Any recommendations on a group tour going to China...from the USA
 

Would appreciate any info on a tour from the US. Sometime in February 2003. Would like to see the Great Wall and all other must sees.<BR>Thanx !!!!

We just returned from an ABC Travel tour to China. No complaints, well done.

I used China Focus as did friends later and we all were really impressed with the tours - all the requisite sites, great tour guides. Please e-mail me directly if you have any questions.

Pacific Delight up scale tour....FABULOUS. Everything is paid for up front, you just sit back and relax. We did all chip in extra for tips and even that was handled for us. I never touched my luggage till it was in my room. Wonderful tour and if you get Lee as your tour guide ...even better. Oh there were 9 in my group!

Watch out! Many posters on this board are paid by companies to boost their business. I made a query on some names and found people who "traveled" with a tour company in '98 and still come here REGULARLY to steer gullible web users to their company. What a creepy bunch. They'd better start using different names now. I e-mailed a couple but the message came back rejected due to invalid email address.

We had a very good trip with Uniworld. 9 cities and Yangtze in 22 days.

I liked my 2-week tour with Rim-pac. I chose that because I wanted to go to Huangshan, much more than the Yangtze River cruise. The 2 weeks started in Beijing and ended in Shanghai with visits to Xian, Guilin, Suzhou, Hangzhou, and Huangshan. It was supposed to use 3-star hotels, but the hotels were more than that. Guides were terrific. Email me for questions.

Just returned from a 19 day Pacific Delight Tour - Beijing, Xian, the Gorges, Shanghai, Guilin, Hong Kong. They do it right, if I went again I would choose them again. <BR>Outstanding accomodations, food, tour guides, tours, scheduling. Our group had about 25 in it. Recommend no more than 4 nights on the Yangtze, riverboat life is fun...for a while. Also, highly recommend the Three Lesser Gorges, IMHO they were even more spectacular than the Three Gorges. Ask your Tour Company if they plan to take you there. They are simply stunning.<BR>For more information, tips, and opinions, don't hesitate to email me.<BR>This is a tremendous tour.<BR>Phil Pearce<BR>[email protected]

My husband and I returned last week from our independent tour of China. We worked with China Custom Tours to make the arrangements. They arranged our flights, transfers, hotels, and day tours. We had no problems and it was nice to have days free to explore on our own. We visited Beijing, Xian, Guilin, Yangshuo, and Hong Kong.

We took 14 days China tour with Ritz Tours. All hotels and local guides were very nice. Unfortunately, we spent too much time in factories, where some people in our group (with encouragement from the tour director) did some "serious" shopping. In total - 7 factory stops at least 2-3 hours each. VERY DISSAPOINTING - total 3 hours in Shanghai for the sightseeing.

I have to agree with Irene regarding Ritz tours. We usually travel on our own, but felt China might be easier in a group led by someone who could speak the language. So we made the mistake of choosing Ritz tours based on the recommendations of many on this site as well as others. I am very surprised now at the good reviews this company got and am thinking perhaps they have their own salespeople monitoring the travel forums. Anyway, although the hotels were very good, the time spent at the sights was incredibly short. The guide rushed us through everything I had come to see, skipping important aspects of each sight, so he could take us to one shopping "opportunity" after another. At every one of these "factories" we were trapped for hours while slick salespeople coerced many of my tourmates into buying bags of overpriced items. Unbelievable! Ritz should have advertised this as a shopping tour, not a sightseeing tour. Unless your idea of visiting China is languishing in front of a display case, then I would never recommend Ritz tours. This was supposed to be a trip of a life time and I saw precious little of China.

Just returned from China last month after spending 22 days with China Focus Tours. We research endlessly before selecting China Focus in order to get the best quality tour for the money. We are now retired and need to watch our pennies like never before. We were so pleased and more than satisfied with every aspect of China Focus- the tours, the tour guides, the hotels (outstanding) and we were ready for Motel 6 and they were more 4-Star hotels....the buses were new modern and comfortable...only 25 on the tour....new modern airplanes (Boeing) with lots of leg room like we use to have in the states....we thought it was a great tour. One of the biggest complaints I find on this website and also on Frommer's bulletin board is the numerous stops at government shopping/factories. This you must accept with an open mind and look at them as a learning opportunity....or stay home. Once you get to China, the Chinese government tour guides take over. They are more like Professors of Chinese history and are so informative. ALL the tours take you to the government stores and factories. Actually, the factories are quite interesting. Nothing takes more than an hour. We especially enjoyed the Lacquer Furniture, Rug, Silk Spinning (silk worms and all), Embroidery, Pearl, Green Tea Farms, Jade, tea pot factories to mention a few. They don't take up lots of time and you will be amazed at how labor intensive all these places are. You are not forced to buy in these stores and when you see the dollar vendors, you will see comparable buys but they just might be 'knock offs' at a fraction of the cost of what you just saw at a factory. I feel China Focus and others are able to offer such reasonably priced tours because these stops are mandatory. We found each stop so interesting. Just getting to the next place of interest is wonderful in itself....I could ride the bus all over china....a constant changing unbelievable view from your window. Don't be turned off by the stops at factories. Now that I am home, I remember and enjoy those memories very fondly. Most important....don't wait to go.....go to China ASAP....it's an experience that will live with you for the rest of your life. Whether you select China Focus or another tour company...just GO!!!! Do a careful cost analysis....with China Focus...there was a set price that included EVERYTHING! No add ons!!!<BR>And by the way, I am in no way affiliated with China Focus. I am a penny pincher and we always research every tour we take comparing....every aspect of the tour. If you don't have time or not inclined to do this, be assured....my husband....who is the most detailed person in the world....and cautious....practically wears a belt with his suspenders....ultimately chose China Focus. Again...do your homework and go wherever it makes you feel best.

Must you go in February? It is very cold and with rain, the thousands of steps you will be climbing will be dangerously slippery. <BR>Of course, I am a wimp when it comes to cold and rain.....as long as you go....China is a wonderful place to visit.

Don't believe the nonsense. If you buy a deluxe tour from a luxury tour operator, I guarantee you there would be no shopping stops. You get what you pay for. You don't get champagne when you pay beer price.