A reputable China tour operator & China travel agency from 1987
Tourist nationality: USA
Tour itinerary: Guilin, Yangshuo, Xian, Beijing
Tour Reviews:
For many years, I've traveled independently but for this trip, my first to Asia, I thought we might need a guided tour. My partner and I are retired teachers in our 60's and we did not want to spend time sorting out logistics in an unfamiliar language. After making a tentative list of places we'd like to see, I researched many tour companies on the internet.
Most offered bus group tours with a set itinerary. All of them started in Beijing then proceeded in a southwestern loop, usually going to Xian, then Shanghai. We thought it made more sense or us to start our April trip in the south and end in Beijing but this was not offered until I contacted China Connection Tours. My contact, Cynthia, assured me that we could determine our own custom route and schedule with private guides and drivers. As we learned more about sights that interested us, we sorted out a route that began in Guilin with a cruise down the Li River to Yangshuo (like waking up in a Chinese landscape painting). Then we flew to Xian to see the Terra Cotta army (bucket list dream) and ended with a leisurely visit to Beijing. Cynthia worked with us each step of the way to develop an itinerary with a guide and driver about half of the time and independent activities half of the time. This was ideal for us and it saved a considerable amount, making this a very affordable option. For example, we were met at the Xian airport by Bing and a driver. We stopped on the way into the city to tour the Tomb of Emperor Jingdi with Bing. Then they delivered us to our hotel, making sure we got checked in OK. The next morning, Bing and his driver picked us up in a private minivan and drove us out to see the Terra Cotta Warriors. Bing was knowledgeable and spoke excellent English. He stayed with us and answered all of our questions then gave us the independent time we wanted. He suggested a nice restaurant, got us settled with our order placed, then gave us time to relax and enjoy our meal. We were delivered back to our hotel happy and safe. The next day was on our own with no services. We wandered through the Muslim Quarter and the Great Mosque with no need for a guide. The following morning, Bing and his driver were back to take us to Xian North train station for the bullet train to Beijing, He gave us our tickets, made sure we were in the correct boarding area and bid us goodbye. What a perfect arrangement! Our guides were Tony in Guilin, Kevin in Yangshuo, Bing in Xian and Candy in Beijing. All were local, professional guides with good to excellent English and lots of knowledge about the sights. The fact that this was private gave us the chance to slow down or speed up or rearrange, as we wished. The rides to/from airports, stations and hotels eliminated all of the anxiety and hassle and was money well spent. But we felt we had the privacy and independence to make it our trip, our way. Cynthia fielded every question I threw at her and always emailed me very promptly. She made great suggestions for saving money (ie, using 3 star hotels vs 4 star hotels) and was warm and friendly. She came to our hotel in Xian to meet us and we had a wonderful visit. I would recommend this tour operator and this company to anyone who wants a measure of independence built into their trip. It was PERFECT for us and we will never forget it.
Itinerary:
