My husband and I went with a travel agency called China Discovery Tours which is based in Torrance, California. China Discovery Tours is the most amazing travel agency ever! They took care of everything. Our tour fee covered all of our local transportation, hotels, daily meals, and domestic flights. Instead travelling in a huge tour bus, we were picked up daily at our hotel by our very own personal tour guide and driver. Our personal tour guide was fluent in Chinese and English and accompanied us the entire time. My husband and I were the only passengers in the vehicle. We had the nicest vacation that we could ever imagine. Most tour buses only give limited time to visit famous historical sights. However we did not feel rushed at all. We were able to go at our own pace and finish our itinerary by the end of our day. If you have extra time, you can ask your guide for suggestions on optional excursions.
I took over 1700+ pictures throughout the entire trip. We visited the Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven, and the Great Wall in Beijing. I saw Panda Bears for the first time at Beijing Zoo. They're the cutest animals ever. If you ever go to China someday, you must visit the Terra Cotta Warriors in Xian. The exhibit will make your jaw drop. The mountains and rivers in Guilin were gorgeous. We visited the Pearl TV Tower in Shanghai. We watched five shows throughout our trip and enjoyed all of them. The local Chinese meals were delicious. We did so much that it would be impossible for me to list everything. This was our first grand tour of China, and our trip was worth every dime and penny.
China Discovery Tours can also book international flights. You can also request for a non-stop flight or a nicer airline if you don't mind paying a bit more. They can also take care of your application for your China travel visas as long as you provide your proper documents. Most Americans are unaware that you cannot just travel with your U.S. Passport to China alone. You must obtain a valid China travel visa in addition to your U.S. Passport before you are even allowed entry into the China. The application process can take a few weeks to a month. Our travel agency took care of all of that. Basically, you are only responsible for paying for your tour fees, international flights, travel visas, travel insurance, and processing fees.
I waited so many years to go on a trip like this. It's nice to finally see all the amazing sights in China for the first time in my life. I would highly recommend China Discovery Tours to anyone who wants to have an awesome time in China! read more