China Tours Reviews

Private tour Beijing 3 nights, Xian 2 nights and Shanghai 2 nights. Excellent! Always got prompt and courteous replies to emails by Carrie and Lora. Everything in China ran like clockwork - cannot beat being taken around with a private guide - the flexibility is wonderful. All 3 guides were very caring and looked after us well, especially Sophia in Xi-an. We chose the 5 star hotel option - it was great to retreat to the calm of the hotel after a busy day sightseeing and the breakfast buffet was extensive in each hotel.

Patricia Brailey

We travelled via Beijing to Australia and New Zealand and took the opportunity to spend time in China both ways. Having decided on our ‘complicated’ agenda, China Tours responded quickly and competitively. Whilst not providing our visas they assisted with requirements and letter of introduction. Delighted that all our expectations were met, as were the numerous pick ups and late night airport deliveries. Both Tom in Beijing and Linda in Xi’an were knowledgable, polite and organised all the required local details. They even began to understand our humour. Recommended

Mr. Martin Lewis

Bottom line- Great tour. The booked all the transport within China, hotels, tickets etc. The guides got me to everything I wanted to see, explained the history and culture. This was my first trip to China and I knew the language barrier here would be difficult to overcome. Also, the size of the country and distance traveled would require extensive logistical research. It was too much for me, so I contacted a few tour companies and ChinaTours responded right away. After looking at the provided tours, I realized my ideal locations were not available. I decided to book a private tour with the lowest level of hotel, to save on the cost. It was well worth it. I did everything I wanted at the pace I wanted. The hotels and included breakfast were above expectation. My coordinator, Wynn was very helpful with suggestions and changing my itinerary multiple times and providing updated costs. I was a bit nervous paying for an expensive private tour with a company I found online, but it all worked exactly as we'd discussed. The guides are all locals who speak excellent Chinese and English. They were always on time and often stayed with me to ensure my free time was well spent. They made recommendations and drew maps on where to go. I would not have been able to do half of this on my own. I've been to over 40 countries independently and realized to really see China, I needed help. ChinaTours took care of me and I highly recommend them to anyone.

Ms. Kelly Loomis

This is the second year in a row that we used China Tours to arrange a private tour of China. We selected a private tour as it fit our schedule and the Yangtze cruise schedule we wanted. They were excellent again. It was a flawless tour. The guides and drivers promptly met us at all locations and were great. Again, their Travel Consultant, Ms. Lora Li, was patient in answering all of my questions and concerns. She suggest some alternative locations for us. All train, plane, and cruise connections were expertly handled. As mentioned above our guides were great. I will mention all from Bruce, Peter, Victor, Fiona, to Kiana. Our tour consisted of Chengdu, Chongqing, Yangtze River cruise, Yichang, Hangzhou, and Shanghai. We were definitely pleased enough with them to use them a second time. Should we return to China we will also book with China Tours.

Mr. Robert McCaffery

The whole tour was really well organised. We visited Beijing, Xi'an , Chengdu , cruised on the Yangtze and finally Shanghai, the hotels were very good and all travel arrangements were well planned. The guides were excellent and we all thoroughly enjoyed the trip. We would certainly use this company again.

Gill Morley

Visiting China has always been top of my adventure list so I wanted to see all the main sites and for it to be a holiday of a lifetime - this 14 day tour certainly made that happen! We visited Beijing, Xi’an, Guilin, cruise down River Li to Yangshuo, Chongqing then 3 night Yangtze River cruise to Yichang, finishing in Shanghai. At each place the lovely China Tours guides met us off the plane or train - they were all friendly, helpful and knowledgeable and we would have been completely lost without them as the language barrier is a problem! They were all great but especial thanks to Ginger in Guilin/Yangshuo who thought of everything and really went the extra mile to make our stay a happy one and John in Shanghai who gave up his own time to show us round parts of the city and how to use the subway on an afternoon when we had no formal sightseeing scheduled. The itinerary though full, worked perfectly. I was concerned I would find all the constant moving between places too much but the way it was organised meant there was free time as well as full on sightseeing days. As someone else has mentioned, the only thing I would change is to add another night in Shanghai as we only had 1 full day there and Shanghai is WONDERFUL! All the travel arrangements were seamless, the cars were all comfortable and air conditioned, the hotels were luxurious (and I am not a lover of hotels). I am so pleased we decided to include the Yangtze cruise as it was a chance to really kick back and relax after some of the busier days. I’d read mixed reviews of the boat we were on - Century Sun - but we found it clean, very comfortable, great food, lovely staff members and our cabin was huge! The initial booking and follow up communications with the China Tours office was extremely efficient. Especial thanks to Wynn who was always so prompt to respond and very helpful! I’ve no hesitation in recommending China Tours and would definitely use them again.

Mrs. Shirley Thackray

We needed a tour that fitted with our school holidays and didn't require stops at shops to purchase jewelry,silk... China Tours based in Xi'an suited our needs as we found a tour doing Beijing, Xi'an and Shanghai within our timeframe, which also allowed us to extend our stay at the end to go to Shanghai Disneyland. Dealing with Noke was a pleasure answering every email promptly. The whole tour ran smoothly with great English speaking guides and fellow travellers. Thank you Michael, Linda and Kiana.

France Di Pasquale

We just came back from the above mentioned tour. The company China Tours planned our itinerary according to our wishes, the service that was provided from start to finish was excellent and truly beyond what we had hoped for. A very special thanks to ... Noke- the travel consultant with China Tours, he completed our itinerary and quickly responded to our questions. Serena - Our guide in Beijing, very knowledgeable always helpful and sweet. Helen - Our guide in Xian, very nice and helpful with great knowledge of the city. Amy - Our guide in Guilin, very kind and wonderful with great insight of her city. Warren - Our guide in Shanghai, a gentleman very helpful and knowledgeable. Many thanks to all of our drives, skillful and courteous. It's because of these people who made such a great effort to make us feel so comfortable during our visit, is the reason we have enjoy and had wonderful experience in our visit to China. Thank you very much, J + F

Mrs. Fabiola Dominguez

We began in Beijing for our 12 day highlight tour and took the 5* hotel option. This was the first time we ever took a tour, we are independent travelers in our 60s, but thought we needed guidance for China. We were met at each airport or train station with no problems, taken to our lovely hotels by each local guide. The day tours were just as expected, and our group was never more than 6 adults. Our guides knew lots about every stop and some were quite funny (Shirley in Beijing!) and very attentive. The breakfasts at each hotel were absolutely fantastic. We usually did not stop for lunch, just completed the day tour and enjoyed our free time for the rest of the afternoon or evening. The days were well paced. We were always aware of what to be ready for the next day. The hotels were all well located, we never had a problem finding a great restaurant within walking distance for dinner. We felt safe, the drivers were very cautious and the vans and cars were in very good condition. The tour was certainly a good value, and we saw all of the highlights we had hoped for. Communication with the staff was always prompt. Keep up the good work!

Mrs. Pamela Van Cleave

We had a great experience! Very organized tour. We loved the Accor Hotel chain they arranged fro us as well. All around a great experience for kids ages 5 and 8. China Tours also did a great job making sure activities were just right for our kids age group.Highly recommend!

Mrs. Amber Tibb

The one day tour at Mutianyu with our guide Lilly was very well organized. Lilly took very good care of us and made the tour comfortable while a great cultural experience as well. I highly recommend this tour while visiting Beijing.

Mrs. Pamela Van Cleave

Thank you for organizing our tour! We really enjoyed ourselves from our arrival in Chongqing, on our Yangtze River Cruise and on our four night stay in Shanghai. Everything was extremely well arranged starting from our greeting at the airport and transport to our ship in Chongqing. Our accommodation on board the Century Paragon was perfect for the three of us and we will never forget the experience of the Three Gorges cruise and the interesting shore visits to Shibaozhai and the Goddess Stream. The meals on the ship were fantastic and we enjoyed meeting other passengers and the crew alike. Our visit to Yichang was an unexpected pleasure and we enjoyed a museum tour and city tour compliments of our local guide Jennifer. She brought us to the airport and facilitated our departure to Shanghai. In Shanghai, we greatly enjoyed the company of Darcy, our local guide, who provided excellent service on our city tour and visit to Tongli and Suzhou. He brought us to two local restaurants for our lunches and assisted in ordering delicious local dishes which were a real treat. Darcy also provided wonderful suggestions and tips on local transportation around Shanghai on our free day. Our departure was smooth from Shanghai. We will always treasure our good times in China after this tour.

Mr. James O’Neill

Thank you for a exceptional trip. At every step you answered our queries promptly and included everything that we asked of you. The pace was hectic and we really enjoyed the Yangtze cruise as a time to relax. Our guides and drivers were great, always on time and full of local knowledge. The shows they recommended were also excellent. Overall our holiday was a wonderful and we would highly recommend your company and yourself to anyone who would like to visit China.

Janet Gaten

We had the most wonderful time and all of our guides and tours were perfect for us. Thank you so much for arranging it all for us in such a short amount of time. We can't thank you enough. We realize now that traveling with just the 3 of us on our private tour was MUCH more rewarding than being with a huge group and the fact that our original “huge group tour” being cancelled at the last minute was a blessing in disguise! We loved loved loved the Yangtze River Cruise. We had such an amazing time. We asked Marko in Guilin to arrange for us to see the Sister Lui show on the water. He was able to get us the most wonderful seats at the last minute and we loved that. I think everyone would enjoy that show. It was spectacular.

Ms. Susan June Fontana

I am so grateful for all the hard work China Tours did in planning our tour. It was wonderful! Please let me thank you again and again for all your work in putting things together so well for us! Your guides were great… very patient with our slow group and very flexible in planning for us. They were kind and helpful… thank you. I hope we will plan another trip! All our members really enjoyed themselves!

Ms. Karen Kuch

A thoroughly memorable trip to beautiful China. We visited Xian, Chengdu and did a cruise down the Yangtze River, all of which was booked through China Tours. The tour was well organised by Candy based on everything we requested with excellent communication throughout the booking process. We travelled with our 18 month old daughter and her needs were taken into account from the start of the booking process up to our final day in China. Each guide was friendly, informative, knowledgeable and punctual. The hotels were all great (especially Sunrise on The Bund in Shanghai!). We would recommend China Tours to anybody looking for a stress-free way to experience all the wonderful things China has to offer.

Mrs. Rebecca Dorling

From pre-planning to actual implemetation we found China Tours to be exceptional. In every location we were extremely pleased with the professionalism of our guides and courteous drivers. Due to last minute closures of major sites in Beijing, our request to supplement these changes by visiting local markets, a tea shop and the Lama Palace were handled flawlessly. We were greatly impressed by China Tours" handling of our onward travel (by train) to Shanghai due to our original flight ancellation. From start to finish any travel concerns were non-existent. We enjoyed our trip in its entirety. The one thing that might be addressed for future planning is the amount of food which was ordered at all the luncheons we had included in our tour. We were overwhelmed by the quantity and size of the dishes which were presented every day and much had to be left uneaten. The provision of two bottles of water per person every day was a much needed and greatly appreciated touch. It is our hope that China Tours will acknowledge and reward the wonderful guides we had on our travels and Candy in the office at Xian, who was timely in answering all our questions during the planning stages of our program, and re-organising the itinerary due to the last minute, unexpected changes.

Ann Alberding

From the initial booking process to all aspects of our tour we could not have been more satisfied. At every destination the guides were waiting for us with the vehicle and driver and dealt with us efficiently, courteously and professionally throughout. All the sights visited met our hopes and we were not disappointed in any of the cities, museums, countryside etc. visited. When required the arrangements were adjusted to ensure that we obtained the best possible experience during our tour. I would thoroughly recommend your company to any prospective clients.

David Saunders

We have now returned to Australia, after a wonderful visit to China! We have been very impressed with the great organisation which you have - everyone from Rose, the person we corresponded with to the excellent guides who met us and showed us some of the marvels of China. We especially must mention the guides in Lhasa, Beijing and Xian, but all were very good I will have no hesitation in recommending China Tours to my friends. Thanks and best regards Terry Sweet

Terry Sweet

We were thrilled with our tour! "Angela" was so prompt in responding to every email we sent prior to the trip and covered every detail. She reminded us about the visa, something I completely forgot about. Our guides were very accommodating, attentive, spoke English well. Sally and Jennifer were the stand outs. We took the luxury tour. Our hotels were outstanding, breakfasts were so good, huge variety. The Yangtze cruise boat Victoria Jenna room was OK, not luxury as the hotels. Food was very plentiful and tasty. Luther was fabulous! China tours was most accommodating in adding to our itinerary by taking us to see Suzhou & Zhouzhuang. They made all the arrangements for our request to continue on to HongKong after the end of our tour in Shanghai. We are most happy to recommend to anyone we know or others who want a recommendation to use China Tours! We so enjoyed the experiences of being close to people in China, not on a big bus tour. My husband was able to have a shave from a local barber in Suzhou, an experience he could never have had on an organized tour. The silk factory in Suzhou was outstanding! I could not see the silk thread the weaver was using! What skill these women had and they let us be so close to their work. Our guide got us to the Great Wall later in the day when there were hardly any visitors. We had it all to ourselves, which was quite surprising, since every place was packed with tourists. I think our guide knew when the best time to visit would be for our optimal experience. YES, YES, we only have the highest comments to say. Thank you for a most wonderful trip to China.

Sylvia

It was an amazing experience! Starting with your help arranging the tour and giving me options for everything. Every guide was nice and we didn't have any problem with them. All of them were open to opinions on where to go and provided excellent options for lunch and diner. I am truly out of words, all the locations we visited had a unique feeling that was very appealing and wonderful! It was one of the best vacations I've ever had.

Manuel Guerra

We enjoyed all the sights, especially the Great Wall, the Tarracotta Soldiers, and the lights at night in HK. We found the guides to be knowledgeable & the drivers to be skilled. I taught driver"s education in Michigan and would never attempt to drive in China. We especially liked Monica, Steven the river boat guide, and Helen in Xian. Everything that was within the tour companies control was top notch. All accommodations were as expected. We describe the trip as fun, yet tedious because of all the airplane travel. The extensive sitting in all the planes put my back in painful distress. In spite of it, I had a good time. and like I told my wife, laughing, maybe again in another 40 years, as the last time I was in China was 40 years ago when I was 19 and again at 21.

Marvin H. Smith

Have just returned home from our trip. We had a fabulous time, everything went exactly as planned. The accommodation was excellent, meals were fantastic, daily sightseeing was spectacular and our guides and drivers were tremendous. Each of our guides knew their city well and were well organised. Our trip up the Yangtze was relaxing and spectacular. We could not have asked for more. Thank you to you and all those associated with our trip, we had a great trip and we will happily recommend you to our friends. Thank you!

Stephen

Thank you for your email. The trip was most interesting and the guides were wonderful, especially Vivian. For an overview visit to China, the itinerary was perfect even though it was a bit tiring. Seeing the country is 10 days is quite a challenge and there was always someone there to take care of us!

Julian Sher

Kevin was friendly and knowledgeable, explaining in detail the rich history of Xian. Our idea of a private tour was to proceed at our own pace and make impromptu adjustments where plausible. We didn’t follow the planned itinerary exactly as planned but we didn’t miss out anything. For example, due to wet weather in the early part of the week, we went to Huangshan on the 3rd day instead of the 2nd day. The driver was good and friendly too. The vehicle was spacious, air-conditioning no problems what-so-ever. The a-la-carte meals were very good. I would say they exceeded my expectations! I did not keep count but we always had sufficient water to drink every day of the tour. Thanks for your good service rendered to me and my family! Regards, Lim Eng Kiat

Mr. Lim Eng Kiat

All 13 travelers were from fashion related industries and we booked through ChinaTours to get the most out of the short 8 day stay. We were all very happy with the bus and guide service provided by ChinaTours. The guides in both cities, Shanghai and Hangzhou were very knowledgeable, helpful and built a wonderful rapport with all travelers in the group. We would definitely book through this company again, and ideally seek out the same tour guides we were fortunate to have on this trip to learn more of the language, history and culture. Highlights were the fabric and trim markets and tailors in both cities, Linyin temple in Hangzhou, evening boat cruise in Shanghai, and spending time with our guides – Zhong Qui Liu and Yao Min Fang.

Ms. Amy Elizabeth Laird

On behalf of my wife and I, I am pleased to say thank you for your help in making our trip to China enjoyable and memorable. All aspects of the arrangements went entirely to plan. Both of the guides you provided - Nina in Beijing and Jack in Shanghai - were excellent. They were extremely knowledgable and couldn't have been more helpful. Our driver in Beijing - Mr Fong - was also exceptional and his vehicle very comfortable. Once again, thank you very much indeed. We would have no hesitation in using your company again should we have the opportunity to visit the parts of the world in which you operate.

Scott Wakefield

Review for Hohhot part Thank you for your email and for asking for our feedback. We had a wonderful time in Hohhot. The Naadam Festival was very interesting and the grasslands are beautiful, so much cooler than Beijing. The only complaint we have is that the food was not particularly good and the selection (choices) we had for food was very limited. We look forward to our trip to Guanzi and hope the food there will be better and that we will have a wider selection of food. Sincerely, Johnnie & Bob Review for Guilin part Hi Candy, Our trip to Guilin, Yangshuo and Ping An was quite a lot of fun. And yes, it did rain a lot, which created quite an adventure. The rain created a landslide on the one road that let vehicles in and out of Ping An. Because of this, our driver was stuck on the inside of the landslide, thus, we couldn't get out. So, we stayed an extra night, and figured out a way to get our bags and ourselves, out another way the next day. Another car came and got us, and got us back to Guilin, on schedule. It is because of all of this, that we cancelled going to Sanjiang. One thing I want to comment on about all of this was the great work of our guide, Marco. First of all, Marco"s English skills are excellent - much better than any other guide we have had to date in China - and that allowed all three of us to communicate very clearly about the situation of the blocked road, and figure out solutions, together. Marco listened to our ideas, and we listened to his. We were very happy to have been able to work together, with him, to figure out the best solution for us to get back to Guilin. I cannot begin to express our gratitude to Marco, and his office, for working very hard to create a positive experience for us, despite this unplanned occurrence. Marco was a complete professional throughout our time together and I was always confident in his abilities to get us where we needed to go. I hope you forward this message to both Marco, and his office - they should know that they did a great job!! Cheers, Bob Hi Candy - I agree with everything that Bob has said about our trip in Guilin. Because of the situation in Ping An, we requested that we be taken straight to Gulin and skip touring Sanjiang. Our whole trip was fun and one that we will always remember positively and fondly. I would like to add my compliments and appreciation to Marco and to his Chinatours office. Marco was competent and professional. His excellent English skills in combination with his knowledge of China, and his calm nature, make him the best guide we have had in China - far above the others. We also appreciate the responsiveness of the office to our situation in Ping An and to their covering the fees for the porters who carried our bags to the new car that came to pick us up. Please convey our appreciation and thanks to Marco and his office. They did a great job! Best regards, Johnnie

Johnnie & Bob

We are still travelling at present and I will answer this email when I am home and have enough time in about 2 days time. We had a fantastic trip in China and our guide, Tony, was brilliant. Everything went really well, better than expected. Tony, our guide was excellent. Always polite and considerate. He spoke really well and even understood our Aussie accent and jokes! He didn’t ever pressure us to buy goods or do shopping and was always helpful in making other arrangements if we didn’t want to do shopping. The driver and the vehicle were also excellent and were always in tip top condition.We felt very safe and privileged having such a good car and great driver. All the meals arranged by the tour were really good. We let Tony, our guide, select most of the dishes and he always did an excellent job as everything we had was delicious and of very good quality ingredients. We really enjoyed the meal on the Longji Terrace region, because it was such a surprise to get such a range of delicious home style cooked dishes with very fresh ingredients. The other meal we really enjoyed and was such a highlight of the trip was at the Yangshou cooking school, being taught how to create our own delicious dishes and we really enjoyed the whole experience. We received bottled water every day and was greatly appreciated. There were so many beautiful places we visited, we were truly impressed.

Mrs. Andrea Fuller

The trip was Great! Tour guide Freddy and driver are pleasant guys. Road condition from Yangshuo to Guilin was pretty bad. Aggravated by the car suspension not so good, it made the journey not as comfortable. Rebecca Zhang is very professional and efficient in handling my booking. I am impressed. Information were very clear. Tour guide Freddy is a nice guy. Both hotels in Guilin and Yangshuo were excellent.

Frank Goy