Reviews

A fantastic way to see a lot of China and leave a desire to return and see more.

An amazing holiday, we saw so much. We were very lucky to have Dan, such a committed, professional and caring guide. We also had knowledgeable and friendly local guides. Our biggest stroke of luck was the great people we travelled with.
We came back exhausted but very happy.

Booking was straightforward and clear and I was able to easily access my booking to add information required.
I can’t comment further until I have been on the tour

Most amazing trip!!

We had a fantastic holiday with a great group of people. Everything was organised for us, so all we had to do was turn up at the appointed time each morning and the whole day was planned for us.

Our main guide was lovely and stayed with us throughout the trip, including at the hotels. We also had a different local guide at each destination, all of whom were extremely knowledgeable about the local area and its history.

The food was plentiful, although don’t expect it to be anything like your local Chinese takeaway!

A few things worth knowing before you go:

You do need to be reasonably fit for this trip. There’s a lot of walking and I’ve never climbed so many steps in my life! Invest in a good, comfortable pair of walking shoes or trainers.

Don’t expect Western-style toilets when you’re out and about. Most are squat toilets, which take some getting used to. Take your own toilet paper or wipes, as supplies can be in short supply outside the hotels. I’d definitely recommend practising your squats at home!

Language can also be a barrier, as not many people speak English outside the hotels. I found a translation app invaluable, particularly when I picked up a nasty cold and needed to visit a local chemist.

If you want to keep in touch with home, you’ll need to use the hotel Wi-Fi or buy an eSIM before you travel, as making calls and using mobile data can be expensive.

There’s no need to pack lots of dressy clothes. Apart from the Yangtze River cruise, there’s very little need for anything particularly smart, and even then, anything goes! During the day it was generally shorts and T-shirts, with lightweight clothing for the evenings. Quite often, though, we’d go straight from a day of sightseeing to a restaurant without having the opportunity to change.

Be prepared for some long and tiring days, especially when you’ve climbed hundreds of steps and walked miles. There isn’t a huge amount of free time for shopping or wandering around the markets selling the usual cheap tourist souvenirs.

Laundry facilities were also limited. I only found one hotel with a self-service laundry, which was free; the others offered a drop-off and pay service. By the end of the trip, we were running short of clean tops and having to wear some things more than once, so pack accordingly!

My highlights:

There were so many, but my absolute highlight was the Great Wall of China. When we arrived and I looked up at the section we were going to climb, I honestly wasn’t sure I’d make it to the top. The steps are all different sizes, and some were quite a challenge. However, nobody rushes you. You go at your own pace and stop for a rest whenever you need to.

The people coming down were so encouraging, cheering everyone on as they made their way up. I did make it to the top! I kept telling myself to keep going because I’d regret it if I didn’t get as far as I could. And it was absolutely worth it. The views were something else, truly amazing and something I’ll never forget. Just thinking about how all those people built it is remarkable.

Another highlight was the Terracotta Warriors. You really do need to see them in person to appreciate just how magnificent they are.

We were really glad we chose to do an organised tour, as I think trying to arrange everything and navigate the country ourselves would have been quite stressful.

Would I recommend Wendy Wu Tours? Absolutely!

From the initial booking right through to the end of the holiday, they’ve been brilliant. Any questions we had were always answered promptly, politely and in a very friendly manner.

All in all, a fantastic holiday, wonderful experiences and some very special memories. I’d thoroughly recommend it!

An excellent trip, very well organised. This was our first experience of an organised tour and it did not disappoint!! Wendy Wu did an excellent job, guides were knowledgeable, helpful and they seemed genuinely keen to make sure everyone had an excellent experience. Was it tiring? Yes it was because you pack such a lot in. Could we have done it independently- definitely not! Were we looked after well - yes indeed. Hotels were of an excellent standard, cannot fault them. Food was fantastic. Will we ever forget this trip - absolutely not. Do we have more knowledge about China now - yes bucket loads. Most importantly did we enjoy it and would we recommend it - yes to both. Would we book with Wendy Wu again - definitely.

This holiday was the first of a group tour that we have been on. At first we were apprehensive of booking it but Wendy Wu well outstanding every step of the way. We were not confident to travel around China on our own due to the obvious language barriers. This tour 100% covers the gems of China. Once you’ve been on this tour you can say that you have honestly seen the best parts. Our tour guide was outstanding. Louis was professional and extreme intelligent and knowledgeable. The local guides were also excellent. Expect this to be full on if you want a leisurely tour this may not be for you. Most days have a very early start in order to beat the cues at the attractions. The days are packed full and there is little time to do things on your own. The tour is quite well balanced. The amount of walking is quite a lot on some days, but on others the level of activity can be determined by yourself. For example when you visit the Great Wall of China if you don’t want to climb it the level of activity is clearly lower. The selection of hotels were great with most of them having Japanese style toilets which is a real bonus as toilet paper cannot be flushed. Every hotel gave two half litres of bottles of water per person for drinking and brushing your teeth as the water cannot be consumed from the taps. The meals are plenty full but you have to be open to trying everything, they are mainly Lazy Susan style meals with about 10 different dishes to try. Breakfast is buffet style. The only slight disappointment was the weather in the mountain regions, except there to be cloud and rain as it does have these conditions for 265 days a year with about 100 days of sunshine in the summer. So the heavenly gate can be cloudy and the glass suspension Bridge. The avatar mountains, however look amazing with the clouds around them. Clearly nobody can control the weather but if this part of the tour is one of your must see highlights it’s good to known. Finally we were very lucky with the diverse mix of people on the tour and everyone was considerate and followed the tour guide’s request being on time and keeping things running smoothly. Well done Louis the tour would not have been as enjoyable without your organisational skills.

My tour of China with Wendy Wu Tours was magnificent.

I will absolutely be booking another tour somewhere else exciting,

Very well organised and managed. However, l think the itinerary was too cramped. There was no time for us to walk about and do nothing big, just soak in the cities…

An excellent tour, definitely for those who like a packed schedule. You get to see places and historic sights that are slightly off the beaten path for westerners in china. The guides were great, the hotels were varied, but of a decent quality with a good breakfast to be had every day. Plenty, almost too much food to be had with a decent variety also.

An excellent mixture of city, history and nature. Excellent hotels and knowledgeable guides. China is one of the most amazing countries I have visited

Really good and really recommend it

A busy but very enjoyable holiday. It was an opportunity to visit 4 very different regions in China.
Addison our guide was fantastic. So organised and knowledgeable. His love for Xian especially shone through. The insights into his family life that he shred with us gave an added dimension.
Stephen our guide in Shanghai was amusing and knowledgeable. The visit to the heritage village and the night cruise were particularly enjoyable.
Guilin our next stop was so beautiful. It was a pity that we moved hotels twice but maybe that was the was it was best to fit in the cruise. Oscar our guide started off repeating himself a bit but was soon encouraged to tell us more different information and he became quite endearing. The show on the water was impressive and the Tai chi lesson fun. The Osmanthus ice cream is a must.
Dressing up to visit the square in Xian was fun as well at the dumpling banquet.
The visit to see the terracotta warriors was a highlight. Photos do not do it justice.
Beijing was wet, very wet. It poured. We had been so lucky up until then.
Addison took us to the great wall early. Not only was the weather slightly better then but also it was before the crowds appeared. Our visit to the Summer palace was a wash out.

An amazing holiday that I would highly recommend to anyone interested in visiting China. There are some long days, but necessary to see as much as possible. Our National guide Jason was amazing, going out of his way to ensure that all his clients got the best out of the holiday. A special mention to LJ our local guide in Zhangjiajie who amended the itinerary in order to see as much as possible despite the disappointing weather. I also upgraded to the amenities package on the Yangtze which I really enjoyed, especially the a la carte service and generous wine with lunch and dinner. I also went to all the additional evening shows which I enjoyed. Do not miss the Romance of the Three Kingdoms show, it is spellbinding. The cruise in Shanghai was a lovely end to a fantastic holiday. Thank you so much Wendy Wu and your team.

Julia was very helpful and she answered all my questions.