Yunnan Travel Reviews on Tripadvisor.com

My husband and I visited Yunnan and Rita of China Discovery arranged every detail of the trip. We visited Kunming, Dali, Shangri-La and Lijiang. Rita booked our flights, train tickets, arranged drivers and tour guides, and booked our accommodation. Yunnan is absolutely beautiful and if you have not been there, go! Make it your next exciting destination. We have used Rita's services again, and will continue to do so.

Again China Discovery and with wonder perfect arrangements we had a wonderful trip. Additional to the trip setup, which was perfect, Wonder managed to arrange an unforgettable birthday celebration for my wife.

Thank you!! We will have the best memories in China thanks to Wonder and China Discovery.

I contacted China Discovery for a trip to Yunnan, especially after seeing that they offer tailor-made packages with private English tour guides.

Every aspect of this tour was special and unique. My more than competent tour consultant Wonder, offered to help me book my plane tickets, in addition to being available on Wechat with advice and suggestions throughout the tour.

The minute I met my tour guide Andy at the airport, I immediately knew I was in good hands. Through him I learned so much about the local minority cultures and his religion of Bhuddism, which he introduced with gentleness and sincerity. He was a competent driver and always on time as well, patiently offering advice or alternatives for the day. Cheers to Andy recommending a great local cuisine, braised pork with mint.

I spent two nights in Lijiang and two in Shangrila. There are too many highlights to count, but they definitely include going up to Xiling Mountain, strolling around Blue Moon Lake and staying in Doofu hotel in Lijiang's old quarter.

I love anything to do with nature, so hiking around the frozen lake in Pudacuo National Park - in -9 temperatures while ice crystals formed on my lashes - had its own kind of extraordinary beauty. It was in the heart of winter and the dead-quiet of the forest had its own kind of ominous charm.

A wonderful tour that helped me discover a unique part of China and an experience I won't easily forget.

Our agent Tracy did an outstanding job in a very difficult time travelling due to Covid in October 2022.

Before we started she always answered very quick and flexible to make a great schedule, also last minute rebooking of flights due to travel restrictions no problem. Onsite the situation unfortunately soon became very unclear for us. But with the non stop 24h help of Tracy and the local guide/ driver she chose we were in the best hands we could imagine. She tried everything she could to keep us updated, helped to solve every problem occuring due to language iuesses or possible misinterpretation of rules. She arranged to book us into the best hotel option for this situation, managed to reduce the price and also got us on the first possible flight out. She helped us with transfer issues to catch an incredibly tight connection flight and even cared during the whole night about our final return.

This has been my fourth trip with Tracy and I can really recommend her from the bottom of my heart.

China Discovery is an excellent travel agency. Went with them to Yunnan and everytime great experience. They give good hotel and generous guide and also their price is moderate.We contacted Wonder who arrange everything including train tickets , car and hotels . He is very accommodative as he also did last minute hotwl

Changes as per need . So always recommended China Discovery .

Thank you Wonder for allowing us to plan a memorable trip to Yunnan for 10 days.

Your flexibility was amazing and we enjoyed all of the input given to make it so special.

I wholeheartedly recommend you guys to anyone who wants friendly and knowledgeable guides. Tenzin is amazing! Great with kids and such a helpful and kind person. His help made travel much smoother. We learnt so much about the people and different customs.

We saw all of the highlights in Dali, Shangri-la and Lijiang. Definitely recommend the cable car and cycling in Dali, Potatso National Park and the temple of the High Lama in Shangri-la. We went for a pony ride through a village in Lijiang which was a highlight for the kids.

We are definitely going to book again... maybe in the Autumn. So many great memories were made

Once again that China Discovery helps me organize an amazing trip in Yunnan province. As you know that traveling is not as easy as before because of the regulations of the Covid-19 but Mr. Wang made everything possible and easy for us to travel. And again Thank to Mr. Wang flexibility and his willing to adjust the trip that would suit us most, we had a really wonderful time, the driver, the guide and food, everything is perfect. We are totally recommended China Discovery, and we surely will travel with them again.

Myself and a friend went on an 11-day private tour to Yunan province in China during the summer of 2021. We went to four cities, each very unique in their own way. China Discovery pulled the tour together with only a week's notice as if we had been planning it for months. Overall, the tour was comfortable, professional and personable with even a birthday cake purchased for my birthday by the tour planner as a special surprise! The accomodations were comfortable and quaint and the recommendations for evenng meals were very helpful. The guides were great and we felt safe and secure as we traveled during a COVID outbreak. Without the guide taking extra time to insure compliance and collect our reports we would not have been able to continue the trip. We decided at that that point on the tour that we were very thankful to be with such competent, caring people. One of the most memorable things for me is and will be how each guide shared their personal story , Thank you!

We did a customized 8 day yunaan tour organised by our tour guide Wonder. Everything was taken care of from train tickets to flight bookings and hotels. It was a multi destination trip taking in Kumning Dali Lijiang and Shangri La.. out wonderful and very experienced tour guide Nancy drove us around and took in all the best places to see and eat, avoiding the crowds and queues. The choice of hotels was perfect in the best locations. Everything was great and gave us an unforgettable experience. I would not hesitate to recommend China Discovery to anyone planning a trip and wanting a first class experience.

Our private guide and driver trip to Yunnan was coordinated by Riley from China Discovery and it turned out to be excellent. Riley helped us out plan the itinerary; she was patient and courteous throughout, always quick to respond to our questions.

The guides and driver were also friendly and professional. We will definitely turn to Riley and China Discovery again for our next trip.

We booked a tour to Yunnan province in June 21. The program covers Kunming, Dali, Shaxi and Lijiang and the whole program was about one week.

This is my second time using China Discovery and I am very please with the service. The coordinator, Jack, is very helpful and gave good advice on the trip. He is also very flexible and accommodative with the trip plan.

Guides we met are great, friendly and professional. We really enjoyed our time in Yunnan and will definitely recommend China Discovery to anyone.

Our trip through inner mongolia, kunming and Shangri La was wonderful, the planning that China Discovery gave without a doubt was the best, excellent hotels, wonderful and natural places, guides very prepared and with a lot of knowledge of culture and history, drivers who know the roads very well, all super excellent, the best trip without a doubt

Thanks

It was kind of a last-minute inquiry, Riley managed to arrange us a car to the red earth. The driver was nice and even recommended wonderful location for photography, we got to get

My husband, myself and my 3 and 8 year old children spent a wonderful holiday in Yunnan during spring break. China discovery organised everything for us and was very flexible to adjust the plans to our specific demands. They replied super fast and gave us an excellent price. The tour guides allocated to us was very knowledgable and our driver very cautious. We will definitely require their services for our next holidays!

Just finished a fabulous 7 night/6 day tour through Yunnan: Kunming, Dali, Lijiang and Shangri-La. A wonderful experience assisted by exceptionally knowledgeable guides. We were short of time but Rita Jiang put together an amazing itinerary to help us do everything we wanted to in this short period of time.

I truly enjoyed my quick tour of Kunming (2-4 April 2021) and I can say it was worth the time I spent for my very short vacation. My favorite part of the tour was the Stone Forest, which is more than 80km away from Kunming City Center. I liked the surrounding and the story behind the stone formations, as well as the local legends that go with them. I also had the chance to visit the Tongyuan Temple, Green Lake Park, Yunnan Nationalities Museum, and the Western Hills, which were all equally great. The arrangements were superbly done by Rita Jiang of China Discovery and the tour guide, Maria Yang, was very professional and knowledgeable. It was a fun and hassle-free tour for me.

Travelling to Yunnan Province on a tour arranged by Rita at China Discovery, based in Chengdu, was amazing. From the moment of contacting her everything was easy and handled professionally. Flights, fast train tickets and most meals were included in the arrangements. The guides we had were friendly, helpful and knowledgeable and the drivers were friendly and we always felt safe. The hotels were very comfortable and clean. Sightseeing destinations chosen by the company were well worth visiting. It was a very easy way to travel. Thank you to Rita and all involved who made the trip very memorable.

I recently completed a trip to Yunnan organized by China Discovery. I am based in Beijing. China Discovery assigned a travel consultant to me, who designed a tailor-made itinerary suiting my purposes. The travel consultant (郭颖) was fantastic, extremely responsive, kind, flexible, and quick, responding quickly to any question or request I had, and going beyond the call of duty to accommodate my needs. I highly recommend China Discovery as a travel agency able to arrange your trip!

We had an emjoyable 4 days with our tour guides in Lijiang and Dali. The consultants were very helpful helping us customize our itineraries. We definitely hope to travel with them again soon.

Yuanyang (元阳) in Yunnan is famous for the huge rice terraces built on the cliffs of mountains, at an elevation of about 2000 meters. There are many countries with rice terraces but these ones are among the most amazing i have seen. 66% of people belong to ethnic groups. One of them are the Hani (哈尼), who built, during the course of several centuries, the rice terraces. Bada (坝达), Duoyishu (多依树), Laohuzui (老虎嘴) have been included in the list of the UNESCO World Heritage sites and you will have a spectacular view from those villages. I highly recommend to explore the villages nearby, the markets, and hikes in the countryside; people in the villages are very friendly and you can discover how local people live.

We had a 4 day trip, landed in Kunming, drove to the Stone Forest (1-2hrs drive); then headed to JianShui (3hrs drive) ~ a very nice ancient town, a good spot to stop overnight on the way to yuanYang. And drove another 3hrs to YuanYang where we stayed 2-3 days, the drive there also offers wonderful views of the valley. It was a nice and necessary escape from the Shanghai busy life.

Particularly loved the boutique hotels in Jianshui snd yuanyang.

Great service by Wonder who was very responsive and making sure everything was going well.

Will definitely be back to Yunnan soon!

Our trip was very short-term and we had a lot of ideas. Mr. Wang managed to organize all of our wishes into one fantastic trip. The choice of hotels and driver were perfect and the nature in Yunnan was breathtaking. we will not forget these experiences. Thank you very much for the great travel planning.

Family and I went for a 6 days private tour to Kunming, Dali and Lijiang organized by Vivien Li from China Discovery. The entire trip was fantastic and well planned. Vivien was prompt with my requests and ensure everything went well. Our guides Lea @ Kunming, Nancy @ Dali & Ally @ Lijiang are extremely knowledgeable, helpful and flexible to accommodate our needs. Weather was wonderful, accommodations are great and scenery at these places are simply awesome! We have had a wonderful Christmas - A big Thank You to China Discovery!

I did a custom 6 day tour: Kunming, Dongchuan, Mile, Yuanyang, Jianshui, Kunming. I had a perfect trip and highly recommend China Discovery! Special shout out to Wonder, the travel consultant who helped me in putting together the tour, taking into consideration my ask to avoid overly commercial stops and add lots of photography and nature. He also diligently checked up on progress during the tour and was genuine in ensuring it was a success throughout the whole process. Also recommend the driver and guide they arranged, who accompanied me for the entire trip. Excellent driver, command of English and showed great flexibility throughout.

Wonderful Yunnan, Ill be back!

In our trip to Yunnan the arrival at every city was perfectly coordinated and punctual. All guides where friendly and knowledgeable. Betsy and Jack knew many specifics of the area and were great. We had the opportunity to visit all the highlights of each city in timely manner, Shangri-la, Lijiang and Dali. Lijiang and Shangri-la were the highlight of our trip, many cultural impressions, colors and flavors. The selection of hotels and meals included was very well suited. We enjoyed a lot overall our trip!

China Discovery’s service is very professional and experienced, we highly recommend this tour. From quotation to spontaneous extra arrangements our travel consultant Vivien answered always perfect, friendly and promptly.

My wife and I booked a tour through Leo Li, for a one day trip whilst on holiday in the Xishuangbanna region. Our guide Tony was brilliant and displayed a fantastic knowledge of the area. Our driver was also wonderful driving through some very heavy fog/low cloud to reach a tea plantation. We got to visit the Menghun Sunday Markets, Jingzhen Octagonal Pavilion, Dai Papermaking Village and Nannuoshan Tea Garden, Peacock Lake and ended the day after dinner, at the Gaozhuang Night Market and Big Golden Pagoda. Overall fantastic day trip and value for money, we would recommend China Discovery to anyone.

Tracy from Chengdu, Sichuan. We are foreigners living and working in China, but wanted to travel during the covid issue. As you know it can be difficult with the language and QR heath code’s etc. We choose the Lijiang to Shangrila, Yunnan which was awesome. Tracy was so helpful planning our personal trip. She provided our driver, guides Jack and Peter which was well worth every penny. Shangrila was the highlight of our trip and strongly recommend you visit. Peter was great and local to the area. We had lunch with a local family and of course saw all the temples as well as the history. There is also an Artist/Museum in the old town you must visit!!!

We strongly recommend using China Discovery ( Tracy ) for any traveling in China. We also strongly recommend visiting Dali, Lijiang and Shangrila 2 to 3 days in each city.

We spent 7 wonderful days in Yunnan, shortly after the golden week. We usually do not use travel agencies for trips in China. But due to a rather last minute opportunity to travel, we contacted the team from China Discovery in order to get it arranged and safe all the detailed planning and arrangement at our end. Zeva Du, one of their agents, contacted us immediately and customized the itinerary according to our input. Her service was excellent (fast/responsive, patient, diligent). The entire process from the first contact to final booking, payment and confirmation was very smooth and reliable. We booked the flights ourselves and left everything else to Zeva. Zeva dealt with several last minute changes in a perfect manner. Overall, we had a very good and hassle-free time in Yunnan. Since the important sites have been well described by others and this post is about „China Discovery“, I do not comment on the different activities and sites. Everything was well planned and worked out very well. The guides were flexible to respond to some additional requests from our side. The driver was kind and experienced. For pick-up and drop-off, we did not book the guide but only the driver. That worked out very well. Since we started our trip two days before the end of the golden week, we never had to deal with busy places or long waiting lines. The program usually concluded early enough to leave sufficient time to explore the cities on our own. We enjoyed some really nice moments when we mingled with locals and other tourists on our own (e.g. Lijiang and Shangri La by night, especially the nightly dance in the old town in SL). It would have been nice if the guides would have given some hints for such activities. Probably our fault. We did not ask since we usually explore China on our own. What would we change were we to do the trip again? Most probably I would book the trip w/o lunch included. It takes too much time. The first days, we did change lunch into dinner (very late lunch :-)). But we still didn’t feel comfortable having to be careful not to exceed the „unknown“ budget. We are simply not used to that but to order „whatever we want“. As such, we later simply left the lunch budget as tip and paid our meals ourselves.

Do you need a guide for this trip? Definitely not for the entire tour. Especially if you are used to travel China and can speak some basic Mandarin. The city parts you can do on your own. But for the hiking in unknown territory and visiting remote places, using a guide is advisable - for this tour. We learned a lot talking to the guides and saved a lot of time, too.

All in all, we are very satisfied with the organisation by Zeva and the service we received locally. For the ones that do not want to go thru the hassle of planning and organizing everything themselves, I can highly recommend China Discovery and Zeva in particular.

Our agent, Ms Rita of China Discovery was such a gem! She customised the private tour based on our requirements and provided excellent ideas and suggestions throughout the planning stage. Our 11 days trip was a memorable one indeed. She was very responsive to our emails and messages. Keep up the good work Rita! We'll definitely be engaging your services again for our next trip.

China Discovery arranged a 14 weeks trip around the provinces Guangxi and Yunnan. The trip was very well planned and our agent, Leo, had been very good at listing to our needs and request. Leo was very flexible when planning the itinerary for the trip. He provided good suggestions for activities, as hikes and sites to see, but also provided plenty of time for us to relax and explore by ourselves (as we had requested).

The hotels had a high standard through out the trip and were placed at excellent locations. During the trip, China Discovery had arranged for local guides to meet us at each location. They also spoke English and were generally pleasant to be accompanied by without being too intrusive.

Leo checked in with us several times during the trip and we had a general feeling that he was available to help if we encountered any problems. However, no problems occurred, and we had a wonderful trip in some beautiful landscapes and with only limited impact from the COVID-19 epidemic.

Yunnan province is amazing place to visit. we had a wonderful time with family to explore Tibetan culture , High altitude mountains and beautiful rivers & lakes. Road trip from Lijiang to Shangri-la was interesting. Informations provided by China discovery about the COVID19 was very helpful and precise. And their support & organization was good.

My favorite part was how helpful my guides were in all the three cities I went to (Lijiang, Kunming, and Chengdu). They went above and beyond to help me with all aspects of my vacation, even the parts not covered on my tours that I did by myself. My guides were also very knowledgeable on the subjects, and they had a way with giving information about the sites I went to in a very personable and engrossing manner. I would definitely recommend anyone thinking about booking tours through China Discover.

Johnson Wang prepared and organized for us. . It was very special and we still talk about it a lot.
Everything was flawless, convenient and no long waiting times.

We specifically liked:
• Johnson's responsiveness
• That the guides are locals (Bai or Naxi) and can really introduce the local culture to the guests. The guides share personal stories to really let us understand the culture. It felt like walking around with a friend, joking and having a good time.

• That the guides were flexible in the day to day arrangements. They made some suggestions how to optimize the program and how to avoid tourist crowds
• English skills of all guides were excellent!
• the guides take nice pictures that are great memories afterwards
• The driver was excellent and we always felt safe

We would without any doubt recommend China Discovery. We consider to book trips with them in the future.

We had a wonderful time in Yunnan, from Stone forest in Kunming area, to Dali, Lijiang, Tiger leaping gorges and beautiful Shangri-la. Wonderful and breathtaking scenery along the way.

Wendy from China discovery arranged everything for us and managed to find English-speaking local guides. She went above and beyond our expectations and met all our requirements for the trip. She kept constant contact with us to make sure everything was good for us.

The local guides were all very friendly and from local minorities. With good English skills and knowledge of the different places/history.

After 9 years in China, we're headed to Japan. A lot of life happened (including 3 kids growing up and graduating from HS) while we were here and we didn't make time to really see/experience China outside of Shanghai where we've lived.

China Discovery arranged a great guide and driver for us for a 3-day private visit to Xi'an (of Terracotta Warriors fame but so much more). Then a week later we had a really fantastic guide and driver for another private trip, this time for 6 days in Yunnan Province to Dali, Shaxi & Lijiang.

We arranged our own flights and hotels and Wonder from China Discovery arranged our travel itinerary. Having the local guide especially in the time of Covid made our trips much smoother than would otherwise have been as 2 foreigners in China.

I highly recommend China Discovery, especially if it's your first visit to China or if you're a long-term resident but haven't managed to get too fluent in the local language :).

My husband and I have been a regular visitor to China since 1996. However this Yunnan trip is the second time we used the service provided by China Discovery. We continued to use CD service because it was professional. Since we were not in a group tour Wing, the trip coordinator managed to get it done according to our request. Lijiang is a lovely town. Although the old town has unavoidably turned into a commercialized place, the transformation was done quite orderly. Shanxi village and Shibaoshan Grottoes are full of cultural and Buddhist history. We could learn a lot thanks to tour guide Jack. At the First Bend of Yangtze River, the place where we stood to see the Yangtze River was not high enough we could not have a panoramic view of the 180 degree bend of the river but it was still interesting to see. The highlight of the trip is probably the Tiger Leaping Gorge. The amount of water was unbelievable. A visit to Songzanlin Monastery makes us understand how Tibetan monks and villagers coexist, thanks to clear explanation by Sarah, our tour guide in Shangri-la. Since we have been to many national parks, Pudacuo National Park is not that spectacular. Perhaps we were there not at the right time.

This is the second trip that my husband and I have taken with China Discovery, and we thoroughly enjoyed it! Our first experience with China Discovery was a trip to Yunan Provice. This time, we went to Zhangjiajie in Hunan Provice. Each time, our thoughtful travel consultant, Wonder, kept us informed about the process. When we had questions, he answered them. If it required him to reach out to a tourist site to confirm information, he did. He kept us informed of various travel requirements, weather conditions, etc. I feel very comfortable and confident planning my trips through Wonder, and my husband and I are planning additional trips with him as our travel consultant in the future.

Each time we have gone on a trip, we have loved the itinerary, the food, and the experience. In addition, our guides' English has always been superb, and we enjoyed chatting with them to gain more cultural understanding of our environment.

In Yunan, Tom was our guide. We went to the Yuanyang Rice terraces and surrounding areas of Kunming. He was great! Great conversationalist, great enthusiast for history and culture, and great guide. he even always made sure we had extra bottles of water. We would highly recommend Tom.

As for Zhangjiajie specifically, it was great fun! Our local guide, David, was fantastic. At one point, when he realized we really did not like the crowds, he made a point to find quieter and more solitary locations that would still show us the splendor of Zhangjiajie. Food choices were great. He kept us to a schedule, but in a comfortable and appropriate way. We really, thoroughly, enjoyed ourselves. We would highly recommend David.

As you can tell, we had two totally different trips and both were highly successful. Our experience with China Discovery has thus far been a completely wonderful experience and we hope to have more in the future.

China Discovery organized 2 weeks private tour to Yunnan and Guizhou provinces for my husband and I.

Everything was GREAT organized. They organized hotels, transportations, guides and locations were AMAZING. Our agent was Riley.

I celebrated my birthday during the trip and they organized a cake and even a gift which it was unexpected.

The guides English was really good and they knew very well the area. Always tried to find the best and authentic places not the fake/tourist attractions.

The restaurant OMG delicious, very local and traditional food .

So my husband and I fully recommend this agency for your travels. They make your journey relax and enjoyable.

At the end of the trip 2 Chinese friends joined us and they were very happy also with all the organization and tours.

I signed up a tour around Yunnan :)

The tour arrangements are great. As always, you are very prompt and patient with all our queries. The tour guides are knowledgeable and helpful. I will definitely recommend to friends and family. Cant wait to travel again with China discovery once the travelling is allowed to everyone :)

Actually my visit was in last summer.They are easy to deal with and very efficient with their responses via email. The only hitch I experienced was in my last tour to Lijiang. The assigned guide couldn’t attend and the substitute guide was not very professional. Gladly it was just 2 nights there, but the rest of the tour in Kunming and Dali was troublefree.

We would like to thank our tour operator Ms Wing Zeng, all our drivers and tour guides (Melody in Shanghai, Cherry in Chongqing, Fay in Yichang, Derrick in Zhangjiajie, Vivien in Kunming, Peter in Shangri-La, Ya Lan in Lijiang) from China Discovery/Yangtze River Cruise/Tibet Discovery (based in Chengdu) for our holiday.

In December we had 17 amazing days - a very-well organised and detailed individual tour tailored for us to see and visit everything planned by us. During our we felt very safe and looked after at every stage.

The tour guides were also very informative and spoke English well. Special mention goes to:

The itinerary (Shanghai-Chongqing-3-night Yangtze River Cruise-Zhangjiagie-Kunming-Shangri-La-Lijiang-Shanghai) was perfect but the people implemented it were even better. Our tour operator, the guides, and the drivers were all professionals and worthy of high appreciation for a well-done job. We learned so much thanks to our local tour guides, and we are grateful to them for sharing their knowledge with us. Every place we visited was amazing with interesting history, culture, beautiful scenery and unbelievable landscapes. We enjoyed our relaxing Yangtze River cruise on Victoria Anna with all the activities on board and the arranged shore excursions very much. We really did have a great time.

The tour was our second trip arranged with Ms Wing Zeng, and we are very happy to have chosen China Discovery. If in future we have a chance to visit China again, we'll definitely do it with this company and we highly recommend it to our friends and other travellers.

I would like to thank our travel consultant Wonder for organising the 8-day Yunnan private tour in late Dec 2019. My partner and I were impressed with your prompt response, efficient service in planning the itinerary and acceding to all of our requests—all for a very reasonable price.

The itinerary was very well thought out and was at an easy pace. The 2 drivers we had (Mr Zheng in Kunming and Mr Yu for the rest of the journey) were very friendly and most importantly, safe drivers.

The tour guides were also very informative and spoke English well. Special mention goes to:

1) Mr Wang in Kunming, who guided us all the way from hotel pickup to go through customs and check in at the high speed rail. He even kept my Swiss Army Knife for me when I couldn’t bring it onboard the train and returned to me the moment we arrived back in Kunming. He also helped us take very nice pictures while we were in the Stone Forest.

2) Alice in Dali was a breath of fresh air, she was always smiling, high-spirited and checking with us if we wanted to do certain activities she’d planned for us. We really appreciate the initiative taken to show us how the locals live and work (sipping tea, embroidery school, Dai dye, local market etc). She was genuine, honest, open and was very informative and knowledgeable in the local culture and the historical facts about the places we’d visited.

3) Aten in Shangri-La was very friendly, well-spoken and communicated very well in English about the places of interest we’d visited. He was thoughtful, attentive and ensured that we were safe every step of the way as it had snowed and the floors were slippery at certain places. We really appreciated that he executed the itinerary there seamlessly without rushing through anything. We particularly enjoyed the 3km walk in the Potatso National Park, even though the lake was iced over, it was one of the most beautiful snowscapes we’ve seen and Aten kept it interesting with stories and facts about the place.

4) Mr Yu, our driver for Dali, Lijiang and Shangri-La was one of the best drivers we’ve had. He drove well regarding safety as the most important. He was also very friendly and kind and had our best interests at heart: one day in Shangri-La, he noted we were tired the day before and he actually suggested that we start the following day later so we could rest. That touched our hearts :)

All in all, we had a wonderful time in Yunnan and of the many provinces we’ve visited so far, this is now our favourite. We will visit again.

Thanks again Wonder for the beautiful memories we’ve garnered on this trip.

This is my second arranged trip with China Discovery and I can't be more satisfied! Personally I think China Discovery offered one of the best customised English private tour, with the highlights being experiencing firsthand the local cultures from fluent English-speaking local guide from the area.

From our first trip, Echo, our travel consultant has been amazing and very helpful in finding and arranging the best fit. Our flight from Indonesia to Kunming has been a tricky one (we book by ourselves directly with the airlines), with the flight schedules changing constantly and even up to the last 3 days prior to the trip. And yet Echo has helped us seamlessly, fast and effective in setting up our changed itineraries up to the accommodation, guides, as well as city trips. She is very accommodating as well with our customised requests, being a big family group with children and different types of experience demands, the email threads between us can go up to 50 as we emailed back and forth with the changes and customised arrangements!

And the trip itself was very memorable, being Yunnan in winter is close to paradise. The nature at its raw, the cold weather, the less touristy feel as it is a low season in China, as well as the ancient towns vibe and local experiences we got to enjoy were especially precious. The local guides arranged for us in each city were also very helpful, knowledgable, passionate, and patient. Some of them are original local people of the town, which allow them to give us the full experience that only locals know! Be it visiting the local market, trying out the area's special cuisine served by locals, visiting the local workshop of local specialties, all of that is made possible through China Discovery.

One of the difficulties we found in Yunnan region is that very little people there speaks English, even at renowned 5-star international resort hotel, the staff did not speak English. Surprisingly our hotel in Shangri-La is the one with best English speaking staffs (albeit the most rural town of the four cities we visit). We are very grateful to have our guides helping us overcoming this huge language barrier.

China Discovery also takes very good care of us during the trip. One of our members got sick during the trip and ended up having to go to the hospital for checkup. At that time, China Discovery helps us to arrange another guide to help him with the hospital while the others continue on with the city trip. They even took consideration to give back the portion of his tour fees that were supposed to be used for tickets, because he did not go.

Such consideration and to go all the way to make us feel welcomed and cared for, as well as the authentic experiences offered makes our visit to China really worth it. I would definitely recommend China Discovery as the go-to tour for China, and if I were to have the chance to visit the other regions of China some time in the future, I would trust all the arrangements to China Discovery!

We booked an 16 days guided trip to China with China Discovery Tour. Tracy Tan was our booking agent. With her, during the months before the departure, we have carefully studied the journey itinerary. Tracy has helped us make the itinerary according to our whishes. 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 Tracy! They sure know how to recommend and customise the best tours for any tastes! We started our visit in Shanghai and then visited the main attractions of the south of China. We went on to spend 2 day in Zhangjiajie visiting "Avarar" park and then travelling by train or car visiting Fenghuang town, Guilin/Yangshuo with a beautifull cruise on the Li River, and Kumning city with the Stone Forest. We reached Dali, Lijiang and Shangri-La to finish with a fantastic experience with Pandas in Chengdu. All the guides, who accompanied us, were top quality and spoke almost flawless English and were very knowledgeable. An absolutely unforgettable trip of a lifetime!!! Thank you Tracy and China Discovery Tours for all your dedication and help to make us experience extra special!!!

Our family booked a custom private tour for the China portion of our trip in July and August this year (five people age range 11-74). Our travel consultant Rita Jiang, is the same consultant we used three years ago when I was traveling with my then 8 year old around Yunan, and she did a fantastic job- both times. This year we went to Xian, Chengdu - did the panda volunteer (a highlight for our daughter), Yunan where she helped arrange activities we did not do before: duanyang rice terraces (Jack was a phenomenal guide!),Lijiang area: Jade snow mountain, Shaxi, Shangri-la and Balagezong, Tibet- Lhasa. We did not use her services for Cambodia or Vietnam, though she is able to make arrangements for other countries in Asia.

We communicated via email and paid via PayPal. Her communication was excellent, she adjusted our itinerary according to our concerns and goals, made some suggestions, and coordinated our permits for Tibet. The trip went very smoothly- the high speed trains, domestic flights, private vehicles, excellent local guides. In country, she continued to keep in touch with us via email and wechat. Overall a great experience and we would not hesitate to recommend (and use again) their private custom tour services and our travel consultant, Rita Jiang.

China Discovery, Chengdu - Travel Consultant Ms Rita Jiang organized this trip for me and my wife. We did not want to travel in a group as we wanted flexibility and comfort. Rita understood our needs and after much discussion, we started our trip on 17th May and ended in HK on 6th June where we spent 4 nights on our own. We stayed in 4 to 5 star international hotels except for two local hotels in the smaller cities. The difference is the level of hotel service in both types of hotels and the breakfast. We were in Sofitel, Intercontinental, Shangri La, Sheraton, Crowne Plaza, Hyatt and even though our hotel nights were booked through China Discovery, I presented my loyalty hotel cards and had upgrades in some of these international hotels.

We were happy with the transportation provided (especially in the big cities) but do not expect good vehicles in the smaller cities. Some of the guides were brilliant but some were not so. This is expected due to tourism in each of the cities. We had flexibility in our tour and also food selection. We were provided with daily breakfast and some lunches but no dinners. This is fine as we could look for the food that we like (apart from just Chinese style food).

The internal flights were spot on and we had our seating always in the first few rows . Some of the train rides were very good (especially Beijing to Xian and Guilin to Hong Kong). The other train rides were not so comfortable. Would suggest requesting for First Class cabin but will cost more - nearly double.

Our guide checked us in for both flights and train rides. It was very easy and smooth. My recommendation is to ensure that you give notice to your receiving guide to hold up a card with your name and to make your luggage different from the rest. Send them a photo so they will know who to look for. We are Australians but we are Chinese looking. So misunderstanding can happen when the guide is receiving us.

Overall, we rate China Discovery, Chengdu - Rita Jiang very highly as she was very responsive to our needs even when we were on tour. She even did some last minute changes for us just to make us comfortable. If we do travel again to China in future, we will contact them again.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This is our second trip to China organised by China Discovery and Wonder Wang was again unfailingly helpful in planning the trip. We visited Kunming, the rice terraces at Yuanyang, Jianshui, Dali, Lijiang and Shangri La. It was the natural scenery that was our main area of interest this time and we were not disappointed. We especially wanted to see the rhododendrons growing wild and Wonder advised on when and where to go. Jiaozi Mountain was an unforgettable experience, seeing the profusion of flowers covering the mountainside as we ascended in a cable car. Again everything lived up to expectations. We stayed in hotels with a more traditional décor but still included all modern facilities. The food in Yunnan was delicious, with much more fresh fruit available than in Eastern China. All of the guides spoke excellent English and were friendly and provided very agreeable company during our trip. In terms of the particular highlights of the holiday I would include the mesmerizing rice terraces in Yuanyang, the serene temples of Xiu Shan Park, set in a wooded mountainside, the charming old towns of Jianshui and Lijiang, the lovely Cangshan Mountains and tranquil Shudu Lake and of course the stunning Jiaozi Mountain. Yunnan is definitely worth a separate visit and I would thoroughly recommend Wonder Wang at China Discovery to help plan and organise your trip. Nothing is ever too much trouble and he is able to deliver an amazing experience at a very reasonable price.

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

I had an unbelievably amazing and awesome excursion in the province of Yunnan China. A region full of exotically colourful ethnic minorities culture, history, traditions and rituals that set you back more than a thousand years.

Firstly, the enthusiasm and passion of my tour consultant Mr Johnson Wang of Chengdu Bamboo International tours. He ran the extra miles in consolidating my customised package that offered safe and good Drivers in each region. Very warmth, sincere and hearty professional guides (in fact, 4 in total) who provided personalised and pleasant surprises along the way with their in-depth and insightful knowledge of their respective regions of interests. Then the spacious private car that comfortably seat all 4 of us in the group. Accommodations were of good quality and comfort. Plus the meals inclusion that got us tasting home-cooked meals with the hospitable minorities (mainly the Yi in and around Yuanyang and Jianshui, Bai in Dali and Zang in Shangrila).

The places of interests-from the natural beauty of Stone forest, to the serene rice terraces in Yuanyang and tranquility of Jianshui, and the ancient towns of Dali and Lijiang, witnessing with my own eyes, the spectacular and scenic Jade Dragon mountain and Erhai (Lake if Er), and of course, stood in the strategic and historic spot of Yangtze river’s first bend of its’ mighty water flow that span thousands of miles, and of course, must not miss ‘tiger leaping gorge’ before ascending to 3000m above mystical and legendary Shangrila-explored by Joseph Rock and made famous by Novelist James Hilton.

My 11 days also allowed me to cover the epic trip on land (vehicles and bullet train), sea (riding the calm and cool lake), and air (domestic flight from Shangrila to Kunming). Words just can’t fully describe my entire journey that had every nuances and niches to satisfy the most decernjng travellers. And these were made beyond expectation by the well planned and executed itinerary of Johnson Wang.

Our tour organizer Riley Guo was friendly, professional, prompt in replying, and did an amazing job helping the 6 of us plan our private tour to Lijiang and Shangri-la.

Our tour guides in Lijiang (Sophie) and Shangri-la (Tenzin Chompel) were friendly and very knowledgeable, with excellent grasp of English. We were especially impressed with Tenzin’s knowledge of the vast Buddhist culture. Our driver for the whole trip, Mr. He, made our entire journey relaxed and comfortable, with his smooth driving.

The highlight of our trip was the visit to the local’s home in Shangri-la – something we never would have experienced if we DIY travelled. We got to see how and where the locals lived, and had “high tea” there, trying local delicacies such as yak butter tea, home-made yoghurt, as well as various pastries. We also enjoyed the impressive outdoors performance in Lijiang, whereby 500 performers from different tribes danced and sang to a captivated audience, to the backdrop of the very impressive snow mountain.

The entire tour was very professional and relaxing. Our tour guides patiently waited as we took our time in enjoying the scenery around us. We also commend them on their excellent photo-taking skills! They recommended us good places to eat outside of our tour, and there were absolutely no hard-selling or forced shopping trips.

I will recommend! Look forward to booking our next trip in China with China Discovery-Day Tour again!

The one reason for talking to China Discovery was this was the only travel agency to offer trip for Yunnan and Tibet from Kunming. The one reason for going ahead with China Discovery for our trip to Yunnan was the extremely professional manner of Mr. Wander Wang in planning the trip, including the matter of advance payment. Apprehensions about things going wrong notwithstanding, our trip as planned went without a hitch, over eleven days over multiple cities, just as promised by Mr. Wonder Wang. The issue that impressed me most was the entire operation was handled by China Discovery in Chengdu without having direct foot soldiers in Yunnan. Not once was it necessary to call up Mr. Wonder Wang during the trip.

Rita Jiang the Manager of China Discovery an experience tour manager that provide all useful information to our 5 pax group for the 10 days tour package.We are very satisfied with the services provided by them.(8/10).

1. Tour arrangement ....excellent..no delayed and miscommunication

2.Tour guide.................Excellent.

3.Tour driver.................Excellent.(skill ,speed,courtesy)

4.Hotel.........................Excellent.

5.Food.........................Acceptable(Except Luku Lake)

Thank you Rita Jiang from Chengdu Chine discovery.+++rita@chinadiscovery.com. Mobile +8615928912811.wechat ID;Jer0615.

Rita..see you next year on Xinjiang Expedition 2020.Goos Jobs done Rita Jiang.

We chose China Discovery for our first visit to Yunnan province, and throughout the planning process our travel consultant Wendy was very prompt in replying to any queries, and also very helpful with suggestions. The 8-day tour which takes in Kunming, the Stone Forest, Dali, Lijiang and ends in Shangri-La was a superb introduction to this scenic area, and proved to be a thoroughly memorable experience. We travelled by minibus and train and had four guides, all with good English. Hotels were good, and the trip included superb lunchtime meals. We also had an excellent driver who had to cope with harsh wintry conditions on the journey from Lijiang to Shangri-La. I would happily take another trip with China Discovery.

We have just returned from a 22 day private tour organized by the wonderful Wendy Dan.

We were a little worried about booking and paying for a tour run by a company in another country but Wendy eased all of our fears every step of the way, from her reassuring emails to letting us know every time the money was recieved.As for the tour we could not have had a better time. We saw many sights we had never seen before. Going in the off season was great, although a couple of our expected visits were closed due to the winter and lead up to golden week we did not want for fun filled days. The ques are also short in the off season. Eg 5 minute wait to get on the glass elevator instead of 4 hours.

We have visited so many places there are too many to mention. As this was our fourth trip to china we wanted to see something different. From the stone forrest to the rice field's filled with water, a show at romance park, cable car rides walks along the glass walkway we were not dissapointed. As for our guides we could not have chosen them better. They were all knowledgeable kind and considerate.our stand out guides were Nancy in Dali. Tony in Zhangjiajie and the wonderful Danny in Guilin. We have never smiled so much.

We can still hear Danny screaming in the haunted house. And smiling at us when we joined in we ith the happy dance at the end of the show.

The tour was way beyond our expectations .The cost was less than that of a huge group tour by one of the Aussie tour companies.

If you are thinking of going to China send an email to Chengdu bamboo international tours( the one in Chengdu) you won't be disappointed, from the care that they take to create your itinerary to dropping off a gift to us in Chengdu. Thankyou Wendy for the trip of a lifetime. We wouldnt hesitate in recommending you and this company.

Jo and Carl

I'm from England, in April 2018, I was looking for a tour of China and as most people do, looked at many differnt companies. I sent off ideas of where I wanted to go and the types of things that interested me. I came accross China discovery and to be honest, the reviews on this site were mixed. Some very good, some very bad. As I read on, it appeared that there were 2 companies running with the same name, this one in Chengdu, China and one in America. Reading through it seemed that it was the one in America that was getting the bad press.

I was also concerned about sending money to a company in Asia, anayway I did & needent have worried. Johnson Wang arranged everything, answered all questions etc, changed and rechanged my schedule and phoned me during the trip to check all was ok. Thanks Johnson.

I started in Beijing,went to the forbidden city. in all of these places,trains, planes, visitor sites, expect to que and have your bags etc searched and scanned along with visa and passports etc. You really need a full day to get round the forbidden city and visit the musems. I didn't want a trip that took me to the great wall and said there you go, pop up and be back in 30 minutes so told them I wanted to be out in the country so got them to arrange a 3hr walk on the wall at Jinshanling, quieter than closer options but out in the mountains & lovely. be warned, it is very steep up and down in places. This done, back to Beijing then more sights the next day before the bullet train to Xian.When you gou get off the train and go up the steps, make sure you know whether to turn right or left, big staiton.

All the guides, drivers were waiting for me on time at every location and spoke good english. Johnny was the guide here in Xian and very pleasant and informitive. As with most, I came to see the terracottas and wasn't dissapointed but be aware the 3rd chamber with the horse and carrage was heaving when I went, not comfortable, they need to limit numbers a bit. Hang Wang Tomb is a must and worth the drive out there.Shanxi museum also worth a look but give yourself a good 4 hrs +. I had 6 internnal flights in all, these are flexible in there timings and can and do change so expect that, if they don't, all the better but be prepared to be flexible.Next, Hotel Universal at Guilin with riverside room - good. Guides name was Dixon, again very friendy and informitive. From here I took a boat down the Lee river, about 50 miles of snaking river to Yangsou. Lovely little place, good hotel (new century) nice park to walk left side beyond car park. Also the water show - well worth the visit, outdoors, on river,at night, can get cold (or wet) so go prepared. About 3oo mostly locals involved alongside quality singers and good use of lighting. Next back to Guilin and flight to Kunming (Stone forest area but do go to the Ethnic Younan show, (minority tribes) not cheap but a wow) Dali -best for me + N hotel a wow, Guide here was Alice and probably the best. lovely woman, good knowledge and way with people. Lots of options here. Next flew to Chongching for 3 nights on Yangtze cruise, again, lovely views along the way. some of their optional trips on the cruise wern't so good but they are optional. You do notice the smog but it got clearer into my trip. Don't expect many locals anywhere, restaurants etc to speak english so use an app to translate menus etc. Also, the shops wouldn't accept western credit cards whilst I was there, this may change but check first. Food varies from province to province.

All in all I had an excellent trip, well looked after by guides and Johnny.