Your first stop is at Tsingtao Brewery. Tsingtao is one of the country's most popular alcoholic beverages and also one of Qingdao Province's biggest exports. There are plenty of opportunities to sample the beer and this is more of a visual tour than one with any in-depth insight into the company's history or background. Before lunch, there will be time for a quick look at Qingdao Yinbinguan Built between 1905 and 1908 in the style of an old fortress with Tudor motifs, this magnificent building, the former residence of the German governor general, looks like it leaped from a Grimm Brothers' fairy tale.

Continue on for the Catholic Church which is Qingdao's largest and most opulent church. After climbing the steep road off Zhongshan Lu, the 200ft twin spires rise majestically before you, claiming dominance over the surrounding buildings. The cool white interior is interestingly offset by garish pictures and life-size wax models of famous Christians, including a huge mural of a beatific Mary and some simple, tattily clothed Franciscans. Proceed to Zhongshan Road. Today, it is best know for its markets which specialize in clothing. Shopping there is always fun and there are many bargains to be found.