a foreign passport; half-price for 60-69s. Private / commercial attractions (Shanghai Disneyland, hotel-run venues) don't offer age discounts. The Forbidden City is half-price at 60+; the Great Wall Mutianyu is free at 65+; Terracotta Army is half-price at 60+ and free at 65+. Bring your passport as the age proof — the discount is applied at the ticket window.
- Is the altitude in Tibet safe for someone in their 70s?
- Lhasa is 3,656m. Tibet Travel Permit + tour-operator arrangements make it possible but require preparation: 2+ days in Xining or Chengdu to pre-acclimatise; a doctor's assessment before travel (specifically for heart, lung, and blood-pressure conditions); consider prescription acetazolamide (Diamox) as a preventive; the Xining-Lhasa altitude-controlled train is easier than flying. Serious cardiac / respiratory conditions are a hard no for Tibet — stick to the mainland east coast, which is at or near sea level.
- Can I bring my prescription medications into China?
- Yes for personal use in normal quantities (typically 1-3 months' supply). Carry them in the original pharmacy bottle with your name and dose visible; bring a copy of the prescription or a doctor's note translated into Chinese if possible. Prohibited: sedatives, sleeping pills containing controlled substances, ADHD medications (Adderall, Ritalin — treated as narcotics; do NOT bring), cannabis-derived products including CBD (illegal regardless of source country), and codeine-containing painkillers (many US and UK OTC brands contain codeine). If in doubt, check with the Chinese embassy in your home country.
- How much walking is involved at the Great Wall / Forbidden City?
- Great Wall Mutianyu section: ~800m of moderate incline from cable car to wall, then flat walking on top with optional stair sections up watchtowers. Cable car up + toboggan down keeps it manageable for most fit 60-somethings. The Badaling section has a chairlift and a rack railway with less incline. Forbidden City: ~3km of flat walking end-to-end on paved but uneven stone. Half-day is enough; there are benches at each major courtyard. Consider a wheelchair rental at the west gate if you have knee or hip concerns — the Palace Museum has them.
- Where is English-speaking medical care available for seniors?
- Beijing: Beijing United Family Hospital, Peking Union Medical College Hospital (international department), Vista Medical Center. Shanghai: Shanghai United Family, Parkway Health, Jiahui International, Ruijin Hospital international clinic. Guangzhou: United Family Guangzhou. Chengdu: Chengdu Global Doctor. These charge international rates (¥1,500–3,000 for a specialist consult); international health insurance is essential. Public hospital emergency rooms will treat foreigners but the language barrier is significant.
- Is the pace of a typical group tour of China manageable for seniors?
- Depends. A typical 10-day 'Highlights of China' group tour (Beijing / Xi'an / Shanghai + optional Yangtze cruise) is doable but hard-paced — 8-9 hours of activity per day, 4-6 cities in 10 days, multiple internal flights. If you prefer slower pacing, look for tours marketed as 'relaxed' or 'senior-friendly' (7-8 days for the same 3 cities, longer museum visits, later starts, more rest afternoons), or arrange a private guide who can adapt the daily pace. Overseas Adventure Travel, Odyssey Traveller, and Cox & Kings all cater specifically to the 60+ market.
- Are Chinese hotels senior-friendly?
- International chains (Marriott, Hilton, Kempinski, Shangri-La, Peninsula) are consistently equipped: lifts, English-speaking front desk, grab bars in bathrooms, in-room electric kettles, room service, doctor-on-call. Local Chinese hotel chains (Hanting, Home Inn, Jinjiang Inn) are cheaper but hit-and-miss on lifts and English service. For a senior first trip stick to the international chains at ~¥800-1,800/night in tier-1 cities. In smaller cities where international brands are absent, the flagship 5-star hotel of a Chinese chain (Marriott's local partner, Shangri-La equivalents) is a safe pick.
- Are Chinese toilets accessible for seniors with mobility issues?
- Squat toilets are still common in older public facilities (parks, older train stations, tourist attractions built before 2000). Every airport, HSR station, mall, and international hotel has Western sit-down toilets. Newer attractions and modernised public toilets increasingly offer at least one Western cubicle. If mobility is a concern, use hotel or mall toilets when possible and consider the Squatty Potty / knee-friendly technique as a backup. Most modern mainland Chinese toilets have call-buttons for staff assistance.
Related
- Accessibility in China
- Health for travellers to China
- High-speed rail — the senior-friendly way to move
Not medical advice. Discuss any trip involving altitude above 2,500m or long-haul flights with your doctor first, especially if you have cardiac, pulmonary, or blood-pressure conditions. Attraction discount policies change periodically — worth reconfirming at each site's ticket window.