As a leading Chinese travel operator, China Discovery has helped a large number of tourists finished their amazing Chinese trip. Some of them shared their authentic feedbacks and reviews about our service and their travel experience, including tour arrangements, tour guides, drivers, cars, road condition, attractions, hotels, restaurants, etc.Here are the original reviews given by our customers on TripAdvisor between 2012 and 2018. If you want to see the up-dated reviews, visit Our Travelers' Reviews on Tripadvisor.com.
18 Days ChinaTrip Experience
We booked an 18 days guided trip to China with China Discovery Tour. Echo was our booking agent. She went well above our expectations to make sure that we could have a wonderful experience in China. If you are considering a trip to China we are strongly recommending this agency and of course our agent Echo! They sure know how to recommend and customise the best tours for any tastes! We started our visit in Beijing and visited the main attractions like the forbidden city, tiananmen square, the great wall and much more! We went on to spend a day with the Pandas in Chengdu. A must! We took a 4 days cruise on the Yangtze River and to see the 3 valleys dam and scenic river! Also saw the rice terraces and a mountain scenic cruise in Guilin/Longshen/Yangshuo. Our trip ended in Hong Kong to enjoy this beautiful city and all that it has to offer. An absolutely unforgettable trip of a lifetime!!! Thank you Echo and China Discovery Tours for all your dedication and help to make our family experience extra special!!!
China Discovery did a great job
China Discovery, through the help of Catherine Liu, put together a customized itinerary for us (three people) that covered a tour to the Irrigation System near Dujiangyan, a romp up a nearby hill (which we later discovered was good training for Lhasa) and then turned us over for the 3 day train journey to Tibet where we were met by another guide (also organized by Catherine) who looked after us for three busy days in Tibet. The guides were top notch quality and spoke almost flawless English and were very knowledgeable. The Shambhala Palace in Lhasa was also quite central and suited us fine.
China Discovery did a great job
China Discovery, through the help of Catherine Liu, put together a customized itinerary for us (three people) that covered a tour to the Irrigation System near Dujiangyan, a romp up a nearby hill (which we later discovered was good training for Lhasa) and then turned us over for the 3 day train journey to Tibet where we were met by another guide (also organized by Catherine) who looked after us for three busy days in Tibet. The guides were top notch quality and spoke almost flawless English and were very knowledgeable. The Shambhala Palace in Lhasa was also quite central and suited us fine.
China family tour
Our family just returned from a wonderful 10 days tour in China. Tour and transfers were per our requests where EVERY minute detail was taken care of by our tour Agent, Lily. Hotels were superb, we even got free upgrade to a suite. At EVERY activity we had an a great English speaking guide with a mini-van driven by an assigned professional driver. we were met at train stations, hotels and every place - never left alone. Our agent, Lily is HIGHLY recommended, she was available 24/7 during weekends and nights to take care of every question promptly and most professionally.
Wuhishan 2 - night trip
Everything went totally to plan. The organization was superb. Catherine Liu did a fantastic job - answering all queries as soon as possible. We are seasoned solo travellers in China but usually do a very short escorted trip to give us a rest from thinking all the time (we are in our 60's). We did this trip so that Catherine would need to book the seats to the massive Impressions Show and the Bamboo Rafting - which she did very efficiently!
One suggestion : If you wish to see the fantastic Impressions Show in Wuyishan pay the extra and get VIP tickets !!
Best way to visit China
I can't recommend this service enough, especially if you have a family seeing China for the first time.
I didn't want to go on a group tour, so I just told our travel consultant, Rita Jiang, all the places I wanted to go. Within days, she sent a whole itinerary with flights, hotels and everything else all arranged. She also made whatever changes I wanted and was very helpful. Fantastic service.
My family and I were met at each city by a tour guide and driver and visited all the places we wanted to see. We also got to eat in some great, out of the way restaurants that we never would have found on our own. The tour guides were invaluable.
China Discovery is absolutely the best way to see China. Rita was great and so were all the tour guides, especially Kevin in Beiing and Timo in X'ian.
Wolong pandas
Thanks! The trip was well organized and we really enjoyed our time. The Wolong panda centre was much quieter than the other centres and is well worth the effort to see these amazing animals
Fantastic guided tours in Shanghai and Beijing
We contacted China Discovery only 2 days before our trip in Shanghai and Beijing and they managed to put together amazing private tours. We were appointed to Wing Zeng and she made this whole trip so easy for us. On such short notice we couldn't believe the high level of service we got. Not only was the service unbelievably great but our tour guides were fantastic! They had so much knowledge and the really did take control so that we could just lean back and enjoy our trip. We had three different tour guides; Frank (Shanghai), Randy (Beijing), Mark (Beijing). They were all 5/5 and their english was great! Usually when you travel to a new country and you're visiting attractions it's bit of a hassle, however this was the opposite!
We would highly recommend this to anyone who is travelling to China. It may seem a bit pricy, but when you look at everything you're getting, it is totally worth it!
Awesome 14 day tour
Mr Wonder Wang of China Discovery tours organized our 14 day tour of Guangzhou, Guilin and Sichuan Province in July 2018. We were a little nervous about booking the entire trip online but are happy to report the trip exceeded our expectations. At each stop a professional English speaking guide picked us from the airport and/or train station, checked us into our hotels, picked up us up from our hotels on time every morning, arranged wonderful lunches and helped us learn about their respective region of China. Each guide was patient and exceptionally attentive to our needs.
Mr Wonder Wang also arranged transportation and accomodation. In every case, the transportation and accomodation met and/or exceeded the standards agreed to in our tour contract. All drivers were professional and properly licenced. Every vehicle vehicles was properly registered for tours. On a few days our itinerary needed to be adjusted due to heavy rain and the closure of a national park. For these days Mr Wonder Wang demonstrated his flexibility and organizational skills by adjusting our itinerary and finding wonderful alternative attractions for us to visit.
We will not hesitate to use Wonder Wang of China Discovery for our next tour of China!
Zhangjiajie National Parks
Wendy, our travel consultant, was very patient and accommodating to my specific needs. I told her areas I was interested in traveling in, and she made sure to create a specialized itinerary that was made for my liking. When plans fell through and one of the national parks was closed, she immediately contacted me and helped me plan out another back up trip. Her communication skills were effective and timely.
Our tour guide, Tony, ensured that my husband and I had a wonderful time. Not only was the tour educational, Tony answered all of our questions professional and with humor. The weather was extremely hot, but Tony made it very bearable and worthwhile. We had an amazing time visiting the National Parks and Tony helped incorporate last minute changes.
Amazing work and service!
12-days China trip to Xinjiang and Hexi Corridor
I just came back from China after completing a 12-days trip in Xinjiang (Kashgar, Urumqi, and Turpan) and Hexi Corridor (Dunhuang, Jiayuguan, Zhangye and Lanzhou) . The trip was a customized private tour with 8 family members. It was arranged by the China Discovery based in Chengdu City in China. During the process of arranging the trip, I was very impressed by the professionalism of this company and was convinced that the company possessed the ability to do the international business. Vivien Li was our tour consultant. She helped us with the itinerary planning and booking of all the domestic plane tickets, high-speed train tickets, tour buses, tour guides and hotels etc. During our trip, she constantly called our local guides to made sure things went smoothly. At one time, one of us lost her train ticket. Vivien helped us resolved the problem immediately. Generally speaking, our family members were all very satisfied with the tour arrangement and were very impressed by the high quality of the tour. I will definitely request Vivien as our tour consultant for our future China trips.
12-days China trip to Xinjiang and Hexi Corridor
I just came back from China after completing a 12-days trip in Xinjiang (Kashgar, Urumqi, and Turpan) and Hexi Corridor (Dunhuang, Jiayuguan, Zhangye and Lanzhou) . The trip was a customized private tour with 8 family members. It was arranged by the China Discovery based in Chengdu City in China. During the process of arranging the trip, I was very impressed by the professionalism of this company and was convinced that the company possessed the ability to do the international business. Vivien Li was our tour consultant. She helped us with the itinerary planning and booking of all the domestic plane tickets, high-speed train tickets, tour buses, tour guides and hotels etc. During our trip, she constantly called our local guides to made sure things went smoothly. At one time, one of us lost her train ticket. Vivien helped us resolved the problem immediately. Generally speaking, our family members were all very satisfied with the tour arrangement and were very impressed by the high quality of the tour. I will definitely request Vivien as our tour consultant for our future China trips.
Excellent service and quick turnaround time
My daughter and I arranged a private tour (Guangzhou-Guilin-Yangshuo) with China discovery. On the first day of our tour, we found that my daughter’s visa was left at home and we weren’t able to enter China at Guangzhou port of entry. I called the local tour guide, she immediately contacted our agent. Within minutes, our agent responded and tried to connect me with his coworker in Hong Kong for visa option. Since we had a pre-arranged trip to Europe following the China tour, we couldn’t make it for the China tour. I explained the situation with our agent Wonder, he was able to help us cancel the China tour, and refunded most (70-80%)of the charges. The non refundable items include hotel that was less than 24 hr notice, Guangzhou local tour on the day of the incident, non refundable train ticket to Guilin, PayPal service chargers for the refund... I think it is very reasonable, and to my surprise, the refund was sent in 2 business days. Although we missed the tour this time, I definitely recommend China discovery and my agent Wonder. He has been extremely helpful, very friendly. he and China discovery understand that from time to time people may have emergency like what we had, and need a break.
PS - our agent Wonder reminded us to bring passport and visa. My daughter’s visa is on an old/expired passport, we brought the new passport and forgot that her visa is on the old passport.
Journey to tibet
Tibet Discovery is of course the best possible agency for those who want to visit Tibet. Our organizer was Mister Wang Zhen (Wonder Wang) and he - with a true Chinese subtlety - understood and brought into fulfillment all the details of our plan. The guides he has assigned to us were excellent and did more than they were expected to do. For foreigners like us Tibet Discovery can be helpful also in getting familiar with the traditional Chinese culture - in Beijing we have visited with the help of the agency all the absolute musts: the Forbidden City (Zi3jin1cheng2), the National Museum, the temple of Heaven (Tian1tan2), the main temple of Confucius and the Imperial College (Guo2zi3jian1 street) and the Yong1he2gong1 (the same street). All in two days: when visiting the temple of Confucius we had the blessing of a rain; the rain is the best weather for visiting a traditional Chinese temple with a garden around it, so, if you can, try to time your visiting with this weather condition. The rules of the National Museum are rather strict, so do not keep (as I did) your penknives in your pockets when visiting; but still our brave guide Mister Wang Hao managed to rescue my penknife after all the troubles, establishing the high reputation of the Tibet Discovery guides. We’ve been in the National Museum for two times: it was reasonably sufficient to get some familiarity with pre-dynastic times and Shang and Zhou dynasties, but if you want to learn more, arrange for more than 2 days staying in Beijing. Also if you have a longer staying climb the majestic Jing3shan1 to the north of the Forbidden City. Now for Tibet. I don’t have much to say to non-Buddhists and especially to fun-seekers; Tibet does not seem to be a proper place for this kind of people. The high altitude problems are no myth, so if you do not have a proper training, choose for the first time (as we did) Lhasa and the surrounding area. The program in this case is evident: Jokhang temple, Potala and Norbuglingka palaces, the monasteries ‘Brasspungs, Sera and Dga’ldang, the lake Yar’drog (the nearest one to Lhasa). Visit a traditional Tibetan household and of course enjoy the traditional Tibetan cuisine. In our experience the best place to do it is the refectory of the Dga’ldang monastery. Sera is famous for monk disputes, and your guide (if you deal with Tibet Discovery) will arrange your visit so that you could witness them. Also at Sera pay a special and mindful attention to the representation of the bhavacakra on the wall - one of the best in the world. In Dga’ldang we’ve had the blessing of hearing monks chanting - ask your guide to arrange your visit so as not to omit this mighty experience. And try not to have unnecessary thoughts and feelings when seeing the golden stupa of Tsongkhapa in that monastery - Tibet is not for fun as I have said above and you will perceive it the strongest in the presence of that stupa. Of course you must have at least one free day to explore the historic part of Lhasa (Barskor) - the hotel Gangsrgyan assigned to us by Mister Wang Zhen is situated very conveniently for such exploring - and don’t forget to visit the supermarket “Barskor” situated just across the street off Gangsrgyan. In this supermarket one can find things of rather old origin - our friend has bought there for example an excellent bronze goat reminding duly of the old name of Lhasa. And if your plan has omissions you can hope that your guide would be so careful as our guide Mister Shesrab has proved to be - upon his advice we have come to see Potala Palace in the evening when it is illuminated - this expedient can not be said to be a very ancient one, but it accentuates in a very proper way the majesty of the palace. Note that there is a rather strange rule for Potala visitors - ladies must wear trousers - this does not mean that they must not wear skirts, but their legs under their skirts must be covered as I understood; this is the more strange because this rule certainly does not exist for Jokhang temple and does not seem to exist for the monasteries; because the trousers for ladies who miss them are being sold at the place I suspect some commercial interests behind this rule and probably it would be better if the Tibet Discovery program warned about it, although a very serious guidebook we have been using also keeps a silence on this point. Fortunately the trousers our lady has bought suit her, so this was not a very big trouble for us. Also I must warn strongly against the cycle rickshaws who swarm in Lhasa streets - some of them do not seem to be exceedingly scrupulous about change money. But let them enjoy their bad karma. We have been enjoying our good one in having got the possibility of visiting Tibet under the wise and prudent patronage of Tibet Discovery.
20 day family tour of China
We have just returned from our China holiday - 20 days with two teenagers. China was a great destination - lots of great sights and experiences to have. We travelled to Beijing, Datong, Taiyuan, Pingyao Ancient City, Chengdu, Guilin, Yangshuo, Zhuanjiajie National Forest Park and Shanghai. China Discovery arranged an amazing trip for us and we were very impressed with the company and our travel agent Vivien Li. She rang us during our holiday to see how it was going and if she could be of any help. She also helped us recover some money we left in our hotel safe! We changed a few things on our itinerary once we got to China and realised we wanted to include a few extra experiences. We also often changed the order of activities at each stop to suit the weather etc. We had an English speaking guide at each stop - they all spoke really good English and were very lovely helpful flexible people. China Discovery were the cheapest of 3 travel companies we priced the trip through - 1 in NZ and 2 in China. The other Chinese travel company also wouldn't take us to Datong, Pingyao Ancient City and Zhunjiajie National Forest Park as they are not on the bullet train route.
Trip highlights for me were the Great Wall of China - we went to the Mutianyu section from Beijing - we got the chair lift up and tobogganed down! I also really enjoyed the hanging temple in Datong and the Yungang Grottoes, Pingyao Ancient City, Terracotta warriors, Longji rice terraces from Guilin and the Impression Liu Sanjie show on the Li River from Yangshuo. The engineering in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park is amazing - there is an elevator up, you can view the wonderful scenery that Avatar is based on, then cable car down, The next day we went to another section of the park and went on a huge cable car, walked on a couple of glass skywalks, took 7 escalators down, and then 999 steps.
Both my kids trip highlight was the volunteer for a day activity we did at the Wolong Panda Base - we got to feed the adult panda's!
We would unreservedly recommend China Discovery and Vivien Li. We'll be back!
BEST way to travel China - Personalized Private Tours For 14
Our 17-day travel throughout China (Beijing, Xian, Lhasa, Chengdu, Hangzhou, Shanghai) went seamless and we had an AWESOME time! It was an once-in-a-lifetime trip, not only because of the amazing sights but also due to the unforgettable local experiences (dancing with the locals in the parks, drinking tea in tea house, learning how to write Chinese calligraph, foot reflexology/cupping massage..etc).
BIG thanks to Catherine Liu, the travel agent of China Discovery, our trip was throughly enjoyable. It lived up to all of our expectations. Our neighbor had recommended China Discovery and I'm so glad we went with it.
We had 14 of us (4 families with kids aged 9-12) and Catherine arranged all the trip details including all transportations (all the pick-ups, Bus, Train, Domestic Airplane) and excellent local tour guides. We had picked our cities of interest and Catherine perfectly personalized our trip itineary based on our interests. Itinerary is vert well-thought out.
All of our local guides are knowledgeable, professional, caring and very flexible. We were able to modify our itinerary to accommodate our needs/interests. I had inadvertently left my shawl in a show theater and Kevin (Beijing tour guide) went to get it back for me and mailed it to Catherine for her to bring it to me at the next city.
I cannot say enough good things about China Discovery and Catherine. I would highly recommend them for anyone who is interested in traveling to China.
6 Days in Gansu (Zhangye - Jiayuguan - Dunhuang)
3 travelers in our late 20s - Not used to guided tours - One week in Gansu
I'm writing here to share my very positive experience with China Discovery:
I usually never do tour-trip, I reluctantly booked one as we had online a week to spend in Gansu and I didn't want to waste any time. In the end I do believe we saved A LOT of time and money having Helen with us. No way we could have done so many things by ourselves.
In the end, the experience was just awesome and I want to stress the following points:
- this agency is totally legit, the only reason they have so many reviews on trip advisor is that they pro-actively ask clients to write a review after the trip. But all the reviews are genuine.
- If you ever travel with them to north china, Helen was an amazing tour guide. Smart, well organised, caring and efficient as f***
- It was the 3 of us + the tour guide (Helen) + the driver (Mr Zhang) - Because it was just us, it was flexible. We got our private time too, enough to wonder around cities, go out for drinks, meet people... It's very organised, but flexible too.
- We were witht he guide from 9am to 6pm, lunch included
No factory visit, no BS
Dunhuang is amazing (ask to spend a night in the desert), overall the whole trip was worth it (Danxia may be a bit underwhelming if you come with sky high expectations like us though)
Highly recommended, and if you have any question feel free to hit me on Trip Advisor
13 day China Tour
We are a family of 5 from Australia who have just returned from a comprehensive, but rewarding tour of Beijing, Xi’an, Guilin, Yangshuo, Hangzhou, Suzhou and Shanghai. This itenery was very professionally put together by China Discovery Tours, based in Chengdu. I would like to commend and praise Wing Zeng who was fantastic to deal with via our numerous emails who tailor made this package for us. Wing was very quick and thorough to respond to our numerous emails, making the booking extremely easy when the time came. She gave all the right advise and organised the invitation letter required to obtain our visa also. Wing even rang the English speaking guides twice in order to speak to me to make sure we were happy with the trip so far. A great personal touch I thought. The guides all spoke terrific English and went out of their way to organise the several optional extras that we chose. We have learnt the only way to travel China is through an organised travel tour company, and we are all glad that we chose China Discovery Tours. And a huge thank you to Wing Zeng for making it possible. Happy travels.....
11 day pr vote tour including Beijing, Xian, Yangtze River cruise, Shanghai.
This trip was customised to our requirements exactly as we wanted (but with valuable inputs). We traveled in a private vehicle always with an English speaking guide and a driver. The guide always received is at the airport and dropped us right up to the check in counter while traveling onwards. The hotels and cruise bookings were perfect. We enjoyed a lot as all our anxieties were adequately taken care of. All inland flight bookings and the billet train bookings suited our itinerary. Bullet train travel from Beijing to Xi’an was excellent.
Ms Wing Zeng was our superlative travel consultant. She was super efficient and always responded promptly on mail. She even made changes to itinerary while traveling, upon our request. She even took care of our food (Indian and Chinese) and also made changes upon request.
All guides had excellent knowledge of local history and had lot of empathy while discussing our needs. And lots of smiles always.
The sights, sounds and smells of China were enhanced significantly by Wing Zeng and China Discovery. Highly recommended!!! The cruise was the highlight. And the Great Wall of China, of course! But there is so much more. And Chinese food in China is very similar to Chinese food in India! So enjoyed the cuisine as we.
7 days changsha, zang jia jie, fenghuang tours
thanks to China Discovery who plan our great adventure to amazing place in zhang jia jie and our travel consultant miss Rita jiang did a good job to arranged everything for us and thanks to miss Ann as our tour guide who help us about everything we need. We are satisfied with all you have done, and we trusted you if we go again to other part of china...
14 days in China, private tour group from Xian, Zhangye, Chengdu, Zhangjiajie, Huanshan and Shanghai
China Discovery planned a private tour for 7 of us in a group. Wonder Wang, the travel consultant did all the planning and coordinating. He was always prompt, accommodating and assuring. We had a blast, hiking in the mountains eg zhangjiajie national forest park, Tianmen and Huangshan mountains. Visited the Chengdu panda, the terracotta warriors, glass bridge and many more. It was a tough trip with much walking up and down steps but worth it was the views are simply picturesque and magnificent. The whole trip was very well planned by the travel agent. Keep walking.
16 day China Discovery Tour: Beijing, Xian, Lhasa, Chengdu, Hangzhou, Shanghai
Hello!. We just returned from a 16 day China tour with China Discovery Tours, organized by Catherine Liu. Our trip was wonderful and we had an amazing time. Our guides were top notch & had good knowledge on the cities we were visiting. We travelled by plane and train within China and all our hand-offs and travels went off seamlessly. Every guide was on time for our pickup, fully informed of our travel plans & itinerary & always willing to help us arrange our optional/evening activities. Our trip coordinator - Catherine was wonderful. She is very competent and despite our large group size of 14, with different arrivals and departures, she was able to organize everything without an issue.
We had a wonderful time & would recommend China Discovery and specifically, Catherine Liu to anyone looking to visit China.
Zhangjiajie & Xi'an 5 day Tour
Hello, Just completed a wonderful 5 day tour of Zhangjiajie and Xi'an. Everything was perfectly organized from airplane tickets from Guangzhou to Zhangjiajie, then to Xi'an and then finally to Shanghai. We did visits in a private car with an English speaking tour guide each time. Information was very clear and we realized we would have missed a lot of interesting facts about places we visited had it not been for having a guide.
Catherine from China Discovery organized this trip really well for us. I fully recommend. We will come back again to continue to visit Zhangjiajie. The region is extremely beautiful and big, so it takes time :-)
14 day tour: Beijing, Xian, Lijiang, Shangrala, Kumning, Guilin, Shanghai
Wow! 5+ star experience! Being an international pilot and from Alaska, it takes a lot to impress and Leo Li and the China Discovery team did just that. Would not change a thing about this smoothly operated tour with 4 plane rides and a high speed train...absolutely flawless. Highlights:
1) All hotels were excellent with the breakfasts exceptional
2) The sights were very well planned hitting the highlights of each area
a. Really appreciate the activities (typically 6-7 hours including lunch)
3) Exceeded my expectations with the vehicle style and size (comfortable, roomy with working air conditioner)
4) All the drivers were excellent
5) Flights were well arranged
6) Guides were excellent.
Overall, a wonderful and very memorable trip to China. Never felt swindled or knit-picked in the country or in the planning. I really would not add or change anything to the itinerary, guides, drivers, or locations.
I would highly recommend China Discovery again (5+ stars). Hats off to Leo Li
Chengdu and Xi An
Wonderful and enriching trip to Chengdu and Xi An. All credits to the China discovery staffs involved. Thanks for everything Tracy and Stephanie Hope to visit China again and engage China discovery services
3 Gorges cruise and Wuhan / Wundang Mountain
This was the latest personalised tour organised for us by Catherine Liu at China Discovery and was excellent at all levels. We enjoyed 10 days exploring Wuhan's Yellow Crane Tower, Wudang Mountain's spectacular Purple Heaven Palace (location for Kung-fu Kid 2), Chongqing's 3 Gorges museum and the highlight, 4 nights on the luxurious new Century Legend, 3- Gorges cruise . (Pay the extra for an executive cabin with access to the less crowded level 6 restaurant and lounge.)
Lots of steps to climb around the 3 temples at Wudong Mountain, but worth the effort and lots of interesting sights at the many stop-offs along the Yangtze River. Highly recommended!Lots of steps to climb around the 3 temples at Wudong Mountain, but worth the effort and lots of interesting sights at the many stop-offs along the Yangtze River. Highly recommended!
Off the Beaten Track again with China Discovery
My second trip to China, this time with my grown sons, was again organized by China Discovery. Another perfect trip without the slightest problem which confirmed my resolution to use China Discovery (and Lyn Wang who organized both my trips)for all my future trips to that great country. I am the type that likes to get to lesser known sites along with the standard stops like the Great Wall, Longmen Grottoes, and Terracotta Warriors. In this case I wanted to see a not-very-well known ancient monument marking the place in Luoyang where Confucious met Lao zi (of Tao Te Ching fame) to discuss their philosophies. I also wanted to visit a very old Taoist temple called Lo Guan Tai outside of Xi'an. That was the site where Lao zi is reported to have written the Tao Te Ching at the insistence of the guardian of the Hanku Pass before going off to the West and enduring fame (you can see the connection of my special interests!). Lo Guan Tai is a set of beautiful temples,ancient gingko trees, and bamboo forests in a quiet setting (it was just us and the taoist monks!) witj stunning mountains as a background. China Discovery was immediately willing and able to arrange these special visits in between the standard tour stops (the guides loved being able to go someplace different for a change!). I think this is rare among tour companies who generally work to keep you on their standard fixed itineraries. Again the hotels and arrangements were very good and again I felt that Lyn was watching over us like a family member. Weather was hot for June but that is one thing no one can control (maybe the immortal Lao zi but he was not around on this trip!) Great trip with Lyn and China Discovery.
Chengdu & Yangtze River Cruise
We had a wonderful time on the trip arranged by China Discovery, based in Chengdu and enjoyed it very much. Everything functioned well and all the guides you had provided were top-class!
Your consultant Lyn provided great service!
We will certainly recommend your company to our friends and will call on you next time China is on our agenda again!
Amazing 6-day Family Tour of Beijing and Shaghai
We, a family of three from New Zealand, took a 6-day trip to Beijing and Shanghai in late May through China Discovery. Since we had never used this company’s services before, we were purely depending on the trust and the good reviews we saw for them to deliver the promised services once we arrived in China.
We were very happy with the efficient and professional manner all the pre-tour arrangements were handled by our amiable tour coordinator Wing Zeng . We particularly appreciate her prompt responses and also the flexibility shown at various stages of the tour planning and payments. During the tour, she actually checked with us to see if everything was okay. It was a real pleasure indeed dealing with Wing.
Regarding the actual tour, it was a wonderful and stress-free experience for us. We can say, all our expectations were fully met during the tour, both in Beijing and Shanghai. The accommodation were of 5-star quality as promised, and the location of properties couldn’t have been better. In Beijing, we stayed at Regent which was an upgrade so we paid a premium, but it was worth it at least for its top-class breakfast. In Shanghai, we stayed at the Guxiang Hotel which was so centrally located that we could see Nanjing Road from our room. Our tour guides at both places did their best to give the maximum possible value for us during the tour. We were particularly impressed by the depth of knowledge the young guide in Shanghai displayed in answering our extended questions.
All in all, the tour met our expectations fully. We won’t hesitate to use this operator again.
Amazing service! - Consultant Echo :)
I had inquired about a 3 weeks custom tour of Yunnan & Tibet with China Discovery. From the start consultant Echo was a great help! amazing customer service!
Echo went above and beyond to provide me details, suggestions and an itinerary as soon as possible. This have me great confidence in dealing with an overseas company.
Due to work commitments, I was unable to attend the tour. However, the service I have experienced alone is worth leaving a 5 Star review for Echo, and China Discovery.
Hopefully one day soon I will complete the tour, and I will do it with China Discovery & the help the consultant Echo!
Thank you for your help!
Tour at China - Beijing, Xi’an,Yangshu, Shanghai
We are two couples on a 14-days trip in China that was organized by Lynn from China Discovery . The trip was excellent ,very well organized.The hotels that Lyn chose were great. The guides were full of knowledge ,interesting and helpful . They spoke good English. To summarize we had a magnificent trip. Thanks to Lyn for excellent organization, I should mention that on the first day of the trip we had a problem with the first guide that immediately replaced by lyn for our satisfaction.
We certainly recommend China Discovery Tours a especially Lyn
fantastic holiday in China, thanks to China Discovery
my wife, sister inlaw and 3 friends booked a 2 week tour of China. we realized because of the language barrier, we would need a local Chinese tour guide whilst there. I found China Discovery of Chengdu online and booked the tour through their representative Rita. Rita arranged all of our land tours in China. I had sourced other companies in china, but China discovery were the best value.
at the station by our next guide Smiley. she escorted us tour hotel there. she picked us up promptly on day 4 and took us on the Li river cruise, then on day 5 she escorted us to the tea plantations. on day 6 she took us to the local airport for our 90 minute flight to Chongqing. we were met by another local guide David of China Discovery, he took us to the zoo to see the Pandas, from here we went to the old part of the city and from here he took us to board our cruise ship for our 3 night Yangtze river cruise. on day 9 we left our cruise ship and we were immediately met by the local guide who took us to the local train station for our trip to Zhangjijie for 4 nights here. we were met by their local guide Bree on arrival at the train station and escorted to our accommodation. she met us promptly on days 10, 11 and 12 and was with us throughout our time here and taking us to all of the local attractions. on day 13 she escorted us to the strain station for our trip on the Chinese bullet train to Beijing. on arrival in Beijing we were met by local guide Kevin who took us to our hotel. he was with us on our Beijing tours on days 14 and 15. that was the end of our time with China discovery and day 16 was our last day in China. we had a full free day on day 16 as our flight only departed at midnight. and without a guide we were completely lost, day 16 was the worst day of our time in China. we could not have done anything of what we did without the guides of China Discovery who all speak perfect English. China Discovery made our tour of China a complete success. they were so helpful and would go out of their way for us.
8D Trip to Huangshan & Xi’an & Shanghai
We are a family of 3pax (with teen daughter) from Singapore, had enjoyed very much for this trip planned by Ms Rita Jiang. We reached Shanghai then transit to Huangshan for sightseeing in the UNESCO herritage ancient villages, Xidi and Hongchun. With knowledgeable guide by Mr John Wu, and thanked him for his patience, we had unforgettable experiences in Huangshan mountains, where we went around, climbing steps up and down, also stayed overnight in the mountains. Though not easy, especially to the bottom of Eastern Grand Canyon, but it’s really worth all efforts for the magnificent views, including sunset and sunrise breathtaking views. For Xi’an, with rich history culture, having energetic guide by Ms Emma, visited the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, the Terra-Cotta Warriors and Horses, the Ancient City Wall, local snacks walking street. Back to Shanghai, we had free & easy schedule, visited the world’s largest Starbucks in Nanjing West Road, Tian Zi Fang, Shanghai Tower, The Bund. It was truly well organized vacation for our family.
Incredible 9-Day China Tour from China Discovery: Beijing, Xi' an, Chengdu
My 13 year old son and i booked an incredible 9-Day China Tour with Johnson Wang of China Discovery. We had a private tour of Beijing, Xi' an and Chengdu. We covered all the tourist spots in all cities - Great Wall, Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Birds Nest, Terracotta Army to name a few. The hi-light for my son was being a volunteer at the Dujiangyan Panda base for the day, we also visited the Chengdu research base which had babies, teenage and adult pandas in abundance. We also entertained in the evenings with shows of Kung Fu, Acrobatic, Dance and opera. It was a fun packed tour and we were looked after by three super guides. I would recommend to everyone to book with Johnson at China Discovery. Thank you to everyone for a wonderful trip.
Excellent support from China Discovery on our Dazu Day Tour
This is a bit of a delayed review, but I feel I need to do justice for the excellent support which we received from Lily Xu from China Discovery who helped arranged our day tour to visit the Dazu carvings.
We started our China trip from Chengdu where we spent few days and took a high speed train to Dazu where we were met by one of the China Discovery tour guides, David, who accompanied us to visit 2 Dazu sites to view the carvings. After the visit, we were driven back in a clean private car with our 2 luggage back to our designated hotel in Chongqing. This arrangement really saves us time as originally we thought of taking the high speed train from Chengdu to Chongqing then find a day tour from Chongqing.
Prior to engaging China Discovery, i did emailed several tour agents in China for my planned Dazu tour and although the quotes given didn't vary that widely, one can really tell the experience of the agent you're dealing with based on what they can advise me re my trips and the way the answer your questions. I was really impressed with Lily Xu's professionalism throughout our many email correspondences hence decided on this company. On our last day in Chongqing prior to flying to Singapore, I wasn't sure if its gonna be easy to grab a cab from Le Meridien CQ (given poor experience trying to get cabs from the hotel before), I emailed Lily and asked for help re car arrangement for airport transfer. Lily was again superb and timely in organising everything, even suggesting the timing, best route and also helped checked how much it would cost & time taken if if we take uber-equivalent, etc. I decided to have the certainty of a confirmed pickup so asked her company for the help which was promptly and reliably organised. She even shared per personal contact since it was a Sunday when the pickup was arranged in case I couldn't locate the driver. I am really grateful for all the support Lily provided despite the last minute notice. Thank you once again
Incredible 9-Day China Tour from China Discovery: Beijing, Xi' an, Guilin, Yangshuo, Shanghai
We were thrilled with our epic China trip arranged by Catherine Liu at China Discovery! As we began planning our trip, we had no experience traveling in China, didn’t speak the language, and didn’t even have a complete idea of what to see or where to go. So we went into this trip with a lot of anxiety. We were also nervous because we didn’t know what to expect from a Chinese travel company. Despite our apprehension, China Discovery was absolutely fabulous. I sent an inquiry with the dates we would be in China and the areas we were interested in visiting. I thought it would be logistically impossible to fit all of the sites into our relatively short 9 day trip. However, we were pleasantly surprised when Catherine Liu responded within 24 hours of my inquiry with a detailed itinerary that allowed us to visit 4 major regions in just 9 days and included all arrangements for food, lodging, and travel. Initially, I did not think we could afford a private tour. However, our second surprise was that this entire jam-packed, 9-day itinerary, was actually very reasonably priced. What really convinced me was the fact that they provided everything: an English speaking guide & private car with driver that met us at the airport or hotel and drove us to to all the sites; bullet train/airfare reservations to transfer around the country; hotel reservations; tickets to the attractions (except a couple shows we added last minute); and even meals for breakfast and lunch. We wanted hotels that were safe and clean, but affordabe, and Catherine gave us 4 or 5 star hotels for what we would expect to pay for a 3 star in the U.S. Our guides planned wonderful site seeing activities, including the big-ticket items as well as local culture experiences that foreign tourists would never get to see without a knowledgeable local guide. Our guides and drivers were friendly and made us feel very safe. China Discovery also has access to “insider” VIP status which allowed us to bypass the long lines at some sites. Our guide often gave us tips about shows and other events that were absolutely incredible. Ultimately, I think it would have been impossible to experience all of this if we had tried planning the trip ourselves.
Was there any downside at all to our China experience? I can honestly say there really wasn’t. Sure, we probably over extended ourselves a little by trying to see so much of this massive country in just a little over a week. And there was a minor annoyance that a couple of the tourist sites (jade, silk, and pearl factories) included some polite, but pushy salespeople. All in all, we felt that these aspects were part of the authenticity of this experience, and that was our goal for the trip.
I would definitely recommend China Discovery to anyone who is traveling for the first time in China, who doesn’t have extensive knowledge about the country or culture, and/or who wants to maximize their experience.
Awesome organisation from China Discovery
I did a 16 day tour of China, that took in: Lijian, Shuhe,Chengdu, HuangLong, Jiuzhaigou, Zhangjiajie, Guilin, Yangshuo, Longsheng.
I used China Discovery to help me design a 'nature wonderland' tour, focusing on UNESCO sites. My case was assigned to Echo who couldn't have been more helpful. Great suggestions (switching to trains to avoid a lengthy wait at airports) and brilliant options too, from the Opera in Chengdu, to the open air concert on the river in Guilin - none of which had been suggested to me before on my previous two trips to China. Awesome options, that really helped me feel more immersed in the culture.
She has a great command of English and was available pretty much 24/7 which was really useful for me, living in London and liaising with someone who was +7H GMT. I did a lot of tweaking to my itinerary before I set off and never once did she seem to mind. She had the patience of a Saint !
Once I was in the country the whole trip went very smoothly, China Discovery gave me a six seater car wherever I went, upgraded some hotels and all their guides (I used 4 different ones) were 5*: very kind, very fluent and exceptionally flexible. In Chengdu, Rosky escorted me to the Opera and back on his own time to ensure I'd be back safely as I was a female travelling solo. Nothing seemed too much trouble. They were good photographers too (I don't do selfies as I only use a SRL camera to take photos so I'd have no record of my being there without their help).
Echo kindly came over to my hotel whilst I was in Chengdu and gave me a few gifts to say thanks for using their services -- it really should have been the other way round :)
I'd used UK-based agencies for my previous 2 trips to China but I'd never had such good service. Echo called to check if I was OK, did I need anything else to make my trip even more enjoyable? Twice I'd left things behind at hotels and she repeatedly called to check if my items had been traced. I could not have asked for more. Everybody I dealt with made me feel like family, not like a client, which was heart-warming when you are somewhere SO different.
I enjoyed every single location but Lijian, Shuhe and Songpan were particularly awe inspiring as far as cities go and Chengdu was far more relaxing that I'd ever expected it to be... the cute pandas were just the icing on the cake :) and you really MUST go to the Opera... very relaxed, informal atmosphere with some terrific acts - and totally affordable compared to London prices !!!
I didn't think I'd go back to China again but this trip has left me wanting to see even more... and I now know I'll be in safe hands booking with China Discovery again :) It's also invaluable, when you are in the country, to be able to access help 24/7. If your travel agent is UK-based and you need help 'immediately', as has happened to me in the past, they will not be of much good to you if you have an emergency at 4am GMT... just saying :)
PS - to all fellow foreigners, beware that when you withdraw money out of an ATM in China you need to press 'return card' to get it back... Also, be prepared for the fact that Facebook, WhatsApp & Gmail do NOT work in China. I know some people who managed to break firewalls with a VPN connection but I didn't dare as it's supposedly illegal. Skype works and SMS too... but it can be challenging to keep in touch! Last but not least: do NOT expect anyone to speak any English in the Tibetan areas... with good reason, as I didn't see a single white person in 4 days ... Bilingual guides are a must and this is when they are worth their weight in gold.
11-day China Tour
We booked an 11-day China tour with Catherine Liu of China Discovery. The experience was painless and stress-free. Catherine was quick and efficient in replying promptly to emails (and by WeChat once in China), was available whenever required, and at hand to iron out creases along the way. The prices were competitive and Catherine was able to adapt the itinerary to our requirements. We would definitely use Catherine and her team again.
Solo vacation trip
Ashley He has been a great planner! She planned my trip very well and made sure I arrived at each place safely! Even when my flight was rescheduled, she kept me company through the entire time. She was very quick to respond to all my emails. The trip was well planned and nicely done. I highly recommend it to everyone!
18 Day Private Tour To Guilin, Longji Rice Terraces, Chengdu, Chongqing, Yangtze River Cruise , Yichang & Shanghai
Highly recommended China Discovery for organising and arranging our private tour. Our travel consultant Ms Wendy Dan was professional and flexible in adjusting our itinerary to meet our requests! We were impressed with the overall costings, English speaking guides (awesome!), drivers and hotel accommodation in each city. The Yangtze River cruise on Century Sun was 1st class and one of the highlights of our trip not to be missed! Also the Longji Rice Terraces are a must to visit! Thank you China Discovery
China Discovery 4 Days Trip: Songpan County, Huanglong Valley and Jiuzhaigou Valley Tour
We were in a private tour of 4 days 3 nights organized by China Discovery-Vivian, respectfull tour guide and driver, responsible tour organizer, we were visiting Songpan County, HuangLong Valley and Jiuzhaigou Valley, they are all great places to visit, luckily weather was perfect clear blue sky, great outdoor activity 10Km walk up and down at Huanglong Valley, Jiuzhaigou Valley scenic areas are stil not opened fully for public, due to the effect of last year earthquake, but still not loss it's magic, best time to visit Mid of October to end of November.
Amazing Kunming experience
Recently returned from an amazing trip to China and a three day tour of Kunming. The tour was well planned, thanks Wonder, covering some of the amazing sights in and around the city. The guide and driver were knowledgeable and provided a great experience showcasing what Yunnan has to offer in culture, scenery and food. Will definitely be using the company again.
Hexi corridor private tour: a wonderful experience
Our tour along the Silk Road/Hexi Corridor (including a side step to Qinghaihu) and some relaxing days in Sanya was organized by Wonder Wang. During our tour we visited Xi'An - Dunhuang - Jiayuguan - Zhangye - Xining - Tianshui - Lanzhou - Sanya. And it was simply AMAZING and VERY WELL ORGANIZED. Everything was fine and all our "special" requests have been considered. From first contact, to detailled planning and during the whole trip Wonder Wang quickly responded by email or via wechat. The tour guides and drivers were all very good and very professional. The tour guides took us to local restaurants and the food was simply delicious (this was a special request from us). All the hotels were clean/comfortable and situated in the city centers, so we could go out in the evening and explore the local restaurants by ourselves. We HIGHLY recommend the services provided by Wonder Wang / China Discovery.
Excellent China experience
We organised a private tour for 2 with Chengdu Bamboo International covering Beijing, Datong, Taoyuan, Pingyao and Xian. The program organised by Catherine Liu was perfect and we saw lots of exciting sites including places we would not have known otherwise. The English speaking guides were all very knowledgeable and friendly. Andie in Beijing was an exceptional guide. All the drivers were very competent. Highly recommended company for those who wants to see China with comfort thrown in. We will use this company again without doubt. Thank you Catherine Liu!
Thoroughly wonderful experience with Tracy of ChinaDiscovery
We are a family of 8 adults from 3 countries (Canada, Australia and Malaysia) meeting up at Xi'an airport in the middle of the night for an 11-day private tour that took us from Xi'an to Chongqing-Dazu-Yangtze River cruise-Yichang-Chengdu. We chose Tracy of ChinaDiscovery (Chengdu) over 5 other online tour providers and was thoroughly happy with ChinaDiscovery and particularly Tracy. Our queries were answered promptly and on point (understandably there were many questions over a 3-month planning process); and Tracy's recommendation of Victoria Cruise line proved to be an excellent choice. We enjoyed the sites and places of interests and a big thank you to all the Tour Guides and Drivers whose care, knowledge and company enhanced the enjoyment of these visits: the time we spent with our Xi'an Guide, Laura, is particularly memorable. The professionalism shown by Tracy, the Guides, Drivers and ship crew are greatly appreciated. Highly recommend Tracy on our next tour.
Shanghai & Zhanjiajie 11 days tailor made tour.China Discovery - Recommended !
Our tour consulate was Mr.Leo Li (China Discovery Chengdu ).from the first mail, few months before the tour, his answers were very kind,fast and professional answers.one of the points I was afraid from was the pre-payment China Discovery ask.now ,when we are back home I can say China Discovery is very reliable an honest tour agency ! Our group was 10 people ( 5 couples,old friends) and the tour was made exactly to our needs and demands.all we have agreed - were done exactly as it was described and even more.
Our tour guide in Zhangjiajie area ( the main part of our tour) was Mrs.Carol. she was fantastic.
The meals we had were tasty.
The hotels were good.
The bus was very comfortable.
I strongly recommend China Discovery Chengdu and Mr.Leo Li as tour consulate.
Spiritual tour of Mount Wutai
This tour was better than I ever could have imagined. It was organized by Rita and my guide was Jenny. They were so kind and helpful daily they made sure the experience was so special. They even found an expert scholar to come spend time with me to answer my (sometimes difficult) questions I had on Buddhism teachings which the monks could not answer. Every day was so special and the monesteries I visited were just magical. This was a real spiritual experience for me and I plan to book more tours with them. I can sincerely say I was 150% satisfied. This trip was like a dream.
Strongly recommended
Could not have been better. Helpful and flexible with early itinerary planning,with immediate response to any glitches (that inevitably occur, such as one flight being cancelled). Excellent guides. All travel and accomodation exactly as described.
Exemplary Professionalism in Planning and Service
From our initial contact with our consultant Wonder, through the complete 19 day tour, we experienced total professionalism. The organisation, costings, guides and quality of drivers and cars were exemplary. Wonder was contactable through We Chat and whenever we needed additional information or support she was there. All the guides were superb delivering personalised and thoughtful care. Initiative and flexibility to meet our needs at each place.and nothing, no variation or ask was too much. I would highly recommend this service which enabled us to totally enjoy all that we could experience of China in 19 days. Selection of accommodation, cars and points of interest totally filled our needs. Highest praise must go to Wonder who as our consultant left nothing to chance. Thank you.
One and 1/2 day tour of Hangzhou
Our tour of Hangzhou with Tony went off without a hitch, as he was always prompt, solicitous, and very helpful in getting us in to the sites. The driver was excellent, as well. And, Mr. Wonder Wong provided great service in making the tour happen, replying to my many emails and questions in setting it up.
Great day with Phoebe and Vivien organized the trip beautifully
We had a fabulous day being panda keepers for a day. Phoebe picked us up at the airport and gave us a great history of Chengdu as we drove into town and she gave us great recommendations for what to do in our afternoon. Vivien even had a lovely gift waiting for us. The hotel was wonderful and everything went very smoothly from airport pick ups to drop offs -- it was 'white glove' service. The panda day was fabulous -- we learned a lot and really enjoyed spending time there. The one thing is it would be good to know up front that it costs the equivalent of 300 dollars in cash to get to get 20 seconds with a picture with the panda. The money goes to a good cause, but that is a lot of money and also in cash if one wanted to do it, you might need to plan ahead! Also, the panda center further away allows for more time but is more of a trek. It would be helpful to know the pluses and minuses of the three centers available for visit. This is not to detract from what was an amazing day and a great tour company with excellent guides.
Wonderful private tour for two
I had no idea when I chose China Discovery that I would get such great attention to detail and have a simply wonderful time on our 11 day tour of Yunnan Province.
My husband and I had been to China twice before and my wanting to go and see/sit with a panda, I thought we needed to book a proper independent tour operator.
I chose China Discovery off Google. I wanted see what was on offer as opposed to using a brochure from an Australian tour company.
My contact, Mr Wonder Wang answered my query perfectly. I told him what we thought we wanted, boutique hotels, pandas, not all history etc and he organised the perfect tour for us. I can quite honestly say that there was not one problem or misunderstanding anywhere.
Wonder came to meet us at our hotel in Chengdu which was very good of him.
The guides in each city/town were excellent and answered all questions very well.
I cannot recommend him or China Discovery highly enough,
I would definitely use him and China Discovery again and really look forward to my next amazing visit to China.
WIn safe hands with China Discovery
We have just returned from Changsha, Shaoshan and Zhangjiajie after a thoroughly enjoyable trip arranged by China Discovery. Wendy, whom we interacted from the start was extremely solicitous of our special needs, chief of which, was to celebrate our daughter's eighth birthday on the Glass Bridge in Zhangjiajie. She arranged for a grand cake from Miland Bakery and our little daughter was very happy when our guide, Mamie, taught her to sing 'Happy Birthday' in Chinese. Nothing was lacking in terms of sights we saw or our creature comforts. Indeed, when the central air conditioning in one of our hotel broke down, China Discovery suo moto, transferred us to a better hotel. Our guide was very well informed and made our trip every so memorable. All in all, we felt we were in safe hands in a distant land.
14 Day Private Tour of China for 4 seniors was GREAT!
I contacted China Discovery to plan our custom trip for our two couples because we had all toured the major attractions in China already. Our travel agent, Echo Gou, was the best qualified travel agent I have ever worked with and she arranged all the details of our tour. Our itinerary included starting in Chengdu, with tours of the Panda Breeding Reserve as well as attractions in Chengdu. We next took the bullet train to Chongqing for a city tour, including seeing Pandas at the city zoo and the 3 Gorges Museum in preparation for our Yangtze river cruise. Our local guide took us to the cruise terminal and arranged for our baggage to be taken to the ship by porters, which is the only way to do it. The Yangtze River cruise on Century Legend was indeed breathtaking, and all 5 Star service. The staff were all extremely friendly and fun. Upon disembarking the Century Legend at the 3 Gorges Dam, we toured the lookout and learned more about the Three Gorges Project. We took a bus to Yiching, were met by a local guide and taken to lunch and then to the train station where we took a bullet train to Wuhan. We had a fantastic buide in Wuhan for two days and learned much about that major city in China. All the attractions were prescheduled and were top level. We took a bullet train from Wuhan to Changsha where we were met by a local guide who accompanied us on the Maglev to the Changsha airport where we boarded a flight to Zhangjiajie. We spent three days in Zhangjiajie visiting the first national park of China, literally looking at mountains in the clouds and standing in the gate to heaven. You must visit this park to appreciate the beauty and magnificence. After Zhangjiajie, we boarded a flight to Nanjing where we visited the Memorial to the victims of the Japanese massacre of 1937-38. Truly a sombering experience. We also visited the Mausoleum of Dr Sun Yat-Sen, the founder of the Republic of China. Upon completing our tour of Nanjing, our local guide took us to the bullet train to board our train to Shanghai. We were met by our friends in Shanghai and continued on our own incredible tour of Shanghai, Hangzou Bay Bridge, and also visited the birthplace of Chiang Kai-Shek. All of our accommodations were 5 Star and all of our local guides were the best China has to offer in English speaking guides with deep knowledge of China's history and locations. During the tour, Ms. Echo Gou, our travel agent provided updates on contacts for our local guides and was available to solve any questions that we may have. Our group of four are extremely satisfied and we will cherish our memories of this trip forever. Thank you Echo and China Disovery!!
Bucket list dream
Had the most incredible tour with my friend to China ! We had a private tour which was the best idea ever! We had our own driver and tour guide who spoke English and were very knowledgeable ! The hotels were gorgeous and very friendly! 5 star all the way !
Had one set back but our planner Johnson Wang took care of all the details that we needed and our trip continued without any problems ! We needed a wheelchair and Johnson and his crew in each province had it there before we arrived ! Totally awesome!
I highly recommend China Discovery ! It’s the only way to visit China for sure! I thank Johnson and his marvelous staff for the most enjoyable trip ever ! They get 10 stars from me!
Thank you again and again
Amazing Tour of Chengdu & Tibet all the way to Mount Everest Base Camp
This is my second time using China Discovery to book my personalized tour to China in two years. I had a great experience booking with them last year to a trip to the Western part of China in Dunhuang along one route of the Silk Roads.
Jack Li was the tour agent last year who helped with my arrangement. This year he has been promoted as manager. For this year I wanted to do Chengdu and Tibet with a friend of mine. We most wanted to see and experience the Everest Base Camp of the Northface. Since foreigners would need a special permit to enter Tibet, I contacted Jack to arranged our customized itinerary. Since I was very familiar with Beijing, we arranged our own plans for international flight and housing in Beijing. For the rest, from domestic air tickets, driver, guide, special permits, and others we left it to Jack to help us customize. We wanted to stay in Chengdu for three days to get rid of jet lag and acclimate to slightly high altitude (500-600 m). Chengdu is a gastronomic city with amazing foods. The scenery, history and culture were truly wonderful. We flew direct from Chengdu to Lhasa. The itinerary gave us 3 days in Lhasa for local tour (Potala Palace, local monasteries) before heading high toward the Himalayas. We finally made it to the Northface of Mt Everest. It was a spiritual revelation and fulfillment of a dream. The entire trip was perfectly planned by the local tour guides who spoke very good English. We had a private car, driver and guide. May weather in Tibet could not have been more perfect - hiking perfect temperatures during the day, blue skies, white clouds, no air pollution. In Chengdu, it was only me and my friend for our private tour. In TIbet, they joined foreign tourists together to make a small group, We were told up to about 8-10 passengers before hand. We were glad to find out, in our case, only one other person joined us - a delightful Canadian (Quebecois) lady who has had travelled around the world. Three of us enjoyed the Tibet trip immensely and became good friends.
The guides and drivers chosen by China Discovery were very knowledgeable, always on time, helpful and fun to be with. We all became good friends at the end, able to share our own stories.
I plan to visit the Western mountains (Tianshan) in Xinjiang Province of China next year. Jack of China Discovery will be my #1 go to person to arrange the tour.
May 2018 China Tour - Yantze River Cruise and Visits to 7 Major Cities
Our group of 8 people travelled to several China cities from Australia organised by China Discovery. Our planning for the China holiday started about a year before our trip and we worked extensively with Catherine Liu who is most helpful and knowlegable. Catherine revised our trip several times and accomodated all our requests making our trip enjoyable and wonderful. Even at the last minute when there were last minute urgent change to our customised tour, Catherine was very helpful and responsive and accomodated our changes with positive outcomes. She has been very patient, thoughful and went out of her way to assist us. When necessary, we communicated thru wechat to discuss any issues.
During our tour, Catherine was very responsive to our requests, making sure that our whole holiday is enjoyable. We had 5 tour guides and they were all helpful, knowlegable and communicated very well in English. Our hotels were top class and the provided meals were good. Overall, the whole group have had a wonderful, enjoyable and unforgetable holiday in China. We would organise our future customised tour thru China Discovery again as they are very professional, responsive and provided excellent customer service to ensure our holiday is a memorable one.
"The most amazing family trip with China Discovery!"
We booked a 4 star tour and it was worth 5 stars! We spent 18 days in China with a China Discovery customized tour for our family of 5, and it was simply amazing. Stephanie Kuang was our agent, and from the first e-mail she helped us with everything we needed. She was very friendly and kind, and she helped us plan every single step and detail of our trip. Throughout our stay, she kept in touch with us via chat following up in anything that we might need.
We had 5 guides, one for every city or region visited, and they were all wonderful!! These guides are well prepared, knowledgeable, fun and caring. Their English proficiency was surprising. We also had a private van to transport us during the whole trip. The vehicle is very confortable, water was always provided and our drivers were also kind.
The food was also a great part of our China trip. Every restaurant included in the tour offered amazing local dishes and very good ambience. All breakfasts and most lunches were included in the tour. At night we could explore local or international gastronomy by ourselves in each city. Guides can suggest or book additional dinners or events if you ask them to do so.
Our trip included (for a very good price):
4 days in Beijing
3 days in Xi'an
4 days in Guilin
4 Days in a Yangtze River cruise
3 days in Shanghai
We got to discover huge cities, historic highlights and rural areas (rice terraces and Li river). The hotels along the way were very good and confortable. Some of them, depending on the size of each city, were more luxurious than others, but all of them were top quality. All the places that we discovered were worth of seeing.
We will never forget this amazing family trip!! We will highly recommend China Discovery to all our friends visiting China, and we hope to come back some day to discover this great country :)
China Holiday
My wife and I give praises to Wing Zeng of China Discovery for arranging our 7 Day Beijing City & Yangzi River Tour. I am a tour operator so I look from a professional perspective how our travel arrangements were organized and implemented, so top marks and a great experience. Thank you Wing for being there for us.
Great service from China Discovery
Wonder Wang of China Discovery (Chengdu) organized a 5 day trip to Zhangjiajie and Fenghuang for my sister and I. He arranged our domestic flights from Shanghai, hotels, car, driver and an English speaking guide, Amber (who was v knowledgeable and friendly). Wonder was prompt in replying to emails (within 24 hours), provided honest advice about the standard of local hotels which helped to manage our expectations, and quickly sorted out problems. I would highly recommend using Wonder’s services and will use him again for our next trip to China.
World class service from China discovery!
My friends and I were visiting Cheng Du for the first time and as we have only a few days, we booked day tours and guides to maximize our time there. We booked a full day tour from China discovery to Mt Emei on Day 1 and a tour to panda research centre, Jin Li , Renmin square etc on Day 2 . During the planning for the trips, tour consultant Ashley conversed with us vis emails. The planning was detailed and customised. She made us felt very welcome as she has also went the extra mile to call and remind us of our trips when we arrived and even brought small souvenirs for us! What a surprise! During the day tours, we were very well taken care of by both our guides Phoebe and Daniel. Daniel speaks fluent English, is very knowledgeable and even goes the extra mile to make the whole day trip very entertaining and enjoyable for us. Thanks Daniel for making this trip memorable ! The drivers assigned were safe and the vehicles comfortable. We would highly recommend China discovery tours!
Guilin Rice terraces, river tour and Yangshuo with China Discovery private tour
We had a very nice and interesting tour. Leo Li at the head office was very helpful in organizing the tour for us. Everything worked out fine. Our guide Ofelia was very good, very helpful, proactive and trying to make the best of our tour. The hotel Longsheng InYue Hotel was good, clean and good food (a bit cold in the night as no heating). The couple running the hotel made everything possible to accommodate us. Unfortunately it rained a little but not enough to keep us away from hiking. Very interesting. The Park hotel in Guilin was OK, best rooms were the renovated ones. The hotel in Yangshuo was OK but nothing remarkable. Yangshuo we liked very much, cool and fun town. The tour through the nearby national park with el scooter was good, very beautiful with the hills. So overall pleased with the trip and we recommend the China Discovery Company.
The Best of China - 21 day tour
This 21 day tour was amazing!
We saw the best of everything China has to offer.
The standouts of the tour was the Li River, Chengdu and patting the Pandas, cruise on the Yangtze river, the Zhangjiajie National park and walking across the Glass bridge. The Terracotta Warriors, the Luoyang Grottos and the Great Wall.
A little hint - when being picked up from HongKong (we stayed at the Intercontinental - Superb), make sure you have some Chinese dollars on you. When you get to Shenzhenbei Railway Station, you do have a bit of a wait and theree are no money tellers and no where in the station takes travellers cards or credit cards.
We had to go without lunch, luckily we travelled first class on the train and were given a snack during the trip or would have had to wait until we got to Guilin. Always carry tissues with you, as the toliets rarely have toilet paper. Be prepared for lots of people and the rushing and pushing.
Thank you China Discovery for a wonderful stay!
First of all, I would like to express my endless gratitude to Wonder Wang! who answered every single email and every single request very fast and with the best attitude ! (I made a lot of changes and asked for a lot of proposals). He also made some suggestions that I am very grateful I took :) Wonder is the best and also during my stay in China he made sure that everything was going well, which was greatly appreciated!
We did the tour in Xi'an and Chengdu, China Discovery took care of everything including high speed trains and internal flights. The 3-stars hotel at Xi'an was ok and the one at Chengdu was perfect!
Our tour guides were also great, Johnny in Xi'an was very knowledgeable, very kind and flexible. In Chendgu, we had Nancy, she was awesome! such a nice and kind girl! she knows a lot about pandas, she is very flexible, easy going, fun to talk to, and she had details that took y breath away, 10 points!
I recommend without any hesitation to take a tour with China Discovery, the prices are fair, and you have a guarantee that you will enjoy your journey without the fear of not being able to communicate (only very few people speak English in China and this can be a nightmare, while your tour guide can help you during the day -even to buy gifts because you have no clue what it's written on the box-, recommend restaurants, and even write you in Chinese what you can order for dinner, so you just show the paper and it's done! thanks Nancy ;) )
Again, we had such a blast in China, and our trip was great since almost everything was perfectly arranged by China Discovery!
Thank you guys, see you soon in our next trip!
China Discovery breath-taking 28 day tour of China and Tibet.
China Discovery organised an amazing 28 day tour of various locations, throughout China and Tibet.
We gave a number of companies, European and Chinese a list of places we wanted to visit and sights we wanted to see from Lhasa to Xiamen. The best organised schedule, price and use of cultural hotels was provided by Johnson W at China Discovery.
The tour was an impressive feat of organisation. When we added additional sights - as we found more things we wanted to see - these were accommodated without fuss.
Our Tibet Visa was professionally sorted for us and provided via our guide during the tour.
The calibre of Guide was excellent. A local guide was provided for each location as they have intimate local knowledge. Their command of English, finding quiet, hideaway places for photos without crowds, short cuts, extend of knowledge and ability to explain and enthuse their clients was outstanding,
I saw a photo of a walk in China, entitled Tea Trail. From this scant description and photograph Johnson used his contacts to correctly identify the exact part of the Tea Trail and organised an itinerary that encompassed the walk, home stay and breathtaking mountain views as one part of the tour.
—- We wanted to walk the Tea Trail (as apposed to the Silk Route) and sent all the companies a photo of the part we wanted to do. It was only China Discovery that was able to correctly identify the photo location and organise the walk as part of our tour. —-
A warning for non-smokers, China has not yet embraced the non-smoking observances in restaurants, bars, hotel rooms. . .
We would happily use China Discovery again.
Second Private Tour with China Discovery: Ancient Capitals
Our first tour with China Discovery to Huangshan and Zhangjiajie went so well in 2017, we decided to contact Catherine Liu of China Discovery again to design a tour of the ancient capitals of Shanxi and Henan provinces this year.
She helped us with every aspect of where we wanted to go and what we wanted to see. Catherine is very responsive and checked in with us throughout our travels to make sure all was well. Her suggestions and the local tour guides she contracted were excellent so we could enjoy our trip worry free. One of our guides was a local former English teacher who was very knowledgeable about ancient China. This is definitely a must do trip for any Chinese history buff.
The tour was an impressive feat of organisation. When we added additional sights - as we found more things we wanted to see - these were accommodated without fuss.
Most of the cities reminded us of visiting China 10 years ago with construction everywhere. In several cases, the driver had to revise his route on the fly due to road construction detours.
Our itinerary included the stops listed below. The asterisked items are ones that we recommend most. Our favorite city was Pingyao. Traveling by high speed train between cities was one of the highlights of our trip.
Taiyuan
* Shanxi Museum - Regional museum with panoramic view of the river; Excellent artifacts and displays that are better than many other regional museums.
Pingyao Ancient City
* Ancient City Wall provided a panoramic view of the layout of this town. You can easily imagine time travel back one thousand years in this small walled city.
* Wang Family Compound, the “forbidden city of non-royal residence”, is in impressive and massive family compound.
Luoyang
* Longmen Grottoes – This is a major tourist attraction and probably the most famous on our trip. The carvings were impressive.
Luoyang Museum: This museum has many interesting artifacts but was not as impressive as the Shanxi Museum in Taiyuan.
* White Horse Temple, the first Buddhist temple in China over 1900 years old. The exhibit at the Luoyang Tianzi Jialiu Museum was very well done and there were no crowds unlike at Xian.
Dengfeng
* Shaolin Temple, the birthplace of Zen Buddhism and the cradle of Kung Fu
We watched a Kung Fu Performance in the Shaolin Wushu Hall and saw hundreds of students practicing wushu on the temple grounds. The grounds are quite expansive but it is very touristy.
Kaifeng
Dragon Pavilion, a part of the ancient ruin of the imperial palace of the Song and Jin Dynasties.
Grand Xiangguo Monastery
* Kaifeng night market - This night market is huge and a lot of fun to explore.
Millennium City Park: This is a theme park based on the Zhangzeduan, the famous panaromic silk scroll titled ‘Qingming Shanghe He (Along the River at the Qingming Festival)’.
Qufu
* The Confucian Temple, The Confucian Mansion and the Confucian Cemetery. You will get a full understanding about the life of Confucius, as well as the Confucian culture.
* The Confucian Temple, The Confucian Mansion and the Confucian Cemetery. You will get a full understanding about the life of Confucius, as well as the Confucian culture.
Confucious birth place
Mount Tai
Conclusion:
You need to brush up on your Chinese history before you visit these ancient cities. Some of the places did not accept American credit cards. In some cases, we could not even pay by cash - vendors only accepted Weixin e-transactions. Luckily, a local person in line will offer to help to pay by smartphone in exchange for cash. American tourist may be amazed that China is ahead of the US in smartphone applications.
This is a very leisurely trip for Chinese history buffs. You can spend hours analyzing the historic contents of each site. If you are in a hurry or do not have command of Chinese history the significance is not as meaningful Keep in mind that the majority of tourists visiting these sites are Chinese so the tours are geared to this audience.
You need to keep a sense of humor and be relaxed about things. For example, the 200 mph high speed train station near Qufu did not allow taxis to drop off passengers at the entrance. So we had to be get out about 400 feet away from the entrance and walk with our luggage to the train station. At other train stations the queue of taxis dropping off passengers was so long it took so much time to make it to the entrance. In another case, the shuttle bus driver at Mt. Tai only departed according to the scheduled time even though the bus was already full.
Catherine, our guides and drivers were fantastic and did their best to make our trip as enjoyable as possible.
Excellent First Time Tour of China and Tibet
As part of our bucket list, my brother and I wanted to walk on the Great Wall of China and visit Tibet. Thanks to China Discovery we did that and more. We toured the fantastic city of Hong Kong, were amazed at Shanghai's skyscrapers, saw more than 50 pandas in Chengdu, climbed hundreds of stairs to the top of the Dalai Lama's palace in Lhasa, Tibet (12,000 feet in altitude), rode on a 200 mph train, and more. I highly recommend China Discovery, based in Chengdu, China. Mr. Jack Li was their travel agent who coordinated our entire tour and he did an excellent job. We were met at each city/airport by a driver and English-speaking guide to escort us during the day and get us back to the hotel each night. The hotels were all top-notch. Great job and thanks Jack!
Custom Tour Itinerary Perfect !
Linda at China Discovery worked closely with me to arrange the perfect tours for my stay in Bejing, Shanghai and Xi'an. She attended to every detail of my travel so that I had no concerns about traveling alone. Her guides spoke excellent English and had good knowledge about the history and culture of China. My tours included all the major highlights of each city. Linda arranged my transportation to and from airports and train stations. Lots of details, expertly handled.
China Discovery 18 Day Tour
My brother and I organized an 18 day tour with Jack Li from China Discovery out of Chengdu. We hit multiple cities, including Hong Kong, Shanghai, Guilin, Chengdu, Tibet, Xi’an and Beijing. At each destination, we were met by an English speaking guide and a driver who took us to our hotel all the scheduled tours. Everything worked like clockwork and was very smooth. The guides were very friendly and also adjusted timing of tours to minimize crowds. I highly recommend this tour company.
Fantastic , professional.
Sandy, guide spoke perfect English and had good knowledge of spots and Panda. Driver and car were very comfortable.
They managed the trip exactly as per schedule and were very genuine in their dealings.
I think it is one of the best agencies in China.
Very satisfied, fantastic service.
This is the first time I used China Discovery (not to be confused with a completely non-related China Discovery Tours). I was apprehensive in the beginning because it seems a bit risky to use a travel agent not in my city. With all the good reviews in Trip Advisor, I decided to try it. Initially we booked only the panda volunteer day tour. The agent who handles my tour, Lily Xu, was very professional, friendly and patient. Her response is always very prompt. In the end we decided to book a 7 days custom private tour with CD. We are so glad we booked CD. It's such a comfort to have a transport waiting for you wherever you want to go and it's very flexible. The tour guide assigned to us was Eben Lin(Lum). A young chap who is very knowledgeable with the history and information about the places we visited. He is also very patient and attentive. We went Mount Emei and I suffered a bit of high altitude sickness. I didn't expect anything. But he went to check with the local doctor for me and helped me get bottles of oxygen to ease my condition. And he also takes good photos! Very important! LOL. We had 2 drivers during our trip. They both drive very safely. At no time we felt our lives are in danger like how we feel sometimes when taking local taxi.
CD made our trip very memorable. I'd like to thank Lily and Eben and the drivers for our wonderful trip. I highly recommend CD to anyone.
Huangshan
In January this year I contracted with China Discovery for organizing a long weekend in Haerbin, visiting the ice- and snow-sculptures. That was such a pleasant experience that I contracted them again to organize a trip for me and my wife starting in Shanghai going to Huangshan, Hangkou an ending in Suzhou. Everything was very well taken care of: hotels, trains and event tickets. The three guides we had in different places spoke good english, were kind and well informed about the local sites. My wife and I really enjoyed all this and realized that it would have been impossible for us to organize this on our own. We had an incredible tour seeing things that we had never heard of. It was impressive and whenever we visit China again, we will contract their help again. Thank you Leo!
Fantastic service
From booking to touring, China Discovery delivered a great service. Our itinerary was arranged by Stephanie Kuang who was very efficient and communicated promptly. Stephanie also provided the documentation required for our visa. Our guides and drivers, Ben and Mr Jiao in Xi’An and Lindsay and Mr Yang in Beijing were punctual and courteous. We really appreciated their reliability and felt well cared for at all times. Our hotels were well located and meals of a high standard. The trip was well priced and we highly recommend this tour company. We would have no hesitation in using them again. Guides spoke English very well and were very knowledgeable about China in general and it’s history. Well done China Discovery - thank you.
Amazing Tour of China
We just got home from a 10 day tour of China via China Discovery that was planned by Stephanie Kuang. It was a remarkable experience. I was honestly a little nervous about how it would turn out, but everything went super smooth. The communication both before and during the trip was fantastic. The guides were good and spoke excellent English and they helped us get checked into our hotels and get our plane/train tickets (huge help with the language barrier!). All of the sights we saw were great. I would highly recommend going to Xi'an - it was a really cool city!
Yangtse River Cruise and Shanghai
Rita Jiang from China Discovery arranged a Yangtse River Cruise and a tour of Shanghai for us. Rita was very timely and efficient. She responded to my emails after hours and even on weekends. Rita arranged all the private guides and transportation for us. We had a wonderful vacation.
China April Tour
We arranged a rather last minute 2 week trip to China and found China Discovery and Mr. Leo Li. Mr. Li arranged an amazing customized tour for us with our insight. Travelling with our 3-year old would have it's own set of challenges but Mr. Li listened to all of our requests, changes, etc., and responded in great detail. We had spent 3 days in Shanghai, 4 days in Zhangziajie (Avatar Mountains), 2 day in Chendu, and 3 days in Beijing before flying home. The guides (Anna, Sandy, and Randy) were amazing and listened to all our requests as well as our daughter, Korinna. The mountains were simply stunning and one of the most unique places we have ever seen in the world. The service also helped us navigate the airports and were with us until we went through the final security step. As we visited places off typical foreign tourist routes, we had the guides join us for dinner most nights which greatly added ot our experience and helped us try all the local specialities. We had an absolutely amazing trip and would use Mr. Li on our next visit to China without hesitation. Most importantly, Korinna had an amazing trip too and joined us on all the tours, hikes, visits, etc. Coming from a family that has travelled all over the world, Mr. Li and China Discovery were top notch. 5 Stars.
Excellent Experience
We booked our tour with Yangtze River Cruise. Our Tour Organiser, Catherine Liu is most efficient with her work, constantly providing updates regarding our bookings and progress. Even we changed our itinerary several times, Catherine was just too happy to do what we asked for. We booked with Catherine a 4 days 3 nights Cruise and onwards to Zhangjiajie with her arranging all requirements including our train, flights and transfers even back to Chongqing where we started our cruise. Every detail is way above our expectation and the local guides and drivers are most helpful and obliging to our needs.
Special mention to our guide in Zhangjiajie, David, who has gone the extra mile to please our group of four and at times we had requested different options within our group and yet nothing is too difficult for David.
A BIG thank you to Catherine,David and Yangtzw River Cruise for making our holiday such a memorable holiday
Fantastic personalised tour of Guilin, Yanshuo and Ping'An
My husband and I were looking to do several specific activities over 3 days in the Guilin region, but no packaged tours seemed to get it quite right. I made enquiries of 2 web-based companies, and Linda of China Discovery really understood what we were looking for, and put together the best package at an extremely reasonable price. Sourcing things on the web always makes me a bit anxious whether they are reputable companies, but China Discovery was fantastic, and the tour was perfect. The guide, Chang Long, and the driver, Mr Lee, were just amazing. We loved China, and when we go again we will definitely use this company!
China visit
China Discovery in Chengdu arranged a Yangtze cruise, some rail and air tickets and private guides during what was an otherwise independent trip. Vivien arranged the trip for us and I have to say that everything worked so well. She really helped with the bookings and arranged exactly what we wanted. At all times the guides were reliable, informative and friendly. The cruise on the Victoria Jenna was excellent, we paid for an upgrade and had a superb cabin but all the cabins we saw were good. The staff on the ship were so friendly and the food was excellent. All in all a very enjoyable experience. Whilst in Shanghai we had Sunday Brunch at the Peace Hotel, lovely food and a table overlooking the Bund, superb!
12 day China Tour
WONDER Wang made our trip. I started arranging my trip in spring of 2017 for April 2018...and Wonder never got impatient with all my questions. We had 3 nights in Beijing and did The Great Wall and city sites. Also visited Zhangjiajie for the nature sites in the Avatar inspired location..Zhangjiajie National Parks and then Xian to see the history of China and finally Guilin/Yangshuo for the Li River cruise. Loved most of the hotels ...breakfasts were buffet at most restaurants except the Secret Garden in Yangshuo which was a set delicious breakfast. Some buffet breakfast did not have enough Western choices. The lunches provided by your guides were at times not a choice I would have made but overall was edible and not too spicy. The Eastern House in Xian was a cool boutique hotel with the best buffet breakfast. I would recommend this company and especially Wonder Wang as a tour rep to put a customized tour together with English speaking guides and hotels and all flights from one to another place. Tips to guides and driver are recommended in each destination. I only wish the cable car to the great wall was included as all other cable cars were included on this 12 day tour. Overall great experience and service. WONDER IS wonderful and always responded quickly to any questions THANK YOU.
7 Day tour- Chengdu
China Discovery helped make our first trip to China very memorable. Tracy helped us plan our itinerary based on what we like to do. It was a mix of history, culture, nature and a lot of fun. Our favorite was the volunteer panda keeper program in Dujiangyan. (1 and 1/2hrs away from Chengdu by van) We got to hug and take a photo with a baby panda and feed it bamboo too! We also went to Mengding Mountain where we were able to go tea leaves picking at a local farmer's place and eat some tea-infused local dishes. The cooking classes arranged by China Discovery was amazing too! It was at the Sichuan Cuisine Museum. Before the cooking class, they introduced the different street food and snacks in the area and you can eat as much as you want! They also explained how the local hot sauce was made and they let us try to make it too. We also love People's Park where you can just hang around all day. It is a very relaxing place to enjoy drinking tea, people watch, eat snacks and make friends! Our tour guide helped us enjoy the park like locals :)
Our tour guide Ruby was amazing. She was very fluent in English and knowledgeable about the places we went too. She was very professional and fun to be with. She took a lot of pictures for us and was always making sure we are good. (like bringing bottled water, making sure we are not hungry etc) The van service was really convenient and safe. Ruby and Mr. Wu (our driver) made sure that we are comfortable and all our needs are met which made our vacation really relaxing and fun. We didn't have to worry about anything. Very personal and awesome service! Thank you China Discovery! :) Will definitely use your service again when we go back to china!
Reliable agency and Fantastic tour
We are six friends that decided to travel through Asia for a full month. We started by China, and Beijing has been our starting point. To make it easier, we decided to make a 4 days tour in Beijing. We searched in internet and we found "China Discovery". With some fear at the beginning, due to the lack of knowledge of the company, we adapted the existing standard 4 days tour to our wishes. Our "China Discovery" consultant (Tracy Tan) helped us to adapt the tour to our wishes and handled everything (hotel reservations, travel, guide, etc). IT HAS BEEN FANTASTIC. Everything went very well. Nothing failed. And our tour guide (Mark) was amazing. Fantastic guy as well as the driver. They have been a supper team and even made extra hours to show us more than planned. We had an excellent experience with "China Discovery". I was hesitant to pay money up front, but they were very honest and delivered everything they promised. The dedication and commitment of the tour guide (Mark) made our tour just fantastic. To Tracy, Mark and the driver (I do not remember the name), our most sincere thanks
Bespoke private tour highly recommended.
I contacted Stephanie of China Discovery tours based in Chengdu via a web query. We then communicated by email to design a 7 day private tour, which included things that were must see for us as well as Stephanie’s suggestions.
All went really well and the drivers, guides, internal travel arrangements and accommodation were wonderful.
I’ll health meant we had to change our plans and nothing was too much trouble for the relevant agents.
I think this is great value for money and not that much more expensive than a group set tour.
22 Days China Trip with China Discovery run by Chengdu Bamboo International Tours Co. Ltd.
Our trip started with the decision to consider hiring a non-local CDN or US travel agency to help us organize our first trip to China. Based on my own research, assisted by Trip Advisor reviews, I decided to go with a local Chinese Travel company named Chengdu Bamboo International Tours Co. I contacted the company via their website and was assigned a Travel agent named Johnson Wang. . Johnson helped me customized our 22 days China trip. We traveled from Beijing-Xian-Tibet-Chengdu-Yangtze River Cruise –Shanghai-Guilin and dropped off in Honk Kong. We (4 of us) were certainly not disappointed with our decision; quite the opposite, we were very pleased.
Our trip was seamless and well put together. Bamboo International and Johnson made sure we had a knowledgeable guide and efficient driver to pick us up in every city and that our 4 flights and 3 bullet train tickets were well timed and reserved. Bamboo hires English speaking guides expert in each location. These young people made our trip such a positive experience! Also let’s not forget our safe and courteous drivers who made sure that we were on time and tackled frequent traffic snarls. China is a fast growing country with well over 1 billion people where English speaking is still lacking, even in rated hotels. We could not have travelled to so many destinations without the help of our Chengdu Travel agent and their guides.
Excellent travel consultant
I wanted to go with my family to a 10days private tour to Guiyang and Guilin. Finally we did not take the trip, but it was for our personal reason: I realised that my daughter is too small for this trip. Still, I can only recommend China Discovery, the service we got from our travel consultant, Wonder Wang, was - as his name shows - wonderful. He answered every questions promptly, came up with creative ideas, did everything to customise the trip to our need. Maybe we can do it next year, when my daughter will be able to sit in a car more than 20 minutes....?
First class service
My wife and I went on a China private tour this April visiting Beijing, Xian and Shanghai using this company and Tracy Tan, our consultant, organised everything for us in a highly professional manner. She resolved any of our queries about the holiday beforehand and the guide and driver in each city were first class. The 4* hotels we stayed in were excellent and very central and we really enjoyed all the sites we wanted to see. This is a much better way to see China than in a tour group as it is more relaxed and enjoyable. If we went to China again we would definitely use this company. We really had a great holiday with memories which will last forever.
Thoroughly enjoyed. Excellent service
Our tour organizer Wing Zeng from was brilliant. She always replied promptly and resolved all our queries efficiently. All 3 day trips in Beijing, Xi'an and Chengdu were perfect. Will highly recommend Yangtze river cruise.
We also booked century paragon and service was excellent. Really clean and very good food options. Was bit worried after reading some of the reviews but service on century paragon was 5 star.
Excellent
We are a family of 4 with 2 kids aged 7 and 4. We used this company to book guides and vans with a driver for private tours of Beijing and Xian. Our guide Kevin in Beijing was very good. We toured the Mutianya Great Wall and Summer Palace In day 1 and Tianmen Square , Forbidden City and Hutongs on the 2 Nd day. He was organized, informative, friendly and flexible. It would have been very difficult to tour these places with young kids had we not had a guide due to logistics and language barriers.
The guide in Xian was Kelly. She was very kind and sweet and also arranged the day to maximize our touring time and avoid queues. We went to the Xian city wall, Terracota Warriors, Wild Goose Pagoda, Muslim Street and the Ancient Mosque on day 1. She told us a lot about the history of each place and was flexible and knowledge. Once again we could not have done Xian so efficiently and pleasantly with young kids had we not had a private guide and van and driver.
We also used the services of a van a driver to take us to mt. Hushuan the next day which also worked out well. We left early to avoid the crowds and he was very good.
This company is affordable and reliable and provides an excellent service.
Private Tour. Perfect in all respects.
Our private tour started in Kunming. It was just my wife and me. After Kunming we traveled to Dali, Lijilang, and Shangri La. At all stops the guides were well-informed, interesting, accommodating and fun to be with. Our Kunming guide also arranged tickets for the Dynamic Kunming Show which was well worth the ticket price. The drivers were also good and the vehicles roomy and comfortable. One driver stayed with us for 5 days. The itinerary was well thought out and there was also free time in the evenings to just wander about. The hotels were all in the 4 Star range and breakfast was included. Probably the biggest logistic surprise were the lunches. Absolutely fantastic with if anything, too many dishes. I have never had better lunches anywhere. At each stop the guide asked what we preferred and then he or she worked with the restaurant kitchen to get as close as they could. The tour terminated when the guide checked us in at the airport at Shangri La. China Discovery arranged return tickets back to Kunming. We had to stay overnight and they returned us to the Kunming Jinjiang Hotel which is perfect as it is the final stop for Bus No. 2 from the airport. From the bus stop to the hotel was less than 30M. We also used the bus to return to the airport the next morning
Private tour to China from 12th April to 25th April 2018
I have just made a small group private tour engage Chendu China Discovery arranged by Miss Stephanie Kwong. I am very happy to have this tour which the arrangement is consider very good and professonal, from city to city all by high speed train, Iour group enjoyed it. we went to Yun Tai Mountain at Jiao Zhou, Huangsan (Yellow mountain), also to Hangzhou West lake, Xitang old town. finally ending our trip at Shanghai three days to visit Shanghai world financial centre, the biggest Starbucks coffee shop which were special tour arranged. overall is very impressive trip. I will visit again next time also will ask Stephanie to tailor made the trour. Thank you so much for all of these.
Stunning ZJJ Encounter
ZJJ is a beautiful prefecture in the northwestern part of Hunan Province. Indeed, Hallelujah Mountain is a very fitting name, to honor our Maker. The Grand Canyon, after the Glass bridge, is a 2-3 hours leisurely walk but it's well worth it! Be careful with the steep steps down though. Wear Comfy shoes and be ready to click on the charming, picturesque land and water forms inside the Grand Canyon.
The Junsheng Sandstone Museum should not be missed. Impressive art work that can only be found in ZJJ. The Charmi Show, beside Pullman hotel, will also not disappoint.
Utmost thanks to China Discovery (esp to Wendy and Iris) for making our trip very comfortable, safe, and unforgettable. Your kindness, patience, thoughtfulness and flexibility will always be remembered. Two thumbs up to Iris for going the extra mile every time!
One day hug the panda and DuJiangYan tour
We arranged this tour from US and our tour person Rita Jiang was extremely helpful. She explained all options in detail and made us really enjoyed our short trip to Chengdu! My 27 years old son really enjoyed the hug the panda experience! The facility is also very impressive! Best of all is Rita’s effort to make this happen!
11-Day China Tour with Yangtze River Cruise.
Thank you China Discovery and many, many thanks to Ms. Lily Xu! As a single female traveler I was looking for a safe and comprehensive tour of the Highlights of China including the Yangtze River Cruise. The 11-day itinerary beginning in Beijing was perfect! The wonderful Ms Lily Xu worked with me on-line for months patiently helping me to plan the excellent trip of a life time. The hotels were top notch, very comfortable and centrally located and the numerous meals included in the tours were excellent. Airport pick-ups were on the spot! The guides at each location were consistently right on time, very knowledgeable and kindly accommodating. All small group or private tours so one never felt overwhelmed. Most importunately Ms Xu was available by phone or email at all times to insure that my trip was a great success. I was hugely impressed that, after certain items had gone missing at the Xian airport, Ms. Xu worked tirelessly to retrieve my items and make sure I received them by the time I reached Shanghai. VERY impressive! And super grateful to Ms. Xu for making miracles happen! I am also grateful for Mary, the guide in Xian, for her kind help in assisting me at the Xian airport. One note: credit cards other than those issued in China are not widely accepted. Although ATM machines are abundant and many hotels will exchange foreign currency for a small fee. China Discovery comes very highly recommended!
China Discovery (Chengdu), 6 day tour
We were looking for a short tour that included Beijing and Xi'an. Weng Zing from China Discovery Tours based in Chengdu was brilliant. We had a whirlwind visit and saw and did so much. Our guides spoke English very well, the drivers were really safe. The whole experience was exciting and superb. We saw the Olympic Games Village, the Great Wall, Ti'aneman Square, The Great Hall of the People, The Forbidden City, The Summer Palace, A Chinese Opera and the Temple of Heaven and much much more. We even had lunch in a family's quadrangle in a Hutong. What a professional caring lot. Then on to Xi'an on the high speed train, and the Terracotta Warriors, the Pagoda, a wander through the Muslim Quarter. They asked what we wanted and they included it all. This tours company most certainly produced the goods for a modest price. I have done a lot of travelling but have not used tour companies often. I would totally recommend this China Discovery Tours. Apparently there are several with similar names but this group is based in Chengdu. 5 stars all the way!
Thank you for a stress free seamless travel
Thank you China discovery. Made our trip stress free. They took us from airport pickup to drop off. Picked up our tickets and reduced or eliminated any wait times at attractions. There were just three of us as s private group at a price less than what you would pay for most travel agencies. We will definitely be using them again.
GREAT PRIVET TOUR TO SHANGHAI AND BEIJING- BY CHINA DISCOVERY
The tour organized by mrs stephanie kung from china discovery was just great.we spent 4 days in Shanghi and 5 days in Beijing.the guides were very good,pleasant and very helpful
Fantastic Guilin-Yangshuo-Longsheng
We had a fantastic time on our tour in China, especially in Gulin and Longsheng. Thanks to Tracy from China Discovery, who provided us with a well organised tour of some intriguing and interesting sites along with her valuable help when we missed our train and its connection getting there. We particularly enjoyed our time in Longsheng and found it to be the most interesting and unique part of the tour, along with seeing the ancient cave and the relaxing boat cruise.
Cutomised tour of china
Found china discovery by googling on internet. Took the risk and booked a 12 day tour travelling through China. Wow, it was definitely a risk worth taking. Wonder, at China Discovery was very helpful, quick with all communication, and created a tour for my family which went beyound all my requests. It was perfect. Everything went very smoothly, all guides were ready and waiting for us at all our travel destinations, and treated us very well. Guides we're brilliant with our Autistic son. I highly recommend this company for any tour in China. Only sadness for us was when our tour reached its end. Would love to do it all over again! If youre thinking of Touring China, this is definitely the company to take care of you.
Huangshan Hiking Tour - excellent!
Everything was arranged smoothly, also the hotels on top of the peaks. My guide Raymond was very friendly, knew everything and helped me whenever needed. I booked the tour on short notice and also during high season, but everything went well!
Trip and activities from Chengdu to Guilin
Rita Chiang from China Discovery based in Chengdu, organised my travel and all the activities I wished to do between Chengdu and Guilin. All the arrangements went smoothly and I highly recommend both the company and the agent for organising things. The paperwork provided assisted in gaining a visa for travel to China and all connections and bookings were all in order. For someone who does not speak Chinese, they offered excellent service. I would definitely use them again for future travel in China.
China Discovery a good resource
Like many others I happened upon China Discovery as a consequence of an internet search. My wife and I had already planned a 5-week trip to India and our flight home included a layover at Shanghai. So, hey, why not fold a bit of China into the trip? We researched the Three Gorges cruise options and it grew from that inquiry into a 19 day tour.
Initially, I emailed Stephanie Kuang simply to get some cruise alternatives, then asked for some longer options for comparison. Stephanie is extremely efficient and quick to respond to every inquiry. We went through 3 or 4 itinerary expansions over the course of about two weeks. Her final itinerary met our needs and was accepted for visa purposes without a hitch.
In order to save money and stay longer we ended up economizing a bit on our final iteration -- three-star hotels, Chinese-speaking drivers and some group tours. The hotels were without exception excellent. China Discovery is based in Chengdu and contracts with other tour operators outside its service area. A big part of the challenge for them is to maintain a reliable roster of outside contractors. With one relatively minor exception in Xi'an, all the contractors were of excellent quality. In short, I would not hesitate to recommend Stephanie and China Discovery to other travelers.
A few parting communication tips, however. Last minute scheduling changes can and do occur, so an ability to communicate efficiently with both Stephanie and her team is advisable. The first thing we did getting off the plane in Shanghai was to sign up for Chinese cell phone service. It was money well spent. The Chinese WeChat app is a free alternative. G-mail users can easily circumvent the Great Wall by signing up for Yahoo email service then linking it to your G-mail address.
The best 21 day tour planner we have ever had!
Upon planning our 21 day trip to China, it was hard figuring out where to start until we came across China Discovery.
Lyn Wang was more than just our tour organizer. She set up an amazing plan for us and gave us all the "pre" info we might need, which turned out to be vital prior to travelling to China. We explained to her what we were interested in doing and "more or less" what we wanted to visit. What we got back in return from her was a "turn key" 21 day heavenly tour. Upon arriving in Shanghai, we were picked up at the airport by our personal guide in a Private van and throughout the following 21 days, were taken to amazing places and tried incredible food. At every stop they had set up great hotels for us, had a guide and chauffeur waiting for us in a nice van, had arranged all travels inside china for us (Boat, Train, Air Plane) booked restaurants, amenities, museums, shows...you name it! All we literally had to do was sit back and enjoy the ride! Never did we have to go out of our way for anything, as everything had been arranged for us ahead of time and all worked out like clockwork.
Lyn checked up on us constantly and made sure we were comfortable at every stage. We have never been so pampered and felt so safe as with China Discovery. I will be glad to fill you in on any specific details if you wish to contact me directly, but the truth of the matter is that, it couldn´t have been better than it was. We returned home, sad it was over, but pleased and thrilled for the incredible experience, having been able to see an amazing side of China that we ignored existed and further more, not just everybody gets to see. The tour guides assigned to us at every point were all very professional and in general, everything about our tour was handled with much class and in great taste. I could go on for pages and hours but this should sum it up. We visited Shanghai, Guilin, Yangshou, Guangzhou, Beijing, Xi´an, Hong Kong and then back to Shanghai. Our 10 year old daughter did not want to come back home...and neither did we, but as all great things in life, reality hit when the end came.
Beijing-Shanghai-Suzhou-Beijing
We visited Beijing, Shanghai and Suzhou.
Wow - what an amazing experience.
Our tour coordinator was Echo Gou. I cannot speak enough of her. I felt she was just one click away. She took care of all our needs and concerns in a very professional and reliable manner.
I would definitely recommend to go through China Discovery and ask for her. You will be in good hands.
I did not book the hotels through this company but the whole 6 day tour was done through them.
Jason Huang in Shanghai/Suzhou was an amazing guide with very good English and immense knowledge about the sites.
Beijing tour was very rushed by the guide and infact we did not see all that Echo had organized but we still had fun.
Five days tour in Shanghai, Nanjing and Hangzhou
I highly recommend China Discovery if you're planning a trip to China. The agent we worked with, Echo Gou, was very professional and pleasant to work with. She tailored to all our needs and ironed out a seamless itinerary with the super professional and friendly drivers, tour guides and luxurious accommodations. Since it's our first time to China, it saved us so much time and made our experiences very pleasurable and memorable. Both I and my husband will likely to make more trips to China in the future because of the excellent job China Discovery had delivered! We had traveled around the world, and this trip undoubtedly tops all others.
Great Experience
I made a 6 days travel by the south part of China departing from Bejing, passing from Xian, Leshan and finally at chengdu at the Panda Breeding Center, it was a very good organized travel by the China Discovery (based in Chengdu) with the spectacular help and advise of Catherine Liu she was my personal organizer and she takes care about all the details of my trip since train tickets, to lunch time, it was a very good service from all the company and I was in the best hands. No doubt in contact them if you are searching this great service. I visited incredible places like terracota warriors museum, the great Budha of Leshan, Mountain Emei and a lot of interesting stops and places.
Thank you so much
9-day Shanghai-Yangtze River Cruise-Xi'an
We were a group of 4 and Mdm Wing Zeng of China Discovery planned our Yangtze River Cruise tour including visits to Shanghai and Xian. The tour was very well organised. We had excellent tour guides and drivers . Hotel accomodation were up to our expectation. Food was yummy all the way...Overall we had a wonderful holiday, and I can thoroughly recommend China Discovery to plan/personalize your trip . We look forward to using them again for our future trips.. already planning on the next one. .
Amazing Tour Guide Service!
Between our friends and ourselves, we had used China Discovery four times already. We happen to be frequent global travelers, with averagely 4 international trips each year. China Discovery is incomparable. Their responses to our pre-trip queries were consistently prompt. They gave us very straightforward advice about our travel plans. The guides they provided were not only very knowledgeable, but were also very willing to accommodate older members of our group who needed some help during our trips. One more thing - we even received a call on a Saturday evening from the main office agent to let us know that our flight in China had been canceled. Without the call, we would have headed to the airport. The agent then made arrangements for us to take a train to another city, check into a hotel, then take another flight back to the U.S.
11D/10 N Chengdu Spring flower and Mt Siguniang tour
Springtiime is a great time to travel in Sichuan. We stayed at Chengdu and take day trips out to see the beautiful rapeseed blooms in Jiayang,tulips, daffodils, poppies etc at Shixianghu. A visit to the Panda research centre is also a must as the Pandas are especially active in Spring.If you have the time, spend 2-3 days out to stay at the Mt Siguniang Park. Although autumn is the preferred season to visit , if one is lucky , like our group, it snowed the previous night, and the next morning we were presented with the most beautiful winter wonderland.One have the choice of either trekking on horseback or walking via Changping valley route or taking it easier by riding on the park's minivans at Double bridge valley route.
In Spring , enroute one can make stopovers at beautiful Danba JiajuTibetan village and see Pear blossoms at nearby Jinchuan and Peach blossoms at Longchuan.
Thanks again to China Discovery and Mr. Jack Li who ensured our needs are looked after and whom we have come to trust to arrange for all our ground tours in China for past 5 years
6day customised private tour Shanghai - Xian - Chengdu - Yangtze River Cruise
Would have no hesitation in highly recommending China Discovery and their excellent consultant Tracy Tan.
Tracy packaged up an itinerary for us including fully escorted guides and all forms of transport including private mini bus, bullet trains, internal flights and 3nts on a yangtze river cruise.
A fantastically well organised trip. All guides were waiting to meet us at the various venues and all were very helpful and extremely knowledgeable.
They even supplied a panda birthday cake for my husband's birthday which was a lovely surprise.
A fantastic trip.
Thank You so much Tracy for all your hard work in ensuring we had a fabulous time.
Would not hesitate to use again if we go back to China.
10 day tour from Beijing to Shanghai via Xian and Chengdu
I and my 6 year old daughter have just returned from a 10-day China Discovery tour which took us from Beijing to Shanghai via Xian and Chengdu.
After doing a google search and reading some reviews I contacted China Discovery. Tracy was very fast in responding to my emails, making suggestions and adapting the itinerary to our needs. She provided an invitation/confirmation letter which we used to obtain our Chinese visas. Payment via paypal was very convenient - a 30% deposit and then the balance a month before travel.
In Beijing we stayed at the Crowne Plaza Hotel which was comfortable although the food we ordered through room service was not great.
In Xian, the Sofitel was luxurious as we were upgraded to a suite and the breakfast buffet was awesome. So much choice! Good location too for walking to the Bell Tower and the bustling Muslim food market.
In Chengdu, Rhombus Park Aura Chengdu was very modern with floor to ceiling windows in the bathroom! The location was perfect for walking to shops and restaurants. There wasn’t as much choice here for breakfast in terms of western food items though so was a bit disappointing after the Sofitel!
The Shanghai Howard Johnson was ok but a much older hotel. The location was good for walking to the shops and the Bund though.
The Novotel Clover was in a great location for heading to Disneyland and also returning to the airport. They provide a free shuttle bus to the park. The room was very modern and clean and the breakfast choice was excellent, there was a separate eating area for children close to a large tv screen.
Our guides were all waiting for us at the airport/station as agreed and the cars were all fitted with rear seatbelts so we felt comfortable and safe throughout the tour. Unfortunately the traffic in Beijing was always bad so it felt like we spent a lot of time in the car. The guides were all very pleasant and friendly – and patient with a demanding 6 year old! Their level of English was excellent - apart from the guide in Shanghai who was a little bit difficult to understand - and they all provided a lot of interesting information for their particular city.
There were a lot of sights to see but the main attractions for us were the Great Wall which was an unforgettable experience, the terracotta warriors were amazing and the pandas were adorable! The acrobat show in Shanghai was very entertaining and Disneyland was good fun.
The internal transport arrangements were all good - the bullet train was very comfortable and smooth and the internal flights were both on time.
Although English isn’t widely spoken in China it is possible to get by. A number of signs are written in English and announcements at stations and airports are all made in English.
Traveling with a child with blonde hair brings a lot of attention from the Chinese. Most people asked if they could take photographs beforehand and although my daughter declined they were, on the whole, very pleasant.
I read horror stories about the ‘squatty potty’ before traveling but was relieved to find these were unfounded! In 99% of the bathrooms we went to there was a normal toilet (usually the toilet for the disabled) and all had toilet paper.
I found that at some ATM machines my bank card didn't work as Chinese banks require a 6 number pin whereas mine is 4. Choose the ATMs at airports which are more likely to accept international cards.
All in all it was an amazing trip.
Fabulous 6-Day customized Beijing & Shanghai Tour
From the moment I reached out to China Discovery, Rita J., our tour consultant was incredible. She made suggestions around what I had said we wanted to see and enhanced our schedule to be able to see all the highlights and truly have a trip of a lifetime. Rita arranged for amazing, beautiful hotels and coordinated everything for us. She was especially helpful with providing the necessary information to obtain travel visas. Our guides were great, especially Eric in Beijing, who was friendly, knowledgeable, and took great care of us. We enjoyed a delicious, traditional Beijing/Peking duck dinner, that was amazing. Eric also took us to a spot on the Great Wall where there were not tons of people, which made for an even more memorable experience. Rita then arranged for us to take the high-speed train to Shanghai, which was a great alternative and enabled us to see some of the countryside. In Shanghai, we again saw the highlights and enjoyed a memorable visit. HIGHLY recommend China Discovery for helping to arrange a full-service, first-class,fabulous tour of China!
China Discovery is the best
Me and my wife are early 40’s. Travelling (we travel a lot) for the first time to China to discover it.
Anticipating language problems and wanting to be the most efficient to spend 10 days, we decided for the first time to ask a travel agency to help us. We simply found China Discovery on Google.
From the moment I first contacted the agency, Wendy was very prompt and thorough with his responses, providing me with all the additional requests I made and answering all my questions, as well as adjusting our travel plan to fit our needs. She was very careful and patient to meet all our needs.
You will not have any problems communicating with Wendy, and the planning was done very professionally with a lot of details and put us at ease. She asked me various questions to be sure she understands our requirements well.
I was a bit afraid to pay all in trust before by Paypal. So Wendy offered me to make a 50% down payment and pay the rest with cash on arrival in China. I declined this offer as she gave me several feedbacks that built the trust.
I was a bit afraid to pay all in trust before by Paypal. So Wendy offered me to make a 50% down payment and pay the rest with cash on arrival in China. I declined this offer as she gave me several feedbacks that built the trust.
She really knows her business.
On the trip itself:
All the tour guides and drivers picked us up from airport/train station, double checked the plan with us, explained everything we do and confirmed time for each day activities
Both tour guides were extremely punctual, energetic, professional, full of knowledge, and with enjoyable personalities. The drivers were also very good and drove very carefully and safely all through. The transport from airport to hotel, through entire touring to attractions, and transfer to bullet train was also very systematic and punctual
Timing for the different tours was organized such a way that it largely avoids the big tourist crowd.
That’s one of the key to use China Discovery: all their guides make everything for you not to lose any minute in buying tickets or waiting in lines: they know all the tricks and apply them so you really save a lot of time that you can spend really on enjoying the monuments and place visits.
The tour guide and driver in Beijing were exceptionally helpful and caring. Candy (the tour guide) delivered a service that was far above expectation. She was really happy to guide us; she was super flexible to adapt the program to our wishes and moods: we even made changes on the spot and she was able to get a quote from China Discovery in a couple of hours for the add-ons we requested.
Bespoke, flexibility and care are the words that can summarize this beautiful experience.
Conclusion you can trust blindly China Discovery to make your holidays in China a dream. So we highly recommend this tour provider if you are looking for one.
p.s. I can comment the hotels selected by China Discovery as we booked them all separately by ourselves.
Wonderful customized tour of China with family
My family of four, two adults (I'm 4-months pregnant) & 2 children aged 5 1/2 & 3 1/2 took a 14-day customized tour with China Discovery and I highly recommend this tour for families who are adventurous and keen to discover part of China. All you really need to do is that we have recommended this tour to all our friends and that we had an amazing time. If you want more details, read on.
The package we chose was the 10-day tour to Beijing, Xian, Chengdu & Shanghai but we added in a few extra days to explore on our own so it ended up being a 14-day adventure.
From the moment I first contacted the agency, Jack was very prompt and thorough with his responses, providing me with all the additional requests I made (such as writing me a letter in Mandarin to stick in my daughters's backpacks in case they got separated from us and sending over a complete invitation letter to obtain our travel visas) and answering all my questions, as well as adjusting our schedule to fit our needs. You will not have any problems communicating with Jack, and the planning was done professionally and put us at ease.
Hotels: The hotels varied somewhat in quality in each city: In Beijing the Crowne Plaza Hotel was comfortable and we had connecting rooms which was great. It is a somewhat older hotel and you can tell it used to be filled with smokers, but the location is perfectly central and we found good dumpling and Peking duck restaurants within a 5-minute walk. In Xian, the Sofitel was luxurious and the breakfast buffet blew us away, it was amazing. We didn't have connecting rooms so each adult slept with one of our daughters in case they got frightened at night. It was a new hotel, no smoke smell, very very comfortable and the location was central. In Chengdu, the Sofitel was slightly older and the breakfast a little less elaborate, and we once again had separate rooms but over all it was a great hotel. The location was once again very central. The Shanghai Howard Johnson was ok, older and a little less upscale, and the breakfast was lackluster compared to the others We once again did not have connecting rooms, which meant my husband and I were apart for a week. The location of the Shanghai hotel was perfect - super close to the bustling Nanjing road.
Guides:
Our Beijing guide, Kai, was truly spectacular. He is so enthusiastic and passionate, you cannot help but learn things from him and be interested in what he shows you...even when you are a 3-year-old! My 5-year-old now knows the names of various Chinese dynasties and how they ruled. His English is totally clear and easy to understand.
Kemmy in Xian was great, totally understandable English. He understood that we didn't want to buy terracotta figures and we spent barely any time at the factory stop, which was great.
OIn Chengdu, we loved our tour guide Nancy. She was a young, vibrant woman with solid English skills who absolutely adored our children (and vice versa) and who took them by the hand to see the Pandas, giving my husband and me a little break to stroll on our own. She knew exactly where to go at the Panda exhibit to have the best view of the cubs having their breakfast (which was much appreciated, as within minutes, hoards of people showed up and would have blocked our view!) She was open and told us about her life, which was so interesting to hear.
In Shanghai, Laura was nice. She sometimes didn't answer my questions (I think she did not quite understand them) and it seemed a little more 'scripted' than with the others. We didn't click with her as well as with the others and did not appreciate that she took photos of our daughters (we did not specifically tell her not to but asked her what she planned on doing with the photos and were pretty sure our body language should have given it away that we did not like the photo taking...) and also of flowers etc.
We had some back luck weather-wise in mid-March and viewed the Forbidden City and Summer Palace under snow fall. And the Tiananmen Square was closed due to a plenary session so we never got to see that, unfortunately. The tea ceremony, although perhaps a somewhat obvious tourist trap was very welcomed because it was so cold. Later on we visited a jade factory and silk factory as well as the Terracotta figurine factory. If you do not want to buy anything at any of these locations, which we didn't, just let your guide know and hurry through the gift shop. There was never any pressure put on us to buy anything and the guide completely leaves you alone during that part of the tour so you can literally rush out of there without even looking, should that be what you wish to do.
The sights we visited were great and worthwhile. Definitely the Great Wall was an unforgettable experience, and I was amazed by the terracotta warriors. Both Xian and Chengdu were cities we knew little about and we were impressed at how modern and clean they are.
We had requested car seats for our children and received those in two of the four cities we visited. The driving in Beijing is very different than in North America so be prepared if you want to feel safe - bring your own car seats. We had two near-collisions in Beijing, which I have to note because they did scare me, but considering how crazy the traffic was over there, this seems like a low number...!
The transportation and transfers from place to place all went smoothly except for the Chengdu-Shanghai leg. It was nice to have to worry at all about where to go once we'd arrived at our next location, and never to wonder about where to park etc. I highly recommend this way of travel for non-Mandarin speakers who want to explore a lot with minimal discomfort. When we arrived at the Chengdu airport, it turned out that our flights to Shanghai had not actually been booked by the tour. This was disconcerting of course, and our guide was in hasty communication with Jack to buy us our tickets in time to catch the same flight. It was a good thing we got to the airport early. It all worked out in the end but definitely caused some stress.
I would highly recommend this tour. You will not be disappointed.
If you don't want your children to be photographed, don't go to China. It was really, really brutal at times how people crowded us, took photos of our children without asking and/or pointed their long lens cameras at them and snapped away.
Google/Trip Advisor some nearby restaurants as you will be taken to fairly Western-pleasing restaurants with the guides. For dinner, we chose more 'authentic' places where the food served was very different from what you would find in a North American food court.
Beijing, Xian, Chengdu hotels had no VPN so don't expect to use gmail.
Practice holding your kids over squatting toilets because that's sometimes all there is and it's a learned skill for kids not to pee on their clothes while in this position.
Learn the Mandarin words for cold water (which you probably won't get everywhere - hot water or tea is the norm- but you can ask) and for fork and spoon if your kids don't know how to use chopsticks, and for 'not too spicy' in the Sichuan province!!!
Professional and dedicated tour provider
When I first received approval for my leave application, i was concerned that I will not be able to plan and bring my mother to Xiamen for tour in time. I searched Tripadvisor and internet and shortlisted 3 providers of which Echo Gou from China Discovery - based in Chengdu responsed the faster and asked me various questions to be sure he understand my requirement well. He went further to ensure the trip that he organized for us took care of my elderly mother needs. The tour guide 徐晨悧 and driver 冉彬彬 were exceptionally helpful and caring. They also brought us to eat local food which my mom loved. Undoubtedly we have a safe, relaxing and memorable trip to Wuyishan, Tulou, Gulangyu, etc. What i really appreciate is Echo's suggestion and advice for our trip. The hotel that was booked for us was superb too. Timing for the different tour was organized such a way that it largely avoid the big tourist crowd. So i will like to highly recommend this tour provider if you are looking for one.
Customised Tibet tour for 6 days
I wanted to visit Tibet for a long time and came across Tibet Discovery. They took into account my traveling dates(I took a train to and fro) and adjusted my pick up and drop. My travel advisor Leo was extremely helpful since he took into account my necessities during the trip. I required my permit as per my travel dates and he did that for me. After Tibet I went to Chengdu and he helped me out with the local travel too! Definitely recommend Tibet discovery and Leo is one of the best travel organisers I have met till date!
Kudos, Oaindrila
Private and Customized Tour for 12 days
I found China discovery (Chengdu) online when I planned my trip. I was so nervous to use the internet travel agency at the beginning, I don't know if I can trust them or not. After communicated with Jack and used their service for my tour, I was so please.
Jack was very patient, took his time and putted in lots of effort to work through the plan and process with me. My friend and I had 12 days trip in China - Guilin, Luoyang, Xi'An and Dunhuang. From South to North West of China, my friend and I were enjoyed the trip so much!! All the tour guide and driver from local areas picked us up from airport/train station, double checked the plan with us, explained everything we do and confirmed time for each day activities. They made us feel so safe and well look after. They are reliable and so knowledgeable, also speak very well English. The whole trips was well organised and fantasy!!
I will strongly recommend the company to all other my friends and colleagues. I will definitely use China discovery again for my next trip.
Customized Beijing and Shanghai Tour
We had an excellent experience with China Discover travel agency. The entire process from booking with the coordinator Tracey Tan, touring with Eric, the tour guide in Beijing and Lily, the tour guide in Shanghai was awesome. Tracey made her full effort at every step to customize our tour according to our choices. Both tour guides were extremely punctual, energetic, professional, full of knowledge, and with enjoyable personalities. The drivers were also very good and drove very carefully and safely all through. The transport from airport to hotel, through entire touring to attractions, and transfer to bullet train was also very systematic and punctual. I selected China Discover as my choice of travel agency while we were planning to visit Beijing and Shanghai from USA just by reading their good reviews in Trip Adviser. I am glad that my selection was perfect and our entire trip became very memorable. I would recommend China Discovery to anybody else for their future trip to china without any reservation.
private day tours to leshan and dujiangyan
my wife and I spent 4 days in chengdu in March 2018 and our visit to leshan and dujiangyan was organised by Vivien of China Discovery. Vivien was very helpful and responded promptly to requests and The tour was very well organised. Accommodation was first class and our tour guide, Nancy did an excellent job. We really enjoyed the fascinating sites.
China Discovery are superb!
My wife and I found China Discovery on line. We were so impressed with Echo Gou, the representative of China Discovery in Chengdu that we decided to engage with her to put a bespoke itinerary together for us which included one, two and three day tours to the most interesting places which included the scenic Yellow mountains , the wonderful Terracotta warriors the ancient cities and much more. We had a wonderful experience in the company of most professional , caring and kind tour guides such as Jill in Hangzou, John in Huangshan - Yellow Mountain - and Lisa in Pingyao, all of whom we got to know over a few days. All our tour guides had excellent English, extensive knowledge of their brief, a very pleasant disposition and a caring outlook. We enjoyed their company and service very much. They were kind enough to take us to good inexpensive restaurants to explain and select our evening meal.
Echo Gou was a real pleasure to deal with and our faith and confidence in her was justified when every aspect of the trip worked without a hitch - hotels, pick ups transfers, flights etc. We will certainly use this company again as Echo put a package together for us to suit our stated needs. We had the trip of a lifetime
Zhangjiajie National Park and Tianmen Mountain
We spent a wonderful three days exploring this area with our guide Wendy, on a tour tailor-made to fit our schedule by Stephanie Kuang at China Discovery in Chengdu.
It was our first experience of China Discovery, and we were really impressed by the prompt, professional service we received from Stephanie, following our initial inquiry, in arranging an exceptional tour for us.
Wendy was, without doubt, one of the best guides we have had in ANY country. She was very nice, friendly and spoke excellent English. She was knowledgeable and informed about the places we visited. Throughout the tour, our itinerary ran very smoothly, and was carefully arranged to meet our requirements. The driver was always at hand to take us to the next part of our tour, and restaurants selected were great local restaurants, with delicious regional food.
We saw Zhangjiajie National Park, went on a boat trip, and to Tianmen Mountain Park. Wendy suggested we went to, and purchased the tickets for, a theatre trip, which we thoroughly enjoyed. On our last day, when our flights were cancelled, Wendy communicated and worked tirelessly on our behalf to research flights, trains and hotels. She made bookings, purchased tickets and arranged, at very short notice, a driver to take us to Changsha.
We loved Zhangjiajie National Park. The scenery was absolutely spectacular. Sadly at Tianmen mountain the weather wasn’t so kind and we could not appreciate the views. Thank you Stephanie at China Discovery. We look forward to exploring another region of China on our next business trip.
China Discovery tours - Fenghuang, Zhangjiajie, Guilin
I wanted to thank you Wonder Wang, Chengdu, China Discovery for planning our family trip to China. It was an amazing trip and we had a wonderful time. All the tour guides were good. The tour guide at Zhangjiajie and Changsha, Carol Cheng 成乐, was fantastic! She is really friendly and helpful.
China Discovery was very accomodating and helpful to the last minute changes. They solved problems arise in a reasonable time, so that our tour could continue smoothly.
All in all, it was a great first trip to China and I would happily use your services again in the future and recommend to my friends who require a small group English speaking tours in China.
Thank you China Discovery!
Excellent 10 Day Multi City January Visit to China - Private Touring
Our tour included trips to Shanghai, Beijing, X'ian, Chengdu and Hangzhou. Over 18 sights visited with personal guide and driver - included Great Wall (Mutianyu ex Beijing), Forbidden City/Tiananmen, Terracotta Warriors, Panda Breeding Center, Shanghai Bund etc.
We made our own flight arrangements to and from China (from Ireland). China Discovery were given the dates we (my wife and I) were going to be in China and a list of the main sites of interest. Their rep Lily Xu responded within 24 hrs of the initial enquiry and quickly did an excellent job developing a perfect itinerary for us. She communicated quickly by email and telephone and also assisted with documentation for visa applications.
Arrangements made included all transfers (including pick ups from stations/airports ) , hotels, lunches, private transportation and personal tours of all sites. Three transfers were each approx 4 hrs long by high speed train and one internal flight (Sichuan Airlines). All travel went perfectly and were of a standard that compares with best we would have experienced in Europe/US.
Lily kept in touch with us during the trip (including over a weekend) to ensure that all arrangements were going well. Hotels were 5 star and all were very good : we had one issue with some water leakage in our room in Xian (which was sorted by the hotel) but once she heard of it she surprised us by arranging upgrades for us at the next hotel ( to suite from King) and to First Class on the next high speed train transfer.
Tour guides (Patrick/Shanghai; Vivian/Beijing; Waldner/Xian; Nancy/Chengdu; Jane/Hangzhou were first class : Excellent english , very pleasant personalities, generous with their time and really informative. All 5 of them helped make our trip very special ( including taking us to small local restaurants where we had lunch with local Chinese diners).
We have nothing but positive feedback to give about our trip and the arrangements made by Lily Xu and China Discovery
Eamon J. , Kinsale, Cork, Ireland
Beijing - Harbin - Shanghai 3 Day Visit
Our group of twelve visited Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai in three days. Ms Wendy Dan arranged an incredible, non stop itinerary, no wasted time. Although there is a 16 hour time difference between us, Ms Wendy was very, very patient with our detail questions and responded in a quick and professional manner.
During our visits to various attractions in Beijing, we were escorted by a very professional guide, Ms Vivian. Ms Vivian provided excellent narrations of places of interest both while on foot and while enroute to the next designated stop. We visited Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, the Drum Tower (experienced the drumming demonstration), walked the Great Wall at Mutianyu and viewed the 'Birds Nest' and Water Cube at the Olympic Village. We departed Beijing to Harbin via the overnight train. The train ride was surprisingly comfortable in the Soft Sleeper compartment. This is the way to go!
We had a full day of touring in Harbin upon our arrival. We viewed the snow sculptures in Sun Island and marveled at St Sophia church, Our primary destination was visiting the Ice Festival at the Ice and Snow World. We were not disappointed. The ice carvings are world class carvings! The ice 'city', lit up with colorful lighting in the evening, is beyond words. You have to see it with your own eyes. We departed Harbin early the next morning to visit Shanghai.
We spent the entire day touring Shanghai with the amiable Ms Maria. Ms Maria is a gem! The visit to the Shanghai Financial Center is not to be missed, the panoramic view from the 100th floor is breathtaking. Ms Maria provided a very descriptive narration of the Yu Yuan Garden and the Yu Yuan Bazaar. We concluded our China visit with a stroll along the Bund, viewing the awesome city lights. Ms Maria went over the top to assure that we were checked in properly for our midnight flight home.
We were very fortunate to have Ms Wendy arrange our fantastic adventure. We take our hats off to Guides, Ms Vivian in Beijing and to Ms Maria in Shanghai. These two young ladies are 5 Star Guides! We will try our very best to have these three ladies involved in our next vist to China.
PS: Our visited was in January, the air temperature could be as low as -25C, dress accordingly.
Incredible 11-day Private Winter Tour
It was an incredible and unforgettable winter Beijing-Luoyang-Xian-Harbin trip (December, 23, 2017-January, 02, 2018). We not only had an excellent overview of the Chinese history while visiting the most famous astonishing sites (Beijing’s Forbidden City and Summer Palace, Shaolin Temple and Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang, Terracotta Warriors and Horses and Ancient City Wall in Xian) but could immerse ourselves in a magical winter world at the unique International Snow Sculpture Festival and Ice World in Harbin on the Eve of the New Year! The extraordinary ice and snow masterpieces were incredibly beautiful – a real wonderland!
The Siberian Tiger Park in Harbin - the largest park for wild Siberian tigers in the world – is a must to visit. The city itself is fascinating – with streets and buildings of the most influential Russian and European architectural style.
Special thanks - to our tour operator Ms Wing Zeng at China Discovery, based in Chengdu, who organised our private tour and kept checking on us while we were on a route. Our initial research provided us with a level of confidence in your organisation’s ability to deliver an incredible experience.
All our requests were addressed promptly with very warm attitude. All documentation was timely, informative and comprehensive. Everything was organised extremely well, went very smoothly and exceeded our expectations.
Our tour guides were exceptional. Their knowledge and attention to detail were fantastic. They were very passionate about their country and really made our trip to remember.
We were very well informed by our guides on the Chinese cuisine and enjoyed high quality food in local cafes and restaurants.
Once again we would like to express our gratitude to the whole team: our tour guides – Kevin (in Beijing), Jenny (in Luoyang), Johnny (in Xian), Celina (in Harbin) and Candy (in Beijing) - and all our skilled well-experienced drivers for arranging such a wonderful trip to China. We felt very well cared for by all of the staff.
The tour was really very interesting and unforgettable! We wish we could stay longer. We highly recommend China Discovery, based in Chengdu, for anyone planning a trip to China.
Nick and Elmira,
Adelaide, Australia
Excellent
Our daughter is teaching in Zhengzhou for 10 months and when we visited her at Christmas she arranged for private tours on 2 separate days (Yellow River/Shaolin Temple and Longmen Grottos/Luoyang Old Town). She made all the arrangements with Wing Zeng and any changes we requested were made very quickly and accommodatingly. The guides we had spoke English very well, were very knowledgeable and easy to be with - they made the tours so much fun. They willingly answered all of our questions in a friendly and courteous manner. (We especially liked Jenny for the Longmen Grottos/Luoyang Old Town tour as she went out of her way to make sure we had a fabulous day and even waited with us on the train platform to ensure we got on the correct train to go home after a long day. I can't say enough good things about her.) Even though we had little to do with the chauffeurs they were both excellent drivers and got us to our destinations safely. Both lunch's we had were excellent. We are VERY pleased with our experiences with this company and gladly recommend their service
10 day private trip to China from NZ
Just returned from an amazing Chinese winter experience. It has been my daughters life long desire to hold a baby panda. This was an amazing though extremely fast 20 second experience! On one tour we visited Beijing where we met Kevin and Le our driver and guide. They gave us a fabulous introduction to their city. Next stop was the bullet train to Xi’an, we had second class tickets and they were just fine. In Xi’an we met Lucia she just loved the snow! We had snowball fights and she helped us take lovely photos of us jumping and playing in the snow. The Teracota army is a sight everyone should see at least once in a lifetime. Lucia took us to a chemist and made sure I got meds for my sore tummy (would be very hard on your own). Next stop was Chengdu and the long awaited panda encounte! Nancy was so nice she even brought us a picnic lunch as we don’t like hot spicy food. Last stop was Shanghai, I really enjoyed the Yu gardens and would have preferred more time there. We had a very busy day and were exhausted by the end of it. Hotels were all really good though we did upgrade, not sure it was worth it as we had so little time in them! Stephanie our trip organiser made the whole process a successful one, from the first I enquiries to the follow up after we got home. Highly recommend the company and would definitely return to China them again!
Highly Recommended!!!
Went on a 3 day private tour for 2 pax with Nancy (the guide) from China Discovery. Visit the giant panda breeding centre, Leshan Buddha, Emei Golden Summit, Chengdu city tour, etc. The guide was informative and nice. The food at the restaurants were nice too. Totally enjoyed the tour even though wasn't feeling that well during the trip. Thanks to the guide, i've learnt more about the Chinese history during the trip. In addition, Lily the consultant was patient in planning out the itinerary as well. Recommended to go with them.
9-days tour to Chengdu and Xian, China
My family had a 9-days holiday to Chengdu and Xian, China in December 2017 and we had a fantastic time with tours organised by China Discovery (Chengdu).
I first contacted China Discovery in late October, and Wing Zeng was my travel consultant. I want to commend on Wing’s professionalism for she had been very responsive and attended to my endless questions very promptly. Wing worked back to forth with me over twenty emails until I was happy with all the schedules, travel and hotels arrangement.
I requested English speaking, funny and story-telling tour guides, and China Discovery has fulfilled my requirement. Both our tour guides – Nancy in Chengdu and Waldner in Xian can speak excellent English and they are very knowledgeable. They made the tours a lot more interesting by telling us lots of stories and history of China and the sightseeing places.
The day at Dujiangyan Panda Base was a highlight. First time paying to do cleaning work but it was well worth it. Never seen my children doing chores with such enthusiasm and so happily! It was interesting to see the quantity of bamboo a panda could munch on and, pooping it could do in a day (but don't worry, they weren't smelly at all!). We were able to hear stories and get up close to three pandas around our volunteering work area and pandas there were surprisingly very active compare to those we saw in other countries! China Discovery had arranged a photo cuddle session with a young panda for my boys and they said it was their most precious 20 seconds of their life! It was indeed a very special day and a lifetime experience!
The tour had also brought us to Dujiangyan Irrigation System, Qingcheng Mountain, Leshan Buddha, Mount Emei and Chengdu Panda Base in Chengdu. Mount Emei was another most worth visit place in our trip. Most people came for the temples but we came for the scenery. The place was covered with snow on the day we went and it was picturesque! Some steps were icy and slippery so we had to walk cautiously but as it was a private tour, we could enjoy at our own pace and it was a very pleasant day!
For the Xian leg of the trip, we visited Terracotta Warriors, Mount Hushan, Bell Tower, Ancient City Wall and Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, etc.. We were spellbound by Emperor Qin's Terracotta army, but the most enjoyable day among all sightseeing places in Xian was the excursion to Mount Hushan. The place was just breathtaking with steep cliffs and endless up and down winding paths to different peaks. The cable car journey was an amazing experience too. We were glad to have a tour guide coming along, so we could hike around and see the best of the mountain at ease.
Apart from touring, my family would also like to express our gratitude to China Discovery for its prompt assistance to locate my son's lost cellphone. After going though custom at Chengdu airport enroute to Xian, my son realised he might have dropped his phone in the vehicle (and it was our last journey on that vehicle!!). I frantically called my travel consultant Wing and told her the situation. I made another call to Wing half an hour later, and to our relief, she had already located the phone and would arrange it to be mailed to our hotel in Xian. We were happy to see the parcel arrived safely 2 days later. The service of China Discovery especially on Wing's willingness to attend to customers' problems when in need impressed us and had exceeded our expectation!
Overall, we were very happy with the tour arrangement and we had a lovely trip. The tours ran smoothly and China Discovery delivered everything detailed in the itinerary. With door-to-door vehicle pick up and a local tour guide there with us - from the moment the guide picked us at airport to sending us off, to hotels check in, getting tickets for all sightseeing places and helped us to order meals for our lunches, etc., we were being looked after and felt safe touring around in a foreign country. If my family ever visit China in the future, we would definitely book through China Discovery again and would recommend others too!
Shanghai, Beijing and Shenzhen tour
Thank you to our travel consultant Wing Zeng, and our tour guides Emily (Shanghai), Lisa (Beijing) and Eric (Shenzhen) for a great tour!
We just returned home from a two week trip to China that included a ten day tour organized by Wing Zeng at China Discovery. Wing Zeng was a pleasure to work with. We organized our entire tour by email and she was always prompt in responding to our questions.
Once in China, we started our tour in Shanghai with Emily. She was an amazing tour guide! Not only was she knowledgeable about the sites we visited, but she spent countless hours teaching our kids Mandarin phrases and Chinese characters. She was a real gem - our kids will always remember her!
In Beijing, Lisa took us to temples, hutongs, the great wall and and the Ming tombs. She was also very friendly and knowledgeable. A highlight of our time in Beijing was getting to have lunch prepared by a family in the Hutong!
After Beijing we went south to Shenzhen, where Eric gave us a tour of this very modern city.
As part of our package, China Discovery also planned our hotel stays (with breakfast), our airport/train station transfers and purchased our train tickets for us, making the entire trip very easy for us! We have absolutely no complaints and would highly recommend China Discovery to anyone wanting to book a private tour in China!
Family tour to China
The tour was just amazing and unforgettable for the whole family. "Ms. Tracy Tan", our tour adviser was an outstanding person. Words are not enough to describe her professional excellence and efforts. She was always accessible, helpful, supportive and full of ideas.
Chengdu, Chongqing, and 4-day Cruise of the Gorge and Dam
My husband and I had really wanted to do China 'our' way and to see the sites we wanted, some of them which are not included in standard group tours. So we sent China Discovery an email asking for a quote on their standard tours and if we were able to make adjustments. Stephanie our travel consultant was very responsive in her email replies.Shortly after some adjustments made to the tour via email, to include everything we wanted to see, we were provided a very reasonable quote.
The tour included, a private car for my husband and I, a local English speaking guide and driver at each city. Internal transfers, hotel and daily breakfasts and some of the lunches.
In 16 days, we started from Beijing - Luoyang - Xian - Chengdu - Guilin - Yangshuo - Shanghai
It was the most amazing experience of China, to be able to see and experience so much in such a short time. There were no hiccups along the way, all internal flights, trains and hotels were organised by the company and the local tour guides were always there to meet us at the airport and station on arrival and upon departure, helped pick up our tickets and walked us all the way into the boarding area.
All the guides were very knowledgeable, and we learnt more about the culture and history of China then we have learnt in our entire time at school. The guides were well spoken, and easily understandable, and were very flexible to our schedules.
I have already recommended this company to several family members who are interested in visiting China, and I would not hesitate to go through Stephanie again for our future trip to other parts of China.
An unforgettable experience, we would have never been able to see so much in such a short time if not for this well organised tour. Another great aspect was that the tour guides always offered to help take photos for us, which was a nice touch.
Along our travels we met other couples who also booked through China Discovery, and they also spoke very highly of their trip.
Thanks so much, hope to visit again soon!
Chengdu, Chongqing, and 4-day Cruise of the Gorge and Dam
Our family (wife + 2 adult sons) arrived in Chengdu in late December. Our entire private tour was arranged by Vivien Li of China Discovery. She was very attentive and responsive, and looked after every detail. The City tour of Chengdu and Chongqing were arranged by private tour guides. We saw the old and the new sides of both cities. The development of both cities, especially the infrastructure, the modern buildings, and the night lighting, were most impressive. We especially enjoyed the tour of the Gorge Museum, which I would highly recommend before taking the cruise. The cruise ship (apparently a joint venture with Viking) was much better than expected. The food on board was so so. But the voyage down the Yangtze River was the trip of a lifetime. One word of warning - if you can help it, DO NOT go during peak seasons. This is a very popular tour for local Chinese, and they can be very pushy and boisterous.
Huashan hike
I was apprehensive about hiking on Mt. Hua in the winter but I contacted China Discovery and Wing Zeng based in Chengdu picked a knowledgeable guide, Lucia, and I had a great time. The one day itinerary from Xi'An was perfectly done. I was picked up from my hotel on time and was taken care of every step of the way. Lucia hiked with me through all the peaks and was agreeable to take photos of me as well. Wing was also communicative throughout, Wing let me know ahead of time that the cable car that I was to go up to Mt. Hua on was out of commission that day and that I would have to take another cable car from a different face of the mountain. I was impressed with the attention to detail and will not hesitate to use China Discovery again on another trip to China.
Zhangjiajie Tour
A pleasant Zhangjiajie tour arranged by Chengdu Bamboo International Tours Co., Ltd. In terms of accommodation, transportation and tour guide, we are most satisfied. Sceneries are fantastic! English tour guide girl Anna speaks perfect English although she never been oversees. Highly recommend!
Yellow Mountain
Wonder from China Discovery helped organize a wonderful itinerary for our trip to the Yellow Mountain. Our tour guide, Alex, was excellent. All communication was prompt and clear. Definitely recommend this company.
Custom Made Tour Of China
Our tour was quite complex as 3 of us travelled from UK to visit Beijing for a few days then met up with 4th member in Chengdu. This was followed by a trip to Zhangjiajie then on to Shanghai. We then had a few days of independent travel before having our final night back in the Shanghai hotel reserved for us. The tour went like clockwork, exceeding all our expectations. The following is the message we sent to our tour organiser Johnson Wang after we got home -
We were met at Beijing by Andie the guide and her driver. The vehicle was modern and comfortable and the driver was extremely competent.
Andie was a very knowledgeable and conscientious lady who made sure we saw every site listed on the itinerary. She explained the history of the places we visited which was much appreciated as we had not done a great deal of research ourselves. She also took us to the front of queues and seemed to know all of the short cuts and best entrances. The driver would meet us within minutes of leaving each venue and we would be whisked to the next. The only problem was of our own making - we felt we crammed too much in and the various sites merged into each other in our memories. We would probably have missed out one of the temples with hindsight. We particularly enjoyed the time in the Hutongs and would have preferred more time here to wander on our own had we have known.
We were taken back to the airport where she booked us onto our next flight with comfortable time to spare.
We were met at Chengdu by Nancy the guide who we absolutely adored. Her English was faultless and she fitted into our family unit perfectly - in fact my daughter who lives in China is keeping in touch with her. We enjoyed everything in Chengdu - pandas, park, restaurant, downtown and tea garden- and were really sad that we couldn't have another day there.
Again we were booked onto our next flight with time to spare.
We were met at Zhangjiajie by Linda who was very friendly but we had quite a lot of trouble understanding her as her English was not as good as the previous two. We were extremely fortunate on the day of arrival as the weather was bright and clear . This made our trip to Tianmen mountain with the cable cars, walkways (including the glass ones) and spectacular views completely unforgettable. Apparently there had been almost no visibility the previous day! The weather was less good the next day and the walk along the valley was something we wouldn't include if planning again. We did take an optional boat trip in the afternoon which was very pleasant. The third day was spoiled by the weather and we had very poor visibility for the 'Avatar' scenery but of course this was completely out of your control. We felt rather sorry for Linda who did her best to take us to viewpoints where visibility was a little better.
Again we were booked onto our flight without hitch.
We were met at Shanghai airport by Warren and booked into our last hotel. The details of us returning for another night before our flight home was understood by the hotel and Warren left us.
We then had a few days on our own with our daughter organising us.
The hotels you had booked for us were beyond our expectations. Our only problem occurred at the hotel in Zhangjiajie. The first room we were given was very cold, quite small and a little scruffy. We were also unable to get hot water . (Our daughters room was superb so we realised this was way below standard). We contacted Linda who returned to the Hotel and she asked them to swap our room. Only the 'Honeymoon Suite' was available as they were otherwise fully booked. We were happy to accept this and were then very comfortable.
We were extremely happy with the service you provided which was absolutely tailor made for our unusual requirements. We could not have seen even a small fraction of these sites without your expertise and knowledgeable guides. We also felt that we received very good value for money when comparing our unique tour to standard packages that are advertised. Being in a small group also meant we had the individual attention of the guide and were able to move around more freely.
Thank you very much for your assistance. We will be more than happy to recommend you to others.
Zhangjiajie + Fenghuang 5 day tour
We had a fantastic time in Zhangjiajie. The landscape and sights are simply spectacular and some of the best in China. Our tour guide David was fantastic and made sure we had a great time and delicious food. We certainly want to come back to Zhangjiajie and explore more.
Stephanie from China Discovery provided us with excellent service. This is the second time we booked through China Discovery (last year we booked the Yangtze cruise via them) and we can highly recommend this reliable tour company.
Pandas, terra-cotta warriors, cruise and more
We booked a comprehensive tour to include terra-cotta warriors, panda sanctuary, yellow river cruise and Zhangjiajie national park. Tour included guides in every city with private transportation, hotels and transport between cities. All the guides were excellent, on time and professional with a good grasp of English. It made traveling to so many different cities so much easier to have everything arranged, with transport to airport/train/cruise boat. The guides were different in each city, but each place we were met promptly and transported from place to place in comfort. Everyone was accommodating and courteous. Very nice job
Huangshan, Hangzhou & Suzhou
This was our last minute trip to Shanghai and we have decided to visit Huangshan, Hangzhou and Suzhou. We have checked with several travel agents and decided to go with China Discovery based in Chengdu.
The travel consultant, Ms. Stephanie Kuang was really helpful and answer our questions quickly. She organized a seamless trip where we were picked up by a local guide from the Shanghai Pu Dong airport on the first day and dropped us off at our hotel back in Shanghai on the last day. We spent a few days on our own in Shanghai. All the local guides we meet were very courteous and very knowledgeable.
We really enjoy our trip and China Discovery made it hassle free. We would recommend anyone considering travelling to China to use China Discovery.
We just LOVED CHINA!!!
My husband and me really enjoyed China, not only because the greatness of your country, but because the warm, kind and efficient service we received from you and from every one of our tour guides and drivers, we had a great time with every guide we met, it would be dangerous to say wich one we liked most, cause even the last one in our personal list, was still a great tour guide! All of them gave us that extra that makes the difference between good and great.
All of our great tourist guides, including Rita, our contact in the travel agency, gave their best in order to make an amazyng trip for my husband and me, trust me: Rita, our guides and China Discovery, they all made it real!!!
China is a marvellous and amazingly beautiful country, we certainly feel invited to come back.
Please let me end this comment with a sincere and honest THANKYOU RITA and all China Discovery staff, we LOVED CHINA!!!
Hangzhou & Suzhou
Enjoyable 3 day weekend organized by China Discovery. We were met at the airport and transported to our hotel, with our guide explaining the next day's agenda; she even helped us check into our hotel. The tour of Hangzhou was nice - we enjoyed the park and lake cruise even though it was off season. The tea plantation/tasting was very interesting and fun. The choice of restaurant for lunch was good and food was delicious. The afternoon tour of the Buddhist Temple was interesting and we were back at the train station where our guide picked up our tickets and saw us to the train. We were met in Suzhou and taken to our hotel. The next day was wonderful - we toured the private garden (beautiful - love those Bonzai trees), visited the silk factory (fascinating - we saw the entire silk making processs), had an excellent lunch, walked through old Suzhou and then visited the leaning Pagoda. Our guide put us back on the train to Hangzhou and once we arrived we were again met. We had a good day visiting the sites and learning more about Hangzhou. All of our guides and drivers were very professional, fun to be with and good at their jobs. This was our second tour that China Discovery arranged for us, and we'll be using their services again.
Beijing-Xian Tour
We wanted a highlight and worry-free visit to Beijing and Xi'an. We wanted reliable drivers and tour guides who would pick us up at the times and from places designated, and to take us safely to our destinations. We wanted clear communication and explanation in English so we would get the most historical, cultural and other information. All these were more than satisfactorily delivered by China Discovery, aka Chengdu Bamboo International Tours Co. Ltd. We had a smooth and enjoyable time in those two cities.
Special thanks to Wendy Dan in the head office, who patiently organised our trip. Our gratitude to our guides, Kevin in Beijing and Waldner in Xi'an, as well as the drivers who remained quietly pleasant but extremely skilful and safe in traffic I would not dare drive in.
China Discovery is an effective and smart way to travel in China without lifting a finger other than tapping on your computer keyboard. Highly recommended.
Yunnan and Tibet
This was the second time I used China Discovery's services. Their reliable and excellent consultant, Jack Li, planned our two week itinerary covering Kunming, Dali, Lijiang, Tiger Leaping Gorge, Shangari-la, Lhasa, Gyantse and Shigatse.
Everything went like clockwork and I was very impressed with the organisation, hotel selection and general reliability. There really wasn't very much to complain about. Jack obviously planned our itinerary with altitude sickness prevention in mind - so we started in Yunnan and the elevation gradually increased as the trip progressed so we acclimatised very well by the time we go to Tibet.
The drivers were generally good (although there was the odd driver who seemed a bit precious with his vehicle's mileage but was batted back by the tour guides). We had a lovely lady tour guide called Alice in Dali - highly recommended.
China is no longer a cheap place to travel, especially if you are looking for reputable travel agents that are reliable. Having compared across various tour operators in China, I think China Discovery is very good value for money.
Tips for China travellers include:
- Bring packs of tissue paper, the toilets (other than in hotels) generally don't have any.
- If organising a private tour, note that asking for local guides rather than a guide that stays with you for the whole tour can work out cheaper.
- If you understand Chinese, it pays to have a Chinese speaking tour guide. I find that names of religious figures and historical characters far easier to follow in Chinese than English.
- We try not to transit through Beijing and Shanghai given air traffic restrictions make it a notoriously unpleasant experience. On our return flight from Lhasa, we flew to Shenzhen from where there is a very efficient cross border bus service back to HK - it only added 1.5 hours to the transit time but avoided stopping in another airport in China or changing airlines.
- Try to start your holidays right after the major holiday season in China. We started our holiday just after Golden Week. It was a very relaxing experience.
Great china tour
China Discovery (based in Chengdu) organised a fantastic little tour in China for us in November 2017. Our travel consultant was very patient and follow all our request giving us correct suggestions. We liked both the hotels and restaurants used. Our tour guides were professional and frendly and follow us in the best way. All the services were well organised
Excellent Trip in Beijing
We enjoyed greatly of our recent Beijing trip from Singapore, organised by China Discovery. I am particularly impressed with the professionalism shown by the tour organizer Ms. Echo Gou throughout the process.
The service is great with very friendly and helpful tour guides. We will definitely use the service again if we decide to go to China in the future.
Thumbs up!
Excellent First Trip to Beijing & Xian, China!
We had a very excellent China Discovery tour experience from 10-15 November 2017.
From our very first correspondence with Mr. Wonder Wang at China Discovery, we were very happy with the professionalism of the organization and the very quick responses we received as we planned our trip together. The trip was well organized, efficient and included everything we wanted to see and do. The cost of the trip was an excellent value based on comparisons we made with other tour companies, prior to booking with China Discovery. We chose to have a private guide & driver for our trip. We opted to book our own hotel in Beijing and that was not an issue with China Discovery.
We had a very positive experience in China and cannot thank Mr. Wang enough for all his help in making this trip possible! The personal guides he arranged for us, Lisa in Beijing and Timo in Xian, were the perfect guides for us. Both guides were always on time, very professional, knowledgeable about the sights we visited and took very good care of us. Our drivers provided comfortable and clean cars for our travels and we felt very safe traveling around Beijing and Xian.
China Discovery made our first trip to China memorable and stress free from beginning to end!
We highly recommend China Discovery for anyone planning a trip to China.
Excellent First Trip to Beijing & Xian, China!
We had a very excellent China Discovery tour experience from 10-15 November 2017.
From our very first correspondence with Mr. Wonder Wang at China Discovery, we were very happy with the professionalism of the organization and the very quick responses we received as we planned our trip together. The trip was well organized, efficient and included everything we wanted to see and do. The cost of the trip was an excellent value based on comparisons we made with other tour companies, prior to booking with China Discovery. We chose to have a private guide & driver for our trip. We opted to book our own hotel in Beijing and that was not an issue with China Discovery.
We had a very positive experience in China and cannot thank Mr. Wang enough for all his help in making this trip possible! The personal guides he arranged for us, Lisa in Beijing and Timo in Xian, were the perfect guides for us. Both guides were always on time, very professional, knowledgeable about the sights we visited and took very good care of us. Our drivers provided comfortable and clean cars for our travels and we felt very safe traveling around Beijing and Xian.
China Discovery made our first trip to China memorable and stress free from beginning to end!
We highly recommend China Discovery for anyone planning a trip to China.
Beijing tour group tour - Well-coordinated, excellent travel assistance and great overall stay!
We had a smooth travel experience with this group, starting from the excellent Travel agent coordination and friendly correspondences with Jack Li, and agenda and scheduling were very helpful! Pick-up to hotel from Beijing was good (despite our lost luggage) and hotel stay was perfect to western styles and our Sun World hotel was convenient to walk around nearby shops. We enjoyed the buffet style breakfast which was a bonus! Travel tour pick-up was greeted at our hotel and guides for each day were down-to-earth and knowledgeable about each spot. We saw many tourist sites and felt well-taken care of while on the guided tours. This is a wonderful tour package, at a budget friendly pricing to meet couples/family needs while getting at major highlights of Beijing.
A Wonderful China Tour
My husband and I had a wonderful experience with China Discovery-Chendu. We had a great time during the 16 day tour in China Oct, 2017. We went to Xi'an, Lhasa, Chendu, Lijiang, Guiling, and Shanghai. China Discovery has a very professional work team.
Before we contacted them, we already had read many good reviews about this travel agency from Tripadvisor. When we emailed to them to ask about a travel plan, our travel consultant, Lyn Wang, responded to us as soon as possible. Lyn did a excellent travel itinerary. It planned us to visit as many as possible interesting places in a limited time. Also she gave us a lot of flexible time, and all the recommended hotels were centrally located with good reviews. (We took advantage of this, and enjoyed those hotel very much.) Due to the Jiuzhaigou earthquake, and the time conflict to Lhasa, she had to reorganize the plan twice. She did it very quickly. Lyn is also a very dependable consultant. My husband left his jacket in the car, when we left Chendu. After Lyn knew that, she arranged to send the jacket to our hotel in Shanghai. Lyn's really an incredible travel consultant
All of our tour guides were excellent. They are very knowledgeable and speak good English. They care about the customers. They were always on time, whether it was to get us from airport, or sent us to the airport, or to met us at the hotels. They always tried to make sure that we felt comfortable. For example our Tibet tour guide 顿珠 would call us at evening time to check to see if we got high attitude sickness. He really warmed our heart. Also he can explain the very complex Tibetan Buddhism in a way that is easy to understand. We do think it is an unusual talent. When we were in Chendu, and lijiang, I got a little bit of a cold, our tour guide Xiao Wei and Janice ordered special food, and hot ginger tea for me. They are very thoughtful. All of tour guides and drivers are very nice and professional. Because of their wonderful job, we almost didn't needed to worry about anything. We really appreciate them. We stayed in six cities, and flied five times during this trip. China Discovery charged us a fair price compared with some US travel agencies. We think that the price was reasonable. China is a great country for traveling. There are different cultures, and interesting places. For us the most impressive places are Lhasa and Shanghai. My husband has described Lhasa is a golden place. There are beautiful mountains, Tibet architecture, and the sunny weather. It is a place that has rich history and culture. Tibetan people have very pure faith to their religion. That was moving us the most. Shanghai is one of the most international cities. It is a very modern, very convenient, and very comfortable city. We do love it. The best museum for us is the Terra Cotta Warriors. It is so interesting. It is worth to visit at least once during the life time. The most fun places are Chendu and Guiling. These two place are very good for relax. There are a lot of interesting folk culture. Also Guiling has very beautiful landscape.
We will absolutely choose China Discovery again in the future, and of couse we will highly recommend it also.
Guangzhou, guilin and xian
A great tour with great services from the guides, drivers and especially my travel consultant Viv. They are considerate in every way with my mom being help out by wheel chair service. Overall its an enjoyable experience and would do it again soon. Thank you everyone in this company. Would recomend them to friends and family.
Fantastic 8 DayTour of Shanghai Suzhou Huangshan
We had a wonderful time on our recent trip to China and have no hesitation in recommending China Discovery for delivering a quality tour with an excellent itinerary and good value for money. All accommodation was of a very high standard,the guides friendly and knowledgeable, the drivers competent and safe and the meals included exceptional. Thank you very much Jack, for all your work and correspondence before hand in helping us create the itinerary that was just what we wanted. The company was happy to modify one of their existing itineraries to suit the requests of our group of 6 adults. We would not hesitate to use this company again for tours anywhere in China or recommend them to our family and friends.
Incredible china 27 days tour
I was very apprehensive on booking with this company but how wrong I was from day 1 to day 27 without a glitch everything went smoothly from Beijing day 1 on meeting us on arrival to the last day of leaving
From shanghai with heart felt hospitality
The guides all the way throughout the journey where just amazing
Randy in Beijing
Smiley in Guilin
Nancy in Chengdu
Anna in Zhangjiajie
Leeder in Honshu
You are all really amazing people
And a big thank you to Jack Lee the man who made it all happen arranging schedule over two months god bless you
Thank you
7 Days Across China - Rob from Canada
My Dad and I had an incredible trip with China Discovery - Chengdu. Our travel consultant Stephanie was incredible! When we first inquired about the trip she was quick to make suggestions not only on how to maximize our time and see the best sites but on how to save money (i.e. when to fly, when to train, which cities to do on our own etc.).
Stephanie always replied to emails within 24h, and if she was going to be away from the office she would let us know in advance.
Prior to our departure from Canada, Stephanie provided us with the phone numbers, and names of our tour guides in the three cities we visited with the tour (Xi'an, Shanghai, and Guilin), she even offered to assist us with arranging transportation from Beijing to Xi'an, and from Guilin to Hong Kong.
On arrival to Xi'an (by train) we were greeted by our tour guide Timo, a very knowledgable resident of Xi'an, we didn't catch our drivers name but his van was in excellent condition and he was a very good driver. Timo was not only knowledgable about the sites (Terra Cotta Warriors, City Wall, the various gates etc.) but he provided us with information on construction projects, the local economy, food, and entertainment scene etc. When we got to Xi'an we were told we had actually been upgraded to a nicer hotel, the one we ended up in was right next to the city wall, in very good condition, and had comfortable beds. The continental breakfast was also very good (probably the largest one we saw on our whole trip). We appreciated that Timo gave us tips on good places to eat and drink, as we preferred eating local food rather than having meals at the Western hotels.
On arrival to Shanghai we were met by a very nice driver, and our tour guide Abby, a bubbly student. Our visit to Shanghai was short and sweet, but the hotel was incredible and Abby took us around The Bund, up to an observation deck, and to the French Concession. Lastly we visited a gorgeous garden, one of the highlights of Shanghai.
On Stephanie's recommendation we flew to Guilin which was quick, easy, and saved us a lot of time on our trip. We were met by our local guide Evelyn. Like Timo, she had lots to share and was very in the know about the city and local area. Again we stayed in a gorgeous hotel, and Evelyn told us where to walk and check out that night. In the morning we took a cruise down the Li river, one of our favourite parts of the whole trip to China. We disembarked in Yangshuo and are so thankful that Evelyn convinced us to go to the Impression Show. WOW! We were left speechless, another highlight of our trip.
Finally Evelyn brought us to one of her favourite local restaurants for lunch (on our request), and it was the best meal we had. She picked out our meal for us, helped us prepare it and even gave us pointers on how to eat it ha! She then came with us into the train station, helping us find the boarding lounge for our platform and giving us instructions on how to reach Hong Kong via metro from the Shenzhen railway terminal.
Stephanie was quick to follow up on the end of the trip to check in on how things went.
We will definitely recommend China Discovery - Chengdu to our friends, and will be sure to book with them again when we visit China again.
Adventure of a Life-Time thanks to Lyn Wong and China Discovery!
China Discovery's thorough trip descriptions first caught my eye on the Internet. An inquiry brought a prompt response from Ms. Lyn Wong. I was very fortunate because In Lyn I found a highly professional, considerate, and even kind trip planner who spoke excellent English (She told me it was her college major and it showed). My desired itinerary of Wu Dang Mountain, Chengdu, and Tibet was off the normal beaten path but once Lyn understood my interests she organized a great and efficient trip. I am a little older and was traveling solo but Lyn kept track of me constantly through out the trip. In fact, she showed so much consideration during the trip to ensure that everything was satisfactory that I honestly felt after a few days that a family member was watching over me. The guides during my trip (I had three with two others helping with transfers) were excellent. They knew their subjects, spoke excellent English, and at the same time were personable so that I felt I also knew them as people by the end of each tour. I would like to thank Lyn for her not only professional but truly considerate help with organizing an adventure of a lifetime! If I travel again to China it will be with China Discovery and my new friend Lyn.
Excellent China Tour Planning
We used this company for our tour around China for 3 weeks in November 2017. Landed in Shanghai - Bullet train to Beijing saw Tienamen square, Olympic Village and Great wall stayed 3 nights. Then Bullet Train to Xian to see Terracotta Warriors stayed 2 nights - Then Bullet train to the Yangzi River Cruise Trip stayed 3 nights. Then flight back to Shanghai stayed 7 nights and visited various sights in Shanghai including Disneyland. Tour guides at each destination spoke excellent English and met us from arrival at the stations and took us to the hotels and were with us on the tours. We had our own guide and driver. I would really recommend this company and Stephanie who made all of the arrangement was an excellent communicator who kept me informed of any changes or additions likely to happen. I really recommend going with them.
Beijing, Chongqing and Shanghai
We had a wonderful trip visiting these three cities in China. We would like to thank Lily Xu THX and China Discovery for all her assistance in booking transportation between the cities and getting us our tickets on the go. Lily went beyond reasonable expectations in assisting us and we would highly recommend her to anyone planning a similar trip.
A trip to remember
We want to recommend "China discovery tour operator". We contacted Jack who help us build a beautiful trip in China Tibet Nepal. Everything was well organized.no doubt we'll recommend it to all our friends. It's been two months since we finished the trip the memories are still vivid and wonderfull_the great Wall, the terracotta wariors, the Everest, the rice fields shaped like Zebra stripes,the magical mountains of Guilin, the rafting and the jungle.. All are a trip to remember. Thank you
Jan from Sydney- 4 day Beijing.
Booking was efficient via email. Private tour guide very helpful, informative, polite, & tour not too rushed. Driver had pride in his car & drove safely. Nothing was too much trouble for them. Felt safe overall & well looked after. Highly recommend company Will be happy to book through China Discovery Tours again next visit. Good price too!
Nothing wrong !
We enjoyed the trip from the first minute. Everything was perfect: transfers, tour guides, hotels. We loved our china tour.
5 Days Beijing Xian Highlights Tour
This was my third private tour in China organized by Stephanie at China Discovery. As always, she was quick to respond to my queries and set up a fantastic two day itinerary to visit the panda sanctuaries.
Day one involved volunteering at the Dujiangyan Panda Base, which was a great experience giving the chance to get up close to the pandas. If you are willing to put in some work, you'll find this to be a highly rewarding opportunity. The second day was split between the Chengdu Panda Base, then visiting Wenshu temple. My guide Nancy was insightful, friendly, and entertaining.
I highly recommend China Discovery, I've never been less than 100% pleased with their communication, service, and professionalism.
5 Days Beijing Xian Highlights Tour
we (2 adults) recently travelled on this tour . Cannot speak highly enough of organisation by Tracy at China Discovery prior to taking off. She responded immediately to any queries and did not hesitate to explore changes we were considering. Also our guides and drivers in both Beijing (Randy) and Xian (Timo) were terrific, informative and very friendly. Would highly recommend China Discovery.
As we did not have much time a private tour was perfect way to travel, focusing on what we were interested in seeing.
Private Family Tour in Chengdu & Duijiangyan - Relaxed and Friendly
We're in Chengdu for 7 days; initially we want to visit Jiuzhaigao but was cancelled due to the earthquake. We've made our own hotel bookings and initially we wanted to travel by ourselvels, however, on our last minute (1 month prior to trip) I contacted China Discovery to arrange a private 3 day tour in Chengdu with them, to visit the areas which I believe will be mich easier with a guide insights and private car. (Panda, temples, duijiangyan & qingcheng mt)
Our travel organizer, Stephanie is really helpful and patient in answering my questions and requests during the process of making the itinerary.
We are a family of 4 (3 adults and 1 10-yo child) who wishes to enjoy China without the forced shopping visit and to have a guide we can depend on during our private tour time. Our guide, Sharon is very friendly, she's really nice to my little sister answering all her questions. A visit to the temple or objects will not be as interesting without her story regarding the background and insight of the places.
She also brought and recommended us to delicious local cuisines. She made some tweaks to our journey according to the weather (it was mostly rainy days) so we can enjoy them at its best. Overall we really enjoy our trip and would recommend this tour to everyone else!
Pandas, terra-cotta warriors, cruise and more
We booked a comprehensive tour to include terra-cotta warriors, panda sanctuary, yellow river cruise and Zhangjiajie national park. Tour included guides in every city with private transportation, hotels and transport between cities. All the guides were excellent, on time and professional with a good grasp of English. It made traveling to so many different cities so much easier to have everything arranged, with transport to airport/train/cruise boat. The guides were different in each city, but each place we were met promptly and transported from place to place in comfort. Everyone was accommodating and courteous. Very nice job
Huangshan, Hangzhou & Suzhou
This was our last minute trip to Shanghai and we have decided to visit Huangshan, Hangzhou and Suzhou. We have checked with several travel agents and decided to go with China Discovery based in Chengdu.
The travel consultant, Ms. Stephanie Kuang was really helpful and answer our questions quickly. She organized a seamless trip where we were picked up by a local guide from the Shanghai Pu Dong airport on the first day and dropped us off at our hotel back in Shanghai on the last day. We spent a few days on our own in Shanghai. All the local guides we meet were very courteous and very knowledgeable.
We really enjoy our trip and China Discovery made it hassle free. We would recommend anyone considering travelling to China to use China Discovery.
We just LOVED CHINA!!!
My husband and me really enjoyed China, not only because the greatness of your country, but because the warm, kind and efficient service we received from you and from every one of our tour guides and drivers, we had a great time with every guide we met, it would be dangerous to say wich one we liked most, cause even the last one in our personal list, was still a great tour guide! All of them gave us that extra that makes the difference between good and great.
All of our great tourist guides, including Rita, our contact in the travel agency, gave their best in order to make an amazyng trip for my husband and me, trust me: Rita, our guides and China Discovery, they all made it real!!!
China is a marvellous and amazingly beautiful country, we certainly feel invited to come back.
Please let me end this comment with a sincere and honest THANKYOU RITA and all China Discovery staff, we LOVED CHINA!!!
Hangzhou & Suzhou
Enjoyable 3 day weekend organized by China Discovery. We were met at the airport and transported to our hotel, with our guide explaining the next day's agenda; she even helped us check into our hotel. The tour of Hangzhou was nice - we enjoyed the park and lake cruise even though it was off season. The tea plantation/tasting was very interesting and fun. The choice of restaurant for lunch was good and food was delicious. The afternoon tour of the Buddhist Temple was interesting and we were back at the train station where our guide picked up our tickets and saw us to the train. We were met in Suzhou and taken to our hotel. The next day was wonderful - we toured the private garden (beautiful - love those Bonzai trees), visited the silk factory (fascinating - we saw the entire silk making processs), had an excellent lunch, walked through old Suzhou and then visited the leaning Pagoda. Our guide put us back on the train to Hangzhou and once we arrived we were again met. We had a good day visiting the sites and learning more about Hangzhou. All of our guides and drivers were very professional, fun to be with and good at their jobs. This was our second tour that China Discovery arranged for us, and we'll be using their services again.
Beijing-Xian Tour
We wanted a highlight and worry-free visit to Beijing and Xi'an. We wanted reliable drivers and tour guides who would pick us up at the times and from places designated, and to take us safely to our destinations. We wanted clear communication and explanation in English so we would get the most historical, cultural and other information. All these were more than satisfactorily delivered by China Discovery, aka Chengdu Bamboo International Tours Co. Ltd. We had a smooth and enjoyable time in those two cities.
Special thanks to Wendy Dan in the head office, who patiently organised our trip. Our gratitude to our guides, Kevin in Beijing and Waldner in Xi'an, as well as the drivers who remained quietly pleasant but extremely skilful and safe in traffic I would not dare drive in.
China Discovery is an effective and smart way to travel in China without lifting a finger other than tapping on your computer keyboard. Highly recommended.
Yunnan and Tibet
This was the second time I used China Discovery's services. Their reliable and excellent consultant, Jack Li, planned our two week itinerary covering Kunming, Dali, Lijiang, Tiger Leaping Gorge, Shangari-la, Lhasa, Gyantse and Shigatse.
Everything went like clockwork and I was very impressed with the organisation, hotel selection and general reliability. There really wasn't very much to complain about. Jack obviously planned our itinerary with altitude sickness prevention in mind - so we started in Yunnan and the elevation gradually increased as the trip progressed so we acclimatised very well by the time we go to Tibet.
The drivers were generally good (although there was the odd driver who seemed a bit precious with his vehicle's mileage but was batted back by the tour guides). We had a lovely lady tour guide called Alice in Dali - highly recommended.
China is no longer a cheap place to travel, especially if you are looking for reputable travel agents that are reliable. Having compared across various tour operators in China, I think China Discovery is very good value for money.
Tips for China travellers include:
- Bring packs of tissue paper, the toilets (other than in hotels) generally don't have any.
- If organising a private tour, note that asking for local guides rather than a guide that stays with you for the whole tour can work out cheaper.
- If you understand Chinese, it pays to have a Chinese speaking tour guide. I find that names of religious figures and historical characters far easier to follow in Chinese than English.
- We try not to transit through Beijing and Shanghai given air traffic restrictions make it a notoriously unpleasant experience. On our return flight from Lhasa, we flew to Shenzhen from where there is a very efficient cross border bus service back to HK - it only added 1.5 hours to the transit time but avoided stopping in another airport in China or changing airlines.
- Try to start your holidays right after the major holiday season in China. We started our holiday just after Golden Week. It was a very relaxing experience.
Great china tour
China Discovery (based in Chengdu) organised a fantastic little tour in China for us in November 2017. Our travel consultant was very patient and follow all our request giving us correct suggestions. We liked both the hotels and restaurants used. Our tour guides were professional and frendly and follow us in the best way. All the services were well organised
Excellent Trip in Beijing
We enjoyed greatly of our recent Beijing trip from Singapore, organised by China Discovery. I am particularly impressed with the professionalism shown by the tour organizer Ms. Echo Gou throughout the process.
The service is great with very friendly and helpful tour guides. We will definitely use the service again if we decide to go to China in the future.
Thumbs up!
Excellent First Trip to Beijing & Xian, China!
We had a very excellent China Discovery tour experience from 10-15 November 2017.
From our very first correspondence with Mr. Wonder Wang at China Discovery, we were very happy with the professionalism of the organization and the very quick responses we received as we planned our trip together. The trip was well organized, efficient and included everything we wanted to see and do. The cost of the trip was an excellent value based on comparisons we made with other tour companies, prior to booking with China Discovery. We chose to have a private guide & driver for our trip. We opted to book our own hotel in Beijing and that was not an issue with China Discovery.
We had a very positive experience in China and cannot thank Mr. Wang enough for all his help in making this trip possible! The personal guides he arranged for us, Lisa in Beijing and Timo in Xian, were the perfect guides for us. Both guides were always on time, very professional, knowledgeable about the sights we visited and took very good care of us. Our drivers provided comfortable and clean cars for our travels and we felt very safe traveling around Beijing and Xian.
China Discovery made our first trip to China memorable and stress free from beginning to end!
We highly recommend China Discovery for anyone planning a trip to China.
Excellent First Trip to Beijing & Xian, China!
We had a very excellent China Discovery tour experience from 10-15 November 2017.
From our very first correspondence with Mr. Wonder Wang at China Discovery, we were very happy with the professionalism of the organization and the very quick responses we received as we planned our trip together. The trip was well organized, efficient and included everything we wanted to see and do. The cost of the trip was an excellent value based on comparisons we made with other tour companies, prior to booking with China Discovery. We chose to have a private guide & driver for our trip. We opted to book our own hotel in Beijing and that was not an issue with China Discovery.
We had a very positive experience in China and cannot thank Mr. Wang enough for all his help in making this trip possible! The personal guides he arranged for us, Lisa in Beijing and Timo in Xian, were the perfect guides for us. Both guides were always on time, very professional, knowledgeable about the sights we visited and took very good care of us. Our drivers provided comfortable and clean cars for our travels and we felt very safe traveling around Beijing and Xian.
China Discovery made our first trip to China memorable and stress free from beginning to end!
We highly recommend China Discovery for anyone planning a trip to China.
Beijing tour group tour - Well-coordinated, excellent travel assistance and great overall stay!
We had a smooth travel experience with this group, starting from the excellent Travel agent coordination and friendly correspondences with Jack Li, and agenda and scheduling were very helpful! Pick-up to hotel from Beijing was good (despite our lost luggage) and hotel stay was perfect to western styles and our Sun World hotel was convenient to walk around nearby shops. We enjoyed the buffet style breakfast which was a bonus! Travel tour pick-up was greeted at our hotel and guides for each day were down-to-earth and knowledgeable about each spot. We saw many tourist sites and felt well-taken care of while on the guided tours. This is a wonderful tour package, at a budget friendly pricing to meet couples/family needs while getting at major highlights of Beijing.
A Wonderful China Tour
My husband and I had a wonderful experience with China Discovery-Chendu. We had a great time during the 16 day tour in China Oct, 2017. We went to Xi'an, Lhasa, Chendu, Lijiang, Guiling, and Shanghai. China Discovery has a very professional work team.
Before we contacted them, we already had read many good reviews about this travel agency from Tripadvisor. When we emailed to them to ask about a travel plan, our travel consultant, Lyn Wang, responded to us as soon as possible. Lyn did a excellent travel itinerary. It planned us to visit as many as possible interesting places in a limited time. Also she gave us a lot of flexible time, and all the recommended hotels were centrally located with good reviews. (We took advantage of this, and enjoyed those hotel very much.) Due to the Jiuzhaigou earthquake, and the time conflict to Lhasa, she had to reorganize the plan twice. She did it very quickly. Lyn is also a very dependable consultant. My husband left his jacket in the car, when we left Chendu. After Lyn knew that, she arranged to send the jacket to our hotel in Shanghai. Lyn's really an incredible travel consultant
All of our tour guides were excellent. They are very knowledgeable and speak good English. They care about the customers. They were always on time, whether it was to get us from airport, or sent us to the airport, or to met us at the hotels. They always tried to make sure that we felt comfortable. For example our Tibet tour guide 顿珠 would call us at evening time to check to see if we got high attitude sickness. He really warmed our heart. Also he can explain the very complex Tibetan Buddhism in a way that is easy to understand. We do think it is an unusual talent. When we were in Chendu, and lijiang, I got a little bit of a cold, our tour guide Xiao Wei and Janice ordered special food, and hot ginger tea for me. They are very thoughtful. All of tour guides and drivers are very nice and professional. Because of their wonderful job, we almost didn't needed to worry about anything. We really appreciate them. We stayed in six cities, and flied five times during this trip. China Discovery charged us a fair price compared with some US travel agencies. We think that the price was reasonable. China is a great country for traveling. There are different cultures, and interesting places. For us the most impressive places are Lhasa and Shanghai. My husband has described Lhasa is a golden place. There are beautiful mountains, Tibet architecture, and the sunny weather. It is a place that has rich history and culture. Tibetan people have very pure faith to their religion. That was moving us the most. Shanghai is one of the most international cities. It is a very modern, very convenient, and very comfortable city. We do love it. The best museum for us is the Terra Cotta Warriors. It is so interesting. It is worth to visit at least once during the life time. The most fun places are Chendu and Guiling. These two place are very good for relax. There are a lot of interesting folk culture. Also Guiling has very beautiful landscape.
We will absolutely choose China Discovery again in the future, and of couse we will highly recommend it also.
Guangzhou, guilin and xian
A great tour with great services from the guides, drivers and especially my travel consultant Viv. They are considerate in every way with my mom being help out by wheel chair service. Overall its an enjoyable experience and would do it again soon. Thank you everyone in this company. Would recomend them to friends and family.
Fantastic 8 DayTour of Shanghai Suzhou Huangshan
We had a wonderful time on our recent trip to China and have no hesitation in recommending China Discovery for delivering a quality tour with an excellent itinerary and good value for money. All accommodation was of a very high standard,the guides friendly and knowledgeable, the drivers competent and safe and the meals included exceptional. Thank you very much Jack, for all your work and correspondence before hand in helping us create the itinerary that was just what we wanted. The company was happy to modify one of their existing itineraries to suit the requests of our group of 6 adults. We would not hesitate to use this company again for tours anywhere in China or recommend them to our family and friends.
Incredible china 27 days tour
I was very apprehensive on booking with this company but how wrong I was from day 1 to day 27 without a glitch everything went smoothly from Beijing day 1 on meeting us on arrival to the last day of leaving
From shanghai with heart felt hospitality
The guides all the way throughout the journey where just amazing
Randy in Beijing
Smiley in Guilin
Nancy in Chengdu
Anna in Zhangjiajie
Leeder in Honshu
You are all really amazing people
And a big thank you to Jack Lee the man who made it all happen arranging schedule over two months god bless you
Thank you
7 Days Across China - Rob from Canada
My Dad and I had an incredible trip with China Discovery - Chengdu. Our travel consultant Stephanie was incredible! When we first inquired about the trip she was quick to make suggestions not only on how to maximize our time and see the best sites but on how to save money (i.e. when to fly, when to train, which cities to do on our own etc.).
Stephanie always replied to emails within 24h, and if she was going to be away from the office she would let us know in advance.
Prior to our departure from Canada, Stephanie provided us with the phone numbers, and names of our tour guides in the three cities we visited with the tour (Xi'an, Shanghai, and Guilin), she even offered to assist us with arranging transportation from Beijing to Xi'an, and from Guilin to Hong Kong.
On arrival to Xi'an (by train) we were greeted by our tour guide Timo, a very knowledgable resident of Xi'an, we didn't catch our drivers name but his van was in excellent condition and he was a very good driver. Timo was not only knowledgable about the sites (Terra Cotta Warriors, City Wall, the various gates etc.) but he provided us with information on construction projects, the local economy, food, and entertainment scene etc. When we got to Xi'an we were told we had actually been upgraded to a nicer hotel, the one we ended up in was right next to the city wall, in very good condition, and had comfortable beds. The continental breakfast was also very good (probably the largest one we saw on our whole trip). We appreciated that Timo gave us tips on good places to eat and drink, as we preferred eating local food rather than having meals at the Western hotels.
On arrival to Shanghai we were met by a very nice driver, and our tour guide Abby, a bubbly student. Our visit to Shanghai was short and sweet, but the hotel was incredible and Abby took us around The Bund, up to an observation deck, and to the French Concession. Lastly we visited a gorgeous garden, one of the highlights of Shanghai.
On Stephanie's recommendation we flew to Guilin which was quick, easy, and saved us a lot of time on our trip. We were met by our local guide Evelyn. Like Timo, she had lots to share and was very in the know about the city and local area. Again we stayed in a gorgeous hotel, and Evelyn told us where to walk and check out that night. In the morning we took a cruise down the Li river, one of our favourite parts of the whole trip to China. We disembarked in Yangshuo and are so thankful that Evelyn convinced us to go to the Impression Show. WOW! We were left speechless, another highlight of our trip.
Finally Evelyn brought us to one of her favourite local restaurants for lunch (on our request), and it was the best meal we had. She picked out our meal for us, helped us prepare it and even gave us pointers on how to eat it ha! She then came with us into the train station, helping us find the boarding lounge for our platform and giving us instructions on how to reach Hong Kong via metro from the Shenzhen railway terminal.
Stephanie was quick to follow up on the end of the trip to check in on how things went.
We will definitely recommend China Discovery - Chengdu to our friends, and will be sure to book with them again when we visit China again.
Adventure of a Life-Time thanks to Lyn Wong and China Discovery!
China Discovery's thorough trip descriptions first caught my eye on the Internet. An inquiry brought a prompt response from Ms. Lyn Wong. I was very fortunate because In Lyn I found a highly professional, considerate, and even kind trip planner who spoke excellent English (She told me it was her college major and it showed). My desired itinerary of Wu Dang Mountain, Chengdu, and Tibet was off the normal beaten path but once Lyn understood my interests she organized a great and efficient trip. I am a little older and was traveling solo but Lyn kept track of me constantly through out the trip. In fact, she showed so much consideration during the trip to ensure that everything was satisfactory that I honestly felt after a few days that a family member was watching over me. The guides during my trip (I had three with two others helping with transfers) were excellent. They knew their subjects, spoke excellent English, and at the same time were personable so that I felt I also knew them as people by the end of each tour. I would like to thank Lyn for her not only professional but truly considerate help with organizing an adventure of a lifetime! If I travel again to China it will be with China Discovery and my new friend Lyn.
Excellent China Tour Planning
We used this company for our tour around China for 3 weeks in November 2017. Landed in Shanghai - Bullet train to Beijing saw Tienamen square, Olympic Village and Great wall stayed 3 nights. Then Bullet Train to Xian to see Terracotta Warriors stayed 2 nights - Then Bullet train to the Yangzi River Cruise Trip stayed 3 nights. Then flight back to Shanghai stayed 7 nights and visited various sights in Shanghai including Disneyland. Tour guides at each destination spoke excellent English and met us from arrival at the stations and took us to the hotels and were with us on the tours. We had our own guide and driver. I would really recommend this company and Stephanie who made all of the arrangement was an excellent communicator who kept me informed of any changes or additions likely to happen. I really recommend going with them.
Beijing, Chongqing and Shanghai
We had a wonderful trip visiting these three cities in China. We would like to thank Lily Xu THX and China Discovery for all her assistance in booking transportation between the cities and getting us our tickets on the go. Lily went beyond reasonable expectations in assisting us and we would highly recommend her to anyone planning a similar trip.
A trip to remember
We want to recommend "China discovery tour operator". We contacted Jack who help us build a beautiful trip in China Tibet Nepal. Everything was well organized.no doubt we'll recommend it to all our friends. It's been two months since we finished the trip the memories are still vivid and wonderfull_the great Wall, the terracotta wariors, the Everest, the rice fields shaped like Zebra stripes,the magical mountains of Guilin, the rafting and the jungle.. All are a trip to remember. Thank you
Jan from Sydney- 4 day Beijing.
Booking was efficient via email. Private tour guide very helpful, informative, polite, & tour not too rushed. Driver had pride in his car & drove safely. Nothing was too much trouble for them. Felt safe overall & well looked after. Highly recommend company Will be happy to book through China Discovery Tours again next visit. Good price too!
Nothing wrong !
We enjoyed the trip from the first minute. Everything was perfect: transfers, tour guides, hotels. We loved our china tour.
5 Days Beijing Xian Highlights Tour
This was my third private tour in China organized by Stephanie at China Discovery. As always, she was quick to respond to my queries and set up a fantastic two day itinerary to visit the panda sanctuaries.
Day one involved volunteering at the Dujiangyan Panda Base, which was a great experience giving the chance to get up close to the pandas. If you are willing to put in some work, you'll find this to be a highly rewarding opportunity. The second day was split between the Chengdu Panda Base, then visiting Wenshu temple. My guide Nancy was insightful, friendly, and entertaining.
I highly recommend China Discovery, I've never been less than 100% pleased with their communication, service, and professionalism.
5 Days Beijing Xian Highlights Tour
we (2 adults) recently travelled on this tour . Cannot speak highly enough of organisation by Tracy at China Discovery prior to taking off. She responded immediately to any queries and did not hesitate to explore changes we were considering. Also our guides and drivers in both Beijing (Randy) and Xian (Timo) were terrific, informative and very friendly. Would highly recommend China Discovery.
As we did not have much time a private tour was perfect way to travel, focusing on what we were interested in seeing.
private tour to Xian, Luoyang and Huashan
China Discovery arranged our tour to Xian, Luoyang and Huashan. We were very happy with the excellent attitude and professionalism of the tour guides and the drivers. The tour were well arranged and we have enough time to enjoy each site.
However, we should have asked for more effort in arrangement of vegetarian food as some of the restaurants are not familiar with vegetarian food.
An excellent Yangste River Cruise arranged by China Discovery
We had a wonderful time and would like to commend China Discovery on their efficiency and organisation.
Before we left Australia, our consultant, Lily, was very patient with our constant questions. She always got back to us with answers within 24 hours. We would certainly recommend China Discovery to any of our friends who are contemplating a trip to China.
Our Yangste trip through the Three Gorges was fantastic. Our ship, The Century Paragon was top class, with a very comfortable cabins and delicious food. We chose to upgrade to the VIP dining room, but really need not have bothered to do this. Friends in the other dining room spoke highly of the food.
The guides who met us at various points on the tour were punctual, very friendly and had excellent English. The activities organised for us in Chongqing were a good selection - especially the zoo. We loved the pandas!
Before we left home, we had difficulty selecting the class of train travel to and from the cruise, but with Lily's help, including photographs of the various class of seat, we settled for 2nd class on a fast train. Comfortable as any airline flight. The only thing we would perhaps have changed was to have gone for a faster train... we think there are D and G class. Our train, although classified as a fast train, reaching 250kms an hour occasionally, was more of a commuter train and stopped at quite a few stations. This of course, made the trip longer.
We would recommend train travel over air travel as you see so much more of the countryside.
We have absolutely no complaints about the service offered from the beginning of our planning process. At all times Lily was helpful, patient and happy to change things at the last minute. We can't recommend her highly enough.
Private tour to Three Natural Bridges and Longshuixia Fissure Gorge
Me and my family decided to visit Three Natural Bridges because of scenes from Transformers: Age of Extinction. And we are glad we did. The nature is just stuning and so beautiful. Thanks to China Discovery we had wonderful time. They are perfectly organized and extremely professional. The driver and the guide came to pick us up in the hotel a head of time. Right then we knew it is great agency. Our guide was great with lots of information and took us to a traditional lunch that was great. They also organized our transfer from hotel to airport. I would definitely recommend China Discovery.
Leisure tour after a hectic business
I booked 7 day tour with china discovery . Mr Leo Li was the tour advisor. The tour was made so nicely that within only 6 nights n 7 days we visited Beijing -the current capital of china, Xian - the ancient capital of china ,also the beautiful coastal city Qingdao. We being indian vegetarian, he arranged vegetarian meals everywhere for us. Group tour guide is Beijing & private tour guide in Xian & Qingdao were good english speaking & had full knowledge of their cities. All the three guides were fully cooperative & helpful. Overall the tour made was perfect & we enjoyed the trip.
China Discovery Did Another Outstanding Job
In 2016 I used China Discovery for my first trip to China. I was very pleased with China Discovery's performance on that tour, so I used China Discovery again for a trip to the Yangtze Valley (from Chengdu to Shanghai) in October 2017. Once again, China Discovery did an outstanding job. There were one or two hiccups (as there are on every tour), but China Discovery fixed them immediately, before they could cause any problems. It was a pleasure working with Wendy Dan of China Discovery.
awesome tour !
In Chengdu for a business trip,we had some spare time over the weekend. Booked a 2 days private tour.
My tour guide Shannon was a delight, she had loads of information and she was very helpful and professional and friendly.Took good care of us. We had lunch cater for and the restaurant she brought us was super !
The gentleman (Leo) who co-ordinated and organized it all, Leo was awesome!! I will have no hesitation in recommending this tour for anyone visiting Chengdu.
Overall, this was an excellent experience--an adventure, in fact--and we really appreciated the fact that I could tailor the tour to meet our needs for a very reasonable price.
When travelling to China I do recommend the service of China Discovery and Catherine Liu. Cristina Tome
China Discovery (based in Chengdu) - 2 Weeks Tour
Very professional service, all requests were addressed on time with a very warm attitude. We've visited Beijing, Shanghai, Guillin (Yangshuo and Longsheng), Hong Kong and Macau. We would like to highlight the professionalism and warm service provided by Catherine Liu in designing and planning all the tour and the tour guide Carrie in Guillin..
When travelling to China I do recommend the service of China Discovery and Catherine Liu. Cristina Tome
The best help for travelling in China
Our visit to China was very successful, thanks to China discovery and Rita Jiang. She made a wonderful itinerary and arranged everything, what to see, car and english speaking guide. The tour would never have been the same without China discovery and Rita Jiang. I will recommend this company to friends who are planing to go to China. Thanks!
Xiamen Tulou tour
Thank you so much to our trip consultant Vivien Li, she’s very friendly , fast response to many changes in our itineraries on email , professional to organise at the tour’s plan.
All tour guides are also very friendly & helpful , well educated & talented as a guides. The drivers are helpful & careful driving also always punctual to pick up at the start of each day. Hotels are convenient to stay and located near shopping area. The cruise was great , the ship is beautiful & clean ,Meals are definately delicious . The tour was running as scheduled in the itinearary, everything was well arranged from the start. I would strongly recommend China Discovery Tours & Vivien for everyone who wants to travel to China.
Xiamen Tulou tour
Found and booked online for our 6 day Fujian Province tour. China Discovery thru mr. Johnson Wang promptly replied to all my queries despite the many changes in itineraries. While we were touring he personally called to be updated. The tour was as expected from the itinerary chosen and our tour guide ms. Jane is very accommodating and speaks good English.
Very happy and looking forward to another China experience.
Amazing, Worry Free, Hassel Free, Tour of China
We booked our amazing tour of China thru China Discovery Tours. Wendy Dan was our Travel Consultant. We visited Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, and Great Wall, and enjoyed a rickshaw ride thru old neighborhoods while in Beijing. Took the high speed train to Xi'an to see the Terra-cotta Warriors. Then, flew to Chengdu to see the Panda's. Followed by a tour of beautiful Shanghai. Had a blast riding the toboggan slide down from the Great Wall. Also, you won't want to miss the Acrobatic Show while in Shanghai. It was fantastic. We completed everything as scheduled on the tour. All guides were friendly and spoke good English. They were very educated and answered all questions, as needed at the tour sites. The guides and drivers were always punctual for airport pick-up and at the start of each day. All hotels were beautiful, safe, and comfortable. All scheduled meals were delicious. China Discovery Tours deserves an A ++. Would definitely recommend this company for your China travel needs.
Memorable Trip To China
It was really a well organised pleasurable trip to Beijing and Shanghai through China Discovery. Our travel consultant Wendy Dan was very very professional and organised the whole tour for us. Also the English speaking Guides and the Drivers were very polite and looked after our all the needs courteously.
14 days trip in China
I must say I was sceptic a bit using China Discovery, as they were less expensive than the others. But now after returning back home, I would say that it was just perfect. All, but all was fantastic. It started with the assistance of Lyn Wang who organized the trip for us. Lyn was extremely helpful and even we had to change the dates of the trip, she found solutions for everything in no time. Every Airport or train station we have arrived to, there was a nice English speaking guide, a nice driver with a clean and comfortable car for 4. We took 4 start hotels which were great. Nice big rooms and great breakfast. The guides were professional and flexible as needed.
To summarize, I would strongly recommend using this company and Lyn. Tell Lyn what you are looking for and she will tailor t for you. Ohad Paz.
Tour Sichuan, Huanan,Shaanxi,Gansu
his was my fifth time in China and this I wanted a tailor made tour to visit the most spectacular natutal attraction in China. China Discover and especially Stephnanie Kuang made my dream come true.
Everything was perfect .. my friend and I took bus, train and domestic flight to travel around China and everything went smoothly.
I'm very happy about my trip and I deeply recommend them to everyone who wants to travel in this beautiful Country.
Private tour for multiple destinations
We had a great experience in dealing with China Discovery based in Chengdu. Our consultant was Vivien. I found this company by searching on internet and decided to give it a try without any references. Vivien replied my email inquiries and has demonstrated her professionalism with quick responses and concise English answers without any ambiguity. There is no any doubt about the tour package what is included and what is excluded. We just came back from 10 days tour to Chengdu, Xian, Luoyang and Zhangjiajie. It was well organized and the local tour guides showed up on time and understood the details of our package without any questions. All local tour guides are doing great. A job well done.
3-days Xiamen/Fujian Tulou trip
Thanks to Wonder Wang of China Discovery again for a well organized trip. We've always been booking our China trips through Wonder and he never disappoints us. Wonder is very responsive to any questions before, after and during the trip. The tour guides and drivers were flexible too with our last minute request/changes. An overall 10/10 for the services provided.
A credible tour agency to use for planning your trip to China!
I worked with Leo Li from China Discovery. What I like about it:
1) Leo Li
Leo is great travel consultant to work with for the following reasons:
* Professional
* Responsive - always respond to my emails within promptly. One time, I sent him an email on Saturday and didn't expect him to reply until Monday. Not only he emailed me right back, but he also called me to follow up making sure I understood his answer. I was pleasantly surprised because it's Sunday his time. He said "This matter is important so I call you."
* Good command in English
* Active listening - he listens to my needs and learn about my travel style before putting together a customized tour for me in China
* He is open and willing to learn new things and receive feedback even if it's constructive feedback - His motivation in continuous improvement and search for excellence in providing the utmost service to his clients clearly demonstrated through his humble attitude and teachable heart. He always is open and explore new ways to serve his clients better.
2) Good track record In countries like China, it's important to work with a credible tour agency, especially if you are going to visit places like Tibet.
I spent 6 days in Tibet as part of this trip. Three main reasons why I chose to work with Leo and China Discovery.
A. To visit Tibet as a foreigner, in addition to the Chinese visa, you must also apply for the Tibetan permit. Not all tour agencies can successfully obtain the Tibetan permit. China Discovery has a subsidiary called Tibet Discovery which has good track record in obtaining the Tibetan permit for its clients.
B. Potala Palace only allows a limited number of tourists to visit each day. The admissions ticket is hard to get. You must wait in line to buy it in advance. Tibet Discovery knows well how to obtain the tickets. I chose to pay them for this service so I didn't have to do it and to free myself up for additional sightseeing.
C. The security in Tibet is tight. All foreigners must be accompanied by a tour guide in order to visit major attractions and you will be security checked at almost every entrance. It's important to use a credible travel agency for safety purpose.
3) Thorough follow-through China Discovery takes care of its clients from beginning to the end. They follow through.
Amazing day In Chengdu
Our fabulous guide 'Eben' took us to visit the panda's,then Jinli Old Street & Kuan Zhai Alley (otherwise known as wide and narrow alley) all on the same day. His english was excellent and he even assisted us with translation, when we wanted to get some prescription glasses made. Which happen to be less than half the price we normally pay at home in Australia and the eye test is free. Nothing was too much trouble. I would definately recommend China discovery to all my travel friends.
Exciting and memorable trips in China
We booked two 16 days trips with China Discovery (Chengdu) and our consultant was Wing Zeng:
1. Datong, Hanging Temple, Mount Wutai, Pingyao, Xian, Tianshui, Lanzhou, Zhangye, Jiayuguan, Dunhuang.
2. a) Guilin, Longji Terraces in Longsheng County, Li River Cruise to Yangshuo (including an impressive performance on the lake at Yangshuo); b) Yuanyang with the Duoyishu Rice Terrace Fields, Jianshui; c) Guiyang, Kaili with several minority ethnic villages.
The trips were just wonderful, perfectly organized by Wing. We appreciated very much her flexibility in making suggestions, considering our wishes during the planning and responding fast to our emails. We were also touched by her several phone calls during the trips inquiring whether everything was fine and if there were any questions or comments from our side. We stayed at several 4 star hotels and, with one exception because no other option was available, we were very pleased. In summary, a very professional work.
We were also very, very happy with the various guides and drivers. They were knowledgeable, flexible, and safe drivers. We really enjoyed our interactions with them. All in all, we can highly recommend China Discovery and the involved persons we got in touch.
15 days tour of China to celebrate my 71st birthday with all my children and wife's.
We booked a private tour of China, including Shanghai, Guilin, Xi'an and Beijing. I requested all 5 stars hotels in all the cities and we staid in Westin, Sofitel, Shangri-la and Fairmont with Breakfast included. The tour went even better than I expected with guides speaking perfect English and still adapting to all the changes we kept on making as we went along. One of the problem of the tour was the arrival and departure as we all came from USA, Australia and France at different hours and departed at different hours including myself living at 5 am. We got pick up and taken back perfectly. However, on couple of my children miss their plane and came the following day. There were pick up the same way with no additional charge which I highly appreciated. The entire private tour for 7 people cost around US $ 22,000 with top hotels, breakfast and lunch. My only expenses were the dinner that I wanted to keep at my discretion and the tip to the guides and drivers.
I would highly recommend China Discovery tours and more specifically Mr. Wonder Wang who was a delight to deal with considering the details that i wanted for the tour.
An awesome and worry free trip to China
Our trip to China was well planned by Johnson Wang. We had no issues - truly amazing trip throughout China. Everything went as planned and exceeded our expectations. What an unbelievable experience!
Success story
Starting in 1980 I have visited China at least thirty times, about half each for private visits or invited as an advisor to PRC institutions. With Rita Jiang of China Discovery in Chengdu we started to plan a rather complex program for a group of four in June 2017. As scheduled we arrived for the Yangtse cruise, followed by visits to various sites, some off the usual tourist trail. Every single flight, every hotel reservation or pickup at the airport functioned impeccably. The program was well conceived to the details, and if we suggested last minute amendments, the very good or even excellent (Lucia in Xian) guides and drivers were flexible — obviously we were asked to pay if we requested substantial detours. Overall 100 points for this most reliable Chengdu group, and a particular 'chapeau' for Rita who always rapidly, occasionally even on weekends, replied to my questions and requests. Thank you all.
A wonderful well planned trip by Leo Li
We are very satisfied with our trip in China planned by Leo Li.All the itineraries were all on schedules.The tour guides were pleasant and helpful.Need to mention here that Alyana from Xi'an was very informative and James at Chengdu was such a cheerful and friendly guide.I would recommend all my friends who are planning to visit China in the future to make Leo Li as their tour planner...
A perfect and worry free trip to China and 3 Cities
First I have to say Thank you to Stephanie at China Discovery Tours for a well planned trip.Everything went like planned from the moment I arrived. The driver picked me up from airport to Hotel.My tours once in Beijing were just perfect from pick up at hotel to the guides that gave the tours, on this I really can't say enough good things.Next was the pick up the at Hotel to go transfer to the train station. The guide even walked me into the stations got my tickets and walked me to where I needed to be, was remarkable .Everything I worried about was taken care of and I was treated like they knew I was lost due to not knowing the Language and not being able to read the text .most were well marked but still was a relief to know that they were looking out for my best internist. I will be returning to China soon and I for sure will be calling Stephanie again @ China Discovery Tours to book my next trip . Thank you once again to all who were involved in one of the best trips I have ever been on . Sincerely David Derhammer
27-day comprehensive tour of China.
Before reading this review please note I am referring to China Discovery based in Chengdu and not China Discovery Tours based in Torrance, CA. These two companies are not related.
Our 27-day comprehensive China Tour was absolutely fabulous. We highly recommend China Discovery. Our contact, Wonder Wang, did an outstanding job of working our the details of our comprehensive journey. During our private-tour my wife and I visited Beijing,Xi'an, Lhasa, Chengdu, Guilin, Yangshuo, Zhanggjiajie, Shanghai and Hong Kong. The service included fees to many attractions in each city, qualified English speaking tour guides, drivers, 5 domestic flights ( Xi'an to Lhasa. Lhasa to Chengdu, Chengdu to Guilin, Guilin to Chongqing, Zhangjiajie to Shanghai to Hong Kong ), 3-night Yantze River Cruise, Li River Cruise, High Speed Train between Beijing and Xi'an and Train ( soft-sleeper ) between Yichang and Zhangjiajie.
At each of our destinations we were met at airport /train station by our guide and driver and transferred to our hotels. All of our guides were excellent providing extensive information on the highlights of each of the cities we visited. We didn't have to worry about domestic flight tickets, train tickets, venue tickets, hotel reservations etc...all was looked after by our guides. They were all friendly, conscientious and obliging to our needs. They sincerely took personal interest in our well being. Basically they did everything in a seamless manner to ensure our comfort.
Our hotel accommodations exceeded our expectations. It should also be noted that despite it being difficult to enter Tibet, Lhasa, it wasn't for us. Wonder looked after all the arrangements including obtaining the required enter permits.
I could go on however I'll stop here other than to say we highly recommend China Discovery ( Chengdu ) to look after all your China Tour needs. Our contact, Mr. Wonder Wang, made sure everything went smoothly and I can't say enough about how caring and detail oriented he was in all aspects of our trip. As a result we left China with so many great memories, memories that will last us a lifetime.
Should you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us. We will be pleased to share additional information, if needed.
Wonderful Experience Traveling Around China
We spent 25 days traveling around China. After organizing our own itinerary (including flights, trains, and hotels), we worked with China Discovery in order to get a Letter of Invitation for our China Visa. Vivien was very helpful in executing our plan as she diligently answered our questions and made arrangements. Private guides and drivers were waiting for us at every stop of the trip. We were very impressed with the quality of service provided by all. Guides and drivers were on time and insured we made it to/from airports, train stations, and all the attractions. They knew how to avoid peak traffic times and worked to get us in and out of the sites without waiting in long lines. Driving in China is quite an experience – one that should be left to a local driver who knows the rules of the road. Our knowledgeable guides helped us understand the history of each place we visited and answered our questions on local customs and practices. We learned a lot and felt like we have a much better understanding of China and its people after our visit.
Things to know before you go (from our perspective). Bring good walking shoes as most sites require a considerable amount of walking. The great majority of attractions have many steps that require you to be in good shape to climb. Escalators and elevators are not common. Bring cash – vendors and local restaurants require cash. (Small bills work well to tip your guides and drivers). Trains are the way to travel within China. The high-speed trains are very comfortable and give you a nice view of the countryside. We booked Marriott Hotels in many of the big cities. They were clean, comfortable, and the staff spoke English. We found them to be a great place to relax after a long day of sightseeing. Allow enough time in each location so you don’t have to rush from one city to the next. It’s good to have some “down time” once in a while.
Our trip also included 7 days in Tibet. You have to get a special travel permit for Tibet which China Discovery helped us obtain. All travel in Tibet must be in a tour group. We were in a small group of 7 people during our stay in Lhasa and in an even smaller group of 4 people for our trip to the Mt. Everest base camp. We were very pleased with the guide and driver who made the 4-day journey to/from Everest very enjoyable. The trip was sort of like stepping back in time. Along the way, we saw real shepherds with their flocks and people harvesting grain by hand. We stayed in a nice hotel in Shigatse, but the facilities at the Everest Base Camp are very basic – more like camping. Be warned – the public toilets along the way are quite crude (bring some toilet paper or tissues). Despite the challenge, the experience is definitely worth it if you want to see Tibet.
Overall, I highly recommend working with China Discovery. Everything went smoothly before, during, and after the trip thanks to excellent communication among everyone which made for a trip that ran like clockwork. We appreciated that Vivien checked in with us by email periodically during the trip to make sure everything was going well. We didn’t have to be concerned about anything so were able to thoroughly enjoy the vacation. The guides and drivers were professional, courteous, friendly, and always had our best interests in mind. Great Trip!!
Well organised with knowledgeable guides. Went the extra mile
In the three weeks we were in China we were taken on a wide variety of scenic, cultural and historic tours. The guides were very knowledgeable and helpful even following up my lost spectacles with the museum. We older people were looked after at every stage.
All the services provided by this firm were outstanding
I booked both this tour, a 5 day Yangtze River tour and 4 transfers with Catherine Liu. She was absolutely excellent, responding to all my questions promptly and clearly. Everything was top notch and the prices were terrific. We were the only Americans on our cruise ship, perhaps because other Americans thought the deal was too good to be true. If so, they were wrong. The service was excellent and the experience delightful. Today's tour guide Nancy bought us the best meal we have had in the 17 days I have been in China so far. And seeing the pandas was as much of a treat as you would expect! Thank you Catherine and Nancy!
Couldn't be happier ...
We booked our whole trip through china discovery on line from Australia. Whilst a bit nervous doing this we did our research and read heaps of reviews first. From our first email contact with Wendy Dan it was such a smooth process. We told her where we wanted to go and our dates and she put together a wonderful itinerary for us. We chopped and changed, added and took away over many emails till we had it right. She was very flexible and helpful and replied promptly. The trip went very smoothly, we saw all the main sights and we were never rushed. We were met by wonderful guides on each leg and helped to check in at airports and train stations along the way. Special mention to our guide Lisa in Beijing who was our first guide and set the tone for the trip. She was knowledgable, kind and caring and we immediately relaxed. We also added Guilin and Yangshuo to our itinerary which we absolutely loved and was the highlight of our trip. The delightful Carrie was our guide here and she was a barrel of fun, kind, knowledgable and passionate about her town. The tours were great and because we were on our own very flexible in time and changing things around to beat the crowds etc. drivers were good and cars comfortable. Included meals were very good, especially at the hutongs. The trip well and truly met our expectations and I have no hesitation booking with china discovery.
Chengdu, Zhangjiajie, Guilin prior to ancestral visit to Zhongshan
Our trip to China (party of three) was primarily to visit my grandfather's ancestral village in Guangdong Province, but we wanted to do some additional sightseeing first. Wing Zeng at China Discovery was able to come up with an 11 day itinerary that satisfied all our requests and fitted reasonably within our budget. When we had questions or changes to dates or directions of travel, she was very prompt in coming back to us and dealing with our every requirement. We were almost wondering if the progressing of plans was all too good to be true. There was absolutely no cause for concern at all. Our guides were all exactly where they were supposed to be, and handled our checking in, touring, transfers, and any and all questions or queries we put to them. James in Chengdu, and Carol in Zhangjiajie were particularly helpful and friendly, and we thank them for all that they did for us. Our drivers were all fantastic. Don't know how they do it! But we always felt we were in good hands. Our accommodations were excellent. Wifi was readily accessible. Breakfasts varied if you were a fussy eater. Fortunately we wanted to enjoy "all things Chinese", so were able to sample and appreciate the chinese fare as well as the western fare that was on offer. The sights that we saw in Chengdu, Zhangjiajie and Guilin were all amazing and well worth the seeing. A "cloud in" on the Tianmen Mountain in Zhangjiajie meant that we missed the "joys" of the glass walkway at a great height, but there was still plenty to be fascinated by. We transferred between cities by both air and train. The bullet train was a dream. Our concern over dragging our luggage around was mostly unnecessary. Only on one occasion were we puffing and panting with suitcases over a pedestrian bridge. Our guides were on hand to ensure that all transfers were smooth. We felt well looked after. Thank you China Discovery Chengdu.
Wonderful China Tour arranged by China Discovery!
We (a couple of U.S. residence) planned to travel to China. Since I was interested in landscape painting, we choose four well-known places (Great Wall, Guilin, Zhangjiajie, and Yellow Mountain) to visit through Beijing and Shanghai. With a tight schedule, we arranged a private tour through China Discovery rather than a group tour. It was a tight schedule with 8 nights and 9 days, but we made it, beyond our expectation, with the tour arranged by China Discovery.
Here are our comments on the tour:
1. Our travel consultant (Wonder Wang) was not only proficient in making the tour plan and schedule, but also responded promptly to our questions and needs through e-mail and phone calls. For example, disappointingly we missed our original planned flight to Beijing (our first stop) due to an unexpected passport problem encountered during the departing procedure at the airport. With Wonder’s prompt response to our problem (it was his off-working hours), we were able to catch the next flight and accomplished our china tour as planned. It was a great relief, which could not have happened without his help.
2. The tour arrangement was well planned covering important aspect of the touring places with efficient transportation from one place to another. The hotels reserved for us were excellent. Their quality and services are as good as 5-star hotels in the United States.
3. Tour guides were on-time, kind, and flexible to our needs. They were knowledgeable about the place that they were guiding and fluent in English. We were very comfortable while touring the places.
4. We are very impressed with the service provided by China Discovery. China Discovery provides top quality touring services with a reasonable expense. We strongly recommend China Discovery to others who plan to visit China.
5. It was our first time to visit China, but we had some limited knowledge about China through news, magazine, and friends who had traveled China before. Based on the limited knowledge, we were a little concerned about our China trip. However, we changed our minds of China completely after our visit. China is safe, clean, and modernized. People are kind and look happy. However, tap water is not safe to drink. Tour guides provide plenty bottled water to their tourists.
6. The convenient features prepared for the tourists are amazing. Cable cars, trams, and escalators to the top of mountains make it possible to reach the tourist spots in a short time with ease. It was relatively easy to walk around on trails in the mountains – every trail is paved leading to vista points, and there were no dirt trails. Some trails are built on the cliff for which many workers lost their life during the construction. We really appreciate their dedication and hard work. Without their sacrifice, it would be much more difficult to view these beautiful world famous sceneries.
7. We also experienced some problems in infrastructure in public place. Often times, domestic flights were delayed. Even in a big airport such as Xian, there were no directions posted in English, nor a guide for foreigners. That made it difficult for us to go to the next gate in time for the next destination. Because of these problems, we missed our flight from Xian to Zhangjiajie. These kinds of problems need to be corrected or improved.
8. Several selected pictures taken during our tour are attached as a reference.
Huangshan experiences
We booked a 3 day stay in Huangshan with China Discovery. Wing Zeng helped us very professionally to book it all, she answered all our questions fast and accurately.
Our guide Jerry spoke excellent English and could tell us a lot about the places we visited: the old street in Huangshan city, the Yellow Mountains and Tongcun.
We loved visiting the Yellow mountains and its surrounings.
Can certainly recommend the services of ms Zeng and China Discovery
Excellent China private trip organizer
Based on literature and internet reports we created an initial list of sites we wanted to visit in China. Catherine Liu from China Discovery proposed very useful improvements to our trip proposal, booked excellent hotels, organized transportation and very good local guides. This was certainly a challenge because we wanted to see a lot of places in a relatively short time, but Catherine managed it perfectly and local guides also gave us good tips what to visit in our free time. We had no health problems and food was good (although here and there we treated ourselves also in a western style restaurant).
Great visit to Chengdu and Tibet!
I recommend China Discovery (not to be confused with the one in the US). We had a 10 day tour with them - both guides were extremely knowledgeable, friendly and flexible (Kevin & Julia) and the drivers we had were experienced and safe. Leo Li was the consultant who booked my trip and he was extremely responsive and patient as we worked to finalize my itinerary. A couple of recommendations: Be sure and check out the Opera in Chengdu - it is extra but in my opinion it is worth it. The face changing routine is great and there are subtitles on a screen on the side for the few bits that have singing or speaking. 95% of the crowd when I went was Chinese and they were definitely enjoying it. The other recommendation is to book an extra day in Llasa - while the tour definitely covers all the highlights but the extra day is nice to spend exploring and shopping for all the unique souvenirs around town. Looking forward to another trip to explore China!
Guillin, Zhangjiajie, Chengdu
We have previously visited many of the popular areas of China and wanted to visit less touristy areas. China Discovery certainly put together a an itinerary tailored to our wishes and likes which we enjoyed immensely. Wendy Dan was diligent in responding to our wishes and could not have been more helpful. An earthquake disrupted our original itinerary and Wendy change it within 24hours, An internal flight was delayed which meant we missed our connected, we e mailed Wendy and by the time we landed she had rebooked the onward flight. First Class service
Hotels were of a good standard and the guides/drivers in each city were helpful and knowledgeable.
we would not hesitate in using the services of China Discovery again and have already recommended them to friends
9 day trip too China
China Discovery was really wonderful. Our tour went to Beijing, Xian, Chengdu, and Shanghai. We requested five star hotels and we had a private driver and guide in each city. The tour was wonderful and was tailored to our sightseeing needs, which were to see what was mos important in each city. The hotels were good, the drivers and the tour guides were excellent. I had some trepidation because I booked this tour from California myself but it turned out great. Mr. Leo Li was particularly patient and helpful.
Hangzhou/Huangshan - truly memorable!
It was our first time travelling with China Discovery, and we must say our tour of Hangzhou and Huangshan from 12-19 September 2017 was most enjoyable. Without a doubt, if we were to travel within China again, we would rate China Discovery very highly in our choice of tour operator. Our Tour Consultant, Wonder Wang, has been very approachable, giving suggestions while taking into consideration all our inputs and ideas, plus answering all our questions in a timely manner.
Staying at Sofitel in Hangzhou brought us to the vibrant bank of West Lake for amazing photo opportunities, colourful evening strolls and stops at interesting eateries.
China Discovery also included a tour to Hongcun and Xidi in our itinerary, and we saw these places in one afternoon, taking away with us many beautiful shots of the water towns that rightly deserve their Unesco status.
For the Huangshan segment of our tour, we cannot commend any more highly the impeccable services offered by our English-speaking guide, Mr Jerry Xia. He often went out of his way to ensure our comfort and security. He not only checked us into our hotels, but also secured rooms with a double bed, a view and away from noisy guests. When guiding us, he always had a plan, which he would introduce as his “suggestion” (helpful without being obtrusive and loud).
Huangshan was simply stunning. We trekked down to the spectacular Xihai Grand Canyon. True, it was nature at its best; not to be outdone was China’s amazing engineering feat in sticking the spindly staircase to the mountainside.
China Odyssey 2017 (18 days) - an experience to cherish for a lifetime
We had a fabulous 18 day trip to China in Sep-Oct this year. China is a hidden gem & the places are so serene & unique it would rival the best destinations across the world. We visited many places during our trip, experienced beautiful & amazingly scenic places, perfect weather, sumptuous spicy local food, brilliant infrastructure & connectivity, ancient towns embedded rich in history & culture and met very nice & interesting people during the course of our trip.
All this was possible due to the immaculate arrangement & tour planning by China Discovery especially our tour operator Johnson Wang whose service was 5 star (whether it was planning the entire customised itinerary for me & my spouse or suggesting the lesser known scenic places & adding it in the itinerary or showing the flexibility/providing alternate suggestions when certain things had to be changed/amended), everything was top notch. Even the selection & quality of local English speaking guides at each place was great & the overall end-to-end co-ordination was absolutely seamless. I didn’t have to worry about a thing during the entire trip thanks to Johnson, he’s an absolute rockstar.
Being an avid traveler myself & having traveled to many beautiful places across the world, I was amazed at the seamless execution of the entire trip. I would highly recommend to book a guided customised tour via China Discovery (try & get Johnson as the tour operator, he was outstanding), it was an experience that I’ll cherish forever & I definitely plan to visit China again sometime in the near future.
China Discovery Tour
Would highly recommend China Dicovery if you are planning to tour China. Our two week tour went very smoothly. Everything was very well organized. Guides were knowledgeable and friendly. On two occasions our flights were delayed, but our guides were patiently waiting for us in the early hours of the morning. We really enjoyed our China trip and learned a lot about this amazing country
great arrangement
Arranging travel to China with China Discovery - Day Tour (Chengdu), with its staff, Catherine Liu is a great experience to me. I will use their service again for my next trip to China for sure.
Catherine Liu is very informative and helpful. Nice dealing with you Catherine.
Wonder Wang is a Superb Travel Consultant
I will use what someone else wrote to start with. I have nothing but good things to say about China Discovery agency located in Chengdu. Our consultant Wonder Wang has been prompt, clear, and trustworthy on all his responses. Every time I had questions he emailed me back right away with honest responses. He worked with me, arranged and fulfilled all my requirements I had for this trip.
Wonder helped us book a 4-day tour to Tibet. We planned it in December of 2016 and planned to go in October of 2017. We worked, back and forth with Wonder, for months. He was so nice and courteous, and prompt. And then the unthinkable happened. The Chinese government shutdown Tibet for some government meetings from Oct 18 - 28, so we had to cancel our Tibet trip. Wonder was still positive and nice and kind and prompt to give our full refund back.
I hope we can work with him again someday. He's great.
Zhangjiajie + yangtze cruise
our family of 4 from Malaysia began the tour from Zhangjiajie then took a train to Yichang for the yangtze cruise for a total of 9 days in August organised by chengdu bamboo tour co. The whole tour was very well organised. Choice of hotels were very good.
we really appreciate the professionalism of our tour consultant, Vivien Li
we thoroughly enjoyed the beauty of Zhangjiajie and the cruise was first class and the gorges of course.
Highly recommended
Great Tour - Highly Recommended
My wife has visited Chengdu for 2 days for a panda volunteer tour. Our contact Wing, from China Discovery was in close contact for preperation of the tour and handled every detail with care. I highly recommend China Discovery and Wing for your visit to China.
Two week exposure to China highlights with China Discovery
My wife and I have recently completed a two week private tour of China with China Discovery operated by Chengdu Bamboo Internationals Tours Ltd. Our tour encompassed Beijing (highlight Great Wall), a high speed train to Xi'an (highlight Terracotta Warriors), Guilin (highlight Li river cruise and Reed Flute cave), Chongqing (highlight Ciqukou Old Town), Yangtze cruise, and Shanghai (brilliant city).
The trip was organised by WING ZENG who was superb to deal with. Wing was very responsive to our emails and flexible as required. We could not speak more highly of Wing as a person and China Discovery as a company to deal with. The guides were very reliable, punctual and helpful. We would certainly recommend China as a place to visit for people wanting to experience a country with so many unique and memorable highlights.
VInce and Diane, New Zealand
8 DAY CHINA HIGHLIGHTS
Visiting China for the first time I'm glad we chose a private tour using China Discovery based in Chengdu,
Our eight day highlights included flights trains and private taxi for the duration and at a realistic price.
Their representative Wing Zeng organised everything and everything ran smooth.
We visited Shanghai, Beijing and Xian supported by local guides who spoke very good English were adaptable and knowledgeable.. We enjoyed it all .
So will you !
Zhanhjiajie with China Discovery and Best Ever Tour Guide Lily
If you have seen the movie Avatar you will know the Floating Mountains (where teenage Avatars "link" (capture) their flying beasts. Well, Zhangjiajie inspired this part of the movie. Only, the real deal is so much better! If you were blown away by the movie peaks then these will make you want to live here. We took a 4 day guided tour to this area and it would rank in the top 3 places we have seen ( my wife is Chinese and we have toured in China 15 times to date .. so rest assured Zhangjiajie was mind blowingly majestic and way beyond any (already super high) expectations. And while the 4 days of sights (and thousands of photos) were mesmerising, the key to our exceptional tour here was our guide, Lily. If you can get her as your guide you will have the best possible tour of this magic place. She has been a tour guide here for 13 years, and her love and passion for this global wonder of a place is still very evident. Somehow, she always knew the least crowded entrance and pathways to take, which meant our written itinerary was not strictly followed (who cares so long as we see it all and miss the worst of the queues - which Lily achieved on every day) and at the end of the tour with Lily we had seen all the features on the itinerary but with no crowds. Just one example of her brilliance - on one afternoon, after following her advice, we were a one person line wide crowd moving steadily our way against a five person wide crowd in grid lock (honestly, not moving) the other way and only because Lily had foreseen this. She's a crowd avoiding genius!!
But wait ... there's more. After our tour with China Discovery in Zhangjiajie had ended, our flight (China Eastern - worlds worst airline - seriously, they hold the global first prize for most cancelled flights) was ... yes, you guessed it, cancelled. Not only that, but the flight from Shanghai to Zhangjiajie on the same airline had also been cancelled on our way there. Given the experience of the hotel provided by the airline from the first cancellation, we decided to book better (like maybe a 2 or 3 star hotel as compared to the hovel that the airline had booked us into). Upon hearing of our plight Lily and her husband picked us up from the airport, booked us into a 5 star hotel for the night (at "mates rates") and harassed the airline all night until they gave her our new flight details, which she passed on to us immediately). What can I say ... We met Lily as our tour guide but left her as a friend for life. And to prove that, we have offered to be her family's tour guide FREE when they come and visit us in NZ soon. China Discovery, yes you have excellent tours and destinations, but your real competitive advantage in a crowded tourist market is your guides, and having experienced dozens of such guides all over Asia LILY IS THE STAND OUT, no if's, but's or maybe's. she should be your guides teacher, if that is what she wants to be. Lily scores the highest possible.
China Discovery
Amazing trip... stellar service...wonderful guides...the trip went so smoothly...love this company. Especially my tour agent, Lyn! She handled everything I asked timely and efficiently.
Volunteer day at panda preserve
My daughter and I spent a day volunteering at the panda preserve in Chengdu. The tour guide an driver were excellent. We had a wonderful experience and highly recommend this tour company. Everything was handled professionally, promptly and pleasantly.
The best tour Company - Thank you Wendy
We, family of four had a short holiday of 10 days in China in the middle of August, 2017. We toured Beijing, Qingdao, Xi’an and Shanghai.
We made the best decision to book the tours through China discovery. The company was recommended to us by our brothers who toured China last year. They also requested to contact Wendy Dan at China discovery. Wendy is so good in response, organising everything the way we want. We changed our program so many times but she was always good to change to fit to our needs.
We had a wonderful time. it was a private tour for four of us taking us in a very comfortable 7 seater SUV. The tour guides meets us at the airport holding our names. From there onwards, the guides see to all our comforts until we leave at the airport. They help us to check in at the hotel, and come right inside the airport until we leave to immigration. The drivers were also very good and courteous. Our guides were Oliver in Beijing, Alice in Xian and Jason (Lucas) in Shanghai. All three are excellent people.
I am happy to say that our tours were made so well because of the programs organised by Wendy and her responses to changes. Wendy is very prompt and very pleasant to deal with.
Amazing Cultural Discoveries
I and my wife started our 12-day "expedition in China" on our arrival at Shanghai Airport. We were met by our local guide Maria and driver to be taken to our hotel. During the next two days we visited the Urban Planning Exhibition Center, Yuyuan garden, old city, French Concession, the Bund, Oriental Pearl TV Tower and Shanghai Museum.
The third day we took a domestic flight to Yichang, where we immediately boarded our boat, Yangtze Gold 2, a giant floating hotel with abundant facilities. We cruised up the river for four days, enjoying every moment fully. Everyday we had trekking excursions on a different shore, including the magnificent Three-Gorges Dam, the Lesser Three-Gorges, temples, museums, and the infamous Fengdu Ghost City on Ming Mountain. The entertainment, meals and the overall treatment of the whole crew on board were fabulous At the end of the cruise we landed at Chongqing, the biggest Chinese city, just to take the flight to Xian, the land of the wonderous Terracota Warriors. Johnny was our guide this time. For two days Johnny took us to the Terracota warriors factory and museum, the Drum Tower, the old city wall, on which we took a one-hour bike tour, Muslim Community, the Tang Dynasty Show following a delicious dumpling banquet, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda and the Tangbo Art Museum. Our last stop on this journey was Beijing, the capital, where we reached after a 6-hour speed-train travel.
For two full days our Beijing guide Lisa took us around the capital and its environs. We visited the Great Wall, of course, the Jade Factory, Ming Tombs, Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, and the Summer Palace.
As our plane was leaving China behind, we thought how lucky we had been throughout all those 12 days to have seen a valuable portion of China's great cultural heritage, to have been informed about it by our knowledgable guides, and to have been treated on all occasions like honorary guests.
Therefore, our warmest thanks go to Ms Lyn Wang, our dearest tour operator at Chengdu Bamboo International Tours Co., Ltd, for her understanding and flexibility at every request we raised throughout the planning period of our trip, to our dear guides Maria (Shanghai), Fay (Yichang), Lily (River guide on Yangtze Cruise), George (guide on smaller boat excursion) David (Chongqing), Johnny (Xian), and Lisa (Beijing), to our drivers, to everyone who did their best to make our trip all the more enjoyable, and above all, to those dear common people of China throughout our contacts with whom we learned and experienced a lot about the Chinese culture, way of life and human relations.
Trip ..tour of China
Just returned from a tour of China ...it was amazing ..had a fabulous Time ...everything was planned to perfection , everything went as planned And we were met at every stage of the trip HOTELS SUPERB , ALL 5 STAR Guides were good , some better than others , but all were amazingly well informed of their subject area Hard work, not much rest time , and not for the faint hearted BUT We saw so very much, and SOOOOO GLAD we did it .. He cruise was great , 3 days of sights , without too much effort We upgraded to better room and food ...included WiFi ....although poor reception in some mountainous areas .... not cheap ...but standard rooms very small ..and unlike other cruises ...not much to do , so spent time in cabin ..watching the world go by Told upgrade food was more western , but still lots of Chinese ... Was able to take drink onboard , would recommend...Gorges fantastic Not sure this is a holiday ...BUT A GREAT TRIP
11 day China tour
This review is for a China tour using China Discovery. Note that this is the one headquartered in Chengdu, China (china discovery.com), not "China Discovery Tours" in California.
This was an 11 day private tour for two of us, with local guides and drivers and visited Beijing, Xian, Guilin, Yangshou, Shanghai.
The tour was excellently organized and customized by Stephanie from China Discovery. I was initially concerned about dealing with a company with no US presence but this company (China Discovery from Chengdu) is genuine and Stephanie responded promptly by e mail to all my questions and concerns during the booking process.
The actual tour was fantastic. We had different guides in each city. They met us when and where they were supposed to (including a last minute flight change), spoke English perfectly adequately, and were obviously knowledgeable about the places they took us to. They had no hesitation in arranging additional local activities for us, and changing the itinerary to minimize the impact of weather or traffic or crowds. Thank you Lisa, Lucia, Jay and Zack and the drivers, who always had water waiting for us in the vehicles, and the air con working.
This tour did include 'shopping trips' which seem to fairly standard for any tour in China, but we never felt any pressure from our guides to buy anything.
Hotels were selected by China Discovery. I didn't explore whether I had any choice in which hotels I could stay at. However those selected were all high standard and well located with good amenities including choice of western breakfasts as well as traditional Chinese food.
When visiting China be prepared to do a lot of walking to see everything, be prepared for traffic and some unusual driving behavior, especially in Beijing and Xian, and obviously they are always going to be a lot of people wherever you go. Sometimes our guides were able to bypass the lines, other times not and we just had to wait.
I was very pleased with the itinerary that China discovery put together, and very pleased with the actual tour. I would definitely recommend this company.
Tour of China highlights including Panda volunteer programme
Touring China with the services from Discover China company was certainly one of the best tours we have done in the world. Tracy Tan went out her way to accommodate our specific requirements whilst keeping affordability in check, arrangements worked like magic, and the drivers and tour guides whom collected us punctually and courteously were friendly, yet remained flexible to accommodate additional things we wanted to see and experience. Of the many countries we have visited, we found china to be the cleanest, most hygiene focused, friendliest and most amazing country from both a historical and current day perspective. We loved every bit of it, our visits included the Great Wall, Forbidden city, Terracotta warriors, full day Panda volunteer program, Jiuzhaigou, Mt Emei, Zigong Dinosaurs, Salt Mine museum, Rock carvings at Dazu, the Three gorges river cruise and dam wall (what an engineering and environmental achievement!), the Venice of Asia, City of Shanghai and so many more places, sights, sounds and meals we enjoyed. China is simply amazing. We noticed that signage all over the country is also in English, and the trains are amazing, fast, quiet and spotlessly clean. People are so polite and helpful. China as a country really impressed us totally and we can really recommend it. Thank you China Discovery, and well done China
5 days Beijing/Xian Tour August 2017
Thank you very much to our excellent travel agent, Mr. Leo Li! Leo knows his business very well. Leo is the quintessential travel consultant and we recommend him very highly. PLEASE ASK FOR HIM BY NAME!
He was able to put together a private tour and help us with our FIRST short but sweet visit to Mainland China. My husband and I were traveling to Hongkong for a business trip from the US and we decided to take a short detour before heading back home.
Leo also provided us with travel guidelines and certificates to present to the Chinese Consulate for our multiple entry Chinese visas. Everything was seamless! He answered all our questions and concerns via email prior to our trip almost immediately. We decided to upgrade to a 5 star hotel last minute and Leo found us two wonderful hotels in no time.
Our personal drivers and tour guides in both cities were so pleasant and very professional. They spoke English quite well and they were both knowledgeable of all the tourist sites. We were driven in a private car/van, and the driver supplied us with bottled water to last us the whole day. Private tours are the best!
Only one big giant hiccup in this visit (NO Western TOILETS). You have no choice! If the need is big enough, it doesn’t matter much that there are no doors, or only hole in the floor, or no paper. Many of them now flush, but only the most modern have doors with locks. If there is no door, the norm is to face the common area, not the wall. Carry toilet paper in your bag at all times, and if you have practiced, the squatting should be no problem. Although we warn you of the stench which was very strong and very unpleasant, especially in the men's restrooms! My husband only complained of this throughout the tours. Don't forget to carry a strong, scented anti-bacterial hand gel or wipes.
With more tourists visiting China, I believe that they will realize the importance of cleanliness and proper sanitation very soon, and adapt to the proper conditions or practices, conducive to maintaining health and preventing disease of the tourists/visitors.
22 days in China 2017
I highly recommend this company. They organized a great trip for us and 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 , we paid extra as we didn't know about it but you can go to the top and overlook Tiananmen Square which was amazing , Summer Palace , Temple of Heaven ,had a rickshaw ride to the Hutongs and a walk around Beihai Park and saw the White Pagoda. We went to the Great Wall at Mutianyu For us this was the highlight we went up on the chairlift then walked from watchtower 6 to 12 and back again and we went back down on a toboggan it is the quieter of the Wall walks and you can get photos without lots of people in them. We also snuck in a bike ride around Shichahai Park. Nights were on our own so we went and saw a Peking Opera Show which was different but enjoyable and found some food markets which sold weird insects on sticks just interesting to see , the markets were called Wangfujing snack street.
Next we were put on a train to Datong which is a "D" Class bullet train (only goes to 241kph) only the "G" Class from Beijing to Xian goes faster except the Maglev bullet train in Shanghai goes even faster (431kph over 7 mins). In Datong we went and saw the Hanging Temple amazing and the Yungang Grottoes they were spectacular both well worth seeing. Then we drove down to Pingyao such a wonderful city with lots of atmosphere.Here we walked the city wall and went to the first bank of China and went and visited the Court House.
Before being put on a plane and we flew into Xian, this was just a 2 day stop to see the Terracotta Warriors, wow we both got goose bumps an amazing feeling to stand and look at them, we also went to the Wild Goose Pagoda and Muslim Street a very vibrant market very interesting. At night our guide suggested we go to a Dumpling Banquet and Tung Show food was good but the show was fantastic. We also hired bikes and rode around Xian City Wall it is approx 14 kms around and takes about 1 1/2 to 2 hrs to complete but we loved it.
Next we were put on a plane to the City of Chengdu were the panda research centre is , was very excited to see my first Chinese Panda and lucky for us it was breeding time and saw 3 two week old pandas in incubators and we were very lucky to watch the pandas being very active. Next stop a flight to Guilin were we visited the Reed Flute Cave , a nice big cave with lots to see and lit up in beautiful lighting, a walk around the Elephant Trunk Hill and then an evening meal which we were offered snake and declined as it was in a cage and were going to cook it for us. A trip down the Li River on boat was very nice (if you have been to Vietnam it was. Try similar scenery as is at Halong Bay but this is on a river not the ocean ) it is also the scenery on the 20 Yuan note.
Next stop Chongqiing where we picked up our cruise boat Yangtze Gold cruises boat 8, for a 4 nights and 3 day cruise down the Yangtze River. Our room was ok 2 single beds so we were offered an upgrade which we took so ended up in a king size room which was more suitable at our cost. There were 300 people on our boat and 7 of us Westerners. They are very good at getting money out of you they offeted us VIP dining of course at our expensive but I'm really glad we did it as after talking to the other Westerners that weren't offered , it did get a bit busy and chaotic. Unfortunately the river in parts is very stirred up so looks very dirty. We did a couple of tours in the 3 days a couple were included and the best ones weren't. We chose to do all the tours as I didn't want to miss out and I did enjoy them. We did an evening one to a show called The Three Emperors or something like that it was fabulous a not to miss if you get the chance.
The three gorges we went through were very pretty but because of the timing we missed out on watching the boat go through the 3 locks as it was at 0100 in the morning. Was a little disappointed with the 3 gorges as you couldn't walk on the wall and mooned fault but the smog was pretty bad so you couldn't see a lot.
Next we flew to Shanghai where Modern meets old wonderful city. We headed up to the Financial building known also as the bottle opener for our first views of Shanghai spectacular. Then onto a Silk factory which was interesting enough. Next stop Jade Temple (by this stage a little over temples). Had an interesting walk around the Bazaar and had a go at bartering with the help of our guide which was fun, and them onto the Yu gardens which are very different to our gardens and very old . That night we were highly recommended to do the night cruise well worth doing but you have to get there at 5.30 pm buy your tickets and see what boat you can get on , we had to wait til 7 pm . The night lights of Shanghai are one of the best I have seen , the cruise lasts exactly 45 mins nor more no less but a must see. Next day we had a day trip out to Suzhou which is about an hour or more out of Shanghai, it's there a equivalent to a mini kind of Venice lots of houses on the canal was ok and then we went to Tiger Hill to see the Pagoda there that leans, if you don't have a lot of time in Shanghai I would miss this but it was enjoyable enough.
Up nice and early again and we did the walk on the Bund which means waterfront in Indian and a walk to Namjing Road for shopping the first shopping centre in Shanghai. We were then taken to the Urban planning exhibition centre actually very interesting showing the growth of Shanghai. Then we moved into the French Concession area where the French resided back in the day very different styles of housing. The next day we had as a free day so we decided to take the fast train the Maglev for a spin and had a blast we got a returning ticket and got up to 431 kph over a 7 minute journey was lots of fun.
So my overall rating of China is 9/10 If you don't like crowds or queues this isn't the place for you , also as we experienced the month of July and August is there holidays so it is actually there busiest time except in the first week of October which is there National Holiday.
Also the weather at this time of year is very hot and humid +++++ no exaggeration, you just walk out of a place and sweat is dripping off you so a fan and an umbrella is highly recommend.
The toilets are very backward most are squatting and you need to bring your own toilet paper and hand wash and it's quite funny cos the guides will say this toilet is 5 star. The guides with this company were excellent spoke great English very knowledgeable and professional and very willing to help you with anything and if you want to change a few things around they will try and help with that too. We only had a bit of a problem in Shanghai with the taxi drivers they can be very rude and cheeky in there rates and charges so just be careful.
Found the food great in some places a little to spicy but the guides helped with our choices so that was great.
Thank you China Discovery a wonderful holiday and I highly recommend this company Great travels
What a great tour company - thanks Wendy Dan
Just back from a wonderfully planned trip courtesy of Wendy Dan from China Discovery. In the planning, we provided the cities and days of stay to Wendy and she took the rest from there. What a great and fully planned itinerary! Cities toured were Hong Kong, Shanghai, Xian and Beijing. All city visits went off very smoothly from airport/train arrival to departures. Attractions were top notch, guides (Cecilia, Zach, Julie and Echo) were wonderfully informative and accommodating to our needs, and the drivers were also great. The personal transportation aspect of the tour was a real bonus and pickup spots were very convenient. The hotels were also of the highest standard (particular standouts were Sofitel in Xian ~ lots of gluten free in the breakfast buffet and Regent in Beijing). Food in hotels and day trips were excellent. We also found that the guides went out of their way to help navigate the issue of severe food allergies that our daughter has….this was a big relief given language barrier in dealing with restaurants. There was nothing that our family could say that was poorly executed by China Discovery. We were so fortunate to have picked this tour company.
Amazing 8-day Private Tour for 2 in Qinghai & Gansu
The tour was part of our travels in China and the best segment of our entire 26-day trip! Not only was the itinerary great, our private drivers from the agency were also very friendly and helpful. Our travel consultant was Ms Wing Zeng. She is very friendly and approachable and made the entire experience with the agency even better! She responded to emails and our queries before and during the tour very promptly and gave helpful advice.
Their professionalism made us very assured throughout the trip and we could enjoy our trip fully without any worries. One of the drivers even went out of his way to help us find a shop where we could fix our camera.
Private tours are great as we could plan our time flexibly and stop at random places to take photos. 10/10 would recommend this tour!
Great Tour of Yunnan Province with China Discovery
I may go to Chengdu next trip, but we booked a customized 8-day trip to Yunnan Province with China Discovery and it was a great bargain, with good guides and quite adept drivers, as well as wonderful food and very good hotels. It was everything that I had hoped for and a wonderful trip in an area where there are very few U.S. travelers, but it is well worth exploring!
Fantastic 9 day tour of Gansu Province
Our recent tour of Gansu province arranged by China Discovery tours was first rate. The itinerary was very well chosen. We wanted to add additional visits to the standard tour and Jack Li was extremely helpful in incorporating these as were our guides who were excellent - friendly, knowledgeable and always ready to help us with whatever we asked. We felt very safe with our drivers too. We felt the tour was good value for money and would recommend the company highly. Organising vegetarian meals was no problem. Altogether it was a fabulous trip and we are already thinking of organising one for next year with China Discovery.
Wonderful 8 day Tour- would use them again!
We are a family of 4, my wife and I and 2 boys aged 16, 14. We have travelled extensively around the globe; however, this was our first real trip into Asia.
Our travel consultant was Jack Li. He did a wonderful job accommodating the prearranged tour to fit into exactly what we wanted. Jack and my wife were working on this trip for almost 4 months. Jack was always eager and responded quickly to all our questions. Congratulations on a job well done, Jack!
We did the 8 day tour from Beijing, Xi’an and Shanghai.
Beijing: Arrival and pick up was great. The first day activities were well planned. Michael was a great guide and the driver was the best from all the drivers (he was always there waiting for us). The meals had more vegetables than we normally eat, but once mentioned to Michael, he made the necessary changes. The Great wall was breathtaking. We hiked up instead of taking the cable car. It took 20 minutes and was well worth it. We spent 2.5 hours on the wall. We should have stayed longer. Looking back I would have packed a lunch and sat there and enjoyed the view! Certain sections were busy but others were surprisingly empty.
We also visited Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City and the Summer Palace. They were all very interesting and would not skip any of them. My only regret is that we did not plan enough time for a more detailed visit of the Olympic area - Bird's Nest etc.
We stayed at the Sun World Hotel (4 stars) The hotel was perfectly located, near shops and restaurants. They offered a great breakfast and it was an easy walk to explore the area once the tour was over.
Took the highspeed train to Xi’an. Michael brought us to the train station and sat with us until we boarded.
Xian- Timo was the most personable guide, highly recommended. The driver was not as attentive (we were at his convenience rather than the other way around). We asked for some changes to the itinerary and Timo was very accommodating. We were amazed when we visited the Terracotta Warriors and Horses. Even though it was packed we spent at least 3 hours there, other than the Wall this was our 2nd most memorable part of the tour. The rest of the tour can be found on their website.
Fabulous hotel, we stayed at the Xi’an Sofitel(5 star). We were upgraded to 2 huge rooms. It was a block to the shopping area. Their breakfast was also outstanding. Only complain is that the pool was dirty and overcrowded.
We took a plane to Shanghai and Timo walked us to the gate. Great service.
Shanghai- Very knowledgeable guide Yao, he was a walking encyclopaedia. We made some changes due to the long line-ups at the museum and he was accommodating (very good driver as well).
Fabulous hotel, we stayed at the Sunrise on the Bund (4 stars) but location was a little far from the action. Service and breakfast was excellent. Once again when the tour was over the guide took us to the airport and waited until we crossed security.
I would strongly recommend China Discovery Tours!
Great Experience on 6-Day Tour of China
My husband and I had a wonderful experience in China as a result of our 6-day tour of Shanghai, Xian and Beijing. Our private tour (just us, our driver and our guide) was expertly arranged by travel consultant, Vivien Li, of China Discovery (based in Chengdu, China). This company was recommended to us by neighbors who had taken a longer tour of Japan & China through them last year. We were especially impressed with the knowledge and helpfulness of Ms. Li. We had lots of questions and concerns which were patiently and expertly handled by her on a timely basis. Our tour itself unfolded exactly as planned, and we saw many amazing sights. Our tour guides (Chris, Johnny and Mark) were great and each spoke excellent English. At most of the attractions, we were escorted by our guides to the front of the pack, while others had to wait in long lines. Our top highlight of the tour (and there were many) was walking on the Great Wall -- what a thrill! Our hotels were all very good and conveniently located, although two of the rooms were a little compact. (We would rate them four stars, not five.) Also, as Ms. Li alerted us in advance, we had to pay a hefty extra fee for our overweight luggage on our two Chinese domestic flights. Only one checked bag not to exceed 20kg (44 lbs) is allowed per person. However, in conclusion, we had a fantastic tour and, without hesitation, would recommend China Discovery to anyone looking to have a great experience.
Wonderful Family Experience...
My family, my parents and in-laws visited Beijing and Xi'an for the first time in a privately-guided tour arranged by China Discovery based in Chengdu and organized by our very reliable travel consultant Vivien Li. We had an awesome time since the day we were met at the airport by our private guide 'til the day we departed Beijing. Though our flights into and out of Beijing were delayed, the experience and care we had in both Beijing and Xi'an made up for the inconveniences. Lisa in Beijing and Waldner in Xi'an were both knowledgeable and accommodating tour guides, very attentive to cater to our group's needs, especially because we were travelling with seniors. Our drivers were equally superb as well. In Beijing, our group marveled at the sights of the Mutianyu Great Wall, Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven, Tiananmen Square, Forbiddden City, The Bird's Nest and Water Cube, as well as enjoyed our walks and savored a local family home-cooked meal in the Hutongs. In addition to enjoying watching the Giant Pandas at the Beijing Zoo, we also visited a jade and silk factory, and were treated to a tea ceremony. We were all the more astounded at seeing the Terracota Warriors and Horses, the Cien Temple, Big Wild Goose Pagoda and the Ancient City Wall in Xi'an. I really recommend Vivien Li at the head office for being very responsive and prompt in catering to all our questions and requests since the first day I contacted China Discovery based in Chengdu up to the final day before our trip and all throughout our tour. We could not have had a more pleasant family experience in China if it was not for Vivien Li and all our tour guides and drivers, who took excellent care of our group. Thank you very much from the bottom of our hearts
18day tour included Beijing, Yangtze Cruise, Jiuzhaigou, Xian, Chengdu
My friend and I have never booked with China Discovery before this trip. We were absolutely delighted with everything from start to finish. Our tour organiser Vivien Li was outstanding and made sure we were fully informed regarding our choices at every step of planning. My friend and I are in our early 60's fairly fit and well , and wanted some different experiences including Jiuzhaigou and Huang Long. We also wanted 4-5 star accommodation . We got all this and more and our guides and drivers were fabulous. Their English was great. Special mention to Bob in Beijing and Peter in Jiuzhaigou, also Alan on the Yangtze cruise.. Century Legend. My friend and I also visited the China Discovery Team at Chengdu and what a great team they were. Professional, welcoming and vibrant. On an extra special note a super big thanks goes to the organiser Vivien Li. She remained in contact with us by phone almost every day to make sure all was going well, and to update us on guides and drivers. Vivien could not have done enough for us. To add an extra degree of difficulty for Vivien the tour she organised for us was sandwiched between a tour to Lhasa that we had arranged from Australia . Once again a very big thank you China Discovery ( Chengdu) there was nothing that we would have wanted to be any different. Marg from Australia
Wonderful experience with China Discovery-Day Tour!
Wendy Dan was our travel consultant & she was so helpful in organizing the tours for us. She was very prompt in answering my questions & helping to structure our days. We did a 10-day Beijing & Xian tour, including travel & days for rest. I was also concerned about paying via wire transfer as I've never done that before for an international purchase, but she helped me feel at ease & everything worked out perfectly.
As soon as we arrived in Beijing, our guide met us as we exited customs & took us to our hotel. Michael, our tour guide in Beijing, was prompt, very informative & such a fun guy. Our whole family loved his jovial nature. We did a lot in Beijing - Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, The Great Wall, Ming Tomb, Summer Palace & a tour of the Hutongs. Our hotel in Beijing was Hilton Beijing Wangfujing, a fabulous hotel in a great location.
Our guide in Xian was Julie & she was very smart, patient with our kids & answered all our constant questions. In Xian, we did the Shanxai Museum, Benpo Museum, Terra-Cotta Warriors, Big Wild Goose Pagoda & Muslim Quarter. We also had lunch with a local family in their home, which made the tour so familial. The host taught me how to cook cumin lamb, my favorite Chinese dish I ordered everywhere I went in china.
Our hotel in Xian was Wyndham Grand South, a luxury hotel for a price you can't beat, and the service here is outstanding.
I highly recommend China Discovery if you're considering a tour of China.
FYI-most places in China don't take American credit cards so plan accordingly.
Tour Through Beijing and Xi'an
Jack Li at China Discovery was very accommodating in helping us put together our two week trip through China. We visited Beijing, Xi'an and Kunming. Jack was instrumental in making our trip through Beijing and Xi'an very easy and memorable (we did not require his services for our time in Kunming).
He was always attentive to our questions pre-trip with prompt and thorough answers our questions regarding accommodations, scheduling, costs and options. We had two fantastic and experienced tour guides: Randy (in Beijing) and Lucia (in Xi'an) -- it was well worth it to hire them.
We did many of the key venues: Forbidden City, Great Wall, Emperor's Tombs in Beijing; Flying Goose Pagoda, Terracotta Warriors in Xi'an. There were many opportunities to see how locals lived, interact and practice Mandarin.
The accommodations were great: Beijing International Hotel and the Grand Dynasty Cultural Hotel in Xi'an. The rooms were nice, amenities and service. If Internet access is important to you, please note that at the hotels, access to the Internet is acceptable, but elsewhere in China requires you to plan ahead as connections are not as good.
Mr. Li was an excellent coordinator and very thoughtful of his patrons.
Leshan Giant Buddha
I have had the privilege of working with Vivien Li of China Discovery, who put together a private day trip to the Leshan Giant Buddha. She was always prompt and courteous when dealing with all our questions. Our guide, Zach was a joy. He has a passion for his work which made the trip that much more enjoyable. He even arranged a trip to the Seshuan Opera in Chengdu that evening at the last minute. It was wonderful. We cannot thank both Vivian and Zach enough for being so helpful and representing their lovely country so well.
Volunteer Experience at Dujiangyan Panda Base
My family volunteered at the Dujiangyan Panda Base one day during our two week tour to China. It turned out to be the best part part of our amazing adventure to China. My wife and I and two teen girls really enjoyed volunteering and getting a close up experience with the pandas. We were also very pleased with our tour guide, who was very informative and helpful, and we would not hesitate to use China Discovery in the future.
Awesome!!
Our tour consultant Wing Zeng at China discovery was awesome. We done a mixture of private tours and group tours over a few cities ( Beijing-Xian-Chengdu) Great tour and best value for money.
Amazing experience
I visited Chine with my family last June and it really was an excellent decition to arrange our trip with China Discovery. My travel agent was Wendy Dan, she is such a kind and professional girl. Our rout was very well planned, We're able to visit a good number of cities thanks to the good job done. All the hotels were clean and with a good location, the arranged lunch were also good. We could cover the main attractions during the morning and we had the afternoon to explore the city. Of course I recomend China Discovery.
Yangtze River Cruise on "Century Sun" - Fantastic
Having the opportunity to spend a week in china after a ocean cruise which ended in Shanghai we decided to do a Yangtze River Cruise and then spend 3 days in Xi'an. Having decided on our own itinerary we asked Vivien of China Discovery Tours, (Chenghu), to do the actual bookings. everything went like clock work. the River Cruise on the cruise ship "Century Sun" was exceptional and our stay in Xi'an fantastic.
I would certainly recommend the river cruise to everyone and also recommend Vivien of China Discovery Tours to do your organizing.
A Great Way to Explore China
We like the itinerary they put together based on our interests. A small group of five, we visited Guilin - Beijing – Xian – Chengdu – Yangtze River – Shanghai. For this tour, I was the only one member who can speak fluent Chinese and accompanied with four other family members (three first time visitors). I must say that it was a wise decision to choose China Discovery (Chengdu) to be our guide. Having a private tour guide with a driver for each main stop made our traveling a lot easier and more relaxing. All hotel locations were good, easy access to shopping , good foods and many other fun activities. We felt very safe exploring the neighborhoods on our own even at night time. Johnson Wang, our consultant was always very helpful, patient and easy to reach. We had an emergency during the tour, he was there around the clock to help. He arranged the tour very well to fit our specific needs and took care of everything, exceeding our expectations.
I also found out that they were very flexible in customizing tours for different sizes of groups. We are very satisfied with their service. No stress, no hassle and the cost is very reasonable. We will definitely recommend them to our friends and families who are interested in visiting China. We will use their service again when we visit other parts of China (a lot to explore in this big and beautiful country).
Pleasantly surprised
I traveled with my mom to China and this tour allowed us to see the main sites, without having to worry about the logistics of transportation and guides. The flexibility of the tour allowed us to stay a bit longer where we wanted to, and the hotels were always really comfortable. The tour guides were really nice and went out of their way to make sure that everything was to our liking. I definitely recommend!
You made us love Chengdu even more!
We had a customized 4 days tour in Jiuzhaigou, Huanglong and Dujiangyan with China Discovery. They arranged an English speaking guide, vehicle and driver for us. We had an excellent holiday. The guide, Eben, spoke very good English. He went beyond his call of duty to help us plan our free day in Chengdu town.
Thank you China Discovery. We hope to visit China with you again soon.
TA lifetime experience
I have nothing but good things to say about China Discovery agency located in Chengdu. Our consultant Wonder Wang has been prompt, clear, and trustworthy on all his responses. Every time I had questions he emailed me back right away with honest responses. He worked with me, arranged and fulfilled all my requirements I had for this trip. We traveled in several cities of China. Our tour guides were knowledgeable, on time, tried to accommodate everything as scheduled in the itinerary. We were pleased with hotels chosen for us and the breakfast buffet was great. Lunches provided in Xian, Guilin, and Zhangjiajie were amazing. I wished and hoped lunches provided in Beijing and Shanghai were as good as in the other places. Don't get me wrong they were good but not as good as in these other smaller cities. We had Carol as our guide on Zhangjiajie tour and we loved her. She went above and beyond by making herself available even after hours of sightseeing time for the day. Also we liked Eric while visiting Beijing. He was a good source of information and made us understand better the culture and history of China. This country is big and beautiful, people were really nice and friendly with us. Climbing the Great Wall was a challenge but so much worth it. The higher you get the more indescribable feeling you get. Please don't forget to bring your good camera as China has some beautiful places and I assure you that you will not regret it. I am glad they allow bringing the camera while walking the Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge which I do regret not taking it with me that day. I read a lot of reviews before I left for China and a lot of them were from years ago. Our drivers provided us with water bottles anytime we needed plus the hotels provided with one bottle per person each day so in other words there was not need to buy them. Hotels, restaurants, museums and other main sites had toilet paper in restrooms. Other ones did not have any but you can bring some with you just in case or buy some there. I have traveled in other countries as well and every each of them had their own challenges but it never holds me back from traveling. I would definitely recommend China Discovery agency to my friends. We hope to go back and visit China again; it was a lifetime experience for us.
The Holiday of a Life Time made possible by China Discovery
We were a group of 6 friends wanting a private, guided tour to locations that we could pick. China Discovery exceeded every expectation and provided us with an amazing, memorable and professional experience. We visited Beijing, Xian, Chengdu, Guillin, Yangshuo, Li River Cruise, Longji Rice Terraces, Zhangjiajie National Forest Park and Shanghai. Scenery was breathtaking, hotels remarkable and tours fantastic. Guides were sensitive to our needs and varied our itinerary or provided extra activities as we requested. They even coped efficiently and compassionately with an unexpeced visit to a hospital. The Great Wall was unbelievable, but not as remarkable as the toboggan ride down afterwards, Terracotta Warriors were outstanding as was the cycle ride round the walls of Xian. The Pandas and the visit to Renmin Park were highlights of Chengdu. The Reed Flute Cave in Guillin has to be seen to be believed. The Li River Cruise took our breath away but was only the appetiser for the wonderful Longji Rice Terraces and accommodation at the Longji Star Wish Resort. Our guide and driver coped with landslides and floods and this only added to the adventure. Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, the Bailong elevator up to Yuanjiajie and the floating mountains of Avatar were spectacular. Shanghai, Zhujiajiao Ancient Town which is known as the “Venice of Shanghai” and the Bund/Shanghai lights at night from the revolving restaurant at the top of our hotel were a fitting finale to a wonderful trip. Fast train rides, subway adventures, 5 internal flights and coping with China's traffic etiquette all complemented this amazing adventure. Well done Jack Li and China Discovery, the most wonderful tour company we have ever dealt with.
"Very well organized trip to 6 cities and Yangtze River Cruise in China”
My life time desire is to visit China. As I studied China history in my history lesson in my Childhood, I always wanted to visit China. China discovery made this trip as a memorable trip to us.Stephanie Kuang their travel agent organized this trip very cost effective and value for money.Stephanie made it sure we see all the important place in China major cities.The tour guides they organized for us were well spoken in English and their knowledge and patient with us is remarkable.China discovery took care of us and made it sure we are looked after very well in China. We went with our daughter. All accommodation what China discovery organized for us were very good. The places we visited were Beijing, Xi'an, Guilin, Chengdu, Yangtze River Cruise, Yichang, and Shanghai
The best place we visited was Chengdu. The Pandas were very cute and lovely to see them .They were adorable. My advice to everyone if you decided to go to China you should go to Chengdu to see the Pandas.Well worth it. We went on the 4 day Yangtze 5* Gold River Cruise. I won't say it is a 5 star River cruise.However, the staffs were very nice. The Cabin was not clean.Food was average.
If you don't like Chinese food then you will have a problem.
We now know who to contact for our next trip to China. I highly recommend using China Discovery and Stephanie Kuang for planning a tour to China because they also give you flexibility, good suggestions and did not pressure us at all. A very friendly and helpful service gave us an unforgettable, amazing lifetime experience.
Amazing Experiences in Wuhan and Wudang Mountains on 7 day tour
It has been a lifetime ambition of mine to experience the Wudang Mountains for its amazing scenery and association with Martial Arts,in particular Tai Chi.Initially it was a logistical nightmare and very confusing to arrange this trip myself. Without local knowledge and not spending a lot of time researching on the internet, especially with conflicting reports it is quite difficult to know exactly what is the best thing to do. However I had read good reviews about China Discovery and decided to try their services.We are so glad we did because Catherine Liu of China Discovery was so helpful with her organising and communications all throughout this. From organising our choices of accommodation, itineraries and suggesting places to visit it became much more than a holiday but a lifetime experience that will stay with me forever.
Our local guide Amy who met us at Wudangshan was very knowledgeable and friendly. She gave us many good tips and was more like a friend than a guide. the highlight of the tour for me was the cable car to the Golden Temple where the panoramic views of the Wudang Mountain areas was simply breathtaking. Not only was the whole tour with China Discovery a great experience, it saved us valuable time, was great value for money and a great safe way to pay through Paypal as well. I highly recommend using China Discovery and Catherine Liu for planning a tour to China because they also give you flexibility, good suggestions and did not pressure us at all. A very friendly and helpful service gave us an unforgettable, amazing lifetime experience.
Very well organized trip to 5 cities in China
Wonder Wang at China Discovery coordinated a 15-day trip for my family across Beijing, Luoyang, Xian, Jiuzhaigou, Chengdu and Mt Emei. His attention to detail, courteousness, responsiveness was excellent. He ensured that my family was always taken care of.
Overall China Discovery is expensive but value for money.
Wonderful 5-Day ChengDu-JiuZhaiGuo and 4-Day Yangtze River Cruise Trip
I'm originally from China and have heard of horrible stories involving travel agencies and tour guides. However, our experience working with China Discovery-Day Tour and it's agent Johnson Wang has completed reset my view of the tourism industry in China. We are a family with two young children. He provided very flexible and prompt assistance to all my requests, and was able to match us up with a very family-friendly tour guide Phoebe. I especially appreciate his honesty and tips of avoiding pitfalls. We went from a simply 4-day Yangtze River cruise quote to adding an additional 5-day customized tour from ChengDu to JiuZhaiGuo and HuangLong state parks. Our kids had blast on the 9-day trip and made good friends with our lovely tour guide. We know who to contact for our next private China discovery tour!
Excellently Organised Trip.
Lyn Wang of China Discovery organised our 6 day trip to Shanghai & Beijing to perfection. She was professionally very knowledgeable and guided us well So that we could all the tourists' attractions we were interested in visiting. She was very prompt in replying to all our emails. A pleasure to have had her as our first contact in China.
Guides in both cities were also excellent, specially Candy in Beijing was very helpful and polite. Both spoke and understood English well. A pleasure to tour China with this company.
Guilin, Longsheng, Yangshuo 6 day private tour with China Discovery
Our experience could not have been better for our 2 week tour planned through China Discovery.
Before our trip, our travel consultant, Wendy, answered all of our questions quickly and well. They planned an amazing personalized trip tailored for what we wanted to see and our traveling style.
Accommodations: The 4 star hotels were way nicer than what we have ever stayed at before (we usually do the hostel/budget travel), food had a great variety and loved the lunches because they were family style and you had a variety of dishes to choose from. We loved having a ride pick us up and take us to the airport.
Tours and Guides: Were incredible! We saw so much, but didn't feel rushed our worn out at the end of the day. We got to see lots of must-see places and incredible places we never would have seen or known of otherwise. The guides were all very knowledgeable, extremely kind (even going out of their way for members in the group), and spoke English very well. We learned a lot and would definitely recommend to friends and family.
We visited Beijing, Dunhuang, Xian, Lhasa, and Chengdu. All were fantastic places to visit. We wished we had a longer trip and got to stay in Xian for longer.
Guilin, Longsheng, Yangshuo 6 day private tour with China Discovery
We did a 6 day private tour which included Guilin, the Longji Terraces in Longsheng County, and Li River Cruise to Yangshuo Town all organised by China Discovery. The tour was very well organised and everything went seamlessly from the pick-up and transfer from our Hong Kong hotel, fast train tickets, tour hotels and local transport.
We had a very experienced guide who spoke excellent English and had an in depth subject knowledge of the area. Our driver got us around very safely and efficiently and we had a fantastic, stress free, holiday with spectacular scenery and very friendly people. The hotels we stayed at were great quality and the breakfasts and lunches provided were very generous servings and tasty.
Our travel consultant, Leo Li, was very prompt replying to all my emails and very helpful supplying information and accommodated all our special requests. Leo is the ultimate travel professional and even continued to assist us with information and helpful instructions for getting around after our tour had concluded.
If you are thinking of travelling to China then I highly recommend China Discovery and Leo Li. I cannot imaging another company doing anything better than these guys and they were excellent value for money.
10 Day Classic China Discovery Tour
We just returned from a customized personal 11 day tour of China visiting Shanghai, Guilin, Yangshou, Xian, and Beijing. We had an absolutely FABULOUS trip and everyone with China Discovery was incredibly helpful. Our trip was slightly complicated with members of my family arriving from different countries and our desire to deviate from the standard itinerary.
The information prior to the trip was comprehensive, the tour guides were helpful, timely and knowledgeable and the trip was absolutely spectacular. Catherine Liu our Trip Advisor planned a wonderful trip and even provided a lovely gift to recognize my birthday. Also I CANNOT speak highly enough about our local guides Lily, Crystal, Lucia & Beijing Lily. they truly made every experience a trip of a lifetime.
Highlights and tips - The Great Wall, the city of Xian, the Yangtze Cruise were highlights. We also took advantage of the trip extras and evening activities; Liusanjie Impression show (Guilin,) Kung Fu Beijing, Great Wall Slide etc. Definitely wear comfortable shoes and loose cool clothes for summer trips.
I highly recommend paying the extra money to have your own personal trip and creating the trip you want with China Discovery!
holiday in china
Stephanie from Discovery Travel arranged an amazing trip for my husband and I. we had 16 days af an active full itinery. the service was amazing and our drivers and guides were always dead on time. it is a pleasure to travel in this way in china with the language barrier.
I would sincerely recommend Discovery Travel to arrange your trip for you.
they could not have done more for us. we did the major sites Xian Shanghai and Beiging as well as climb Mt Huasan, visit to Guillin, Li River Cruise and the magnifcent rice terraces in Pingan.
it really was a good trip and we loved every minute of it.
thanks to Stephanie and the guides for enabling us to have this great experience.
5 Day China Discovery Tour
We found China Discovery tours with an internet search. The website was helpful and was easy to understand. We worked with Catherine to arrange our tour. We knew we had a limited time to do the tour so Catherine squeezed in as many sights as possible. We saw Beijing, Xian and Guilin with 3 different guides and drivers. All the guides English was very good and they were able to provide a lot of information on each of the sights we went to. We were a bit rushed and did not spend to much time at each attraction but that was due to our limited time and our desire to see as much as possible.
We had a great time and definitely would recommend this to anyone who is interested in seeing China.
7 DAY CHINA DISCOVERY TOUR
We found China Discovery Tours on the internet and from first contact we have been impressed by the great communication and help given by this company, especially THX^^. Everything about our tour was fabulous. Lovely accomodation, great meals, friendly and informative guides and a great itinerary. We thoroughly enjoyed our trip and would highly recommend using this company when visiting China.
China Discovery 2 day Chengdu tour
We had a 2 day Chengdu tour with ChinaDiscovery.
Day 1 we went to the Panda Centre and then onto the Leshan Buddah, we stayed in Emei that night and the next morning we climbed Mt Emei.
Our tour guide Nancy was amazing, she was a fountain of knowledge and went out of her way to help us order food, give advice on things to see and do, she brought us to tea shops, she was amazing.
Mr Leo Li from China Discovery helped us plan our trip and made the application for our visa very simple. He was always available for emails and to answer any questions.
Transport was top class also and very comfortable.
Accommodation was excellent and Nancy took care of all the checking in.
All in all it was a fantastic trip and we would highly recommend this company for tours for future travellers!!
Great trip, great guides, superbly planned!
My friend and I used China Discovery (based in Chengdu, China) for our 12-day tour of China. They were terrific! The entire trip (excluding airfare to/from China) was expertly planned for us with great communication throughout. We wanted to add sites to their standard tour and they were very amenable. English-speaking guides met us in each location. It was nice to have a local expert in each place and the guides often went out of their way to help us out -- finding vegetarian food for us, for instance, and taking us to sites off the beaten track. The total cost, including airfare within China, trainfare, ground transportation, hotel rooms, guides and drivers was very reasonable. Do yourself a favor and book with China Discovery! (BTW, we are two 50-something women from California, experienced travelers, but new to China.)
Highly Recommend
We booked 1 day Panda Volunteer in Chengdu and 3 nights Yangtze River cruise through China Discovery. First it was kind of scary to pay full amount (over 2 thousand dollars for all four of us) for almost three mount in advance. But everything turned out very well. Even there were changes in schedules of the shipping companies China Discovery was very honest and informed us upfront, and refunded differences in ship classes.
I dealt with Catherine Liu and she was great in all communication and booking process.
Panda Volunteer program was our highlight in china. Agency provided our family (4 people) with a spacious minivan with a separate driver and an English Speaking guide. Our guide (Mr. Ming) not only assisted us on the panda base but was taking pictures of us and gives us other useful advices about China travelling. Btw Chinese speaking guide is an absolute necessity in that region.
Yangtze River cruise was on Century Sky ship and could be better however I would still recommend it. All shortcomings are on the side of the ship itself and not on the China Discovery. I would review it separately on the Yangtze River cruse section. As far as the agency – they did excellent job placing us on the ship, providing us with clear instructions and following up with us after.
So for any our future travel plans in China I would call Catherine Liu and China Discovery and would recommend them to everyone.
Perfect organisation of a custom designed tour around China
I found China Discovery just by searching the Internet and filling an online form. I haven't expected much but surprisingly an itinerary came next morning. Jack - our tour coordinator - has sent very detailed schedule with description of all highlights in each place we were about to visit. We had 15-16 days in China and wanted to see as much as possible. Jack managed to fit all the places we wanted to see by optimizing the flights to take place in the evenings so not to lose time during the day. Jack arranged everything - train tickets and flights, local sightseeing, local show tickets, etc. Within 15 days we managed to visit: Xi'an, Jiuzhaigou, Chengdu, M.Emei, Lhasa, and Chongqing and did the Yangtze River cruise. We were 3 passengers so it can be considered a private trip. And last but not least– all at very reasonable price. I requested a quotation of the same itinerary to the travel agency I usually use and their quotation was around 20% higher. So I decided to take the "risk" of using a new agency and do not regret. China Discovery service was really exceptional in terms of organisation, efficiency, responsiveness, flexibility, and price. Thank you, Jack!
We started on June-14 by a night train from Beijing to Xi'an. It was a good choice as we arrive in Xi'an around 8:30 am after a good sleep in the soft sleeper cabin. Our local guide met us at the train station and we visited the Terracotta army. We spent 2 days in Xi'an visiting also the City wall, the History museum, Big Wild Goose pagoda and the Muslim bazaar (not to miss). Two days (1 night) in Xi'an was just the right time. We took the evening flight to Jiuzhaigou where our local tour guide drove us to our hotel. Next 2 days we have 2 day trips - Huanglong Scenic area and the Yellow Dragon valley - the best scenic place of the whole trip that worth every step we climbed. After 2 nights at Jiuzhaigou we continued to Chengdu where our local guide Ms. Tan showed us the Pandas. She was the most dedicated and flexible guide we had. I want to distinguish her service as it was not limited only to the pre-arranged itinerary but she was happy to assist us with any other requests we had (ex. buy local SIM card, extra show arrangements, dinners, etc.). Thank you Ms. Tan! With Ms. Tan we also visited the Leshan Giant Buddha and Mt. Emei. After Chengdu we had a trip to Lhasa for 4 days, flying back to Chongqing from where we started our 3 days Yangtze River cruise with MV Century Sky liner ship. MV Century Sky is quite big and luxury liner. We upgraded to executive suite at the 5th deck. The 5th deck is just under the Sun deck (6th floor) and kids running on it and passenger jogging create too much noise. We complained and the manager immediately solved the problem by moving us to a 4th deck front suite where we had a pleasant and relaxing cruising . So the advice is: do not take the 5th deck suites.
Once again, I want to express my satisfaction from the excellent work China Discovery did to make our trip around China unforgettable. Definitely will recommend their services and use them in the future.
Excellent Tour and Personalised Service
I visited China on business and decided to take a tour on short notice and contacted China Discovery. Catherine, one of the Tour Directors in theit Chengdu office assisted me in putting together a fabulous tour, and "travelled " with me on my entire trip, by ensuring I was being met by the drivers and tour guides that she arranged. The tour went off flawlessly without a hitch and I felt comfortable and secure knowing that I could contact her at anytime. For both first time travellers and those that need to explore the unusual, I would strongly recommend China Discovery, and ask to speak with Catherine. She is the BEST.
Hangzhou Visit
We spent 5 days in Hangzhou area after visiting other sites in China. Our tour guide David was very knowledgeable about the area and Chinese history in general. Hotel accommodations and meals were very good with both Chinese and Western options at many meals. We visited the Hangzhou museum, Linjin Buddhist site and Wuzhen village as well as some local shopping. Enjoyed the trip very much.
Excellent service
We booked a 5 day China Discovery tour to Jindezhen and the Yellow Mountain but due to bad weather our flight from Shanghai was cancelled. Catherine from China Discovery was fantastic as at short notice she rearranged all our tour to start from a neighbouring city and arranged our return travel to Shanghai. The local tour guide are driver were also excellent managing to make our tour personal and interesting despite very heavy local flooding. Catherines provided excellent service makin daily contact with us to ensure that everything was satisfactory.
Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong trip
We started the trip from Chengdu. After arriving from the U.S. in the evening, we stayed in a hotel by the airport overnight. Next morning we took the first flight to reach Huanglong airport in the morning without any delay. Our guide was there at the exit waiting for us with our names on a white board. Immediately he escorted us to outside and the driver had been waiting there. Both of them took us to Huanglong National park first via a 5000 meter high peak, which gave us a test on whether we could adapt to the high altitude. The Huanglong area without too much water in late May was still very impressive with the blue color pools and rock deposit. After the visit, they drove us to the hotel in Jiuzhaigou. The second day we visited Jiuzhaigou area.. It was relatively lower altitude than Huanglong and more tourist. However, the scenery was close to perfection with so many highlights in each stop. It reminded me of Canadian Rockies. After an overnight rest, they took us to the airport and saw us off. It is a short two day trip, but so enjoyable with perfect service from Chinadiscovery tour guide. It is highly recommended.
21 Days in China - An Amazing Holiday
China Discovery, and in particular Lyn Wang, put togethers a wonderful itinerary for us. The hotels were excellent and the guides and drivers were amazing. They looked after us everywhere we went.
China was very interesting and especially since we went to places out of the ordinary. What an experience that was. If you can put Zhangjiajie on your radar. You wont be sorry. Thank you Lyn for working hard to make this trip one of the most memorable ones we have made.
Huangshan
Our 5 day tour all organised by this company included return tickets to Tunxi via fast train, four nights in hotels in the area, two days walking on Mount Huangshan and visits to two ancient villages, all with a personal English-speaking guide and driver. It was a great adventure.
Well organized and very reasonably priced!
I researched my 11 day trip to China for MANY hours - I looked at all the very high end tour companies and found their schedules and hotels. I got pricing and information from them all. I then brought the best itinerary I could find for the timeframe we were going to Wing at China Discovery. She gave me a quote that was almost half the price of what the other companies offered. I then spoke with a China travel blogger from New York and asked her if she thought this trip would be inferior in any way. She mentioned that I should specify non-smoking driver and guide and ask what kind of car we were getting. She also said to ask if we were going to any tourist souvenir shops that give kick backs and waste your time. I spoke with Wing and she assured me that I would have exactly what I wanted and she even made a suggestion to add in 2 nights at Longsheng to see the Yao people and the rice terraces (this ended up being one of the highlights of our trip and we are so thankful we went!!! I did not see this on other trips) Last thing the blogger said was that the more expensive Tour companies usually had their own exclusive guides and did not use outside guides. I asked our guides if they worked with other companies and I think almost all of them were exclusive with China Discovery and if they were not, it really did not make one bit of difference. Some of the expensive companies said they had specialists (like an archaeologist for The Terra Cotta Soldiers - our guide was so well versed on that subject that I didn't feel that we missed out one bit)
Wing was very responsive and did a wonderful job - she checked in on us a few times and was available if needed. We stayed at 5 star hotels and all of them went over the top to make us happy - we learned that during certain months (usually march or april) some of the hotels switch from heat to AC and you get neither for the week of the switch - it was unusually warm our week and the hotel literally brought us 5 fans and moved our room to a shady side of the building. In my experience when you work with a large tour company, the hotels and everyone else knows that they bring in many clients and will do anything to keep the client happy and get return business from the Tour Company. We had excellent service from everyone. Our guides ranged from very good to excellent. Most were locals who grew up in the area and we learned about their life and families (which we love to hear about) along with the historical aspects. Also it was great to be on the same time zone as the company we were working with.
All in all, I would highly recommend Wing at China Discovery!
2 week china trip.. Well organised. Highly recommeded
After checking out various touring agencies i decided on China Discovery (based in Chengdu).. and i was not disappointed at all. Their travel consultant Stephanie Kuang helped me out with all the booking.. very smart and pro active lady.
I would definitely recommend this travel agency!
China Discovery - Perfect organisation and so hassle free
Planning the trip, 23 days, took some time as we wanted a mix of personal days free of any organised trips and small organised travel and accommodation when we felt it was necessary and to make it hassle free for ourselves.
Jack Li from China Discovery did a perfect job at making this happen.
With Jack's organisation skills we accomplished so much more than we could have done on our own. Pick up's, flights, train rides, cruises and sight seeing tours all happened like clock work, this would have taken days of our own time and effort to organise and stress about. It all just happened like magic.
For example we finished a few days in beautiful Zhangjaijie, including a last minute request for a trip to the glass bridge, which Jack organised for us and a big thank you to Victor our guide for making it all work before taking us to the airport, after a morning in the mountains, lunch and the glass bridge, getting upgraded to first class, still not sure how that happened, for an early evening flight to Chongching. To be picked up at the airport by Oliver one of the most entertaining guides for an hour an a half drive to the river where our ship was docked. Oliver organised our luggage,which arrived on board before we did. Oliver navigated us through the docks, walked us on board explained everything that would happen and waited until we were settled before biding us farewell. When we looked back on what we had achieved in one day we realized we just couldn't have done it on our own.
Guides that we had;Jackson in Beijing, Ben in Xian, Victor in Zhahjaijie where all fantastic. Providing detailed information and history, on China in general and of the various sites we visited, including where to eat and places to visit after the tours. As well as personal insights to day to day life in China, it was really fascinating and again something we would have potentially missed if we had done the trips on our own.
Thank you Jack and our guides and all of the team at China Discovery. It saved us a lot of precious vacation days, allowed us to see and do a lot more, took away all of the hassle of organizing things ourselves, Jack was always available via text or on the phone when we wanted to make last minute changes. I highly recommend using them and will certainly look at using them again.
Thanks Jack for a grate trip.
Panda 1 day volunteer
My wife and I did the one day panda volunteer event outside of Chengdu. We communicated by email with Leo and were hosted on the 1 day tour with Kevin. Leo was very responsive and Kevin was awesome. Kevin even got us tickets to the changing faces show in chengdu the night of our tour and got us there by bicycle, right to our seats. The day was really cool. The panda photo is super expensive but was the highlight of the volunteer day. I would say the day could have been shorter (I would cut the second feeding and the panda cake making). But overall a really unique experience that I would recommend.
16 days China tour
It was very pleasant to take our last tour to China with you. All places we visited were quite interesting, we learned a lot of history and Chinese culture. Guides were always very polite, efficient and flexible to changes. We will not hesitate to recommend your company to our relatives and friends.
China Discovery Tours is Amazing!
I have contacted this agency just the week before traveling to China and Stephanie Kuang was amazing, really professional and helpful, replying to my mails really quickly and managing to meet all my desires!
YES, the trip was really great! I must say it has exceeded my expectations!
The guides are very professional! They speak very good english, have very good knowledge about China´s history, and are very nice and willing to meet all our requests! (I specially liked Bruce, in Xi'An!)
The drivers too, are very professional and kind (the one in Xi'An even bought cherries for us!)
If it weren´t for China Discovery Tours, we would have never visited so many places in such a short time!
I definitely recommend this company!!!
And I will for sure contact them again, the next time I travel to China!
Manuela Martins, from Portugal (been to Xi'An and Beijing in May/June 2017).
Great and Dependable Personalized Tour to China's West
I am an avid traveler around the globe. I have visited the big cities in China by my own arrangements in the past. I have always wanted to do the famed China's West Corridor (part of the Silk Road) which was famously explored during the Han Dynasty. However, this corridor is longer than the length of California. I needed professional help.
This is my first time booking through a tour agency on the Internet. Obviously I was a little anxious so I did a lot of research. I finally decided on CHINA DISCOVERY based in Chengdu after thoroughly searching their website and reviews.
They are very responsive. You get email response within 24 hours (expected due to time zone). I was able to organized a private itinerary for one person for 9 days. They were able to accommodate my specific requests such as wanting to see special caves in Dunhuang and preference for the new Chinese high speed railway. I had private guides and drivers during the entire trip (three groups of guide and driver as my trip involved three different regions). The guides were very knowledgable and friendly. The drivers were excellent --all veteran drivers with more than 20 years of experience. I felt very safe with them. We all became friends at the end of each leg of my trip there.
I like to thank the tour agent, Jack Li, for arranging the entire trip. He was very responsive and polite. My anxiety about the booking dissolved after my airport pick up in Lanzhou City. The tour guide and driver were waiting at the airport carrying a sign with me name on it.
I would definite use this agency for future China trip booking. In fact I plan to visit Tibet next year!
SHANGHAI-BEIJING TRIP
It was a pleasnt and memorable 6 days trip,well enjoyed by our family had the oppurtunity to visit the GREAT WALL ,which a splendid attraction,above all it was a well organized trip from china discovery tours...Kudos to Ms Stephanie our travel consultant,who was patient enough to make our alternate arrangements and was guiding us right early from booking tiil our return to home.
Thanks to China discovery tours for arranging this excellent budget friendly trip
Awesome!
What a trip! Thank you Wonder (China Discovery Day Tours) you did a grand job in helping us plan an extraordinary adventure to see the sights of beautiful China. We covered so much territory using trains, planes and automobiles and it all went smoothly and without a hitch! We would definitely use this China Discovery again!
It is very reassuring to know that everything was scheduled and organised throughout our time in China. All our guides and drivers did an amazing job and we loved being able to move around freely without being part of a group. We can thoroughly recommend private touring, its more personal, comfortable and there is more flexibility.
Thank you again Wonder for organising such an amazing trip for us and thanks also to our wonderful guides and drivers who kept us safe and on track for this trip of lifetime. It was also delightful to meet you and be able to thank you in person!
Reliable and Responsive
We judge private tours on three separate areas: how fast they respond to our enquiries; how they work to accommodate our itinerary and how closely they work with us during the trip. Based on these criteria, China Discovery passed with flying colours. We sent out emails to half-a-dozen private tour companies asking about a 10-day private tour to Hangzhou area. China Discovery was one of the first to reply in a very professional manner; and one of the few that warned us about travelling during national holidays in May (some did not even mention it). They worked with us and came up with an itinerary to meet out need. During the trip, we had a few requests for changes and Mr. Wang of China Discovery stayed in contact with us and tried to accommodate our requests within hours. The guides they provided all spoke English, though some were better than others. We have nothing but positive comments on China Discovery and will engage them again.
Amazing 10 day family vacation in China!
My family of four took our first trip to Asia and used China Discovery as our tour guide. We considered 4 companies all of which were highly recommended by Trip Advisor as we worked out the itinerary that we knew would be jam-packed given the time allotted for the trip. We had 10 days over the kids' spring break to visit Beijing, Xian, Guilin, Yangshuo and Shanghai. We chose China Discovery for a variety of reasons but primarily because we felt they offered the best overall value.
Stephanie Kuang was our advisor who worked with us in the planning stage to determine the itinerary, activities, and hotel options. She was absolutely fantastic to work with. We went through many scheduling changes and she was always prompt and made helpful suggestions throughout. She never gave us the impression that we were being "difficult" even though this process went on for several weeks before everything was finalized. The process was very easy. Stephanie always let us know that we were always in control and she accommodated every request.
This was a personal tour set up for just my family, my wife and I and our 2 teenage children, ages 16 and 18. None of us spoke the language so we were totally reliant on the tour guides. We were picked up at the airport/train station at each location by the tour guides and immediately started the tour. While the drivers spoke no english, each of the tour guides spoke fluently. Every pick up and drop off at the sightseeing attractions were seamless. Upon seeing the driving conditions and congestion particularly in Beijing, I couldn't help but feel a sense of relief that I wasn't driving myself !! The guides kept us on schedule to insure we saw everything on our itinerary.
The highlights of our trip included visiting The Great Wall which was beautiful and immense and we especially enjoyed the toboggan ride down. The River Cruise down the Li River was another highlight. This breathtaking 4 hour cruise was absolutely beautiful and surprisingly the kids' second favorite activity behind The Great Wall. The ferry boats were very comfortable and the views were awe-inspiring the entire way down.
Shopping was a big hit with the family. We spent much of our off-time at markets that sell a variety of souvenirs and knock-off items which were great for a teenagers budget.
We would not hesitate to use China Discovery again for future travels to China. Stephanie checked in with us throughout the trip and followed up afterwards as well to insure our goals were met. They made our vacation stress-free and efficient. The trip was one that we will remember always in large part due to China Discovery's expertise.
Forth Tour
Finished my forth tour with China Discovery to numerous destinations. Great guides, tours and prices. All guides knew the area we visited and took very personal care of us.
WONDERFUL 25 DAYS IN CHINA - PRIVATE TOUR
Very Good choice since we could make some ongoing changes during our trip
Booking (by email) and Payment( use Paypal) was made so easy.
As soon as we arrival in China, everything went smoothly, the tour guides were great !
Everything worked perfectly & according to our plan. The guides were friendly and competent and spoke good English. The vehicles were comfortable, the hotels/restaurants were good, the schedules were perfectly respected.
We loved and We highly recommend the services of China Discovery Tours ( Chengdu, China)
Special thanks to :
Wendy, our great and tireless Tour Planner and Coordinator. She planned with us the whole tour and supported us in China. During 8 months we changed almost 100 emails. All of them replied promptly !!
Joy, our tour guide in Zhangjiajie! Always bringing some fruits, water, fresh vegetables to give us ! We walked toghether almost 40km in 3 days.
She really knows the better spots in both places : Zhangjiajie Park and Tianmen Mountain Park
Dunzhu, our tour guide in Lhasa! Very good English and Very knowledgeable of his culture and religious aspects, he introduced us to Tibet in three days in a warm and smooth way.
Bruce, our tour Guide in Xian ! Wonderfull time with The Terracotta Army !!!
Eric( Tour Guide in Beijing) and Mr. Lee( best driver and Car ) ! The Schedule was perfectly followed without rush.
Johanna , our tour guide in PingYao! We loved visit Jincy Temple with her!!!
David, in Chongqing! We only stay together for 3 hours but he gave us very good and important directions before boarding Yangtze cruise
Fay, in Yichang! Very good instructions getting the train to Zhangjiajie ! Perfect!!
Tom in Chengdu, thanks a Lot for all, nice talk !!!
Leedan in Hangzhou ! We loved the day tour in West Lake and traditional lunch!
Melody in Shangai ! Nice tips about local food in Tongli!
Awesome China tour from north east to south west
We had an excellent holiday organized by China Discovery (based in Chengdu) with the assistance of Vivien Li. We travelled in a private 4 persons tour from Beijing to Xi'An, Guilin, Yanhshuo, Kunming, Lijiang and Dongshuan. Guides were excellent, cars and drivers as well, hotels met expectations and monuments visited were awesome. We ended the holiday with a memorable experience. All this thanks to outstanding Vivien, who organized everything for us and followed through by calling us everyday and asking us whether we were OK and whether we had any issues which thanks to her organization we had none. Thank you for the memorable holiday and China experience.
Amazing 3 weeks in China
We booked a 3 week private tour for 2 couples covering Beijing, Guilin, li River Cruise, Yangshuo, Longji Rice Terraces, Chengdu, Yangtze River Cruise, Shanghai, Suzhou and Hangzhou.
Our consultant with China Discovery (Chengdu) was Stephanie Kuang and she did a fabulous job, responding quickly to our emails and providing quotes for various options as we developed our itinerary. We specified a "no shopping" tour so there were no unwanted visits to jade factories etc, and the cost to upgrade to 5 star accommodation was very reasonable - and the hotels were truly 5 star quality and in excellent locations.
The various guides were excellent, always there to greet us when we arrived at an airport/railway station, and organised everything very efficiently. They were knowledgeable and were willing to answer any questions we had. With one exception, they all understood our Aussie accents OK. Breakfasts were included at the hotels (asian and western options) and we also had lunches included. Early in the tour the guides selected the (Chinese) lunches and generally there was too much food and the dishes were not always to our liking. We soon learned to select our own dishes and agree to pay any surplus if we were too extravagant in our selections - we only had to pay extra once and the volume and food choices better matched our tastes.
The drivers were amazing. While we have driven in major cities in Europe and USA, there is no way we would attempt it in China! At the first couple of locations the vans were just OK, cramped and seat belts sometimes missing. After we raised this with Stephanie the quality of the vans improved considerably. If we were organising the trip again this is one area we would pay greater attention to.
Our itinerary included the normal highlights and we were truly impressed. Be aware that the accommodation for the Longji Rice Terraces requires a 20 minute hike up the mountain - unfortunately our guide forgot to tell us to pack an overnight bag so we had to pay for all of our luggage to be carted up the hill by local porters. The accommodation for this stop was the best available, but not up to the 5 star standard of all of the other stops. However, the breathtaking views made it worthwhile.
We left night activities as optional extras. In Beijing we went to an acrobatics performance and the guide booked us into a local up-market restaurant for peking duck (excellent). In Yangshou and Hangzhou we went to performances on the lakes - produced by the same people who did the opening ceremony for the Beijing olympics. These were quite spectacular and are not to be missed.
On the Yangtze we travelled on the Century Legend which is only 3-4 years old. The cabins were spacious and side tours were well organised. Buffet meals on the boat, however, were fairly ordinary. Also note that there is no buffet on the first night and the a la carte option was also fairly ordinary - it would be better to organise a meal elsewhere before boarding. The trip to the three gorges dam was spectacular.
We would highly recommend China Discovery (Chengdu).
Private Tour is the Way to Go
After scanning the internet and emailing several tour agencies, we decided on China Discovery. We were not disappointed. Catherine Liu gave us excellent service and was always quick to respond.to my many questions. Catherine was able to arrange excellent guides and drivers at each of the national parks we visited: Jiuizhaigou, Zhangjiajie and Huangshan. Catherine paid attention to our special requests for photography and local food, all fulfilled by the local guides. Because the parks are located in remote areas, arranging the flights and train was complicated and took time coordinating. We had no hitches. Having a driver and guide meet us at each destination was a big relief. Jiuzhaigou park and surrounding area is consider Eastern Tibet. We did not realize the rift between Eastern and Western Tibet (we had visited Lhasa two years earlier) until our guide, Victor gave us a little history background. While traveling to the other park, Huanglong Park, we learned that the 2008 earthquake epicenter was only two hours away. We could see whole towns being rebuilt along the way. Zhangjiajie was an amazing park. One of the most beautiful park I've been to. Our guide, Peter took us on an amazing cablecar tram ride (there are several in the park). It was one of the most spectacular and dramatic ride ever. He was very knowledgeable about the park and took my husband to secret secluded locations to take photography. Huangshan was our final park and our guide was Ellen. She was a third generation tea grower so we were fortunate to learn about tea growing, tea picking and tea buying. This was an extra bonus for us. At the top of Huangshan, we were able to see a most spectacular sunrise. According to Ellen Huangshan has only 60 days where the weather will cooperate. We were lucky to have one of those days. Our last tour took us to Suzhou to visit the Venice of China and see her many bonsai gardens. We were not disappointed. Overall, China Discovery has a talented group of local tour guides that try very hard to please. We thoroughly enjoyed our 10 days park tour arranged by China Discovery.
Wonderful trip to Guilin with China Discovery, Chengdu
This was our 1st trip to China - Johnson was very responsive to our first email and all other follow-up after that! Our guide in Guilin, was Smiley, who had a lovely friendly and flexible manner. We learnt a lot about the country and the culture and can't wait to return. We would definitely use this company again.
Private Tours with China Discovery - The Way to Go: Dependable, Prompt, Courteous
Summary: Our trip was stress free and enjoyable because we had China Discovery as our trip consultant. Even on short notice, our trip coordinator Catherine Liu found excellent guides and drivers. Along the way, when we realized too late that many vendors and even hotels do not accept American credit cards, China Discovery solved our temporary cash flow issues so we could buy the souvenirs we wanted.
Catherine also re-scheduled changes that involved transportation, guides, drivers and hotels throughout the planning process and trip without us having to worry about it. If you’ve been thinking of planning a private tour, we highly recommend China Discovery of Chengdu - excellent service.
The Details
We had an opportunity to make an impromptu visit to China with only two weeks to plan a tour. We decided it was a great time to check off some places on our bucket list - Huangshan (Yellow Mountain) and Zhangjiajie. Even though we speak Mandarin and have been to China many times, we don’t know the national parks well enough to plan a trip totally on our own. But the last thing we wanted to do was join a tour and follow someone with a bullhorn in a herd of fellow tourists. We have arranged private tours in China since 2007 and feel this is the best way to go. The benefits of using a good, private tour coordinator include:
• Peace of mind: knowing we have a local contact who can help us at a moment’s notice. Also, good tour companies will make sure you get to the airport or train station on time depending on how you’re are getting to your next destination.
• Safety and handling medical emergencies: Fortunately, no issues this time. p>
• Convenient financing: Many of the smaller and out of the way cities of China do not accept American credit cards. That leaves us with the dilemma of how much cash to bring. An advantage of using a good tour company is that it can arrange payments for us before the trip which we can reimburse them for by credit card.
• Handling spur of the moment schedule changes: As it turned out, we had to make several unforeseen schedule changes on our trip.
• Saving time: With a private guide and driver, we can park closer to the destination and avoid long lines by using special queues for licensed guides. REALLY IMPORTANT.
• Personalized tours allow you to go in more depth about the region, culture, traditions, etc or whatever you’re interested in.
Luckily for us, a few months before our trip, some friends had been planning to visit Huangshan and Zhangjiajie too. They checked out several tour companies and decided on China Discovery to plan a private tour for them. They chose China Discovery based on responsiveness, flexibility and price so we decided to give them a try too.
Our trip coordinator was Catherine Liu who took care of our itinerary before we left the US. She was very responsive and got back to us promptly when answering our emails. We asked her to arrange a tour guide and driver for Zhangjiajie, Fenghuang and Huangshan. She could also arrange our hotels but we wanted to select our own to avoid chain hotels and more touristy ones. (More about the Chinese B & B’s that we stayed at in a separate review.) China Discovery had no problem with that. At each stop we asked Catherine to have the driver pick us up at the airport or train station upon our arrival. The drivers were there waiting for us as we exited the terminals - a reassuring sign! Each time we had nice, clean roomy minivans and were promptly taken to our hotels as we arrived at night.
Zhangjiajie and Fenghuang in April
Our guide for two days in Zhangjiajie was a young woman who grew up in the area which is home to the Tu minority ethnic group. Xiaoli’s mother is Tu and her father is Han Chinese so she is very familiar with the national park and local folklore. At our first meeting, she greeted us in Tu fashion by singing a Tu folksong for us. What a treat!
She met us each morning on time at our hotel even though she had to take public transit for an hour and half. Despite the crowds at the park, she made sure we never had to wait in line for the shuttle bus or entrance gate for more than 10 minutes. She knew all the famous geological features of Zhangjiajie and best places for picture taking. We also enjoyed her recounting of Tu fables and traditions.
On our third day we planned to drive from Zhangjiajie to the ancient town Fenghuang. It was a Saturday. We left at 10 am but should have left earlier. Our driver Mr Zhou was making good time until we came to a grinding halt at about the halfway point. It was solid gridlock with tour busses haphazardly parked along the two lane highway blocking passage. Mr Zhou was very adept at maneuvering the minivan through narrow gaps to make some headway. He kept his cool and finally got us to Fenghuang without incident. Unfortunately, the charm of Fenghuang is fading because of the influx of outside investors from Beijing and other large cities who have purchased retail space and converted it into Karaoke bars with neon lights and music blasting away at night.
From Fenghuang, Xiaoli and Mr Zhou took us to the train station and bid us farewell. We took the high speed rail to Huangshan City North train station. Before we arrived, the Huangshan driver assigned to us called and met us at the train station on time. As it turned out, Mr Zhang had a great deal of experience driving precious cargo in his previous job. He was an excellent driver and quite personable.
Our guide Mr Z, was very knowledgeable about the history and culture of Huangshan, Huizhou and the local villages. He listened to our requests and was very conscientious about making sure we got the best prices for things we wanted to buy. He also helped us exchange money at the most favorable rate on his own time so that we didn’t have to hassle with waiting in line at the bank.
China Discovery is an excellent private tour choice.
Amazing experience - no pressure!
We highly recommend travelling in China with China Discovery. We booked a private tour for 3 days in Beijing and then 2 days in Xian which included private guides and chauffeured cars in each city. Our guide in Beijing,(Candy), was absolutely brilliant. So thoughtful, caring, knowledgeable and sensitive to our every need, She was an absolute delight and we will endeavour to book her again on any future tours. Our tour included 1st class train tickets from Beijing to Xian and then a return flight. We saw the wonderful terracotta warriors and our guide for the 3 days was Tilly, whose thoughtful and enthusiastic manner was really appreciated and enjoyed.
Having our own guide, driver and car in each city was great as we often had options and there was virtually no waiting or pressure! Many enjoyable lunches in a variety of restaurants were included in the package also.
Our correspondence with this company has been excellent also, thank you to Lyn Wang. The organization was top class and hotels were all 5 star.
Extraordinary Trip with China Discovery
My husband and I traveled to China for 10 days under the wonderful guidance of China Discovery. From the initial email to the final day of our trip, China Discovery did a masterful job of providing us with an organized, safe vacation filled with sight seeing, delicious food and new friends! Wing Zeng planned our trip based on our wish list but she also included many other interesting activities that enriched our trip. Wing was extremely helpful and generous with our many questions! In each city, we were met by a tour guide and a driver. Because of the language barrier, the tour guides -- Andie, Angela, Linda and Sandy -- were invaluable with their fluency in English, their immense knowledge and their attentiveness to our interests and needs. Plus, the drivers in each city were gifted at navigating the unreal traffic and always kept us safe. We would definitely recommend China Discovery as an ideal option for travelers who prefer not to be in a huge tour group but who would like a guide for the language and for the knowledge they share. Highly recommend!
Excellent tour with a highly professional travel agency
Me and my wife have just returned from a fantastic private 13 days tour to China organized by China Discovery (Chengdu Bamboo International Tours) where our tour consultant was highly professional Catherine Liu.
We booked the whole tour several months in advance in order to find an optimal flight and train schedule as well as to verify all hotels and sites to be visited. All services provided by China Discovery were perfect: Catherine Liu contacted with us immediately upon all of our requests, she explained us all details of the tour, agreed with us day-by-day itinerary and fitted the optimal flights and train. She kindly explained to us the way and time-frame of Tibet Permit obtaining as well as recommended the best sites to be visited.
In each city (Beijing, Xian, Lhasa and Zhangjiajie) we have excellent English-speaking tour guides and comfortable car with a driver. All meals booked within the tour were discussed with us every day and we have an opportunity to taste famous Chinese cousin with all flavors and beauties! We have met all we expected regarding sightseeing, natural sceneries, life of people. All commentaries provided by our tour guides were very precise, informative and exhaustive. All of them could reasonably recommend us acceptable time of visit to each of place of interest and to fit the time frame of every visit to our personal capabilities.
I would highly recommend the China Discovery as a travel agency to organize a full-scale visit to China.
Amazing impressions show!
We were in Guillin for a day and decided to go to Yangshuo to watch Impressions light show.
I contacted China Discovery and told them that we would like to be picked up early in the afternoon and go to yangshuo-almost 2 hours away from guillin- to stay for a couple of hours in the center and then to watch the evening time show.
Leo Li from China Discovery sent to the hotel a very modern, clean and comfortable van with a driver and a guide , who were both unbelievably smiley and friendly. The driver was very careful and the guide very knowledgable and flexible.
We stopped in the center of the city for a walk and then we were picked up again to go to the theatre.
The show was amazing!!! It took place in the lake!!!
After that we drove back to Guillin! it was a perfect time for us!!! Thank you Leo Li!!!
Nepal the hidden Gem
My wife and I have just returned from a fabulous and exciting trip to Nepal. Although the country is very poor the people are very friendly, polite and willing to help. Our tour guide Nabaraj Mainali, who is an independent guide, was testament to this and went out of his way to make our tour all we had wished it to be.
We visited the Swayambhurat Temple also known as the Monkey Temple. Make sure that you go to the back of the temple so as to avoid the 365 steps up to the temple. From the top you get a wonderful view of the Kathmandu Valley. Nearby one can purchase authentic Tibetan carpets woven on sight by the women refugees from Tibet. We also visited other sights such as Durbar Square, Bouddhanath temple and Pashupatinath Temple where we were witness to a cremation at this sacred Hindu sight.
We then moved onto Nargakot to witness a beautiful sunset and sunrise over the very impressive Langtang Himalayan mountain range. The journey from Kathmandu was arduous as the roads in general are in poor condition and the traffic chaotic but the visit was a must.The next day it was onto Baktapur with its many temples and religi ous sites. Unfortunately a number of them and buildings still bear the scars of the earthquake of 2015 but work is evident to repair them. All in all a very worthwhile and relatively inexpensive holiday with wonderful people and weather.
We were ably assisted with our tour by Wonder Wang of China Discovery in Chengdu who helped, with his contacts to make it all happen.
3 day private tour to Chengdu
Wanting to visit and volunteer with pandas I contacted China Discovery - Wendy Dan was very helpful, suggesting our itinerary and adapting it as requested speedily and efficiently. Her suggestion of hotel, The RhombusPark Aura Hotel, was a great choice and I got to visit the pandas at both the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Pandas, as well as volunteer and panda cuddling at Dujiangyan panda base. We also very much enjoyed Renmin Park and Jinli Old Street. We had a private car, driver & guide with us from/to the airport and on the day trips which I think was a good idea, because although we are experienced travellers, there was a big language problem and it was nice to be looked after by an English speaking guide who was very helpful, lovely and informative. Before we travelled Wendy helped us with an invitation letter which ensured our visas were issued quickly and I felt we could ask anything. Whilst we didn't do the trip cheaply, I feel it was well worth it and would recommend China Discovery!!
twelve days of packed enjoyment on a private guided tour through Shanghai, Xian, Luoyang & Beijing.
I had been to China before and talking with my son, we decided to go to China together, including my son's partner. The previous company I toured with wasn't conducting tours for anyone over 30, so I went to the local travel agent and had quotes done for the airfares and tour. I had to sit down at the price quoted. I took to the internet to see what was available, and found China Discovery (based in Chengdu). I emailed for a quote on a tour and Rita came back very quickly with all the answers and the quote. I had to look twice as it was considerably cheaper than the local travel agency. Being a bit distrustful of the internet, I read through the reviews of China Discovery (based in Chengdu). I found a lot of glowing reports. Again, being a bit distrustful I emailed about 20 reviewers and asked some questions of their tour. About 7 of them replied, and I was getting a good feeling about China Discovery (based in Chengdu). I decided to go with them, and Rita continued on with us as our agent. Rita had to leave as she was having a baby, and Vivien was assigned to our tour. Vivien was wonderful, in that she picked up where Rita had got to, and then finalised our tour details. Payment was by bank transfer, and I will say, follow their instructions very carefully. I made a very small deposit to make sure the money was received by their finance department first before I transferred the full amount. The next thing was getting a visa for China, again Vivien forwarded me the right documents to apply at the Chinese Embassy in Australia. The photo requirements are different for passports but the Australian Post Office has all the details in their camera and so getting the Chinese photo requirements was a breeze. Just make sure you tell the APO that you want photos for a Chinese visa. The visa application was not hard, just read the form, put the letter in from China Discovery (based in Chengdu) and send in your passport. Between getting the visa and waiting to fly to China, I received a email from Vivien advising that the Peony Flower festival was on in Louyang when we were visiting, and would we like to go, at no extra cost, as it would fit into our timetable. It is small things like this that sets travel agents apart, and Vivien was on the ball with this one. China Discovery (based in Chengdu) have guides in the places you visit, so on arrival to Shanghai we were met by the guide and a driver called Geng. Only for our small group of three. We were taken to the hotel, and booked in, and then the itinerary was sorted with the guide. At the end of the time in Shanghai we were taken to the airport, waded through the large bustling crowd and checked in on our plane. Emily the guide was wonderful in this as it went smooth as silk. The same happened when we arrived in Xian, Louyang and Beijing. I found the guides very good and wanting to please the group. They were knowledgeable about their city, and the attractions we went to. On top of this I felt very safe in their hands. I won't go into the attractions as you can read about them on line. Suffice to say any deviations from the normal tourist run was easily accommodated by Vivien and China Discovery (based in Chengdu). An example was we couldn't go the the acrobat show in Shanghai as it was booked out, but after sms'ing Vivien, she arranged for the guide in Beijing to organise for our group to go to acrobat show in Beijing. Some things that are useful to know are when booking into the hotels it is very common to ask for a deposit, to cover the minibar. The hotel will ask you for a credit card and reserve an amount on there, to be released when you leave. Unfortunately, this release takes a long time by the banks in Australia. So my work around was to give cash as a deposit, and collect the cash on check out. This worked well. I used Aussie dollars for the deposit, as the classy hotels we were booked into had no problems with foreign currency. Please note this is nothing to do with China Discovery (based in Chengdu), as they book the hotels like every one else does, but on your behalf. It is the individual hotel policies.
As an Aussie, tipping goes against the grain, but it is the way of the world. To solve this, I talked with our group and we all decided on what to tip as a group. This worked very well. There is a guide on the tipping in the documents you receive. I also took a cheap travel phone with me, and our guide in Shanghai helped with a Chinese sim card. By doing this we always had contact the guide and driver. Vivien was very helpful and was regularly sms'ing and calling to make sure everything was going well.
Also note that Whatsapp and Microsoft Bing work well in China but Facebook and Google don't. Well mostly don't as the in one hotel we did get to use Facebook to call home. To sum it up, we really enjoyed the whole tour, the guides, the drivers and most of all Vivien, who worked very hard to make our trip a success and enjoyable. As I said, I felt safe, and always had someone whom I could contact if I needed to sort details out. Would I use China Discovery (based in Chengdu) again, you bet, and I am already talking to my family for a return trip to China, and we will most definitely use China Discovery (based in Chengdu) again. They have good prices, great hotels, and a friendly attitude to you as a traveler.
Two week guided tour through China: Beijing, Xian, Chengdu, Yangtze River, Guilin.
We have just returned from a truly fantastic trip to China, thanks mostly to the organisation and professionalism of Mr Wonder Wang and his company, China Discovery. Wonder was always quick, patient and thorough in answering our questions whist planning our tour. Our tour guides were excellent. We were promptly met as expected; we were guided to see everything we wanted and able to make small adjustments along the way. We were assisted with check-in at our hotels, assisted with often quite congested airport transfers and railway station transfers to get us to our next location. The guides provided us with bottles of water, for which we were grateful, and took us to nice restaurants and ensured we were well provided for with meals. Wonder, thanks to the organisation and attention to detail, every part of our trip went fantastically well. Everything went so smoothly, was so well arranged. Thank you again for a great holiday in China.
Right choice for a 14 days private tour in China
We usually organize our travels by ourselves. Because of language issues we decided to leave the China tour to be organised by a local agency and China Discovery proved to be the right choice. When designing the tour, Mr. Wonder Wang was very flexible to our specific requirements and his response was very fast. The local guides were well chosen and the everything went smoothly. If you are looking for a flexible and reliable local agent, we truly recommend considering China Discovery.
Fantastic Experience!!
From the minute we began inquiring about this trip, the staff were always on hand to offer advice and help us chose the best trip for us. Catherine was extremely helpful and was always friendly and professional right throughout.
The tour itself was a great mix of geography and history. Guizhou province is a great location if you want to be immersed in Chinese life. Guiyang city is a bustling, vibrant city with many great sites, restaurants, bars and best of all the street food. Don't worry if you don't speak Mandarin and are afraid what to order, the people are so friendly and eager to help that pointing at what you want will get the job done! :)
The historical visits to ancient towns in Qingyan and Tianlong gave a great insight into the lives of the local people and how they are holding onto tradition. The visit to the Dragon Palace cave and the Huanggoushu Waterfall are amazing and the highlight of the trip. The features to be seen are once in a life time.
Our tour guide Mi was brilliant throughout the entire journey. Extremely knowledgeable regarding the geographical and historical aspects of the trip, as well as providing an insight into how the locals live and go about their daily lives. He was always on hand to help us order our lunch everyday and great to give a recommendation for street food in the evenings. On top of a friendly and professional nature, he made for an excellent tour guide. Coupled with the a safe and friendly driver in Mr. Wu, this trip was a brilliant experience. I would highly recommend this trip through Guizhou province with China Discovery. Breathtaking scenery and friendly people coupled with an excellent tour team of Caterine, Mi and Mr. Wu.
Awesome trip!
We went on a 13 day custom tour including Beijing, xi'an, chengdu, Guilin and shanghai. The person I was working with Wing Zeng did a great job setting up our tour. She always answered quickly and even checked on me throughout the tour to make sure everything was going smoothly and I was enjoying myself. I would highly recommend using this company to book your travel around china!
China Discovery-Chengdu based.
Just returned from a excellent 15 day tour of China. It was very well organized and our tour organizer, Viviene Li was excellent.We couldn't have had better. Lhasa and Chengdu were my favourite places.
COULDN´T HAVE GONE BETTER
I went to a 10 day trip with my family to Beijing, Xi´an and Shanghai. We loved our trip. Everything was far more than expected. All of our guides spoke excellent english, and were just the sweetest and comprehensive people. They knew a lot about every place we visited, suggested events and places to have dinner at, answered every question we had and were super attentive.
Wonder Wang who helped me design the trip was super helpful and tailor made our trip for us. Even though we had a problem with one of our trains because my mom got a new passport (and her passport numer changed), they had a quick solution and bought her and my brother a new ticket to get on another train. They paid for those tickets even though i consider it was our fault. We will always be grateful to them; Wonder, Maria, Grace and Vicky. You made our trip super special and perfect. We are looking forward to travel back to China with China Discovery Tours, in the near future.
Great Way To Experience China
My wife and I just finished a 2 week China Discovery tour. We usually plan our own trips when traveling abroad but the cultural and language differences led us to utilize a tour company for this trip. I could not have been happier with the results. The tour agenda was tailored to the places and sights we wanted to visit and all of the travel arrangements within China were well planned and convenient. We were me by different tour guides in each location and they were all friendly and knowledgeable. The only negative we experienced were the long wait times for the elevator and glass bridge in Zhangjiajie but that is probably unavoidable during the high season. China Discovery was even able to change the agenda during the trip to accomodate an attraction that was unplanned. I would highly recommend China Discovery for those wishing to eliminate a lot of the stress and effort necessary for a self-guided tour of this beautiful country!
Incredible Experience!!!
The China Discovery Tour in Chengdu was one of my favorite parts of our whole trip. My friend and I did the volunteer program. Daniel, our tour guide, was so amazing! He was informative, professional, and absolutely hilarious! I HIGHLY recommend this tour and Daniel if you are looking for a life changing experience. You have the opportunity to have a close interaction with the pandas and even feed them! These people are doing amazing things with these creatures and it's a wonderful feeling to be a part of it.
A well organised and wonderful first vsit to China
We have travelled independently to other destinations but felt the language issues made this potentially difficult in China, especially as I am 63 and my partner is 71. China Discovery enabled us to put together an itinerary for a 16 day tour that included Beijing, Xian, Guilin, Hangzhou, Huangshan, Shanghai and Suzhou. Wonder Wang was unfailingly helpful in the planning stage of the trip, answering all our queries promptly and efficiently. He understood our needs and interests. We indicated we wanted to stay in hotels with character and all of the boutique hotels more than met our expectations. The travel arrangements worked without a hitch. The guides all spoke extremely good English and were friendly, knowledgeable and provided good company throughout the trip. They were also flexible and responsive to our expressed interests.
Apart from the obvious highlights of the Forbidden City, the Great Wall and the Terracotta Warriors, which were far more impressive than photos can suggest, we also loved the Li River cruise and the rice terraces in Guilin. The Yellow Mountain in Huangshan was another unforgettable experience. The scenery was stunning and made you think you were in another world where dragons might indeed exist. The West Lake in Hangzhou was shown off to perfection on a bright spring morning. We explored Shanghai without a guide and found it more accessible than we had imagined. For any gardening enthusiasts our last stop is a must. The Gardens of Suzhou were amongst the most exquisitely beautiful we have visited anywhere. It really did feel like the best had been saved until last.
We would recommend China Discovery to anyone planning to visit China who feels they might need some help in putting together a trip. What was so impressive was their flexibility. They were able to provide a full guided service, or simply a driver or even just to arrange the travel. Wonder Wang was more than willing to spend as much time as we needed in planning the trip, making suggestions and helping us to develop an itinerary which was feasible and affordable. We didn't think we would be able to afford the sort of holiday we wanted, but China Discovery deliver real value for money. We cannot rate them too highly.
China Discovery enabled us to have the holiday of a lifetime.
Thanks China Discovery for an amazing trip to Guilin and the surrounding areas
I was extremely impressed with Catherine Liu and the team at China Discovery (Chengdu Bamboo) who booked me a short notice trip around Guilin and its surrounding areas and also arranged transport from Hong Kong Airport to Shenzhen on my arrival.
Having visited Beijing and Xian previously I thoroughly enjoyed this insight into a really different part of China.
My guide, Elaine and driver, Mr Tam, were fantastic and went out of their way to ensure I had a great visit and experience. They were also extremely accommodating as I arrived 7 hours later than planned meaning missing the first afternoon of the tour and a very late night for them! Despite this delay before I reached them they were able to reschedule the first afternoon and we managed to complete the full 5 day trip itinerary in the four days i was there! They were also easily able to accommodate my no meat diet with plenty of delicious food to enjoy - loved the rice noodles the area is famous for.
It would be hard to name one highlight so have added some pictures below. Elephant Trunk Hill was stunning, the Li River cruise scenery was amazing for the whole four hour duration, the rice terraces at Longji were phenomenal and the countryside in Yangshou stunning.
I would highly recommend China Discovery, Catherine, Elaine and Mr Tam and also this trip.
A great Travel Agency in Chengdu, China
I always travel alone when visiting other countries, planning the itinerary, the hotels, train and metro connections etc, However, In case of my tour of China, considering the language problems, that I am a 70 year old man with weak eye sight, and that I would be travelling alone, I decided on a private tour. I chose China Discovery the Chengdu based travel agency through the Internet. Right from the initial show of interest, one of their travel consultants, Stephanie Kuang interacted with me throughout. I was truly impressed by her quick responses, professionalism and guidance. With her I finalised a 13 day itinerary covering Beijing, Lanzhou, Dunhuang, Xi’an, Guilin, Chonqqing, a Cruise from Chonqqing to Yichang on board the Victoria Anna, a short sightseeing at Yichang and lastly Shanghai. All the five domestic flights were arranged by her. I had originally planned to fly to Dunhuang from Beijing but at the time of my visit, the airport at Dunhuang was closed for renovation. Stephanie quickly worked out an alternative involving train journey from Lanzhou to Dunhuang and back. She sent me an invitation letter with a 9 page detailed itinerary with which I had no problem in getting the China Visa.
I opted for a 4 star accommodation and all the hotels were really good.
Local guides provided by China Discovery were excellent. They met me on arrivals at the airports and train stations and spoke good English. Their knowledge of the local sights was good. Being a person with poor sight, they assisted me in ascending and descending the stairs and steep inclines. Apart from the Breakfast in the hotels, the lunches were also included. The guide took me to good restaurants serving Chinese cuisine.
As I understand, no air tickets are handed over in advance. The Boarding pass is handed over at the Airport on production of a passport (or ID). The local guide at each place helped me in getting the Boarding pass, checking in my luggage and seeing me to the security enclosure. A similar procedure was followed in getting the train tickets.
Throughout the trip Stephanie was in touch with me through messages, even advising me of the strong winds on the Yangtze during the cruise.
In Shanghai, I misplaced my rucksack containing the laptop. On reaching India I informed Stephanie of the loss. She immediately took action, traced the laptop from Lost and Found section of the Shanghai Airport and recovered the laptop. She is indeed a most remarkable travel consultant, a true professional and always ready to help.
SICHUAN and YUNNAN
This was the second tour I have done with China Discovery. The first covered Quanzhou and Shanghi with a rail journey between, and just recently 10 days in Sichuan and Yunnan. All guides were excellent, one was a history lecturer, one a commerce graduate and a third was a tourism graduate who had worked in the US. On two occasions the guides were from the local ethnic group I was touring. The selected hotels were of good quality, and the meals provided( selected by the guides) had a local flavor. Any problems that arose were sorted out by the guides. Both tours were solo, as this allowed me to choose the dates and agenda. The guides explanations of points of interest ,current Chinese society, Chinese history and their own situation were an essential part of the tour. China Discovery personnel. Wonder Wang, was obliging, thoughtful, pleasant and timely in his responses to my queries, with no organisational problems
Cultural and natural heritage places around Dunhuang
My wife and I took a private tour of places in and around Dunhuang including the Mogao and Yulin temple caves and Yadan National Geologic Park. We worked with China Discovery to plan an extremely good program. Our guide and driver ensured that we were able to experience the Gobi environment, its heritage and immense cultural history. The value of a private tour is that one can focus on what is personally relevant/important. Our private tour was very efficient, we had a limited time and wanted to see as many sites as feasible without sacrificing our interaction/engagement with the 'content' of specific places - so we spent more time at 'priority' sites than others. This worked very well for us.`
Zhangjiajie 4 days trip
We had a 4 day trip to Zhangjiajie and followed the recommendations of Wendy our travel consultant. She always gave us a quick and very kind response to our questions during our planing.Then after arrival everything worked just perfect and Andrew our tour guide led us to the most beautiful places. He took good care of everything so that all days became a real great experience to us.
Huberi Tour in April 2017
The tour's 3 main highlights were Enshi Grand Canyon, Shenongjia and Wudangshan.
All destinations involved a great deal of climbing, esp in the Enshi where it takes about 3-4 hrs to make the loop around 4 mt peaks. But it was very well worth it.
Exploring upstream to the source of the Shenongjia river was an exceptionally scenic and beautiful walk amidst lush and multiple waterfalls and cascades.
Wudangshan , is of course the home of Tai Chi. Pick up a wushu attire for about RMB 200-500 ( depending on quality) and wear it there to pose . You will see lots of folks doing the same. Many are from the various kungfu and wushu schools around the world going there to refine their techniques.
Our small group of 5 would like to express our thanks to China Discovery who arranged this tour for us. Jack Li , the tour manager had ensured everything went exactly as we requested and with much satisfaction. This is the reason we had used their services exclusively for the numerous trips to China in the past 2 years. Above all, they had earned our trust as sometimes things can go wrong but Jack can always be reached to settle whatever issues quickly.
Captivating Sceneries!
Overall the experience was very pleasant and service rendered was excellent! The sceneries there were indeed captivating and refreshing. The friendly tour group and transport drivers definitely add to the good memories cherished in this trip!
Seamless arrangements and smart guides made our trip most enjoyable.
Our travel consultant Stephanie was most responsive and communicative. All questions were answered promptly and no request was too difficult: whether it's a request for a sudden change in our itinerary and our flight. The itinerary was most suitable to our situation (limited time) and our tour seamless and most enjoyable. Our local guides in Beijing (Lisa) and Xi'an (Timo) were knowledgeable, helpful and spoke excellent English. They provided us with helpful tips that made our stay more comfortable, and pointed to other interesting places and things to do outside our structured tour. Our conversations with them gave us valuable insight into Chinese culture and the Chinese people. Special acknowledgement goes to our Beijing guide who managed the complicated arrangement of our group: the flight of one of our group was much delayed, but she somehow managed to get her to join us just before the Forbidden City entry was closed.
Chengdu, Chongaing, Xichang, and back
Absolutely top notch arrangements made by Johnson of China Discovery. amazing day at the panda base, wonderful tour through renmin park and jinli street. epic cruise on the century legend, where i would suggest the executive cabin for more space and smaller dining area. from the minute we landed until the minute we took off our whole itinerary stayed on time and each guide and driver was on time where they were supposed to be. super high five to our guide Daniel in chengdu...absolutely phenomenal guide and friend to hang out with. highly recommended.
Our 9 day tour of China arranged by China Discovery, was brilliant.
Our tour started in Beijing where we were met by Andie. She was a lovely person who steered us around the places we wanted to see with ease, much laughter and lots of information. From the Summer Palace, through the Forbidden City to the Great Wall itself. It was a pleasure to have her by our side. Our hotel The Sun World was very comfortable and central, which made exploring parts of Beijing on our own very easy.
The journey by bullet train was swift and very comfortable. We were met by Timo, another friendly and very efficient lady. Our first visit was to the Terraccotta Warriors--- they were breathtaking. Timo was a mine of information and made our vist totally unforgettable. A walk along the Ancient City Wall and a visit to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda rounded off a perfect day. From Xian we flew to Guilin to be met by Steven, another top rate guide. Our first stop was the beautiful Reed Flute Cave, a memorable experience.
On Sunday we enjoyed a cruise up the Li River, where we enjoyed the wonderful scenery. A must if you visit Guilin!!!!!! However, it has to be said that our hotel The Guilin Park was the least comfortable of all our accommodation. The bed was very hard and the pillows even harder.
We arrived in Guangdong to be met by Jack and were transported to the Landmark Canton hotel which was very comfortable and welcoming. Next day we visited the beautiful Ancestral Temple of the Chen Family, as with our other guides Jack knew everything there was to know and our visit was very fascinating. Additional visits were to the Temple of the Six Banyan Trees with its Buddhist shrines and statues. Lastly we visited the stunning Yuexiu Park, with its beautiful flowers and magical statues. It was with great reluctance that our visit ended here. China is a beautifu country and her people friendly and very hospitable. We would be only too happy to return at a later date. Under the guidence of Lyn Wang at China Discovery, who made the whole experience of our holiday in China perfect. Margaret and Frederic Rentsch.
A Golfing Tour to Xiamen and surrounding areas
Ms.Lyn Wang, the Tour Consultant of China Discovery (based in ChengDu), helped us planned our trip inteneraries and she did a very good job in ensuring prompt responses to our queries via emails, made good suggestions and all the necessary re-plannings to cater for our requests.
The company also provided a very respectable local Tour Guide from Xiamen city, Mr.Nick Fang, who really took the trouble to make sure most of our needs were catered for during our golf trips and sight-seeing outings.
The one week spent in China Xiamen was relaxing and enjoyable, with good food and good company, I can't ask for more. Thank you Ms.Lyn Wang for a job well done. Hope to visit China again soon. :)
Well arranged and executed tour
We are most happy with tenacity of the staff at China Discovery to make sure we could see those things we found most important things see with the less hassle. Wendy Dan was our first introduction to the company. Nothing seemed impossible to her. We must have changed our plans, (especially number of people). A lot. So much so, I really can't remember how many, but she always seemed to have a solution and was quick to share her ideas.
We saw Xi'an's terra-cotta soldiers, the Beijing Wall, Forbidden City and were treated wonderfully. The Wall was definitely highlife as we went to a portion of the Wall that has fewer tourists, yet we took a ski lift chair to the top and then took a tobbagan sled down!!
Our guides were very good. Our first guide in Xian was a wonderful young man while our Beijing guide was (a lot like Wendy) in that nothing was took much for him, he was always smiling and So marvelously patient!
We were on a cruise ship, so we fly to Xi'an, but first we taken to the airport,then met our guide to go to soldiers, spent the night in Xi'an, next day flew to Beijing, saw the Great Wall (saw some other things), spent the night in Beijing, next day did the square and Forbidden city and then was driven back to the port......before the ship left. Anyway, as you can see I am really enthusiastic about the people running this business.
They did an awesome job!
Zhangjiajie/FengHuang - 6 day 5 night tour. Excellent service!
Catherine Liu, our travel consultant,have been extremely helpful, prompt response, with useful advise. The itinerary was well detailed with all our requests catered. It was a great pleasure to work with her.
I would also like to commend on our tour guide, Carol (Chen Le). She was excellent, very patient and was a great companion during the 5 days. We were travelling with my elderly parents and was caught unaware of the extensive walking required for this trip. However, she adapted the tour schedule to our walking speed and also always tries to ensure my parents have seats on the public buses we need to take in the park.
Mr Xie, our driver has also display expert driving skills. I am amaze on how he manoeuvre through the traffic and bringing us safely to our destination. A small down side was the vehicle was quite old, unlike the picture which was send and was not really comfortable for 5-6 hours travel.
Overall, china discovery has provide an excellent service and the people we connect with has definitely made our tour experience extremely enjoyable and great. I definitely will recommend friends who like to visit china with preference of a tailor made itinerary. Similarly, if I plan another holiday in China, and would love to work via Catherine again
6 day trip of chengdu juizhaigou huanglong dujiangyan water works
Our five day trip started from chengdu. At the panda breeding centre we saw a couple of grown up bear sized pandas, dozens of cubs. they seem to be eating and lazying around all the time. dancing peacock and red panda were other attraction. the weather of chengdu little moist, cold with river basin and foothill weather make it perfect for flora and fauna.
Chengdu has impressive 6 lane highways running through the middle with 2 lane footpaths on both sides. road signages are in english. city is amazingly clean modern and structured, there is big park and lake running all along in the middle of road. modern malls, well stalked shops, tops car showrooms and fine dining restaurants are visible on the way.
Juizhaigou 500 km from chengdu at height of 3000m + is full of lakes and waterfalls (see my separate article on juizhaigou ). the road from chengdu to juizhaigou takes us from 500 m to 4000 m smoothly via the amazing network of tunnels drilled through towering mountains combined with bridges. some of the tunnels are over 5 km long (futang - 5.5km ). the mountains from lush green hillocks turns into scary rocky mountains with gray scaly facade. the way gave in from tropical green to rocky nude mountains to coniferous trees lined landscapes. yak and horses were visible on the way. all along flows river minjiang which again is muddy in colour and scary. on the way the group of housing seen appeared like ghost settlements, though their construction is new, solar panels atop, most houses are gray with slanting roof and uniform pattern - lifeless and scary (i am afraid to say). electricity towers are seen in all remote location, 4g works everywhere and road network is top class.
Notably we had to use oxygen cylinder while scaling huanglong. the area has lot of tibetan influence, hoarding with tibetan script makes out that it is similar to indian language hind, actually it is ancient brahmi script.
On huanglong and dujiangyan water works please see my separate article.
7 day tour , visiting the 4 main cities in China
I just returned from a 7 day tour around 4 main cities in China. My trip was arranged my Wing Zeng from China discovery.This trip was amazing. I saw Hong Kong, Beijing, Xi'an and Guilin.I really enjoyed my self, and the service I received from my tour guides and Wing was exceptional. Wing took into consideration my travel ideas such as seeing the panda and my hotels were located in really nice places, good enough for me to explore the cities even more. My trip was definitely worth it, I couldn't be more happier.
Amazing 14 day trip to China
We just returned from our 14 day trip to China, arranged by Bertina at China Discovery. This was definitely a trip of a lifetime! We started researching a while ago, and after emailing back and forth over months, we decided on booking with China Discovery. As expected, I had many many questions, and Bertina was very patient and always responded quickly. We also made changes to our itinerary multiple times, and she was more than accommodating!
We visited 4 cities, and had a private guide and driver at each location. All transfers between cities and all hotels, where arranged by China Discovery as well.
The guides where all super friendly, helpful, and informative, they met us at the airport / train station. We had a couple of free days as well, and our guides recommended places to visit on our own.
Of course one of the highlights was hiking The Great Wall, but all stops included on our itinerary where well worth a visit!
I hope to visit China again in the future, there are still many cities on my bucket list :), I'd definitely be contacting China Discovery then again! Thank you again to Bertina for making this trip one to remember!!
Wing Zeng of China Discovery planned and executed a wonderful, customized experience, including gluten-free dining.
My husband and I had a most delightful personal tour of Beijing, Xi'an, Guilin, Chengdu and Shanghai, but for me it was all about the pandas in Chengdu - a trip of a lifetime! They are indeed a world treasure. As a person with celiac disease I initially was very concerned about being able to eat gluten free, especially with soy sauce (typically fermented with wheat) as a cooking staple in China. Wing made sure that all the guides understood and communicated my dietary needs in all the restaurants we visited. As a result I ate delicious gluten-free Chinese food everywhere. In the planning phase Wing attended to every detail and all during our 10 day tour she checked in consistently to make sure we were doing well. She was fantastic! I heartily recommend China Discovery to other travelers and do ask for Wing!!!!
Great Tours / Great Service
China Discovery: Great Tours & Great Service ... on developing the itinerary, making all the arrangements at a great price, ... “Very good customer service by Lyn Wang”
China Discovery provided a professional and outstanding 13 day travel experience.
I don't write reviews very often. However, this time, I really felt the need to do so.
China Discovery and our personal travel advisor, Catherine Liu, exceeded our expectations to deliver a professional, economic and outstanding travel experience for our group of 2 couples - both experienced and first time China travelers. Catherine was fully engaged and responsive from the first contact through the entire process, tailoring our requests for key interests while offering unique cultural options to carefully schedule all aspects of our trip including in-country air / train travel and checked in with us during the trip to insure our happiness. Our local tour guides in Beijing, Xi'an, Chengdu and Guilin met us at our scheduled transportation arrival times / venues with warm welcomes, enthusiasm and perfect English - we felt like family members! They professionally guided ALL aspects of our travel - hotels, lunch, local travel, sites, expert commentary and special requests resulting in an outstanding travel experience. We highly recommend China Discovery!
China Discovery: The Perfect China Experience!!!!
I don't write reviews very often. However, this time, I really felt the need to do so.
We decided to travel to China with our 5 children, knowing nothing about the country. I read a lot, came across many different reviews and contacted approx. 10 travel agents to help us with the planning of our trip.
China Discovery came out as the perfect solution.
From Day1, China Discovery met all our expectations. Not only were they extremely fast in answering all our request (all emails answered within 24 hrs), but they also understood our needs perfectly and came with suggestions that proved during our trip to be excellent.
Let us also mention the flexibility of China Discovery, who adapts to your wishes. You can book parts of your trip, only some of the hotels or restaurants... You really decide what you wish and China Discovery adapts to your desires. From there, they design the tour and pick ups to have the most convenient itinerary based on your choices.
Wonder Wang, our contact for the trip preparation, is 100% reliable, clear, concise and of excellente advice. He also speaks a perfect English, which is always easy and convenient...
Lisa, our tour guide during our stay, was the sweetest person ever. She supervised everything for us, in a way that we had never experienced before. (She took care of the check in of our flights and of our hotels, even though these hotels had not been booked via China Discovery. She was on the phone until midnight one day, because one of our kid had lost his camera, and she wanted to make sure it had not been found by an employee upon closing time. These things clearly didn't fall into the list of things she was supposed to do for us. ) She assisted us in a non-touristic way, and in a perfect understanding of the western expectations. (Very good advice for ordering food in restaurants, for example, or for the places to avoid for shopping...)
Last thing to mention: we had a domestic flight postponed (not the responsibility of China Discovery), leading to the cancellation of an activity in our planning. The next day, our guide, Lisa, was refunding us in cash money without even having been requested by us.
You understood my point: China Discovery is strongly to be recommended!!!!
3 Day Harbin Tour
My personal travel advisor, Catherine Liu was extremely thorough in ensuring I had a great trip to Harbin! The hotel was comfortable. My local tour guide, Summer, and our driver Mr. Su were knowledgeable, hospitable hosts. Most restaurants were closed but with a few quick phone calls we always had somewhere to eat or have a coffee. Amazingly, Summer was able to find places to accommodate my vegetarian diet in this meat-centric city! I was able to see all the sights and never felt hurried. Visiting Harbin during Spring Festival definitely fulfilled a few bucket-list items. I enjoyed this very interesting city so much, I may have to make a return trip in the summertime.
Well Organized Harbin Tour
Our experience with China Discovery was great. They helped us organize a highly customized tour to see different parts of Harbin including an uncommon trip to see winter fishing on Changan lake. We currently live in China and our requirements were slightly different than their standard tour offering. We really appreciated the flexibility and prompt communication of Lyn who helped us organize everything. She offered us several options and let us make all the final decisions to suit our needs. Everything was so well organized that I did not have to worry about anything for the whole trip.
China Discovery Tours, -- (Chengdu Bamboo international Tours)
Quite possibly the best tour company that I have ever experienced. Arranged for our Hotels, tours and flights from Hong Kong, Macao, Shanghai, Lhasa, Beijing, etc. Customized to fit our wishes, with truly outstanding hotels and tours everywhere. Delivered us to airports and picked us up for transport to hotels at our destinations. When we missed one flight connection due to a late flight, I phoned Jack Li and he took care of rescheduling our destination pickup, even though it was a late-night arrival. China Discovery's people couldn't have been more helpful, proficient and helpful and their arrangements simply could not have been beat. Truly outstanding!
Visit to Guilin, Yangshuo, Lijiang, Chengdu and Nanjing
Jack Li from China Discovery (Beijing) organized for us a two weeks tour, which included visits in Guilin, Yangshuo, Lijiang, Chengdu and Nanjing. We were happy with the local arrangements and very much enjoyed the places we have visited. The local guides were almost fluent in English and were very efficient in arranging hotels, drivers, visits, permits, etc. We highly recommend this company and will definitely use their services again during our future visits to China.
Great Tour ! Unforgeable memories !
The tour of China was a one of a kind. Had a time of lifetime. Tour began in Shanghai then to Guilin, Xi'an and ended in Beijing. Our plane arrived very late in Shanghai (...but the tour Guide waited for us at the airport). All the tour guides were great and very helpful. Stephanie Kuang (Travel Agent) is great she was always there answer all our questions, even on the weekends and her day offs. Great experience...enjoyed every minute.
Journey through China and Tibet
My husband and I have just returned from 19 days journey visitng Hong Kong, Shanghai, Xian, Chengdu and various places in Tibet. We have very much enjoyed our trip organised by Lyn Wang from China Discovery (Chengdu). She he has done a perfect job for us - there was never any hick-up in all our arrangements including, flights, hotels, guides, drivers, visits, permits, etc. All the services were very personal and we were extremely well looked after. I would recomend the company most higly and will use them again in the future.
Christmas and New Year's Trip To China
We spent 16 days touring China. It was a family vacation with two adults and two 21 year old young adults. We started in Beijing and ended up in Hong Kong. We took one bullet train and 4 domestic flights during our trip. We traveled from Beijing to Xi'an on the bullet train. We flew from Xi'an to Chengdu. Next we flew from Chengdu to Guilin/Yangshou. From Guilin/Yangshou we flew to Shanghai and from Shanghai we flew to Hong Kong. We spent 2 to 3 nights in each location. Our trip was organized via emails back and forth with Wendy Dan/China Discovery. It took several weeks to tweak and finalize our itinerary, but they were very willing to make changes and accommodate or requests. Overall the trip was amazing and well organized. We had a guide and driver for each city we were in. The guides spoke english and were accommodating and friendly. We walked on the Great Wall, held pandas, saw temples, climbed hills, enjoyed gardens, cruised rivers and ate incredible cuisine. It was a trip of a lifetime. Thank you China Discovery!!
Amazing and Unforgettable 24-day Tour of China
A huge belated "shoutout" to Wendy Dan and June Yang at China Discovery. They worked with us over several months to plan out a detailed custom tour (not your usual China tour but off the tourist beaten path) of China which incorporated lots of hiking at our request. Throughout the tour, we had a driver and an English-speaking guide who met us at every location and took us to the various places on our itinerary The local guide went with us as we hiked Emeishan, Tiger Leaping Gorge and Huangshan. We visited and hiked breathtaking national parks (Jiuzhaigou, Huanglong and Zhangjiajie) as well as small towns and scenic areas such as Dongchuan Red Lands. Our itinerary was no feat as it entailed many air flights and high speed train rides to get to our next destination. The logistics went so smoothly! Wendy was always in touch with the local guides to ensure that our tour went as planned. Also, Wendy stayed in contact with us, checking in to see how we were doing and how the tour was going. The local guides were friendly, engaging and knew the culture and area very well. Although our tour covered breakfast (hotel) and lunch (guide selected local food), the guides give us some very good recommendations on where to try the best local food based on our tastes for dinner.
The trip was memorable and we were very happy that we made the trip with the help of China Discovery.
If you are thinking of visiting China, contact Wendy or June for some help and recommendations! They were always willing to answer all of our questions (and there were many) very patiently and professionally. Their interest was to build something that you would be happy with and ultimately have a great experience.
Fantastic day tour in Chengdu
We arranged to do a day tour in Chengdu consisting of a visit to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Banda Breeding where we spent a couple of hours viewing pandas of different ages. This was a fantastic experience where you also get to enjoy a short informative movie about the pandas.
In the afternoon we went the Sichuan Cuisine Museum which is a private museum hosting a vast number of antiques relating to food and cooking. As you walk around there are a number of snack stops to enjoy the Sichuan cuisine. The highlight was the cooking class where you get to cook 3 Sichuan dishes before sitting down to enjoy your meal.
Would highly recommend this trip to anyone visiting Chengdu.
Impeccable trip!
The trip we did (myself and a friend) with China Discovery was flawless! All the guides who greeted us were very attentive and spoke high English. The hotels were all of good standard.
We did a 14-day tour: Beijing, Xian, Guilin, Shanghai. We got to know the cities in depth and we still had a free day in each one to be able to go out alone, get lost (a trip that is really a trip has to have the time to get lost), and meet many people and new experiences. We did the trip in July in the summer, very hot, but the drivers were always very attentive and welcomed us every ride with cold water, air conditioning, in a very comfortable van. Sometimes we even ate snacks that they made. Very affectionate.
A bad point was that in some restaurants the guides did not eat with us and in almost none the drivers ate with us. This had not been advised by the travel agency organization. And that was rather inconvenient, because we would love their company and we would not have minded paying a little more for them - which would not even be necessary, in fact, given the huge amount of food that was always ordered.
It is important to emphasize that the trip depends a lot on the guide that receives us. We had many good times with them, which are our only and main bridge between us and the local population, culture, and are a filter on history and everything we can know of the country.
We have memorable stories, from the immensity and silence that screams at the Great Wall, past lost bike trails in the middle of the mountains on the banks of the Li River and the pulsating history of Xian, to the skyscrapers of Shanghai at sunset.
An unforgettable trip. Thank you, China Discovery, dear guides, and lovely drivers.
China 8 Day Tour, Beijing, Chengdu, Guilin
Our travel agent Bertina Li was wonderful She kept in contact from the beginning of the process until the end of the trip. She answered all emails in a very timely manner and arranged a great trip for us. We visited 3 cities with 3 different tour guides. We were greeted upon arrival . tour guides were knowledgeable, fun and friendly. Each guide helped us through the check in and check out process at hotels and got us checked in at the various airports. They were flexible and drivers were great also. I would definitely use this company and Bertina again.
2 day tour Pandas and Sanxingdui Museum
Wendy Dan at the tour company China Discovery was excellent at organising these tours for me whilst at Chengdu at short notice. Each day the tour guide Tom and driver arrived at my hotel very punctually. Tom spoke excellent English and was very well informed making this a first class experience for me. I will definitely recommend China Discovery to anyone visiting Chengdu.
Chengdu-Yichang-Yangtze River Cruise-Chongqing-Chengdu 8 days
We were impressed by the tour organised from arrival to departure by Ms Stephanie of China Discovery. All details from the itinerary, hotels, meals, english speaking tour guides, ground transport, connecting flights were prebooked for us. For a worry free tour of China, I totally recommend China Discovery.
Recommended
Pros - Very professional consultant. Able to communicate effectively and address and requests. Very reasonable price for our package. The guide was really friendly and made our stay better. The vehicle given was in good condition with a safe driver. Selected Hotels was nice. Will book again.
Cons - The suggested tips were quite high. However this rate is the same for most of other tour operators also.
China Discovery Chengdu
I traveled to Beijing China in November 2016 with my two sons ages 16 and 12. Johnson Wang with China Discovery (based in Chengdu) did a great job of assisting me with planning the ground transportation and some excursions around Beijing for our short 4 day stay. China Discovery did a great job with the ground transportation and our English speaking tour guide (Sandy) was very knowledgeable about all the historic sites that we visited including the Great Wall, The Forbidden City, The Summer Palace, The Temple of Heaven, and the Ming Tombs. We had a great time using the services of China Discovery and I am sure you will too.
Everything I wanted to see!
I joined my son on a business visit to Beijing. We had four days before the conference and I wanted to see the Terracotta Army, the Forbidden City and the Great Wall. My son searched online and we decided this company suited our requirements the best. Because it was in December we took sensible shoes and warm coats and hats and gloves and we were very comfortable. The trip was organised by Lyn Wang and we were delighted with our guides. We saw many other places including a Terracotta Army factory, a jade factory and a silk shop. We saw temples, the Summer Palace and the Temple of Heaven. Going to Xian for the first two days to see the Terracotta Army was fantastic. We went by bullet train (6 hours - I found it fascinating as I saw the countryside, but my son thought it was too long). We flew back to Beijing and both ways the travel experience was smooth and very enjoyable. We also saw the Olympic stadium plus markets and many temples. Overall I was delighted with the trip.
Trip to China organised by China Discovery - Day Tour
" Recently we have been to China and entire visit to China was organised by the China Discovery tour company in China. They have done fantastic job not just organising our tour but personally taking care while we were in China travelling for two weeks from city to city. Initially we had a bit of language barrier but soon with the help of most suitable english speaking tour guide, we managed our stay in China very well. The tour operator remained in touch all the time time, listening to our concerns over food and visiting places, he managed to respond to our needs efficiently and provided the support that was required. I will rate China Discovery tour company is one of the best and recommend highly to non Chinese speaking tourists utilise their services at reasonable price and value for money. - Traveller from Australia".
Excellent One week private tour Beijing ,Xi'an and Shanghai
Excellent. We had a great tour very well organized by Lyn Wang from China Discovery, who responded patiently and thoroughly to all our queries before the tour which for us was a, much required, sense of comfort in an organisational area unknown to us. On the trip all the plans went smoothly with no problems . Lyn also kept in touch with us to ensure we were happy with the service provided, she made our holiday excellent and trouble free. All the guides were knowledgeable pleasant, friendly and helpful. . Highly recommend we would definitely use the company again
Private guide tour at Beijing
Last month I had changed to visit Beijing the great city, but I do not know anything there and Chinese speaking was impossible for me, cannot speak at all , hahaha anyhow my friend was recommended me to contact this tour agency at Chengdu, firstly I think it's so crazy to contact Chengdu office agency as advise me and support me for touring at Beijing, coz so long distance, anyhow, lady as Catherine at this tourist agency at Chengdu made me surprise for her service both advise me and prepare schedule as one day tour in Beijing and her partner was great in service , we , I and my friend , we both get excellent program to Great Wall and summer palace with great service and nice warm take care, i need to tell all of you more, I am disable and walk with stick , but her guide so kind to take care me to reach all program as Great Wall is not easy for disable guy as me but they try their best to make me convenience to get as I wish and the end of program the guide guy was please to me let drove to Tian an men square and government house and explain as good to know all concern every places those we visited, so we can traveling with good private car name number one and good driver and one as guide is great in English and good with their service heart. I cannot forget all they done for me and so great thank to Catherine that try her best to make my wish come true as one day in Beijing and cannot forget forever , special thanks to Catherine and her team with my truly heart. Attaporn from Thailand
Private guide tour at Beijing
Last month I had changed to visit Beijing the great city, but I do not know anything there and Chinese speaking was impossible for me, cannot speak at all , hahaha anyhow my friend was recommended me to contact this tour agency at Chengdu, firstly I think it's so crazy to contact Chengdu office agency as advise me and support me for touring at Beijing, coz so long distance, anyhow, lady as Catherine at this tourist agency at Chengdu made me surprise for her service both advise me and prepare schedule as one day tour in Beijing and her partner was great in service , we , I and my friend , we both get excellent program to Great Wall and summer palace with great service and nice warm take care, i need to tell all of you more, I am disable and walk with stick , but her guide so kind to take care me to reach all program as Great Wall is not easy for disable guy as me but they try their best to make me convenience to get as I wish and the end of program the guide guy was please to me let drove to Tian an men square and government house and explain as good to know all concern every places those we visited, so we can traveling with good private car name number one and good driver and one as guide is great in English and good with their service heart. I cannot forget all they done for me and so great thank to Catherine that try her best to make my wish come true as one day in Beijing and cannot forget forever , special thanks to Catherine and her team with my truly heart. Attaporn from Thailand
Mesmerizing view of Guilin with China Discovery (based in Chengdu)
We recently traveled to Guilin (China) for 3 night/ 4 days trip.Before going, i booked a private tour with China Discovery (based in Chengdu), as i cant speak Chinese. They gave me a best price and customized the itinerary as per my wish. Our guide "Steven" and Tour Co-coordinator(Catherine Liu) were very humble and supportive in nature through out the trip. The hotels in Guilin and Yangshou were very good. Catherine managed to add all the points( like no pearl market shopping,no village trip, add western breakfast etc) in the itinerary.The trip consisted of Airport Pickup on Saturday night, transfer to hotel, then on Sunday, the Li-river Cruise and stay in Yangshou town, visit Sanjie Li Show. On monday, we came back to guilin and on the way, we covered other spots like Moon Hill, Banyan Tree, Reed Flute Cave etc. Tuesday was a rest day for us. Guide came in the evening to drop us at Airport. The Guide (Steven) had a good command in English and took a good care of us. In-fact, my little 22 months old daughter made a good friendship with him. Really, the City was beautiful and lots of things to Offer. Finally, Thanks to Steven (Our Guide), who made our journey comfortable and Special Thanks to Catherine to made this trip possible with a reasonable price. Looking forward to take a new trip soon from China Discovery (based in Chengdu) in future. (Yes, i will do it because i live in Shanghai and not leaving China in near future :) )
Travelling without private guided tour would be a loss of time and money
Our family of five (youngest 7 y/o) start to plan our 2 week China trip on our own and we soon got the feeling it’s close to mission impossible for a family (language, logistics) if you want to avoid stress and enjoy your holidays.
Through Trip Advisor we came to know about the agencies that arrange customized trips with guides. We’ve contacted two agencies with our preferred itinerary. Both responded quickly, finally we decide to go with Chengdu based China travel, because Catherine managed to improve our suggested itinerary in best possible way.
The trip consisted of visiting Guilin – Longji teraces– Xi’an – Chengdu –Leshan giant Buda – Mt.Emei – Duijijangyang – Mt. All the transfers (fast train, airplanes, minivans), hotels and most of the meals were arranged by the agency. We were picked by the guide at the airport, guided through sites, taken to meals and practically seen off at the airport to the point of security check. The guides were local, one for each city and surroundings. All three guides were extremely attentive to our needs, informative about the sites and the life in China in general, making us feel safe, comfortable and overall very well taken care of. Three different guides each with a personal touch, but all dedicated to making you learn as much as possible about what we visited stretching to go beyond the mere business. Thank you Arthur, Waldner and Daniel and a special thanks to Catherine for keeping an eye on us until we got back home. We feel we got an excellent service for the price and recommend you take China travel to guide you on your trip through China.
Responsive and easy to work with for Chengdu sightseeing
We recently travelled to Chengdu for a week and wanted to do some sightseeing beyond seeing pandas, and Vivien Li at China Discovery worked with us before and during our time in Chengdu to suggest and book three days of sightseeing. We had a few ideas and Vivien took those ideas, made some additional touring suggestions in addition to order of touring.
The communications were timely and very easy to understand, and we never had any doubts that we would received what we booked and paid for.
I have recommended China Discovery and Vivien to other travellers and friends, and would use this company again for other China travel services.
October in China
My friend and I travelled from Guangzhou to visit friends, then on to Chongqing to cruise on the Yangtze River on the President 8 cruise ship--a great ship. From there we flew to Shanghai and then on to Beijing. The Chinese people we met were so kind to us--from helping with bags to helping us find our way. We travel independently but used China Discovery to connect all of our flights and hotels and our cruise. Jack Li was very patient with us even though we changed our itinerary more than once. He also arranged a couple of special days for us in Chongqing and our day on the Great Wall at Jinshanling which fulfilled my bucket list gloriously!
The drivers and guides were always prompt, courteous and went out of their way to help us in every way. Every guide spoke English. I also was impressed that Jack offered to refund our money after a hotel reservation fell through--even though I had not asked him yet. He always responded within 24 hours and sometimes responded, which, for him, was in the middle of night. I highly recommend Jack and China Discovery!
6 day private tour of Shanghai and Huangshan Mountain
We found this tour over the internet and organised it with our travel consultant, Wonder Wang, completely by email. The tour was organised very well by Wonder, and we were looked after by 3 very pleasant and competent tour guides. Our sincere thanks to all of them.
All the hotels provided for us on the tour were generally good quality and the meals provided were delicious. Our only disappointment was with the very hard bed at the Huangshan Mountain hotel. We endured that one.
We were picked up at Shanghai Airport, enjoyed the Maglev and were taken to our first hotel. The best part of the 1st day was later exploring downtown Shanghai in the evening.
Next morning we were put on high speed train to Huangshan City (1st class) and met at the other end by the guide who would take us up the Mountain. I must say everything was made very easy for us. That was the tone for the rest of the trip which eventually took us back to Shanghai.
The highlight of the tour was without doubt our time on the Mountain. I cannot overstate the beauty of that place. It was cold, it was windy, it rained and the fog rolled in to cover the place. But all that was exhilarating. Then on the last morning, the sun came out and it was exquisite. Be aware that there are steps after steps after steps up and down the trails, so commitment is needed to get the best from time on the Mountain. Also, as we learnt, the sun doesn't shine that often on the Mountain, so come prepared with wet and cold weather gear.
Other highlights included the ink stick factory and ancient street in Huangshan and Yu Garden in Shanghai.
The last day of the tour was a city sights tour of Shanghai before our guide delivered us to our train station to allow us to start the next leg of our China holiday.
Last thing to note - we could not find a comparable tour through our Australian travel agency. That is why we looked to a Chinese tour company. We were at first hesitant, but I am very glad we put our trust in Wonder and his team. The service was excellent and the price very reasonable. And they exceeded our expectations. Well done.
Panda Tour
We had an amazing day Tour working with the Panda. Learned a lot of how the animal lives and eating behaviors. Had fun with carrying out old bamboss, picking up droppings, cleaning up pandas enclosures and making panda cakes. And finally making new friends.
Would love to do the trip again. Thanks to China Discovery tours and special Stephanie who helped us.
China Discovery
Thanks to Lyn Wang of China Discovery Tours, Chengdu for making our dream itinerary a reality. A high standard was maintained throughout an amazing 4 weeks, from fantastic and knowledgeable English-speaking local guides to the centrally located hotels. It was a pleasure dealing with Lyn, and she was always prompt in following up and responding to our enquiries. Excellent attention to detail and organisation from China Discovery Tours meant we had smooth transfers and travels across China. I look forward to returning to China in the future and will definitely contact Lyn to organise my Chengdu panda experience. I highly recommend China Discovery Tours if you'd like an unforgettable experience in amazing China.
Our two weeks in China
This was our first trip to China and Wendy Dan from China Discovery was a tremendous help to us in choosing what to do and where to go. We loved the whole package. With an English speaking guide and a driver in each location, we were treated royally. Just the 2 of us. All the locations were interesting and we were amazed with what we saw. The package was economical and we stayed in 4 star hotels with great food. The lunch with a local family in old Beijing after a rickshaw ride was the best meal we have had!
Back to China, for a three weeks tour
This was our third trip to China. The first one was an organized group with an israeli guide. It gave a taste of more but we decided that a group is not for us. The following two tours we made were private tours organized by Mr. Wonder Wang from Chinadiscovery in chengdu. As it is not the first China tour we chose the remote north west, Xinjiang, Gansu and Qinghai. This in addition to renting an apartment in Beijing for a week.
The tour was different than the standard tours in China, yet very interesting. prior to actually going on the tour we planned together with the experience Wonder the trip details. During the tour itself when because of bad weather our train was delayed for several hours, Wonder was available, beyond the regular working hours, to modify the plan so than we will not miss a site.
We were very satisfied and would recommend using his services or at least consulting with him before a trip to China.
excellent 25 days custom tour with lots of hikes
Wendy/June of China Discovery Chengdu put together an excellent hiking/touring trip of some of China's most scenic places for the four of us. We have the fabulous guided hikes of Emeishan, Tiger Leaping Gorge & Huangshan while touring the absolutely stunning Jiuzhaigou/Huanglong, Zhangjiajie & the Dongchuan Red Lands. China Discovery took care of all the logistics, we have 8 interior flights and 3 high speed train rides. Everywhere we go, there's local guides picking us up and dropping us off at the airport/train station. The local tour guides (we have 10) are all excellent, good command of English, all of them are locals and therefore has very broad knowledge of the hikes/tours we were on. Wendy was in constant contact with the local tour guides, making sure our trip went smoothly. We usually have breakfast at the hotel and the tour guides would take us to local restaurant for lunch. The guides would usually give us recommendations for dinner location. The hikes are harder than I thought, and we are hikers. Emeishan and Huangshan are long steep steps and Tiger Leaping Gorge is long narrow steep rocky trails, the hotels are at the top of the mountain so they are fairly basic - not 5 stars - but we are not going there for the hotels. But you have to be able to eat Chinese food in the mountains. The guides are all strong hikers too and know the terrain extremely well.
Jiuzhaigou and Zhangjiajie are out of this world gorgeous, they are must see. Dongchuan Red Land is a big pleasant surprise, just beautiful landscape.
Other notable places we visited are the Chengdu famed Panda Research Center and Sanxingdui Museum, Kunming's Stone Forest, and Lijiang's (beautiful Naxi embriodary) Giant Buddha, Suzhou, Hangzhou and Shanghai.
The trip has been a memorable one because of China Discovery, Wendy/June worked tirelessly with us to set up the custom itinerary, took a little while (thank them for their patience) back and forth. Then Wendy's constant checking with the local guides really showed that they want us to have the best experience. We went with China Discovery because of their website, it is extremely helpful to set up the trip. But our experience on the trip exceeds all our expectation. I will recommend China Discovery unconditionally. Thank you, Wendy, June. And thanks to our local guides Sandy, Mr. Liu, Evan, Eben, Steven, Wendy, Zach, Tony, Jerry and Celine.
When and Why to visit Chengdu Panda Breeding Center
Chengdu Panda Breeding Center (Xiongmao Jidi) is indeed a must place to visit for the sake of Panda's fame itself. Panda Breeding Center is 10km from downtown. Visitors can take subway train or go by bus. Recommended to make your visit early in the morning around 8:30am as to avoid long ques at the ticket office and early visitors can see more Panda during their breakfast meals.
Wonderful Custom China Tour - 8 Days, five cities and a lifetime of memories.
I couldn't be happier with our tour. Thanks Wendy and China Discovery for putting this custom tour together. We packed a ton of activity into a very small window of time. We were able to see five great cities;Guilin, YangShuo, Xian, Shanghai, Suzhou. Our visit included beautiful sites in large cities and out-of-the way villages with ancient and local color. We enjoyed wonderful Chinese cuisine in banquet settings and in local noodle houses and still fit in some great shopping all in eight days. It took us a couple of weeks to work through the details (cities, sites, accommodations, etc.) up front, and China Discovery offered us great flexibility. But once we had the details nailed down, we were very pleased and excited for our tour. I would not have changed anything in our itinerary and we all came home exhilarated and tired. China Discovery's service and attention to detail was great. We loved our tour and had a great time.
The guides were fantastic. All three were local, young and friendly, Evelyn in Guilin, Wally in Xian and Autumn in Shanghai/Suzhou.
Evelyn was very strong. She really knew the area being a local and gave great information with just enough presentation. She was very accommodating on the optional activities and made sure we were well taken care of. I especially liked her willingness to take us to authentic and out-of-the-way eating establishments specifically at our request. We loved the local cuisine. My favorite part of the tour was the Ancient Stone Village. Taking a walking tour in a small village was a desire and a highlight for us. I would highly recommend Evelyn.
Wally in Xian was also wonderful. He knew we had to cover a lot of ground for our one day in Xian and did a great job of moving us quickly. He knew the attractions well and allowed us flexibility to wander around and take plenty of pictures. He was very professional and recommended a great night market for after hour exploration.
Autumn, our last guide, also worked very hard to get us to as much as was possible in a short time. She had a very pleasant demeanor and was very professional in her duties. How she handled a group of tired tourists with a smile and with flexibility is amazing. At that point it was like herding cats! She really took care of us.
All three guides were very professional and gave great service. China Discovery has selected and utilizes wonderful guides. That is the strength of their service, wonderful guides, all speak great English, have pleasant personalities and boundless energy. They really know the areas and make it enjoyable for the group.
Our trip planner was Wendy Dan (wendy@chinadiscovery.com) and we really appreciated her for putting this custom tour together. We packed a ton of activity into a very small window of time at a very reasonable cost.
There was really only one little negative - the shopping/factory tours. I know this was included to keep costs down, and if you have never seen a silk, or ceramic factory, or compared different Chinese teas, then it is interesting. Just know that this is part of the drill. And part of our group truly enjoyed the diversions. That was my only negative take-away from the tour.
I would definitely recommend China Discovery to my friends and absolutely consider them next time I make a tour to China. It would be impossible to plan such a trip on our own at the very reasonable cost and with the complete security we enjoyed. Thank you China Discovery!
Wonderful Custom China Tour - 8 Days, five cities and a lifetime of memories.
I would like to say a big thank you to Mr Johnson Wang for making our recent trip to Chengdu a very happy and memorable one!
Johnson was very efficient and extremely helpful when i was checking about tours in Chengdu just before their big National Day celebration. He continued to answer my emails to the last day of work and assured me that my tour will be booked as requested.
Our tour guide for the day was Rain - she speaks good English and her knowledge / history of the places we went to very good as well. Compliments to the driver as well - he's a very good and safe driver.
Yes, I would recommend your tour company.
12 day China tour and Yangtze Cruise
Me and my sister had completed a charity trek on the Great Wall and wanted to see a bit more of China while we were there. We had specific international flights booked by the charity so needed a Taylor made itinerary. Wonder Wang worked with us to create a brilliant trip. He listened to our needs and wants and we got a perfect match. We visited Xian, Hangshou, Chongqing, the cruise and Shanghai. The arrangements worked like clockwork. We had contacts throughout if needed, but we never did. We used the trains and flights. The guides we had we first rate and seemed more like friends. They were all willing to give any help we needed as well as being knowledgeable on their area and ancient China. I would not hesitate to use Wonder again should I ever return to China. Thank you
12 day Chaina train tour with Yangtze Cruise
When we started to plan our tour to China we soon realized the complication of traveling on our own. All problems where solved when we found a private tour that Mr Jonson Wang of China Discovery paitiently helped us customize. We realy liked the mix of activities seeing both old and new China from train and boat. The guides and drivers took very good care of us and where always on time. I dont know what they could have done better as we had such a good time.
3 days tour in Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong National Park
Ms Lyn Wang (China Discovery) has been very helpful for us ! She answered any questions very quickly and provided us many details to make our trip so nice. The tour is fabulous, but need more time than 3 days due to flights transfers. Those National Parks are so wonderful !
Guilin and Vicinity Tour
This was our second tour with China Discovery, and it equally exceeded my expectations. I would rank Guilin, the Longji Rice Terrace, and the Li River Cruise as must-do events in China (at least once in a lifetime). Our operator, Bertina Li, is an amazing coordinator. She handles a very flexible and dynamic schedule with patience and understanding. Our tour guide, Smiley, was always friendly, highly-knowledgeable, professional, and had near-perfect English. Finally, our driver was always prompt, courteous, and very safe. He even successfully navigated a few road closures due to heavy rain and mudslides. Selected meals were outstanding, tours were visually stunning, and travel arrangements were prompt and efficient. Very delighted with this tour!
China and Tibet
China Discovery is a fantastic company!! Everything was perfect. The consulter Stephanie was very kind, gentle and always fast to answer my questions. I've spent 30 days in China and 07 days in Tibet and everything has worked...
An amazing holiday: Thank you China Discovery!
If you're planning a trip to China and you're not a Chinese speaker, China Discovery is your best bet. We discovered this company through an internet search and was impressed by the great reviews they have received from customers from around the world (including on Trip Advisor, our trip-planning guru).
We were looking for a holiday that would serve as a taste of China's historical and cultural heritage while also giving us "real-time" insights into its contemporary achievements and challenges. A tall order for an 8-day tour - but Wendy Dang, our unflappable advisor, put together an itinerary that more than met our expectations. She gave us a long-list of places we could visit, cheerfully dealt with all our questions and concerns and remained unfazed by last minute requests for visits to some sites that don't usually figure on tourist agendas.
Our guides were uniformly helpful, friendly and extremely thoughtful in responding to our interests and anticipating our needs, and helped us to engage with the history and culture of this complex and fascinating country. We have come back enriched by our conversations with them. Moreover, they were great fun to be with - their energy and good humour were very infectious. Their warm and caring approach to their clients is exceptional - from introducing us to Chinese cuisine in varied settings (a Mao-era"people's restaurant", a Shanghai tea-house, a home in a Beijing hutong and a Michelin-starred resort in Xian), recommending evening activities, taking us to meet the "Olympic panda", helping us to check in and out of hotels and walking us through the airport process - they made sure we enjoyed every minute of our stay in China.
We will surely be reconnecting with our friends at China Discovery to get the best out of our next trip - once is definitely not enough!
6 Day private tour through Huangshan and Xi'an
My son and I wanted to do a hiking trip combined with a historical tour. I considered several options with different travel agents. In the end I choose China Discovery because Wander Wang (the tour operator) was prepared to go the extra mile to arrange very specific trip for us.
All the travel arrangements were perfect and the hotels were good. Our English guides were friendly and knowledgeable. We enjoyed every moment of our tour. I can truly recommended China Discovery !!
When and Why to visit Chengdu Panda Breeding Center
Chengdu Panda Breeding Center (Xiongmao Jidi) is indeed a must place to visit for the sake of Panda's fame itself. Panda Breeding Center is 10km from downtown. Visitors can take subway train or go by bus. Recommended to make your visit early in the morning around 8:30am as to avoid long ques at the ticket office and early visitors can see more Panda during their breakfast meals.
20 days private tour
When I was looking for information about a travel in China, I found by chance on the internet China Discovery travel agency (Chengdu based) specialized in inside-China tours. I selected on the web page the places we would like to visit and I received a first quotation. After some changes (and a bit of patience from our great travel consultant Cathy) we book the itinerary.
We spent three wonderful weeks in China, with complete private tour, a guide always with us and no inconvenients during the stay. The itinerary was full of interesting spots and well-studied: Beijing, Xi'an, Yangtzee river cruise, Chengdu, Guilin & Yangshuo, Zhanghjiajie, Shanghai (and personal extension to Hong Kong, not arranged by China Discovery).
The guides were all english-spoken girls or boys, who do this as professional job, and studied for it. We really loved our guides: Anna, Waldner, Zach, Smiliey, Lee and Laura. With few of them we felt a new and far friendship had begun.
The hotels were 4/5 star hotel, nice but not at the level of western 4/5 star hotel. Still ok. The food was actual chinese food, but sometimes (especially in the Sichuan) we arranged to have a not-spicy food and sometimes we enjoyed also fast food together with our guides! :-)
The Yangtzee river cruise is absolutely recommended! But also all the other places are a must-do!
During our stay we were in touch with our travel consultant for any question and it was a pity we couldn't meet her in Chengdu due to limited time. But our guide was so nice to bring her a magnet I brought from Italy.
This travel agency is highly recommended and Cathy Zhan as travel consultant also!
2 Day tour - Dujiangyan / Qingcheng Mountain / Panda Base / Leshan Tour
I would like to say a big thank you to Mr Johnson Wang for making our recent trip to Chengdu a very happy and memorable one!
Johnson was very efficient and extremely helpful when i was checking about tours in Chengdu just before their big National Day celebration. He continued to answer my emails to the last day of work and assured me that my tour will be booked as requested.
Our tour guide for the day was Rain - she speaks good English and her knowledge / history of the places we went to very good as well. Compliments to the driver as well - he's a very good and safe driver.
Yes, I would recommend your tour company.
Terracotta Army in Xi'an and Three Gorges Yangtse cruise
Rita Jiang with China Discovery arranged my solo tour of this western China portion of the historical Silk Road. Starting from Lanzhou to Zhangye,Jiayuguan, Dunhuang, Turpan, Urumqi, and finally Kashgar. The tour guides and drivers were very good with very comfortable 4 star accomodations. I especially liked being able to experience various modes to transportation from high speed train to overnight train, private driver,and some short flights. The arrangements were seemless. The landscapes were varied from snow covered mountains, sand dunes, rivers and lakes, and some very interesting desert topography. Of course, the highlights are the historical sights such as Mogao Grottoes, Jiaohe Ancient City,Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves, and Yardang National Park. I was very surprised how these western outpost cities have been transformed into modern cities. Overall, I really enjoyed this trip.
Fantastic private Xi'an and Chengdu tour with China Discovery
Amazing 4 day private tour in Xi'an and Chengdu. Excellent service from Bertina Li, who put together some great itinerary options and provided the flexibility to amend these to our specific requirements. The tour guides in both cities were very friendly and knowledgeable, with excellent English skills. All entrance tickets were pre-arranged meaning we could optimize our time and avoid queues, which is essential in China. The highlight of our trip was a Panda interaction experience in Chengdu, also arranged by China Discovery.
Excellent Tour - Amazing Sites
Traveling to Chengdu with my wife and son we were looking for a tour that took care of all the details and allowed us to see some truly remarkable sites. The China Discovery Tour packed everything into 6 event filled days. We were met at the airport by an English speaking guide that delivered us to our hotel.
Accommodations were excellent, the timing worked out perfectly, and we were able to see the panda exhibit in Chengdu, the Giant Budda in Leshan, incredible mountain scenery in Jizuhaigou and the Yellow Dragon Mountains. Being from Colorado we didn't think the mountains in China could be as majestic, but they were amazing. The Romance show in Jizuhaigou was an added bonus that we highly recommend. We had a near perfect experience!
Wonderful 16 day tour of China through China Discovery
Jack Li provided expert advice to ensure our itinerary covered areas of greatest interest to us. Our guides at all locations were local and well informed. They all ensured the trip was seemless and the connections smooth. The locations we visited were Beijing Xian, Lhasa, Chengdu, Guilin and Shanghai. It was a truly memorable trip which we thoroughly enjoyed.
Amazing Chengdu and Jiuzhaigou 4-day tour with China Discovery
I had an amazing 4-day private tour in Chengdu and Jiuzhaigou organized by China Discovery. I really liked the itinerary that was put together for me and mostly, I really liked that I was able to customize it. Everything was included so there was nothing for me to worry, other than show up and have fun! Cathy, the tour operator was very professional and efficient. From beginning to end, she responded to my inquires via email on a timely manner.
I got two different guides since I was visiting two different spots. May (in Chengdu) and Rocky (in Jiuzhaigou). Both tour guides speak great English and made us have a great experience during our stay in both places. The guides successfully covered everything set on the itinerary without rushing through the attractions. I would recommend this company to anyone when planning a trip anywhere in China.
1-Day Volunteering at Dujiangyan Panda Research Centre
We did not participate in an organized guided tour because we attended conferences while in China. We were assisted by Mr. Wonder Wang at China Discovery who sent us private guides who met us at the airport and spent 6 days with us in China: 2 in Beijing, 2 in Shanghai and 2 in Xian. We could not have met more special guides and we certainly could not have seen as much without them. We highly recommend this arrangement.
China Discovery tour of China
My wife and I recently went on a tour of China that had been arranged by Jack Li of China Discovery. Jack worked very hard to plan a tour that included Beijing,Xian,Tibet,Chengdu,a cruise on the Yangtze River, Yichang, and Shanghai. We had private tours except in Tibet and shore excursions from the cruise ship. It was an incredible experience. The guides were all knowledgeable and friendly. Albert, our guide in Beijing, went above and beyond to make sure were taken care of. He even accompanied us to our train coach to make sure we were on the right train. The highlight for us would have to be Tibet. It is a magical and spiritual place with warm and friendly people. Thanks to Jack Li and China Discovery for making our visit to China so memorable. Should we visit China again in the future we would certainly be getting a hold of Jack.
Xian, jiuzhaigou and chengdu, 8 days
Bertina organized a fantastic trip. - She was prompt in answering my many requests, and all the arrangements were in place. I was travelling alone, and the guides were great and her suggestions re hotels were excellent. My son was supposed to join me but was unwell, and she organized a refund for him without a problem. I would highly recommend Bertina at China Discovery.
We had this tour in late June 2016 and it was arranged by Wendy Dan who did a fantastic job of arranging the itineraries in the 5 places that we visited: Shanghai, Xi'an, Jiuzhaigou, Chengdu and Guilin/Yangshuo including all domestic flights (4) and an international flight (1) to Hong Kong. All the guides/drivers were very friendly and helpful. Luckily I knew some mandarin that made it even better. We were able to see modern architecture (Shanghai) and also saw history (Xi'an) and nature (Jiuzhaigou and Guilin/Yangshuo) as well as the beloved panda (Chengdu). We couldn't ask for more in 11 days without the superb assistance from Wendy. We have gotten a 10 years visa and certainly we'll be back in China again. I highly recommend China Discovery for your next trip to China. We loved it!
Amazing 11 days tour of major cities in China Organised by, China Discovery.
From the time the representative met us in Beijing airport till we left China from Shanghai, it was a perfect tour, visiting Beijing, Xian, Chengdu and Shanghai.
Thanks to China discovery especially to Wendy Dan who made it happen with flawless arrangements & planning. Our tour was from 6th to the 16th of September 2016. The weather was good. It rained a bit in Shanghai but this did not hamper our tour. The Tour Guides, Drivers and the Hotels were all very good. Although we chose 4 star hotels it was very comfortable. Good continental breakfast with traditional foods too. It was a cost effective tour and well worth it. We found China Discovery web site on Google and they treated our inquiry professionally and responded very fast. We were hesitant to make the payment in advance but they are a genuine professional tour company and dealing with them is very safe.
Terracotta Army in Xi'an and Three Gorges Yangtse cruise
After some conference in Beijing, we - two couples from Germany - wanted to see some more of China. Seeing the Terracotta Army in Xi'an had been a year-long dream for me, and looking for that, we found that we could combine it with a Yangtse cruise into a 7-day trip.
Some internet search brought us to ChinaDiscovery, and after checking reviews we had them book our tour from Beijing to Xi'an with the bullet train (smooth ride at 308 km/h!), then flights to Chongqing to embark on a very modern cruise ship. Tour operator Cathy gave us detailed personal advice beforehand and planned everything perfectly.
Local guide Timo took us around in Xi'an and shared his immense knowledge with us like a personal friend. The Terracotta Army was simply overwhelming, and my brain would have shut down if we had stayed another hour, trying to take in all the details. The muslim night market in Xi'an was a wonderful experience, we tried all kinds of delicious things.
We had luckily just missed some major rainfalls when we went on our ship, so the weather was hazy, but dry. As side remark: The ship's doctor cured a squeezed nerve in my spine with Chinese-Western electric acupuncture.
We passed small Chinese 'villages' with about 1.8 million citizens, but also wild mountains on both sides of the gorges, had a wonderful boat excursion into the Shennong stream, delicious meals at all times - and finally a great view on the big dam.
I generally have a deep distrust against all organized tours, but here, everything was just perfect - personal care, and great value for the money.
A group of 4-5 that fits into a minibus with the driver and local guide is just ideal to travel this way, where the guides were extremely flexible and friendly, adapting to our wishes. We felt that we were taken care of like friends.
12 Day Private Tour with China Discovery - No Problems
First of all a VERY BIG thank-you to Bertina who booked our tour, I just counted the e-mails back & forth whilst organizing our trip, 56, nothing was a problem for Bertina, she answered all of my questions and altered the trip here & there to make it suit all our requirements. In each city we visited we were met at the airport/train station by our next guide and driver. All the guides were lovely, with a special hello to Meggi in Datong and Waldner in Xian, although all guides were great at their job, I feel they both went above and beyond in their jobs to make sure we were ok. I would without question recommend China Discovery for your next china tour and we will certainly be using them again if ever we go back to China.
4-day private tour to Chengdu, Leshan, Emai Shan
We did our 2. trip with China Discovery-Tour, again organised from Mr. Wonder Wang. Like last time everything was perfectly organised, Hotels were very good, central located with western style breakfast. As special present we get a delicious mooncake from Wonder Wang because of the mid-autumn-festival.
Our tour guide Eben Lum told us many things about the region, was very flexibel, (spontanious changes in den Programm, gave us the time, we want) and was very friendly. The tour includes the visit of the great Buddha in Leshan, a day on the Emei Shan and attractions in Chengdu including the giant Panda breeding base (our favorit stop). Everyting was very good, but if I would do it again, I would plan one more day for the tour to spend one more night in Emei Shan. Its a lot of driving to go to the top of Emei Shan (around 2 hours by bus), afterwards another 90 min. driving to the middle section and in the late afternoon we also go back to Chengdu (2,5 to 3,5 hours depending on the traffic). But we really enjoyed the tour and are very satisfied.
Many thanks to all from China Discovery, especially Mr Wonder Wang, for the nice tour.
Perfectly organized 14-day tour
We visited Bejing, Pingyao, Xi'an, Luoyang and Shanghai and it was amazing. The preparation as well as the tour itself where positiv all the way. The drivers drove safely and the guides where all very skilled (subject + English) and flexible. We really got value for money. Thank you Johnson Wang from China Discovery for making this possible !
Great trip to China - Thanks to China Discovery
We had a great trip to China visiting Beijing, Zhangjiajie, Huangshan and Shanghai organised through China Discovery initially with Ian Wei and then Cathy Zeng. We were well looked after by the tour guides who all spoke great English and who looked after us very well to the extent of assisting with ordering meals ( no English menu) and showing us to our seats in theatres to ensure we did not get lost. The hotels were great as well as the drivers and the internal flights and bullet trains organised by China Discovery. We highly recommend China Discovery and intend to use them again for future trips to China.
1-Day Volunteering at Dujiangyan Panda Research Centre
I booked my 1-day tour volunteering with pandas at Dujiangyan through China Discovery and they were great to work with. Bertina patiently helped me work through all the details and made sure I was well taken care of with an excellent guide. Shannon was the best guide I had in all of China - her English was great and she made sure I had a fabulous day. I highly recommend China Discovery for booking the Dujiangyan panda volunteering experience. You will be in good, capable hands.
Best way to travel in China
The trip was fantastic. We did a customized tour in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong-Kong with my husband and 3 children and I highly recommend the agency China Discovery and our agent Rita. All hotels, transport, arrangements, local guides and tours were above any expectation. For sure the best way to go to China with no doubt, even more traveling with the whole family.
If we visit again Asia, we will directly contact this Agency given the wonderful experience we had.
China Discovery 10 day's tour
Our trip during the 10 days was amazing. During those 10 days we've made Beijing, Shanghai, Xian, Guilin and finally Changhsa. We had a glad there. The tour is well organised and everything worked as we were expecting, very good and without any complication. The places they choose for tourism for each day were amazing. But we have to say that because of the extreme hot weather there is some places that aren't the best choices during the most hot hours of the day, because we can't enjoy them, we only look for shadows and air condition. Anyway, it was amazing.
Our 17 day China trip was really fantastic. We enjoyed it every day as every day was the new adventure and chance to get closer to China’s remarkable history and people who built it. All guides were great and professional with a lot of experience and common sense giving us the best opportunity to look at the places we were from different points. They did their best to show us all places we wanted to visit and even more to meet all our expectations. It was appreciated a lot by all members of our small team. We have to say big THANK YOU to all guides and employees of the travel agency who made our trip so nice, comfortable and well organised as we had very extensive logistics including 2 train trips and 3 flights and many transfers. We did not have any delays as all was according to schedule and every our request was treated in the best possible way. We did about 15,000+ photos and 1000+ movie clips to remember every moment of our trip.
We have a lot of experience travelling to about 50 countries+ and our China tour is definitely the best. It means you are on the right track. We recommend your agency to all travelers and our friends as we want them to have a lot of fun and pleasure to come and see new unforgettable and fast moving China with Great history behind and new prosperous future ahead. Good luck and all the best. We'll be back as now we know who can do our dreams come true.
Trip to Datong and Pingyao
Recently, my friend and I used Travel consultant from China Discovery, Stephanie, for a 4 day trip to Datong and Pingyao. We were very pleased with the travel arrangements and guide services. Stephanie was very responsive and accommodating and overall, we are very happy with China discovery. I travel extensively and have used China discovery for travel planning within China 4 times, thus far!
China Discovery are Brilliant
My panda experience was organised through email, by Bertina, a travel consultant at China Discovery. It was my first time travelling alone to China.I found Bertina and her team to be very helpful and welcoming. I must say that Bertina did a fantastic job organising my panda experience, she was always prompt in replying to my emails, which I appreciated as I am a nervous traveller, and like to have my queries answered promptly. I was on a three day tour in Chengdu, so Bertina helped book me a guide and she sorted out my accommodation in the Garden City Hotel in Chengdu. This was a very nice hotel and great value for money. My guide was Eben, he was very knowledgeable and helpful. Eben picked me up from airport and took me to my hotel on the first day. On the second day of the tour, Eben picked me up and I travelled via private bus to the Dujiangyan panda base. I did some panda volunteer work, which involved cleaning the pandas enclosure, feeding the pandas and making panda cakes. This panda base also gives you the opportunity to” hug a panda” where you have to pay an extra 1800 RMB to sit with a panda, up close for about 30 seconds, and the picture is taken on your own camera for you by the staff. I was lovely to be so up close to a panda. This was my main purpose for travelling to China. It was a lovely day, you are given the opportunity to see what it is like to be a panda keeper. Note: you only interact with the pandas through their cages, for safety reasons. The pandas were adorable. After having your photograph taken, you watch a 50minuit video about panda conservation projects in China, I’ve already seen this video on Youtube. Lunch was provided, it was very basic lunch, but nice food. At the end of the day, you get to make little panda cakes. It was a very enjoyable experience, better to go in cooler weather, as in the summer the pandas a very lazy and sleep all day. This experience was a dream come true for me. Note: You need to organise the panda volunteer experience, two weeks in advance, and you need to have some form of health check done, before you can be booked on to the programme. I sent Bertina a record of my immunisations, which was accepted. I can’t thank Bertina and my guide Eben enough for their services, they were excellent and I highly recommend China Discovery to anyone travelling to China. They really help to make your trip to China hassle free, and enjoyable.
An interesting visit to Emei and Jiuzhaigou
I spent half a week in Emei-area (a few hours away from Chengdu), and half a week in Juizhaigou-area (western Sichuan, otherwise known as east Tibet). Two very different places, Emei mountain is a more culture oriented visit with several buddhist temple visits, although (at my request) it included quite a bit of uphill walking as well. The walk to the summit of Emei was the highlight of this journey. The weather did not permit seeing the sunrise the next day, which is reserved for the very lucky, but that doesn't take away from the overall experience. Juizhaigou was a more nature oriented visit, with the main purpose there to visit the (for chinese people) famous park. People who like walking can spend 2 days in the park (2x 6-7 hours), otherwise a single day is fine.
My only recommendation to my future self and others, depending on your taste, let your organizer know if you like less famous (less busy) places to go, so they can keep that in mind. There are probably more things possible than you expect. Maybe even ask for their WeChat account, so you can chat with them more informally up-front.
The guides were fine, their english far above the level of the typical Chinese person. Had plenty of local food in the various parts of Sichuan, which was very nice. Beware that in Chinese culture people do not plan stuff very far in advance, so don't be too alarmed if you don't know every tiny detail far in advance. In the end everything worked out for me.
My organizer/contact was Stephanie Kuang, I found her to be a helpful person from the start, and as the journey progressed, during our (we)chats, my image of her even changed into a like-minded person. Given my experience, I'd trust her to organize future trips for me in this region. And with my improved understanding of China, its people and its culture, make it even more awesome.
Amazing panda volunteering trip
I used China Discovery for a day trip to visit the pandas and volunteer for the day and hug a panda at Dujiangyan Panda Base outside of Chengdu.
Wendy Dan was very helpful and quick to respond when I gave her my requirements by email. She emailed me the details of the trip and told me she would send through the guides name the day before by email.
Shannon was our guide who was exceptional! She was waiting for us in the Hotel lobby when we came down. She was very fluent in English and was great with my 7 year old! She was great company and gave us lots of information and answered all our questions about the panda reserve and China in general!
I would definitely use China Discovery again and would recommend them to anyone.
A comfortable and amazing adventure trip in China
I wanted this year to taste , as an European citizen ,a non-conventional tour in China and combine in one trip, the modern China, the old one and the natural wonders of this big country stating from the fact that I had been some years earlier in the classical China
decided to start my trip from Shanghai, the most modern and attractive city in China, to see how the city changed with its world’s tallest skyscrapers and how it has been possible to combine traditions with modernity.
Then I wanted to see the most attractive places in China, like the National forest at Zhangjiajie,(the place where the Avatar mouve has been filmed , have some relaxing days sailing along the Yangtze River by a first class river cruise company , for starting again the adventure to discover the incredible Guilin with its incredible picks and colorful cave , for completing the trip again inside the modernity of the new buildings and sky scrapers at Guangzhou down to the South of China.
The trip took 14 days of pictures, good food, comfortable hotels, kind tour operators assistance in a combination of adventure and comfort provided by the impeccable organization of China Discovery throughout and the assistance provided by Miss Lyn Wang who has been my reference point before and during the trip.
China Treasure, Tibet Dream and Yangtze River Cruise.
Travel in China presents some major challenges but China Discovery makes it easy. June Yang from China Discovery had everything organised like a well-oiled machine and I could relax and enjoy the wonders, cultures and food of this amazing and spectacular country. I would like to compliment each and every guide and driver; all were highly-skilled, friendly and exemplary in their professionalism.
Everyday was a highlight.
Amazing Experience
We´re travelers form Mexico and since we found China Discovery we were excited about quality and service. However, once the trip started, we surprised about the tourist guides and since they´re locals we experienced the Real China. I want to congratulate: Wonder Wang (China Discovery consultant) and all of the guides during our journey: Tashi (Tibet), Angela (Xian), Snow (Luoyang) and Echo (Beijing). Im pretty sure i will come back to China with China Discovery :D
What a fantastic trip thanks China Discovery
We ( me, my wife.and two children 10 &14 ) have just returned from a fantastic 14 day tour that was organised with great help from Cathy at China Discovery. We worked very closely with Cathy to organise a productive plan before we left to maximise our experience and see everything we wanted
This included Beijing, Xian, Guilin, Yangshou, The Yangtze and Chengdu. 14 Days definitely wasn't enough.
All our guides were great, very professional, spoke great English, helped our kids with there Mandarin, they knew their cities, very knowledgeable about the history of the cities as well. The drivers are always on time and very patient. We saw so many great things like The Wall and the Terracotta army and became addicted to spicy hotpots.
China Discovery go above and beyond and I would have absolutely no hesitation recommending China Discovery.
China Discovery Did an Excellent Job
For my first trip to China, China Discovery prepared an 11-day itinerary covering Beijing, Shandong Province, and Xi'an. I was extremely happy with the trip. It was not without its hiccups (for example, a flight within China was cancelled due to weather), but Bertina Li of China Discovery responded immediately to every problem, and made everything right. The guides and drivers were excellent -- knowledgeable, flexible, and helpful. I plan to use China Discovery when I return to China next year.
We worked with Cathy Zeng who arranged a 17-day trip with stops in Beijing, Xi'an, Guilin, Yangshuo and Shanghai. During our planning phase, she was very prompt, friendly, and provided detailed answers to all of our questions and concerns prior to the tour-- everything from how much luggage we could bring on in-country flights to laundry pricing lists from the hotels.
We had four tour guides and every one of them was waiting for us when we arrived at our destination. They were all friendly and never made us feel that we were inconveniencing them with any needs we had. We were able to understand and converse with all four of them easily and they were able to answer any questions we had about the locations we visited.
Cindy in Beijing was really great befriending our 5-year-old and keeping an eye on her so we could get photos at some of the more crowded spots. Timo, in Xi'an, did an especially great job telling us all about the Terra-cotta army and Xian. Wang, in Guilin, was amazing! He worked very hard making sure we had the best tour possible and best experience at each location we visited. He recommended additional activities including the Guilin night river cruise and a ski lift ride up Yao mountain, which ended up being a personal favorite of the trip for me despite my fear of heights.
We have traveled a lot in the past, but this was our first time doing a tour and it was the most stress-free travel I have ever experienced. China Discovery and our guides took care of transportation, communication, purchasing attraction tickets, where to eat, where to stay and our departure/arrival times. We saw more sights, visited more locations than we ever would have even known about and learned more about them than we would have on our own.
China Discovery - Mind blowing Birthday trip for our 12 & 6 year old kids
If you are planning to take your 11 year old Daughter and her 5 year old kid brother on an unforgettable 14 day “Happy Birthday” trip through China ... but are worried about food , fun, culture , language ... you need to speak with Olivia or Wendy at China Discovery.
My wife and I began planning this trip with Olivia almost 2 months prior to the date of travel. We had tried our luck with a multitude of established travel agencies . But the sheer warmth from the China Discovery team and truly customizable itineraries made the discussions truly worth it. The amazing responsiveness from Olivia for every little detail that my wife wanted to plan was taken care of , with very interesting add ons thrown in as well. It was only when we reached China that we discovered the value of the English speaking guide and local driver at every city we reached. Whilst the choice of hotels took us some discussion, we finally went with Olivia’s helpful advice. She also ensured that whilst breakfast was part of the package everywhere, so was a true Chinese lunch for every day. But not for all that diligence, we would have been going in circles worrying about what would lie ahead.
On good advice from the China Discovery team , the ONLY thing we did ourselves was to book our international flights online from Bangalore to Beijing via Hong Kong . Our return flight was booked from Shanghai via HongKong back to Bangalore. All other logistics were taken care off by the China Discovery team.
After the initial stopover at Hongkong, as we swung in over Beijing and landed in, the 2 hour long immigration check at Beijing airport really sapped our energies. Thank God from Albert , our local guide at Beijing , who met us just as we were exiting the airport. His command over the english language amidst a sea of chinese voices was the first sign of relief for us. Albert got us into a very comfortable mini van , introduced us to our very friendly driver and breezed us into our hotel near the Wangfujing area. Albert helped us all the way including our check in process and ensuring that we got the extra bed placed in our room .
The next two days Albert was our guide and local friend , helping us discover Beijing from the Tiananmen Square, to the Forbidden City to the Summer Palace. From the nuances of Chinese history to the culture we experienced, Albert did a wonderful job of translating all of these for us .
From there on, we knew what a China Discovery trip would look and feel like. From Beijing we were on the bullet train to Xian , which in itself was a 1000 km time warp through the countryside. With Luciya and the local driver taking us around, we really got a smell of history whilst experiencing the Terracotta warriors first hand.
But the real surprise was the way Luciya handled our daughter's birthday day celebration in true chinese style. We cant express in words the thrill that our little girl felt that day.
From there we were zipped off to Chongqing and from there onto the Yangtze cruise. After a 2 day leisurely cruise, we crossed the awe inspiring 3 Gorges dam and finished our cruise at Yichang. We moved to Shanghai from there and onto the big birthday milestone of our little boy. Another fantastic day spent at the tallest tower in China made his birthday an unforgettable one, and Laura our guide made all efforts for that.
All in all , we are so appreciative of the team at China Discovery who helped us plan each day with care , as also all the local English speaking guides and drivers in the 5 cities that we visited in ensuring our safety and comfort.
With each of our 14 days we discovered so much more to China , as much as our kids discovered how wonderful a family holiday like this can be.
Introducing China
The 18 days that we spent in China was filled with awe and excitement, and despite seeing a new city every 2-3 days, we managed to learn so much about many different aspects of China's history, culture, food and art. This is very much down to the fantastic service that China Discoveryr provided us. They helped plan our trip to include our own wishes while also suggesting places to visit, and organised all the transportation that included flights, hotel transfers. It was an incredibly comfortable trip which meant we were well rested to spend each day exploring China.
The tour guides were all very professional, friendly and spoke very clear and fluent English. They had plenty of anecdotes and personal experiences to talk about, which gave us a deeper understanding of Chinese modern culture, as opposed to simply historical facts. In every city we visited, we were provided the option of seeing some local entertainment or food, which we often agreed to. Whether you want to have a nice relaxing holiday or one where every day will leave you tired and exhilarated, the tour guide will accompany any of your wishes.
We saw many great wonders like the Great Wall and the Terracotta Army, but those by themselves would not have shown us the real China, and China Discovery made sure that we see as many different aspects of this huge and wonderful country as possible. Best trip we have ever gone as a family.
China Discovery, a great service for those who want to travel around China.
My first experience with China Discovery Tour was one year ago. They tailored a two weeks trip to Guilin for me, my husband and a couple of friends. It was perfect!
Two weeks ago, thanks them, we have had another nice trip on China.
3 Days Luoyang Longmen Grottoes Tour.
It was an exciting weekend where everything worked well. The Longmen Grottoes are impressive! an amazing experience (even for those as we already live in China for over three years).
Thanks very much to our consultant Wendy Dan at China Discovery Tours. And a highlight thanks to our guide Snow - She is an absolutely outstanding tour guide - good English, clear, enthusiastic and very knowledgable. She was kind and patient with my infinite curiosity (including giving me as bonus a chinese's characteres lessons) . The driver also is a nice professional. Very polite, drove safely and always punctual. I strongly recommend this tour and China Discovery.
China in 17 days with China Discovery - Excellent Trip and Service
My daughter and I used China Discovery as our tour agency to travel 17 days throughout China, including Shanghai, Huangshan, Xi'an, Chengdu, Guilin, Yangshuo (Longji Rice Terrace), Chongqing to join the Yangtze River cruise, and then returned back to Shanghai. It was a very busy trip with many flights, train rides, boat rides, and 10 different hotels – two where we stayed at the top of mountains (Huangshan and Yangshuo) to view the sunrise and sunsets.
We had personal, local tour guides and drivers at each destination who met us at the airports – no matter how late the flight was -- they were always on time and then gave us excellent tours of each of the locations. We were very pleased with their service and recommended excursions. The tour guides modified the excursions if we asked based on what we liked and also made sure the food at the restaurants were also to our liking .We saw many great places thanks to their suggestions and they were very kind and patient. We also had clean and nice hotels everywhere we went.
We had a few difficulties on the trip that were not China Discovery’s faulty and the tour guides really helped us. For example, my airline lost my luggage when I first arrived for five days and the tour guides from China Discovery kept in touch with the airline to ensure it was delivered to one of the hotels. In addition, our boat on the Yangtze River cruise was hit by another boat and we had to be transferred to another boat. Jack from China Discovery helped us receive some money back since we did not receive all the excursions. I would also say that the both the crew of the Katarina and Anna from the Yangtze River Cruise were also very helpful and did what they could to make the best of this situation.
Both my daughter and I highly recommend China Discovery to tour China. They really know the best places to go and listened to our needs and what we wanted to do.
Sincerely, Karen and Melissa from the United States
A holiday of highlights
China Discovery organised a 17 day tour for us, and it was excellent. The organiser, W Wonder Wang, could not have been more helpful. And the tour itself went very smoothly; Beijing, Xi'An, Tibet, Chengdu, Guilin, Yangshuo. My daughter had bad travel sickness in Tibet, and Wonder Wang responded immediately, booking us on flights to get us down early, despite this happening at the weekend. Hotels were great, sights were great, guides were great, food was great! Strong recommendation.
Excellent
We visited the old water town Zhouzhuang near Shanghai with Chinadiscovery. We had a wonderful day with our private guide. We were picked up on time at the hotel by a private driver. During the ride to the village, we got some general information about Shanghai. The tour in Zhouzhuang was more than pleasing with again, a lot of facts about the little village given by our guide. A typical Chinese lunch was included, followed with some free time before heading back to Shanghai. This organization is just perfect. We added our guide on WeChat and because she knew we were going to Suzhou the day after, she sent us some extra tips for this city as well! Also, we had a very good contact with Bertina through mail. She arranged everything and answered really quick and efficient to our emails. Would definitely book with them again!!
China was discovered with China Discovery
We booked our 13 day, customised China trip with China discovery, and after looking at a few options from other tour companies, we are so glad we decided to travel with China Discovery. We did Beijing> Yangtze river cruise > Zhangjiajie > Shanghai. Everything from the accommodation and transfer to the food and sights were beyond expectation!
At first, coming from a western country (Australia), we were a little skeptical and nervous booking a tour online with an overseas agent and also sending money online to pay for the trip, but all worry was eased by the responsiveness and professionalism or our travel consultant, June Yang. June was very quick to respond and in fact followed up any queries far quicker than other tour companies we inquired with.
The trip itself was so incredible and memorable, and we could not have such an amazing trip without our travel consultant, June Yang, the team at China Discovery and tour-guides +drivers.
We can not thank China Discovery enough, nor can we recommend them high enough, They are a great, emerging travel company who cater very well for overseas travellers who want to discover China.
cross China from Beijing to Shanghai
we travelled as a family of 6 to major cities and nature reserves in China. Local transport, hotels, english speaking guides were all perfectly organized by Wonder from China discoveries. We had a great variety of activities, city sightseeing, river cruise, hiking etc. After Beijing we went to Guilin, which is as beautiful as they say. Then we took a cruiseship for a 3 daycruise trough the 3 gorges to the dam site, amazing. After this it went direction Zhangjiajie, better known today as avatar country! Spectacular! To end the trip we had a last stop at Hangzhou and Shanghai. Although it was not our first time in China, we discoverd so much beauty and culture again and the way everything was prepared and organized made this trip unforgettable
Wonderful, professional insight into Guilin, Chengdu, Shangri-la, Lijiang and surrounds
Our tour was organized by Rita Jiang from China Discovery in Chengdu. It was very professional from start to finish. It included flights, road travel and meals. We could find no fault, everything went smoothly from the moment we were collected at Guilin airport by Carina to the drop off at Lijian airport by Sandy and the drivers, with excellent guides in between: Cherry and Ningima and the drivers.
We would highly recommend a visit to Lijiang and if you go, stay in the old town. It is like going back in time. Guilin unfortunately was very wet but still very beautiful. Tiger Leaping Gorge and Shangri-la were also very interesting and not to forget the gorgeous and cute pandas in Chengdu. All the hotels were well chosen, unique in character and of a high standard (4 star).
Excellent service
We were very impressed by our tour to Beijing and Shanghai arranged by Wendy Dan at China Discovery Tours located in Chengdu China. The entire tour was arranged via email with Wendy. We liked that we were able to customize our tour to our liking. All emails were answered within 1-2 days.
Our tour Guides Michael in Beijing and Frank in Shanghai were very knowledgeable and personable. Michael was very attentive to our group of 6, he went above and beyond his duties as a tour guide.
Everything worked out great from our english speaking tour guides, drivers with private vehicles, plane and train rides. We also stayed at 4-5 star hotels at a very reasonable price. Our guides were able to explain in english the rich history of each site visited.
I have been and would recommend China Discovery Tour to anyone!
A great trip to China, parks and cities
China Discovery coordinated a private tour through Beijing, Xian, Jiuzhaigou National Park, Huanglong National Park and Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. They coodinated a three-day Yangtze cruise and four days in Shanghai and Suzhou. We were provided English speaking guides and very competent drivers (and private vehicles). We were met off three train trips and three internal flights absolutely reliably. China Discovery's choice of hotels was very suitable and our guides and drivers were very flexible during a period of "travellers tummy" when we relied on an airport restaurant. We would not hesitate to recommend China Discovery for a tailor made trip to China. As a 70 year-old couple we would just suggest an occasional day off when attempting a 3-week trip like ours.
Amazing Trip with China Discovery (Chengdu)
The tour arrangments prepared by Rita were amazing (Beijing->Xian->Kunming->Guilin->HuangShan->Shangai). We cannot think of a better person to plan it or a better plan according to our preferences. Regarding the places visited we enjoyed very much the tour, from the cultural part (visiting ethnic villages) to the history of the Forbidden City and the scenery of the Great Wall and Stone Forest among many others. Since me and my wife traveled through many places we had many guides and we have to say that all were good and several were exceptional, always ready to help and attentive to our needs and curiosity. Any problems we had with whatever (from almost loosing a painting to an issue with a guide) Rita was amazing and sorted everything out very quickly. The meals were very good and we were also very happy with the transportation arrangements. Additionally, the care to our travel arrangements by the guides was impressive and made us fell very comfortable. We cannot give enough praise to Rita. Thank you!
Sichuan and Yunnan
1 7 1/2 hours high speed train journey
4 internal flights
5 excellent hotels and Yangtze cruise
7 guides and drivers
10 pick ups.
14 nights in total from Chengdu to Suzhou
all organised so efficiently and executed almost perfectly. Wonder was very helpful and patient with the planning of our trip.Each email we sent he answered within 24 hours. Guides were excellent, knowledgeable and friendly Lisco who we met in Dali looked after us so well for 2 days that we were sorry to part from him. Drivers patient (can we stop for a photo please) and actually good drivers. One did use his mobile phone whilst driving but at our request immediately stopped and did not answer it again.
We would recommend China Discovery particularly to those who have traveled to China previously and are prepared to look after themselves a little. The particular advantages are choosing your own destinations and very good value for cost.
Altogether a wonderful experience.
China Discovery personalised tour
I booked a 12 day tour to visit attractions in Beijing, Xian, Guilin, Chendgu, and Yangtze river cruise. Bertina provided all the information requested and scheduled the itinerary well. I pleasantly saw much more than I had planned. It exceeded my expectations, with excellent delivery of service, and will be recommending booking via Chinadiscovery/Yangtze River cruises (based in Chengdu) to anyone that is considering visiting China.
Awesome trip with Catherine
We were in chengdu and Tibet on a tour organized by Catherine from China discovery. She was incredible from the moment we emailed her regarding information. She always emailed back promptly and with lots of clear and concise information regarding our tour. It was a pleasure to work with her and we even we're lucky to meet her in person while in chengdu. We were unsure which company to use and trust but we can't recommend Catherine enough. Put your trust in her to help plan a fantastic holiday. She gives you options and suggestions so it is easy to work with her and ask questions to plan a fantastic holiday.
You will love chengdu and Tibet they are incredible places to visit.
Chengdu Tour
Mr. Wonder Wang helped to customize my tour just the way I wanted. I had so much fun on the tour and I always felt very safe and happy. This was a trip of a lifetime. My tour guide Fen was amazing. Her English is perfect. I got to see so many beautiful sights. My favorite part of the tour was being a panda helper for a day. The pandas are so cute there. I highly recommend China Discovery to anyone who is interested in visiting China. I will continue to go back and visit China and will always use China Discovery. The outstanding customer service that Mr. Wonder Wang provided me is truly second to none.
Perfect planning, immaculate delivery, and great advisory-that is China Discovery and Tibet Discovery for you
We used Chengdu Bamboo Travels for 3 separate sections during May 2016 - China Discovery for in and around Chengdu, Xian, and Beijing over 8 days, Tibet Discovery for Tibet over 5 days, and again China Discovery for the Silk Road trail over Western China for 6 days....with the planning for this trip commencing as far back as August 2015.
I am absolutely sure that Jack Li, the agent who interacted with me in the planning stage and thereafter in the execution stage, deserves an A+++...thanks Jack for making this a truly memorable trip. I truly appreciate your patience, diligence, promptness, and knowledge while preparing the itinerary.Most appreciated was the inputs for refining the trip and the patience for revising the itinerary a zillion times.
We are especially thankful for the choice of guides at all locations: Penny at Chengdu, Zhayang in Tibet, Timo at Xian,Jackie at Dunhuang were all superb.They were all ranging from between A+ to A+++.The only place where the guide was not up to the mark was in Turpan but where the driver more than made up for him....all of them figured out our likes and dislikes quickly and therefore delivered a huge value add to the trip.
The vehicles used were generally good at all places excepting for the first 2 days at Lhasa ( and where on being pointed out the replacement vehicle was great) - however, a slightly better quality of vehicles would have made it even better.
On the price front they were not the cheapest but certainly way below the quotes sent by some other competing better known names and who could not have probably delivered a higher value than China/Tibet Discovery - hence a huge value for money too!
All in all a tour agency that deserves a huge applause and highly recommended over China and Tibet.....hopefully shall use you guys some day again.
China Discovery - Day Tour
We used China Discovery services for four days in Chengdu, and were absolutely delighted with the excellent service. The complete package included round-trip transport to and from the airport / hotel, day lunches, all entrance fees, a full-time driver, and a very professional and friendly English-speaking tour guide. Our specific itinerary was perfect for our length of stay, which included the Giant Panda Breeding Research Base, Qingyang Palace, Renmin Park, Jinli Old Street, Mt Qingcheng, and the Dujiangyan Irrigation System. The lunch selections at local cuisine restaurants were excellent.
Looking back, this tour would not have been possible without the excellent services of China Discovery. Without local experts, we would not have been able to successfully navigate the four days, which could be confusing to first-time foreigners. Our tour operator, Bertina Li, was always prompt, courteous, understanding, and professional. Our full-time driver made each day efficient, safe, and successful. And finally, our Chengdu expert tour guide, Penny, was absolutely amazing. Her knowledge, professionalism, and friendliness made this Chengdu trip memorable for a lifetime. We will certainly use China Discovery for our next China tour.
Excellent Service!Highly Recommended
We went for 8 day trip to Beijing > Xi'an > Chengdu. The trip was well organised and we were very satisfied with the traveling plan, accommodation, restaurants and English speaking tour guide.
Their service was excellent!!! its a 5 star! :)
We went to visit places and also we had our leisure time at the same time. So the trip wasn't a tiring one for us.
I should credit China Discovery for the excellent itinerary prepared for us.
I would also like to comment on the tour guide we had.
Echa - Excellent guide! good spoken English, knowledgeable and helpful
Waldener - Excellent guide! Very good spoken English, Funny, informative and keep us entertained all the time.
Overall china discovery is an excellent and 5 star service tour! we are very happy!
Trip to Shanghai, Xian, Beijing
After disembarkation in Shanghai from a 17 days cruise in Asia on the Princess Sapphire a 7 days tour in Shanghai, Xian and Beijing has been organized by Wendy Dan, our travel consultant, from China Discovery. Although we had some issues, we were very well looked after by Wendy who took good care of ourselves to solve the issues rapidly and effeciently.The restaurant choices for lunch were awesome 5 stars category.the guides were very knowledgeable and very professional.
As conclusion the trip was well organized. I highly recommend China Discovery and Wendy for the choice of the tours, her genuine caring , empathetic attitude,for being helpful and attentive to our request.
Most Amazing Holiday
Read reviews of this company and took the plunge. Thought about sending money to China and being left stranded but needn't have worried. I must have tormented this company at least once a week with questions and changes over the last 12 months possibly to the point where any other tour company would have thought my demands were too much. I wanted everything - 4 and 5 star hotels, guides, seemless transitions, quick and easy travel and the most you could pack into 30 days. We went to Guilin and toured the Li River, rode bikes around Yangshuo, hiked around Zhangjiajie, Yellow Mountain and Juizhaigou, saw the Terracotta Warriors and the Pandas, had a luxury cruise on the Yangtze, climbed tall buildings in Shanghai and wandered around ancient towns near Hangzhuo. Overall 8 internal fights, a bullet train, a wonderful cruise, 11 great hotels, many fabulous meals all professionally put together by this company particularly Wonder Wang and formerly Ian Wei.
All our guides and drivers were reliable and made our time in China so special.
The overall costs ended up being remarkably low and substantially cheaper than the majors.
Couldn't praise this company enough.
Excellent trip to Beijing, Xi'an and shanghai
We've just returned from a 9 day trip organised by China Discovery. My husband had researched options thoroughly online, and we decided to organise our own travel from UK to HK (finally using up a load of Airmiles). We also wanted to avoid being in a large party.
China Discovery provided us prompt and personal responses throughout the set up of our tour - which encouraged us a lot (unlike the large volumes of templated materials we had from competitors). Throughout we were dealing with a named individual (Mr Wonder Wang) who was very patient with and responsive to our numerous requests for alternatives and options, and who provided thorough and helpful info on the choices and their up and downsides. We wanted to include a bullet train (if not two) as well as all the key sites in our three chosen destinations.
Payment was easy - through PayPal - and not rushed. Documentation was thorough and timely, and extra requirements the Chinese Embassy have recently added for our Visa application(for details of all internal flights) immediately provided. We also had contact details for our guides in advance in case of hiccups with travel.
The trip itself was outstanding. Everything worked smoothly - travel connections, pick ups, excursions; we had knowledgeable, professional and extremely likable guides (Happy in Beijing, Waldner in Xi'an and Maria in Shanghai) and great drivers in all three locations who ensured we got the most out of each location but also made sure we had time to relax and enjoy extra things, and that we learned lots about the local foods and culture. They also made sure we were correctly checked in to our hotels and to our next stage journey.
The hotels were top - and Chinese owned and run rather than part of big global chains. Breakfast was included in every location proved to be lovely buffets. Our rooms were all super, with WiFi (although don't expect UK in-home speeds) and all the amenities you come to expect when travelling internationally. For UK travellers all three hotel rooms had baths as well as showers. The hotel in Shanghai even had heated loo seats.
Still buzzing about the trip which completely exceeded our expectations. So much more fun than being in a big party - it made us feel very special every day.
The only change we would make - we should have added another day in Xi'an which itself is a beautiful city with lots more to do and see than the (amazing) Terracotta Warriors. You could easily spend half a day just walking the city walls, which are magnificent.
Definitely recommended
Trip to Shengzhen, Guilin and Hangshou 6 nights
June from China Discovery booked all our travel on line and did a fantastic job, During the booking process we changed our minds a number of times and June was quick to come back with revised dates and prices. The tour guides in Shenzhen and Guilin both spoke good English and were very knowledgeable about their regions. The accommodation June recommended was excellent. We will reach out to June for our next China adventure. The Guilin region has spectacular geography and is a must see for any visit to China.
Yang Tze River Cruise-President no 8
The cruise was fantastic, the view is very beautiful, all the staff also very warm and helpful, we happens to stay at the VIP rooms with our private deck, so it was an amazing experience. All the drivers that have arranged are also very helpful and friendly and on time to pick us up.
Will recommend China Discovery to all our friends, and thanks to Wendy for the prompt information and updates during the trips, well done.
Thank you n Best regards,
MOE family
Fantastic custom 4 night/5 day tour through Sichuan province
I contacted China Discovery to organize a short sightseeing holiday after a work trip to Chengdu. Stephanie K. helped organize my custom 4 night/day day tour (with an English speaking guide) through Chengdu and nearby points of interest. China Discovery organizes all transportation, as well as purchasing of any tickets - they handle all details with efficiency so you can relax and enjoy your trip. Stephanie is very kind, thoughtful and patient with any question you can imagine as well as able to adjust itineraries to a range of budgets. I asked that my itinerary include a lot of hiking/walking, delicious vegetarian food, pandas and important historical sites - I was not disappointed! My tour included the Giant Panda Breeding Center outside of Chengdu, Wuhou temple, Jinli Street, People's Park, hiking up Front Mountain of Mount Qingcheng, Yuecheng Lake, Laojun Pavilian and other temples, Dujiangyan Irrigation System, Leshan, the hot springs of Emei, and Mount Emei itself - hiking all the way to the Golden Summit! (and many of the temples within Mount Emei's middle and upper levels like Baoguo Temple and Huazhang Temple). This was the perfect tour and I had a fantastic time! My guide - Nancy - was also awesome. She is incredibly knowledgeable (offering the perfect mix of history and local myth), funny and warm - she was an absolute pleasure to spend 4 days with! Nancy also went above and beyond her responsibility, to help me rebook a flight when we arrived at the airport and learned China Southern airlines cancelled my flight home without notice. She stayed at the airport for 2 hours helping me negotiate a new flight home in Mandarin with other airlines. I highly, highly recommend China Discovery and will certainly work with them again if I am able to visit China in the future!
Amazing trip to Mt Huangshan, Yellow Mtns of China with China Discovery Tours
I booked a custom tour with personal english-speaking guide through China Discovery tours. Mr. Jack Li was so responsive and answered all my questions promptly. Had absolutely no problems with all hotel arrangements made for us and the airport transfers. We spent two nights on Mt Huangshan and 3 days hiking which I personally recommend in order to see all that there is to see of this beautiful mountain range. Avoid weekend hiking and peak season as there are many other tours on the mountain. I would book through China Discovery again in the near future.
Fantastic 16-day private guided tour of 'Wild China'
A meticulously planned and well-organized 16-day long private tour of Yunnan and Guangxi for a couple + teenager executed by Wonder Wang of China Discovery.
Beginning in Kunming, and spanning from Shangri-La on the edge of the Tibetan plateau to the rice terraces on the steep slopes near the border with Vietnam and Laos, and separately at the magnificent Li river valley of Guangxi. The tour included 4 domestic flights, a night train with a private sleep cabin and guided private transportation everywhere.
Yunnan isn't an easy province to tour, at least not for westerners, and our tour wan't always perfect or exactly as planned, but cozy boutique hotels, comfortable cars driven by experienced drivers and licensed guides that catered to our every need made the tour a very enjoyable experience. The guides were local in the sense that most belonged to one or another of the local minorities, were very knowledgeable and satisfied all my inquiries, mostly in very good English.
Wonder, our agent, meticulously arranged all the boutique hotels, which I will review separately, along with all the visits and entrance to attractions and museums, plus the world famous Liu Sanjie light and sound performance in Yangshuo.
There are many agencies/tour operators for groups and private tours; China Discovery's most notable feature is their honesty and integrity, in our case, embodied in Wonder Wang, their representative. I wholeheartedly recommend them.
China Discovery - Day Tour
Our group of eight university teachers in Xi'an had a great tour of Luoyang highlights through China Discovery. Our travel consultant was Wonder Wang who organized train travel, local travel, hotels and restaurant choices for us as well as a local English-speaking guide. We were very pleased with all the arrangements made for us:food, lodging ,travel and tours. Our guide was fabulous and was well -versed in Chinese history and lore. We visited Luoyang Grottoes, Shaolin Temple and Kung Fu exhibition , Luoyang History Museum, Whitehorse Temple and viewed the peonies for which Luoyang is famous. The price was right and it was a successful experience for very particular teachers! We will use China Discovery again!
Great visit to China
Our group of 10 friends just came back from 15 days visit to China organized by China Discovery. Our original travel consultant Ian Wei left China Discovery a few weeks back and his work was taken over by June Yang who made sure that everything went smoothly during our trip. I would strongly recommend China Discovery to anybody that wants to organize a customized, private tour of China. Our visit included Beijing, Great Wall, Datong (Yungang Grottoes), Taiyuan, Xi'an (Terracotta Warriors), Yangtze River Cruise and Shanghai. We told China Discovery roughly what we wanted to see and, based on that, they put together for us a detailed itinerary, recommending many great places to visit we had no idea about. In the end it was a very successful trip, full of great sights and memories. China Discovery made all the arrangements for accommodation, entrance tickets to all the sights and transportation within China, including a private bus, flights between the cities and a high speed bullet train from Taiyuan to Xi'an (which was a great experience by itself). All our hotels were first class and in perfect locations, and all our guides were very knowledgable, fluent in English and easy to understand (sometimes a challenge in China). Initially we asked several travel agencies for a price for our trip and China Discovery was very competitive. Their customer service was excellent at all times and they always responded to our questions and emails within a day. The whole trip was a great success and went without a glitch, which is all we could ask for. If we ever go back to China, we will certainly use China Discovery to organize our second visit.
10 day DIY tour China Discovery
I discovered China Discover on the net and TA and had them organise a ten day DIY tour. Olivia was our consultant and everything was tailored to our requirement. Communication was prompt and various changes were incorporated without any problem. The wire transfer was also smooth and there were no issues. We got a detailed itinerary and they even booked train tickets for us after the tour ended. Everything went like clockwork and the guides were waiting at every place on schedule. Olivia was most efficient and was available on wechat (better install before departure) for any requirements, but we never had to call her for anything as everything went according to plan. Highly recommended.
Ten day tour in Souzhou, Hangzhou and Yellow mountains
We took a ten day tour organised by Rita at China Discovery ( in Chengdu) at then end of April. Everything was perfectly organised by Rita and we had great guides and drivers, who knew where to go and what to show us. We felt extremely well looked after and enjoyed every minute of our visit. Do go and see the Yellow mountains, Huangshan, they are just like those Chinese paintings we all love.
Let Rita organise your trip, she will include a lot of things that you didn't know exited.
Short visit to Beijing and Guilin
Wonder from China Discovery tailored a one trip week in Beijing and Guilin for us. This was not one of their standard tours, but planning was done via mail exchanges and was quick and easy to tailor. Wonder fixed accomodations, tours and transfers, all was perfect!!!. Our guides were Mark in Beijing and Carina in Guilin, they were there – on time - to greet us at the airports. Very friendly and knowledgeable about China history and the sites we visited. The hotels were very good, the one in Beijing was at walking distance of Wanfujing street and the night food stalls, which we visited on our own. We went in Beijing to the Wall, the Yonghe temple, Temple of Heaven, Ming Tombs and had a drive and lunch in a hutong (all great for photography). Guilin was great too, went to Yangshuo (Cruise Li River), we went to the water show (that day it was not cancelled due to rain) and it was fabulous!, the caves in Guilin were great also. Our few days – arranged by Wonder – were packed in places to visit and interesting things to do. We are mainly interested in photography and photo opportunities and our guides were very flexible with the times and photo stops. We highly recommend Wonder as your travel agent for China Discovery, he is quick to answer mails and make changes, to fit places and interests, as necessary. Everything was perfect ?!.
March 2016-11days in Beijing, Xi'an, Guilin and Shanghai
My fiancé and I travelled to China in March on a private guided tour organised by Bertina from China Discovery.
I am always skeptical and suspicious of fraud when it comes from booking things online, especially if it's over ?1000 and the company is based abroad. However, when we got our China visas based on the invitation letter sent by China Discovery, I concluded that the company was legitimate - and it was.
Upon arriving at Beijing airport, we were greeted by our tour guide and escorted back to our hotel. Our guide spoke very good English and had very good knowledge about the history of China, where to visit/eat, where not to visit/eat, and was happy to take photos for us - even told us the best spots for photos. And so our journey began.
We travelled through 4 cities in China in 11 days, travelling by train, plane and even by ferry between each location. At each station or airport, our guides were always prompt to arrive and escort us to our next destination. Hotels were usually 3 stars - average comfort, but as we expected since we paid a very good price for the tour - we have Bertina to thank for that. She happily revised several versions of tour to tailor to our needs. We even got a free upgrade to a 4 star hotel which was nice.
I recommend the Great Wall and the Guilin caves - both unforgettable experiences. I've heard the Water Show in Yangshou is good, but unfortunately it was cancelled due to the rain. I wouldn't recommend going to any jade, silk or pearl factories - they are filled with overpriced goods and harassing salesmen.
Overall, the guides made our holiday wonderful and Bertina took away the stress by organising the entire holiday. I highly recommend this company because of their service and price, but expect to receive standard (not luxurious) comfort hotels if you're looking for a bargain.
Amazing Trip with China Discovery
Wendy Dan's expertise as our travel consultant made our trip unforgettable. Our accommodations and tours were all superior. We would definitely recommend China Discovery.
From the moment that Penny ( Hu Yi) ,our tour guide met us at the airport, we knew we were going to have an amazing vacation in Chengdu. Penny was on time and always waiting for us to start our tour days. Penny was a beautiful, kind, and very knowledgeable guide about every destination on our tour. Penny was very thoughtful and always made sure we had water and was flexible when we needed to rest or eat. We learned so much about Chengdu and we were amazed by the number of different boutiques and shops.
The highlight of our tour was volunteering at the Dujianayan Panda Base. It was a dream come to to be so close and so involved with the beautiful Pandas. The staff was wonderful and dedicated and made our experience warm and welcoming. The Base is so clean and the grounds were so neatly cared for.. The Pandas are truly happy there.
Our visits to Leshan, the Giant Buddah and to Mt. Emei, Golden Summit were worth seeing and even worth all of the stair climbing. This was truly a different part of China and should not be missed.
We can not say enough wonderful things about Penny (Hu Yi) she really made our trip special and we feel like we made a friend.
Penny and our driver should both be commended for a superior job well done.
Memorable China Trip
We began planning our trip through the internet and connecting with China Discovery and Mr. Wonder Wang, our tour coordinator. Since we did not know much about China Discovery, you could understand our reservations but Mr. Wonder Wang, provided quick email responses and provided assurances that we would be well taken care of. Wonder helped our group of 21 plan a trip to see China and as well visit the ancestral villages of my Mom and Dad and my Father-In-Law. We got to visit several cities, including Beijing, Xian, Chengdu, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong and the ancestral villages within 11 days. It was a fun packed 11 days, the tour guides for each city were well informed, humorous and provided exceptional service. This company and Wonder provided us with a trip that has many special memories and as one of the kids said in one word to describe the trip, "Unforgettable".
So Wonder, the tour guides, and China Discovery, thank you for such a memorable trip! You all rock!
Wayne Mah
Private Tour: Beijing, Xian, Shanghai. Fantastic!
We had a fantastic trip! Happy was our guide in Beijing, she was FANTASTIC!!! I cannot say enough good things about her. She totally tailored the trip to our needs- nothing was too much hassle and she was so informative and helpful. We had a great time. We were pick ed up every moring, happy helped us with choosing food in fabulous restaurants and she brought us around to all of the attractions. She really made the trip so much more enjoyable. I cannot recommend this company and in particular Happy as a tour guide enough!
Thank you!
Custom Tour of Xian, Chengdu and Zhangjiajie
We had a fabulous vacation in all three cities - customized for our family of three - and lots of great sites. Each city had a great guide who spoke English well and was prompt and helpful every time. All three even spent time with our Mandarin-speaking teenage son! Best spots included the city wall bike tour in Xian, the pandas and flowers of Chengdu and the river stream walk through the Zhangjiajie mountains. Would recommend all three places to anyone.
Custom 10-day tour of Beijing, Guilin/Yangshuo, and Chengdu.
They guys are great. I toured Beijing, Guilin/Yangshuo, and Chengdu with my daughter, her husband, and her three children ages 12, 9, and 7. The vacation exceeded all my expectations. I had actually thought of trying to organize the trip on my own and felt a little lazy for relying on a tour company. Using China Discovery for our China trip was one of the best decisions of my life. The guides and drivers are dedicated knowledgeable professionals who take all the logistical concerns out of the travelers' hands so that they can just sit back and enjoy the trip. Bicycle rides in the country in Yangshuo, seeing the giant pandas, the Li River boat cruise, riding toboggans down from the Great Wall, rickshaw rides in the hutong village in Beijing, hiking up to the Dragon Backbone Rice Terraces, seeing a kung fu show, an acrobatics show, and a Chinese opera; my grandkids kept repeating how amazing everything was. The guides volunteered to spend some of their free time to help us with shopping and restaurants, they were full of interesting background and stories to enrich the tour of the sights we visited, and my grandchildren grew attached to them. The guides were also flexible in changing the scheduled itinerary as we wanted to add and subtract items along the way. We all loved the vacation.
Tour 3 days Huangshan
My wife and I bought a three days private tour to the yellow mountains with China Discovery. The organization of the tour was excellent, their advices and suggestions for the preparation of the tour were very knowledgeable. Our interchange with Wendy before the trip was very fluent and it was clear that there were experts on the other side. Ellen the guide was very good, her English and her field knowledge was excellent. The choices of places to visit and to eat was always flexible and taking in consideration our opinion. Overall China Discovery made the trip a wonderful experience.
My Beijing and Guilin tour was wondeful!
I'm from the USA, and since I was a teenager I'd always wanted to explore China. I finally got the chance to spend 4-1/2 days at the end of a work-related trip to Shanghai in March 2016. I knew my dates and some major attractions I wanted to see, but figuring out what the most interesting things are to do in a new country on such a short trip was no problem for Rita from China Discovery. I found their website helpful, and she and I sent many e-mails back and forth until I was satisfied. Rita explained everything in advance, answered all of my many questions patiently, and my booking and payment method was easy.
I had a marvelous trip, with 3 days in Beijing, a four-hour cruise boat ride on the Li River in Guilin, and the next morning a quick solo trip through the Reed Flute Cave before being taken to the airport. I never had a single issue with my tour guides, the other tour group guests, the itinerary planning, the hotels (I was given a range of choices), or my payments for the tour cost. My tour guides (Anly for 2 days, Tina, and Chen, all of whom spoke English) were all very personable, informative and helpful.
I will definitely use China Discovery again when I return with my family for another tour, hopefully longer next time! Thank you for making my short tour of China so memorable!
Paul Finney.
Highly recommendable!
I travelled with my daughter on a trip arranged by China Discovery, we loved every place we went to, the guides and drivers were all kind people, they looked after us. We even got a Spanish speaking guide in Shanghai which was a very pleasant surprise since we didn't request it. The guides answered all my questions and they were in continuous communication with me.
I highly recommend this travel agency to anyone travelling to China!.
The best tour in the whole my life
We were 11 people three family. The first thing so impressive was the approach of Wendy , the tour arrangement person. Despite I had not heard about China discovery and one of the friends told me how you can trust that but the back and fort emails and very kind and patient approach of Wendy made me 100% trusted to her and the company. The itinerary was for a private tour with private guides and 4 rooms in 4 star hotels in Beijing, Xi'an and Shanghai. When we paid the deposit and and approved everything , Wendy emailed me that we have arranged for 5 rooms in each hotel. That was unexpected and unbelievable, besides in Shanghai the hotel was almost 5 star. One of the best part of this tour was the unbelievable price despite of such services.
The tour in China was very organized , the drivers were professional , kind and respectful . Linda , our tour guide in Beijing was very educated, patient and nice. She had an eye to everybody during the tour and all of us were comfortable with her arrangements even for the evening programs that was not responsibility of the tour but she was managing everything we were going to do.
Waldner , the second tour guide in Xi'an a very energetic , happy and educated person. He was very friendly , amazing and responsible guy .
Helen the third tour guide in Shanghai a beautiful fashion lady , calm and nice , responsible and educated and all the time smiling.
I would like to thank Wendy, Linda, Waldner and Helen and all the drivers for such unforgettable tour.
Experience of a lifetime in Zhangjiajie
My dealings with China Discovery, and in particular Cathy, has been a pleasure from start to finish. Not only was she very prompt, professional and friendly with responding, she was able to organise my 5 day within a very narrow time window (I actually confirmed and paid the same day as airport pickup). For all of this, I am extremely grateful.
I would highly recommend Cathy and China Discovery to all. Not only was I able to customise my tour itinerary to suit my own interests and time frames, I actually found the price to be the best out of all local tour companies I enquired with.
The tour itself exceeded all of my expectations and even with 4 days dedicated to indulging myself in this unbelievable wonderful scenery, I couldn’t get enough – even with the amount of walking involved.
I couldn’t have wished for a better guide than Sarah. Not only was her English impeccable, she was very sweet & personable, and had incredible knowledge of the local area and customs. Not only did she endure all the walking and stairs with me, she handled every part of the tour – from tickets and local food to transport (something I doubt I could have done, even as somewhat a savvy traveller).
From suffering through the latest Batman movie as a way to burn time til my midnight flight (my choice and I do apologise for the choice), to seeing me off at the airport, she went way over and beyond – and I sincerely thank her for everything she did.
I had the experience of a lifetime, and will never forget the time I had in Zhangjiajie – to everyone involved, a big heartfelt thank you!”
Wonderful 6-day-trip
We (2 couples) went for 6 days to Zhangjiajie (Wulingyuan) and Fenghuang. The organisation was made bei Mr. Wonder Wang. Communication with him was very easy. He considered all our extra wishes and answered always very fast. The programm was well-thought-out. Perfect organisation!
The whole time our tour-guide Viktor serviced us very well. We had a lot of fun with him and he always respect our own pace and wishes. Hope to meet him once again. Our driver for the trip to Fenghuang drove safe and relaxed.
We really had a good time. Many thanks to all!
Incredible Volunteering Experience at Dujiangyan Panda Base
I booked a one day volunteering experience through China Discovery and it was superb. We were only traveling to China to see the pandas here and at the Chengdu base before continuing our holiday in Vietnam, so it was really important that the trip ran smoothly and was as memorable as we both hoped. I organised the trip via email with Ian and then Wendy, who were both very helpful and prompt at responding. The actual visit is a standard day run by the panda base but we were accompanied by an excellent guide, Penny, from China Discovery to help us through the day. She was incredibly knowledgeable, spoke excellent English and was really sweet, stopping to buy us a bag of fresh strawberries on the drive back to Chengdu.
My friends and I made a trip to China early March stopping first in Xian before proceeding to Chongqing for the Yangtze Cruise which finished in Yichang and then onward to Changsa for our departure back home. All in it was a wonderful 11 days trip arranged by Mr Wonder of China Discovery. The trip was well arranged and everything went on smoothly from the moment we were picked up at the airport in Xian right to our departure from Changsa. The local guides in each city we visited were great. They were helpful, knowledgeable and able to explain well in English. Our guide in Changsa, Melody deserves special mention as she was very caring and thoughtful. She prepared some local snacks for us on our arrival by train, which was unexpected but very welcome as it was past our dinner time. The 4 star hotels were all centrally located, clean, comfortable and well equipped with all types of amenities. Mr Wonder himself made a good impression with us with his polite and prompt reply. He answered our queries directly to the point and was quick to make the necessary changes time and again to suit our request till we were completely satisfied. I would highly recommend this tour company.
Mr wonder wang prepared an awesome 14 day tour for us that included highlights in Beijing, xian, Cheney, leshan, mount Emei, Guilin, Yangshuo, shilin stone forest, Shanghai. It was planned really well and everything went smoothly. The guides and drivers in each city were really good as well. Thank you China discovery and mr wonder Wong for this amazing once in a lifetime trip for our family .
My son and I had a terrific time on the Kung Fu Panda Tour. We changed the last few days of the tour, opting to tour Hangzhou and Suzhou instead of Shanghai. June Yang from China Discovery was extremely helpful. She was very prompt in replying to my emails and answering all of my questions. We arrived in Beijing, then went on to Luoyang, Xian, Chengdu, Hangzhou, and Suzhou. We were met by a local guide in each new city, all of whom were friendly, knowledgeable, and very helpful. Linda, our guide in Beijing, accompanied us to two terrific stage shows and then took us to a great restaurant for a delicious Peking Duck dinner. Our driver in Beijing, Mr. Tang, always stocked his car with bottled water and chocolates! One night when we were especially tired, Katherine, our guide in Hangzhou, accompanied us into the hotel restaurant, asked us what we wanted, ordered our meal, and had it boxed so we could eat it in our room. I really appreciated the extra care she gave us. The highlights of our trip were seeing the Great Wall, the terracotta warriors, and the pandas. I would highly recommend China Discovery.
We made a 17 days tour in China: Beijing, Xian, Yangtze River Cruise and Chengdu, and we had an amazing experience a with China Discovery.
Starting with the tour planning, our tour agent Rita Jiang was very effective in helping us to plan everything the best way possible, in order to suit our desires and schedules. Along the process we wanted to make a few changes and she was always flexible and fast to find new alternatives.
Then, regarding the trip itself we were very well impressed with the perfect organization along all the way. Guides were always waiting for us as planned, and schedules were optimized so we could take the most out of our days, but still allowing us enough time to enjoy calmly each place we visited.
Alex (in Chengdu), who were tireless in sharing interesting stories about the places, and making sure we got the most out of our tour. Thanks to them we could enjoy a hassle-free and well-planned tour, but still had the opportunity to get to know and be close to the local culture.
For me travelling to China was a lifetime experience, the culture is so rich, the country is beautiful, there are many different things to do (city visits, hiking, 5 star cruising in Yangtze,…) and people are very kind and helpful. However, due to the barrier of language, I feel it would have been a challenge and much less time effective to travel by ourselves without a guide. For this reason, and because our experience with this company was very good, I would recommend China Discovery if you are planning to visit China.
Visited January 2016
I found China Discovery online and since I didn't have a personal recommendation from a friend, wondered if it will be a good choice. But with the consistency of immediate feedback, attention to detail and patience to answer any questions or concerns that I had, my agent won my confidence. I'm very happy with the level of service and the price I paid for it.
The tour arrangements were well thought out and meticulously organized. The level of care I've received brought me to the happy childhood memories. All I had to do was to find my guide standing with a sign at each destination, and the rest of my stay in the city was well underway. Any last minute requests or curiosities were always immediately and politely satisfied.
I've been so happy with the tour that I've been spontaneously recommending it to everyone I see. So far, I've recruited a JFK airport TCA security officer to visit China via Chinadiscovery.com, as well as my colleagues at work.
I'm in particular impressed with the ceaseless ability of the company to rework the itinerary, including the length of stay, number of destinations and the level of service (one to five star arrangement), until the budget meets the needs of the customer. I enjoyed mixing and matching my itinerary until it felt right, and my agent provided revised versions and recalculated totals always on time and with courtesy of an excellent customer support.
Visited January 2016
This trip was organised by Wonder Wang at China Discovery on 9 days notice. The replies to queries were instant and the trip was magnificent. Everything worked like clockwork, the hotels were great, the guides were great as was the itinerary. Very highly recommended!
The team we worked with at China Discovery were so great that I had to post a recommendation. Bertina arranged our trip and helped customize the tour to work for our varied schedules, needs and travel styles. Communication was easy and she was responsive and patient with all my questions. Our guide Arthur was the absolute best! He's an educated professional - well organized, knowledgeable, insightful, resourceful, thoughtful, accommodating, flexible, great English and just a really interesting, great person. We can’t speak highly enough of him. Mr Li our driver was also great. We felt safe, comfortable and he contributed local knowledge and insight. We highly recommend this team!
We are to Norwegian Girls and had never been to China before. My travel Companion got sick right before we came to China. The guides and, Our travel organisor Ian provided a great service,where he called us several time for assure that we would get a refund for those activities we weren't able to Complete, and called to talk personally to my sick friend more than once. Our guides were very considerate and helpfull when we needed something else outside the program With no extra charge. I will definitly recommend this agency for their profesionality and great service! Friendly guides With a lote of knowlegde.
Brilliantly organised and executed. Very efficient. Exemplary guide and driver. Highlight after highlight every single day. Phenomenal. Highly recommended.
We visited Guilin for the first time in December 2015. Booked the tour with China Discovery and the booking was handled by Bertina Li who was very accommodating polite and prompt in replying. Being first trip to China we were bit apprehensive but actual visit proved to be very comfortable and free of any hiccups. Our guide Arthur was very knowledgeable, helpful and took pride in his job. Arthur went out of his way to ensure that our trip was very comfortable and the driver Mr. Ho was always available with a smile on his face. Thank you Bertina, Arthur and Mr. Ho for making our eight day tour a very memorable one.
My son and myself spent 10 days in China ( Beijing , Xian and Lhasa ) It was all organized by China Discovery.
It was perfectly arranged and we could not have asked for a more organized , professional tour. Our guides were friendly , well informed and helpful.
I live in South Africa and it was fantastic that we could do it all by e mail.
I can highly recommend this company do make a tailor made tour for you in China.
A big thank you to Olivia Liu who was always there to answer my questions and make one feel secure doing every thing on line.
Thank you for the wonderful carefree holiday.
Sarah Reid
Our trip, which was organised by Jack Li from China Discovery, was fantastic and this was made possible by our tour leader, Melody. The floating mountains at Zhangjiajie were spectacular, we highly recommend this trip and also a visit to the 200 year old fishing village at night, it was magic. Thank you to Jack and Melody for making our visit to China so memorable. Robyn and Paul, Batemans Bay NSW, Australia.
The drive down to the fishing village was a real eye opener, the amount of infrastructure, roads and bridges, we really enjoyed this trip.
The hotels, food and drivers were wonderful, thank you so much for a wonderful experience and for your effort in bookings and making
This was our third trip to China and I worked with Jack Li from China Discovery tours to create a custom tour for my husband & I.
He was WONDERFUL. He understood our interests and we visited the Pandas on a volunteer for a day program. We visited Juizhaiguo National Park which is one of the most beautiful places we have ever been to.
Jack also arranged for us to visit some minority villages in Giuyang that was very special. He took our interests and comfort to heart and treated us with great care. All our local guides were very knowledgeable and great fun to be with.
We highly recommend Jack Li and his company
We had a 3 day trip to Beijing. We were assisted by a great agent - Mr. Jack Li. We enjoyed the Great Wall (they took us, as requested, to the less known site - fewer tourists, better views. Then the Forbidden City, Summer Palace, etc. The guide (Oliver) was very informative and friendly. The restaurants they chose for us were a great surprise, the service was great and included a good hote' transportation from and to train station. Everything was perfect, we highly recommend it.
Just returned from 12 days in China; a trip that was my wife's 50th birthday present. Cities visited were Shanghai. Beijing, Xi'an, Guilin, Yangshou, Hong Kong, and back to Shanghai for departure to the US.
Although we are fairly experienced travelers, we are happy that we did not create the travel itinerary ourselves. There is no way on earth we could have seen and done it all. We booked with China Discovery (Chengdu) through Olivia Liu. We exchanged some 20 e-mails in the planning process with Olivia who never gave up and worked endlessly to ensure that we were fully satisfied. We opted for the private tour and were provided with excellent professional tour guides and drivers at each location. The guides were remarkable from greeting us to bidding us farewell. It was so sad to wave them goodbye from the screening gate at the airport in each city we visited. Yes, the tour guides would check us in and follow us all the way to screening to ensure that we were all set to depart each city. What an amazing experience! Although very cold and so much smog that reduced visibility for many days, Ms. Laura in Shanghai ensured that we got to see the city from the Jinmao Tower by adjusting the schedules so we were able to enjoy the view when the visibility improved. Sasha in X'ian, Mr. Alex Fong in Hong Kong, and all the guides were terrific!
The unfavorable part of the entire trip was the cancellation of a flight from X'ian to Guilin due to weather conditions. We ended up at an awful airport hotel (courtesy of the airline) and were given the run-around by China Southern Air that resulted in the loss of a day and the Li River cruise, and only 3 hours of sleep. Without going into all the details of the 24 hour delay and abuse suffered at the hands of China Southern Air, China Discovery arranged for us to be picked up at the airport by another tour guide who provided an excellent opportunity for us to visit her home and spend some time. This afforded us an excellent opportunity to sample various teas and see first-hand what family life is like in the new China.
It is because of this this experience that we now have so much admiration for the services of Olivia and credibility of China Discovery. The disruption of the tour schedule was frightening but they did so much to minimize the impact. For this we are very grateful.
All- in -all, it was a great trip. We'll return one day.
PS: One more thing.......visitors should be advised/reminded of the 20Kg per person weight restriction on domestic flights within China. We were not aware and ended up paying significant excess baggage fees on the trip.
My friend and I spend a memorable 24 days in China from 26th Oct to 18th Nov 2015 travelling as semi-independent travellers. Our itinerary took in Beijing, Xian, Zhengzhou, Suzhou, Hang Zhou and Shanghai. In China all our long distance travel between cities was by railway.
This trip took some 10 months of planning as my friend is from England and I from Singapore and we arranged to meet up in Beijing. All throughout the months of planning, Ian WeI worked patiently with me putting up with my numerous questions and changes in itinerary. In Beijing, we took the day tours covering the Forbidden Palace and the Great Wall. In Xian, the Terra- cotta warriors museum and a half day tour of the Longmen Grottoes at Luoyang. The guides we had were friendly and during our tour of the Longmen Grottoes our guide Tim, of his own accord, even gave us an extended tour of Luoyang city as we have a couple of hours to spare before our train journey to Zhengzhou. In Zhengzhou, I had to cancel a tour on short notice and was pleasantly surprised when I received a refund for the cancelled tour. It speaks well for the integrity of the Company.
All in all it was a good holiday with thanks to Ian We and China Discovery. I will gladly use your services again.
Wong Chiang Hong
Singapore
Happy to share memories from a wonderful vacation in Chania and a lot is thanks to the good plan and arrangements provided by Rita from China Discovery (based in Chengdu) .
We found Chania very interesting, as it combines so many different unique historical and cultural attractions with beautiful landscape and nature.
It was also wonderful to meet so many Chinese people, in deferent places of life (huge cities or small old villages).
The trip was enjoyable and very convenient as the 4 star hotels were comfortable and nice and especially the fact that were ever we went we had a guide and a driver that waited for us and presented us the attractions that were included in the plan. All the guides and drivers had a positive approach and good level of service, and we also enjoyed from the ability to learn a bit about them and throw it learn the Chinese people.These 25 days passed very quickly and left us with a feeling of wishing it would have been a longer vacation.
We wish to thank Rita very much for her specific high quality service. From the time we asked her for an offer through the trip itself, she understood our needs and addressed them in a good way, so that we received a trip that was very successful for us.We also felt she was very patient with us and always available to our questions and requests.
We booked our trip to Dujiangyan panda base with this tour company. The base is about an hour and a half away from central Chengdu. If you plan to hold the Panda’s its best to get there early, unfortunately this cannot be reserved in advance so aim to get to the base by 10am at the latest. Ruby, our guide, was very friendly. She took us to a local restaurant in a nearby town where we were able to sample some real Chengdu food without worrying about what we were eating (as we are vegetarians). Our driver was also very pleasant, an amazing trip which I would definitely recommend!
We booked a private tour (4 people) with china discovery agency.we were in Beijing,Quingdao,Nanjing and Xiamen.
Ian Wei put our tour together,and booked all Hotels and Flights and tour guides for us,and what we got was exceptional.The Hotels he booked were outstanding,and everything else went very smooth.We were always picked up from the airport on time ,the guides were nice and helpfull,and we had a wonderfull holiday.
So thank you again Ian Wei,we would always book with you again!
We booked our tour with China Discovery (based in Chengdu). Our organizer, Wonder Wang, was very timely with responses to our query and questions. His English was very good and instructions were clear. Our tour with Jill began with the afternoon visiting West Lake, which was quite beautiful. Our driver was prompt and easy to work with also. The second day we drove to Wuzhen Water Town, which was quite fascinating, with its workshops and history. The last day we visited Dragon Well Tea Plantation where we learned about how tea is harvested and prepared. The meals during the tour were excellent, our accommodations very good. Jill was very knowledgeable and helpful, but not intrusive. She noticed when we were tired or hungry and adjusted easily. We definitely will use the service again, it was well worth the cost!
China Discovery put together an awesome custom tour of Chengdu, Tibet, and Xian for us (2 people).
Our travel consultant Wendy was great to work with throughout the entire process. She was very friendly, organized, and went out of her way to help us make changes to our itinerary in the middle of our trip when we decided that we wanted to visit Everest Base Camp while in Tibet (not an easy task considering how much paperwork is required to do that). We simply provided the list of things we wanted to see, and she took care of all the rest! (hotels, flights, etc) The price was very reasonable as well.
In each location we had excellent English-speaking local guides and drivers that took us to the sights we wanted to see and didn't bring us to any 'factories' or shops along the way.
Aside from one rainy day, every part of the trip went perfectly smoothly - we had a ton of fun visiting the baby pandas in Chengdu, the terracotta army in Xian, and Everest Base Camp in Tibet.
We'd definitely recommend Wendy and China Discovery for anyone interested in organizing a private tour in China.
We booked a four day tour to Guilin for October for two people and had fantastic service from China Discovery (based in Chengdu). We booked online through Mr Wonder Wang who was a great help and organised the whole trip for us by email. He was really helpful and ensured that he organised the best possible for trip for us, and even suggested locations that would be of more interest to us than ones that we originally requested, which were a great idea. During the tour, our guide was Arthur who was great - he was very informative and spoke excellent English. We would definitely recommend China Discovery to others!
Very well organized. Picked up at hotel (Commune by the Great Wall) with transfer to the Great Wall Section at Badaling. Beat all the queues through express check-in up the gondola. Very friendly and interesting guide. Second time we used China Discovery (first time was in Xian), and again they did not disappoint. Thx!
I planed my trip from Europe and mainly contact with China Discovery. I wanted a tailor made 2 week vacation in China. They were extremely friendly, helpful and patient with me. In the end they organised me everything from accommodation, flights and guided tours.
Our itinerary was:
- Shanghai: We had a 1 day guided tour to the Venice of Shanghai and Yu Garden. Our guide recommended us the show Era, which we also visited. It isn't really recommendable. If you ever attented Cirque du Soleil you will just disappointed. The artists are outstanding but the show in a whole is old and too expensive.
- Zhandjiajie: The Avatar mountains are just amazing! Everyone should have seen this area. Nearly no western people but a lot of Chinese tourists. You definitely should go off-season. Our guide was very nice, knew a lot and guided us perfectly. In this area you have no chance if you don't speak Chinese.
- Guangzhou: It was impressive to see, but one day is definitely enough.
- Xiamen: What a wonderful isle and also the UNESCO hakka houses. Impressive to see the rapid growth of this area and also the history of the western visitors back in the days. Here also we had a wonderful guide with a lot of knowledge and she was very kind.
What I learned that you have to be very flexible with the Chinese people. They are very friendly, kind and helpful. It can be, that the program isn't exactly like you planed but in the end they will everything do that your stay will be as pleasant as it can be. The guides didn't really forced us to do shopping. That I appreciate it very much. They were really helpful and leaded us also to food places which were delicious.
All in all - with China Discovery you can't fail and I will definitely contact them once again if I will travel in China in the future. Thank you especially Jack for all your support! :-)
We corresponded with Jack Li from China Discovery travel to arranged our 12 days private tour to Chengdu- Jiuzhaiguo-Zhangjiajie.
Jack arranged everything very nicely and responded to our inquiries promptly.
Our tour guide (Eben and Alan) spoke english fluently, attentive, friendly, knowledgeable, humorous (especially Alan) and delivered high standard of service. The local restaurant which they recommended was good with reasonable price.
The vehicle which we used during our overland trip was good and the driver so nice and drove safely.
The quotation that China discovery offered also inexpensive compare to other local private tours.
We really enjoy the tour very much and highly appreciate your hard work.
Thanks to Jack, Eben and Alan.. Your good team make our trip amazing ... Two Tumbs Up for all of you and keep the good work.
I have booked a one-day tour to visit Panda Research Center, in Chengdu, and The Giant Buddha, in nearby Leshan. I had a very pleasant time with China Discovery agency and could do all I have planned. From the booking abroad, payment online to the day of the tour it was all ok. The guide called on the evening to confirm pick-up time and on the day of the tour the guide arrived on time. The guide was very helpful, kind and seemed to have a good cultural and historical knowledge. The only thing I would point out here is: at the end of the tour the driver and guide left us in downtown Chengdu. It was at night and it was a little bit difficult to find the way back to the hotel alone. I certainly recommend their service if anybody aims to visit China in the near future.
Recently returned from 19 days through China and a truly amazing trip. Ian Wei helped plan this private tour and all went to plan. Tour was well paced, took in all the highlights and some back streets as well, where we saw real chinese life and traditions. Guides were wonderful, very knowledgeable and helpful.
We were a middle aged married couple (experienced in China travel) that organised a four day tour of the Luoyang and Nanyang region organised by Bettina Li at the China Discovery (based in Chengdu) office. We had a private tour guide who spoke English and a driver who looked after us for the four days (Shaolin temple, White Horse temple, Longmen grottoes, Luoyang museum and other sites). The tour included accommodation at 4 star hotels and most meals, pick up and drop off at the hotels on each day and we asked for a special tour in Nanyang which was efficiently organised. I have no hesitation in recommending the China Discovery travel company as service and follow up was excellent!
We arranged our tour via Ian Wei of China Discovery. We found him very responsive and helpful. We were always hesitant about booking trips via the internet but we were delighted with the manner in which the various stages of our tour were organised with very good English speaking guides and lovely vehicles to transport us around towns and cities. we visited Beijing, Xian, Chongqing, 3 day Yangste river cruise, Yichang and Shanghai. Visit to the Zoo to see the Pandas and white tigers was a very small part of the tour. We are a couple, both vegetarians who do not eat Fish or Eggs so were concerned about food but we found good Indian restaurants in Beijing and Xian and Shanghai with our guides taking us to places to eat, they were able to get the message through about our dietary requirements. Thank you Ian, all your tour guides (and drivers) and China Discovery. I shall gladly recommend you to others.
I am very happy to choose this travel, Thanks to Olivia Liu which already arranging the Chengdu, Jiuzhaigo & Zhangjiajie tour. Our group of 10 people were happy, thanks also for the guide especially Rosky (Chengdu) & Summer (Zhangjiajie).
We were a group of couples that recently toured China. We had wonderful and uneventful time during our trip..
Starting with planning - Mr Jack Li helped us get there. Jack is courteous and very prompt in answering queries. The entire conversation was over e-mails. We were initially concerned if all the promises would be kept or not.
The doubts were dispelled immediately as soon as our tour started in Hong Kong. All the tour guides we had were very courteous, timely and went beyond to help us. I want to specially mention Alex in Hong Kong, Candice in Guilin, Michael in Beijing, and Catherine in Shanghai.
Few of the tour members are vegetarian and the concern was how would they cope.
We should not have worried - there are plenty of vegetarian options. Our guides made sure we were well and properly fed. The only issue we encountered was ordering food during night when the guides had left us. The language and very few English speaking staff made it slightly difficult. But, that did not stop the fun! We had lot of fun trying to communicate with any means we can without the language.
There were many highlights: Guilin and the boat cruise down Li river. In Beijing - the forbidden city and great wall of china and Xian with terracotta warriors.
I would highly recommend tour of China.
We had a wonderful journey in China and a lot is thanks to the good plan and arrangements provided by Rita from China Discovery (based in Chengdu) .
We found China very interesting, as it combines so many different unique historical and cultural attractions with beautiful landscape and nature. It was also wonderful to meet so many Chinese people, in different places of life (huge cities or small old villages).
The trip was enjoyable and very convenient as the 4 star hotels were comfortable and nice and especially the fact that were ever we went we had a guide and a driver that waited for us and presented us, the attractions that were included in the plan. These 25 days passed very quickly and left us with a feeling of wishing it would have been a longer vacation.
We wish to thank Rita very much for her specific high quality service. From the time we asked her for an offer through the trip itself, she understood our needs and addressed them in a good way, so that we received a trip that was very successful for us. We also felt she was very patient with us and always available to our questions and requests.
God bless Mr. Jack Li. He organized for us a trip to Yellow Mountain on behalf of China Discovery. Everything went fine, every detail was great and we had three unforgettable days. He was attentive and patient, eager to answer and August. What a great agent. As to Yellow Mountain: do not miss it. A unique place and the views are impressive.
The trip was organised based on our general guidelines by Wonder Wang of China Discovery at Chengdu who did an excellent job in interpreting our interests. We had excellent guides and all the recommendations received including hotels, tours and restaurants were first class. Do not miss possibility of taking a trip on one of China´s new high speed trains part of 11,000 mile network of elevated trains that run at 190miles p/hour! The Yangtze River tour is also a memorable experience .Wonder kept in contact with us during the entire trip and made sure that all details were up to our satisfaction.
I had always wanted to see the Great Wall and visit the Terra Cotta Warriors, but hesitate at the thought of arranging a trip so far, I didn't know where to start. When I made an inquiry to China Discovery, Wendy Dan came to my aid with a plan tailored to my every desire. She put together every detail of our trip and made us feel relaxed and assure that all would go as she planed. We just returned, and it was just as she advertised.
We had arranged a private 10 day tour and were extremely pleased with each phase of the tour. We were meet by at each of our selected cities as scheduled, by tour guides fluent in English, polite and respectful, we felt very safe in their hands with careful skillful drivers, in safe up to date vehicles. The tour guides were all very knowledgable on every aspect of the sites we visited and flexible on the schedule and time on the tours. On the third day of the trip, we discovered we had left behind our video camera at a particular site and without hesitation the tour guide and driver returned us to the site and made inquire, although we could not find the camera we appreciated their effort, afterward the guide took us to an electronics store to repurchase a new camera in order to continue capturing the moments.
In sum I highly recommend a trip to China, it’s an amazing country and culture, and the services offered by the professionals at China Discovery, thank you Wendy, for the memories of a life time.
We worked with Wonder Wang on planning our trip to China. I gave him some basic information about my husband and myself and he gave us his thoughts on what sites would fit our needs/wants.
He was very receptive to changes to the itinerary - and there were several. His responses were very quick and well thought out. We found out - after we had already purchased our airline tickets - that we planned part of our trip during National Week. Wonder was able to get us to all the places we wanted and still avoid the rush of travel during National Week.
The trip was "wonderful" (pun intended). It went off without any problems. All our guides were waiting for us at each city upon our arrival - even one where we didn't arrive until almost midnight! They spoke English well and were clearly familiar with the cities where we were traveling. The drivers were friendly and the cars were clean and they always had fresh water for us. The air and train travel was well planned. The restaurants and hotels were very good - it was very helpful to have the guides to help with communication. We fit A LOT into our vacation and Wonder and his team made that possible.
I would recommend using Wonder and China Discovery. We enjoyed a worry-free vacation since ever detail was attended to for us.
We worked with Olivia Liu of China Discovery for quite a while to organize this tour & can say that it met all our expectations. Olivia was delightful to work with & the schedules & arrangements that she made all went off without a hitch. Our guides were considerate & helpful at all times. Our experience with China Discovery has been a rewarding one. There're lot's of wonderful experiences to be had in China right now - so I'd urge anyone thinking about it to just go & do it!
Through TripAdvisor and the positive comments, I decided to contact China Discovery and immediately received a reply from Wonder Wang. Based on our requirements, Wonder has professionally organized our trip. All requests were immediately actioned, information was clear. We planned to visit Beijing, Xi’an, Suzhou, Nanjing, Guilin and Hong Kong. The hotels, the domestic flights and trains, all was well arranged, the guides were very professional, they were all very helpful and all had good knowledge of the sites we visited.
We had a wonderful time and enjoyed every minute of it.Thanks again to China Discovery, especially Wonder and the guides Candy, Jason and Linda, for making our holiday a memorable one!
Ms Laura Tang from China discovery arranged the private tour for us, a group of six. From the onset, Laura has been extremely helpful and nothing is too much trouble for her. Her prompt reply on our email is a great comfort to us.
The tour went ahead smoothly and we all totally enjoyed ourselves. The food, accommodations, transports and the guides are all excellent. I would strongly recommend any one intending to tour China, to use China Discovery. They will tailor the tour to your timetable and need.
We would highly recommend China Discovery for arranging individualized private tours throughout China. This is the second time we have worked with Jack Li; each time, we provided him with a list of things we wanted to do, and also asked for suggestions. This time Jack suggested a side trip to Inner Mongolia, which turned out to be very interesting and enjoyable. We have found Jack to be attuned with and sensitive to our needs. He is also flexible, hard-working, and sincere. All of our guides were wonderful and very responsive to our needs as well, especially Barry (Chengdu) and our Inner Mongolia guide and driver, Peter (Min) and Mr. Qin. They went out of their way to insure that we visited areas of particular interest to us, which made for a very memorable trip.
I sent Isabel from China Discovery a video of engineering features I would like to visit. From this Isabel organised our itinerary and travel arrangements. Four couples travelled together and without exception we had a wonderful experience. In the first instance, nothing was too hard for Isabel. The guides were all first class. Everything ran like clockwork. I did not have one negative experience. A very big thank-you to Isabel, Tony, Summer, Fay, Jenny, Bruce and Randy.
From the very beginning, Wendy the agent at the company was excellent. She tailor made a tour for me and was open to my suggestions. The hotels were excellent and so were the tour guides and transport arrangements. I will certainly recommend them, be it for a day tour in a city or for longer tours.
My family (3 children ages 19, 18, 14) and wife wanted to visited China so after searching the internet we found this company China Discovery (Chengdu). Who put a proposal together for a 10 day (12 nights with flights from and to London).
All my guides (we had one per city) spoke very good English and had great knowledge about the various locations we visited. We had Lisa, Lee, Laura and Matthew.
The holiday was totally flexible e.g. we were tired on some days and just requested that we started later on certain days or we wanted to change the section of the wall we visit, or cut out another museum, etc, etc. We were in complete control of the itinerary. By far the best travel agency we have been with, value was brilliant as you can suggest changes for better or more economical alternatives.
I may sound like I’m working for the company. I do not. This holiday cost me lots (with 5 adults) so I would definitely complain if anything was wrong. If I go back to China (as this was an epic journey in itself) I will 100% choose China Discovery again.
Fun and Exciting Trip! I am from Jakarta, Indonesia, and travel to China together with my family for almost 3 weeks. We used our homecountry travel agency for the past 11 days, and extend this trip by using the service of China Discovery 6 days tour! I knew this tour agency from Tripadvisor, and thanks to many of the reviews, it helped me a lot at the very first place!
Unlike most of Indonesian planned itinerary, this tour is much more relaxing, as we do not need to rush for the day and could really enjoy our trip peacefully. I had a very good impression on the customer service that served me at that time, Rita is very helpful and patience to me and our family, she responds to our needs very fast, as well as very informative when it comes to queries.
We had a great time in China!!! And I am very glad that I chose China Discovery to take us in this tour.Me and my family were very pleased with everything, hotel, guide, private car. I have a special thanks to “Candy” our guide in China, she was really awesome and sweet like her name. She made our tour really easy and interesting. She understood our needs and met all of our expectations. We will remember this trip with great respect to the Chinese culture and people. Thank you Jack Li and thank you Candy
We booked a trip to Lhasa, Tibet through China Discovery. The trip was coordinated by Wonder Wang, We were already in China (we explored China on our own) and wanted to take a week-end trip to Lhasa. Since the regulations required us to work through a travel agent we booked our trip through China Discovery after researching various options. A trip to Tibet requires a Travel Permit. In order to do this all kinds of paperwork had to be gathered and given to the agent. We worked with Wonder in getting together the needed paperwork. Wonder was very good about notifying my husband about a needed document that was not attached. Two days before our trip Wonder sent us the permit via courier to our hotel in Chengdu with the caution to thoroughly review the document to make sure all the details were correct. Wonder was the most helpful of all the agents. Thank you Wonder.
I chanced upon China Discovery while browsing the internet. At first i was doubtful of the services because i didn’t get a response for at least 5 days. I complained and got Jack Li to help us. Jack Li has proven to be most helpful in helping me plan this trip to Guizhou. Not only was he patient with us because we revised the itinerary so many times but he also answered to all of our enquires with instant responses and using perfect English. Eric was our tour guide and he takes good care of our needs and went beyond his duty to help us with our personal demands also. I will definitely recommend China Discovery to all my friends and will use them again for my next trip to China.
I had chosen China Discovery because of all the rave reviews that I had read regarding this tour agency and their website is rather appealing. I had wanted a trip tailored to my needs - Dongchuan, Stone Forest and the Western Hills. Tiger Wei was my tour consultant. His replies had always been prompt and he wrote in good English so there's no way there could be any miscommunication.
I went through Jack Li who was helpful and on balance my experience was good and the company gave a value for money service. Both hotels selected by my agent were of good standard.
With all the websites and tour agents in China, I am glad that I chose China Discovery because of their prompt and kind support from the beginning. Ms.Wendy was coordinator and was patient enough to deal with my demands. I had very short time to travel but she managed to help me make a good plan. I even had trouble using the paypal for paying the deposite for the tour fees. But they were kind enough to accept to receive it in Cash upon my arrival. I really felt their trust and support towards their customers.
Both the guides in Beijing (Ms.Lisa) and Xian (Ms.Yuki) were very helpful, flexible with good knowledge. Because I had a bad back, they walked slowly and gave me break to rest time to time. The local restaurants which we went for lunch were all good. We all did not want to leave China! I hope to visit other cities in the near future and definitely will contact again Wendy for arrangements. I strongly recommended this tour agent to those who wish to travel to China. Please keep up the good job! We are all proud of you!
My husband and I had an amazing 16 day trip in China organized by Wonder Wang from China Discovery, he helped us planned the trip many months in advance and was really helpful answering my e-mails almost immediately and working on weekends and nights just to make everything perfect for us. I highly recommend him and the company and for sure will contact Wonder again when we return to China. Our trip was wonderful, the hotels, the tours, the guides.
My wife and I arranged this tour through Rita Jiang of Chengdu Bamboo International Tours. Our guide for the whole tour was Ellen BI. A wonderful guide, who spoke excellent English and it was a pleasure to have her with us. Huangshan Mountain is a scenic wonderland, SE of Shanghai. The Grand Canyon walk is not for the faint-hearted but the views are just wonderful.
We spent our first night in a hotel in Huangshan City and explored the old town during the evening. We then spent 2 days and 2 nights on the mountain, at the Beihai hotel. This was an adventure not to be missed, a most enjoyable experience, although it took 3 days for our leg muscles to recover after negotiating about 24,000 steps. Our visit to Hongcun was also a memorable one and the old town has been beautifully restored and in a beautiful setting.
I would recommend Rita Jiang should anyone wish to take this tour. I would strongly recommend Ellen Bi as an excellent guide.
We had a wonderful private tour of multiple cities in China--Beijing, Xian, Guilin, Chongqing, a trip down the Yangtze, and Shanghai. We were so impressed with each of the guides--they were so knowledgeable and helpful. They were flexible and helpful--picking us up from the airport, showing us around town, and even helping negotiate the prices of souvenirs! We learned so much and had a great time!
Thank you to Isabel at China Discovery for organizing this trip for us. Overall we were very pleased with all elements of our vacation. We packed in so much sightseeing into our month in China thanks to Isabel's help in arranging all of the local contacts, accommodation and air/rail connections.
The food in each province has such delicious local cuisine. Huangshan, Mutianyu Great Wall, Jiuzhaigou, Yangtze River, Zhangjiajie, Li River and Longji Terraces were the highlights. Momo (Guangzhou), Shila (Beijing), Waldner (Xi'an), and Alex (Chengdu) were our favourite guides as all four had excellent English and great personalities.The 4 and 5 star hotels were nice and comfortable with delicious breakfast buffets. Isabel's personal helpfulness during the flight delays and cancellations was great appreciated.
We just had our wonderful 12-day trip in China. Rita from China Discovery, based on Chengdu, helped us to plan this trip. We went to Beijing, Xian, Guilin and Zhangjiajie. Our plan was a bit complicated, since our adult daughter wanted to come with us but had only 7 days of vacation. In order to maximize her sightseeing opportunities we changed our plan several times. Rita was very patient and helpful. She offered us good information and always responded our email very promptly.
Our local tour guides, Jackie in Beijing, Waldner in Xian, Nancy in Guilin and Victor in Zhangjiajie were very good. They spoke decent English, provided good information, were very professional, tried very hard to accommodate us and were very polite. The drivers also tried very hard to accommodate us (I get easily car sick) and were very friendly.
All in all I would highly recommend China Discovery to anyone who wants to visit China. We definitely will use them for our next China trip.
I went to China for 15 days with the company China/Tibet Discovery (based in Chengdu). The person who helped me and my family was Wonder Wang, a great person but also a great online tour guide. I really loved and I really suggest people to take this experience.
Having just returned from a month long journey throughout China, organized by China Discovery (aka: Tibet Discovery). I can now concur with all those previous reviews.
Our guides and drivers at each step of the trip were on time, professional, and most importantly, flexible. A big THANK YOU to our travel rep, Olivia Liu, who patiently and efficiently helped us plan our trip.
We have just returned from our 45 days China tour' organized by Tiger Wei of China Discovery.
Our tour included 10 internal flights, trains and boat cruises. All this complicated logistics was organized managed and executed very efficiently, without any problem. We had 10 different guides, all which had a very good English and profound knowledge in History, Geography, etc. All guides were very nice and helpful with any personal request and gave us a very warm and" home away from home" feeling.
Tiger Wei from China Discovery head office, called us every day, during the whole 45 days tour, and made sure that everything is fine with us and solved any problem, request which we had. China Discovery is a perfect company to organize any your tour in China!
To celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary, we went to Ian of China Discovery to create an once-in-a-lifetime tour of China, including Beijing, Zhangjiajie, Xi'an, Chengdu, Jiuzhaigou, and Guilin. We knew it would be packed, but all the arrangments, travel, tours, day trip and food were great. Having a top-notch tour company create the tour, arrange a guide and driver in every city, arrange for hotels and intra-city flights made all the issues go away. All we had to do is enjoy.
I have been working with Wonder from China Discovery for the past few months, he helped us to organize many trips around China: ChengDu, JiuZhaiGuo, ZhangJiaJie, FengHuang, LuoYang and others.For every trip everything was smooth with a very good selection of hotels, cars, safe drivers and more important a very good selection of Tour Guides, that have a great attitude and do their best to make you to enjoy your break.I used different agents before and they were also good, but China Discovery was getting better rates for upscale service.
We booked a 15 day extended tour with China Discovery through the 'wonderful Wonder Wang'. At every destination, there was our dependable guide waiting for us, with a safe driver to take us to our hotel.
I cannot speak highly enough of Wonder, who replied to literally hundreds of emails from me, both during the planning stage and whilst on the tour. We had one minor problem, which was dealt with promptly and without inconvenience to us.
Probably the thing I liked most about the company was their flexibility. I was able to book my own accommodation, and in Beijing and Shanghai, I just organised transfers from Wonder- we did the rest independently. I also liked being free in the evenings, to explore on our own and have dinner independently. We travelled by both fast train and by air, and both modes worked well.
We have just arrived in Indonesia. We have nothing to say but “TWO THUMBS UP”to our agent-Wonder in China Discovery. Our group of 6 paxs joined your Chengdu and Tibet tours. First of all, we want to THANK YOU for all your good arrangements.
Rita from China Discovery Tours was very helpful in laying out a 10 day custom China tour. She incorporated in the locations we wanted to visit even though we had a very tight schedule. She was very responsive to emails. I would highly recommend their service to anyone planning a trip to China.
China Discovery travel consultant Isabel W. was very organized and follow up from beginning to end, and also follow up many times throughout our trip. All the local tour guides were knowledgeable of each city and spoke very good English, which were important to us. The drivers in all the cities were excellent with great driving skills and kept all of us safe. Both tour guides and drivers were always very punctual. We especially appreciate the tour guides who helped us at all the airport check-in counter making our flight connections very smooth.
We recommend this company very highly and hope that the company will continue to have dedicated and qualified travel consultants, tour guides, and drivers.
Even on short notice, Laura arranged a guide and driver for us around Xi'an. We had a great tour of the Wild Goose Pagoda and Terracotta Warriors. Yuki was very accommodating with the varied pace of my parents and two young daughters. I would highly recommend her and China Discovery to anyone.
From start to finish, I was very pleased with my Guilin Highlights Tour organized by travel consultant Isabel at China Discovery and executed by guide Carina with a very capable driver. The itinerary included air transfer to and from Guilin with exploration of the Longsheng-Guilin-Yangshuo areas for 6 days.
Thank you Isabel and Carina for making the arrangements and putting the pieces in place, making my trip a success!! Upon arrival, I was met at the airport by the guide and driver, who remained with me for the duration of the trip. I am appreciative of the time that they spent away from their homes and families to ensure that my time in Longsheng-Guilin-Yangshuo was carefree and memorable.
We being a small group of 3 decided on an itinerary than got quotes to see who we would go with. China Discovery was best price and now having completed the tour we can say they were also great service. The hotels we stayed at were all better than we expected and the guides are efficient and knowledgeable. The trip through shanghai, Beijing, Xian, Lhasa, Chongqing, Yangtze cruise, Zhangjiajie to Guangzhou in 18 days all flowed nicely.
We had to change plans only a few weeks before travel when flights were changed by China Southern and Wander at Discovery travel sorted it out even though that part was privately organized by us. Thanks.
We wanted to visit China and it was fulfilled. We visited beautiful places and sightseeing with excellent service and great communication. Very good travel consultant (Olivia).Good trust guides and drivers. We would recommend this company to arrange your tour.
Guides Tristian in Beijing & Jenny in Xian were fantastic and very professional. Both went above and beyond in providing great service & were extremely knowledgeable & friendly. Accommodation was great and all meals provided were great. Highly recommend China Discovery Tours and will definitely use again for our next adventure in China.
We have not long returned home from our amazing holiday in China, visiting Hong Kong, Chengdu and Jiuzhaigou Valley. Our tour was prepared by Tiger Wei, who was fantastic to deal with, prompt with information requested, flexible to our needs with regards to arrival and departure locations, and our requirements. Tiger also organized our Visas and domestic flights. Our tours information was very informative. The vehicles used were of high standard, and the hotels 5 star.
The tour guides were English speaking and very welcoming. In particular Penny, was very knowledgeable and made our Chengdu tour exceptional. Penny is very passionate about her town and culture and takes the extra effort to ensure her guests are happy with the tour, hotel rooms, meals and our needs.
Our overall experience with China Discovery is EXCELLENT. We would definitely use China Discovery again. They gave us an exceptionally memorable experience and we loved every minute of it.
With very good travel consultant (Olivia Liu) and good tourist guide, our “5 days Guilin/ Longsheng Rice Terrace / Yangshuo Tour”was well-arranged with good hotel & meal.
My husband and I recently returned from a wonderful three week tour of China including three days on the Yangtze River and a visit to Tibet.
The trip was organized through China Discovery.com by Ian Wei, who was very professional and responsive to my many emails. All requests were handled promptly. Ian was very flexible with hotels that we wanted. Payment was done online.
The very knowledgeable tour guides and safe drivers we had in each place were exceptional, and Ian called several times to make sure everything was going smoothly.
I would have no hesitation in recommending China Discovery.Com who is a Chengdu based tour company as opposed to China Discovery Tours who are from USA.
Here is some background, we are a family of 3 (2 adults and a 10 year old kid) and since we started our trips in China we soon figured out that in China it worth to have private tours.
Coming back to China Discovery, we got a very good support from Wonder in our trip to Luoyang (3 days), that is the first of the three trips we booked with then: Chengdu / Huanglong (5 days) and Zhangjiajie (3 days). The coordination was very well done and all the services were delivery according expectations.
Our Sichuan trip was the best private tour we had ever experienced. The tour was magnificently organized by Tiger Wei from the China Discovery Chengdu office. We got the comfortable minivan with the driver and the English speaking guide.
We had a fantastic week with Zach, our guide, a very nice, intelligent, experienced guy, who did his best to adjust the tour to our personal interests and preferences. Our Sichuan trip has lots of impressions, scenic views, interesting facts.
Best recommendations to those, who are planning their China tour.
Our tour of 4 persons was arranged by Tiger Wei of China Discovery. We found the local tour guide Victor was very helpful and brought us to tour attractions as specified on the itinerary. He assisted us in checking in all hotels and tickets. We had good weather all the way. The tour included breakfast and lunch and dinners were at our own expense. We insisted to do that because we wanted to try all good food without any budget constrain. Victor showed us some good restaurants and we all enjoyed. During the tour, Tiger gave us a call to make sure all arrangements were up to standard. We like to thank Tiger and Victor for our great tour.
Just returned from a 6 day private tour organized by China Discovery, in particular Mr. Wonder Wang, with excellent service with great communication.
Tour included high speed train, two flights and three hotels. We were met at the arrival gates by tour guides, Jerry and Jayne, who also left us at the security gate to each airport, ensured we were booked into our hotels. Jerry, in particular was excellent. The hotels were of a high standard and the food provided as part of the tour was good as well. Our itinerary was two days in Xi'an, following transfer from Beijing by high speed train, two nights in Guilin (flight transfer from Xi'an), river trip to Yangshuo, one night stop before flight from Guilin to Beijing. Highlights included terracotta warriors, Xi'an city walls, Wild Goose Pagoda, Longsheng rice terraces and Li river cruise.
Would recommend this company to arrange your tour.
I was very pleased with the tour organized by Tiger Wei. He is really kind and funny, and he prepared very busy itinerary for me as I like to see lot of things. Touristic places as Luoyang and Xian and not very like Zhangbi Ancient Castle and Wang Family Compound which gives you another point of view of China very interesting and that I didn´t know about until Tiger suggested to me. I would definitely recommend China Discovery-Chengdu to other travellers as everything went really well.
I decided to try china discovery tour after reading about it's good reviews on tripadvisor.
I corresponded with isabel for the customization of our trip and she responded very promptly via email. She helped us to slot in places which may be of interest to us and did not bring us to those outlets to look at souvenirs which we dislike.
Our guide and driver are experienced and very accommodating. Arrangements for hotel and day tours are all on schedule and we really enjoyed our trip so much as compared to our previous experience. For the amount of money we paid for private tour, i will say that china discovery live up to our expectations. I will recommend this agency to all my friends.
We made contact with Laura Tang when trying to book a Yangtze River Cruise. Laura provided a peerless bespoke service for us and we did make it complicated for her! We went to China principally to visit our son who is working in Chengdu but did not have the time or knowledge to arrange our itinerary. Laura with her young capable team at Chengdu Bamboo International Co Ltd managed our tour booking internal flights guides drivers and train tickets. We chose to book our own hotels through. We are both around 70 and so we sought a lot of reassurance and got it 100% from Laura and her team.
We visited Chengdu 5 days with said son, then Jiuzhaigou 3 days then went to Leshan and Emei Shan before moving on to Guilin and Yangshuo for 3 days the Yangtze cruise and Shanghai. We had the holiday of a lifetime (given our generation) everything went like clockwork bar an Air China flight from Jiuzhaigou to Chengdu being cancelled without much help from AC. However Laura was easily contacted on her mobile phone on a Saturday afternoon and was able to offer good advice and support. We think this is a very caring who provided great attention to detail and we would recommend them to anyone travelling to China without reservation.
The whole experience of going to Beijing has been superb from start to finish. It began with the excellent itinerary produced by Jack. The attention to detail started at the airport where I was met by my guide who's English was super, and who's knowledge on the tour was first class. He was both informative and interesting as well as being incredibly polite. Even with the Beijing traffic the driver always appeared on time. It was incredible to pack so much into a long week-end and yet feel relaxed at the same time. Thank you all so much for making this trip really special.
We just arrived back from our trip to the Yunnan province. I have been liaising with Isabel Wong to put together the customised itinerary for the 4 of us. Isabel has been wonderful and responsive even when we have to change our trip dates at the last minute (one week before we depart for China due to a sudden crisis affecting one of us). She managed to re-schedule all our flights and hotels arrangement. Everything works like clock-work like what was planned in the itinerary.
We have three different guides all together (one in each city) and all of them spoke fluent English and knowledgeable about the area we visited and also the history in general. We found this very informative. They even provide suggestions for places to dine at night, noting our taste bud not being able to handle the spicy Yunnan cuisine. The car is large and comfortable and driver is also wonderful.
Overall, we would use China Discovery again for our future trips to China and highly recommend Isabel as well to help you in putting together the itinerary.
From the beginning, our rep Laura Tang had been great and responsive. Everything was well attendant and efficient. Once we got there, our tour guide, Christine was welcoming us with a smile! We had a great time there and got to see everywhere we wanted in one day. Well done and I will be sure to use China Discovery again.
Thanks to Tiger Wei from China Discovery Chengdu we had a marvelous time in Yunnan. From Kunming to Shangri-La, everything went perfect and was well organized. Professional guides, visits, drivers, hotels, everything was perfect and according to what we expected. And competitive prices compared to other tour organizers. Surely, we'll ask Tiger to organize our next trip to China!
Overall we enjoyed the trip. Ian has helped us to arrange and advised us about the trip and we liked the arrangement that not so rushing. I highly recommended to those who like to go to Lijiang or Kunming to check and get advice from Ian. Best time to visit these places is in March or April. Cool weather. We have to be extra carefully in Lijiang, because Lijiang is located at quite high place. Difficult breathing, dizzy, vomit and not feeling well may because for certain people not use to be staying in the high place.
China Discovery-Chengdu Private One-day Tour is fabulous, inexpensive, superefficient and great with changes private tours same price as other bus tours. We took 3 of the china discovery one day tours on our china vacation.
I have traveled the world and they are hands down the BEST I have ever worked with. Their private tours are less expensive than most bus tours. They individualize everything from sites, shows to hotels. My daughter and I recently did 3 of their private 1 day tours Shanghai to Xian (terra cotta warriors) to Beijing (Great Wall). Our guides were knowledgeable about the local history and did not just read from scripts but could answer all our questions. The drivers need to drive in crazy traffic and kept us safe and on schedule. I would highly recommend this tour company. You will not be disappointed.
We (myself, husband and adult daughter)just finished a 15 day tour of China using China Discovery(Chengdu) and I would highly recommend them if you are planning a trip to China. I worked with Isabel Wong to arrange an itinerary that worked for us, choosing sites from their web site after consulting the Lonely Planet Guide Book. As it was our first trip to China we wanted to visit some of the more known sights but Isabel worked with us to customize our visit and suggest activities that we really enjoyed and would not have found by ourselves.
We started in Guilin, (Li river cruise to Yanshuo was a highlight as was the raft trip from Jiuxiang) then flew to Xi'an to see the Terra Cotta warriors (unexpected highlight was riding bikes around the old city walls) then took a high speed train to Pingyao, where we stayed in a lovely traditional hotel for a couple of days seeing the local sights, then trained it to Beijing. In Beijing we toured by ourselves except for the day we went to see the Great Wall and lastly we trained it to Shanghai and the water cities of Suzhou and Zhouzhuang. It was wonderful to have the assistance of a guide.
We had a guide and driver in each location and they were all excellent. As someone else noted the traffic in China is a little crazy but we felt completely safe with all of our drivers. The guides all spoke very good English and were able to answer our questions and give us a glimpse of life in modern China which was an added bonus.
All the hotels Isabel booked for us were comfortable with western and Chinese breakfast options, free wifi and all were in excellent locations. The tour guides assistance in picking up train tickets and tickets to sights and explaining what we were looking at was invaluable. China Discovery really took the hassle out of planning our trip to China which allowed us to enjoy it even more.
China Discovery and Tiger Wei arranged a 12 day round trip for me. As this was my first time to China and I don't speak Chinese or write any Mandarin, I sent an enquiry by E-mail. They answered me the next morning and gave me a proposed route.
As this was a part of a longer trip I had to make several other reservations. Tiger did understand this and told me that we could make changes if that was necessary. The schedule was finished less than a month before departing to China. They were very flexible with me.
I visited four different cities in China. All my guides spoke great English. They were all easy to talk with. They answered all my questions and if they did not know the answer, they found it by asking someone else! Also the drivers were great. They did not speak that good English, but a couple of them tried and the guide translated. Their driving skill was also safe. In China there is a lot of traffic and also some dangerous users of the cars, so it was nice to feel safety after a long day with attractions.
If I am going to China on a guided tour later I would have no doubts of using China Discovery. Thanks Tiger for a trip I will remember rest of my life!
The tour was amazing! I did already twice with this company and they always helpful, fast to reply and really organized! The tour guide knew our hotels and brought us to the place on time and safety. Thanks to them we have a perfect day! I totally recommend China Discovery to others.
We (6 adults & 2 children) have just returned from a weekend trip to Harbin to see the Ice Festival, organized by China Discovery (www.chinadiscovery.com) and travel consultant Mr. Wonder Wang. The trip was prepared just as requested, and the minibus and the guide were very friendly and helpful. We saw St, Sophia's Church, the Ice Festival, the Snow Sculpture Expo, the Siberian tiger park and the Dragon Tower. It’s a shame we did not have any more time to spend in Stalin Park, as it was great fun for the children. The restaurants picked were absolutely perfect - great food, clean and excellent value. I would have no hesitation in recommending this company or Mr. Wang. We will certainly consider using them again for our next Chinese adventure.
We book a 6 days tour with my family (2 kids) with driver and tour guide from Kunming to Lijiang. We had the opportunity to visit villages and small communities. Guide was knowledgeable and the driver very reliable (safe drive and helpful). I will no doubt use again China Discovery for organizing another private tour.
The 6 of us engaged China discovery for a 10-day "private tour". Our contact person is Mr. Wonder Wang. We planned visits to Beijing, Huangshan and Xi'an. During the trip, our guide in every city not only picked us up from the airport but also saw us off until we safely checked-in, to ensure smooth and trouble-free process. Although Mr. Wang was on holiday at the time we were there, but he is always contactable through his mobile, practically 24 hours! Very accountable, responsive, responsible and having high integrity. Highly recommended.
We were in China in Sept/Oct. 2014 around the time of their National Holiday. It was truly an experience of a lifetime. It was a 14 day escorted tour arranged for the four of us - my wife, myself, my son and his fiancee. China was one of the countries in our bucket list and we were glad we made it. We were amazed at what we saw -- the crowds, the sights and the wonders of this great economic power. Our trip was organized by Mr. Wonder Wang through China Discovery. We had the opportunity to meet Mr. Wang personally in Chengdu. We were greatly impressed by this caring young man. He conducted himself very professionally. All the details of the trip were meticulously arranged and it met all our needs.
Our tour began in Beijing and took us to Xian, Chengdu, Chongqing, Yichang, Yangtze River Cruise and Shanghai. At each of these places we were met by the most efficient and friendly tour guides. They were very knowledgeable, fluent in English and accommodating. We were fascinated at the sight of the Great Wall, being able to see the Terracotta Warriors, spend time to see the panda bears at the Chengdu Research Base. My son and his fiancee were thrilled to be photographed holding a panda bear. We enjoyed the spectacular views on the Yangtze River Cruise that took us to the Three Gorges Dam and the Power Station. Shanghai exceeded our expectations. If we were able to extend our trip for two more days we would have loved to visit Guilin, which we were told, is the most beautiful region of China.
Overall our trip was very enjoyable and memorable. The hotels, the restaurants were good and the service was excellent. Without hesitation we would highly recommend China Discovery.
Our 8 day tour to China started from Chengdu before we boarded the train to Tibet.
Wonder Wang planned the itinerary efficiently. Our tour guide and driver met us at the airport and were friendly. As we arrived early in the morning and most shops were closed, the guide was flexible and accompanied us to a stop not in the itinerary. Although we had different guide and driver for the 2 days we were in Chengdu, they were all efficient and experienced.
China Discovery is reliable and their fees are reasonable. I will seek their advice again for my next visit to China.
We were a group of 7 persons from Sydney Australia arranged with Tiger, our travel consultant, for our tour. We found that the company and Tiger were very reliable and professional.
For the first three days we toured Jiuzhaigou accomplished by a tour guide from Chengdu. We flew to Huangshan by air and picked up by another local tour guide, Ivan. He did a wonderful job and appreciated his effort. During our tour, Tiger emailed to my several times to ask about our tour and our wellbeing. I highly appreciated Tiger for his kind consideration and his attitude in taking care of our entire trip. I highly recommend China Discovery for the good work.
My wife and I recently returned from a two week tour of China including three days on the Yangtze River. The trip was organized through China Discovery Tours by Mr. Wei. The tour started with three days in Beijing including: Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, Imperial Gardens, the Great Wall, Scared Road, the Ming Imperial tombs, etc. We then went by high speed train (305 km), an experience from Beijing to Xian where we visited the Terracotta Warriors, the ancient city walls of Xian and the Bell Tower. The following day we flew to Chongqing and saw the giant pandas, the Stillwell museum before boarding the ship for a three day cruise on the Yangtze. The cruise ended with a tour of the Three Gorges Dam docking at Yichang. There we took a bullet train to Wuhan and then a short flight to Guilin. The next morning we boarded a small ship for a five hour cruise on the Li River, perhaps one of the most beautiful areas of China, disembarking in Yangshuo. The following day we returned to Guilin where we flew to Shanghai for the final three days of our tour. In Shanghai we visited the Urban Planning Centre, the Yu garden and Bazaar, the French Concession, the Jinmao Tower and so on.
Let me say that this tour went exactly as planned. The local guide and a driver picked us up at the Airport or Railway station as scheduled. Not only did they show the sites to be visited but facilitated our travel from one spot to another. All the guides spoke pretty good English and were very knowledge about the various attractions and provided considerable insight into the Chinese culture and what is happening in China. The accommodation ranged from okay to excellent. The hotels in those cities that we spent the most time, i.e. Beijing, Xian and Shanghai, were very good or excellent. This essentially amounted to a private tour. From a cost perspective it would probably be no more expensive than a group tour out of North America. I should also mention that China Discovery Tours was flexible regarding accommodation.
We had a great time visiting the Panda's with our delightful tour guide who was aptly named "Barry Panda" . We decided late in the piece not to pay the NZ $1000 for the both of us to hold a baby Panda as we could not justify the amount for just a few minutes of cuddling a Panda. Despite this we thoroughly enjoyed the leisurely stroll throughout the beautiful setting which was the Giant Panda Breeding research base. We saw many Panda's in their outside enclosures feeding most of the time on bamboo shoots. They are delightful creatures who deserve to make a comeback in terms of their battle with extinction. We found the film informative in explaining the life cycle of the Pandas as well however our guide was well informed and had explained this prior to our arrival. Well worth spending a couple of hours at this facility.
They tailored out tours to our requests. We had a list of sites to see and depending upon weather and duration of previous day tours they adjusted the schedule. The tour guide spoke very well English and was willing to help us see the sites we wanted to see. He was not strict on the schedule. If we wanted to spend more time somewhere he was willing to wait.
We had a private tour arrangement including domestic flights for Xian and Jiuzhai and were really happy with the service levels and promptness of response from China Discovery based in Chengdu. I made all our bookings online via email correspondence with Olivia and she was really great in customizing our tour and responding to all our queries, incl. helping us with last minute transport arrangements when I called her in China.
I found their price quotes very reasonable in comparison to other agents based in China and abroad, in consideration of our tour requirements. I also found them very flexible in accommodating our requests, for example, we're quite picky on hotels so opted to make our own hotel arrangements. I would definitely recommend China Discovery and would reuse them again if we visit China again.
This is a review of my 5-day Beijing Trip which has just ended on 12 Sep 2014. From the moment we were picked up at the airport by our tour guide, Lisa, every arrangements ranging from hotel check-in, meals, attraction visits went like clock-work.
We especially enjoyed the flexibility of a private tour in that we get to choose how long to stay at each attractions as well as where to have our lunch. My family and I thoroughly enjoyed our times in Beijing and we will definitely once again engage the services of China Discovery!
Although I have been visited around 15 countries in my life, this was the first time I had arranged with the a tour company to show me around, It was not easy to me as a solo travel to go alone to the villages and hiking between the rise fields, so I decided to ask for someone to guide me there.
I visited Pingyao village, and I have seen the amazing rise fields, the tour guide helped me a lot to show me around and contact the Chinese local people in the villages, I had an amazing 3 days there and it was perfect, after that, I visited Luoyang, and I went to the kungfu school, then I visited some temples, I got a lot of good information about Guilin, Yangshuo, Luoyang, Pingyao, and many of towns and villages I have visited there, and they were so taking care of my meals as well.
Mr. Tiger, the person how arranged everything for me, he was so kind and so patient to me and I really liked him, in general, if you want to go to some hard and default places in china, they will help you a lot.
This is a review for the five day Sichuan tour, rather than the one day tour as there is no trip advisor entry for it.
We were very happy with our experience booking with China Discovery. We had a fair amount of anxiety booking not knowing how it would work out. We need not have worried: our guide Amy picked us up from the airport and took great care of us over the next couple of days.
We went around Chengdu, Leshan and to Mt Emei. Highlights were the Giant Panda Research Base, the Giant Buddha and the temple on top of Mt. Emei. Amy had good English and she had a lot of the history and background to all the sites and kept us entertained. My partner fell sick she looked out for our needs. Our food was all great, especially the hot pot in Chengdu.
We have travelled one week across Shanxi with a car and a driver from China Discovery. Everything went all right. The reservation on Internet was simple and efficient and the trip well adapted to our needs. The driver did a good job as well. We felt safe in his car and he was receptive to our demands and very helpful in case of need. It’s a very nice experience. Thank you.
It was very impression to have one day tour in Chengdu, with very helpful and friendly tour guide about all the sightseeing points we visited. I will recommend my friend to use the same travel agent if they wanted to visit other places in china.
Our visit to Chengdu was perfect and orchestrated by our knowledgeable and friendly guide, Penny. After a night at the Tianfu Sunshine Hotel (within walking distance of the restaurants and shops in the city), we arrived early in the morning at the Giant Panda Research base and were able to see all of the Pandas eating bamboo and playing in the trees. Penny knew all of the best vantage points in the park. We were not disappointed, even though it was misting.
From there, our driver took us to the Wenshu Temple, an ancient monastery, and then for a tasty Chinese lunch. We then walked through the Renmin Park, where we settled down for a cup of tea. Later in the day we wandered through Old Jinli Old Street to enjoy local cuisine and artifacts. Out tour was completely planned and arranged by Tiger Wei of China Discovery. We highly recommend the arrangements and attention to detail of this fine organization.
This was my little treat and having used the services of China Discovery in the past and found it extremely successful and infinitely preferable to trying to organize a visit on my own. I contacted Wonder Wang. I was not disappointed. I was determined to see the place where they had uncovered so many dinosaur bones that they left them in the ground and built a museum around them and I asked Wonder to find out where it was and to organize me a short trip and to make every minute count. What followed was something so wonderful. I started by travelling from where I live and work (Beijing) to Weifang by bullet train and I was collected by my guide and driver (Wonder introduced me to this delight and I would not have it any other way now). I was taken to the Kite Museum at Weifang, a tiny but delightful exhibit and a brilliant way to add interest to my travelling day. I was expertly driven to Yucheng to stay at a lovely hotel.
Next day we saw the Dinosaur Geopark - it blew me away. Still very early days for this park, ambition for greater, but it is a magnificent example of Chinese good taste. The museum was the first where I could actually touch real bones and I saw more real dinosaur skeletons (no plastercast models here in one small museum than I had seen in a lifetime, but it was the exhibit built over the bones that was the real draw; absolutely incredible. I could never have imagined the sheer number of bones in one place. The second exhibit was similarly amazing with glass walkways over the undisturbed dinosaur remains, incredible! The dinosaur museum in Yucheng itself was very small but worthy: with lots of more traditional glass box exhibits and yet the quality of the exhibits was outstanding, which is best I have ever seen. With dinosaur nests, and little families, it looked like a dinosaur Pompeii. Nothing illustrated a "sudden disaster" than this exhibit with dinosaur families frozen for all time in their position at the instant of the disaster that ended the dinosaurs. TRex is the star of the show.
The following day was the travelling day home and, on the way, we visited Yangjiabu Folk Museum in Weifang. This was not so good on this day since many of the exhibits were closed. I think it was "out-of-season" and this limited its interest, but better than going straight to the station.
I was limited to just 3 days, so I was thrilled to achieve this and I am so glad I had the services of Wonder Wang to ensure my trip was as efficient as possible and went without a hitch. Thank you Wonder. Thank you AGAIN China Discovery. I cannot recommend using China Discovery highly enough. A few of my friends realized that I was achieving a lot for my short time and asked me for details of China Discovery and Wonder. I was very happy to recommend they use Wonder to plan their trip.
This is my first trip to China and one of the places I wanted to visit was Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda. Because when I am currently in china is not complete if I can't see one of the cutest animals in the world. China Discovery can make my dream come true. Tiger as a tour planner was so helpful when he made itinerary and budget for me. He also is professional, nice and friendly person. My trip on Chengdu was so fabulous with nice and fun English-speaking Tour guide who explaining everything so clearly during the trip. Thanks China Discovery, see you on the next trip.
We were very pleased with our experience with China Discovery. Our tour agent, Tiger was so helpful. Our email exchanges were very polite and he was great about suggesting fun activities for our family. We made changes to our itinerary several times before our final booking and he was understanding and very helpful. We booked 5 days in Shanghai with a private guide for our family of 2 adults and a 6 year old child.
Our hotel accommodations were very nice. The Ocean Hotel Shanghai was very elegant. Nice accommodations, large modern room. The bathroom was huge! There was television with about 6 English speaking channels and internet included. A cot was brought in for our daughter and there was still a lot of room. The breakfast buffet that was included was VERY nice. A good mixture of chinese and American foods, fresh fruit, salad, and juice. We ate well every morning and it was nice that the buffet is offered from 6am to 10am.
Our driver, Mr. Wang and our guide Frank were WONDERFUL. They were on time every morning and the van transportation was clean and safe. They were waiting for us at the airport when we arrived and were helpful in carrying our bags. Frank was a wealth of knowledge. As we were heading towards our daily destinations, Frank would point out interesting views/landmarks/iconic buildings. He shared a lot of info about Chinese culture, Shanghai history and current Shanghai customs. He always answered all of our questions and was VERY kind to our daughter. She was sad to say goodbye to him at the end of our tour. Mr. Wang was a nice driver. He did not speak much English but communicated via Frank and was courteous and accommodating even when our daughter needed an emergency potty stop.
We enjoyed all of our tours. Each day was a fun adventure. Frank had so much information to share about each location. Some of our favorites:
ZhuJiaJiao water town gondola ride - it was wonderful! Hearing the history of the town, its bridges and its culture were amazing. The garden we toured with Frank was beautiful and we enjoyed exploring the markets. We enjoyed this water town tour more than the other. We went on both that were offered by China Discovery and each was unique and interesting, but the gondola ride and garden tour made this one far superior to the other.
Acrobat show- The Shanghai Theatre was a very nice venue. There are lots of other international tourists with groups to watch it. The show was exciting, fun, entertaining and just the right length. Our daughter loved it!
The Jin Moa Tower - It was so nice having a guide to share information about the tower itself and also help point out landmarks.
The Urban Planning Museum - This is an amazing attraction. We learned so much, especially because we had Frank with us. He was able to explain so much more than we would have gained by walking around the museum on our own.
Tea House Private Tasting - This was an experience that we requested from Tiger and was not originally listed as an option with China Discovery. Tiger was GREAT about setting it up and adding it to our itinerary. We enjoyed the private tea room tasting and had fun shopping for teas to bring home.
Overall we felt that the experience we had and service we received were an excellent value. The overall cost of our five days was well worth what we paid, especially considering that it included the hotel accommodations, daily breakfast and 2 days of lunch.
After our scheduled days with China Discovery were complete, Frank and Mr. Wang took us on to our next hotel, where we planned an additional week in Shanghai "on our own". They took us there, unloaded our luggage and helped us check in. We enjoyed our second week in Shanghai, but really missed Frank and Mr. Wang. They were so helpful!! Frank also sent us a text a week later on our final day in Shanghai to wish us safe travels home! We loved our experience and would recommend this service to others happily!
Last month my mother and I travelled to Chengdu for a three day tour with China Discovery. We had a fantastic English-speaking tour guide who picked us up from the airport and travelled with us to each of the sites that we had planned as part of our itinerary, explaining not only the site itself but also giving us insight into the daily lives of people in Chengdu. A highlight of our tour was visiting the Panda Research Base, which was particularly well-organized by our guide. A special mention to Ian, who planned our itinerary from the China Discovery office - he was extremely helpful and explained all of the background we needed to make our trip to Chengdu a success - many thanks to the China Discovery team!
Last month we completed a tour of China taking in Shanghai, Yangtze River Cruise and a small tour of the Guilin, staying in Yangzhou city.
We were six people in total, all retired, and the tour was quite exceptional. I booked the trip by dealing directly with China Discovery, and our tour organiser, Ian Wei did an outstanding job catering for all our needs. He was very patient and accepted my lack of booking procedures with aplomb.
The places noted were all outstanding, interesting and an eye -opener to the modernization of China. Our hotels were 5 stars, with the service and food to a high standard.
Our cruise up the Yangtze River is something that should never be missed by travellers to China. The views were magnificent, taking in many villages along the banks of the river. The culmination of our trip was a flight to Yangzhou, Guilin.
There we visited the geologically, interesting caves beautifully lit with an array of imposing laser lights. To follow, we did a trip down the LI River. This was a lovely experience with Guilin living up to its reputation of being the prettiest place of all China. Once declared by ex-President Clinton. The people in Yangzhou we found them to be of a nice, friendly nature with spontaneous smiles. They were apt in bailing one up in order to show off their knowledge of the English vocabulary, which in a lot of occasions they proved to be very good.
This has been our third trip to China over a six year period. Directly booking with China Discovery is proved to be very cost effective, cutting out many add-ons etc. Our holiday was superbly supervised by Ian Wei, with the transport, guides and all means of travel excellent.
Should we return to China again, we would have no hesitation in seeking the expertise of Ian Wei and China Discovery.
Our travel consultant was Wonder Wang. He set up our two days of touring with English speaking guide Anne that was just what we wanted. We got to see the history and culture of Wuhan.
The drivers were great, we had two different drivers. We appreciated drivers that are careful. Anne was also great. She "knows her stuff" and really gave us an education on the history and culture of China. She also did an excellent job of picking out the restaurants and courses we were served. We wanted to experience the "real thing".
Thanks so much for setting this up on short notice. My wife and I will definitely consider China Discovery for any future trips to China.
I travelled with a friend through China during June and had an amazing trip. Everything we saw and did was wonderful. We visited Tiananmen Square and Forbidden City was huge. A visit to climb the steps to the Great Wall was one amazing feat. Felt like I was on top of the world. Our next visit was to Xian where we visited the Terracotta Warriors and what a sight. In Guilin our cruise along the Li River was just beautiful. Great shopping around the West Road markets in Yangshuo. Here we visited Elephant Trunk hill and the Reed Flute Caves another amazing sight, went to a fantastic water show at night. Next is the Shanghai a bustling city but again wonderful with fantastic accommodation and all the Asian food. Would recommend this trip, and would do it all again.
My friend, Sue and I recently (June/July 2013) returned to Australia from our 10 day tour of China organized through Judy Chen from China Discovery. Judy was always very helpful in the planning stages and answered my many questions promptly and to my satisfaction. I was surprised that Sue and I would be the only ones in our 'group' as all other tours I have done have been with many other people. However, once we arrived in China we found out how well that worked out as we were transported in a car or a mini-van by very capable drivers. Each guide we had in each separate city was well spoken and friendly and very knowledgeable on the attractions in their area. Our accommodation was wonderful everywhere we went.
We were excited about walking on the Great Wall of China and appreciated that the Mutianyu section wasn't as busy as other sections. The Terracotta Warriors were all we expected and more! We attended a Dumpling and Cultural Dance Show in Xian, which was beautiful and very entertaining. We absolutely loved our Li River cruise to Yanhshuo where we also enjoyed a wonderful 'Impression" show in an open air theatre looking out of the lagoon with the wonderful limestone mountains as a backdrop!
In Shanghai our guide arranged for us to attend the best acrobatic show called 'Intersection of Time'. It was so different again but thrilling and very entertaining. We also visited many other lovely and interesting Pagados, Temples, Shrines, Gardens and Tombs.
I would recommend China Discovery to anyone who is interested in visiting China. We both had a great time.
My wife and I spent many weeks communicating with our tour agent (May Deng) via emails arranging our China holiday. May was very informative and patient offering alternatives to adjust a tour to best suit our interests. We travelled to Shanghai, Beijing, Xian, Guilin, Yangshuo, Kunming and Shangri-La and enjoyed a fantastic 4 night river cruise on the Yangtze River. We were always met by friendly and informative guides, who spoke, in most cases excellent English. Vehicle transport was also excellent and we were accommodated in well-appointed hotels. Everything May arranged for us was carried out on time. The guides also took us the airport and helped obtain our flight tickets to the next destination. The cost of the trip was very reasonable considering the time spent we were in China, where we went, what we saw and what we did. We are glad we chose China Discovery and would recommend them to other travellers.
From the planning to the executing of my 2 weeks tour with my wife, my experience was very pleasing. My tour agent (May Deng) was kind, patient and supportive, offering itineraries and alternatives to adjust a tour to best suit my time and interest. Once on the move through Shanghai, Beijing, Xian, Guilin, Yang Shuo and Hong Kong, we were punctually met by friendly, knowledgeable, resourceful, guides, whose English was, in most cases, from good to excellent. We were transported in good to excellent vehicles and lodged in great four and five stars hotels, which allowed us to make the best out of our tour through part of magnificent China. As for the value of my investment, I am convinced that China Discovery gave me back every penny I paid them. I am glad I chose them.
Hi, I've just completed an 18 day trip to Guilin, Beijing, Harbin for the Ice Lantern Festival and Shanghai with guide, driver & train travel booked through China Discovery in Chengdu. I've both lived and worked in China and believe the best way to see it is with a private car and driver. China Discovery arranged a car and driver at each location, also train tickets from Guilin to Beijing. We were met at the airport/railway station and escorted all the way by a very capable guide and a safe driver. The guides and drivers went out of their way to ensure everything went well. Even though I knew the key points of interest i wanted to see in each location, China Discovery provided additional insight and helped us make the most of our trip. I have no hesitation in recommending them to fellow travellers and will certainly book further travel in China with them.
On the day we arrived in Beijing, we were greeted so gracefully by the tour guide and were introduced to what would be a superb tour of what the city has to offer. As it was our first time visiting China, we were a bit weary about how food arrangements will be made. In a country where there is such a vast variety and with us being vegetarians made it even bigger a challenge to find the good examples of Chinese cuisine. It seemed to me like different cities had a different style of cuisine to one another. The food in Beijing was different to Xi'an and Shanghai, and we were introduced to a big platter of vegetarian food. First thing I noticed is how similar some of the flavours were to Indian food, as we eat a lot of spicy food as well! The food was fantastic..no question.
The tour itself was pretty breathtaking, visiting the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Yangtze River and various other museums, temples and palaces along the way gave us a grand insight on Chinese culture. What's more is we had the chance to watch 2 acrobatic shows, one in Beijing and another in Shanghai. Both were absolutely amazing..nothing like I've ever seen before. The guided tours around the more rural streets of China were very interesting to see. The guides were what I was impressed with most though, they were very well-spoken and caring for our needs (especially food) and all in all were very heartfelt in personality.
The Yangtze river cruise felt like an entirely new trip altogether, we sailed past some of the most beautiful scenery I've ever seen. On the ship itself, the rooms were great and we were greeted by some great crew members. On board, I had the chance to have an acupuncture demonstration which was a very invigorating experience. I want to thank Bruce for keeping the itinerary simple and interesting, even allowing to open time for the shows I mentioned. The hotel choices were superb, in fact some of the best hotels I've been to. This trip has convinced me to visit China again in the future and I've learned a whole lot about the traditions and history that this great country has.
I'd like to give a special shout to the tour guides Bruce from Xi'an and Sophia from Beijing, you guys are some wonderful people.
Just a short note to express our thanks and compliment and Yantze River Cruises for the outstanding service we received on our recent trip organised by Bruce and Elena.
Thank you for all they have done and their efforts to help us during the flight delays and itinerary changes. In addition, they also helped us to obtain refunds for the hotel stay in Beijing and the cancellation of the flight from Beijing to Hong Kong even before the actual refund was paid to their company. This is an example of outstanding customer service which minimised the out-of-pocket expenses and disruption to our trip. Their advice and service was invaluable in assiting us during our trip.
Furthermore, every single guide and driver was punctual (even when flights were delayed), polite and professional in every respect. We were very pleased with the service provided by these staff and found them to be very knowledgeable and helpful. In Xian, the guide Jenny and driver helped take my mother to the hospital and obtain a consultation with a doctor because she needed prescription medication. We were very grateful for their compassion and helpfulness during that critical situation.
The itineary was perfectly planned and the hotels were well chosen and appropriate for our requirements. Every aspect of the holiday met and exceeded our expectations.
The visit to Xian and the Teracotta warriors is something I have wanted to do for many years and was absolutely incredible. My only problem was the large crowds, but in the middle of the Chinese summer holidays that was to be expected.
The cruise on the American Victoria Jenna was great and especially enjoyable for my parents. The staff (particularly Lance in the restaurant and Cruise Director Greg Hinton) were exceptional in their service.
We are all very impressed by the service of Yangtze River Cruises and will not hesitate to recommend Bruce and their company to our friends and family in future.
Regards,
I cannot sufficiently express my delight and gratitude with Bruce and this company. I have never in my life experienced such service, ever!
Bruce is outstanding. The fact that we did not know anything about him or the company was very scary and we took a big chance on them. People thought we were crazy and advised us against our decision. We are so glad we took the chance.
Their guides were excellent. People of high calibre and a great deal of knowledge. The best guide, with a mixture of all the necessary skills, is Anne in Guilin. We loved her. Joe in Suzhou was the next best. The very best guide is Tony from the bus tours. He was the last tour in Beijing, to the Great Wall.
All in all, THANKS Bruce, he is so caring, supportive and efficient, I wish every traveller could have the same wonderful experience.
Kindest regards,
From our base in Chengdu, our contact - the ever-helpful, super friendly and polite Wonder Wang, arranged 2 great tours for us: the one-day Panda/Leshan tour and the 5-day bus tour to Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong. We had a wonderful time, everything was very well organised, and we very much enjoyed all the sights as well as the excellent service provided.
From beginning to end, China Discovery provided a very professional and prompt service. At the first instance when Wonder replied to my query, there was a full follow through which provided much needed assurance that this travel agency is a trustworthy one.
Arriving in Chengdu, our tour guide Penny, was a godsend. She was enthusiastic, passionate about her city, her job and sincere in wanting only for her clients to enjoy their stay in Chengdu. She went over and above our itinerary and introduced activities, places and food, which made our time in Chengdu memorable and delightful.
Jiuzhaigou is a wondrous place! It looks exactly like it was out of a painting. The only blemish on this part of our trip was that after having had such a fantastic guide in Chengdu, our guide here fell short of the standards set by Penny. Visiting Jiuzhaigou in April, when it is the dry season, more information could have been shared regarding the options we had when going to see Huanglong park. As that was our first activity upon our arrival in Jiuzhaigou, we would have appreciated knowing that other than the beautiful lake at the top, all the rest of the sights on the way down were pretty much dried up. We would have appreciated the option of taking the cable car down after having been up to the top.
My husband and I did get to spend some time alone in the reserve and that was actually much better as there weren't many people on the trails and it was very peaceful to have those nice walks. During this time, Wonder also found the time to check in with us to make sure that everything was going well and if we needed anything.
Arriving back in Chengdu, Penny again went above and beyond to ensure that we were well taken care of. She was so thoughtful that on the morning of our departure, she even brought a little farewell gift of the yummy dumplings which she introduced us to.
I highly recommend this travel agency as well as Penny. They have truly impressed us!
What a pleasant experience! From day one when I first contact the agent my gut feeling told me this would be good. Very kind people, eager to help me on every single request I made and to really engage on the business.
For some unforeseen reason I had to withdraw from the trip from the very boarding gate leaving my two teenagers on their own which could’ve turned to a nightmare but the Staff at China Discovery managed to guide my family and amaze during the 5 days tour in different cities.
After just a few hours following up from distance I realized how professional and dedicated those people are once they commit themselves to deliver what they sold and additionally taking care of my precious family and giving me peace of mind.
Language was not a problem since the two dedicated tour guides spoke very good English and made the learning experience so much enjoyable. My kids loved to know a little bit more about history of that fantastic country and would go back again.
The whole trip went seamlessly; transportation, accommodation, evening events, reception at airports and train station, everything as promised. Plain and simple China Discovery is “two thumbs up” company. Thanks to Olivia, Jenny and Linda.
We used China Discovery to organise a 2 days tour of Chengdu and its surroundings. Our contact, Tiger, was very diligent and accommodated our requirements. Our guide was Rosky and we had a private driver. We had a great time and Rosky was really helpful. He helped us buy umbrellas as it was raining this day in Chengdu. We discovered the cuisine from Sichuan. Rosky was very attentive to our needs and delivered even more. We visited Renmin Park, Wenchu Temple, Mount Qingcheng, the Irrigation Project. We could also attend a performance of Opera, recommended by our guide. This was a great experience and we really enjoyed Chengdu thanks to this tour. I definitely recommend them.
Had a day tour in Chengdu before heading to Bifengxia for the panda research center. My guide was Barry, who was quite experienced and very well versed in English. He was very helpful and willing to accommodate to my travel plans. The tour operators were also very forthcoming and constantly asked about my wellbeing. The sincerity was really appreciated.
I booked 3 different types of tours (Private, Chinese Join In, English Join In) thru Ian Wei from China Discovery. First of all, Ian, who is the tour consultant, is very professional, responsive, attentive to my need, and last but not least very honest. I had exchanged countless emails with Ian and every one of them is handled promptly. He would also give me useful advices about cheaper options as well as better choice of visits that meet my interests.
As for the tours, I have had a lot of fun and learned a great deal from the tour guides from each of these tours. Like mentioned in other reviews, the airport pick ups and drop offs are very on time, and Ian or the responsible personnel will call up to ensure things are smooth and sound. They will pick you up at 5am in the morning if that is what it takes, also the same with the hotel arrangements.
The tours with China Discovery seem to be very well filtered to eliminate all these unnecessary "noises" and give visitors ample time to enjoy our favorite spots. If you really like a certain spot, you can even add a 1 day private tour in between a group tour. There were sometimes when I changed my plan suddenly and reasonably and they would ensure it would be taken care of. The itinerary can be very flexible (depending on what type of tours you choose).
I am also very impressed with how professional and knowledgeable the tour guides are. Of course, they probably do this every day, but honestly, it is a skill that I see and appreciate.
As a Chinese (not from China) who can read and write Chinese, I can probably get around in China in a cheaper way, but if I have to choose again, I will still choose China Discovery's service to help me on the same and future trips. There are certain things about China that you need a good tour guide to inform you, and China Discovery was/will be my solution.
I travel to China on business two or three times a year but when my family wanted to come we decided to see some of the natural beauty of China instead of just big cities. Not knowing the language and knowing that outside of cities it can be difficult with English only I looked for a travel agent to help with plans.
Not having worked with China Discovery before this trip I was a bit nervous wiring money ahead of time. My worries were unfounded. The company booked train tickets, including overnighting in a soft sleeper compartment. Travel arrangements were as promised and went smoothly. We visited the national park Zhangjiajie and a guide met us at the train station. Her English and knowledge of the area was excellent. Two days of touring went without a hitch. All in all China Discovery delivered as promised and communicated very well throughout the process. I will not hesitate to use them in the future when I explore some more of China.
We booked thru the above for a 14 day tour of Beijing, Xian, Chendu, Shangai and Lhasa. Ian Wei the tour consultant was helpful and extremely patient throughout the whole planning process. The Tour itself was as promised. The meet and greet were always at the airport/station, the pick-up was always on time, the tours were always small and the hotels again- always good. I will most certainly use this company again.
Met a Beijing airport and looked after for the next 13 day like clockwork.
Our personal tour included a car with driver and a guide that met at each destination and took us to our hotel picked us up for the tour of that city back to hotel or airport checked us in at each. Obtained tickets at venues in fact did everything to look after us.
The tour was excellent, the timing of meetings, pick-ups precise and the quality of the guides and drivers outstanding. All the hotels were superb especially the Bravo Hotel Guilin top floor with balcony looking the river. I’ve put a restaurant on trip adviser for Guilin. To be honest we didn’t really eat much in the evenings as we had very good breakfasts in all the hotels and were given a substantial lunch every day. We thoroughly recommend this tour.
I traveled for 43 days in China, visiting 12 cities. I booked everything via email with Laura Tang, which was perfect! The trip started in Shanghai, and continued to Suzhou, Guilin , Yangshuo , Kunming , Lijiang , Shangri-La , Tibet , Chengdu , Beijing , Xian and Harbin. I loved all, especially Yangshuo - which I think is the most beautiful place I have ever seen. My visa for Tibet was provided by Laura, and everything worked well.
We were very apprehensive at booking on line, but we were given Ian Wei's email address and found him excellent to deal with. We were a party of six on a 14 day tour. Guides were excellent and full of knowledge, and most helpful. Hotels absolutely fantastic. Pickups and drop offs at Airports, and Railway Stations great. We found China a very exciting country with so much history and culture.
We were initially apprehensive in booking online tours. However, when Tiger Wei of China Discovery responded to my query on Zhangjiajie Tour, I knew we were in good hands. Tiger arranged a 3 day tour and the domestic flights from Guangzhou to Zhangjiajie for us. Tiger always promptly answer my queries and even ensured that we arrived safely at Zhangjiajie.
The local guide, Zhang "Lini" Shufang, was also very good, accommodating and flexible. Since we still have time on our 3rd day, I asked her if she can arranged for an additional trip in Tianmen Mountain. She made sure that the weather was good then so we can view the mountain.
Our Zhangjiajie trip was amazing. Our kids enjoyed it very much. I hope other people will discover this place.
My wife and I had a fantastic trip to Zhangjiajie, a UNESCO heritage site. We booked our trip with a private tour guide and driver through China Discovery with the efficient, friendly, and patient assistance of Bella at China Discovery. Bella was just wonderful and a pleasure to work with during our trip planning stages. She listened attentively to all our specific needs and promptly answered all our email messages without delay. With her capable help, a finalized travel itinerary for a 6-day trip to Zhangjiajie materialized. As a result, my wife and I enjoyed a wonderful trip because the private tour guide and driver arranged by Bella at China Discovery were very helpful and friendly during our tour. The scenery in Zhangjiajie and Tianmen Mountain was just awesome. All the photos that I took look like classic Chinese paintings. Therefore, I highly recommend the travel services of China Discovery for anyone planning a trip to Zhangjiajie, especially a private tour. Many thanks to Bella at China Discovery.
We were two couples making a short visit (14 days) to China. I would like to recommend, whole heartedly, the services of China Discovery, located in Chengdu, I mention especially the location of this company in order to avoid a confusion between that company and China Discovery Tours located in the USA (Whose services I don't recognise).China Discovery Chengdu is a company associated with Chengdu Bamboo International Tours, which I believe is known in the web. China Discovery, the Chinese company, for us, it was the best value for money.
Zeev Dar, Israel
The trip was arranged to our specific needs by Mr Wonder Wang and everything was perfect. From booking (and able to use Paypal) to creating a special itinerary, to finding flights and hotels, everything was friendly and efficient. The two local guides were very good and were flexible, to allow us to change things if we were too tired for instance. We live in Shanghai and so we are used to living in China but having it all arranged took the usual hassles out of the trip.
Both tours were great and especially the 3 days in Zhangjiajie which was spectacular. All the arrangements and airport pick-ups etc worked well and we were always well looked after. We would recommend China Discovery without hesitation.
We found China Discovery (based in Chengdu) to be one of the few China-based tour companies that advertised flexible, private tours from Shanghai. We sent an inquiry with our interests via their easy to use website and received a response from Mr. Wonder Wang within 12 hours with a suggested preliminary itinerary. After several e-mail exchanges we finalized our itinerary to include Yellow Mountain, the ancient villages of Hongcun & Xidi (all three UNESCO world heritage sites), ancient street in the Tunxi district of Huangshan city and 2 days of sightseeing in Shanghai. Mr. Wonder Wang was very professional and responsive to our questions and requests. The services he arranged for us included: airport transfers, round-trip air travel between Shanghai & Huangshan, 5 star hotels, English speaking guides, vehicles & drivers. The quality of the hotels exceeded our expectations. The guides were professional, pleasant and knowledgeable. The drivers drove safely in all weather conditions. The guides & drivers were always prompt & reliable, even when our flight from Huangshan back to Shanghai arrived at 0300 hours, over 3 hours delayed. We would recommend them to others and would utilize their services again.
I spent 5 days in the Zhangjiajie visiting the thousands of peaks that inspired the land of Pandora in the movie avatar. A place one will never forget with many thanks to china discovery for tailoring the tour to exactly what we wanted it was one of the easiest holidays we have been on. China Discovery is definitely highly recommended by me for all your china tours!
We have just returned from a trip to China and the bookings and arrangements made by your Agent Wonder were amazing. I have never experienced such prompt email replies EVER - even though we have an 8 hour time difference. I booked our Yangtze River cruise through him and then started adding on other requests.
Wonder booked our train tickets, and when he couldn't physically collect them for us to deliver to our hotel, he offered to send a Guide to our Hotel in Shanghai to accompany us to the station to collect them. He arranged 2 day-tours to the Wall and city sites and what a lovely touch, emailed us each evening before the tour to tell us the name & contact number of our Guide for the next day.
I can honestly recommend Wonder and the two companies he represents namely: Yangtze-river-cruises.com and chinadiscovery.com.
We have just returned home from the most amazing holiday in china arranged totally with all the internal flights and a Yangtze River cruise in between. The trip was so well organised and our English tour guides and personal drivers were very knowledgeable and friendly. We moved to four different sites and all hotels were superb and 5 star. All attractions were fun and informative and going to different Chinese restaurants was great. We saw all the major attractions and loved it all. The full package was great value and as it was paid up front you did not spend much money on the holiday. Great job to Laura for organising and a special shout out to Linda our tour guide in Beijing. My dreams all came true.
I visited here with a friend as part of a 10 day tour of China which I organised with Wonder Wang of www.ChinaDiscovery.com. I can highly recommend this organization. Tour trip was amazing. Transport, guides, entrance fees, hotels were all arranged. So I trusted Wonder completely to make sure we were given the best. And we were. I was overwhelmed by the pandas here, so beautiful and amazing creatures.
Since the earthquake in Sichuan Province there are two good places to see pandas – one in the Panda Research Centre in Chengdu itself and one in Ya’an Bifengxia Panda Base. Wolong centre was destroyed by the earthquake and by sheer luck only the pandas survived and they’ve been transferred around Chengdu. Some of them are “rented” to zoos around the world. Ya’an Bifengxia Panda Base is located in Bifengxia Town, Ya’an City of south-west Sichuan Province. The distance from Chengdu to Ya’an Panda Base is 140km which takes around 2 hours’ drive to get there and you can arrange the visit as a private day trip. The drive is very scenic, through forest, waterfalls, river and breathtaking landscapes. The mountain weather is changeable, so wear layers for warmth and rain protection. Wear comfortable/waterproof walking shoes. It can rain anytime of the year, particularly in June, July, and August (also sunnier during this period) and snow is most prevalent from November through to March.
My family and I have returned home from a 2 week holiday in China organised by May Deng from China Discovery Tours. All of our guides (Sherry, Ernest, Penny, Rosky, Alice and Maria) were exceptional in the quality of their service and their care of us. The drivers were experienced and safe. The mini-busses were clean, comfortable and we were provided with plenty of bottled water each day. The accommodation organised by May was excellent. The hotels were all of a very high standard and the guides were there every morning to take us on the exploration of the city we were in at the time. We have recommended China Discovery to our friends who are looking at travelling to China, especially if you want to avoid the larger group tours. They will be well looked after, like we were.
We did a 6 days tour from Hong Kong to Beijing then to Shanghai, the tour guide was waiting for us in the airport with a driver for us and I was just surprised of the knowledge Tony Tao Had about Beijing history he was fantastic answering all of our questions as well as our tour guide in Shanghai Helen Jingwei she was just very professional, friendly and very helpful they both were great, the hotels we stayed were 4 stars and very well located and wonderful, all the breakfast were included and they were huge as all lunches. If I plan another trip to China I will definitely ask China Discovery to book it for me. You can't go wrong with them 100% good.
Laura and the team at China Discovery demonstrated first rate versatility and professionalism. Everything ran so smoothly and without a hitch. Before booking we compared prices with other providers and China Discovery was certainly competitive. When you consider the premium quality of service we received it was absolutely the right choice.
We booked a private tour together with our friends for 3 weeks in China. We had a very pleasant contact by email with Ian from China Discovery. He made good suggestions and planned everything as requested. In every city our guide and driver were waiting with a car to show us around the place. We had a wonderful time and discovered fantastic places. All went smoothly and we had no complaints. The last day of our stay we even visited the office of China Discovery in Chengdu. There we were met by Ian and his collegues. We discussed our trip, the hotels, the guides and drivers, which was easier than filling in an evaluation form. Overall: a perfect organization, very friendly person and an unforgetable holiday. We highly recommend this company.
We booked a 3 person tour with China Discovery for 4 days Beijing including great wall. Our tour was very well organized, our tour guide Linda did a great job showing us around and guided us safely through the chaotic city. Good hotel included a trip. The whole trip was nicely rounded up by very good weather, blue sky over Beijing which we did not expect at all.
Dear all, I am Tran Vinh Thang (Mr.), I am 41 years old, I am Vietnamese who has just joined the tour Chengdu - Jiuzhaigou - Huanglong dated Oct.25th - Oct.30th.
I love China and admire very much the History as well as the very great Chinese civilization, I many times visited China however this time (though it's short) to be the happiest time for me in China. On behalf of all my group, please let me say thank you very much to the Company which let us understand clearer about China, the country we love. I don't know how to say, allow me to say thank you very much with a great emotion to your two staffs: Ms Liu Shuyang (Ynes) and Mrs Yoko Yi who have the very good knowledge about history and civilization of China, who have the very kind and untired warmest supports to all of us. God will bless you, bless the Company and China.
My wife and I recently returned from a 3 week trip to China including time with our son who is interning with an architectural firm in Beijing, a 13 day Best of China Tour by China Discovery Tours and a visit to Hong Kong. Our experience in "discovering China" was truly profound. Since this was our first visit, we had much to learn during what was an immersive experience in an amazing place. We were very impressed with the company, the people and the country. We would readily recommend China Discovery to others and make use of them again ourselves.
In the beginning of July we travelled to Beijing and spend 5 days there, 2 days in Xian, 4 days at the river cruise on the Yangtze, and 2 days in Shanghai before we returned to Beijing. We commuted mostly with flights, but we also tried the high speed train which was quite a fun experience. Every place we visited, we were greeted with a local guide and driver.
Throughout the trip we got to see several tourist attractions such as the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Terracotta Warriors, The Three Gorges and both old and new Shanghai. We also got to experience the Chinese culture, especially on the cruise, which was a nice experience. We stayed at 4 and 5 stars Hotels on the journey, which all had an amazing breakfast. In addition, our local guides arranged Chinese lunch every day. The food tasted great!
Overall we are very happy with China Discovery who did their best to make sure we had wonderful days in China. We are glad that we chose China Discovery and we warmly recommend them to all.
We recently got back from 2 weeks in China (Beijing, Xi'an, Chengdu and Shanghai) and Lhasa, Tibet. My family (wife, 18 year old daughter, 13 year old son and myself) booked our entire trip with China Discovery. They took care of all tours, hotels and domestic flights, as well as our permit for Tibet. China Discovery (May Deng was our coordinator) did a very good job (even as I was making tour changes a few weeks before our arrival).
The tour guides in each city were great and very friendly. They were very knowledgeable and helped us with suggestions for dinner. The tour guides spoke very good English (though sometimes was difficult to understand in Lhasa). The drivers did a great job (though none spoke English) and were always on time and had the air conditioning running when they picked us up. The vans were fairly new and in very good condition. Everyone was accommodating if we wanted to extend out stay at a location.
In Beijing, we enjoyed walking on the Wall (Mutianyu section) and really loved the Ding Tomb (and the walk through Sacred Way). We had lunch with a local family and it was one of the best meals we had! They taught us how to make dumplings, it was great fun! We also went to an acrobat show. In Xi'an, we walked along the ancient city walls and the Terracotta Warrier was simply an incredible site and the information provided by our tour guide answered many questions I've had. Lhasa was incredible I wish I could have stayed another week to tour the country side. Potala Palace is breathtaking and it is surreal at night.
Overall we were extremely happy with China Discovery and the service that was provided.
My Girlfriend and I booked a private tour with Judy from China Discovery over the internet from Australia. We knew roughly where we wanted to go and Judy helped us put together a great itinery.
All in all we visited cities accross China touching all the tourist spots we wanted to get to. (Shanghai, Beijing, Guilin, Xian, Li'jiang, Shangri-La, Chengdu etc). Judy was in contach with us regularly over the phone to make sure we were looked after.
We were met at the airport of each place by a fluent english speaking guide and safe driver with very clean vehicles, so everything ran really smoothly and easily. The guides helped with everything accross the board, from checking in (if assistance was required) and even went as far as picking us up after a show at 9pm and taking us back to the hotel even though our tour for the day had finished at 3pm with them. We found all of the guides to be very knowledgable about their cities and attractions and were very accomodating when we wanted to go off book or spent that extra bit of time at the Great Wall (Which we had nearly to ourselves because it was cold which was fantastic!)
All the hotels we stayed in were great (4 star) with friendly english speaking staff, well appointed rooms and amenities and good breakfasts. We had lunch provided and all the food was exceptional with huge servings of the local food in each city.
We got stuck in Yichang after our Yangtze river cruise because fog meant our flight to Shanghai was cancelled and Judy did a great job of finding us alternate means of travel to Shanghai. She also paid for a huge dinner at a great restaurant for the two of us and our guide and driver and got us an amazing room at the Crowne Plaza with views of the Yangtze river so we were very impressed by the level of care and service showed to us all the way through our trip. (This happened on our last day of the tour so for them to still show that level of service was wonderful)
If we get a chance to return to China we will definately use these guys again and thanks to the level of service shown by Judy in particular we will be highly recommending them to everyone we know thinking of doing the trip.
Very good trip everything went like clock work. The hotels were great clean and English speaking staff. The guides are locals to the city and know alot and also being English speaking, without the guides there is no way you could do it by yourself.
Our itinerary was to fly from Hong Kong to Chengdu where we would be met at the airport by our guide (Tom) and driver (Mr. Den). From there we were taken to our hotel. As soon as we got into our transport Tom presented my wife with a huge bouquet of flowers and basket of fruit which I thought was a lovely touch and completely unexpected.
The next morning we set off bright and early to begin time with the giant pandas....We had been told that it would be a "Once in a lifetime experience" and it certainly lived up to it's billing. Normally you would be straining to get a view of these wonderful animals but here we were within touching distance. The work itself was quite physical (lots of sweeping and cleaning is involved when mucking out pandas) The staff at the sanctuary don't speak much English but, Tom, who was excellent throughout, was always on hand to assist with translations. Our supervisors seemed impressed that we were both happy to get our hands dirty for the privilege of being so close to the animals. Our duties in the sanctuary included cleaning the pandas enclosures and sleeping accommodation and also helping to feed them. We were also advised that we might be asked to help with other tasks that might crop up during our time there...In our case I was asked to assist with some heavy lifting to assist in transporting one panda from Bifeng to another sanctuary.
At the Bifeng Sanctuary visitors can have photos taken with young pandas which costs ￡100. They can also interact (play) with young pandas which costs ￡200 for a few minutes....We were told that the reason why this is so expensive is because although they want the money (it all goes towards the costs of running the sanctuary)....They don't want to encourage too much interaction between humans and the young pandas which one day they might be able to release into the wild....I can understand this and we decided not pay the extra....We were more than delighted with the level of contact we had already experienced.
Our adventure lasted four days...Two days travelling to and from Hong Kong and two days at the sanctuary....We both rated it as a fantastic adventure with good food and accommodation. As regards the organisation...I can't really fault it....Everything was as described and the trip ran like clockwork....On the basis of this trip I would have no hesitation in recommending China Discovery Tours to anyone travelling in that area and if we ever return, I would certainly use them again.
It was great to meet Linda and the staffs of their company in Chengdu.
It was a great trip and we now have a new appreciation for China and it's people. I'm glad we had some opportunities to get a little bit away from the normal western tourist spots. Loved our meals in restaurants used by the "locals" with no English menus. Food was very good, even thought we didn't always know what we were ordering.
I will surely recommend this company to plan your China trip.
"This travel agent set up for us a comprehensive tour of China. Everything was great and perfectly well organized. The guides were pretty interesting and we could deepen in the chinese culture.
They were quite reactive and made for us a great sur-mesure programe!!!"
"Fantastica organización, merece la pena confiar en ellos"
La verdad es que no conocíamos la agencia y nos fiamos de lo que vimos en Internet, algunos foros la recomendaban.
Al principio pagar todo de un tirón antes de ir y sin conocer a fondo la agencia nos supuso un poco de angustia, per de verdad que ha merecido la pena.... Todo ha funcionado como un reloj, bien organizado y sin la más mínima oportunidad a la improvisación. Linda fue nuestro agente de viajes y desde le principio la respuesta a nuestras dudas y preguntas fue inmediata. Los guías buenos, cada uno con sus virtudes, pero en general estupendos. Destacar no obstante a nuestra guía de Pekín, Mai, por su esfuerzo en aprender espa?ol para agradarnos. Stela, nuestra guía de Xian por su profesionalidad y conocimientos, finalmente Joanna, nuestra guía de Güillín por su sonrisa y simpatía.
En resumen, os recomiendo esta agencia para vuestros viajes a China.
The cruise is indeed very pleasant. The river sets its own pace, which in turn influences our own sense of time. The staffs on board are great, service minded and very attentive. The food is also very good. Several days need us to cover distance but the time passes with on board distractions and lectures which are very informative.
My husband, our son and his partner and I have just returned from a 5 week tour of China. After many e-mails back and forth to Laura we finally agreed on our private tour of China. We started our tour in Shanghai, caught an overnight train to Zhangjiajie, train up to Yichang where we started our 4 night cruise up the Yangtze River on American Victoria Jenna to Chongqing. From there we visited Chengdu, flew up to Jiuzhaigou, flight to Xian and train to Beijing.
I found Laura (also Ian and Bruce helped when Laura was out of the office for a few days) to be very patient and professional as we tweeked our holiday to suit us. We booked our own hotels which gave us some control over where we stayed. We were very happy with all our guides and drivers who all presented themselves at each of our destinations. We would definitely recommend China Discovery to organize your holiday in China.
I just wanted to say thanks very much for all yangtze-river-cruises.com assistance in organising our cruise Victoria Sophia.
They were fantastic and provided us with all the information we needed. Everything Laura organized went according to plan. I would highly recommend Laura to anyone who is planning a trip to China. We are back in Shanghai today for a few days then flying home to Australia next Friday.
Well we had a fantastic time. Thanks China Discovery for your work and all the arrangements were excellent. All their guides were great but Joanna would be the best. She was friendly, outgoing and made us welcome at all times.
We have and will recommend this company as the one to use. Unfortunately we didn’t have much time, maybe next time.
We had an absolutely wonderful time in China, all the guides were amazing & we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We particularly loved our guide in Xian, her name was Winnie. She was so passionate about her knowledge of Xian & all the history it was very refreshing & lovely to have such a great person to tell us all about the Terracotta warriors etc. Me& my family would like to thank China Tour Discovery for tailoring a family vacation we will never forget.
Thank you so much!
I wanted to thank Judy for such wonderful service and she is their company's representative. We thoroughly enjoyed our experience in China and will have fond memories to treasure!
All the guides and the drivers were exceptional with Lisa and Autumn being star’s. The trips were balanced just right which made the whole experience go perfectly.
I will definitely recommend this Company to anyone in the UK that I hear are interested in visiting China!
Our trip exceeded our expectations from the moment we arrived in Beijing! Actually, our agent Ian went above and beyond for at least a month before we even arrived. He answered all of our questions promptly, and made the booking process so much easier than it could have been. In each city we were greeted by our amazing guides and drivers and taken to outstanding hotels.
We never had to lift a finger, as our guides took care of all translations and arrangements for us. They clearly reviewed each day's schedule and we could truly sit back and enjoy every minute of our trip. There was so much to see in each city, and the atmosphere was very different every time we stepped off the plane. Each guide was well-versed in the culture we were experiencing and shared a wealth of knowledge with us as we tried to take in the beauty and history of China in just 9 days. We never would have seen half of what we were able to without their help and guidance. They really made the most of our trip and we would highly recommend them to anyone interested in traveling to China. It's too hard to choose a favorite, but we have memories of China that will last a lifetime!
This travel agent set up for us a comprehensive tour of China. Everything was great and perfectly well organized. The guides were pretty interesting and we could deepen in the chinese culture.
They were quite reactive and made for us a great sur-mesure programe!!!
Our tour of China with China Discovery was wonderful. We visited Shanghai, Guilin, Chengdu, Xian and Beijing and in each place the service was excellent. We were able to visit amazing sites near each of the cities and the guides were great. For two women traveling in China the tour was perfect. We saw amazing development in Shanghai, fabulous landscapes in Guilin, wonderful panda research in Chengdu, terracotta warriors in Xian and the forbidden city and the great wall near Beijing.
But these are only a few of the sites and experiences we enjoyed, in each place there were other wonderful places included and some great surprises too. For example, the reflexology / foot massage at the end of the day in Beijing was perfect. We are vegetarians and the guides were really helpful and considerate about all our needs not just the food. This was a trip of a lifetime for both of us!
For now however, I’d like to thank Bruce and his team for the excellent and seamless organisation between destinations. My trip did indeed take me to some beautiful places that have also inspired many reflections. It also was a pleasure meeting Bruce, and sharing tea with him on the terrace at their office in Chengdu.
I’m now backing in Geneva. You can imagine my family and friends are very interested to hear of my journey to and affection for China.
I just want to say THANKS TO BRUCE TANG for making our china vacation perfect, enjoyable and amazing. This was my first internet transaction and I was very uncomfortable during the booking procedure but everything turns up perfect and again thanks to Bruce.
Victoria Grace is pretty good, our cabin is always spic & span, so does all the boat facilities and the food, my goodness too much food that I can consume and its nice of the cruise director to have our dining place where everybody speaks English that is a plus to me...We enjoyed our entire trip excursion and our guides are pretty good.
Also want to thank David, who picks us up in Chongging airport and gives us narrative of the city and so does Edward from Yichang who drives us to the Airport and also provides Yichang city information.
One more to thank for is our Hotel in Shanghai w/breakfast every day, nice location and off course Autumn, she's active and always there to help my sister in law who has problem walking and took us to various interesting sites and my personal favorite is the Bund. Autumn even helped us inside the airport, packed our silk comforter, without her we have no idea/clue on how to handle it. Bruce has provided all of these and thank you so much and it’s nice to hear your voice when you called me in our hotel.
Jessie, the person of Yangtze River Cruises we contacted, has been great to deal with and prompt with her service. She has even answered her phone on weekends or after hours when she is not at work.
We all enjoyed our trip very much. The arrangements for guides, places to visit and travel within China went very smoothly. The highlight of the trip was our visit to the Longsheng rice terraces outside of Guilin: beautiful scenery!
Our guides, Sophia (Beijing), Ivan (Xi'an), Qian (Guilin) and Laura (Shanghai) all did wonderful jobs for us. The visits to the silk, jade, tea and terra cotta pottery shops were fine with us.
Thank you for Laura and her company's help in arranging this once-in-a-lifetime trip for our family.
In China, I went to Beijing, Shanghai, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Guangzhou, Chong Qing, arranged by yangtze-river-cruises.com.
My top 2 destinations in China are Beijing and the Yangtze River. All the other cities are not worth going, they are just too polluted. Once you have been to Beijing, you would have seen all the temples, palaces, gardens you need to see. There is no need to go to the other cities to see the same thing again. The scenery in the Yangtze River Gorges is very different from what you see in the cities, a very pleasant change.
I feel that we cannot compare the Yangtze River to other places in the world. But if you are going to China, then it is one of the must see destinations.
Hi, I've just completed an 18 day trip to Guilin, Beijing, Harbin for the Ice Lantern Festival and Shanghai with guide, driver & train travel booked through China Discovery in Chengdu. I've both lived and worked in China and believe the best way to see it is with a private car and driver. China Discovery arranged a car and driver at each location, also train tickets from Guilin to Beijing. We were met at the airport/railway station and escorted all the way by a very capable guide and a safe driver. The guides and drivers went out of their way to ensure everything went well. Even though I knew the key points of interest i wanted to see in each location, China Discovery provided additional insight and helped us make the most of our trip. I have no hesitation in recommending them to fellow travellers and will certainly book further travel in China with them.
Our last holiday in China is the most memorable holiday we have ever had. The tour was positively everything we expected and moreover my kids enjoyed kid's program so much! The staffs were very sincere, friendly and accommodating. I will surely recommend this company to others. Thanks a lot to our Trip Advisor, guides and drivers and wish you guys all the best!
Our contact is Laura and I always get immediate reply from her on my e-mail.
We enjoyed so much and realized that Private Tour for family with kids is the right choice. Maybe in the future, you can also suggest more options for tour with kids, i.e zoo, beijing aquarium, some option of museums that we maybe do not know. I realized that our time was so tight, while there are so many objects to enjoy in china. For my kids Snowy Great Wall, Acrobatic show, Kung Fu show and riding bicycle in city wall Xian are the most enjoyable.
Hopefully one of my neighbors will contact them for Muslim tour early next year as well as my sister's family.
Following are our most popular vacation packages which take you to visit featured destinations, experience authentic Chinese culture at lowest price. You can also contact our travel specialists to DIY a unique tour package for you.
Beijing / Xian / Shanghai
Beijing / Xian / Guilin / Yangshuo / Yangtze Cruise / Shanghai
Shanghai / Guilin / Yangshuo / Guilin / Chengdu / Lhasa / Xian / Beijing
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