The Palais des Nations, once home to the League of Nations, now serves as the UN’s European headquarters. You can take a guided tour (with advance booking) to see spaces like the Assembly Hall and the Council Chamber, where international negotiations still happen today. The building sits inside Ariana Park — a quiet, green space dotted with old cedars, roaming peacocks, and views down to the lake.

Housed in the original Tsingtao Brewery, the Tsingtao Brewery Museum is a walk through the history of China’s most famous beer. The old brewing equipment is still on display, giving visitors a step-by-step look at how the beer was originally crafted. The tour wraps up with tastings of two brews—a fresh draught and a unique cask ale—perfect for getting a taste of Qingdao’s iconic beer right at the source.

The famous Blackpool Illuminations are what keeps visitors coming to the city long after the bathing season is over. Every year, from late August to early November, Blackpool lights up with over one million bulbs along the Promenade all the way to Bispham in the north - a sight not to be missed.

First held in 1991, the Qingdao International Beer Festival has grown into Asia’s largest beer event. Every August, starting on the second Sunday of the month, the festival kicks off and runs for 16 days in the city’s Shilaoren National Tourism Resort. This sprawling 35-hectare 'Beer City' is built specifically for the occasion, where beer lovers from all over the world come together. While you can always grab a Tsingtao Beer in Qingdao, nothing compares to the carnival buzz of the festival. Expect a fun mix of live music, international brews, and plenty of opportunities to sample the local favourite—Tsingtao Beer, of course. One quirky Qingdao tradition to note: fresh beer is often sold in plastic bags. So, don’t be surprised when you see people strolling the streets with a bag of beer in hand. It's all part of the fun.