How to say “sightseeing” in Chinese?

[Dawei3]

Pimsleur IV teaches guanguang 观光 for sightseeing.  I mentioned this to a friend from 大理 and she disagreed with its use.  She said 观光 is used only very rarely.

 

Then I asked a group of friends who come from different parts of China, but live in Beijing, about 观光.  One had gotten her MS in the US and knows English very well.  They agreed that they rarely or don’t say 观光 (one said it is too formal or used in writing only).  I asked:  “sightseeing 用中文怎么说？” and they were all puzzled. The one who had studied in the US said “How DO we say THAT?”  They couldn’t come up with an answer. 

 

(It could be that I caught them cold.  I’ve had friends ask me “how do you say xxxx in English and I just can’t think of the right answer in the context they asked….) 

[889]

游览 is a lot easier to say than 观光.

[Dawei3]

8 hours ago, 889 said:

游览 is a lot easier to say than 观光.

You reminded me: a fun part of the conversation was that one of the southerners, 广西人, laughed about her inability to differentiate between "ng"/"n" and this triggered lively discussion.  She also noted 观光 is hard for her to say.   

 

 

[Jim]

I can imagine saying 逛逛 for knocking about a tourist site or town and looking at this and that too; not a native speaker though. 

[Beelzebro]

You can say 看景点/逛景点.