Exceptional China Tours

China and our experience was excellent. They were on it, in all aspects. From the knowledgeable and courteous guides to the transportation, tours, transfers and the care they made sure we were escorted and taken care of all along the way. We felt confident and comfortable in all the travel and the sites and tours that we went on were great and met all of our expectations. 

to what we wanted, which was not a standard China tour, and came back with good suggestions. They would guide us when we were asking to go somewhere that would take up a lot of time due to its remoteness and offer another option.

specialist!!! We had all things covered starting with the vacation schedule and all the way through. All those arrangements which were coordinated by the company and its partners were perfectly executed with all the details needed. The selected travel guides in all the cities in Japan, South Korea and China made us feel special and happy throughout the whole time in every city.

to more effectively provide my comments. Planning Phase Agent:Working with our agent during the planning phase was probably this lowest part of the trip.  I travel for work so it fell to my wife to make the arrangements.  She is a very good planner and had many specific requests for this trip.  Due to both of the travel companies lack of desire/ability? to change the itinerary we almost didn't book through either travel agent.  After we discussed it, we gave this travel company another shot and things were marginally better.  We felt like our voice wasn't being heard when we asked specific questions or about activities not on the itinerary.  We ended up booking because the trip that was pre-planned sounded good enough but the whole experience left my wife very unhappy.  Especially after we started the trip and some of the things requested that were denied, were definitely things we could have done.  Being more flexible with their itinerary would have done wonders to improving our satisfaction.   On-Trip Phase Agent:Once we were on the ground in China it was clear that this company had planned things very well.  In 18 days, with 6 domestic flights and 8 guides, there were no hiccups that the company could control.  Daily check-ins by the travel agent were also very welcome.  This was one of the best experiences we have had with a travel agent during a trip. Trip Negatives:-We had two guides that we didn't get along with.  One of them wouldn't speak to my wife and dragged us through our destinations.  The second was basically a second driver, only getting out of the car to get us tickets to the activity.  Both guides had a difficult time with the language but so did several others.  The problem was a conflict in expectations of what their job was. We expected guides, (which our other 6 met our expectations) not a forceful leader and a ticket machine. Trip Positives:Everything else!  Activities were great, accommodations were as expected (first hotel wasn't spectacular but was picked for location), and China was beautiful. Overall Trip:The trip was magnificent and memorable!  The activities were well planned and the weather co-operated as much as could be expected.  It was one of the busiest trips we have ever taken but it was hard to imagine removing any of the wonderful attractions in our itinerary.  Our only negative feelings are towards how the trip was planned and the two guides we didn't get along with.  If the travel company was a little more flexible with their itinerary, or listened to our requests, this would have been the perfect trip.  

work with.  Communication was easy and our travel specialist was very responsive. They helped us plan a family trip to China and everything went smoothly.  The guides were great and transportation was prompt and easy.  I'd highly recommend using them if you're planning a trip to China.

our guides and drivers were wonderful. We loved the app the travel company gave us that had all our trip details and lots of helpful and useful information. That was super useful and we could share it with our daughter as she tracked us from home. The accommodations were really nice. We only had one issue. The hotel in Shegar, Tibet - we realize that as we traveled further away from Lhasa in Tibet, the choices in hotels is very limited. But the room was freezing cold all night and the drains didn't work well, which normally isn't an issue, except the shower didn't have a separate stall, so the water just went all over the bathroom. Combine that with a floor drain that was extremely slow....we had a puddle in the bathroom for the night. Still not a big issue until you add in the freezing temps... Other than those two nights, the trip was wonderful! 

I visited, having to arrange visas and travel permits would have been extremely difficult to setup by myself.This is an excellent example of using a conpany like this tour company to schedule a full itinerary with guides, hotels, and tours to make sure you get the most out of your vacation time.

reflect on our China experience. Firstly, the planning phase: our travel specialist was with us the entire way. He was super responsive and most of all patient with his approach to all our questions and concerns.  By the time of our departure, we were confident that we were prepared for our China adventure. I think the most impressive aspect of the travel experience was the quality of the guides, drivers and cars. This what made the experience exceptional. My travel partner and I both feel that our guide from Guilin stood out as the best of the best. Every adventure experiences a hiccup and when we had ours at the Shanghai airport(s), our guide from Beijing responded immediately, corrected the problem and then personally phoned me in follow up. 

of planning to questions while in China. Our travel planner could not have been more helpful attending to every detail along the way. We adjusted our itinerary several times throughout the planning process and he was both understanding and informative along the way. While on our trip, our planner was accessible 24 hours a day! We had one minor hotel glitch that was handled immediately. All of our guides/drivers were knowledgeable and accommodating. They became like family to us. Our trip could not have been more smooth or enjoyable and we are so grateful to this travel team and Zicasso!

(myself and my two boys age 18 and 20) was amazing. The trip was planned in one month, after I decided to go visit my son who had been studying for the semester in Beijing. Our travel specialist was responsive, and helped put together a trip which accommodated all our needs in less than one month!  He put together a trip of highlights (Beijing, Xian, Zhangjiajie, Guilin, Shanghai) that had culture, beautiful scenery and great food.  We mainly communicated via email, and our travel specialist would calm me down when I was getting anxious. Once we got to China all the guides were organized, knowledgeable, and easy to get along with.  We learned about China past and present, the people, and the food.  Our days were a perfect mix of activity and rest, especially traveling with my young adult children.   It was very special to have a guide who was proud of their city and its heritage show us around, versus one guide for the entire trip.  The planning and attention to all the small details made our trip easy and very enjoyable.  Even going to the train station was made doable having a guide come in with us and show us how to read the train ticket and where to go.  Taking this kind of stress out of traveling allowed us to enjoy the experience and relax.

to the plan.  We were always met at the train station or airport and then driven to our hotel.  The drivers were excellent drivers, very safety conscious, helpful and courteous.  The guides were also very helpful and courteous and very knowledgeable.  All guides spoke acceptable English and many of them had exceptionally good English.  Hotels were excellent and well located.  The travel agent we dealt with was polite, courteous and helpful and incorporated all of our wishes. With the exception of one plane flight all other transportation was either by train or car.  The trains were comfortable and convenient and you are not wasting time at the airport plus you get to see the landscape.  I would definitely use this travel company again.