Maria S

Maria S

Russia

Reviewed on November 9, 2024

Наше большое ( 17 дней и 9 городов) путешествие по Китаю планировали с April. Сложный маршрут Beijing - Xi’an - Wudangshan - Changa -Zhangjiajie - Fenghuang - Guilin - Yanshou - Shanghai был разработан с учетом всех наших пожеланий. Не могу характеризовать нас, как легких туристов. Мы достаточно требовательны к сервису, транспорту и экскурсионной программе. April внимательно и профессионально спланировала логистику, подсказала оптимальные варианты переездов, организовала все трансферы, экскурсии и гидов. Помогла с бронированием отелей. За всю поездку не было ни одного сбоя, опоздания, отмен или каких-то трудностей. В каждом городе нас встречал гид и водитель. Билеты на все достопримечательности были куплены агентством заранее, где было возможно, мы пользовались VIP проходами, чтобы не стоять в очередях. Все гиды с хорошим английским языком и отличным знанием регионов. Общение с гидами - большой бонус для тех, кто хочет не только посмотреть достопримечательности, но и попробовать разобраться в культуре и традициях Китая. Каждый их гидов и Mr Lang в Beijing и Swen в Wudangshan и Lynn в Yanshou и многие другие сделали все, чтобы наше путешествие прошло гладко и незабываемо. Они с радостью помогали с заселением в отели и в выборе местных ресторанов, рассказывали, показывали, заботились и водили нас за руку, как маленьких детей). Вся коммуникация во время путешествия происходит через WeChat, не забудьте скачать его перед поездкой. У нас было несколько автомобильных переездов между городами, все были исключительно комфортны, с прекрасными водителями и автомобилями высокого класса. Идеальные дороги Китая - восторг и комфорт! Очень приятно, что агентство China Discovery не только безупречно выполнило свою работу, но и ни разу не пыталось навязать нам какие-то дополнительные опции. Мы очень довольны и безусловно рекомендуем их услуги для организации поездки в Китай. Конечно, все можно делать самостоятельно, и мы тоже любим самостоятельные путешествия, но Китай не такое простое направление, и вы точно потеряете много времени и сил, особенно не владея языком. Не надо испытывать иллюзий, практически никто и нигде, кроме крупных 5* отелей не говорит по английски. Я имею ввиду вообще никак! Поддержка гидов бесценна, даже если вы вооружились словарем. Думаю, лучшей рекомендацией будет сказать, что мы уже приступили к планированию поездки в другие регионы Китая и поедем снова с China Discovery. Фото из нашего путешествия без фильтров и стандартных достопримечательностей, которые мы конечно тоже посетили.

Советы по планированию:

1. Постарайтесь максимально подробно изложить все свои пожелания, ограничения и опасения. Когда у нас были сомнения по отдельным вопросам, April всегда с пониманием и терпением объясняла почему и какую опцию она рекомендует.

2. Скачайте WeChat и Alipay

3. Интернет работает с ограничениями, для использования Google, WhatsApp, Telegram,Instagram и др нужен VPN! В больших отелях тоже- не надейтесь на wi-fi ! Вариант или роуминг вашей карты или vpn, мы купили заранее специальную сим карту на Озоне и все работало.

4. Курение сигарет очень распространено в Китае, уточните заранее, если вас это беспокоит.

5. В большинстве достопримечательностей удобно расположено много туалетных комнат, но почти никогда нет бумаги и мыла.

6. Нет смысла везти большой гардероб, все одеваются практично.

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi Wudangshan, Hubei, Zhangjiajie, Hunan, Guilin, Guangxi, Shanghai
Date of Experience: October 20, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Couples
Tour Customized by: April
Edward L

Edward L

Canada

Reviewed on November 8, 2024

It was in 2020,our group of 12 seniors with average age in the mid seventies, some speak little Chinese from Vancouver, Canada was looking for a tour agent that will provide us with itinerary of the Silk Route, and also with guides that speaks both English and Chinese. We were fortunate to find Leo Li of China Discovery. knowing we are all seniors, Leo worked patiently with us through email communications on the itinerary, and provided us with all necessary information on Safety, and weather conditions in the tour area. Unfortunately, our tour plan paused due to Pandemic, Leo was kind enough to assist us obtaining the refund that was paid. In 2023, we reconnect with Leo for the purpose of tour The Silk Route in 2024, Leo helped work out the costs of all travel expenses, including first class train, air and transfer for all.

We were able to travel in October 2024. All guides assigned to the trip were very professional, speak well in English; all very friendly and kind taking care of seniors, spend extra hour over their call of duty; they also help the group checking in on train and air. Spacious bus for the local travel was clean and comfortable. All lunches and dinners that were included in the tour were more that excellent with touch of local flavour. Thanks to the guides that we learned a lot about the History and culture of the area, understanding how people lives. We are extremely happy that we found the right tour agent for the trip, will recommend Leo Li of China Discovery to any potential traveller.

Destination(s): Beijing, Datong, Xian, Shaanxi, Zhangye, Dunhuang, Gansu, Turpan, Urumqi, Kashgar, Xinjiang
Date of Experience: October 10, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Friends
Tour Customized by: Leo
Vincent C

Vincent C

Britain

Reviewed on November 7, 2024

We booked a bespoke tour with Evelyn at China Discovery, Evelyn did a fantastic job booking our guides, hotels, train and itinerary We did Beijing and Xian in a 5 day guided tour and saw all the main sites. Our guide in Beijing (Linda) was outstanding with her knowledge, advise and help - she queued up for us and took us to our seats on the bullet train - brilliant. We normally do not book tours as we prefer to do our own.

However I am glad we booked this as we would have never managed to do all this on our own. Highly recommend them for doing a tour.

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi
Date of Experience: October 8, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Couples
Tour Customized by: Evelyn
Pearl

Pearl

Mauritius

Reviewed on November 6, 2024

We wanted to visit different places in China and contacted China Discovery. Jack Li was our consultant and was very responsive to our queries and even provided valuable recommendations to our family of 5 people travelling. We discovered a lot through our local guides (Eric in BeiJing, Lisa in Xian, Ruby in Chengdu, Jeff in HuangLong, Gigi in JiuZhaiGou and Jacques in ChongQing) and drivers, not only of the sights, but also the food/local delicacies. The guides could speak English/French and Chinese which was very helpful for my parents. Jack informed the guides that my parents were elderly, and they were all very considerate and flexible in the daily plans to accommodate us. We also went on a cruise on Yangtze River, arranged by China Discovery. All the transfers (airport to hotels by van, or train tickets between cities) and entrance fees to the sights being visited were arranged by China Discovery so we had nothing to worry about. We booked our own hotels, although this could also have been arranged by the consultant. I would recommend China Discovery and Jack Li to help you plan for a hassle-free trip to China. Thank you again.

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi, Chengdu, Jiuzhaigou, Sichuan, Chongqing, Yichang, Yangtze River
Date of Experience: October 14, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Jack
Wee KK

Wee KK

Malaysia

Reviewed on November 5, 2024

My wife and I have had a wonderful time spending 13 days travelling across Beijing, Luoyang, Xi’an and Shanghai. Our private tour booked by Chinadiscovery.com was most enjoyable, exciting, and well looked after. Our entire holiday trip ended smoothly. Transportation via road/high speed train/air travel and hotel arrangements exceeded our expectations. Our 3 English speaking Tour Guides, Liu (Beijing), Kelly (Luoyang) and Sandy (Xian), were very knowledgeable, professional, helpful, and friendly. We are glad to have gained such an enriching experience and deeper knowledge of China’s historical landmarks, culture, and past civilization of which the knowledge certainly made our tour enriched and full of memories.

We also acknowledged the exceptionally supportive and efficient Tour consultant, Rita Jiang, who promptly assisted with our personal concerns faced throughout our trip. When we needed to make changes to our hotels, transport and itinerary, she promptly attended to our requests. And when we raised our concern transferring our several oversized and overweight luggage, she thoughtfully upgraded our 5-seater saloon vehicle to a 7-seater SUV and upgraded our Xian-Shanghai flight to Business Class.

We can only be highly satisfied with China Discovery's service and their commitment to customers ‘satisfaction. We would strongly recommend their service to people who have an interest in visiting China.

China, as a tourist destination, has everything to offer architectural monuments and relics of ancient civilizations, beautiful national parks/landscape, blooming garden flowers, old historical towns and modern metropolises, amazingly stunning snowcapped mountain tops... It is made up of multi- ethnic, multi-religious & multi-cultural people and it’s certainly also a safe and tourist friendly country. We are already planning our next trip to China.

Wee, Malaysia

Destination(s): Beijing, Luoyang, Henan, Xian, Shaanxi, Shanghai
Date of Experience: March 25, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Couples
Tour Customized by: Rita
yellowcups

yellowcups

Singapore

Reviewed on November 5, 2024

We had a wonderful trip in China as expertly arranged by Jack Li. Jack was flexible with multiple changes to our itinerary, some on short notice as well. Throughout the trip he was promptly responsive and attentive to our needs. The hotel and travel arrangements exceeded our expectations, and the hotel locations were all central which made it easy for us to self-explore on our free time in the evenings.

The local guides in Beijing (Linda), Luoyang (Fey), Chengdu (Nicole) and Chongqing (David and Jasmine) were excellent. They were friendly, spoke English and flexible as well. Fey arranged a surprise birthday cake for me during the trip which was so sweet! Nicole was very patient and attentive to my parents when they struggled during some mountain trips, which I really appreciated.

I highly recommend China Discovery to anyone planning a trip there, it will save so much time and thinking!

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi, Luoyang, Henan, Chengdu, Sichuan, Chongqing
Date of Experience: March 20, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Jack
Travel21204855473

Travel21204855473

USA

Reviewed on November 1, 2024

My wife and I just completed a 21-days China tour from HK to Beijing with China Discory. From the start, our trip consultant, Jack Li, did a wonderful job of keeping us informated of trip options and pricing. His responses were always prompt. China Discovery toke care of all the planning including transportations, hotels, and entry tickets to sites. Local drivers picked us up and dropped us off at each location. When we had some minor glitch in pickups, I could always communicate with Jack for assistnace.

All of our local guides were excellent and engaging! They provided information on sites, cultures, histories, people, and foods. They helped us navigate the no-so-easy access to local attractions and best way to avoid the overwheming crowds at many sites. For this trip, they were the heart of China Discovery and made the trip enjoyable and meaningful! All of our local guides were independent workers but they all liked working for China Discovey because it is very responsive to their issues and customer issues.

Our local guide at Zhangjaijei even helped us navigate the Chinese health system when my wife had to visit a hospital for an unexpected illness. He took us to the hospital at night, stayed with us through the visit, and brought us back to the hotel after the visit.

In my opinion, China Discovery is the best way to visit China if you don't have local connections or comfortable with the Chinese language. Let them do all the hardwork and you just show up and go!

Destination(s): Hong Kong, Guilin, Guangxi, Chengdu, Sichuan, Chongqing, Yichang, Yangtze River, Zhangjiajie, Hunan, Shanghai, Xian, Shaanxi, Beijing
Date of Experience: October 10, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Couples
Tour Customized by: Jack
Barbara L

Barbara L

USA

Reviewed on October 27, 2024

My husband and I spent 12 days in China from Shanghai, to the cruise on the Yangtze River, Mountain resorts & Beijing. We had five star hotels , first class travel(they call business class), it was amazing.

Jack Li set up everything as requested and was easy to communicate with via email.

The people are the nicest and I felt extremely safe in China the whole time.

Be sure to request phone number information for all your private drivers and tour guides because the Chinese people will let you use their phones and they will also communicate with you with these people if you have any hiccups along the way. if you have to get a bus for the Yangtze Cruise be sure to get directions for Yangtze Cruise tour bus office where you have to get your ticket. Also ask for which exit at the airport your driver will be waiting for you (with his sign & your name on it).

Go to China- it’s one of the best trips I have ever taken & I have been around the world with my husband.

Barbara L

(Coronado CA)

Ps: in China your passport is your boarding pass, ticket etc.

Destination(s): Shanghai, Yangtze River, Guilin, Yangshuo, Guangxi, Beijing
Date of Experience: October 13, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Jack
Sthefanie H

Sthefanie H

Belgium

Reviewed on October 23, 2024

An excellent company.

We were a little scared beause we are from Chile, South America, and the possibility that the tour were an scam it was present, however it works perfectly, our agent, Tracy Tan, help us in every moment to do the itinerary and with every question we had in the progress.

Our guides had an incredible good spanish and were excellent, with a lot of knowdlege for the sites we visited and a lof of tips to stay in China.

I recommend this company with eyes closed, a very good experience and helped us to had a really good time in China.

Destination(s): Beijing, Zhangjiajie, Hunan, Chengdu, Sichuan, Guilin, Guangxi, Hong Kong
Date of Experience: September 20, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Tracy
Joe O

Joe O

USA

Reviewed on October 22, 2024

I contracted a 5-day Solo tour of Beijing and Xian with China discovery (CD) from August 18 thru 24. In summary I was completly satisfied with this experience. From the moment I was met in the Beijing airport arrivals until I was returned to Beijing airport, the care I received from my CD guides would of made my mother happy. My guides, Linda in Beijing and Lilly in Xian were kind, patient and extremely knowledgeable of the historical and cultural aspects of their region. Each informed me of the history behind each treasure we toured, answered all of my questions and enlightened me to the significance of their impact on Chinese culture. It was unfortunate I had to leave each of them after just few days as they both had me feeling a friend and more than welcomed in places, I was totally unfamiliar with. The drivers quietly provided me with safe and efficient transportation and let’s not forget Silva , the Rookie guide who was good enough to meet me at the train station late Friday night to insure I was safely transported to my airport hotel and for the early morning departure. Thank you, Leo, my CD trip coordinator, I was extremely pleased with the trip you planned for me, the guides, hotel accomdations and transportation arranged. I will highly recommend you to my Family, friends and associates and hope for a return trip to see what further adventures in China Discovery might offer.

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi
Date of Experience: August 18, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Solo
Tour Customized by: Leo
Vincent J

Vincent J

USA

Reviewed on October 8, 2024

Leo Li kindly arranged a private tour for us (my girlfriend and myself) providing a driver and a guide for us at every city we visited. The guides were very informative, but, more importantly, they became our friends as they helped give us a deeper understanding of their lovely country. We are especially grateful that Leo was able to “squeeze in” a tour of the fabled Silk Road, an area which few Westerners visit and was a highlight our trip. Thank you, Leo, for making this a memorable trip.

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi, Zhangye, Dunhuang, Gansu, Silk Road, Chengdu, Sichuan, Yangtze River, Shanghai
Date of Experience: September 10, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Couples
Tour Customized by: Leo
Rachel H

Rachel H

UK

Reviewed on October 5, 2024

Thank you so much to Wonder for organising the trip and to the amazing tour guides Jack, James and Jeff for taking us around.

As part of our tour we visited Beijing, Zhangjiajie and Shanghai. Beijing was brilliant there was so much to see and it was amazing to see the Great Wall of China. Our guides were very knowledgeable and filled us in on a lot of history and information about the cities. They also took us to lovely restaurants and would always recommend great dishes.

Zhangjiajie was so relaxing and tranquil and I’ve never come across such beautiful landscapes. Towards the end of the trip there was a few amendments to the itinerary due to flight changes and Wonder was very quick to make new arrangements for the flight and hotel which we really appreciate. Our last stop was Shanghai which was also stunning and it was interesting seeing the new and old so close together.

We would throughly recommend the tour and would definitely use China Discovery again.

Thank you to all the team

Destination(s): Beijing, Zhangjiajie, Hunan, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, Shanghai
Date of Experience: September 11, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Wonder
Liabel459

Liabel459

Italy

Reviewed on September 28, 2024

The trip we made to China with China Discovery was beautiful and interesting. We visited very beautiful places and discovered Chinese culture. We had no setback and were followed with attention and care.

The hotels were always close to the center, clean and with great facilities.

The drivers and guides (in Italian and English) followed us with professionalism, care and friendship. We thank China Discovery agency and recommend it without delay to those planning a trip to China.

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi, Guilin, Guangxi, Zhangjiajie, Hunan, Shanghai
Date of Experience: September 5, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Couples
Tour Customized by: Rita
Sangers

Sangers

UK

Reviewed on September 21, 2024

Wonder Wang from China Discovery was assigned to us as our travel consultant.

He was friendly, professional, flexible and attentive to all our requirements. He went above and beyond for us, nothing was ever too much.

We visited Beijing, Xian, Chengdu, Chongqing, Yichang, and Shanghai. The hotels, transfers, personal tour guides for each City, and cruise were great and all very well planned.

All our questions, in advance, and during the trip were responded to over email very quickly and we felt very well looked after by a profession team.

Our itinerary was over 13 days, visiting Beijing, Xian, Chengdu, Chongqing, a Yangtze river cruise and Shanghai. We got to see and experience a lot in that time. The local guides were fantastic in their knowledge, English and were very helpful. The drivers were very prompt and provided smooth transfers.

A huge plus point for us was the constant communication, our emails were answered by Wonder very swiftly and even during our trip, there were changes to our flights, etc. which Wonder handled so efficiently. This certainly put our minds at ease!

We would like to thank the whole team at China Discovery for all their hard work in providing such a special experience for our first time in China and for all the kind gifts and birthday cake for my wife!

Highly recommended tour company. Top notch customer service. If only every country had a China Discovery

We would definitely use them again!

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi, Chengdu, Sichuan, Chongqing, Yangtze River, Yichang, Hubei, Shanghai
Date of Experience: September 4, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Couples
Tour Customized by: Wonder
Rebecca C

Rebecca C

Australia

Reviewed on September 21, 2024

Thank you to Kelly and the China Discovery team for organising a great Beijing day tour to local sites and the Great Wall. Our tour guide, Linda was absolutely incredible. Her knowledge was outstanding and we walked about learning so much about your culture and heritage. Would recommend this tour company to anyone.

Destination(s): Beijing
Date of Experience: September 20, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Kelly
Clara B

Clara B

South Africa

Reviewed on September 11, 2024

The service provided by China Discovery was from beginning to end of a high quality. The itinerary worked out for me addressed my specific needs. Guides were fluent in English, knowledgeable on the history of sites and really took care of me as solo traveler. They really tried to make my trip fun. I appreciated it that I was taken to local restaurants where I had the most delicious food, even for somebody that do not like strange things.

The only negative for me was that too much time was given for local markets which is not my area of interest.

Destination(s): Beijing, Luoyang, Henan, Xian, Shaanxi
Date of Experience: August 31, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Solo
Tour Customized by: Johnson
KIM P

KIM P

USA

Reviewed on September 6, 2024

China Discovery delivered on every promise. We loved our visit to China and our private tour with China Discovery made that happen. Very nice hotels, great breakfasts, extremely nice guides. Can not say enough good things about the company organization

Destination(s): Beijing, Shanghai, Yangtze River, Chongqing, Chengdu, Leshan, Dujiangyan, Sichuan
Date of Experience: August 15, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Jack
Roving00054396771

Roving00054396771

UK

Reviewed on August 24, 2024

My husband has always wanted to stay in a yurt, so we decided to book a tour of Inner Mongolia this summer. We submitted an enquiry through the China Discovery website, and the travel consultant was amazing, super patient and helpful, and very accommodating. They answered every question we had promptly, which was very reassuring when we were deciding on other aspects of our holiday, such as dates, flights and visas. The tour itself was a private one with a driver and a tour guide; it was very well organised and we had an incredible time. Our driver was very patient and helpful with the luggage, and he was a very calm and competent driver throughout. Our tour guide was excellent, very knowledgeable about Inner Mongolia, very passionate and very helpful. She was absolutely spot on with all her recommendations. The hotels were well-chosen, in convenient locations. Highlights for us include: the volcanoes, the bonfire party on our first night on the grasslands, the spectacular show at Huanghuagou, and camel riding and sand sliding in the desert. This tour was worth every penny; it gave us the opportunity to visit places and take part in activities that we would not have been able to experience on our own. We would absolutely recommend China Discovery to anyone who is thinking about booking a tour anywhere in China, and we're also considering taking part in more tours with them in the future.

Destination(s): Beijing, Hohhot, Baotou, Ordos, Inner Mongolia
Date of Experience: August 11, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Couples
Tour Customized by: Wonder
Jan v

Jan v

Netherlands

Reviewed on August 21, 2024

Last week we returned from our 15 day China holiday.

Every day a driver with a private guide, who gave just a little more than average. Everything perfectly organized and timed. A very busy program, but because everything is arranged for you, it does not feel like pressure. We started in Shanghai, then the Yangtze river cruise, Ping An, Yangshuo with half day cruise, Guilin, Zhangjiajie en Beijing.

Tracy was our travel consultant and she respond very quickly. Also a fantastic guide at every location with a lot of knowledge about the place and the history. A holiday we will never forget.

if you want a well organized holiday in China, stop searching and book through china disvovery

Destination(s): Shanghai, Yangtze River, Yangshuo, Guilin, Guangxi, Zhangjiajie, Hunan, Datong, Shanxi, Beijing
Date of Experience: July 31, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Couples
Tour Customized by: Tracy
Gerald

Gerald

USA

Reviewed on August 20, 2024

China Discovery tour of China

Managed and coordinated by Chengdu Bamboo International Tours Co., Ltd

Coordinated by Rita Jiang

Tour dates: 07/30/2024 to 08/10/2024

This was a private tour, Guide, Driver and me. I chose a private tour as opposed to a group tour to be able to enjoy and immerse myself in all that visiting China has to offer. I contacted 2 other private tour companies with the same requirements asked of China Discovery. China Discovery, Rita, was the first to respond to my inquiry. A detailed itinerary was provided by Rita for my review and discussion.

Beijing, Xi’an, Lijiang, Shangri-La, Guilin /Yangshuo

Great Wall, Forbidden City, Terracotta Warriors, Ancient City, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Blue Moon Valley, Naxi Village, Shigu Town, Songzanlin Monastery, Pudacuo National Park, Li River Cruise and Reed Flute Cave to name a few sights.

3 High-Speed Train rides, 1 flight all arranged by Rita. Guides were a big help in teaching me how to navigate and understand the train stations.

All the hotels were great and choice of restaurants around hotels were good.

Visiting China was a retirement goal, and my expectations were exceeded. I recommend a private tour for touring China.

China Discovery, Rita, along with my guides, Andie, Waldner, Li, Aten and Daniel and the drivers were great. Communication was good, and the historical knowledge of guides was impressive. The effort by the group is second to none.

Gerald T Brideau

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi, Lijiang, Shangri-La, Yunnan, Guilin, Yangshuo, Guangxi
Date of Experience: July 30, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Solo
Tour Customized by: Rita
AshleyHale

AshleyHale

UK

Reviewed on August 17, 2024

I can't praise China Discovery enough. Fantastic in every detail.

We were a family of four who wanted to visit China. We came with a list of things we wanted to do; ranging from the obvious, Great Wall, to the more obscure, Chinese Opera, from the active, cycling around Xian, to the passive, cruising down the Li River.

Right from the start Rita was superb, organising an itinerary and adapting it as we asked for more. She was the model of efficiency and always accommodating to our desires. Everything was organised superbly, faultless.

We ended up with a 5 city stay. Every guide and driver at each location was fantastic. Kai, Timo, Kevin and Peter all had good English, excellent local knowledge and were all punctual and polite throughout. They were also flexible enough to meet our needs and still complete all our chosen activities. It was frenetic, but absolutely superb.

Each hotel was really good quality and we couldn't fault any of them. Clean, friendly and efficient, they all got the thumbs up, giving us both privacy and family time. Their locations were superb, allowing us to go out and explore on our own on some evenings. Particular mention must go to The Bamboo Leaf, the perfect end to a non-stop 10days, quiet and friendly, a special place to relax on the last night.

It really was a superb trip and I haven't even mentioned our tour; The Great Wall, chairlifts & toboggans, 798, Tiananmen Sq., Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, rickshaws around the Beijing Hutongs, Summer Palace, Terracotta Army, Xian Mosque and City Wall, Dumpling dinner and Tang Palace Dance, Buddhist Temple, Museum, Sichuan dinner and Chinese Opera, Renmin Park, Chengdu Panda Reserve, River Li Cruise, Karst scenery, bamboo rafting, shopping on West Street, Impression Liu Sanjie Show, Reed Flute Cave... and bullet trains!

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi, Chengdu, Sichuan, Guilin, Guangxi, Hong Kong
Date of Experience: August 5, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Rita
Dan P

Dan P

UK

Reviewed on August 10, 2024

We would like to thank you and your team for making our trip to China so special and enjoyable. Every tour guide and driver we met was extremely friendly, knowledgeable and professional.

We had a fantastic week in China exploring some of the amazing sights as well as tasting the different regional foods

I would also like to thank you for your quick replies during the booking stages during the months leading up to our visit.

When we come to China again in the future, we would use China discovery again and will recommend your company to our friends.

Many thanks

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi, Chengdu, Sichuan
Date of Experience: July 19, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Wonder
archae01

archae01

Germany

Reviewed on August 7, 2024

Let's keep this short: all the good things they say about ChinaDiscovery are true. It was a lot of fun designing this trip with my consultant Wonder Wang, everything worked out perfectly well despite many complicated special wishes. Wholeheartedly recommended!

Destination(s): Beijing, Linyi, Shandong, Anyang, Kaifeng, Luoyang, Henan, Xian, Shaanxi, Zhangye, Jiayuguan, Dunhuang, Gansu, Turpan, Urumqi, Kashgar, Xinjiang, Silk Road
Date of Experience: July 22, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Couples
Tour Customized by: Wonder
Pablo B

Pablo B

Argentina

Reviewed on August 4, 2024

I recently booked a trip to China with Wonder from China Discovery, and it was an outstanding experience. Wonder crafted a perfect itinerary based on my requirements, and he was always available for any assistance, ensuring everything went smoothly.

Destination(s): Shanghai, Xian, Shaanxi, Beijing
Date of Experience: July 9, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Wonder
jane k

jane k

Canada

Reviewed on July 30, 2024

China Discovery was A- Plus in organizing our 9 day trip to China . From the 1st email to boarding the plane home. they were with us all the way. Helping with visas, translating, information, and photo-taking, check-ins at train and plane stations. . Suggestions for shows, dinners , restaurants, and excursions. Leo, Linda, Timo, Bei, and Sandy were fabulous . They were funny, informative, welcoming and willing to go the extra mile for us. Will definitely be using China Discovery on our next trip to China.

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi, Chengdu, Sichuan, Lijiang, Yunnan
Date of Experience: July 12, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Couples
Tour Customized by: Leo
Rachel B

Rachel B

USA

Reviewed on July 26, 2024

My mom and I recently completed a 3 week dream trip to China. I worked with Mr. Leo Li to customize our trip to see everything we wanted to (the Great Wall, terracotta warriors, pandas, and Shanghai) and asked for some additional recommendations for our trip. Throughout the 3 weeks we explored Beijing, Xi'an, Cheongdu, a yangtze river cruise, Shanghai, and Guilin (if you are going to China do not miss Guilin! It is stunning). Leo was so accommodating, responsive, and helpful each step of the way. We opted for a private tour for the three weeks and it was so nice having a tour guide and driver for just the two of us, especially in the high tourist areas. If you're considering traveling to China, I cannot recommend China Discovery and Leo enough!

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi, Lhasa, Tibet, Chengdu, Sichuan, Chongqing, Yangtze River, Guilin, Guangxi, Shanghai
Date of Experience: June 18, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Leo
Christiaan d

Christiaan d

Netherlands

Reviewed on July 25, 2024

We had an amazing trip, visited Guilin, Xian and Beijing.

Al our needs and wishes for the trip were considered planning this trip. Communication with China discovery went smooth and the whole trip exeeded our expectations.

During the 3 main visits in China we were assited by local guides an drivers with a lot of experience and knowledge of the area. Chinese culture and history were explained and visits of the less touristic highlights were done. Perfect advise on local food and restsurants was given and also free time was considered to scout the destinations for yourself.

It were the small gestures from our guides and drivers that made the difference. Thanks Amber for arranging everything, thanks to Lynn, Timo and Linda as our Guides!

Destination(s): Guilin, Guangxi, Xian, Shaanxi, Beijing
Date of Experience: April 21, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Leo
Coastal38336486569

Coastal38336486569

New Zealand

Reviewed on July 24, 2024

We had a private family guided tour in China, visiting Beijing and Xian and we loved every minute of it!

Tracy organized everything so well - Airport pickups, hotels, trains etc. We required some additional services, and everything was delivered with excellence, great communication and support.

Our drivers and guides were very attending, friendly, knowledgeable and helpful, they made us feel very well looked after and safe, we loved that everything went smoothly and stress-free.

Our 2 guides (in Beijing and Xian) had a different approach, but both were fantastic and went over and above to make our visit comfortable, exiting and memorable

We felt that our Beijing guide Kai become a part of our family for the time we spent there, we loved every minute we spent with him, it was a heart breaking to part with him when we left Beijing.

Our Xian guide Kimi was extremely knowledgeable, attending and helpful, he went over and above to solve some issues we had.

We loved everything minute of our holiday here in China. Definitely recommend China Discovery, we will be using them again.

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi
Date of Experience: June 29, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Tracy
Erik B

Erik B

Netherlands

Reviewed on July 22, 2024

In May, a friend and I visited China. And China Discovery organized an amazing trip for us! It was definitively one of the best trips we've ever had.

We've spent a total of 3 weeks in China, with 1 week around Beijing, one week around Zhangjiajie and 1 week in Sichuan. What I really appreciated was that we could help to shape up the itinerary to our own liking. On their website they have fast amounts of information about the different regions and sights in China, so I was easily able to identify the places to go to. Evelyn helped me to connect them together in a coherent and single trip!

Furthermore, this also means that China Discovery can bring you to some of the places that other tour agencies might skip. We've for example visited the great wall without any other tourists at Jinshanling (tip!), Visited amazing temples in Chengde, climbed Fanjingshan and went to the beautiful lakes and falls of Jiuzhaigou!

Also during the trip the service was great. Evelyn ensured we got great hotels in all of our destinations. All of the hotels were around the 4+ star segment with comfortable beds and good breakfasts.

During the trips we were supported by local drivers and guides. They are obviously most knowledgeable about the sights in their own city and region! Each and every guide was very friendly and had great control over the English language. They were also very willing to accomodate our wishes and make changes when requested. For example, we decided to visit several impressive shows during our trip that were not in the original itinerary.

What was also very convenient is that these guides came to pick us up and drop us off at the airports or stations where we arrived or were departing to a new destination. The great organization really helped us to destress and focus on visiting the beautiful nature and history that China has to offer.

Once again, this was one of the best trips we've ever had. I can highly recommend China Discovery and Evelyn!

We're looking forward to visit China again in the future, and we'll be sure to do so with them again!

Destination(s): Beijing, Chengde, Hebei, Zhangjiajie, Fenghuang, Xiangxi, Hunan, Fanjinshan, Guizhou, Chengdu, Leshan, Emeishan, Dujiangyan, Qingchengshan, Jiuzhaigou, Huanglong, Aba, Sichuan
Date of Experience: May 4, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Friends
Tour Customized by: Evelyn
DC C

DC C

Canada

Reviewed on July 11, 2024

My family and I will have lifelong memories of our amazing experiences in China. Tracy at China Discovery designed for us a custom tour to Shanghai, Suzhou, Beijing, Xi'an, Guilin, Guangzhou and Hong Kong. This trip has allowed my children to discover their cultural roots as Canadian-born Chinese. We went to amazing sites, learnt about the rich history, experienced Chinese culture and art, tasted the variety of regional foods and talked to locals. The English speaking guides and drivers made us feel at home and minimized our stress. This was exactly what I was hoping for. Thank-you!

Destination(s): Shanghai, Suzhou, Jiangsu, Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi, Guilin, Guangxi, Guangzhou, Jiangmen, Shenzhen, Guangdong, Hong Kong
Date of Experience: May 23, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Tracy
Ruby Y

Ruby Y

USA

Reviewed on July 8, 2024

The travel consultant,WONDER WANG, is excellent,very nice,very courteous,he respond to our inquiry and request promptly ,we will definitely recommend him to our friends who will be planning to go to China .

The hotel where we stayed are nice,clean,the staff are friendly ,the location is perfect.

The tour guides ,the drivers are very friendly,helpful,courteous,and very knowledgeable.

We will use them again on our next trip .

Destination(s): Shanghai, Yangtze River, Xian, Shaanxi, Beijing
Date of Experience: June 2, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Wonder
Dave b

Dave b

USA

Reviewed on June 29, 2024

My wife and I reached out to China Discovery with a list of places we wanted to go to and how long we would be there and were quickly provided a detailed itinerary that met our needs. This included all of the tour guides, transfers, hotels, high speed trains, flights, and anything else that was needed. We worked with Wonder Wang and he was excellent. He was very attentive to all of our requests and responded immediately to any emails we sent. During our tour we made one change to a train and he took care of it immediately. Top notch service, 5 stars!

The visit itself was amazing. All of the stops we did were wonderful. Just some of the highlights included the Yellow Mountains, the Li River, The Great Wall, Longji Rice Terraces, and walking the wall in Xi'an. Our guides were great, we were always taken care of, and were made comfortable throughout. Highly recommend this company.

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi, Guilin, Guangxi, Yangtze River, Huangshan, Anhui, Beijing
Date of Experience: May 12, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Wonder
Charles Z

Charles Z

USA

Reviewed on June 28, 2024

It was a great experience touring across China in 15 days! We were a 5 people small private group including 3 high school graduates. Thanks to Leo, our trip advisor at China Discovery , the trip was well arranged and coordinated. We all had a good time!

We planned our trip a few months ahead. We communicated with Leo via phone and emails. Leo always answered questions quickly and informatively. Due to train schedule and cruise schedule changes after our booking, we had to make changes our tour arrangements. Leo patiently explained the situation and making great efforts to make arrangements to accommodate our needs.

We visited popular sites in Beijing, Xian, Chengdu, Chong Qing, Yangtze River (Cruise), Zhangjiajie and Shanghai. For every trip leg, local guides would pick up and take us to train stations. They accompanied us in all site visits. They also made arrangements for lunches. These local tour guides are professionals. They are very knowledgeable and speak good English. With the help of those local guides we were able to efficiently and yet comfortably visited so many places in a short period of time. The high speed trains are amazing. It was fast comfortable. A great way to travel from city to city! The weather was good for the most part of our trip. It got a little hot and humid starting mid of June in southern China, when the Southern rainy season starts.

We all enjoyed our trip. I highly recommend China Discovery for China tours in a small private group setting.

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi, Chengdu, Sichuan, Chongqing, Yangtze River, Zhangjiajie, Hunan, Shanghai
Date of Experience: June 5, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Friends
Tour Customized by: Leo
Paradise05014423145

Paradise05014423145

USA

Reviewed on June 21, 2024

GREAT experience! I selected the cities and Ms. Wing Zeng, from China Discovery, crafted the adventure. From our experience, China Discovery was absolutely a user-friendly agency. Ms. Zeng was attentive to little details that helped make the trip memorable. Ms. Zeng was professional and pro-active. I highly recommend this organization if you are interested in learning about China and having a one-on-one tour with skilled and well-prepared tour guides. We visited five cities. All our guides were excellent. Still, the one in Beijing, Cindy, I want to mention. We spent the longest period there and she helped us so much. The company is flexible and helped us to have a wonderful experience.

Destination(s): Hong Kong, Ningbo, Zhejiang, Shanghai, Xian, Shaanxi, Beijing, Changchun, Jilin
Date of Experience: June 3, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Couples
Tour Customized by: Wing
528trigger

528trigger

USA

Reviewed on June 21, 2024

Mr Wonder Wang, our travel consultant, worked with us from the planning phase to the final reality. He responded to my emails quickly, listened to me and answered my questions patiently and clearly.

During our 23-day trip April 28- May 20, we were taken care of from the moment we arrived in Kunming airport to the last minute we were dropped off at Beijing Train Station. All tour guides and private drivers were professional and personal. Big shout out to few guides: Vicky in DaLi, Evan in ChengDu, DeLia in JiLiang/ Zhangjiajie NP, and Mike in Beijing. All that made our travel life so much more fun and more memorable.

We highly recommend Chinadiscovery, especially Mr Wang, to our friends and anyone that is interested in visiting China.

Thank you, Mr Wang, for all your hard work and patience helping me planning this grand trip that would last a lifetime. Hopefully we will talk to you in a near future when we plan a trip to visit northwest part of China.

Destination(s): Beijing, Kunming, Dali, Lijiang, Shangri-La, Yunnan, Chengdu, Leshan, Emeishan, Sichuan, Chongqing, Changsha, Zhangjiajie, Hunan, Shanghai
Date of Experience: April 28, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Couples
Tour Customized by: Wonder
Companion17161881623

Companion17161881623

Canada

Reviewed on June 19, 2024

We are a family of 4 went on a 6 days Beijing & Xian tour package with China Discovery in June 2024. The service we received was fantastic, from Beijing airport pick up, 3.5 days in Beijing. 2.5 days in Xian , to final drop off at Xian high speed train station, everything was arranged for us to our satisfaction. All we need to do just enjoying all the sight seeing & delicious local food. Hotel choices were excellent too. The guides and drivers from both cities were very friendly & professional, the guides were fluent in English, they made our visit much more enjoyable than doing it ourselves.

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi
Date of Experience: June 9, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Rita
Compass23856854533

Compass23856854533

Portugal

Reviewed on June 18, 2024

China Discovery arranged for us a private tour in Beijing. The programmed visit with an English speaking guide and private driver allowed us to visit the main attractions and make the most of our short visit. The guide was fantastic and explained the history and traditions about every site. Definitely recommend

Destination(s): Beijing
Date of Experience: June 9, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Couples
Tour Customized by: Jack
Nura H

Nura H

Italy

Reviewed on June 14, 2024

China discovery gave us and authentic and unforgettable experience of China. Tracy, our travel consultant, planned the trip that we wished and tailored it to our interests.

The guides in all cities were knowledgeable and flexible to accommodate our needs in terms of sightseeing and food. Also, our luggage was dispatched late from London and Eric and Timo in Beijing and Xi’an liaised with the airports and collected the luggage for us.

Highly recommend China and this travel agency!

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi, Chengdu, Sichuan, Shanghai
Date of Experience: May 5, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Tracy
Trimigo G

Trimigo G

UK

Reviewed on June 13, 2024

I spent months researching our trip to China - it’s how I found China Discovery and we are very glad that we did!

We are from the UK and have no previous experience of China and no previous experience of a tour, although we have travelled independently quite a bit. China Discovery offered us a perfect solution. Such a trip seemed daunting for us to visit independently so we booked a 3 week private tour. We had a long list of requirements and Jack Li from China Discovery put together an itinerary that was perfect for us. It was fast paced but covered everything we wanted it to. The communication beforehand was great, our questions were answered promptly and changes were made to make sure everything was exactly right.

We returned from our trip 2 weeks ago - it was the trip of a lifetime and we could not have been any happier with our tour and the service we received. China Discovery provided us with a driver and with a guide fluent in English at each location. The guides were amazing - always knowledgeable, accommodating and able to show us the best of every location. They worked together with the drivers and ensured we got to where we needed to. We experienced things we could never have done on our own. We travelled by car, boat and high speed train - all excellent. The accommodation chosen for us was great - our favourite was the Yangshuo Mountain Retreat and we would recommend this if you are in the area.

We feel very fortunate to have made this trip and have no worry in recommending China Discovery to anyone travelling in China. Thank you Jack for planning for us this trip of a lifetime.

Destination(s): Shanghai, Guilin, Guangxi, Kunming, Dali, Lijiang, Shangri-La, Yunnan, Chengdu, Sichuan, Xian, Shaanxi, Beijing
Date of Experience: May 10, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Couples
Tour Customized by: Jack
Gavin B

Gavin B

UK

Reviewed on June 7, 2024

We had just over two weeks arranged by China Discovery visiting Shanghai, Huangshan, Xi’an and Beijing. The tour was very well planned with a good balance of seeing sights and chill out days. In Shanghai we had a city tour and visited Disney. On the city tour the guide was really flexible adjusting the tour to our needs as we went, not only did we see what was on the tour but we also did the Shanghai tower which was amazing. The boat trip on the river was amazing in the evening with perfect timing where we got sunset and the lights on the river. For Disney it was a driver only day, the driver pickup and arrangements were spot on.

We took the train from Shanghai to Huangshan, we had some concerns over luggage as we weren’t sure about the size of suitcases being allowed on the train. Jack, our tour concierge advised us and sorted out the tickets so it was super smooth. On arrival at Huangshan we were met off the train, there were a lot of people yet the tour guide found us with ease, it was all very smooth. In Huangshan we went up the Yellow Mountains and visited two local historic cities Xidi and Hongcun. The tour guide on this leg of the trip was really great, he was spot on with the timing to see the sunrise on the mountain too which was an amazing sight. Our plane from Huangshan to Xi’an was delayed by nearly 4 hours which was out of the hands of the tour company, the tour guide went out of his way to make sure we were not left stranded by the delay by taking us to a nearby hotel to relax in the lobby to break the time up and advised us on a local restaurant to have some amazing food.

We arrived into Xi’an at 3:30am, a lot later than 23:15 and the driver was there waiting for us, no delay and straight to the hotel. The following day the tour guide in Xi’an adjusted the day to make sure we could see the Terracotta warriors whilst at the same time not being too tired which was really nice of him. In Xi’an the tour guide continued to be like all the other guides, excellent with great English, local knowledge and doing his best to make sure we had a great time. We changed plans to be able to ride on the city wall which was amazing.

We took the train from Xi’an to Beijing, again very smooth and the pick up to the hotel was spot on. The guide in Beijing really went above and beyond to the extent that on the last day he helped us plan a great day at the temple of heaven and a brilliant local show. The spot that China Discovery took us to for the Great Wall was excellent too.

All in all, a seamless and fantastic trip. The guides spoke great English, they adjusted to our needs, the hotels booked were great and we left China really happy with our trip.

Destination(s): Shanghai, Huangshan, Anhui, Xian, Shaanxi, Beijing
Date of Experience: May 21, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Jack
Ona S

Ona S

Singapore

Reviewed on May 28, 2024

Ms. Samantha Peng of China Discovery responded to my email enquiry for my 1st visit to China with my aunt in mid-May this year. Being 72 and 65 years old, we had several concerns with travelling to China by ourselves, as we could only speak very little Mandarin.

Samantha was very professional and efficient in arranging our customized 9-day itinerary to Beijing, Xian and Zhangye. She coordinated an itinerary that met all our wish-lists. Samantha was always prompt in updating and responding to my enquiries. Her cheerful and caring personality can be felt in her email correspondence.

The Beijing and Xian hotels she booked for us were comfortable which helped us feel rested and ready for our various sightseeing.

The English-speaking local guides Lilly, Ben and Vivian were very knowledgeable and passionate in sharing with us the rich and interesting history of the destinations we visited during our trip. And the local drivers careful driving ensured our sightseeing journey was safe and comfortable.

The local guides were very mindful in ensuring that food met our dietary restrictions. We were able to enjoy delicious local cuisines in the cities we visited.

Thank you, Samantha, Lilly, Ben, Vivian, and China Discovery team, for helping make my 1st China visit an unforgettable experience.

Your country’s rich heritage, diverse culture and friendly citizens have left a deep positive impression on us.

I am already thinking of visiting other cities in China with help from Samantha and China Discovery team.

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi, Zhangye, Gansu, Silk Road
Date of Experience: May 13, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Samantha
nilofurk

nilofurk

India

Reviewed on May 25, 2024

We have taken a 14 day silk road tour from Urumqi to Beijing

It was organised by Jack Lee was a travel consultant. The tour was organised very well according to our needs and specific specifications. He kept into mind everything our rooms, our travel, comfort, and our sightseeing as we had senior citizens aboard

The guide, Aisha Amy Jenny and Oscar, excellent and knowledgeable speaking good English and-answered all our queries the drivers were careful and followed. rules the car-was neat and clean and in order right from day one till the end of a trip, we had a lovely time a well planned trip with a well planned leader,jack li

Looking forward to many more trips organised by China discovery

They are the best tour operators in china

YouTube

Destination(s): Urumqi, Turpan, Xinjiang, Dunhuang, Jiayuguan, Zhangye, Gansu, Xining, Qinghai, Ordos, Ulanqab, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, Beijing, Silk Road
Date of Experience: May 9, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Jack
Drew M

Drew M

USA

Reviewed on May 17, 2024

A huge thank you to Samantha and the team for organizing our tour of the Ming Tombs and the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall. It was so easy working with you and you created a great day trip for us. Our guide Jamie was fantastic and so knowledgeable. Thanks also to our driver for taking us around. Highly recommend Samantha and the team at China Discovery for any tours in China. We'll be in touch for our next trip!

Destination(s): Beijing
Date of Experience: May 6, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Couples
Tour Customized by: Samantha
Trail628593

Trail628593

USA

Reviewed on May 16, 2024

Mr. Wonder Wang was great coordinating our private tour to Beijing, Xi'an and Shanghai. He was responsive, accommodating to our requests, and patient with answering all our questions. The tour guides and drivers were great, too.

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi, Chengdu, Sichuan, Shanghai
Date of Experience: April 24, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Couples
Tour Customized by: Wonder
alvin c

alvin c

Singapore

Reviewed on May 14, 2024

Overall the tour was enjoyable and China Discovery is very reliable and trustworthy.

We were met on arrival in Shanghai as promised.

We booked this tour because of our Royal Caribbean cruise arrived Shanghai on 26 April, couldn’t changed the date. This 12 days tour coincided with China May Day holiday and most places of interest were crowded.

However we did enjoy the Yangtze River cruise and Beijing very much.

Beijing tour guide Jackson Lui was very helpful and knowledgeable.

Thank you China Discovery especially Ms Rita Jiang for arranging the tour for my group.

Destination(s): Shanghai, Yichang, Yangtze River, Chongqing, Xian, Shaanxi, Beijing
Date of Experience: April 26, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Couples
Tour Customized by: Rita
Adventure18103469777

Adventure18103469777

Hungary

Reviewed on May 13, 2024

I went to Western China for the 36th time in their organization. Accurate organization, great hotels, restaurants, and last but not least, we had knowledgeable and kind guides who quickly became part of the team, so the otherwise not easy tour was also enjoyable. Thank you very much! We can only recommend them!

Destination(s): Kashgar, Urumqi, Turpan, Xinjiang, Dunhuang, Gansu, Silk Road, Beijing
Date of Experience: April 30, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Friends
Tour Customized by: Jack
Maps11275433067

Maps11275433067

USA

Reviewed on May 10, 2024

I decided early on I would use a tour operator for my first trip to China. I was 60, traveling alone, female, and only spoke a little Mandarin. I actually chose another China-based agency first, one with glowing reviews like China Discovery, but quickly dropped them after sluggish response from my assigned tour consultant. What a contrast when I reached out to China Discovery. Wonder Wang, my assigned consultant, reached out pretty much as soon as the time difference allowed. This was consistent throughout our correspondence. We spent a good few weeks going back and forth tailoring my trip, which I wanted to be focused on history, so I requested tour guides who could speak to that. Wonder was game to any request I threw at him. We had one hiccup in planning that he quickly fixed right before my departure- a reminder to me that it's important to be clear about what you want in every detail. I received a confirmation letter that I used for my visa application (though an invite letter was not a requirement at the time). I also received a file with good-to-know's for traveling through China (tips, currency etc). You can choose to have China Discovery handle every arrangement or part of your trip (e.g. if you want to handle hotels and/or domestic transportation yourself). I asked for a different hotel in Beijing because I wanted something more traditional - a siheyuan in a hutong neighborhood- and that is what I got. All the hotels were different and all had their own appeal. I really loved going from something that was 100 years old to ultra-modern to rural retreat.

I also specified I wanted to go first class on the bullet train between Beijing to Xi'an (minimal price difference) and to ride the maglev to the Shanghai airport. In addition, because I was only bringing carry on, I wanted to upgrade seats on my two domestic flights. All were handled by Wonder.

In each city, I had a different tour guide and a driver. Except for one, each guide was fluent in English which allowed for some great conversation. The tour guide would meet me at the train station or airport upon arrival and then see me off to the next city, taking me as far as possible- to my seat on the train or to security at airports. They helped with check-in so I didn't have to navigate around the language barrier. They even carted my carry on for me.

Before this trip, I’d never traveled with a personal guide before. It was really liberating to not have to sweat the details, worry about getting lost, or navigate a foreign airport. In the past, working through these challenges was part of the attraction of traveling, because I wanted to learn to navigate like a native. But this time, I’m very glad I chose to go the route of a customized tour and grateful that Wonder and all the tour guides were there with me. I’d recommend them to anyone, especially anyone with any trepidation. You will be cared for.

If you are a first timer headed toward China, here are some tips you may find useful:

1 Get an esim before you leave. Aeralo worked seamlessly for me and I used my iPhone throughout my trip (data only) and had access to my email, texting (iMessage should work everywhere since it’s not SMS), and apps.

2 Sign up for a couple of VPN’s before you leave. As what works constantly changes, do your research on travel forums

3 Set up Alipay or Wechat before you go on your phone. Alipay worked sometimes for me, sometimes not. I didn’t try Wechat. Cash will do if you’re okay with a chance of not receiving change. Credit cards will work only at hotels or places that cater to foreigners. I needed very little spending money (Breakfast and lunch were covered by the tour).

4 You will encounter squat toilets. Some places will have both squat and sit so check all the stall doors if your heart is set on a sit toilet.

5 Bring toilet paper or tissue with you when you go out and remember to throw it in the bin, not the toilet.

6 Accept it will be very, very crowded at any of the standard attractions if you’re going during tourist season. Watch out for the heat at top attractions.

7 When you go through airport security, take out your electronics and that includes any power banks you packed. Make sure your power bank rating is marked or it will be confiscated, plus it has to fall below the limit. I didn’t have to take off my shoes or take out my liquids bag.

8 If you’re bringing carry on, check the limitations. Some airlines limit carry on to a single 5kg item and if you want more, you have to upgrade your seat. Whether they check carry on is your risk, but if it’s 5kg, it’s probably easy for them to guess by sight if you’ll be over

9 Lean on your tour guide. They will bend over backwards to help you. Thank you, Kai, Waldner, Daniel, Qi, and Liang. Thank you to my ninja drivers. And thank you, Wonder. I collected a lifetime of experiences in ten days thanks to you all.

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi, Guilin, Yangshuo, Guangxi, Shanghai
Date of Experience: April 17, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Solo
Tour Customized by: Wonder
Kat & Gez

Kat & Gez

UK

Reviewed on May 8, 2024

We were initially apprehensive about booking a tour directly with a Chinese tour operator but we needn’t have worried. April, our rep from the office was very patient when we made alterations and amendments until we were happy with our itinerary. From start to finish everything went so smoothly and efficiently. We were met easily at each train station or airport by guides/drivers who checked whether we needed to use restrooms before any journey. They were all, without exception knowledgeable, helpful and friendly, assisting us with menu choices so that we could enjoy Chinese cuisine that was also comfortable for our Western palates. This was our first visit to China and obtaining a visa was a bit problematic but we enjoyed it so much that we are planning a further trip while they are still valid and will definitely be using China Discovery!

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi, Guilin, Yangshuo, Guangxi, Yangtze River, Shanghai
Date of Experience: April 17, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Friends
Tour Customized by: April
Thomas L

Thomas L

USA

Reviewed on May 6, 2024

Overall we had good times during the trip. Great cities, hotels, food and amazing sceneries throughout our visit. Evelyn Ma and Yangtze River Cruises company had tried everything they could to fulfill our needs. Other than mishaps in pick up arrangements they did excellent jobs in meeting our expectations. Trip could have been much more enjoyable if people don’t smoke in public.

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi, Guilin, Yangshuo, Guangxi, Chongqing, Yangtze River, Suzhou, Jiangsu, Shanghai
Date of Experience: April 2, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Evelyn
Graham C

Graham C

UK

Reviewed on May 6, 2024

We have just returned from the trip of a lifetime organised by China Discovery. April our contact was fantastic ... helpful, patient and always available when needed. We travelled as a group of 4 , and the drivers and English speaking guides were all brilliant. We started in Beijing, took a train to Xian, a plane to Guilin, a car to Ping'an, a boat to Yangshuo, a train to spend a 3 night cruise on the Yangtze , and a train to Shanghai. Everything went to plan, on time and we were treated to fabulous food. The guides were great ... Linda (Beijing) was particularly caring, Gin, Oscar and Sandra were also excellent. Hotels were all better than expected, cars were comfortable , and train journeys were interesting and all ran to time !! We would have no hesitation in recommending this Company. The biggest issue we had was the hassle getting the visa but it was worth it !!

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi, Guilin, Yangshuo, Guangxi, Yangtze River, Shanghai
Date of Experience: April 17, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Friends
Tour Customized by: April
Yun chi L

Yun chi L

Canada

Reviewed on May 5, 2024

Jack Li of Chengdu Bamboo/ China Discovery Travel organized this excellent 14 days tour of Beijing, Chongqing and Chengdu for groups of 10. The itinerary was well planned to cover most of the popular sights with excellent local guides to explain the history and the significance of each destination. All the hotels he chose were in central locations so we could get to explore each city in the evening. Jack even went out of his way to book an Opera for us at the Beijing Center of Performing Arts and a few special dinners in Beijing and Chengdu. All the local guides were fluent in English and be able to provide information about the present day life of local people.

We would not hesitate to book future tours with the Chengdu Bamboo travel as well as recommend our friends to Jack Li.

Destination(s): Beijing, Chongqing, Dazu, Fuling, Chengdu, Leshan, Sichuan
Date of Experience: April 14, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Friends
Tour Customized by: Jack
BOAZ K

BOAZ K

Israel

Reviewed on May 4, 2024

We (8 adults) traveled a 8 days tour in China which includes: 5D Guilin area and 3D Beijing.

The arraignments were excellent, Zeva Du & Tracy Tan built an exceptional itinerary which includes: 2 flights, high speed train, River Li cruise, surprising hotels (better than I expected), excellent English speaking guides, driver with a Private 14-seater Van and most of all- an exceptional itinerary. everything was ticking like a clock, we had hotels breakfast and lunch included in the tour.

The tour was great with all perspective point of view and I will highly recommend to organize it with China Discovery for anyone who wants to travel in China.

Thank you Zeva & Tracy

Boaz Karmy, Israel

Destination(s): Guilin, Guangxi, Beijing
Date of Experience: April 23, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Tracy
Chng PE

Chng PE

Singapore

Reviewed on May 3, 2024

We are from Singapore and booked a 12 days private tour in Beijing, Xian, Zhangjiajie, Huangshan with English speaking tour guide from 22nd Mar to 2nd Apr 2024. The tour itinerary is very well arranged and smooth, transportation and all hotels arrangement are great and conveniently located. All above expectations. The coordinator/Manager Leo is patient, flexible and is service oriented and above expectation. The guides for Beijing Linda, Xian Jessica, Zhangjiajie Abbie and Huangshan Jessica are not only very professional, knowledgable and proficient in English. They are all so kind and caring. They all went out of their way to ensure we are well taken care of during our trip. Words can justify, their dedication and pride in doing their best in their work. They are certainly a value asset to China Discovery. Will certainly recommend to friends and relative and will engage China Discovery for our future trips. Well Done and Keep It Up .... Jia Yu

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi, Zhangjiajie, Hunan, Huangshan, Anhui
Date of Experience: March 22, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Couples
Tour Customized by: Leo
Alan Y

Alan Y

Australia

Reviewed on April 30, 2024

We were a group of 8 senior citizens traveling from Beijing to Taskurgan Xinjiang along the Old Silk Road trail. cities that we visited include Xian, Zhangye, Jiayuguan, Dunhuang, Turpan, Urumqi and Kashmir.

Our Itineraries was planned by Jack Li of China Discovery.

Credit must go to Jack, our consultant who has been working professionally and patiently on the program for several months despite repeated changes. We like to acknowledge that all were finally worked out and we enjoyed this trip very much. We also want to thank our friendly local guides Linda, Vivian, Muhtar and Lvyik, they are so helpful and knowledgeable. Transfers and en-route services were satisfactory too.

Xinjiang is such an amazing place. The sceneries/ landscapes were spectacular! We learnt so much on the history and cultures of the different ethnic people.

We have no hesitation in recommending Jack Li of China Discovery to our families, friends and those who are planning to visit China.

Alan & Lily

Australia

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi, Zhangye, Jiayuguan, Dunhuang, Gansu, Turpan, Urumqi, Kashgar, Tashkurgan, Xinjiang, Silk Road
Date of Experience: April 8, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Friends
Tour Customized by: Jack
Ronnie E

Ronnie E

UK

Reviewed on April 24, 2024

I selected Beijing, Xian, and Shanghai, 8 days tour with China Discovery. Travelling solo in April 2024. I am from the UK. I will not talk much about the tour sites as these were amazing in themselves to see, and lots have already spoken about then, but from a practical viewpoint I will talk about the tour. I will include some photos.

Just to confirm what you get with China Discovery tour, you get your own driver and car, and your own tour guide. It is only you, the tour guide and the driver. No other guests. This means you get very personal/direct one on one tour.

I have to say the tour went very smoothly and like clockwork, I arrived at Beijing airport via Air China flight from London, and the tour guide James was waiting for me at the arrival hall, and then took me to the car to drive to the hotel. My mobile did not work in China, Mark took me to a phone shop to register for a local sim card, I had a headache and James also took me to the chemist to get some medication. The tour guides look after you very well. He showed me a few local places to eat, and then told me what time to meet in the morning and a bit about the local shops etc so I could spend the evening exploring. The next few days were spent exploring the sites as per tour schedule.

When it came to leave Beijing and travel to Xian via bullet train, Mark took me to the station and actually came with me all the way to the train seat to make sure I was safely on the train! Candy the tour guide in Xian, had already sent a photo of where to meet once I arrived in Xian, and sure enough Candy was waiting for me, and we went to the hotel and Candy gave me some advice about the local area to explore that evening. Xian again was a tour like clockwork and the sights were amazing to see. After a few days in Xian, it was time to travel to Shanghai, Candy took me to the airport and see me off at the security gate. It was all smooth at the airport with the signs in English and check in info on boarding card, so you could not really go wrong.

When I arrived in Shanghai, my tour guide was waiting for me (very big airport with lots of exits) and he took me to the hotel. Again he was able to provide local information so I could explore that evening. The following morning Mark met me, it was raining very badly and foggy, he suggested that we change the tour a bit because I was due to go to the observation deck, but it was a bit fruitless due to the weather. Instead I mentioned one of my most favourite movies was Empire of the sun, so we instead added a few extra stops to the tour as they were in the city not far, this was not a problem to do and Mark was happy to show me the different places. After the tour of Shanghai, I departed.

A few tips,

-Try to make sure your phone will work in China, this is really useful to keep in contact with the tour guide, and family! Whatsapp/Signal and many other apps do not work in China. Apple iMessage does. The hotels also have phones.

-Start slowly with the food, I personally took a few days to get used to the food. If you struggle, there are western fast food chains in all the places. Although you will need to pay with cash as most do not accept cards. Only Wechat pay which would not work for me. But you can generally point at the menu and order with cash at the front till! There are lots of cash points also.

-Be prepared some traffic, as in any major city and city noise in general.

-There are many toilets about and at the sites.

So all in all this was an amazing experience, I was a bit apprehensive about travel to China, but I did not need to be. You need to consider your own circumstances and be aware of laws as when visiting any country, but rest assured China discovery sincerely want to look after you and I explored on my own the China cities, it was very safe and I had no issues at all. I can only recommend China discovery if China is somewhere you want to visit. And after visiting, I would strongly recommend you visit with a tour company. While some signs are in English, most people do not speak English and there are often very different processes that you need your guide to assist you with. Boarding the train for example, is a very different process than in the UK. Without a guide or anyone speaking English, you could get tripped up from the practical stuff. So I do recommend China discovery and getting a guide 100% worth every penny.

I also wish to thank Rita who arranged the tour at China Discovery, she answered my questions quickly and could not help me more. I will never forget the experience for the rest of my life.

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi, Shanghai
Date of Experience: April 11, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Solo
Tour Customized by: Rita
Don F

Don F

USA

Reviewed on April 22, 2024

We were a group of 6 on a China Discovery 13 day tour of China. We traveled to Beijing, Xian, Chengdu, Chonqqing, and Yangtze River Cruise.

Tracy Tan was our contact person at China Discovery. She was very easy to work with and she handled all of the details for our trip. I highly recommend Tracy!

The tour was EXCELLENT!

Jamie our guide in Beijing was a 10 Star Guide, the best guide I have ever experienced. (I have used about 40 guides in the last 6 years.) He spoiled us with his attention to details and his concern for our interest. He arranged for a wheelchair for me on the 2nd day as I was having an issue walking that day. It was a temporary issue, but Jamie was the one that suggested get a wheelchair and he pushed me around all day.

All the other guides did an excellent job. The tours selected were very good and we enjoyed all the attractions.

When we arrived in Chengdu, our guide, Bay had presents (Chopsticks, Bookmarks, & Panda Bears) for us and that was appreciated by the wives

All the hotels were 4 stars and we enjoyed each and everyone. Novotel Xinqiao was our favorite.

The restaurants and homes that we visited were very good.

The river cruise was very nice, we upgraded to premium cabins once we got on the boat at a much less cost than if we had booked the premium cabins in the beginning. The food on the boat was ok, but we felt it could have been much better.

The transportation was very good with plenty of room for the 6 of us and baggage.

The pickups and drop offs were excellent.

We were very pleased with the quality of the hotels, meals, guides, transportation and communication.

I highly recommend China Discovery for your next trip to China.

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi, Chengdu, Sichuan, Chongqing, Yangtze River, Changsha, Hunan
Date of Experience: March 24, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Friends
Tour Customized by: Tracy
P Y

P Y

Australia

Reviewed on April 22, 2024

The trip was overall well planned. Thanks Leo Li. We enjoyed the various places of interest and fantastic local food. Small hiccups were quickly resolved and travel was comfortable. Tour guides were very knowledgeable and helpful. We will recommend China Discovery to our friends and family.

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi, Chengdu, Sichuan, Yangtze River, Zhangjiajie, Hunan, Shanghai
Date of Experience: March 30, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Leo
hans s

hans s

Philippines

Reviewed on April 21, 2024

We had the 10-day tour beginning in Beijing, then Xi'an, Guiling and Shanghai. Very interesting tour combining the historical, cultural, rural and urban facade of China. It was well coordinated and the places visited were very interesting . Upon arrival, the tour company was ready right at the moment we went beyond immigration all the way till we left China. The guides in every city were the key factors because they bridged the language barrier, were very accomodating and very well knew the places to visit. Mention of Susie in Beijing, Jin in Xi'an, David in Giulin and Henry in Shanghai. Of course, all these were coordinated by Vivien Li of China Discovery. I contacted her via email , processed the tour requirement and delivered. You can trust her.

Visit China!!

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi, Guilin, Guangxi, Shanghai
Date of Experience: April 7, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Couples
Tour Customized by: Vivien
Sukeshini N

Sukeshini N

Malaysia

Reviewed on April 17, 2024

Our 13 day Silk Road tour was the best experience ever for us - a group of six ladies in our dustiest and seventies!! It wasn’t just about visiting China! It was about its rich cultural heritage; its arts, its calligraphy, its operas, the food, the different religious influences, the pagodas, the palaces, its architecture and its texts. It’s also about its long political history, stretching back thousands of years; years of court intrigues, Emperors and Concubines, about the wars, the armies, the violence, the suicides, the rise and fall of Dynasties. Then there is always the Great Wall! It’s also about its diverse and humbling geography from lush green woods, to clear lakes, to snow capped mountains, the sand dunes and the vast deserts. And beneath all of that, it’s impossible not to see this country’s national pride, the people’s hopes, their industriousness and their aspirations. More than that, it has been about our own experience with the people, the dust storms, the cold, the heat, the bullet trains, the sleeper trains and the sights and the streets! Thank you, Vivian Lì ( China Discovery) for making this happen!

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi, Dunhuang, Gansu, Turpan, Urumqi, Kashgar, Xinjiang, Silk Road
Date of Experience: April 4, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Friends
Tour Customized by: Vivien
Sunshine12911673704

Sunshine12911673704

Malaysia

Reviewed on April 17, 2024

We are a group of 6 senior citizen women and we had the time of our lives. China Discovery helped open our eyes to the wonders of China, as we traversed from the east to west- taking in Beijing,Xi’an, Dunhuang, Turpan, Urumqi and Kashgar with varying topography, history and climate: from deserts, dust storms, dunes, snowcapped mountains and frozen lakes, we followed the modern Silk Road and whilst some of us rode camels some of us walked up the dunes.

China Discovery guides in each city helped us and cared for us and Vivien Li of China Discovery put them all together and constantly kept in touch with us. Once one of our bullet trains was cancelled due to dust storms and Vivien contacted us within an hour to inform us and booked us into an alternative transport. Another group in another tour did not even know their train had been cancelled until we told them to check the next day. So grateful to Vivien!!!

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi, Dunhuang, Gansu, Turpan, Urumqi, Kashgar, Xinjiang, Silk Road
Date of Experience: April 4, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Friends
Tour Customized by: Vivien
Antal L

Antal L

Hungary

Reviewed on April 14, 2024

My wife and me took a 21-day private customised tour through China organised by Wonder, China Discovery. Wonder is an ideal travel consultant. He is highly competent, absolutely professional and flexible. Exept one also the local tour guides and drivers were very engaged and trusty. For travelling within China we used mainly the very efficient, very fast, comfortable and very punctual high speed trains. The selection of hotels (location and comfort) was also good. So, we were able to carry out our tour, which was quite ambitious and strict for our age (71 years), well. We can highly recommend China Discovery and personally Wonder.

Destination(s): Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, Huangshan, Anhui, Guilin, Guangxi, Kunming, Yuanyang, Jianshui, Dali, Lijiang, Yunnan, Lhasa, Tibet, Luoyang, Henan
Date of Experience: March 21, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Couples
Tour Customized by: Wonder
apteabhi

apteabhi

India

Reviewed on April 13, 2024

Hi, it was a great trip organised by the team of China Discovery. Everything was seamless and very well planned as per the itinerary provided in advance. All of their guides and drivers were professionals and well versed with the knowledge about all the spots we covered. Even the selection of Hotels at Shanghai, Xian and Beijing were fabulous with amazing meal options. We as a family had a superb lifetime experience. Once again, thanks to China Discovery for making our trip so special.

Destination(s): Shanghai, Xian, Shaanxi, Beijing
Date of Experience: April 5, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Leo
Kathy388k

Kathy388k

UK

Reviewed on April 13, 2024

After a significant amount of research for our family trip to China, I came across China Discovery. I cannot thank Wonder Wang enough for arranging one of the best holidays we have been on as a family. We absolutely LOVED every day and every trip we took. I would highly recommend China Discovery and Wonder Wang to anyone planning a trip! Wonder’s communication was both responsive and excellent, being extremely patient and accommodating with all of my many requirements!

We are a family of 5 with three children aged 15,11 and 9. I have stayed in some pretty plush hotels in my time but the hotels booked by Wonder well surpassed our expectations! He found us interconnecting rooms so it was really convenient and gave the children their own space.

We spent 12 days touring Beijing, Xian and Chengdu in a privately organised mini bus with three of the nicest and most knowledgeable tour guides. Gary in Beijing, Paul in Xi’an and Sandy in Chengdu. Each of them spoke excellent English and were extremely attentive. We were checked into our hotels by all three guides and taken to train stations/airport for trips to the next city. Gary even took us all of the way onto the bullet train and found space for many suitcases onto the carriage. Paul was so accommodating and flexible and the children found him really entertaining. Sandy ordered us the nicest food in Chengdu.

As for the places we visited, we saw and learnt so much about the tradition, history and the culture. China is one of the cleanest, safest and most beautiful countries I’ve been to, immersed in thousands of years of culture and heritage.

When we got home, my children thanked me for taking them on the best holiday they’ve ever been on. I honestly can’t thank Wonder from China Discovery and our wonder guides Gary, Paul and Sandy enough. We loved it so much I’m already thinking about my next trip there!

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi, Chengdu, Leshan, Emeishan, Sichuan
Date of Experience: March 28, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Wonder
danaCalizor

danaCalizor

USA

Reviewed on April 12, 2024

The 4-night/5-days China tour in Beijing and Xian was fantastic and fit our needs perfectly. We are a family of three including 2 teenagers and we made our own way to Beijing. We were greeted at arrivals and taken to our hotel for much needed sleep. The tour ran exactly as promised and we were given enough time to properly see each site. We never felt rushed. Both tour guides were clearly passionate about their respective cities, were very knowledgeable and worked very well with children. Tony in Beijing reminded us to take family photos at the perfect moments while sharing all about the past and present. Linda in Xian made sure we tried the famous noodles and yummy desserts. Each tour guide asked what we wanted each day and made sure each day was a great experience. The meals were delicious and ordered for our specific dietary needs. The drivers arrived on time and were very polite.

I used China Discovery (based in Chengdu) and Evelyn made all the arrangements. I will be using them for our next adventure.

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi
Date of Experience: March 31, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Evelyn
GoPlaces696446

GoPlaces696446

Norway

Reviewed on April 12, 2024

11 days private tour in China, visting Beijing, Chendu, Guilin and Zhangjiajie. Amazing locations, and excellent service provided from China Discovery letting us enjoy a truly beautiful country and culture.

Destination(s): Beijing, Chengdu, Sichuan, Guilin, Guangxi, Zhangjiajie, Hunan
Date of Experience: March 25, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Johnson
Wee KK

Wee KK

Malaysia

Reviewed on April 12, 2024

My wife and I have had a wonderful time spending 13 days travelling across Beijing, Luoyang, and Xi’an. Our private tour across the 3 cities booked by Chinadiscovery.com was most enjoyable, exciting, and well looked after. Our entire holiday trip ended smoothly. Transportation via road/high speed train/air travel and hotel arrangements exceeded our expectations. Our 3 English speaking Tour Guides, Liu (Beijing), Kelly (Luoyang) and Sandy (Xian), were very knowledgeable, professional, helpful, and friendly. We are glad to have gained such an enriching experience and deeper knowledge of China’s historical landmarks, culture, and past civilization of which the knowledge certainly made our tour enriched and full of memories.

We also acknowledged the exceptionally supportive and efficient Tour consultant, Rita Jiang, who promptly assisted with our personal concerns faced throughout our trip. When we needed to make changes to our hotels, transport and itinerary, she promptly attended to our requests. And when we raised our concern transferring our several oversized and overweight luggage, she thoughtfully upgraded our 5-seater saloon vehicle to a 7-seater SUV and upgraded our Xian-Shanghai flight to Business Class.

We can only be highly satisfied with China Discovery's service and their commitment to customers ‘satisfaction. We would strongly recommend their service to people who have an interest in visiting China.

China, as a tourist destination, has everything to offer: architectural monuments and relics of ancient civilizations, beautiful national parks/landscape, blooming garden flowers, old historical towns and modern metropolises, amazingly stunning snowcapped mountain tops... It is made up of multi- ethnic, multi-religious & multi-cultural people and it’s certainly also a safe and tourist friendly country. We are already planning our next trip to China.

Destination(s): Beijing, Luoyang, Henan, Xian, Shaanxi
Date of Experience: March 25, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Couples
Tour Customized by: Rita
Moy T

Moy T

Australia

Reviewed on April 11, 2024

We took a 8days private tour to Xian, Louyang and Beijing. We thoroughly enjoyed the whole trip. We would not have such a memorable trip without the help of China Discovery and all 3 of our tour guides in each city. Everything went smoothly and well planned. All our guides (Jessie, Shane & Maggie) went above and beyond to give us the best experience. They introduced us to local food in each city which we completely love it. Leo Li (our organiser) was very accommodating & revise itinerary so that we can visit all the sites that we wish to visit.

I highly recommend China Discovery if you would like to truly experience China.

Destination(s): Xian, Shaanxi, Luoyang, Henan, Beijing
Date of Experience: March 26, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Couples
Tour Customized by: Leo
Lenise S

Lenise S

Brazil

Reviewed on April 10, 2024

10 days - Beijing - Xian - Guilin - Zhangjiajie - Shanghai.

What an incredible trip!

My husband and I had an excellent experience with China Discovery. Starting with the itinerary tailored to suit us.

Everything was quick and efficient as we had little time for planning.

The prepared, humorous and super attentive tour guides served us exclusively, equipped with new cars and very polite drivers.

Excellent hotels!

Wonderful tours! I recommend!!

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi, Guilin, Guangxi, Zhangjiajie, Hunan, Shanghai
Date of Experience: March 22, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Couples
Tour Customized by: Rita
Tom B

Tom B

UK

Reviewed on April 10, 2024

Thank you China Discovery for an amazing trip to Beijing, Xi’an, Chengdu and Shanghai. We had the best time and could not have been better looked after and guided in our time in China. We saw the Great Wall, the Terracotta Army, Pandas and many other amazing sites. The restaurants we went too were all interesting and delicious!

Leo Li was fantastic in helping us put together the perfect itinerary and for any queries and support on our journey. We had great support from our wonderful guides Power, Ivan, Sarah and Mark who really helped us make the most of our trip. We would strongly recommend China Discovery and will be back in touch when we next look to come back to China. Thank you!

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi, Chengdu, Sichuan, Shanghai
Date of Experience: March 24, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Couples
Tour Customized by: Leo
Ccpt

Ccpt

USA

Reviewed on April 8, 2024

I took a 13-Day private tour fo Beijin, Xi'an, Guilin, Yangchuo, Yangtze River Cruise and Shanghai. I first of all would like to thank China Discovery for such a great job before and during my trip. They promptly answered all of my questions and gave me peace of mind since I was traveling all by myself so far away from home. Alipay was a great suggestion because it not only helped with paying for just about anything but also kept us in touch throughout my trip with their chat feature. The trip you put together for me was exceptional, and along with some of the optional tours we added, and the cruise ship you picked made for a superb experience.

The hotels were very good, well located and clean, I was just a bit disappointed that most of the staff in the majority of hotels, even at the front desk, didn't speak English, but I was able to communicate through translation apps. The guides were excellent, their English was very good, they were very knowledgeable, attentive, flexible, and very helpful; what I'm very thankful for is that whenever I had train rides they helped me all the way into the train car, with my luggage and finding my seat, that meant a lot because without knowing Chinese I surely would have missed the train or gotten into the wrong one, they also gave me instructions as which way to go once I arrived to my destination to meet the guide. The vehicles and drivers were also very good.

The Victoria Sabrina cruise ship couldn't have been better, the staff and local guides with the exception of the very last one (I already contacted the cruise ship regarding this issue) were friendly and very very nice. There were very few non Chinese-speaking passengers but the cruise director made sure to take care of us at all times. They had shows, optional tours and activities that I enjoyed thoroughly.

I gladly recommend your company, I loved my China trip and if I had to do it all over again I wouldn't think twice about contacting Tracy and China Discovery!!!! Well done Tracy!

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi, Guilin, Guangxi, Yangtze River, Shanghai
Date of Experience: March 14, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Solo
Tour Customized by: Tracy
108maisiew

108maisiew

New Zealand

Reviewed on April 7, 2024

We did a private customised 2 week trip to China with China Discovery.

From the planning stage the process was very quick and efficient. Johnson Wang replied to my emails very promptly and the itinerary was finalised to what we wanted.

The trip went smoothly. We all had pick ups at the airport at different times but that did not pose an issue.

The English speaking guides were mostly excellent and really made sure we had a good experience and looked after us very well.

Then at the end due to bad weather in one location we made last minute changes to our flights and once again Johnson and his team made these changes with a few hours notice for us.

I feel they really went above and beyond to make the trip the best experience for us.

Amazing seamless service and I would recommend them highly to anyone considering a guided tour of China.

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi, Guilin, Guangxi, Zhangjiajie, Hunan, Shanghai
Date of Experience: March 24, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Couples
Tour Customized by: Johnson
David S

David S

Canada

Reviewed on April 5, 2024

Thanks to China Discovery tours for arranging an amazing travel experience. Outstanding tour consultant Leo Li coordinated every detail of our trip. Your English-speaking guides and private vehicle drivers are exceptional.

Highlights of our tour spanned from the Great Wall and Grand Palaces of Beijing to armies of Terracotta Warriors in Xi'an, the unique Panda Breeding sanctuary in the heart of Chengdu and a spectacular cruise down the Yangtze River to the Financial Capital of Shanghai.

China is Amazing!.. It's a living legacy from the ancient to ultra-modern. Rickshaws on cobblestone roads to high-speed trains on elevated rails, China is full of cultural contrasts and lovely people.

Thanks for making our China vacation possible.

We appreciate you and your team’s support.

Xièxie China Discovery tours!

Two Travellers from Canada.

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi, Chengdu, Sichuan, Yangtze River, Shanghai
Date of Experience: March 16, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Couples
Tour Customized by: Leo
cahal o

cahal o

UK

Reviewed on March 27, 2024

Organized online by Evelyn Ma who assembled the itinerary, ticked all the boxes. Very attentive guides and drivers. For a total rookie this made China simple and understandable

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi
Date of Experience: March 13, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Couples
Tour Customized by: Evelyn
Happiness51174163394

Happiness51174163394

USA

Reviewed on March 25, 2024

Folks, if you are planning to visit the wonderful country of China, you must use China Discovery to make the most of your visit. The folks at China Discovery provide a friendly, engaging, highly informative tour service, with a personal touch. I’m returning in a year, and I’ll surely request their services once again. Enjoy!

Destination(s): Beijing, Shanghai
Date of Experience: March 18, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Solo
Tour Customized by: Wing
BarrieMorgan

BarrieMorgan

UK

Reviewed on March 15, 2024

Wonder Wang arranged a private tour for four comprising visits to Beijing, Pingyao, Xi'an and a 3 night Yangtse River cruise. I can't praise Wonder and China Discovery enough for the arrangements. Wonder responded to all our questions fully and speedily. The choice of 4* accommodation was excellent, and all the accompanied transfers, which one would find difficult on one's own, went without a hitch. All of the guides were very knowledgeable and spoke excellent English. I strongly recommend the company and Wonder.

Destination(s): Beijing, Pingyao, Shanxi, Xian, Shaanxi, Yangtze River, Wuhan, Hubei, Hong Kong
Date of Experience: March 2, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Friends
Tour Customized by: Wonder
Kimerald Evangelista

Kimerald Evangelista

Philippines

Reviewed on March 11, 2024

There are 8 of us from the Philippines and we got China Discovery to create for us a personalized package for Beijing because we have 2 seniors with us and we need to consider their pace and needs.

Mr. Wonder (yes, that's his name) who helped me curate the tour has been more than helpful. He fixed our itinerary, answered my many questions, was patient with various changes, always replied promptly even when he was on a holiday. His English is very good so we didn't have any problem with communication. The hotel he booked us in was very central. Restaurants and shops everywhere. Subway and bus stations just outside hotel door. Very professional and excellent with his job.

The tour turned out to be as accurate as the itinerary Mr. Wonder made for us. Our tour guide 刘开庆先生 Mr. Jackson Liu is a very good guide, he's always on time, kind, patient, and helps our older family members. He knows the history and a lot of interesting anecdotes about all the places we visited. Even my 10 year old child was amused with the stories he told. He translates twice, English for the younger people, and Mandarin for our senior parents. He takes good pictures of us! He suggests good restaurants that locals go to and our tummies are more than satisfied. He even answers my calls during his off hours when I would need help finding which subway to take or when I was having a hard time finding a certain place.

Price-wise, they're very economical. I was able to compare this to another relative who contracted with another company who will also do a similar Beijing tour just 3 weeks after ours. Our trip definitely was value for money.

We had a wonderful time in Beijing and will be sure to contact China Discovery again for our next China trip.

Destination(s): Beijing
Date of Experience: March 1, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Wonder
SamAmex

SamAmex

Australia

Reviewed on March 7, 2024

Wonder from China Discovery was amazing organising a dream China Trip!

Was so good, we even have now booked and gone on 2 trips with them! The first was a 22 day trip going through all of the major sites in China: Beijing, Xi’an, Chengdu, Zhangjiajie, Guilin, Hangzhou, Hengdian, Shanghai. There was a guide and driver personally there to greet us at each location, and all the internal train tickets were included. So were the attraction tickets.

Note we were given the option to book our own hotels and pay for our own lunches. If you rather the tour company organise that yourself - go for it, that’s the default option. But I think paying for your own lunches at least gives you more flexibility. You can also negotiate the locations and itinerary to your own liking.

In terms of cost - for the 22 days (with 2 rest days) it was $7160 USD for two people - ie around $325USD per day for us as a couple (no lunches/hotels - but including all trains/tickets/transport).

It was such a professional and wonderful experience, we got Wonder to organise a 3 day trip to Guangzhou just last week as well (using the 144 hour visa free transit rule China has). That was also amazing.

So regardless if you’re planning a big holiday or a short trip, Chinese Discovery is amazing and takes all the stress out of organising everything. Just have your passport and wechat pay enabled and you’ll be fine.

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi, Chengdu, Emeishan, Sichuan, Guilin, Guangxi, Zhangjiajie, Hunan, Hangzhou, Jinhua, Zhejiang, Shanghai
Date of Experience: November 12, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as Couples
Tour Customized by: Wonder
min_lmh

min_lmh

Germany

Reviewed on February 26, 2024

We - a family of three with a toddler not yet 2 years old - booked a private two day tour with China Discovery including sightings of the Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Summer Palace and the Beijing Zoo and we were thrilled. We had two great days with a super knowledgeable and amazing guide, very sensible safe drivers, and a quick, very helpful „planning“ agent before and during our journey. We can really recommend them especially when travelling with small children, we could spontaneously adjust our plans according to our toddlers needs and also good great advise on what to do best in what time etc. Thank you all so much, we had an amazing time!

Destination(s): Beijing
Date of Experience: February 6, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Wonder
soposkyp

soposkyp

USA

Reviewed on January 29, 2024

We originally booked this trip in September of 2019. We all know what happened then. Tried again in 2021, 2022 and 2023. Finally, my wife and ii were able to take the trip to Beijing. Johnson Wang and I had kept in touch since i had made the original arrangements. China discovery set up the entire trip from the airport to the return to the airport. My only request of our English speaking guide was that she keep my wife happy. Linda followed my instructions, and we had one of the best guided tours of our travels. Linda picked good restaurants to eat in and walks that were within the limits of our 73-year-old legs. She made sure that we were picked up at convenient location to the sites we visited and followed the itinerary. I would recommend China Discovery to anyone that would want to visit and learn about Beijing.

Destination(s): Beijing
Date of Experience: January 16, 2024
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Johnson
Ying Ying H

Ying Ying H

USA

Reviewed on January 22, 2024

I took a personalized tour created by Tracy. She is AMAZING. If you are not satisfied with anything, don't hesitate to let her know because she won't stop until you are fully satisfied with your itinerary. Also, by having this personalized trip, everything was extremely easy and convenient. You only need to provide your ID for them to take care of everything for you. You will have to arrange your own flights, but once you are there, just sit back and relax.

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi, Harbin, Heilongjiang, Zhangjiajie, Hunan, Guangzhou, Guangdong
Date of Experience: December 15, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as Couples
Tour Customized by: Tracy
laura R

laura R

Italy

Reviewed on January 15, 2024

We found China Discovery online and trusted them thanks to the beautiful reviews they got. Now I can confirm that they are absolutely fantastic and helpful! A special thank to Zeva that was very kind and helped us before the departure for all the organization and suggestions. The trip was perfectly customized according to our needs, we had some difficult request (as we asked to see the fishing with cormorants in Guilin) and she perfectly planned everything. Also all the local guides and drivers were very kind and helpful. During our last day we had the flight at midnight and asked to the last guide to bring us to have dinner before going to the airport and they found a special restaurant for us.

We did a fantastic 11 days Beijing-Pingyao-Xian-Guizhou-Guilin-Beijing Highlights Private Tour, China is enchanting with its spectacular landscapes and temples!!

Destination(s): Beijing, Jinzhong, Shanxi, Xian, Shaanxi, Liping, Guizhou, Guilin, Guangxi
Date of Experience: December 24, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as Couples
Tour Customized by: Zeva
Trail49793389141

Trail49793389141

Malaysia

Reviewed on January 10, 2024

Despite -10° to 5° C temp during our visit, we had a wonderful time visiting the Simatai section of the Great Wall of China, Gubei water town, Beijing's Forbidden City and Summer Palace. Our tour was specially designed to our taste by Tracy who gave many great suggestions ideas. We even added a day of skiing for the kids at Nanshan Ski Resort.

All the places we visited were spectacular. Simatai allowed a nite walk on the Great Wall with beautiful lighting. Gubei water town with hot spring pools during the winter month is just exhilarating. Many memories were made on this trip with the family.

Our tour guide was very friendly and patient. His knowledge on Chinese history as well as current happenings is very extensive. Always sensitive and flexible to our daily needs. Jamie catered to our changes of the itinerary according to everyday situation and is a gracious host. Some of destinations were altered, timing was altered but Jamie handled everything smoothly. Our driver, Mr Hu is also a patient man and always helpful with our luggage etc.

I have been recommending this tour agency to my friends back home. Will visit China again soon.

Destination(s): Beijing
Date of Experience: December 27, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Tracy
Irene L

Irene L

Italy

Reviewed on January 5, 2024

Our experience with China Discovery (Chengdu) was absolutely great from the very beginning. Phoebe was available and definitely patient enough to adjust the itinerary to our needs and to clarify everything we needed to know before booking.

We spent two days on Huangshan mountains, it was just great! The guide was available, very experienced and spoke good English. A 2-day tour is definitely recommended.

We also went on a day tour to the Great Wall. We had some hitches but China Discovery and the staff were ready to solve the problem immediately.

Thank you for your availability and honesty.

Destination(s): Beijing, Huangshan, Anhui
Date of Experience: December 5, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as Couples
Tour Customized by: Phoebe
Diana E

Diana E

Indonesia

Reviewed on January 5, 2024

We have 11 Days family trip in Beijing, Xi'an and Chengdu. The whole trip was amazing. Accomodation and transportation are wonderful. The food are very nice. The hotel is great. We are so thankful to Wonder Wang who arrange this amazing trip from the very beginning, also for being very helpful and patient to give a quick respond, always ready to give any information that we need, and make sure that everything has been well communicated. Also special thanks to our tour guides Jack (Beijing), Jessie (Xi'an), Kevin (Chengdu) and all the drivers. They are very kind, cheerful, communicative and helpful. The service was very excellent from our arrival to our departure. We feel very safe and comfortable. We highly recommend China Discovery to everyone who wants to have a memorable, pleasant, and comfortable trip to China.

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi, Chengdu, Leshan, Emeishan, Sichuan
Date of Experience: December 26, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Wonder
Salil

Salil

India

Reviewed on January 4, 2024

Took a family trip to China - Guilin, Shanghai, Xian , Beijing. It was well planned and executed trip by Wonder. We thoroughly enjoyed every step of the day. The sights, choice of hotels, guides and vehicles were spotless and well organised. Wonder was very accommodating and patient of suggestions. Quick to respond. Will highly recommend this agency especially Wonder for wonderful experience.

Destination(s): Guilin, Yangshuo, Guangxi, Shanghai, Xian, Shaanxi, Beijing
Date of Experience: December 23, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Wonder
sharifahmed8

sharifahmed8

Australia

Reviewed on January 2, 2024

I am overwhelmed and very satisfied with this 13 day China trip! The service I got was beyond my expectations. We were taken care of every places we visited. All local guides and drivers were helpful.

We thought we would face difficulty to find suitable Muslim food but guides took us to the right places and we had very yummy food all over the trip. Even in the Yangtze river cruise, cruise manager instructed his chef to prepare special meals for us! All local guides speak very good English. We always felt safe there.

Special thanks to Leo Li for organising such a wonderful and memorable trip! Me and my family will cherish the memories of our China trip many years to come.

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi, Guilin, Yangshuo, Guangxi, Yangtze River, Shanghai
Date of Experience: December 13, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Leo
Adventure13976004750

Adventure13976004750

UK

Reviewed on December 31, 2023

We had such an amazing tour of Beijing with China Discovery. They are an incredibly professional and attentive company, really lovely people. From start to finish the level of service was first class. Our guide and driver were great too. Unfortunately, a personal emergency cut our visit short but Zeva and the team were so very supportive, beyond what anyone could reasonably expect. We wholeheartedly recommend China Discovery - and we never write reviews.

Destination(s): Beijing
Date of Experience: December 22, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Zeva
David M

David M

Australia

Reviewed on December 29, 2023

This was a fantastic experience and my first time visiting China. My China Discovery tour was in two parts, firstly Beijing, followed by Xi'An and time to see the Terracotta Army.

I had guides in both cities - Justin in Beijing and Angela in Xi'An.

Both guides were incredibly knowledgeable, punctual, informative and supportive of a first time visitor.

The Beijing part had many highlights, Tiannanmen Sq, The Forbidden City (simply incredible!), the hutongs, streetfood, the palace gardens and pretty much everywhere I went. A driver service removed all the worries that would be expected of an English-only speaker. Special mention for the Great Wall visit at Mutianyu... humbling and simply stunning to stand on a magnificent piece of history. I understand that I am part of the 'returning wave' of westerner tourists to China, so I didn't see many other westerners at all.

Everyone was very friendly, the locals thought my wearing shorts in Autumn was 'funny', but that only put more smiles on faces. The temples were beautiful and the city has a large, bustling, but appealing presence to it.

Xi'An was a once in a lifetime 'must see' for the Terracotta army. Angela proudly showed me the essential city sights for a two day visit. It's a very pretty city with a wonderful vibe. The food quarter (muslim section) is exceptional and well worth the visit! I was lucky enough to stay in the 'old section' of the city, so the architecture was the traditional structures. Very beautiful. The Terracotta Army is simply incredible. It's busy, so be prepared for crowds, but it's easy enough to get to where you need to, see the pits and enjoy the marvel of history that is laid before us.

Drivers in both cities were exceptional and I can't thank them enough for their fantastic service.

My travel agent (Rita) did an amazing job in organising my trip - it was all so 'easy' that it took away my worries. I wholeheartedly recommend this trip and organiser. Thank you team, this was an incredible tour of the traditional 'heart' of ancient China. To those thinking of going, treat yourself, you'll be glad you did!

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi
Date of Experience: October 21, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as Solo
Tour Customized by: Rita
Paul H

Paul H

UK

Reviewed on December 28, 2023

Very good tour, and China Discovery's communication (before, during, and after the trip) was very good.

We researched many tour providers and (despite a negative review for China Discovery that we saw, which criticised the individual guides rather than the company) went ahead with China Discovery as this tour fitted with our specific needs (starting in HK, and not including flights to/from UK). The trip was a customised 15 day tour to Guilin, Chengdu, Lhasa, Xi'an and Beijing, so if you need something different they should be able to customise. Highlights were:

- Guilin, River Cruise through the Limestone Karst mountains to Yangshuo where we saw a fantastic evening show that was directed by Mr Zhang (director of Beijing Olympics opening ceremony).

- Chengdu, Giant Panda Research Centre, evening show with face-changing.

- Lhasa (Tibet), Potala Palace and monasteries, plus the scenery. This was supposed to be a group tour, but the group was just us!

- Xi'an, Terracotta Warriors, City Walls, Bell and Drum Towers

- Beijing, Great Wall, Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, Temple of Heaven, Olympic Park.

By the end of the tour we felt a bit overwhelmed, which was not surprising given the amount packed in!

Our experience of guides was very good, we had a different guide in each city and all were knowledgeable, friendly, and easy to understand. If anything was not clear they would repeat and clarify anything we asked them, they never pressed us to go anywhere we did not want (e.g. shops/side tours/etc.), and the only "complaint" that we had was that at times we felt they walked a bit fast (but never excessively).

As we travelled in the low season (and had to deal with 30C in HK down to -1C in Beijing... -12C with wind chill) all the sights were quite free of tourists which we had not expected from what we had heard of other's experiences touring China.

We would recommend China Discovery (although we think that this could easily depend on whether the individual guides were as good as ours).

Destination(s): Guilin, Yangshuo, Guangxi, Chengdu, Sichuan, Lhasa, Tibet, Xian, Shaanxi, Beijing
Date of Experience: November 10, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Tracy
Rachel G

Rachel G

UK

Reviewed on December 25, 2023

Our advisor was Wonder Wang who was brilliant from the first moment, advising us on planning our trip and then seeing everything through. The hotel was comfortable and our guide (Jack) was extremely helpful and informative, it couldn’t have gone better. The only small issue was that we didn’t have our flight details for leaving Beijing, which it turns out we needed on arrival, but fortunately I had already added Jack on WeChat and the border guard was able to talk to him and they sorted it all out between them. We would 100% recommend both Wonder and Jack if you’re planning a trip to Beijing.

Destination(s): Beijing
Date of Experience: December 9, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as Couples
Tour Customized by: Wonder
Dominik F

Dominik F

Germany

Reviewed on December 24, 2023

Overall I would highly recommend China Discovery as they did a really good job of planning our tour, putting us in touch with the guides and showing us the relevant sites.

All the guides spoke English quite well and the German was surprisingly good too.

Destination(s): Shanghai, Guilin, Guangxi, Yangtze River, Beijing
Date of Experience: September 30, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Rita
Chris H

Chris H

UK

Reviewed on December 24, 2023

This is the second time I have used this tour group. Both times were excellent. This time the tour was for my Dad and sister.

The booking was very easy and information was always given on time. Rita was very helpful.

My Dad and sister loved the tour. The guide and driver could not have been more helpful. The trip was excellent and went very smoothly.

I would highly recommend using this company.

Destination(s): Beijing
Date of Experience: October 7, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as Couples
Tour Customized by: Rita
benurajesh

benurajesh

USA

Reviewed on December 24, 2023

China is diverse and fascinating with history nature and food. Rita at China discovery made all arrangements so we could enjoy most of China in comfort and efficiently with excellent guides at each stay. When our train ride from Shanghai to Beijing was cancelled by the railways, Rita promptly informed us and made alternate flight arrangements keeping the tour moving smoothly. The tour started with Beijing and the forbidden city and the Great Wall are an experience. Tibet is a different world with awesome artwork everywhere. Lin river cruise is a must. The caves were an experience, better than the ones in West Virginia and Virginia. Terracotta Army is a must see. The tourists outnumbered the army and the crowds were unbelievable. The Yangtze River cruise is so relaxing and pleasant. Shanghai is best for the shopping experience and the riverfront.

Thanks to Rita and her team at China Discovery in making this tour so memorable.

Destination(s): Beijing, Lhasa, Tibet, Xian, Shaanxi, Guilin, Guangxi, Yangtze River, Shanghai
Date of Experience: July 22, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as Couples
Tour Customized by: Rita
Explorer62404723154

Explorer62404723154

Singapore

Reviewed on December 24, 2023

We booked 2 separate private tours with China Discovery, one for 2 days in Beijing and the other 2 days in Datong.

Rita, our travel consultant, is very responsive and helpful in the course of organising them.

Similarly, the guides for both trips exceeded our expectations, with their friendliness (humour) and knowledge...we felt that we had an excellent history lesson on China and thoroughly enjoyed our trips!!

I strongly recommend their service

Destination(s): Beijing, Datong, Shanxi
Date of Experience: October 30, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Rita
Richard T

Richard T

UK

Reviewed on December 23, 2023

My family and I went on a 11 days Silk Road Tour in China end of Oct 2023 with China Discovery. Journey began at Beijing to Xian, Dunhuang, Turpan, Urumqi then end in Kashgar. Overall a very well organised trip. Logistics were well coordinated, and hotels were of excellent standard. Local cuisines were gastronomic delights. The guides were all knowledgeable which added so much colours to the sights and sounds. Rita the arranging agent was very responsive from the start and continue to monitor to ensure a smooth tour. Definitely a recommendation for anyone thinking of using China Discovery and Rita.

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi, Dunhuang, Gansu, Turpan, Urumqi, Kashgar, Xinjiang, Silk Road
Date of Experience: October 15, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Rita
toni m

toni m

Australia

Reviewed on December 22, 2023

Our Travel Consultant, Rita, organised our tour to perfection! She included all of the sights we were most interested in and ensured our trip was one to remember. All of the local guides were outstanding, with a wealth of knowledge about their local area and attractions. We had no idea China had so many beautiful hidden gems. We had the most wonderful trip, and would recommend China Discovery, and especially Rita

Destination(s): Yangtze River, Zhangjiajie, Xian, Beijing
Date of Experience: June 26, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as Solo
Tour Customized by: Rita
pepman34

pepman34

Spain

Reviewed on December 22, 2023

We had a great time in China thanks to China Discovery. We had a business meeting in Wuxi, asked them to organize a tour afterwards, but we did it very close to the traveling dates, as we were really struggling with the visa and the dates of the meeting. That left us almost no time to organize the tour, but Rita Jiang from China Discovery was really efficient in doing so. Everything was fast and smooth before going, and exactly the same after arriving there. Everything from hotels to vehicles, guides, tickets, etc., was perfectly arranged, what made that we had a very enjoyable trip and we hope to go back soon to such a beautiful country!

Destination(s): Shanghai, Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi, Suzhou
Date of Experience: November 5, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as Couples
Tour Customized by: Rita
Sara-Jane A

Sara-Jane A

Australia

Reviewed on December 21, 2023

We chose the 6 day classic Beijing and Xian tour. Should have done a tour for longer! Can’t begin to thank the team at China Discovery. Wing was so helpful in organising the entire trip. I just gave her dates and where we wanted to go and she did the rest! She made it stress-free for us and was so accommodating, even with last minute changes and her email responses were always thorough. We could not fault the accommodation and meals included. We were so comfortable and well-fed! Jamie and Angela were awesome tour guides in Beijing and Xi’an respectively. Their English was most commendable. Both so knowledgeable and showing us to the best parts of their cities! Jamie waited an hour with us until check-in for our train to Xi’an, and even walked us right through to our train seats. He was truly great and we are so thankful for him. Angela was so proud of Xi’an and shared some amazing knowledge of the history, and good food with us. She also recommended some great places to come back to when we plan to come back to China! She was also great. Highly highly recommend China Discovery. We will be back and sure to use your services again!

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi
Date of Experience: December 7, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Wing
phunotfoo

phunotfoo

USA

Reviewed on December 18, 2023

Where and how do I start?! Firstly, I was blessed to find China Discovery! China has always been my number one destination to visit. After extensive research, I realized I could not plan and actualize this 3-week trip alone. My husband and I bought our flights to Beijing for November and unable to start planning until October. Knowing that we were on a time crunch, I quickly emailed my itinerary to what seemed to be the top tour companies online. The one that stood out the most was China Discovery. Tracy, our travel consultant, was quick to reply and, without any questions, provided complete arrangements to my itinerary to the tee. In the next 2-3 weeks, Tracy was extremely patient and accommodating to my adjustments and requests to improve the itinerary.

The itinerary included five major cities (Beijing, Luoyang, Xi'an, Chengdu, Zhangjiajie) and several other sub-cities (Dengfeng, Leshan, Emeishan, Fenghuang) in between. In each of the five major cities, we were greet kindly with a tour guide and driver. Everyone spoke fluent English and were very knowledgable with the culture and history. Jamie, our first guide in Beijing, went above and beyond every day to ensure that our initial arrival and experience of China was excellent. Kelly was excellent at explaining the history of Luoyang and the dynasties in chronological order that was easy to understand. In Xi'an, Waldener was spunky, gregarious, and very informative. Evan perfectly delivered the essence and beauty of Chengdu and took care of us in more ways than we expected. Lee friendly and proudly welcomed us to Hunan province, where we were in awe everyday as we explored Zhangjiajie.

Though the drivers did not speak English, they expressed by their nice gestures and smiles. We appreciated how attentive and sweet Tracy was during our trip. She made sure to contact me to check in several times. I can't say our trip was 100% flawless. There were little hiccups, but nothing that would sour the entire trip. The important thing is any unwanted issues were taken care of quickly.

We started the trip in excitement and curiosity, and ended with appreciation and amazement. We love China so much we already have two trips in mind for 2024. Of course, we'll be sure to contact China Discovery again!!

Destination(s): Beijing, Luoyang, Henan, Xian, Shaanxi, Chengdu, Emeishan, Leshan, Sichuan, Zhangjiajie, Fenghuang, Hunan
Date of Experience: November 8, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as Friends
Tour Customized by: Tracy
Jane N

Jane N

UK

Reviewed on December 14, 2023

As this was our first visit to China we were relying on Wing and the team to make all the necessary arrangements. Booking accommodation, buying advance tickets and supplying transport and guides.

We were very impressed. From pre-travel suggestions to final send off everything went very smoothly.

It was a bit of a whistle stop tour taking in a lot of the most famous sights in just over two weeks, but we always planned on returning. Next time will be more leisurely.

China Discovery were an excellent agency to work with and always very responsive when we had queries.

They come highly recommended.

Jane and Jon

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi, Guilin, Guangxi, Yangtze River, Shanghai
Date of Experience: October 18, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as Couples
Tour Customized by: Wing
eva s

eva s

USA

Reviewed on December 9, 2023

9 day tour of Beijing/Xian/Zhangjiajie/Beijing

Overall, I cannot say enough good things about this trip! Starting with our travel consultant, Zeva Du. She was so patient and helped us make great decisions. I was hesitant about doing a private tour, but it was the best idea ever and allowed us to see the cities we wanted within our travel dates.

Every tour guide in each city was amazing and spoke English very well. They were very informative and knowledgeable. They could not have been more attentive. When leaving Beijing, we took a train to Xian. Linda, our tour guide, escorted us all the way to our seats on the train. Thank goodness we stayed on the train until the last stop! The train system over there is so efficient and a great way to travel.

Jessie in Xian was wonderful. I think seeing the Terracotta Army was my favorite.

David in Zhangjiajie and Liqi in Shanghai were equally great.

If you like Chinese food, each restaurant we were taken to for lunch was amazing.

Our Peking duck dinner in Beijing was the absolute best.

It was wonderful to see China up and running again. They suffered greatly during the pandemic and is working very hard to recover. I would highly recommend this tour company and would gladly use them again. Thank you to Zeva and her team for such a great trip!

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi, Zhangjiajie, Hunan, Shanghai
Date of Experience: November 13, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Zeva
Jessica H

Jessica H

USA

Reviewed on December 1, 2023

I had a fantastic time on my trip to Beijing and I was all thanks to the fantastic planning by my specialist, Wonder, and my guide, Jackson. I was in Beijing for 5 days and they were able to take me to every site I wanted to visit, and several very cool and historic smaller sites I hadn’t thought of. Wonder made excellent suggestions and planned things very well, and it was easy connect through email. Having a private car and driver made getting to all those sites easy and relaxing. Jackson, my guide, was so informative and friendly! My particular recommendation is, if you have the time, try visiting the Great Wall at Jinshanling - it’s outside the city so there is a more relaxed and peaceful vibe.

Destination(s): Beijing
Date of Experience: August 31, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as Solo
Tour Customized by: Wonder
Ricky L

Ricky L

Indonesia

Reviewed on November 28, 2023

tq so much for China Discovery for arrangement due our trip in China, Wonder as our contact person for arranger our trips are so helpful and always monitoring our trips from we before departure till we are all arrived safe in our home, i recommend Wonder, he is so much helpful and understandable. We using their service before and never disappointed us till now, always pleasure and will using their service in coming trips.

Destination(s): Beijing, Chongqing, Zhangjiajie, Hunan, Shanghai
Date of Experience: November 11, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Wonder
Inspire37421218290

Inspire37421218290

USA

Reviewed on November 25, 2023

Prompt response to query was appreciated with suggestions for daily guided tours with car and vehicle.

Always in time at the hotel for daily excursions. Very flexible with our request.

Beijing is a must for historical sites. Visit to Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven and Great Wall is a must. Very safe to walk anywhere even late night.

Shanghai is a must to see the business capital of China and walk along the Bund.

Go the Buddha Jade temple and Yu Garden .

Guides are very helpful till the last minute. A joy.

They are the best.

YS and RS

Destination(s): Beijing, Shanghai
Date of Experience: November 10, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as Solo
Tour Customized by: Rita
Amy P

Amy P

Australia

Reviewed on November 21, 2023

I took a 10-day tour of China including Guilin, Chengdu, Xian and Beijing. The highlights were the Terracotta Warriors and the Great Wall. Guilin also surprised with amazing scenery on the Li River cruise. At each destination I had a driver and tour guide which made it possible to see many attractions in a short time. The tour guides knew the history and culture and helped us to check-in to hotels and give us recommendations for local dining and shows. The drivers were always waiting for us when we finished at a destination. I wouldn't have had the confidence to travel around China without a tour guide due to the language barrier. But, this was easy and the tour guides made everything efficient. Also, booking my tour with Tracy was easy as she amended the tour to fit my needs. For anyone travelling to China, I recommend this company.

Destination(s): Hong Kong, Guilin, Guangxi, Chengdu, Sichuan, Xian, Shaanxi, Beijing
Date of Experience: November 10, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Tracy
Tami29

Tami29

Italy

Reviewed on November 10, 2023

Our Tour with China Discovery well very well, I need to compliment them on their organization and choice of guides. Our consultant Wing was extremely helpful, kind and flexible. We did a 14 day, personalized tour and visited the imperial cities with Chengdu and a short cruise on Yangtze River. I would definitely recommend them and will plan another tour with China Discovery in the future (hopefully).

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi, Chengdu, Sichuan, Yangtze River, Shanghai
Date of Experience: October 12, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as Couples
Tour Customized by: Wing
Claire P

Claire P

UK

Reviewed on November 8, 2023

We had a great experience with China discovery, our travel consultant and tour guides were incredibly friendly, helpful, and responsive, and they had a lot of knowledge about all the places we visited. The tour was very well organised and although we went during golden week - which was incredibly busy - the tour guides went above and beyond and were excellent at making sure it didn’t affect our trip. We were treated very well during our tour, got to see some amazing things, and would highly recommend using this service because of this.

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi, Guilin, Guangxi, Zhangjiajie, Hunan, Shanghai
Date of Experience: October 1, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as Couples
Tour Customized by: Leo
Shida L

Shida L

Malaysia

Reviewed on November 7, 2023

Me and my family travelled to China for 10 days with China Discovery. We had an amazing experience with our China trip to Beijing, Tianjin and Qingdao, it's a well packed itinerary with interconnecting high-speed bullet train.

Very huge thanks to our travel consultant, Mr Wonder Wang. The communication via email and wechat with our travel consultant was always very prompt and professional. We went back quite alot of times adjusting the itinerary and he was very helpful and accommodating.

Our guides are polite, helpful, friendly and knowledgeable especially our Beijing tour guide(Mr Jack), he helped us to settle alot of things. We learned a lot from them.

I will definitely be travelling with them again!

Destination(s): Beijing, Tianjin, Qingdao, Shandong
Date of Experience: October 14, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Wonder
Jen R

Jen R

Sweden

Reviewed on November 7, 2023

I had an amazing experience with my 8 days China trip to Beijing, Xian, Shanghai. I recommend anyone who is planning to go on a China trip with China Discovery. Please contact Wonder Wang, he assisted me all throughout my trip with competence, efficiency, done in a very responsive, responsible way. He responds quickly at all times no matter what time it it wherever you are in the world. And this is very important specially in visiting China where everything has its own system, tickets in place properly sibmitted accordingly including passports, different language, huge crowds....Thanks China Discovery for a memorable China experience!

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi, Shanghai
Date of Experience: October 18, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as Solo
Tour Customized by: Wonder
George W

George W

Canada

Reviewed on November 6, 2023

We had Johnson Wang as our travel consultant to develop a customized 16 days itinerary with flexibility to accommodate any unexpected surprises. A team of dedicated and knowledgeable staff that included local guides and drivers made our tour an amazing and worry-free one. We appreciate very much the help from local guides for transfer at train stations and airports as the check-in process may not always be the same. My most impressive experience was in Dunhuang and Chengdu. The tours at Turpan, Kashgar, and Tashkrugan are my favorites. Beijing and Xian are always fascinating. We are looking forward to China Discovery to plan our next trip.

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi, Dunhuang, Gansu, Turpan, Urumqi, Kashgar, Tashkurgan, Xinjiang, Silk Road, Chengdu, Sichuan, Hong Kong
Date of Experience: October 11, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as Couples
Tour Customized by: Johnson
gbg03

gbg03

UK

Reviewed on November 4, 2023

I had an absolutely incredible time in China with China Discovery. My trip (Chengdu, Chongqing, Changsha, Shanghai, Qingdao, Beijing) could not have gone any smoother. Every tour guide was extremely friendly and knowledgeable and every hotel was great. Every place that I visited was also absolutely spectacular in terms of scenery.

I also want to give a special mention to my travel agent Rita Jiang for putting up with me and my intricate demands (even at the last minute). I would highly, highly recommend China Discovery to anyone who wishes to visit China, especially the more "niche" parts which Western-based travel agencies do not typically offer.

I will definitely be travelling with them again!

Destination(s): Chengdu, Sichuan, Chongqing, Changsha, Hunan, Shanghai, Qingdao, Shandong, Beijing
Date of Experience: June 21, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as Solo
Tour Customized by: Rita
Ngahana H

Ngahana H

New Zealand

Reviewed on November 2, 2023

Our tour covered all of the main tourist attractions offered by this vast and beautiful country.

We chose China Discovery.com for our China holiday simply because, their website information was easy to understand and their holiday options were numerous and very detailed. From the start there was a strong sense of service and we got that from our very first email to the Travel consultant. Every email was answered promptly and clearly. We were able to tailor our preferred tour option to suit our budget and in the end the choices we made were perfect. The consultant continued to keep in touch either by email or through the agents until tour end.

At all city locations local guides with modern sedans and drivers ensured that we connected smoothly with our transport, accommodation and access to all tourist destinations. At many tourist sites, the long walks and climbing long stairways suited younger and/or fitter clients. We seniors with average fitness were blessed with guides who tailored our visits perfectly to our optimum enjoyment. And still got to enjoy most on offer.

Throughout our multicity itinerary we travelled on the superbly smooth and comfortable bullet trains, high class internal air flights and comfortable high standard river boat cruises. The three day 5 star Yangtse river cruise was very comfortable, modern stylish and the staff service standard was exceptional.

Lastly we believe that it would be very difficult to experience the numerous contrasting features of China, historical and modern and its cultural entity without all the aspects of the China Discovery private tour package.

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi, Guilin, Guangxi, Yangtze River, Shanghai
Date of Experience: September 24, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as Couples
Tour Customized by: Johnson
Brian K

Brian K

Australia

Reviewed on November 1, 2023

We visited China in September 2023 for 16 days visiting Beijing, Xian and Shanghai . The attraction Great Wall, Forbidden City (Beijing) Terracotta Warriors (xian) and the gardens and the lights surrounding Shanghai organized by China Discovery (Chengdu) and our consultant Ms Wing Zeng were amazing. Discovery China ( Chengdu) provides a professional first class service. I highly recommend Ms Wing Zeng consultancy and China Discovery C

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi, Shanghai
Date of Experience: September 3, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as Friends
Tour Customized by: Wing
Francis C

Francis C

Australia

Reviewed on October 28, 2023

Just came back from a 11-days trip with China Discovery. We visited 4 cities, Beijing, Xian, Zhangjiajie and Guilin. It's a well packed itinerary with interconnecting high-speed rail and flights. We have Vivien Li as our travel consultant, and she was able to quickly come up with a schedule that allows us to visit all the hotspots including some we add in ourselves like the old summer palace. Everything ran like clockwork, and we travelled first class with our own transport, tour guide and driver just for the two of us. I heartily recommend China Discovery and especially Vivien for your next China trip.

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi, Zhangjiajie, Hunan, Yangshuo, Guilin, Guangxi, Hong Kong
Date of Experience: October 10, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as Couples
Tour Customized by: Vivien
Victoria

Victoria

South Africa

Reviewed on October 21, 2023

Rita Jiang was our travel consultant from China Discovery who worked with me to plan our 30 days in China. She helped with a suggested itinerary and when I added or removed destinations, she swiftly and efficiently adjusted it with clever additions I had not researched. I tried 2 other large Chinese travel agencies with my proposed itinerary before settling with China Discovery. China Discovery was not the cheapest, but they were certainly the most efficient in response time and also, most importantly, they created an excellent itinerary with clever routes and efficient transportation options between destinations. When you are travelling for this length of time as a family, efficient travel time is very important. The guides which met us in each location were well spoken and highly knowledgable. The drivers were excellent too. We covered Shanghai, Zhangzhou, Zhangjiajie, Fenghuang, Guilin, Kunming, Dongchuan Red Lands, Lijiang, Chengdu, Juizhaigou and Huanglong Valley, Xian, Luoyang, Zhangye, Dunhuang, Datong and Beijing with our two children aged 9 and 10.

There is no other way to travel efficiently through China and get to understand the culture and history without the help of a local travel agent. I highly recommend China discovery to help you plan your next trip!

Destination(s): Beijing, Shanghai, Zhangzhou, Fujian, Zhangjiajie, Hunan, Guilin, Guangxi, Kunming, Lijiang, Yunnan, Chengdu, Juizhaigou, Sichuan, Xian, Shaanxi, Luoyang, Henan, Zhangye, Dunhuang, Gansu, Silk Road, Datong, Shanxi
Date of Experience: September 17, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Rita
Manxman88

Manxman88

Belgium

Reviewed on October 18, 2023

We had a wonderful trip in China, from north east to south west. Meeting old friends and discovering new regions we did not know exist. A big part of our trip we got help from China Discovery, who did a brilliant job in organising, guiding and realising our wishes beyond our expectations. Johnson Wang from China Discovery was very helpfull and quick in communication, have helped us with making the itenary of our trip and listening very careful to our wishes (Places of interest, speed - and way of travel). We went to Beijing and the North Easton our own, after that China Discovery organised the rest of trip to Xining (City, Qinghai lake, Caka lake) with excellent local guide Sally and driver Bai (Both highly recommended!) and the Yangtze river cruise from Chongqing to Yichang. Magnificent views, friendly people, super service and great food is our rememberance of this trip! We are looking forward to next trip!

Destination(s): Beijing, Xining, Qinghai, Chongqing, Yichang, Hubei, Yangtze River
Date of Experience: September 10, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as Couples
Tour Customized by: Johnson
Ralph G

Ralph G

Canada

Reviewed on October 16, 2023

T.H. Go

Long China trips for not-so-young people

Four of us in our 60-80s have recently returned from our 25 days trip (26.08-19.09) covering [1] Datong, Hanging Temple, Pingyao Ancient City, Yingxian Wooden Pagoda of Fogong Temple, Hukou Waterfall, Xi’an, [2] North Xinjiang (Urumqi Bazaar, Ulungur Lake, Hemu Village, Kanas Lake, Rainbow Beach, Guozigou Bridge, Sayram Lake, Karajun Grassland,Tekes County aka BaGua City), [3] Chengdu (Leshan Giant Buddha, Emei, Ya’an-Kangding,Luding Chain Bridge, Panda Tour), Huanglong Valley, Jiuzhaigou Valley, [4] Zhangjiajie, Fenghuang Ancient Town and finally, Beijing (on our own, 3 nights).

Above 4 group of sightseeing points are customized and planned with Ms. Wing Zeng of China Discovery with her friendly and professional suggestions and helps as well as personalized responses. Her selections of 7 tour guides (and drivers) all along the routes are mostly fine, who are knowledgeable in the subject matters involved, helpful and have tried their best to answer our numerous questions along the tours. This is in contrast to previous 2 China tours (of two members in our group) with other travel agency where the tour guide(s) were primarily taking them from one point to the next without too much “explanations”. Nevertheless, more “understandable English”-speaking guide (in 1 instance) would help non-Chinese-speaking tourist to enjoy the program more completely. Also, Chinese breakfast with western alternatives would be a plus for some of us (not so easy to adjust to the lifestyle of other country?).

The whole trip is of course no doubt tiring. Fortunately, at the end, we do “overcome”. And all of us are happy with the services rendered to us by this Chengdu-based China Discovery, with which we are connected via WeChat to Ms. Wing Zeng to deal with any unexpected issue arising out of the long trips without any problem as she has immediately, sovereignly reacted to the situation to address them.

We would highly recommend those who want to visit China to take the services of “China Discovery” based in Chengdu with their team of professional travel consultants like Ms. Wing Zeng into consideration to enjoy the trips less hassle.

Attached are some of our travel pictures to share the happy moments of this trip:

Destination(s): Beijing, Hukou, Shanxi, Xian, Shaanxi, Chengdu, Leshan, Emeishan, Yaan, Jiuzhaigou, Sichuan, Zhangjiajie, Fenghuang, Hunan, Xinjiang, Silk Road
Date of Experience: August 26, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as Friends
Tour Customized by: Wing
dandl2015

dandl2015

Australia

Reviewed on October 3, 2023

I am really happy that we chose this company to help us organise our trip to China. From our first enquiry to the end of our trip, we had prompt courteous and personalised responses. I never felt like “just another foreign tourist”. Once we chose the tour we wanted , the travel consultant Zeva Du, was always just an email or text message away. Her communication with us was faultless, and she understood subtle cultural differences. We had an absolutely wonderful trip that was definitely due to the expertise of this company and it’s staff

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Guilin, Zhangjiajie
Date of Experience: August 30, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as Couples
Tour Customized by: Zeva
Kar Tung Quek

Kar Tung Quek

Singapore

Reviewed on September 29, 2023

My wife and I speak little Chinese and we did not want to join a package group tour. It was great that we found China Discovery online. Mr. Wonder Wang of China Discovery was just fantastic in helping us design a customised private tour itinerary for our China tour. Wonder Wang was very professional, responsible, and responsive. The resultant itinerary was just perfect for us. The english-speaking tour guides and drivers at each of the destinations we visited were just great making it a carefree, comfortable, and thoroughly enjoyable experience. We were connected with Wonder Wang and the respective tour-guides online via WeChat throughout the journey and the coordination from one destination to the next were perfect and smooth. We boarded the Century Oasis Cruise ship for a Yangtze cruise as part of the itinerary. On board we were serviced by one of the english-speaking cruise managers. The onboard service was just excellent. We were connected on WeChat with the cruise manager who kept us informed and instructed every step of the way. The cruise manager also connected with our tour guide at Yichang to perfectly coordinate our disembarkation arrangements. We would highly recommend China Discovery and Wonder Wang to all who wish to visit China with their own customised itinerary and at their own pace.

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi, Guilin, Yangtze River, Shanghai
Date of Experience: September 16, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as Couples
Tour Customized by: Wonder
madiana l

madiana l

USA

Reviewed on September 28, 2023

I have joined a 17 days trip to Shanghai, Beijing, Xian, Chengdu, Chongqing, including Yangtse Cruise. Besides enjoying all the places, they are amazing. I also enjoyed the hospitality from the tour guides on the gound and the cruise ship. They served good foods and yummy. We travelled by plane, ship, high speed train during the tour. The tour arrangement is good, my travel consultant is Mr. Leo Li. Overall, the tour was very nice and satisfying. I definitely will travel to China again next time.

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi, Lhasa, Tibet, Chengdu, Sichuang, Yangtze River, Shanghai
Date of Experience: September 1, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as Solo
Tour Customized by: Leo
Peter T

Peter T

USA

Reviewed on September 26, 2023

This tour company scheduled and organized our privet tour very professionally. I would strongly recommend using them.

Our trip was amazing, you could see how happy we were from 20 pictures I attached below. Two weeks of travel by plains, bullet trains, Starting in Beijing-Xian-cruising Yangtze river, Shanghai, Guangzhou, beautiful Guilin and finishing up in Hong Kong. We all had a great time and returned back with wonderful memories.

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi, Shanghai, Yangtze River, Guangzhou, Guangdong, Guilin, Guangxi, Hong Kong
Date of Experience: September 2, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as Friends
Tour Customized by: Johnson
Eugene W

Eugene W

USA

Reviewed on September 25, 2023

This was my third time to the “motherland “ born a fourth generation ABC that doesn’t speak a word Chinese, did Beijing,Xian, Lhasa, Chengdu, Yangtze River cruise and of course the greatest city Shanghai, Mr Leo Li of China Discovery arranged the trip we opted to go the 5 star route with group of two , Leo answered all my questions promptly and to my satisfaction, the local guides some the best we ever encountered very good English skills on many topics, a couple became friends, question who would I have arrange a China trip? Mr. Leo Li

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Lhasa, Tibet, Chengdu, Sichuan, Yangtze River, Shanghai
Date of Experience: September 2, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as Couples
Tour Customized by: Leo
helen h

helen h

Indonesia

Reviewed on September 21, 2023

At first actually i didn't expect much from this trip, however it turns out that me and my mom really enjoyed the whole trip. We visited beijing and shanghai for 4 days, and the whole 4 days have been amazing!! All of local guides are warm and super helpful. When we first arrived at beijing , i asked our guide for food recommendation, she give us a recommendation for peking duck restaurant. Me and my mom actually whrn there and the food was AMAZING. Not forget to mention that the cars the provided are comfortable, my car in shanghai even had heated seat and back massage feature. Perfect!!

Destination(s): Beijing, Shanghai
Date of Experience: September 11, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Leo
Brenda C

Brenda C

Australia

Reviewed on September 18, 2023

Mr Wonder Wang organised a fantastic tour for us and helped us out in Chengdu when we were unable to organise a English speaking tour guide due to the University World Athletic Championships. We had gone to watch our son compete there and were left stranded when we realised there were no taxis after the games. The first time, a policeman helped us get a taxi. I reached out to Wonder for our second night and he organised a Didi for us.

He also helped us when our flight was 00.40 in the morning.

Our tour guides in Xian and Beijing were informative and punctual, the cars clean and bottles of water were kept up to us in the hot, muggy weather.

In Xian, Waldner, our guide showed us the Terracotta warriors, Ancient City Wall, the Muslim quarter , Big Wild Goose , Huanyangling Mausoleum in two days as our time was limited In Beijing, Andy was our guide who was able to show Tianannmen Sqare, Forbidden Palace, Jingshan park.

Due to flooding, we were unable to visit the Sacred Way but we saw a live performance instead which was an added cost but well worth as well as a local neighbourhood house and the family, had a rickshaw ride a Taoist Temple. The Great Wall was awe inspiring too. Andy also dropped us at 798 where missile etc were made during the Cold War but is now a place for artists and galleries before picking us and dropping us at the airport.

The bullet rains were fantastic between Chengdu and Xian and Xian and Beijing.

I also strongly recommend a tour guide, 5 days in Chengdu without one was very tricky although the chines people went out of there way to help us.

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi
Date of Experience: September 1, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as Couples
Tour Customized by: Wonder
Palvannanathan G

Palvannanathan G

USA

Reviewed on September 17, 2023

Vivien Li made excellent tour arrangement for our 14 day trip to China. Replied to my 20 or more emails immediately, sent both during initial arrangements and also during our travel within China. Responded to all specific requests including last minute changes requested while we were traveling in China. Hotels and guides were excellent, price charged was very reasonable. Took great care of us including contacting us when there was a change in flight schedule due to anticipated typhoon in Southern China.

I requested to arrange travel in Shanghai Maglev train 4 days before arriving at Shanghai and took great effort to arrange this. Changed the flight schedule to fly out of Shanghai Pudong airport and we were able to take Maglev train to Pudong airport. I want to thank Vivien Li for making our China travel a wonderful experience.

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi, Yangtze River, Shanghai, Suzhou, Jiangsu, Shenzhen, Guangdong
Date of Experience: September 1, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as Couples
Tour Customized by: Vivien
Bonnie S

Bonnie S

USA

Reviewed on September 12, 2023

Our tour arrangements made by Zeva Du were flawless! We booked a Yangtze River Cruise on the Century Glory ship followed by a private tour of Beijing which included English speaking guides and a private car.

The boat cruise was perfectly wonderful! The accommodations were very comfortable, the food choices were satisfactory, the boat was lovely and the staff was amazing!

The shore excursions were interesting. We definitely recommend seeing the The Three Kingdoms Show by Beacon Fires!

Maggie, our tour guide in Beijing, was the best! She took great care with every detail. She was always on time and organized. She made history come to life with interesting facts and exciting details of each location we saw. She chose delicious restaurants for us to try and took extra time to help please us!

We definitely recommend requesting Zeva Du with China Discovery to make a trip of a lifetime come true!

Destination(s): Chongqing, Yangtze River, Beijing
Date of Experience: September 2, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as Friends
Tour Customized by: Zeva
Bryce H

Bryce H

Australia

Reviewed on September 8, 2023

China Discovery - particularly travel consultant Wonder Wang - did an outstanding job in organising and supporting our recent trip to the mainland of China. It was a memorable visit. We are now back in Hong Kong after a memorable trip to the mainland of China. The destinations - Shanghai, Beijing, Xi'an, Zhangjiajie and Guilin - were well chosen, with so many interesting and exciting things to see and do. The guides we had in each location were great - well informed, helpful, friendly and mainly with excellent spoken English. The hotels were also very good - comfortable and well located (the Yungshuo river resort was a particular highlight). And the travel logistics - trains and planes - worked seamlessly.

China Discovery was extremely responsive and flexible throughout in putting together and supporting our visit plans. The suggestions for travel options, and readiness to adapt as our plans changed, was greatly appreciated. China Discovery's performance was highly professional, first-class in fact, and I would have no hesitation in recommending the company to others who might be considering a trip to the mainland of China.

Destination(s): Shanghai, Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi, Zhangjiajie, Hunan, Guilin, Guangxi, Hong Kong
Date of Experience: August 26, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as Couples
Tour Customized by: Wonder
mankAthens_Greece

mankAthens_Greece

Greece

Reviewed on September 8, 2023

We are 9 friends who had travelled to China with China Discovery this summer and we had a really fantastic, custom-made private trip going to Beijing, Zhangjiajie, Chengdu, Shangri la, Dali, Ethnic Minorities of Guangxi, Kunming and Guilin. As we expected, we obtain so many amazing experiences and memories. All our tour guides and drivers were excellent, helping us all the time to make our journey comfortable and easy without any troubles.

Especially, I should mention Tracy, our coordinator at the agency, who had organised everything perfect and was from the earliest planning and through all the trip very helpful and friendly and we felt that someone really care about us by giving us assistance and services when we have got problems to solve! So, a special thanks to Tracy and the entire team at China Discovery! We highly recommend this agency from planning to executing to anyone looking to explore China!

Destination(s): Beijing, Zhangjiajie, Hunnan, Chengdu, Sichuan, Shangri-La, Lijiang, Kunming, Yunnan, Kaili, Guizhou, Guilin, Guangxi
Date of Experience: August 11, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as Friends
Tour Customized by: Tracy
Matthias W

Matthias W

Germany

Reviewed on August 23, 2023

We had a wonderful, custom-arranged, private trip as a family of three with China Discovery in summer of 2023 - going from Beijing via Xian, Zhangjiajie, Guilin, Longsheng, Yangshou, Kungming, Yangtze River to Shanghai.

As we expected, we left with many exciting new impressions and memories - really a trip worth taking.

Last not least, we must mention Tracy, our coordinator at the agency, who was from the earliest planning stage all the way through the trip the most competent, most friendly, and most helpful coordinator we could think of - we felt really well looked after! A big compliment and thanks to you, Tracy, and the entire team at China Discovery!

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi, Zhangjiajie, Hunnan, Guilin, Guangxi, Kunming, Yunnan, Yangtze River, Shanghai
Date of Experience: July 23, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as
Tour Customized by: Tracy
Matthias W

Matthias W

armando c

Reviewed on August 22, 2023

Special thanks to China Discovery (based in Chengdu) for the given assistance and services all the time we have got a trouble to solve. In particular I would like to thanks the local assistant Wing Zang for the support and fast reply to all our enquiries.

Their support make the difference between a succesful tour and a failing one! thank you again.

I recomend their assistance to all travellers!

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Yangtze River
Date of Experience: August 5, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as
Tour Customized by: Wing
Appuruu

Appuruu

Singapore

Reviewed on August 18, 2023

From planning to executing. I believe this is the best that everyone can give/get. The driver and tour guide are friendly which makes it easier for conversation for people who are not really good with conversation. I would use your service again when I visit China again in the near future.

I would recommend tourists to download wechat and provide a number for both sides, in case there's a need to contact the tourist/driver/tour guide due to different circumstances.

Destination(s): Beijing, Wutaishan, Shanxi
Date of Experience: June 30, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as
Tour Customized by: Jack
yvesdimt

yvesdimt

Germany

Reviewed on August 15, 2023

We planned a 3 week round trip together with China Discovery and then booked there.

Already during the planning our wishes were taken into account individually. I said what we would like to see and the trip was put together accordingly.

In addition, we received documents that facilitated the application for visas. I was a little skeptical at first, because we had to transfer the fees in full before the start of the trip, but everything worked out perfectly on site.

We had a guide in each city who picked us up from the airport or train station and took care of us on site. The hotels, tickets and transportation were all booked by China Discovery. We did not have to worry about anything.

At lunchtime, the guides usually picked out a local restaurant and advised us on local specialties. This was also included in the tour price. China is really worth a trip and offers besides great culture, beautiful landscapes as well as modern vibrant cities. There is something for everyone here.

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi, Guilin, Guangxi, Chengdu, Jiuzhaigou, Jiuzhaigou
Date of Experience: July 22, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as
Tour Customized by: Johnson
 CALVIN H

CALVIN H

USA

Reviewed on July 21, 2023

Just a week tour with China discovery for Beijing and Shanghai. As a non local, it is very difficult to navigate with all china only app and regulations, not to mention the crowd. China discovery makes the logistics seemless. All smoothly run and avoid all the miles of queues. Highly recommended.

Destination(s): Beijing, Shanghai
Date of Experience: July 14, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as
Tour Customized by: Wonder
Fotografista

Fotografista

USA

Reviewed on July 20, 2023

We had an unforgettable our 7-day private tour to Xi’an and Beijing with China Discovery! Zeva Du, my travel consultant, orchestrated a seamless and exceptional experience in both cities. Her reliability, responsiveness, and efficiency in handling last-minute requests and changes were excellent!

Despite the unusual heat and heavy crowds at the tour sites, the itinerary was carefully designed to account for these factors. Zeva also tailored activities to cater to my family with teenagers, ensuring everyone had a good time.

Our guide in Xi’an, Bruce, was truly wonderful! His knowledge, enthusiasm, and excellent English made the tour even more enjoyable. The driver and the comfortable, air-conditioned car were a blessing in the very hot weather.

In Beijing, Linda, our guide, impressed us with her knowledge and understanding of our needs as we traveled with teenagers. She went above and beyond, assisting us with dinner reservations and other recommendations, making our experience delightful.

The entire tour was very well planned, offering us a diverse glimpse into the rich history and culture of both cities. The exceptional service and attention to detail provided by Zeva and the guides truly made this journey a memorable and rewarding one. We highly recommend China Discovery and would choose them again for future trips. Five stars!

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Shaanxi
Date of Experience: July 9, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as
Tour Customized by: Zeva
Mohammed Muneer

Mohammed Muneer

Oman

Reviewed on July 11, 2023

I had a fantastic experience with China Discovery Tour and would highly recommend the company to others. I had a great time visiting Beijing and Guilin, and was impressed by the meticulous planning and flawless execution of the trip. I also expressed the gratitude towards Vivian, the trip organizer for her exceptional work, profound knowledge, and unwavering commitment to showcasing the very best of each destination. Overall, I had an unforgettable experience and I left with a profound sense of fulfillment

Destination(s): Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Guangdong, Guilin, Guangxi
Date of Experience: May 18, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Vivien
JY

JY

Malaysia

Reviewed on July 7, 2023

I found out China Discovery by chance and was attended by Wonder, who was very helpful and responsive to my long list of enquiries. He has helped to arrange for a private tour at Beijing and we were glad to have experienced tour guide Jack Liu to bring us around. He is very knowledgeable, gave good suggestions for eateries and helped us took many nice photos. Tour guide, together with driver Dong shifu and Song shifu were always on time and friendly. We felt welcomed and had an enjoyable trip at Beijing. Two thumbs up for the tour. Truly appreciate it.

Destination(s): Beijing
Date of Experience: July 1, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as Couples
Tour Customized by: Wonder
Joy H

Joy H

USA

Reviewed on July 6, 2023

Our family booked a two day private tour for Luoyang, Rita made the entire experience very smooth and hassle free. This is the highlight of our entire two week trip back in China since Covid. The hotel is very comfortable, and the tour guides are very knowledgeable and attentive, not only did we get to visit some major attractions, we also met some local martial art school students and talked to them at a personal level. It is a very valuable experience for me and my kids. We plan to visit other cities in China in the near future, and definitely will book tours with this company again.

I have some experience booking hotels and purchasing park tickets in China, knowing the Chinese language, I still have to deal with wechat app, wechat payment, and lack of online information. I have spent hours online booking attractions. In comparison, this company provides a very smooth travel experience, everything is taken care of, it is definitely worth looking into if you are thinking of traveling in China.

Destination(s): Beijing, Luoyang, Henan
Date of Experience: June 28, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Rita
steve h

steve h

USA

Reviewed on July 5, 2023

Our family enjoyed our China Discovery tour. I was impressed with the tour service and flexibility, especially for our three children. Our tour coordinator, Wing, was exceptional and helped us coordinate the trip best suited for us. He was responsive and friendly. We will use China Discovery again and ask for Wing. Our tourguide, Maggie, and driver, Jin, were considerate and competent. We felt like family and appreciate this professional service--genuinely concerned with making our tour in Beijing a memorable vacation. The sites were unbelievable and can't wait to visit Shanghai next time with China Discovery. All the best, the Herrings.

Destination(s): Beijing
Date of Experience: June 26, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Wing
bilofranco

bilofranco

Mexico

Reviewed on June 18, 2023

Wing Zeng did a custom private tour for five days, including trains, hotel and flights, and everything went as expected.

Destination(s): Beijing, Shanghai
Date of Experience: June 11, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as
Tour Customized by: Wing
Shirley

Shirley

Hong Kong (China)

Reviewed on June 13, 2023

We are Chinese living overseas and my experience with China was 30 years back. My son expressed to me his interest in traveling to China before he starts university studies. As I am totally unfamiliar with travel in China, I approached China Discovery for planning and arranging my 8 days trip to Beijing and Xian. Rita patiently guided me through the spots I could explore in the 2 cities and as both me and my son loves history and culture, she tailored-made a traveling itinerary that best suits us. The tour turned out to be great. Our tour guide in Beijing, Andy, is fun and knowledgeable, telling us everything about Lao Beijing. Our tour guide in Xian, Jessie, is flexible with all my requests and is very understanding. We highly recommend China Discovery to anyone who plans to visit China.

Destination(s): Beijing Xian, Huashan, Shaanxi
Date of Experience: May 29, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Rita
Gchung31

Gchung31

USA

Reviewed on June 12, 2023

We have been to China many times (Chinese Family living overseas) but wanted to plan our six cities / 11-day visit with China Discovery to ensure my 80-year old parents would have a customized, comfortable, and smooth experience. Johnson Wang worked with us to provide a great plan including some off the beaten path locations. We had several interactions with Johnson as we planned our trip, he was very supportive and understood our needs to keep our plans flexible when traveling with older parents. Great hotel selections, wonderful tour guides and Drivers, very comfortable private cars provided. Bi-lingual experience with Chinese and English travelers. Johnson was great providing beyond expected support when we had issues getting cash from ATM machines in China. I highly recommend China Discovery for a memorable time in China !

Destination(s): Guilin, Chengdu, Jiuzhaigou, Beijing, Guangxi, Sichuan
Date of Experience: May 28, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as Seniors
Tour Customized by: Johnson
Yantri D

Yantri D

USA

Reviewed on June 9, 2023

When I discovered China Discovery online, I booked a 4-day, 3-night tour to Beijing for my parents through Vivien. As I couldn't go with them, I was a little bit worried in the beginning. Both of them, who are 70+ years old and had never been to China. Happened that they were extremely happy and enjoyed the tour immensely until they left Beijing. They were taken care very well with a great service. I highly appreciate how smoothly Vivien organized all the plans and professionally arranged the tour after I requested some adjustments. Additionally, my parents were very pleased with how knowledgeable guide, Kai. He didn't not only introduce them to a deep history of each spots they visited, he also introduced them to authentic Chinese culture. Other than that he also has pleasant personality that made it easy to get along with. Kai's attention to detail was impressive, for a small example he even provided weather information in Fahrenheit, which was very convenient for Americans. I highly recommend China Discovery for those with no China experience as well as for people who have significant China experience.

Destination(s): Beijing
Date of Experience: May 29, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as Seniors
Tour Customized by: Vivien
 aob1965

aob1965

Ireland

Reviewed on June 7, 2023

Booked a multi city tour with China Discovery. They organised hotels, 4 -5*, all internal transport, Inc flights and high speed trains. Admission to attractions, a guide and a driver. The experience was phenomenal, couldn't have asked for ant more. Professional at every stage of the experience. I would 1 highly recommend a visit to China & 2 using Discover China to help with this trip of a lifetime.

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Zhangjiajie, Shaanxi, Hunan
Date of Experience: May 9, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Tracy
McKenzie E

McKenzie E

USA

Reviewed on June 3, 2023

I visited Beijing for two days, and with the help of China Discovery, I had an amazing experience. Wonder created an excellent itinerary so that my mom and I could see the essential sights during our short visit. In just two days, we were able to see the Ming Tomb Sacred Way, the Great Wall, a free tea ceremony, Tiananmen Square, an excellent view of the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, and the Olympic nest. We were able to see all of these sights and enjoy good restaurant recommendations, yet we did not feel rushed and we also had flexibility in our schedule. At one point during my visit, I had to take a detour from the itinerary to visit my Embassy. My tour guide was flexible and so helpful.

Speaking of which, one of the best highlights of the tour was our tour guide! We visited during the May 1st Holiday when almost 30 million other tourists traveled to Beijing. Our tour guide, Oliver, was amazing at weaving us through crowds, taking the best pictures, bargaining down prices while we shopped, and taking us from place to place. Not only did he have amazing logistical skills, he is also so knowledgeable about Chinese history and culture. I’ve lived in China for a long time, but I learned so much from him and I gained an even deeper appreciation for Chinese history. Oliver is a very experienced tour guide and his English vocabulary is fantastic. He is personable & considerate, and he went out of his way to make sure we had a great experience. Our driver was also so kind, reliable, and helpful.

This was my mom’s first time to visit me and see China, and she had a wonderful experience. If you are going to Beijing for a short visit, then using China Discovery is a must. It is worth the price. It will enable you to maximize your time and enjoy the wonderful highlights of Beijing. I highly recommend.

Destination(s): Beijing
Date of Experience: May 1, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Wonder
Teresa L

Teresa L

Kuwait

Reviewed on May 31, 2023

Informative and friendly guides, safe drivers, great communication from head office pre-trip and until we returned home.

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Guilin, Yangtze River, Shaanxi, Guangxi
Date of Experience: May 16, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as
Tour Customized by: Wonder
Diane M

Diane M

USA

Reviewed on May 27, 2023

A quick weekend in Beijing to see the Great Wall, Summer Palace, Tian’anmen Square and Forbidden City logged us 31,000 steps. It was worth it! From the easy planning and booking with Leo, to the 5 star care from Andy, our guide. The two days in Beijing were memorable and awesome! We had our own driver who got us close to gates and kept the non-tour part of the walking to a minimum. We learned a lot about Beijing from Andy. Great job China Discoery Tours!

Destination(s): Beijing
Date of Experience: May 20, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as Friends
Tour Customized by: Leo
Claudia S

Claudia S

USA

Reviewed on May 16, 2023

I was traveling to China for business reasons and wanted to extend my stay a little to see some of it. I had Beijing and the Great Wall in mind as well as the Terracotta soldiers in Xi’An. I knew that with the little time I had I would need all the logistical assistance I could get so when I stumbled onto China Discovery and they responded promptly with a well curated plan inclusive of hotel, drivers and guides I was all in!

They get a sense of your price range and adjust hotel bookings accordingly.

I wanted to travel by bullet train starting from Hangzhou and Rita figured it all out, including the hotel by the airport in Shanghai the night before leaving.

The guides were not only really knowledgeable but also lovely people, the same can be said for the drivers. In just four days I learned and experienced so much. As I was there over the weekend the sites in Beijing were busy, thankfully they took me to a section of the wall a little further out where they were much more manageable. In spite of the number of people, the experience was even better than I expected.

While Beijing is a cosmopolitan city I could easily relate to, Xi’An was simply magic. It is much more laid back, many went out of their way to say hello and welcome me to China and between the terracotta soldiers, the city wall (ride the bike on it!), the pagodas and the Muslim district I absolutely fell in love with it and will go back for sure to experience the archeological museum and the nearby mountains.

Massive thanks to you Jack and Lily!

Destination(s): Beijing, Shaanxi, Xian, Shanghai
Date of Experience: May 2, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as Business
Tour Customized by: Rita
Michael K

Michael K

Germany

Reviewed on April 25, 2023

After arrival in Beijing, the pickup service and transfer to the hotel checkin was very smooth.

Then the first day, after a good breakfast, I got picked up at the hotel from the guide and the driver, together we visited Tiananmen Square and went into the Forbidden City, where I got a very amazing tour with a lot of interesting historical and cultural informations. After we passed the Forbidden City, we took a short visit to the Jingshan Park with the nice overview over Beijing and the forbidden city. Finally for this day, we visited the temple of heaven, again with a lot of historical and cultural informations.

Then the first day, after a good breakfast, I got picked up at the hotel from the guide and the driver, together we visited Tiananmen Square and went into the Forbidden City, where I got a very amazing tour with a lot of interesting historical and cultural informations. After we passed the Forbidden City, we took a short visit to the Jingshan Park with the nice overview over Beijing and the forbidden city.

Finally for this day, we visited the temple of heaven, again with a lot of historical and cultural informations.

Destination(s): Beijing
Date of Experience: April 21, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as Solo
Tour Customized by: Tracy
sannespaeth

sannespaeth

Denmark

Reviewed on April 16, 2023

I had Jack from China Discovery help me with planning a 3 day trip to Beijing for me and two of my young adults (aged 23 and 19) - and we had the best time. The train rides from Shanghai and back were smooth. The boutique hotel - Double Happiness Courtyard Hotel - was very charming, clean, friendly staff, wholesome breakfast buffet and located in one of Beijing's unique Hutong areas. Our guide was very well versed in Chinese history and added great value to our visits to The Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, The Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace and The Great Wall. Also, his recommendation for a local, hidden restaurant, famous for its roast duck, made the trip very special. All in all, perfect :) We have now taken many trips around China planned by Jack and the team at China Discovery, and it's always been a great experience.

Destination(s): Beijing
Date of Experience: April 1, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Jack
SergioPapamax

SergioPapamax

Spain

Reviewed on March 24, 2023

We visited Beijing and the experience was superb. Everything was perfectly organised, easy and smooth. The guide and the driver were extremely friendly and did take care of us. All visits were amazing. The guide was perfectly informed and shared with us the history, culture and details were to look at. I would certainly recommended.

Destination(s): Beijing
Date of Experience: March 16, 2023
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Wonder
Awesome Beijing Day Tour
Gaius R

Gaius R

Malaysia

Reviewed on January 31, 2023

What a wonderful experience. We had a great remarkable Beijing day tour with our tour guide named Mingsun. Not only everything was perfect but we felt the tour guide and the driver truly cared about us. Definitely will book a tour with Mr Wonder again.

Destination(s): Beijing
Date of Experience: December 22, 2022
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Wonder
Andy C

Andy C

UK

Reviewed on August 2, 2021

Wonder and his team planned an exceptional 18 day tour of China for our family. Visiting Beijing, Xian, Zhangjajie and 5 days in Yunnan.

From the planning stage, to the selection of hotels and guides, Wonder was fabulous and he could not have been any more helpful. Booking a tour such as this allowed us to be flexible with our choices of activities and areas and it was a trip we will never forget!

I would recommend Wonder and China Discovery for anyone who is looking to book a well planned and personalised tour around China. It made life so easy and a trip to remember forever!

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Zhangjiajie, Guilin, Kunming, Dali, Lijiang
Date of Experience: July 6, 2021
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Wonder
Tamer G

Tamer G

Turkey

Reviewed on July 27, 2021

We had 8 days trip of Beijin-Luoyang-Xian with China Discovery arranged by Wonder in Jul'21.

Along with great content of trip, very qualified local guides and hotel selections, we had great service and flexibility to adjust our program due to many uncontrollable incidents through weather conditions.

Client oriented mindset and agility to finding alternatives options of Wonder has let smoothly finish our trip with maximum satisfaction. Strongly suggest China Discovery and Wonder as agent for your programs.

Destination(s): Beijing, Luoyang, Xian
Date of Experience: July 16, 2021
Trip Type: Traveled as
Tour Customized by: Wonder
Joanna Burns

Joanna Burns

USA

Reviewed on July 12, 2021

We did a shortened version of the China Discovery 17 day highlights tour. There was a big group of us with lot's of children so we decided to shorten our trip which was not a problem with China Discovery tours.

Our five families had a superb trip! The incredible sites we visited such as the 'Great wall' and the 'Terracotta warriors' will stay in our memories forever! Our guides took us to some superb restaurants where we really enjoyed the local food. The Peking duck for me was a favourite. I can't speak highly enough of our travel agent Johnson based in Chengdu. He was very patient in answering our many questions and was superb in organising the trip for us. Our local guides were excellent! There knowledge of the places we visited was in-depth and really added to the interest in what we were seeing. I will highly recommend your tour to other teachers at my school and friends and family back in New Zealand.

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Chengdu, Yangtze River Cruise
Date of Experience: June 29, 2021
Trip Type: Traveled as
Tour Customized by: Johnson
Kim

Kim

USA

Reviewed on June 17, 2021

Jack easy to work with, quality accomodations, and Li (guide) were very personable and professional.

Destination(s): Beijing,Xian
Date of Experience: June 4, 2021
Trip Type: Traveled as Friends
Tour Customized by: Jack
marcos iglesias

marcos iglesias

USA

Reviewed on June 17, 2021

I love it!!!

It was worth each cent.

The guide, Kai, was incredibly knowledgeable, it made a huge difference to have him showing me the places and explaining all the history behind it.

The timing was very well managed and not rushed and the best part was avoiding huge crowds.

I am very, very happy with their services.

I am already trying to get some days off to plan a trip to Xian with them.

I strongly recommend their services.

Destination(s): Beijing
Date of Experience: April 20, 2021
Trip Type: Traveled as Friends
Tour Customized by: Jack
Estelle Leger

Estelle Leger

France

Reviewed on May 19, 2021

Excellent experience with China Discovery!

We spent two wonderful days hiking on the Great Wall.

Our contact Riley was very professional and pro active to organize the tour.

Everything was as mentioned in the contract, no bad surprise. Our guide Jenny was very helpful and managed to adjust the plan according to our request.

We would definitely recommend China Discovery.

Destination(s): Beijing
Date of Experience: May 3, 2021
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Riley
MissAsh

MissAsh

South Africa

Reviewed on April 25, 2021

I've been living in China for almost 2 years, and haven't had the opportunity to travel because of restrictions in 2020, but now that it's eased up and with the help of China discovery tours, and a very helpful and pleasant lady, Rita they helped to create a trip of a lifetime!

It took me a while to actually decide on where I'd like to go, and Rita helped me each step of the way, I felt bad sometimes for adding and removing things on my itinerary but Rita didn't complain and was very swift with these changes.

I went to Beijing, Chengdu and Zhangjiajie and had a private driver and tour guide in all the cities. I felt like a famous superstar! Haha!

My tour Guide Yoyo was very professional and also an amazing photographer. She was really sweet and kind and I feel like I made a good friend. I had a wonderful experience in Beijing I visited the forbidden city, summer Palace, The Great Wall of China which was probably the best and most emotional experience I've had as now I'm considered a "true hero", 798 art ,a contemporary art center, the temple of Heaven and a unique experience in the Beijing Hutongs where we learned paper Cutting among others.

It's was definitely amazing and I'd love to go back one day!

Next was Chengdu, I was so excited to see the Giant Pandas! I really enjoyed it there and seeing the little Pandas had me oooo'ing and aaaawww'ing all the time!

The next day the private driver and tour guide took me to The Giant Buddha of Leshan! What a phenomenal experience! So majestic and full of history! I was in complete awe and had a good exercise climbing up and down all those stairs haha! My tour guide treated us to lunch close by and we had super delicious food prepared by the local restaurant which also had very unique and beautiful set up.

I had the option to also add days of rest on my tour because yes, I am lazy haha but it was good as it was right in the middle of my tour and I was already feeling exhausted!

Soon after I was on my way to Zhangjiajie, already by the airport I was in a different world! I have been to many airports in my life, but the scenery around Zhangjiajie airport was gorgeous!

I was nervous about the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon glass bridge days before, but when I got there i was super pumped to try walking across. My tour guide gave me 2 options 1. A zip line down to the river or taking the slide, we decided to choose the slide down and then either a boat down the river or a quiet and tranquil walk along the river. Even though it was long the walk along the river was so much better.

The views, spots and photo ops were all there!!

We also explored the yellow Dragon Caves which is beautifully lit up by different colored lights!

The next day was Zhangjiajie mountains! I am forever grateful to my tour guide David for seeing my mood change around the busy "tourist spots" where I'd get a little too overwhelmed by the noise and people so he offered to take me to secret spots where I'd get the same views (actually better views) and it's much less crowded and more serene.

I was so happy and grateful he tried his best to make my trip memorable and it was! Definitely it was!

I'm just thankful I didn't have to go through all the effort of booking planes, trains and hotels because Rita at China discovery did it all for me, and she was there when a little mishap happened and immediately moved me to a better hotel!

Destination(s): Beijing, Chengdu, Leshan, Zhangjiajie
Date of Experience: April 7, 2021
Trip Type: Traveled as Solo
Tour Customized by: Rita
798 Art District Tour
Lee Cassidy

Lee Cassidy

USA

Reviewed on February 17, 2021

The Tour was excellently organized and we had a great tour guide who had extensive knowledge. We were all so impressed, we plan to book more tours.

Destination(s): Beijing
Date of Experience: February 2, 2021
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Rita
markandkeena

markandkeena

USA

Reviewed on January 18, 2021

Recently my husband and I went to Beijing and Xi 'an with China Discovery. This is our fourth trip with this company! And our fourth trip working with Wonder as our travel-technician!

We are extremely happy with our experience.Unexpected events happened and we were required to head to a Beijing Public hospital for a check.Wonder, our tour guide Linda, and China Discovery, however, made it as smooth of an experience as possible for us while also trying to ensure we could still see the "big events": namely, the Great Wall, Forbidden City, and Temple of Heaven.And even though our itinerary needed some edits due to the unexpected events, Linda made sure that we were able to enjoy our experience in the safest way possible.She looked for shorter lines, she journeyed in the cold to a more remote area on the Great Wall with us, and she even waited with us at the train station when we were heading to Xi 'an. She also always made a point to always pick the most excellent food choices for our lunch, making an extra effort to merge the food that represented Beijing, but also that would be comfortable for a westerner to eat. While we would have been willing to try anything, that extra little effort made our eating experience all the more wonderful. Throughout the entire time in Beijing, Linda always made sure we were comfortable and safe and Wonder checked in frequently.

Next, Bruce, our tour guide in Xi 'an, was also excellent! Extremely passionate about history and food, he wanted to make sure we had the fullest experience possible during our short stay in Xi' an.He encouraged us to ask questions and went on a food mission to make sure, even though we were already eating the most wonderful dumplings, that we could also try a special sandwich from Xi 'an prior to heading to the airport. I love food, so this was fantastic! We rode around the wall on a bicycle -- a surprisingly very fun experience -- , visited the warriors, toured the Muslim quarter and tried a number of the most wonderful dishes I have ever had in China. Bruce also took the time to show us HOW to eat some of the dishes, since we would have been lost otherwise.

We are very happy with our experience and hope that we can go on another one.If so, we will definitely be reaching out to Wonder, since we have thus far, thoroughly enjoyed our adventures.

Destination(s): Beijing,Xian
Date of Experience: December 26, 2020
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Wonder
Great Wall/Forbidden Palace/Snow and Ice
U9720FRmartink

U9720FRmartink

UK

Reviewed on January 9, 2021

China Discovery organised our visit to Harbin and Beijing; great hotels, all flights (even the one that was cancelled the day before travel caused no problems and was dealt with efficiently), guides and drivers to pick us up and transport us around, meals (delicious) and all entrance tickets wherever we went. The snow and ice sculptures in Harbin were very impressive (and it was as cold as Tracy from China Discovery kept warning us!) but the highlight was the time in Beijing. Our guide (Kai) was fabulous; knowledgeable, span a great story and illuminated everywhere that we visited. The Forbidden City/Summer Palace were great but the Great Wall was everything that we hoped for. Still lots to see in Beijing and would not hesitate to ask China Discovery to organise our next trip, anywhere in China.

Destination(s): Beijing,Harbin,Guangzhou
Date of Experience: December 23, 2020
Trip Type: Traveled as Solo
Tour Customized by: Tracy
Jonathan H

Jonathan H

USA

Reviewed on January 8, 2021

I used China Discovery to take a 6-day tour of Beijing and Xian (there was a 5 hour high-speed train between these two cities).

They arranged my hotels and hired experienced tour guides and drivers to pick me up every morning and take me to all the sights in Great Wall, Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Terracotta Army, etc.) I just told them my preference for historical and cultural sights and they took care of the rest.

The tour guides were great, everyone was friendly, knowledgeable, and flexible. I had a great time. It was also shockingly less expensive than I expected.

Zeva & china discovery, see you in my next holoday in 2021

Destination(s): Beijing,Xian
Date of Experience: December 24, 2020
Trip Type: Traveled as Solo
Tour Customized by: Riley
Beijing/Shanghai
HH1

HH1

USA

Reviewed on January 5, 2021

We did a customized tour of Beijing and Shanghai in about 4 days. The coordinator did a fantastic job communicating with us throughout the whole process, and really allowed us to see the sights we were most interested in. Our guides on the ground in both cities did a great job accommodating us, even to the extent of finding a specific restaurant we had in mind. It was an enjoyable trip and being able to put the planning in someone else's hand made it a stress-free vacation!

Destination(s): Beijing,Shanghai
Date of Experience: December 23, 2020
Trip Type: Traveled as Couples
Tour Customized by: Jack
Great Company!
Alice

Alice

UK

Reviewed on December 30, 2020

1 day tour in Beijing. The company were very helpful- helped us book the tickets and ensured that we had a guide that could speak English when visiting the wall. Would definitely use again! Thanks!

Destination(s): Beijing
Date of Experience: December 15, 2020
Trip Type: Traveled as Friends
Tour Customized by: Wonder
Private Beijing/Xian tour
Kat D

Kat D

UK

Reviewed on December 21, 2020

My husband and I had the most amazing private tour thanks to China discovery. Thanks to Rita and her amazing team we had VIP/first class service throughout our whole trip in Beijing and Xian. We had a nice, clean, comfortable car, fun, knowledgable tour guides (thank you Kai and Timo, we learnt a lot about the history of China) delicious food and wonderful places to see. In this current Covid situation, where travel is a bit more restricted, Rita and her team looked after us at all times, ensuring we had everything we needed to travel. We highly recommend this tour. Thank you Rita.

Destination(s): Beijing,Xian
Date of Experience: December 23, 2020
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Rita
Alex2308

Alex2308

Zimbabwe

Reviewed on December 20, 2020

The first time I saw the Great Wall was in a movie "The karate kid". I promised myself to go there someday. Being a foreigner living and working in China, still had no idea of how to plan the trip. My wife and I discovered this agency online and decided to trust blindly and go for it (payments involved). Glad to have walked the wall in person coming all the way from zw. Thanks to Vivien and her team we got first class service from airport pick up, accommodation and being treated like royals. Thank you Linda for being an awesome tour guide. We learnt loads about ancient China. Keep it up China discovery.

Destination(s): Beijing
Date of Experience: December 20, 2020
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Vivien
Beijing one week
Daniela S

Daniela S

German

Reviewed on November 29, 2020

We just finished one week Beijing tour. We appreciate the flexibility of the agency to customize a tour according to our needs, especially because we travelled with a three months old baby. Riley adapted the itinerary to what we were hoping for. Also, she was always available answering any question or helping us to solve any inconvenience during the trip. Overall great hotel location, amazing guide as was Kai, a very knowledgeable person of the city, culture and history and good transportation.

Destination(s): Beijing
Date of Experience: November 14, 2020
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Riley
varunv2018

varunv2018

India

Reviewed on August 25, 2020

Visited Beijing over the weekend of the 20th to the 24th of August 2020 on a private tour organized by China Discovery. I've used them in the past, when I did Nanjing for my birthday last year and have to say, just as before they did not disappoint.

My travel consultant, Wendy, was super helpful in meticulously planning the trip for me, and making sure as many places I wanted to see were included on the tour.

But the real stars of the trip were our guide - Lee - and driver, who went over and above to make my trip to rhe city an incredibly memorable one. Can't recommend them enough !!

Destination(s): Beijing
Date of Experience: August 21, 2020
Trip Type: Traveled as Couples
Tour Customized by: Wendy
G S He

G S He

Singapore

Reviewed on July 5, 2020

My wife and I had a private tour from Shanghai to Huangshan in late October 2019.

It was a 3-day visit. We stayed at the foothill of Huangshan. Hotel was clean and pleasant.

The trip was wonderful and the services of the tour guide and driver were also very good.Tracy Tan at China Discovery provided good and prompt service too.

One negative aspect was the private tour price could have been 20% lower. That would have been perfect.

G HeWah

Destination(s): Beijing,Xian,Shanghai
Date of Experience: December 5, 2020
Trip Type: Traveled as Solo
Tour Customized by: Tracy
chrisdR872JP

chrisdR872JP

UK

Reviewed on January 15, 2020

Unsure of who to contact to organise my 8-day tour of China, I contacted China Discovery and they were excellent. I have no hesitation in recommending them to family and friends..

My contact at the company was Wing Zeng and, after a number of emails discussions options we finally agreed an itinerary that met all my needs.China Discovery organised my travel, hotels and guided tours for 3 cities and everything was excellent!

The real proof of the quality of the service came when I arrived at the wrong exit at Beijing station. Despite being 10pm I was able to text Wing Zeng who immediately resolved the situation. Brilliant customer service!! Thank you Wing Zeng for organising an excellent tour

Destination(s): Beijing,Xian,Shanghai
Date of Experience: December 28, 2019
Trip Type: Traveled as Solo
Tour Customized by: Wing
kumarilm2016

kumarilm2016

Australia

Reviewed on January 19, 2020

China Discovery organised a 13 day China tour for us from 21/12/19 to 3/1/20. Wendy Dan was the consultant.Covered Beijing,Xian,Guilin,Huangshan and Shanghai. Overall, a great tour! and well organised,thanks Wendy!

Andy our guide in Xian was excellent as were the guides in Guilin and Huangshan.

Vehicles provided in general were good.Restaurants in Beijing were bad however the quality improved after we protested.

Hotels were neat and clean(chose all 5star) except in Xian and after we complained ,we were upgraded.

I would definitely recommend ChinaDiscovery tours and would book with them again on my second tour.

We were a family of 4, all adults.

Destination(s): Beijing,Xian,Guilin,Huangshan,Shanghai
Date of Experience: December 21, 2019
Trip Type: Traveled as Solo
Tour Customized by: Wendy
sullyryno

sullyryno

USA

Reviewed on January 8, 2020

Wonderful experience with China Discovery. Limited on time, we worked with Vivien to hire a local guide, driver and private car to ensure we got to the Forbidden City and the Great Wall in one day. Candy was a wonderful guide. This was my seventh trip to these sites and even I learned something about the Forbidden City. After touring the Forbidden City we jumped in our comfortable van and drove past the Olympic venues and chose to visit Mutianyu. Candy assisted us with purchasing tickets and allowed us time to explore on our own and coordinated for an amazing meal at a local restaurant. The expedience and convenience of the tour was exceptional. Security around the Forbidden City makes finding a driver and tour guide there difficult, which is something I did in previous trips. I'd highly recommend working with Vivien and her team to book your upcoming travel to any number of cities throughout China.

Destination(s): Beijing
Date of Experience: November 2, 2019
Trip Type: Traveled as Solo
Tour Customized by: Vivien
rameshdhoorgapersadh

rameshdhoorgapersadh

South Africa

Reviewed on January 6, 2020

Shanghai visit included two days at the Disney resort. Magic experience with my wife and 19 year old son. Then a transfer to Beijing on high speed train. Tours in Beijing City followed by trip to Great Wall. Snow had fallen the previous night so going up the pass to the Great Wall was a fabulous experience as i come from South Africa where we have very little snow. Left Beijing on high speed train back for Shanghai to check into the "Sunrise on Bund" hotel. Classy Hotel well positioned to explore the city. My agent Lyn Wang did an excellent job of putting my package together. Lyn was constantly communicating with me via email in the run up to my departure date. Tour guides and drivers were friendly, helpful and on time. Special thanks to our young guide Ms Tina in Shanghai who did our transfers to and from the train station and airport. Was with us till we got onto train as well as made sure we had our boarding pass in hand for our return journey before saying goodbye to us. This tour company and my agent Lyn will be recommended to family and friends travelling into China - for a hassle free holiday. Thank you Lyn Wang.

Destination(s): Beijing,Shanghai
Date of Experience: December 24, 2019
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Lyn
866sybils

866sybils

Belgium

Reviewed on January 4, 2020

We used China discovery for a private tour ( 2 people ) of 12 days Beijing, Xian, Hangzhou and Shanghai. Riley was our contact. She presented us a very good program covering all the highlights, with a good combination of sightseeing and free time; She was very helpful and quickly replied to our questions, gave advice on questions we had related to the trip and was also flexible and open to change .

We had good guides and guidance , but our Xian guide Gin and our Hangzhou guide Lulu were really exceptionally good , they gave good explanations and really helped us out , also we had our personal car with driver and tour guide and we were dropped at the entrance of the sightings and the tour guides organized the tickets and the food at noon , taking into account our preferences. The timing spent and the program offered were really adapted to what we want. We also recommend to visit Hangzhou, very nice. So we are extremely happy with the service we have received from China discovery and i would certainly recommend them for a china trip. ( i was bit unsure before i booked because you never know via internet , but for those in doubt , really they give good service).

Destination(s): Beijing,Xian,Hangzhou,Shanghai
Date of Experience: December 14, 2019
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Riley
russellm510

russellm510

Australia

Reviewed on December 15, 2019

My wife and I have been regular international travellers over the past decade but had not made it to China's mainland until last month. A conference nearby presented the ideal opportunity to remedy this with a short Yangtze River Cruise to celebrate a significant birthday for my wife and to satisfy our curiosity about other places in this vast country. We are travellers rather than tourists, so I would like to endorse the travel agency (China Discovery) which helped us with our internal travel arrangements. In the first instance, all we had to do was indicate our intended arrival and departure points and our intended length of stay and our assigned agent Echo Gou cheerfully and efficiently provided us with multiple options. Over a couple of weeks we settled on an itinerary including various sites in Beijing, Xian, Chongqing, Three Gorges Dam, Yichang, Shanghai and Hangzhou over 12 days. Highlight was probably West Lake in Hangzhou. Hotels were all of high standard, local individual guides were well-educated and fluent English speakers and drivers were confident and cheerful. Most travel tween cities was by high speed rail, but when we chose to vary this for convenience once in China to include an internal flight and a private car transfer to an airport in another city, this was expertly arranged by our contact agent Echo in Chengdu at minimal additional cost. This flexibility made what might otherwise have been some difficult aspects of our trip into a smooth and enjoyable experience. I can't fault the professionalism and expertise of China Discovery and our agent, and I recommend others who like to travel independently to consider using such an efficient service at such reasonable cost.

Destination(s): Beijing,Xian,Yangtze River Cruise,Shanghai,Hangzhou
Date of Experience: November 15, 2019
Trip Type: Traveled as Couples
Tour Customized by: Echo
HarikaSetty

HarikaSetty

India

Reviewed on December 15, 2019

Our tour was organized by China Discovery [Rita Jiang] for 15 days covering five beautiful places. Though there were different means of communications available we just used Email and our Journey to china was all set.

Everything was perfectly organized starting from planning, implementing and executing.

We Didn't face any problem anywhere while travelling or while interchanging stations.

Security: We didn't face any problem anywhere either with baggage or other property. Everything was Secured.

Comfort: spacious cars, Door to door services, Hotels in the city center were provided, which was very convenient.

Food: food which was served was exactly the way we liked [Indian Vegetarian]

Awesome and Honest tour guide and Driver treated us like a family.

such a wonderful company with them made our journey to china Memorable.

Incredible People of China !!

Destination(s): Beijing,Xian,Zhangjiajie,Guilin,Shanghai
Date of Experience: November 15, 2019
Trip Type: Traveled as Couples
Tour Customized by: Rita
Juliotravels

Juliotravels

USA

Reviewed on December 1, 2019

I went to China for 4 days because we are making other stops and did a little of local searching for the best way to see the Great Wall. I gathered most of the prices and most convenient for a friend and I. By far this options as the best, the price was 272 usd, (2 people) and it dealt with a personal driver and tour guide that was very well manner and opened the door for us every time. Our tour guides name was candy she was very nice and went above and beyond to help us us out. Her English and knowledge of the Chinese culture was exceptionally perfect, literally and question I asked she had and answer for not including the normal tour itself. So the day started by them picking us up in a luxurious car at our hotel, with small treats in there for us. Then we went to the Great Wall, which the price covers the entrance and the lift tickets up and down. Then we went to sacred way, which dealt with the 13 emperors that ruled China and their burials, then we stopped at a jade manufacturing plant that gave us a small tour of jade which was great. Then we they took us to the buddhist temple in which we paid a small fee for the entrance and this was not on the itinerary, they waited for us and then they took us to the hassling market in which they had plenty of restaurants with great prices and really great food which is always fun and delicious. And they finally candy and her driver took us to a kung fu play at the Theater which was fantastic and a perfect way to end the day. Thank you Guys and Candy for being such incredible ad hospitable individuals. When I return to china I will definitely do this again with this company.

Julio

Destination(s): Beijing
Date of Experience: December 1, 2019
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Johnson
ChuckTheTravelingGuy

ChuckTheTravelingGuy

USA

Reviewed on November 4, 2019

Prior to a Princess cruise which departed from Shanghai, we took a nine day China Discovery Tour of three of China's most well-known cities...Beijing, Xian and Shanghai. Catherine Liu, our travel consultant in China, was outstanding to work with as we had numerous questions before flying to Beijing.

Included in the China Discovery Tour she arranged were tours of the Forbidden City and the Great Wall in Beijing, the amazing Terra cotta warriors in Xian and the Pudong and Bund areas in Shanghai. These tours and the many other stops we visited were excellent.

We chose the small group tour of usually 7-15 people that included numerous stops at various sites, five star hotels, excellent guides and drivers, a bullet train ride from Beijing to Xian and a flight from Xian to Shanghai. We met interesting please, saw amazing sites and were thoroughly pleased with our China Discovery Tour.

One suggestion, avoid July and August if possible as students are out of school and visit these three cities with their families which makes for crowded sites. The reason we decided on an August tour was so we could take the cruise from Shanghai which was only offered in August.

Visiting China was extremely educational. We could have never accomplished as much as we did if we had tried to tour on our own. We highly recommend the China Discovery Tour and especially Catherine Liu. Catherine was very professional, was quick to answer our questions via email and made sure our guides were excellent. Ask for her when you book a China Discovery Tour. You will be glad you did.

Destination(s): Beijing,Xian,Shanghai
Date of Experience: October 13, 2019
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Catherine
Kieran W

Kieran W

UK

Reviewed on October 31, 2019

Beijing-Xi’an-Zhangjiajie-Guilin-Yangshuo-Shanghai (Hangzhou & Suzhou)

Riley Guo did a brilliant job organising our trip. After reviewing the original itinerary, we made some adjustments for logistical efficiency. Riley was always quick to respond to my queries and even shared her WeChat number for even faster response. This was invaluable when we had a minor problem due to my mixing up a day trip time. Riley was quick to change train tickets and saved the day.

As with many other prudent travellers dealing with an unfamiliar Chinese tour operator, I was concerned about making the deposit and subsequent balance. However, I made each payment via Paypal without a hitch.

The greatest benefit of a private tour is the peace of mind at every stop. Driver and guide were at hand and took care of all tickets (no queuing) and lugging of suitcases. All breakfasts and lunches were included - all good to excellent depending on the hotel/venue.

We were able to save time and energy, thereby enjoying the sights and culture to the fullest.

Not only would I recommend China Discovery, I will be using them for our next trip to China.

Destination(s): Beijing, XIan, Zhangjiajie, Guilin, Yangshuo, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Suzhou, Shaanxi, Hunan, Guangxi
Date of Experience: October 15, 2019
Trip Type: Traveled as
Tour Customized by: Riley
Davegledhill

Davegledhill

UK

Reviewed on October 28, 2019

Review For China Discovery

China Discovery is simply superb!

The period prior to departure is a little scary. Although the itinerary is comprehensive, handing over a large amount of money on a promise, is daunting. The application process for a tourist visa is rigorous and final details of flights and train bookings were not available until the last few weeks. That led to a little nervousness at the Chinese Embassy. As it was, visas were issued without the detail. That is my only criticism as the rest of the trip was faultless.

This is a slick operation, the company strives for perfection and they deliver. The itinerary was close-hosted so a guide and driver were on hand at every destination to see us through every aspect of the visit. The ultimate illustration of efficiency was when a guide appeared on the platform on arrival at Xian station and waved my name card through the train window!

A detailed itinerary is issued before travelling. We elected for a few days in Hong Kong before and after the trip. Collected from the hotel, we had little to do for the remaining duration other than enjoy the experience. I booked good hotels and first class rail travel - the bullet train is impressive - which proved worth the additional cost. Whilst it may appear at face value to be an expensive trip, when you consider what is included, the trip is excellent value for money. The only compromise was economy flights, between distant venues. Baggage allowance on internal flights is limited so Business Class may be a consideration, if one wants to take more luggage and, of course, for that extra touch of luxury. Many meals were included allowing us to sample local cuisine.

The trip took in Chengdu to see pandas, Xian for the Terracotta Warriors, a Yangtze cruise and Beijing to see the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace and the Great Wall. At every venue, additional sites were added to round out the experience. I lost track of the number of times I said "Wow!" The itinerary proved to be extensive and varied. The guides were not only efficient, knowledgeable, enthusiastic and friendly but I would add that I met new people, anxious to deliver a unique insight. They became, albeit short term, friends. My thanks and compliments.

I can thoroughly recommend China Discovery. The tour coordinator was exceptional and our every request was delivered. The itinerary was comprehensive and executed flawlessly. Not only did we receive what we had booked but were made to feel like VIPs at every event.

My memories of China will be memorable, largely thanks to a skilled company which delivers excellence. Kudos to the team.

Destination(s): Beijing,Xian,Chengdu,Yangtze River Cruise
Date of Experience: September 7, 2019
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Echo
mukas

mukas

Germany

Reviewed on October 24, 2019

We really enjoyed our China trip organised by China Discovery. During our 14 days trip we had been to Beijing, Xian, Lhasa (Tibet), Chong Qing, Yichang and Shanghai, including a wonderful 3-day-cruise on the Yangtse River aboard the Century Legend Ship. Our consultant Riley was always quick to reply to our emails and helped us throughout the planning phase with her important tips and constructive suggestions. We are very happy with the service she offered to make our journey a unique and memorable one. The China Discovery website also has a very useful travel guide for China.

All of our local tour guides (Mark in Beijing, Kelly in Xian, Zhouma or Dolma in Lhasa, Diana in Chongqing, Nancy in Yichang as also Linda and Jack in Shanghai) were most cordial, friendly, knowledgeable, spoke good English and were punctual in picking us up from or dropping us off at the airport/train station/hotel. We had also been given their mobile numbers in advance to keep in touch, so getting a Chinese SIM card upon arrival would be useful. As we had a private tour, the guides were also flexible about departure times, where to have lunch and so on.

The entire tour and all transportation, including two train trips, two domestic flights and our Yangtze cruise, was well organised. Don't hesitate to ask for a tour without shopping stops if you don't think you'll like them. We enjoyed the lunch in different restaurants, and all the excursions provided by both China Discovery and Century Cruises.

You should be aware that if you want to pay the price quoted in CNY, the only option for foreigners is an international bank transfer, which is insecure and does not offer any kind of protection. Payments via PayPal or credit card, which have more protection for buyers in case something goes wrong, are only accepted if you pay the USD price which can however be several hundred dollars higher. It is therefore better and desirable for customers if China Discovery would accept payments in Chinese Yuan made by credit card.

That being said, we can still warmly recommend China Discovery to all tourists who are planning to visit China. You will get to see and experience this country in the best possible way with them.

Destination(s): Tibet,Beijing,Xian,Lhasa,Shaanxi,Yangtze River
Date of Experience: September 10, 2019
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Riley
JEAPIERRE

JEAPIERRE

France

Reviewed on October 22, 2019

The tour was very well orgnized by China discovery ( Jack Li) and very interesting

Xi'an with the terracota of course but also the city wall and the old city

Chengdu with the Giant Pandas

Xining , door to Tibet and Tibetan civilisation with the Qinhai lake and the so interesting museum

Lhasa with the Potala and other monasteries

Beijing at the end with the Great wall and the Tianshan etc,

Very good souvenirs!

Destination(s): Tibet,Beijing,Xian,Chengdu
Date of Experience: September 12, 2019
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Jack
Sean G

Sean G

USA

Reviewed on September 23, 2019

I'm a meticulous vacation planner and while the pre-planned packages available from various tour companies were good, none specifically met what my wife and wanted to do on vacation. I did some research on where to go and what to see and we originally were going to do 12-13 days to include some trips into the rural areas to see some scenery, etc. We ended up limiting the trip to the three big cities and received bids from multiple tour companies based in China. China Discovery stood out in the quality and completeness of their responses and had the most competitive pricing. The reviews on Trip Advisor were also very positive and helpful.

We ended up booking 8 days in China with visits to Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing. We had a list of everything we wanted to see and China Discovery made it happen -- an advantage of booking a private tour is that you can go and see what you alone want to do. (We booked our own air travel to and from China using miles earned on an airline)

In Hong Kong I was not able to find a private guide -- they are all group tours. The buses are designed for around 30 people and we had 10 in our group one day on a Lantau Island tour (fantastic) and just the two of us the next day (Victoria's Peak, Aberdeen Fishing Village/Stanley Market -- avoid it, just find a way to go to Victoria's Peak).

In China's mainland private tours are the only way to go. Why? You are only as fast as the slowest people in your group. And when it was just the three of us (us plus guide/driver) we were much more nimble at getting through crowds and we were in a car or minivan, not a bus, for driving around. The tour company gets the tickets for everywhere you are going so you don't have to wait in line. And we were able to customize portions -- like no Shanghai Museum, but add Tongli water town and a night cruise in Shanghai. Add high-speed train instead of plane between Shanghai and Beijing ... with first class tickets.

I read reviews of the hotels they had chosen to put us up at and all got good to great reviews -- and they lived up to expectations. Note: you can ask for different hotels if you want higher quality or different location -- a China four-star is Western three-star, etc. The Regal Oriental Hotel in Hong Kong was 2 1/2-3 star compared to the other two hotels. Food was average -- I had to teach the cook how to do Over Easy Eggs. The Yangtze Boutique Shanghai was fantastic -- huge room and great service -- 4-4.5 stars! Beijing hotel was the Ramada Park Plaza Wangfujing that was also great ... 4 stars. Food was great at both Shanghai and Beijing hotels. Breakfast at the hotels was included every day and lunch on most days which was in local Chinese restaurants. Extra expenses were tips for our guides and drivers, dinner, snacks, souvenirs, taxis -- we ended up spending much less than anticipated in this regard.

We had different guides each day in Hong Kong because they were group tours, then a guide + driver for the Shanghai area and guide + driver for the Beijing area. All of them spoke English well and were able to answer questions that we had. They were all very knowledgable about the subjects of each tour and even got into nitty gritty details. We were VERY impressed. At meals we would talk about all sorts of things -- especially about how we all lived and family, things like that. The guides had no problem taking photos of us with our phones and were never hurried us along if we wanted to take additional photos or video.

We happened to encounter an annual holiday when we were in Shanghai -- with millions of people pouring into the city to celebrate -- and then rehearsals for a 70th anniversary of the PRC parade and celebration in Beijing shut some roads and attractions. Both could have really thrown a monkey wrench into our plans, but the guides were adept at rearranging the schedule to our advantage and to avoid crowds and juggle going to sights that were open.

What did we see? Each line is what we did in a day

Hong Kong -- Lantau Island tour (4 sights to see) .... rating A

Hong Kong -- HK Island tour ... rating C (avoid as Aberdeen Fishing Village doesn't exist, Stanley Market is OK if you want to shop for clothes, artwork and souvenirs, and you are forced to do a Jewelry Factory Tour that is really a way to try and get you to buy some jewelry, only Victoria's Peak was good on that tour)

Shanghai -- Yu Garden, the Bund, Nanjing Road (shopping), World Financial Center (100th floor observatory), nighttime cruise ... rating A

Shanghai -- Tongli Water Town (has canals like Venice) ... rating B (very touristy, but still interesting)

Beijing -- The Mutianyu Great Wall, the Ming Tombs ... rating A

Beijing -- Hutong Tour/Rickshaw Ride, Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven ... rating A

Beijing -- Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City ... rating A (the Square is kind of meh, but the Forbidden City more than made up for it)

One piece of advice save the Forbidden City for last ... it is so impressive it may make other sights seem much less interesting.

Everything China Discovery promised, they delivered at a reasonable price.

Destination(s): Beijing,Shanghai
Date of Experience: February 20, 2019
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Jack
Burnham4

Burnham4

UK

Reviewed on September 23, 2019

This was an experience of a lifetime, professionally organised by Vivien of China Discovery and so well carried out by all the team we met. Starting in Shanghai we (party of 4) travelled 1st class on the bullet train to Beijing, Xi'an then Chengdu before a flight back to Shanghai. All travel and accommodation was included in the trip as well as private guides and comfortable private transport at each location. The hotels were all of a very good (4 star) standard with breakfast included and the several lunches we enjoyed were varied and delicious, easily coping with a vegetarian. The whole experience was so good it's difficult to pick highlights, though the Great Wall, the Terracotta army and the pandas at Chengdu are obvious must-do's and came up to all our expectations. But, there was so more than just these highlights. The visits to Temples, Pagodas, parks, monuments and museums combined expertly to give us a great insight into China's past as well as the experience of the modern, busy country that China has become, with the success of these visits mainly down to our guides whose level of English, knowledge and warmth made the whole trip so enjoyable. I cannot praise Vivien and the team highly enough - she was ever ready with help when organising the trip and stayed in contact throughout, helping us to re-schedule some items that were lost due to weather. Before we set off I was naturally anxious that all would work - there was no need for worry as everything worked perfectly. Thank you so much! If you are thinking of taking any type of trip in or around China, you can put your trust in China Discovery and you won't be disappointed.

Destination(s): Beijing,Xian
Date of Experience: August 31, 2019
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Vivien
John33486

John33486

USA

Reviewed on August 25, 2019

I took a 2 week personalized vacation with Chendu Bamboo tours through China. I wanted to put some thoughts down to the TripAdvisor community as I had a lot of reservations going into it, and I hope my review will help clarify some of the items that I was uncertain of.

First, while I researching, I determined that I wanted to do a custom tour as none of the packages that I saw had everything I wanted. The towns I chose were Beijing, Xian, Dunjuang, Chendu, Guilin and Shanghai. I submitted inquiries to multiple companies and ChinaDiscovery came back to me promptly with a very comprehensive tour that was detailed and in line with my expectations. The scary part of communicating my requirements was that it had to be done mostly through email, although the Leo of Chengdu Bamboo was also quick to Skype call me to handle some of my more advanced questions.

If you decide to book a tour like this (and you are firmly in the middle class) this is and expensive endeavor. For you to pull the trigger, you can expect a number of big expenditures. First, you will need to put an initial balance down on the trip to reserve the reservation. That amount was placed through PayPay, and the Paypal account that I placed it to did not look anything like the business I was dealing with. It was a bit unnerving sending the money to such a strange account, but in the end, the transaction was fine and 100% legitimate. One point of confusion...you may research and book through ChinaDiscovery, however the invoice then turned into Chengdu Bamboo International Tours Co, Ltd. From a payment standpoint, this was fine. I found myself having fears about placing so much money to the this travel company which I only researched on the internet...but in the end, all my fears were unfounded and the execution of my trip was as perfect as it gets.

Expect to pay a few big expenses. In addition to the trip costs, you will also have some other big expenses. You will need to coordinate the buying of your international plane tickets, which I handled shortly after the deposit. If you are a US citizen, you will need to get a visa. In my case, the Chinese Visas costs about $160 per person for a 10 year visa, and to get it, you must carefully submit a form to the Chinese consulate in a designated region of the country. Because I delayed doing this, I needed to do expedited service. And because the form is brutal and requires you to send your passports to the Chinese consulate, I enlisted a visa expert (CIBT.com) in order to get in processed. Long story short, about $1K later, I received the last of the passports back from the consulate with about 2 days to spare. So plan ahead.

The final expense is that you will be advised (not mandated) to give them tips to the drivers and tour guides. You will find yourself wanting to give them tips for the great service they provide, but you should calculate 2 weeks and 2 persons a day, and understand that it will cost you hundreds of dollars or thousands of Yuan as part of your trip costs.

Last warning to give about going to China...you'll need cash. Only some (not most) banks and stores are hooked up to the Visa and Mastercard system. This means, (1) you may need to search for the right bank to get cash in China in order to withdraw funds and (2) the vendors that you'll see only will take your cash. This caused some stress the first couple of days as I had trouble finding a bank that worked.

Now...for the good stuff. Once prepping for all that, the trip that was designed by Chinadiscovery (or Chengdu Bamboo Tour Company) was pretty spectacular. The guides were beyond great, and did a truly amazing, amazing job of being everything you would want as a tour guide. Prompt, flexible, funny, sometimes motherly, sometimes brotherly, open, honest, kind, insightful, human, knowledgeable and ...simply great. Each one in each town was different...but each of them took such pride in their cities/country that you are given a great gift. The coordination of the planes, trains and automobiles was flawless and as we traversed our way around each city, we never missed a single connection, nor did our guides ever fail to meet us at our designated meeting points.

The hotels were as good as it gets as well. Breakfast was included in all hotels...some food good, and other food great. The hotels were within walking distance to all the good things. For Beijing, 15 min walk to the Forbidden City. Shanghai? 5 minute walk to the River and 20 minutes to The Bund. I could go on, but the accommodations were really good. Combine that with flawless execution of all travel arrangements, it made for a stress free trip. The lunches were all Chinese and again, and food ranged from good to great. They always gave our family of 3 too much food for one sitting, and I felt embarrassed about leaving so much food behind.

In Beijing, our guide took us through Tienanmen Square, Forbidden City, Summer Palace, The Great Wall, and Temple of Heaven (among other places). When she took us to the train station for our trip to Xian, she insisted in walking us down to our seat on the High Speed railway car. When I asked if that is the company policy, she said 'that MY policy' (to ensure her clients get to where they are going). Amazing. We reached Xian for a day and Zoe gave us great insights of the growing city, the crowds, and life in China. Then onto Dunjuang, where Lily and her driver rearranged the schedule to ensure that we saw all the Silk Road sites. The schedule changes included her and the driver starting at 6AM (after we were picked up at the airport 10PM the night before) in order to ensure we saw everything. Then in Chengdu, Cherry helped so patiently with my wife's shopping at the Panda sanctuary. And in Guilin, Kennedy was awesome describing the land and China's ethnic minority. The insight for the rice fields and rivers were wonderful. We ate probably the best Chinese food of the trip in the fresh country air. Then finally, to Shanghai, where Zack was truly a joy, and one of the friendliest and enjoyable people I have ever met in my life. The city of Shanghai was amazing, and my son enjoyed it tremendously.

Two things I would do over if I could. First, I would plan to take it in June, not late July. We had to compete with the rest of China, which has summer break at this time. As a result, the places were packed with China tourist going to the same sites, which made the crowds a bit much. Second, I would have also altered the trip to spend 1 less day in Guilin and 1 more day in Shanghai. Other than that, I would not have changed anything.

Bottom line...if you are planning a trip to China, I highly recommend planning it with Chengdu Bamboo and if you are lucky enough to work with Leo, you will not be dissapointed.

Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Shanghai, Chengdu, Guilin,
Date of Experience: July 27, 2019
Trip Type: Traveled as
Tour Customized by: Leo
John33486

John33486

USA

Reviewed on August 25, 2019

I took a 2 week personalized vacation with Chendu Bamboo tours through China. I wanted to put some thoughts down to the TripAdvisor community as I had a lot of reservations going into it, and I hope my review will help clarify some of the items that I was uncertain of.

First, while I researching, I determined that I wanted to do a custom tour as none of the packages that I saw had everything I wanted. The towns I chose were Beijing, Xian, Dunjuang, Chendu, Guilin and Shanghai. I submitted inquiries to multiple companies and ChinaDiscovery came back to me promptly with a very comprehensive tour that was detailed and in line with my expectations. The scary part of communicating my requirements was that it had to be done mostly through email, although the Leo of Chengdu Bamboo was also quick to Skype call me to handle some of my more advanced questions.

If you decide to book a tour like this (and you are firmly in the middle class) this is and expensive endeavor. For you to pull the trigger, you can expect a number of big expenditures. First, you will need to put an initial balance down on the trip to reserve the reservation. That amount was placed through PayPay, and the Paypal account that I placed it to did not look anything like the business I was dealing with. It was a bit unnerving sending the money to such a strange account, but in the end, the transaction was fine and 100% legitimate. One point of confusion...you may research and book through ChinaDiscovery, however the invoice then turned into Chengdu Bamboo International Tours Co, Ltd. From a payment standpoint, this was fine. I found myself having fears about placing so much money to the this travel company which I only researched on the internet...but in the end, all my fears were unfounded and the execution of my trip was as perfect as it gets.

Expect to pay a few big expenses. In addition to the trip costs, you will also have some other big expenses. You will need to coordinate the buying of your international plane tickets, which I handled shortly after the deposit. If you are a US citizen, you will need to get a visa. In my case, the Chinese Visas costs about $160 per person for a 10 year visa, and to get it, you must carefully submit a form to the Chinese consulate in a designated region of the country. Because I delayed doing this, I needed to do expedited service. And because the form is brutal and requires you to send your passports to the Chinese consulate, I enlisted a visa expert (CIBT.com) in order to get in processed. Long story short, about $1K later, I received the last of the passports back from the consulate with about 2 days to spare. So plan ahead.

The final expense is that you will be advised (not mandated) to give them tips to the drivers and tour guides. You will find yourself wanting to give them tips for the great service they provide, but you should calculate 2 weeks and 2 persons a day, and understand that it will cost you hundreds of dollars or thousands of Yuan as part of your trip costs.

Last warning to give about going to China...you'll need cash. Only some (not most) banks and stores are hooked up to the Visa and Mastercard system. This means, (1) you may need to search for the right bank to get cash in China in order to withdraw funds and (2) the vendors that you'll see only will take your cash. This caused some stress the first couple of days as I had trouble finding a bank that worked.

Now...for the good stuff. Once prepping for all that, the trip that was designed by Chinadiscovery (or Chengdu Bamboo Tour Company) was pretty spectacular. The guides were beyond great, and did a truly amazing, amazing job of being everything you would want as a tour guide. Prompt, flexible, funny, sometimes motherly, sometimes brotherly, open, honest, kind, insightful, human, knowledgeable and ...simply great. Each one in each town was different...but each of them took such pride in their cities/country that you are given a great gift. The coordination of the planes, trains and automobiles was flawless and as we traversed our way around each city, we never missed a single connection, nor did our guides ever fail to meet us at our designated meeting points.

The hotels were as good as it gets as well. Breakfast was included in all hotels...some food good, and other food great. The hotels were within walking distance to all the good things. For Beijing, 15 min walk to the Forbidden City. Shanghai? 5 minute walk to the River and 20 minutes to The Bund. I could go on, but the accommodations were really good. Combine that with flawless execution of all travel arrangements, it made for a stress free trip. The lunches were all Chinese and again, and food ranged from good to great. They always gave our family of 3 too much food for one sitting, and I felt embarrassed about leaving so much food behind.

In Beijing, our guide took us through Tienanmen Square, Forbidden City, Summer Palace, The Great Wall, and Temple of Heaven (among other places). When she took us to the train station for our trip to Xian, she insisted in walking us down to our seat on the High Speed railway car. When I asked if that is the company policy, she said 'that MY policy' (to ensure her clients get to where they are going). Amazing. We reached Xian for a day and Zoe gave us great insights of the growing city, the crowds, and life in China. Then onto Dunjuang, where Lily and her driver rearranged the schedule to ensure that we saw all the Silk Road sites. The schedule changes included her and the driver starting at 6AM (after we were picked up at the airport 10PM the night before) in order to ensure we saw everything. Then in Chengdu, Cherry helped so patiently with my wife's shopping at the Panda sanctuary. And in Guilin, Kennedy was awesome describing the land and China's ethnic minority. The insight for the rice fields and rivers were wonderful. We ate probably the best Chinese food of the trip in the fresh country air. Then finally, to Shanghai, where Zack was truly a joy, and one of the friendliest and enjoyable people I have ever met in my life. The city of Shanghai was amazing, and my son enjoyed it tremendously.

Two things I would do over if I could. First, I would plan to take it in June, not late July. We had to compete with the rest of China, which has summer break at this time. As a result, the places were packed with China tourist going to the same sites, which made the crowds a bit much. Second, I would have also altered the trip to spend 1 less day in Guilin and 1 more day in Shanghai. Other than that, I would not have changed anything.

Bottom line...if you are planning a trip to China, I highly recommend planning it with Chengdu Bamboo and if you are lucky enough to work with Leo, you will not be dissapointed.

Destination(s): Beijing
Date of Experience: July 20, 2019
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Leo
Thomas G

Thomas G

USA

Reviewed on August 10, 2019

I am a history major and I went to China to study ancient Chinese history. The tour guides were very knowledgable and would always answer my questions. It was by far my favorite vacation. Visiting the grottoes, Buddhist temples, museums, ancient fortifications, and cities were the highlights of this history major's experience. My favorite experience was visiting Pingyao ancient city. The walls were first built during the Western Zhou dynasty and the buildings are mostly from ancient China. I stayed in a hotel inside the ancient city, ate the local food, bought traditional clothing, and went to the bar at night. There are many bars that stay open late and some of the locals dress in traditional clothing. It felt like living in ancient China! If you are interested in shopping, there is a gift shop near the terracotta warriors museum that shows you how they are made. You can buy pretty much anything there from a replica terracotta statue with your face on it to furniture, pottery, and replica weapons. I bought a replica sword for 960 RMB and they shipped it to my house. There is also a silk museum in Shanghai where you can buy beautiful clothing. The local people were always very friendly, polite and interested in talking with you. I never felt nervous or disrespected during my stay. The tour guides will go out of their way to ensure you enjoy your visit. I would highly recommend China Discovery for anyone who is interested in visiting China. It is much nicer to have a tour guide show you all the fascinating things to explore and explain Chinese culture and history than visiting China without a tour guide and being blind to all these things.

Destination(s): Shanxi,Shanghai,Beijing,Xian
Date of Experience: July 25, 2019
Trip Type: Traveled as Students
Tour Customized by: Jack
Daniel M

Daniel M

New Zealand

Reviewed on July 5, 2019

My husband and I are just back from a wonderful holiday in China. We organized this from Ireland with Wendy at China discovery who helped us put together a fantastic itinerary. Beijing was amazing the palaces Xian ancient city Chengdu was a culinary delight. Guilin had to be our favorite place the natural beauty of the Karst mountains along the li river and of course the rice terraces and the old city of Longsheng. The Yangtze River cruise was spectacular especially Wushan. We ended our amazing trip in Shanghai. The personal guides and drivers in each city we’re always there to greet us from our flights or trains. Each day was packed with so many places of interest to see and delicious lunches. We are missing the lovely time we spent in China so much that we plan to return soon to explore more beautiful places China has to offer.

Destination(s): Beijing,Zhangjiajie
Date of Experience: May 30, 2019
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Mike
RagerRayboy

RagerRayboy

USA

Reviewed on June 24, 2019

My wife and I recently completed a 22 days’ vacation/excursion in the People’s Republic of China. We arranged this voyage with China Discovery Tour Agency.(May17th-June7th, 2019)

Our journey throughout China included three air flights and four high speed trains.

We visited Beijing, the capital of The People’s Republic of China. Highlights in Beijing, Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, the Great Wall (Mutiny Section), the Sacred Way, wonderful Kungfu Show, and a wonderful dinner of Peiking Roasted Duck at the Iconic Quanjude restaurant. We then traveled 4.5 hours by Fast train to Xian to visit the Terracotta Warriors and Horses excavation site then on to the Ancient City Wall and then in the evening attended a wonderful Tang Palace Dance Show. We then traveled 3 hours by plane to Lhasa, the capital of TIBET. Then from TIBET back to China to the city of Chengdu (2 hours by plane) to visit the Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding and also enjoy the relax atmosphere of the city’s Renmin Park. Then from Chengdu we traveled 1.5 hours by plane to Guilin, the most scenic city in China. We then drove about 2.5 hours to visit one of the most beautiful rice terraces in China…Longji Rice Terrace. What an experience hiking up on the edge of the mountain, including traveling up more than 900 steps in order to arrive at our hotel. Then the next morning more hiking up hill and steps to observe the spectacular view and to get a better understanding of the engineering developed many, many years ago to be able to cultivate rice at that high altitude. Later we visited Huangluo Yao Village and enjoyed a beautiful show by the Village Long Hair People. The following day we traveled back to Guilin and took a very relaxing sightseeing cruise 84 kilometers down the Li River to Yangzhou Town.

That evening we attended an amazing show directed by the world-famous director Mr. Zhang Yimou then the next day we drove back to Guilin and took a fast train (5 hours) to the the city of Chongqing (The largest city in Southwest China) to catch our cruise ship to take a 3 nights 4 days cruise down the Yangtze River, and during the cruise we had 3 shore excursions to visit different historic sites. After our cruise we then went on an all-day tour of the Three Gorge Dam. It is the largest dam in the entire world. After that we traveled by bus to to Yichang and took a fast train the the new city of Shanghai. Shanghai is less than 20 years. In Shanghai we visited the 400 year old Yun Garden, the Shanghai World Financial Center, the Nanjing Road, the famous BUND, Zhujiajiao Water Town, Tianzifang, Suzhou No.1 Silk Factory, and finally we attended an incredible Acrobat Show. Then on June 6thth we traveled back to Beijing by fast train (4.5 hours) and on June 7thth we departed China.

We have traveled to many different places all over the world during the past 21 years and I must say this excursion in China arranged for us by the very efficient, professional, and knowledgeable agent Wendy Dan of China Discovery was truly unbelievable. Simply put, Wendy Dan and all of the drivers and especially our English-speaking guides provided us with services way above our expectations. We indeed experienced a voyage of a lifetime.

During the past 21 years, we have traveled to the Middle East, North Africa, West Africa, Central Africa, East Africa, all over the USA and Canada, many places in Central America and South America, Western Europe, Northern Europe, Egypt and throughout the entire Caribbean and we have been fortunate to have a very good experience in each of those many places. China Discovery organized a 22 days’ tour along with its the very proficient, caring, and knowledgeable service providers (especially our private English-speaking tour guides) which has resulted in my wife and I having to tell the World that this trip compares with the best vacation we experienced in all of our travels during the past 21 years. We are very, very impressed with the overall beauty, safety, cleanliness, orderliness, and history we experienced at all of the places we visited. We are still amazed at the considerable level of development China has achieved during the past 35 years. Yes, put a visit to China, planned by China Discovery, on your bucket list.

Finally, my wife and I would like to express again our sincere thank you very much to Candy-Beijing, Maria-Xian, Dorjee-Lhasa, Kevin-Chengdu, Kennedy-Guilin, Charlie-Chongqing, Yichang- , Terry-Shanghai and Tina-Shanghai for your caring and professional service.

Destination(s): Beijing,Xian,Guilin,Tibet,Yangtze River Cruise
Date of Experience: May 17, 2019
Trip Type: Traveled as Couples
Tour Customized by: Wendy
gadigag

gadigag

USA

Reviewed on June 21, 2019

After 6 days exploring Hong Kong by ourselves we started our guided tour of China on 30th May. We are very well travelled and have always booked independently so this was a first for us to put ourselves in the hands of an online travel agency in China! Wonder Wang from China Discovery (Chengdu) had corresponded with us over a number of months and together we had formulated a tour taking in Guilin, Yangshuo, Xian, Shanghai and finally Beijing. The 4 guides, Smiley, Walender, Frank and Kevin all had very different personalities and that was an extremely interesting aspect of the holiday. They were all friendly, professional, knowledgeable and always on time. The tour was just myself and my husband accompanied by different guides and drivers.

The 2 internal flights and 2 high speed trains worked well and we were taken to the airports/stations and always met with smiling faces. The lunches were varied and we had some great meals although we had to overcome some food challenges when dining by ourselves in the evenings. Additional shows were suggested by the guides and special mention must be made of the show at Yangshuo on the River Li - amazing! The hotels and breakfasts were of a good standard although bathroom facilities in a couple of instances could have been more modern but always spotlessly clean.

The programme was varied and we tweaked it when planning with Wonder’s help. The Great Wall was amazing and we particularly loved Shanghai. We were flexible in order to maximise the time spent in places especially in Beijing.

We were a little skeptical at first booking online with a Chinese travel agency but have no worries China Discovery and Wonder Wang were efficient, professional at all times and we had a great time. China was so much more than we expected and we would not hesitate to recommend China Discovery to others and maybe one day we will return to see the rest of the country. A great holiday!

Destination(s): Zhangjiajie,Yunnan,Beijing
Date of Experience: June 21, 2019
Trip Type: Traveled as Couples
Tour Customized by: Echo
TJDDevon

TJDDevon

UK

Reviewed on June 18, 2019

After 6 days exploring Hong Kong by ourselves we started our guided tour of China on 30th May. We are very well travelled and have always booked independently so this was a first for us to put ourselves in the hands of an online travel agency in China! Wonder Wang from China Discovery (Chengdu) had corresponded with us over a number of months and together we had formulated a tour taking in Guilin, Yangshuo, Xian, Shanghai and finally Beijing. The 4 guides, Smiley, Walender, Frank and Kevin all had very different personalities and that was an extremely interesting aspect of the holiday. They were all friendly, professional, knowledgeable and always on time. The tour was just myself and my husband accompanied by different guides and drivers.

The 2 internal flights and 2 high speed trains worked well and we were taken to the airports/stations and always met with smiling faces. The lunches were varied and we had some great meals although we had to overcome some food challenges when dining by ourselves in the evenings. Additional shows were suggested by the guides and special mention must be made of the show at Yangshuo on the River Li - amazing! The hotels and breakfasts were of a good standard although bathroom facilities in a couple of instances could have been more modern but always spotlessly clean.

The programme was varied and we tweaked it when planning with Wonder’s help. The Great Wall was amazing and we particularly loved Shanghai. We were flexible in order to maximise the time spent in places especially in Beijing.

We were a little skeptical at first booking online with a Chinese travel agency but have no worries China Discovery and Wonder Wang were efficient, professional at all times and we had a great time. China was so much more than we expected and we would not hesitate to recommend China Discovery to others and maybe one day we will return to see the rest of the country. A great holiday!

Destination(s): Hong Kong,Guilin,Beijing
Date of Experience: May 30, 2019
Trip Type: Traveled as Couples
Tour Customized by: Wonder
Awkwardtrip

Awkwardtrip

Australia

Reviewed on June 18, 2019

Ms.Lyn wang was very cooperative & professional right from the time of enquiry, booking & arranging the customized China tour for 12 days covering Beijing, Yangtze river cruise, Zhangjiajie & Shanghai. We really appreciate her for organizing the tour in a very professional manner. We were bit apprehensive initially as we booked directly without any tour operator from my country of origin. It was very wonderful & pleasant experience and we really enjoyed every moment of it.

All all tour guides were very professional & cooperative giving all the required info of the tour. Yangtze river cruise by “president No-7” was very good & enjoyed the way they organised.

Zhangjiajie is a must visit place with such a scenic beauty & we feel three days there would have been more justified to enjoy thoroughly such a natural scenic beauty spot. But the only disappointment was the hotel “Wulingyuan Hotel” arranged was close to the hills but the food was really bad & couldn’t eat at all. The least we expected that the breakfast could be to suit overseas travellers, but was really not up to any standard. Suggest you to recommend any other hotels for overseas guests.

In Shanghai, there was much free time left after covering all the listed places as per itinerary & suggest tour guide could provide some local shopping tips in China as in Nanjing road it was all expensive which are otherwise generally available in any other country. Don't miss Bund walk in the evening, the skyline under lights is most delightful to watch /gaze.

Overall it was very nicely organised & we really appreciate your professionalism for well organised tour. I certainly recommend "China discovery" tour operator & happy to avail for any future tours in china.

Destination(s): Shanghai,Zhangjiejia,Guilin,Yunnan,Chengdu,Tibet,Xian,Beijing
Date of Experience: April 26, 2019
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Jack
ksenthilvel

ksenthilvel

India

Reviewed on June 8, 2019

Lyn - Our travel consultant did a wonderful job and we had a great 8 days trip covering Beijing, Xian and Shanghai.

For our May travel we started just with a web page inquiry in Jan. She was patient enough and guided all through the details. Right from Train and Air booking (Beijing-Xian-Shanghai) and optional ones everything was well timed and paced. The guides assigned did a wonderful job and were there right from the airport picket to check in on our way back. There were no ambiguities in what's covered and not and helped a lot to have well planned travel.

Our veg food requirements were well taken care of and the entire itinerary was smooth and seamless. The private van was big enough to accommodate two adults and two grown kinds with 4 big suitcases and 4 bags.

Highly recommend this tour to anyone looking for english tour in China. Here are few tips;

1. Made all payments to China Discovery though Paypal since other payment modes not convenient

2. Carry enough cash (Master / Visa) not accepted at many places - excepts Starbucks and big malls. Could withdraw cash using Visa card on local ATMs. To my surprise the exchange rate was better at ATM (no additional charges) than what I got in India

3. Google, WhatsApp and Facebook access would be a challenge. I found betternet VPN handy for those 8 days

4. Unlike other places no insistence of Tips from anybody. Being private tour I tipped Guides and Drivers well (More than 12 hours every day).

5. Do expect visits to Jade Factory, Tea Museum, Terracotta factory. If you want to avoid let them know in advance

I had no reason to call Lynn during our trip and that's great :)

Go for it. I had lot of reservation while booking mine with limited online reviews available, hence sharing this.

Destination(s): Beijing
Date of Experience: May 31, 2019
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Lyn
vee h

vee h

USA

Reviewed on June 7, 2019

We recently booked a 3 city private tour with China Discovery.com. The arrangements for hotels , transportation and sight seeing was flawlessly executed. I would highly recommend this tour. All this was made possible by our fabulous tour guide Riley Guo. She was very prompt in responding to all our questions. The weather towards the end of May in Beijing , Xian and Shanghai is starting to get hot but still tolerable. We were able to hike the Great wall which is spectacular for nearly 4 hours. All our tour guides (Helen in Beijing, Kelly in Xian and Frank in Shanghai) did an awesome job explaining the history and planning out the trip.

I would thoroughly recommend Riley Guo at China Discovery to help plan and organize your trip. Nothing is ever too much trouble and she was able to deliver an amazing experience at a very reasonable price. Cant wait to go back and cruise the Yangtze river and explore other cities in China.

Destination(s): Beijing
Date of Experience: May 29, 2019
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Riley
yoongT77

yoongT77

Malaysia

Reviewed on May 15, 2019

We have heard and seen alot about how amazing China is, so my partner and I decided on a 10 days vacation to China. It's our maiden voyage to China and we selected Beijing as our first destination to kick start our adventure..

It was a last minute decision with additional complication when we decided to include a meet up with friends who are residing in North East of China. Our hectic daily schedule meant that very little time were spent on researching our trip. Fortunately we found China Discovery who were able to provide personalised travel itineraries. Wendy Dan was assigned to assist us in planning our trip. Wendy has a patient of a saint and she is extremely helpful, professional and obviously dedicated to her job.

We appreciate the complexity involved in the trip as we were pretty ambitious with our travel plans and we were constantly tweaking our schedule. Wendy was always on hand to assist and offers suggestions to suit our challenging travel plans. Our constant tweaking were compacting the timeline for Wendy to organise our trip.

We finally decided on a 5 days self organised travel plan prior to engaging the service of China Discovery for a 5 days Beijing and Datong trip.

When we embarked on the trip organised by China Discovery, we were concerned that the schedule may be punishing since we were constantly on the road for 5 consecutive days prior to China Discovery trip. Our concerns were unfounded, we found the travel itineraries very relaxing, accommodating and well planned. All our requests and requirements were well taken care off. The accommodations and transportation arrangement were of excellent and much appreciated.

Destination(s): Beijing,Shanxi
Date of Experience: April 11, 2019
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Wendy
Connector740452

Connector740452

USA

Reviewed on May 8, 2019

Hello Jack,

We recently got back from our wonderful 19 days trip to China and wanted to take this time to thank you for preparing such an awesome itinerary for us. It was tailored to the places we wanted to visit Beijing, Xian, Lhasa,Tibet, Chengdu, Guilin, Yanshuo, Li River Cruise, Longji, Chongqing Yangtze River cruise, Yichang, Shanghai.

We enjoyed every single day of our tours to the maximum.

The treatment we received from all of our tour guides and drivers was excellent. We were always greeted on time at the airport or train station by our tour guide who promptly introduced themselves and also the driver. Very nice people always wanting to help and explain all the details about the place visited, their culture and traditions.

Hotels were beautiful, very comfortable and centrally located. Staff always ready to help if needed. We were very surprised with the beautiful gift waiting for us when we got to our hotel in Chengdu. I wished we had more time to go visit you in your office and personally thank you.

The very well planned itinerary was carried out to our expectations, never a missed placed to visit, and when it was time for our next destination, our tour guide had everything under control, from taking our bags to getting our tickets and making sure we were in the right place on time.

The Yangtze River cruise was very relaxing, excellent buffet and staff service. Our activity coordinator Rebecca, was great in keeping the activities going and letting us know which sceneries where coming up and what to look for every time. Nightly entertainment was very good also. The tours very very well organized and we really enjoyed them.

We loved every city visited and experienced different Chinese cuisine every placed we went. The restaurants and food was carefully selected always keeping in mind if we were allergic to any food or liked or disliked any hot spices.

We are very happy and it has been an amazing vacation and a learning experience. Will be happy to recommend your company and specially you Jack for all your help, patience and knowledge. We'll be happy to return to China to experience many other beautiful places we didn't get to see this time around.

Thank you very much for everything you did for us.

Idania and Alberto Mesa

Destination(s): Yangtze River Cruise,Beijing,Xian,Tibet,Chengdu,Guilin
Date of Experience: April 15, 2019
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Jack
Honora M

Honora M

Ireland

Reviewed on May 7, 2019

We have just returned from our holiday organized by Jack Li in China Discovery. This amazing tour lasted twenty days and we visited Beijing,Xi’an,Chengdu,Lijiang,Guilin, Yangshuo, Hangzhou and Shanghai. We found China Discovery to be an absolutely reliable tour company,responsible and very attentive. The service was of the highest quality- hotels,guides,drivers and all the restaurants attended and recommended. We have full confidence in recommending China Discovery for anyone needing a stress free holiday in China. In each location the guides were professional,enthusiastic and delighted to give us an insight into their community-history,customs,religions,fauna and flora. In fact each location was a highlight and we have a lifetime of unforgettable memories. We would like to thank Jack Li for customizing our tour and for taking such good care of us. It was a remarkable holiday made possible by the expertise and efficiency of China Discovery and its wonderful team.

Destination(s): Beijing,Xian,Chengdu,Yunnan,Guilin,Hangzhou,Shanghai
Date of Experience: April 7, 2019
Trip Type: Traveled as Couples
Tour Customized by: Jack
daniela1122

daniela1122

UK

Reviewed on April 28, 2019

We've just come back from 2 amazing weeks in China booked through China Discovery based in Chengdu, our travel consultant was Johnson. We chose a bespoke tour taking in Beijing, Xi'an, Chengu, then a short river cruise on The Yangtze, followed by a night in Zhangjiajie and finishing off in Shanghai. We had the most amazing time. Johnson organised the trip and was very patient with our infinte changes to the itinerary,

Johnson arranged all the transport within China, hotels, and guides in each of the cities, all guides spoke excellent english, were really well organised and knowlegeable. Ruby (in Chengdu), Kimi (in Xi'an) and Johnson (in Zhangjiajie) were absolutely excellent and made our stay really special. Having a guide cuts down the queueing time considerably as tickets are prebooked for you and they only need to be picked up, in some places there are preferential queues for guided tours.

We travelled mainly by high speed train, which is by far the most convenient way of seeing the country. We were astounded by how efficient, clean and punctual the trains were. We also used the underground system of most of the cities we stayed in, we found them all easy to navigate, modern, clean and punctual.

We had 3 days in Beijing, we stayed at the Park Plaza: excellent breakfast comfortable and clean rooms, excellent location. In Beijing we saw the Forbidden city, the Temple of Heaven and the Summer Palace and had a great day on the Great Wall, which is astoundingly impressive, coming down on the tobbogan was great fun. We were supposed to visit the Hutongs and have a go at some calligraphy, but unfortunately due to a mix of Beijing traffic, an early afternoon train to catch and the calligraphy person being called away, we were unable to do this last activity.

The second stop was Xi'an, we stayed at the Grand Mercure on Remnin Square, Less impressive than the other hotels in the square, but comfortable and excellently located. It was built in the Soviet era and had an air of faded grandeur. The Terracotta Warriors were breathtaking and we had a lovely time cycling round the town walls. Xi'an is a really pretty city by night with bustling markets and pretty lights everywhere. We took the opportunity to learn to make dumplings and have lunch with a local family. This was a great experience. It was in one of the super-modern high rise buildings that are ubiquitous, the host was a former guide and it was one of the best meals we had in the holiday. It was more a demonstration of how to fill the dumplings rather than a cookery lesson, but we enjoyed it nevertheless.

Next stop Chengdu, home of the pandas. We stayed in the Dorset Grand, the only way to describe the hotel is WOW! The highlight was the Pandas, we enjoyed Renmin park and the Opera. We mentioned to our guide that we wanted to try the local hotpot so she stayed with us into the evening to help us with ordering and show us how it was done.

The next stop was Chongqing, from here we took a 3 day cruise on the Yangtze on the Century Legend, which was a lot of fun and restful after the busyness of the previous week. Food was ordinary at best. The cruise had group excursions, which made us really grateful that we booked a private tour with China Discovery for most of the holiday (rather than a group tour with a UK based agency) as there was a lot of hanging around waiting for other people. The quality of the guides provided by China Discovery was also much higher. Breathtaking scenary and an amazing feat of politics and engineering.

Second last stop Zhangjiajie, the slow train was incredibly interesting, and it was the first look of small town, rural China we caught. It had a completely different feel from the other places we visited. As we got there we wished we had followed Johnson's advice and stayed an extra day. To sum the place up in one word: spectacular, we saw Tianmen Mountain and the Yellow dragon cave.

Finally a last few days in Shanghai, we stayed at the Sunrise on the Bund, a beautiful hotel, but not really on the bund. We were unlucky that there were night roadworks going on outside our window, but the staff did their best to mitigate their impact. Shanghai does not really need a guide, it is quite westernised and it is easy to navigate. The advantage of having a guide is that you will pack much more into the day. Again, we were grateful to have one of China Discovery's guides for one of the 3 days we spent here. As when we asked the concierge at the hotel for direction for a shopping centre, he arranged for a taxi to take us to a really hard sale place that made us feel quite uncomfortable. During the rest of the holiday only twice we had been taken to places where we felt in some way obliged to buy something, but it was not a hard sell, the trips were listed on the itinerary and we could have said we did not want to go there.

Overall it was a great holiday and we have been so impressed by the organisation and value for money provided by China Discovery and Johnson that we are planning to do a tour of Southern China in the next couple of years.

Destination(s): Beijing,Xian,Chengdu,Yangtze River Cruise,Shanghai
Date of Experience: April 6, 2019
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Vivien
Tamsin1802

Tamsin1802

Australia

Reviewed on April 27, 2019

When researching tours of China we found that China Discovery was the perfect company to book with as we were able to customise our own trip.

We traveled to multiple destinations within China where we had our own personal guides which made the language barrier a breeze as we were able to thoroughly enjoy ourselves with no stress. The guides had excellent English and local knowledge and showed us many things that we would have otherwise missed.

I would not hesitate to recommend China Discovery and our tour coordinator Wing Zeng. She was excellent at planing the whole tour for us, including the internal travel arrangements. I was also very impressed with how she kept in contact with us throughout the entire trip.

When traveling domestically in China, we soon noticed that there were no signs in English at the airports so we were very grateful to have our tour guides assist us with the flight check-ins.

Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed our time in China and would definitely recommend this company to others.

Destination(s): Beijing,Shanxi,Xian,Guilin,Shanghai
Date of Experience: April 20, 2019
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Wing
David1990CH

David1990CH

Switzerland

Reviewed on April 7, 2019

We wanted to visit some sights in different cities in China. Riley from China Discovery was very patient and competent and helped us plan our trip. She answered all our questions quickly and also helped us process our VISA applications.

This resulted in a 16-day tour during which we visited the following cities: Beijing, Harbin, Chengdu, Lhasa, Zhangjiajie, Yangshuo and Guilin. Riley organized for us the tickets for 6 domestic flights and 2 train trips. In each city we were welcomed by a tour guide and a driver. Everything went smoothly and everything was well organized.

We would like to thank Riley for her patient support and would book our next trip to China with her again.

David

Destination(s): Beijing,Harbin,Chengdu,Lhasa,Zhangjiajie,Guilin
Date of Experience: March 23, 2019
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Riley
NorthStar769301

NorthStar769301

USA

Reviewed on March 17, 2019

My husband and I were very, very pleased with the arrangements our online consultant Wing Zeng with China Discovery Yangtze River Cruise Tibet Discovery put together for us which was a 14 day trip. We flew into Beijing, experienced the Great Wall, the imperial palace, Xian, to see the Terra cotta warriors, cities in between, we cruised along the Li River and a 3 days cruise down the Yangtze River. Our trip ended in Shanghai. Yes, we too were a bit uncomfortable making arrangements online with such a distance away but Ms Wing put our minds at ease. Our experience was beyond our expectations starting with our tour sites and hotels. We were able to experience transportation that we don’t have in our area like the bullet train and subway. Our Guides, Mr Jean, Ms Alice, Ms Vivian, Ms Fay, and Zack were all fabulous at what the do. We would definitely book with this company again.

Destination(s): Beijing,Xian,Yangtze River Cruise
Date of Experience: February 21, 2019
Trip Type: Traveled as Couples
Tour Customized by: Wing
David R

David R

South Africa

Reviewed on March 13, 2019

Wonder Wang organised an incredible memorable tour for us. our ten day trip in China was faultless - from the minute we put our feet in China right up to our flight home we were cared for in every detail. our guides and their drivers were simply amazing. Forest in Beijing, besides being very knowledgeable was a caring and lovely human being. Avril in Shanghai and Vivian in Xian were excellent as well. Their English was excellent. Punctual, arranged great lunches and simply excelled in all areas. Wonder arranged lovely hotels in the best locations. I would highly recommend China Discovery to anyone who wants to travel in China. 110% all the way!!

Destination(s): Shanghai,Xian,Beijing
Date of Experience: March 13, 2019
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Wonder
Pam J

Pam J

USA

Reviewed on March 3, 2019

My son and I just returned from a seven day trip to Beijing, Xi'an and Shanghai. The trip was booked with China Discovery and I would like to express my satisfaction and appreciation for a well organized and extremely enjoyable trip from beginning to end. The guides - Lindsay and Vivienne in Beijing , Timo in Xi'an , Laura in Shanghai were all organized, punctual, pleasant and professional. Everything went smoothly and we really enjoyed the 5-star hotel package. The food that was included exceeded our expectations for most of the time and the drivers were courteous and safe . Many thanks China Discovery for helping us to experience such a wonderful time.

Destination(s): Beijing,Xian,Shanghai
Date of Experience: February 20, 2019
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Jack
Marianne M

Marianne M

New Zealand

Reviewed on February 27, 2019

We chose a private tour as we wanted a relaxing trip, some time to ourselves, and flexibility. I arranged our 18 day trip through Catherine Liu (China Discovery, based in Chengdu). I made several changes to our itinerary, had many questions and a few concerns; Catherine responded quickly allying our concerns, providing more information, and making the changes requested. We travelled by air, bullet trains and private vans. All our guides were great, heaps of historic and local knowledge.

The Ice & Snow Festival in Harbin was on our bucket list, so expectations were high. Harbin is awesome: very friendly people, great food, stunning scenery, and didn’t feel as cold as we expected (due to the dry air, it felt 10 degrees warmer than it actually was – still cold though). I do recommend visiting the Snow Park towards the end on the day so you can catch the light show, it’s stunning. The second floor of the tourist information centre has some entertaining stuff to look at too.

Beijing was great! I do recommend going in the winter/off-season, as it is much less crowded. Our tour guide Eric was amazing; we loved his sense of humour, entertaining way of telling us about the history & chatty story titbits, and his enthusiasm was contagious. We were always either in awe or laughing. Unfortunately I started to get sick while in Beijing.

Xian was impressive, but unfortunately I got sicker. Catherine had kept in touch throughout, to see how I was, and arranged for me to visit the hospital with our interpreter. That was an experience I won’t forget.

We were so impressed with our tours, interpreters, drivers, and ongoing attention to detail (both pre & during the trip); we asked to meet Catherine when we were in Chengdu to thank her personally. The tour far exceeded our expectations, accommodation was great, and Catherine ensured my request for hotels with comfortable beds was met.

Thanks again to Catherine, our guides and drivers.

Destination(s): Harbin,Beijing,Xian
Date of Experience: February 22, 2019
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Catherine
901debyv

901debyv

USA

Reviewed on January 28, 2019

My sister-in-law and I booked a three day tour of Beijing and two-day tour of Xian with China Discovery. Mr. Leo Li was our contact and he was extraordinary. He helped us with every detail of the tour, making suggestions and providing the very best tour I have ever experienced. He also made changes "on the fly" when we made changes and we still didn't miss anything! Our tour guides were also extraordinary. Candy, our Beijing guide, was an awesome young woman with incredible knowledge of the city, it's important buildings, art, history, food, and anything else we wanted to know. She was articulate, friendly, and full of exuberance. Our driver in Beijing was tireless in his difficult job of navigating the city and taking us outside of Beijing to see the Great Wall. Becky, our Xian tour guide, was also excellent. Despite her young child being sick with the stomach flu, she navigated us around this beautiful city effortlessly and explained the history of the Terra Cotta warriors with clarity and expertise. I would ABSOLUTELY recommend this company for any length of tour required. When I return to China - and I will - China Discovery will be my tour guide of choice. Thank you Leo, Candy, and Becky for making this trip one we will remember forever.

Destination(s): Beijing,Xian
Date of Experience: January 16, 2019
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Leo
Evan U

Evan U

USA

Reviewed on January 23, 2019

These guys are the real deal!

I used the China Discovery office based in Chengdu. Vivien hooked us up with an unforgettable 4 day tour in Beijing. Vivien was in constant communication answered all my questions and concerns about going to China as USA citizens. She had it all under control!

They picked us up arriving at airport ,brought us to hotel and back afterwards.

My family and I had no issues at all not being able to speak the language during the tour as well as our tour guide handled any translating necessary.

As far as the tour went, our guide wasted not one minute! We walked alot, saw and learned an incredible amount if history in four days. Our guide named Jeans , was incredibly knowledgable of the many thousands of years of Chinese history.

He really impressed me with the details about the history he knew and a great attitude to go along ! I highly recommend these guys!

Destination(s): Beijing
Date of Experience: January 8, 2019
Trip Type: Traveled as Families
Tour Customized by: Vivien
KRISHNI p

KRISHNI p

Canada

Reviewed on January 21, 2019

Our trip to China was awesome. I wanted to visit the great wall of china and it was in my bucket list for a long time . Customer service rep RILEY at china discovery helped me so so much in making my dream come true. I talked to many companies , but riley was very helpful and prompt. He was not only very informative he was patient and answered all my questions. He made sure all our needs were met. He took care of us and checked on us even after we left china. We started in Beijing and finished in Xian. Our tour guides Mr. Jean in Beijing and Mr. Ben in Xian were very good. They took care of all our need and beyond . The drivers were on time as well. All in all we had an Excellent trip. Thankyou so much Riley for making it all easier on us. Thankyou for taking care of all our needs and paying attention to every single detail.

Destination(s): Beijing,Xian
Date of Experience: December 4, 2018
Trip Type: Traveled as
Tour Customized by: Riley
martin j

martin j

UK

Reviewed on January 10, 2019

I'm from England, in April 2018, I was looking for a tour of China and as most people do, looked at many differnt companies. I sent off ideas of where I wanted to go and the types of things that interested me. I came accross China discovery and to be honest, the reviews on this site were mixed. Some very good, some very bad. As I read on, it appeared that there were 2 companies running with the same name, this one in Chengdu, China and one in America. Reading through it seemed that it was the one in America that was getting the bad press.

I was also concerned about sending money to a company in Asia, anayway I did & needent have worried. Johnson Wang arranged everything, answered all questions etc, changed and rechanged my schedule and phoned me during the trip to check all was ok. Thanks Johnson.

I started in Beijing,went to the forbidden city. in all of these places,trains, planes, visitor sites, expect to que and have your bags etc searched and scanned along with visa and passports etc. You really need a full day to get round the forbidden city and visit the musems. I didn't want a trip that took me to the great wall and said there you go, pop up and be back in 30 minutes so told them I wanted to be out in the country so got them to arrange a 3hr walk on the wall at Jinshanling, quieter than closer options but out in the mountains & lovely. be warned, it is very steep up and down in places. This done, back to Beijing then more sights the next day before the bullet train to Xian.When you gou get off the train and go up the steps, make sure you know whether to turn right or left, big staiton.

All the guides, drivers were waiting for me on time at every location and spoke good english. Johnny was the guide here in Xian and very pleasant and informitive. As with most, I came to see the terracottas and wasn't dissapointed but be aware the 3rd chamber with the horse and carrage was heaving when I went, not comfortable, they need to limit numbers a bit. Hang Wang Tomb is a must and worth the drive out there.Shanxi museum also worth a look but give yourself a good 4 hrs +. I had 6 internnal flights in all, these are flexible in there timings and can and do change so expect that, if they don't, all the better but be prepared to be flexible.Next, Hotel Universal at Guilin with riverside room - good. Guides name was Dixon, again very friendy and informitive. From here I took a boat down the Lee river, about 50 miles of snaking river to Yangsou. Lovely little place, good hotel (new century) nice park to walk left side beyond car park. Also the water show - well worth the visit, outdoors, on river,at night, can get cold (or wet) so go prepared. About 3oo mostly locals involved alongside quality singers and good use of lighting. Next back to Guilin and flight to Kunming (Stone forest area but do go to the Ethnic Younan show, (minority tribes) not cheap but a wow) Dali -best for me + N hotel a wow, Guide here was Alice and probably the best. lovely woman, good knowledge and way with people. Lots of options here. Next flew to Chongching for 3 nights on Yangtze cruise, again, lovely views along the way. some of their optional trips on the cruise wern't so good but they are optional. You do notice the smog but it got clearer into my trip. Don't expect many locals anywhere, restaurants etc to speak english so use an app to translate menus etc. Also, the shops wouldn't accept western credit cards whilst I was there, this may change but check first. Food varies from province to province.

All in all I had an excellent trip, well looked after by guides and Johnny.

Destination(s): Beijing,Xian,Yunnan,Yangtze River Cruise
Date of Experience: April 9, 2018
Trip Type: Traveled as Solo
Tour Customized by: Johnson

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Amazing Beijing Travel Stories

Here are selected travel stories shared by our valued customers who visited Beijing and more stunning places. May these stories ignite your wanderlust and make you pack your bags and go! Or, you can click 2012-2024 Customer Travel Stories for more stunning stories.

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    We customized three big group China trips for tens of VIPKid English teachers and their family members to visit Xian, Shanghai, etc. from Beijing and meet their students off Internet in China in 2019!

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  • Winston's Couple Tour to 9 Cities all around China plus Yangtze Cruise
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    Winston and his wife have traveled to many world places during the past 21 years and experienced the best vacation this time to explore China's west and east, north and south parts!

    • Winston (USA)
    • (22 Days) 2019.05.17~2019.6.07
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    Cultural Immersion Trip in Ancient Capitals of China

    William and his wife traveled to Huangshan and Zhangjiajie with us in 2017. This time they laid more emphasis on culture and history, so he went to several ancient capitals of China.

    • William (USA)
    • (11 Days) 2018.03.22~2018.04.01
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  • 18 Days China Culture Tour
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    Some top destinations like Beijing, Xian, Shanghai, Guilin, Tibet etc. are undoubtedly beautiful and amazing. But there are some other places will pleasant surprise you, like Yungang Grottoes and Hanging Temple...

    • Ms.Lee (USA)
    • (18 Days) 2017.09.18~2017.10.05
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    In 22 days, we managed to see a far bit of the country. We started in Beijing had 4 days there and we went to The Forbidden City, go to the top and overlook Tiananmen Square which was amazing.

    • Paul (Australia)
    • 22 Days (2017.07.31~2017.08.21)
    • Beijing - Datong - Pingyao - Xian - Chengdu - Guilin - Yangtze - Shanghai