01
Choose a small patch of the city
Begin around Shichahai and choose a short walk rather than trying to cross every famous lane. Let the streets determine the pace: a doorway, a waterside pause, a place to sit. Treat this as a neighbourhood visit, with residents going about their day.
02
Leave the palace its own day
A long museum visit and a long neighbourhood walk ask different things of you. Put the Palace Museum on another day if you can. If you combine them, make the walk optional and keep dinner close to where you finish.
03
A little consideration travels well
Keep voices low, ask before photographing people, and stay outside private courtyards. A beautiful doorway is still somebody’s entrance. Carry a Chinese version of your destination for the journey back.
Editorial suggestions, informed by the sources below. Current venue access and individual businesses need checking for your dates.
Background & current information