China Tours Logo
Search Tours

Our Approach

Home / Our Approach
Our Approach

Discover the Chinatours.com approach to exploring China

Creating beautiful travel memories is our business

Because every traveler is unique, we believe every travel experience should be unique too. That’s why our approach to travelling and tours is different.

Based on decades of experience on the ground delivering tours, we understand exactly what it takes to make special travel memories that last a lifetime.

Discover what makes a ChinaTours.com tour different

We create beautiful
travel memories

We create beautiful travel memories

ChinaTours.com is more than a tour operator in China.

We understand one of the best things about traveling is talking about the experience after the tour is over. We’re committed to creating beautiful travel memories every time you tour with us.

Discover beautiful travel memories

You’ll discover real
China with us

You’ll discover real China with us

We help the world uncover and experience real China.

With a focus on culture, people, places and authentic experiences, you’ll discover a different - and real - China with us. It’s why we have our no commission-based shopping commitment. It’s for people who value experience.

Discover our tours

Our tours are based on real experiences, not shopping

Our tours are based on real experiences, not shopping

While shopping is a big part of travel (we love shopping too!), at ChinaTours.com, we design tours around enjoying the experience of real China, not shopping.

We want our travellers to feel they have a choice about what they purchase and where. It’s the reason every member of our team is paid a salary, instead of having to rely on receiving sales commissions from preferred store operators on the tour.

The benefit to you is ChinaTours.com guides and drivers are totally independent and focused on delivering a memorable experience, not generating an income. They are free to share their wonderful local knowledge of what’s best in every location you visit.

Want insider shopping tips? No problem. Be sure to check with your guide while on tour with us. And if you’ve made a discovery before arriving in China, let us know. We’d love to take you there and can help with translation, selection and creation of a real China experience.

Check out why we don’t operate
commission-based shopping tours

Our tour guides are
English speaking

Our tour guides are English speaking

All ChinaTours.com travel consultants and tour guides are bilingual English-Mandarin speakers. While on tour, you need never be concerned about the language difference.

Our team of consultants and guides provide peace of mind and confidence your travel needs will be well understood - before, during and after your tour.

Learn more about traveling with our local guides

We look after every detail

We look after every detail

Great service means we’re attentive to every detail, large or small, at every stage of your China travel experience. Whether you’re booking or taking a tour, we encourage our customers to let us know if information or assistance is required.

Our team is here to help. Just ask us!

Our price difference =
a beautiful experience

Our price difference = a beautiful experience

ChinaTours.com is committed to creating beautiful travel memories. Whether we’re devising our own tours, or custom designing one for you, our focus is on providing you with an experience you’ll enjoy and remember, long after you’ve arrived home.

We source premium partner providers for accommodation, travel and experiences. We do this because we understand the importance of making the most of your precious travel time. It’s why we include centrally located accommodation, comfortable travel times (no pre-dawn starts), and small groups.

Why is this better? Instead of being constrained by tight tour timetables, commission-based shopping destinations, and tour food, you can enjoy total flexibility during your experience with us: relaxed travel pace, eating where you’d like, and incredible accommodation options. Wherever it is, ChinaTour.com guides will take you there!

Meet our travel partners

Connect with real people who know China

Talk to real people who know China

For over ten years we’ve been developing our team of travel consultants and guides who are committed to making your tour a beautiful travel memory.

Our big focus? Having a team who understand how important it is to integrate with different cultures. We know we get it right because that’s what people tell us.

From your first enquiry with ChinaTours.com through to the last day of your tour, we ensure our communication with you is clear and comprehensive.

Enquire about our booking process

We really care

We really care

As a family owned business, we treat our guests and our travel partners how we like be treated - with respect and care.

Our team genuinely cares about you while you’re on tour with ChinaTours.com. If you have any concerns about your tour, be sure to let us know. We’ll do everything can to resolve these as quickly as possible, so you can get back to enjoying your experience.

Learn more about the real people behind ChinaTours.com

We offer more choice

We offer more choice

With over 100 tour products, ranging from half day walking tours to multi-week adventures, there is virtually no limit to the available choices.

Can’t find what you’re looking for? No problem. We’ll customise a tour specially for you.

Find out more

Our travel schedules
are relaxed

Our travel schedules are relaxed

While every tour has a set itinerary, we make sure there is ample time for travelers to wander and discover without a rigid schedule. After all, isn’t that when the best discoveries are made?

Because there is scope on tour for exploration, our guides are able to assist you to discover the exotic, unusual and interesting including optional activities. We think these are perfect ingredients for making beautiful travel memories.

Check out our tours

Our accommodation is
centrally located

Our travel schedules are relaxed

Our accommodation partners have been selected for their centrally located hotels, making it easy for you to make the most of your precious travel time and experience more of the real China while you’re here.

Centrally located means you’ll find our four and five star hotels in the inner city, close to restaurants, stylish shopping choices, and theatres, With heavy traffic a feature of all cities in China, you’ll appreciate the convenient location puts you in easy walking distance to adventure.

Check out our accommodation partners

Check in with your
guide 24/7

Check in with your guide 24/7

When you tour with us, you enjoy 24/7 direct telephone access to your English-speaking tour guide. Once your booking is confirmed with us, we’ll provide the contact details of your guides so you have everything you need on arrival in China. Our guides are trained to be available to support you throughout the tour. No request is too small, so be sure to ask for what you need, regardless of the whether it’s day or night.

Your privacy is protected

Our travel schedules are relaxed

Trust is at the heart of every ChinaTours.com customer relationship. We maintain strict protocols around privacy protection.

Read our privacy terms here

Your safety is our priority

Your safety is our priority

We understand many Western travelers new to China have safety concerns. That’s why we provide all guests with 24/7 direct mobile contact to their tour guide. You can be confident you will be taken care of every step of your journey.

Check out our frequently asked questions and discover more answers to travelling in China

Take a look

No early flights

No early flights

Travelling long distances can be tiring so it’s good to know ChinaTours.com ensures maximum enjoyment and comfort for you while on tour. We have a no early flights policy that means you’ll be well-rested and enjoy your next travel destination.

Check out our tours

Eat where and what
you want

Eat where and what you want

One of the joys of travel is experiencing the food and culture of your new destination. China offers many diverse food options and we want you to experience as many as possible while on tour with us. For this reason, we provide our customers with freedom and choice. This is why all tour package pricing is provided exclusive of meals.

The benefit to you? You choose the food! Our guides will share insider knowledge and take you to any restaurant you want to experience.

They will also make recommendations based on our carefully curated selection of the restaurants and food choices we feel provide our customers with a special experience.

Explore our travel guide

Want to know more about how we make special travel memories?

Talk to a China travel expert

Get in Touch

Ready to explore real China?

We'll Contact You

Send us your details and we'll be in touch
Yes Please

Online Enquiry

Expected reply 24 - 48 hours
Yes Please

Video Testimonials

Happy Customer from United States
Happy Customer from United States
Happy Customer from Ireland

Testimonials

  • user_img
    Mark I wrote a review Feb. 2020
    London, United Kingdom
    China Tours Trip In China
    Our China tour started at the end of December. We began our trip in Beijing, which was a bracing -12C when we arrived. We were met at the airport and would add that all pick-ups were on time each morning for tours, and at all stations or airports as well. Our first day was free in Beijing, so we explored, following the tip to visit the National Museum which has amazing stuff on display (as did the Xi'an Shaanxi museum and Shanghai museum later in the trip). We found a great Peking Duck restaurant which was a short walk from the hotel. The queuing system was a case of organised chaos in such a small space, but the meal was well worth waiting for. Best duck ever!

    William was our guide in Beijing, and our tour comprised 5 people including us. All the guides were very good, but William takes the star prize. He was interesting and informative, but also a laugh. The usual sights in Beijing were awesome and splendid, but the highlight was the Great Wall, as we expected. When we saw the Temple of Heaven, there is an area where people – or their mothers – have their CVs to find a marriage partner. One of the mothers took a shine to one of our party on behalf of her daughter, and when she discovered he was a lawyer, became very interested. The rest of us found this more amusing than he did!

    The bullet train was a nice relaxing journey to Xi'an. Our party of 5 split on the second day as we went to different locations next, but we all saw the Terracotta Army, which is another “must see”. The wall at Xi'an is big enough and was getting decorated for the coming spring festival (year of the Rat), but after the Great Wall, was less impressive. We all enjoyed the market and had a lunch in the Muslim area which was great fun, followed by a ridiculously cheap group hotpot that evening involving much use of online translation on our phones!

    The next day, Sally took over from Helen, and despite spending only part of a day with her, she was great. Having only two of us going around the Shaanxi museum, she was able to help us with anything we found interesting, going at our pace. We left on another bullet train to Chengdu.

    The journey was shorter than before, and we met David, our guide. The next day was an early start to go to the Panda Base. What an amazing day! It was fabulous feeding pandas by hand and cleaning out their enclosures. The park has been designed brilliantly, so we also wandered to see other pandas (including cute red pandas). We were struck how lovely it was to be in a less built up space after our largely city based tours before. David had been to the Panda Base before, so knew what to do, and was a fantastic guide there.

    Beijing had had clear blue skies and not at all polluted, contrary to what we had expected, but Xi'an and Chengdu were more polluted. This was the trade off going in winter, although this also meant that the tourist attractions were far less busy.

    The next morning in Chengdu David took us to the Pavilion Park, where we sat drinking tea (green obviously) and learning Mahjong. We also managed to have our ears massaged and shoes cleaned, although the locals were most interested in our newly taught Mahjong prowess. It was a lovely way to while away a couple of hours and contributed to our stay in Chengdu being fondly very remembered. We went to the airport to fly to Shanghai.

    Shanghai was about as different as anything could be to Xi'an, and even much of Beijing. It is as blingy and modern as Xi'an reflects the ancient part of the country. Our guide Hugo showed us parts of the different concessions in the city as well as the museum, but the Yuyuan Garden was lovely. Later we met up with two of our original tour group for cocktails at the rooftop bar of the Hyatt on the Bund, seeing the spectacular lights. We managed a return trip on the Maglev train which was a marvellous way to bring our China tour to an end.

    In summary, the organisation was fantastic. Everything went as planned, and the guides were all very helpful and easy to talk to. The hotels were fine throughout, although in our case, we found the Chengdu hotel – which was the swankiest we stayed in – was less well placed to explore too much for places to eat, particularly as we arrived later in the day and had a long day at the Panda Base. Transportation was fine throughout, too. Bus, car, train and plane were all good.

    We originally considered a private tour but went for a small group one at a lower price. This is well worth it in winter, as the group is unlikely to be even close to the 12 maximum. The mix of locations and sights was perfect for us. Prices of meals were similar or lower than we expected, so we spent less than we took with us.

    There were so many highlights, so it is difficult to choose which pictures to show, but the attached is a very small sample from what was a truly wonderful holiday.

    Date of experience: December 2019
  • user_img
    rogergreen113 wrote a review 22 January 2020

    BEIJING-XI’AN-GUILLIN-SHANGHAI PRIVATE TOUR
    We are an Australian family who took the private tour from 24 December 2019 to 3 January 2020. China tours Co. had organized a meticulous tour for our family. Apart from the Shanghai stage, other stops were historic and memorable. The key attraction for China is her rich history. It would be very important that the tour guides must learn and comprehend Chinese History, not only PLA, Communist Revolution, or China Modernisation, Silk Road - One Belt - One Road, guests would be much more interested in her ancient history. Just imagine that when Qin Shi Huang connected the Great Wall to protect his newly formed dynasty - Qin, Jesus Christ was not even conceived yet, let alone the development and establishment of many great dynasties before his. Tour guides should treat this issue very carefully because of many tour guests who have studied Chinese History as their majors in High School and in University. They travel with two purposes, to see and to verify the historical records.
    Read more

    To avoid the misunderstanding, that could be interpreted as a deception, in the itinerary of the tour, the program details must be utterly succinct and concise, i.e. Day 1: Receive the tour guests from Airport and deliver guests to the prebooked hotel. Tour guide will briefly explain the tour to the guests. This is the first day of arrival, the tour manager would like to leave the guest a resting time for recovering after a long flight. While Beijing and Xi'an stops were very well organized and rich history, the Gullin - Yangshuo and Shanghai stops were shallow. In Gullin - Yangshuo stop, if the tour guide were not as good and friendly, this stage would be very boring. We were very lucky to have Sue as a tour guide, she was so excellent in her English and her deep knowledge of China that shined the tour stop in a very different direction.

    In Shanghai stop, I would expect the tour guide would lead us to the Shanghai historical museum where we would learn the bitter lessons of the 1930 - 1945 chaotic period in Chinese history, we were taking to the Parks which we could find them ourselves. Shanghai has so many historical monuments to attract international traveling guests, not the riverside where it showed the newly built highrise skyscrapers, we have seen them enough in New York, Singapore, or even in KL. We would like to know the history of Shanghai club, the details of the day when the Japanese planes dropped bombs over the city's residential areas, etc.

    It would be very useful to prepare a china-tour booklet in advance, such that the details of the 2020 tours include detailed programs of the year i.e. how many stops of the tour, cities, historical locations, etc.

    Date of experience: December 2019
  • user_img
    marioY1797DZ wrote a review 13 January 2020
    Giaveno, Italy
    Myanmar private Tour
    Dear Martha our trip in Myanmar is finished and Isa and me are fully satisfied. We have seen a lot of places, monuments and peoples. As usual we give you a little feedback of our trip. Organization Very good: intensive (4 internal flights) but in this way we save a lot of time and we saw a lot of things. Accomodation Good and coherent with our request. Only one remark regarding the Hotel in Bagan where the Hotel was good but with a poor bathroom (not coherent with the standard of the trip). Viceversa the Hotel on the Inle Lake was spectacular. Guides All the guides were very kind, helpful and prepared. Particularly the guides in Bagan and in Mandalay spoke an excellent English and were very cultured in order to give us a complete overview of the local culture. Conclusions As usual Isa and me were fully satisfied
    Date of experience: December 2019
  • user_img
    bacibesobeijo wrote a review 13 January 2020

    Custom Tour of China: Beijing, Pingyao, Xi’an, Giulin, Suzhou, Hangzhou & Shanghai!
    Fantastic trip organized by China Tours! All the guides were wonderful and accommodated my needs. Perfect English, highly informed and kind. One of the best trips of a lifetime! China Tours made the whole experience effortless despite the obvious barrier with language. If you are going to China, no doubt this tour is for you.
    Date of experience: December 2019
  • user_img
    Loretta M wrote a review December 7, 2019
    Tampa, Florida, United States
    Private Solo 35 day Tour of China from Beijing to Shanghai Stopping in Sites – Some Well-Known and Many Rare Places
    This 35 day private tour through China was set up by Martha Fu and her team. The trip was more than unbelievably fantastic and if I could rate it a 10 I would! I had some very specific places I wanted to see that were the typical tourist attractions, but several that I read about that were off the tourist radar and amazing to go to. Martha spent about a year with me to customize every detail of this trip, which I kept adding and deleting. Originally it was set for 58 days so I ended up having to split it in two trips. In fact, I have already setup Part 2 for 2020 to finish what I have started.

    Martha was incredible! I have traveled the world and this trip was tops!!! Martha and I discussed the best time to go and obviously avoiding the 70th Anniversary of the Republic of China Holiday week was a great idea due to the crowds, but yet, coming in at the end of this holiday, I was still able to see lots of celebratory flower displays everywhere, which was amazing. Martha helped me with everything so that this trip was smooth and memorable. She responded to my emails within 24 hours and if she was not available Lori or another teammate stepped in to answer all of my questions. This company is unbelievable!

    Travelling solo was a concern, but not with this tour company. I felt very safe at all times. Every city I went to - from arriving by train or plane, I was met with an English speaking tour guide and a driver. All my guides (10 in total) spoke English well and were very attentive to my needs.

    To give you an idea of the complexity of this tour, which included trains and flights, I thought I would list some of my trip highlights:
    * Beijing (Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Summer Place, Mutianyu Great Wall, Hutong Tour, Temple of Heaven)
    * Datong (Yungang Grottoes, Shanhua Monastery)
    * Pingyao (Hanging Temple of Mount Hengshan, Wooden Pagoda in Ying County, Pingyao Ancient City Wall, Rishengchang Draft Bank, Qiao Family Compound, Shuanglin Monastery)
    * Xi'an (Terra-Cotta Warriors, Museum, Small Wild Goose Pagoda, City Wall, Great Mosque)
    * Dunhuang (Echoing-Sand Dunes, Crescent Lake, Magao Grottoes)
    * Jiayuguan (City Gate, Overhanging Great Wall, Museum (Beginning of the Silk Road))
    * Zhangye (Giant Buddha Temple, Danxia Landform (Rainbow Mountains))
    * Wuwei (Leitai Tomb of Han Dynasty)
    * Lanzhou (Binglingsi Grottoes)
    * Chengdu (Wenshu Monastery, Giant Pandas, Wangjang Pavillion Park, Jinli Street)
    * Leshan (Giant Buddha)
    * Emei Mountain (Wannian Monastery, Baoguo Temple)
    * Dazu (Rock Carvings)
    * Yangtze River Cruise (Shibaozhai, Qutang Gorge, Wu Gorge, Shennong Stream, Three Gorges Dam)
    * Zhangjiajie (Tianmen Mountain, Grand Canyon, Glass Bridge, Hallelujah Mountains (Avatar), Tianzi Mountain, Ten-mile Natural Gallery, Golden Whip Stream)
    * Fenghuang (Stilt Houses on Tuojiang River)
    * Hangzhou (Feilai Park, West Lake, Tea Plantation)
    * Wuzhen Water Town
    * Shanghai (Tongli Water Town, Master of the Nests Garden)

    I highly recommend China Tours. I'm now very excited to go back to China and finish the rest of my planned trip in 2020! Thanks again for an outstanding tour!
    Date of experience: October 2019

Subscribe Form Popup