Sany L
Indonesia
- Reviewed on January 9, 2024
What made our trips enjoyable was when we started with a trustworthy travel consultant. Wonder is a very responsible consultant. He did not only answer my email fast but also very patient guiding me through all the process.
We chose to start from Yichang, then joined the Yangtze River cruise, continued with visiting Chongqing and ended up in Guangzhou.
Our local guides Nancy, David, and Jack are very responsible person. They are very knowledgeable, and speak English fluently. That helped us to understand the long history of the places where we visited. The restaurants that they recommended were also nice. Overall we're very happy with our trips and satisfied with the services.
For my next trip to China, I'll continue using China Discovery and Wonder to be my consultant. Thank you so much for helping us having this wonderful trip.
sharifahmed8
Australia
- Reviewed on January 2, 2024
I am overwhelmed and very satisfied with this 13 day China trip! The service I got was beyond my expectations. We were taken care of every places we visited. All local guides and drivers were helpful.
We thought we would face difficulty to find suitable Muslim food but guides took us to the right places and we had very yummy food all over the trip. Even in the Yangtze river cruise, cruise manager instructed his chef to prepare special meals for us! All local guides speak very good English. We always felt safe there.
Special thanks to Leo Li for organising such a wonderful and memorable trip! Me and my family will cherish the memories of our China trip many years to come.
Dominik F
Germany
- Reviewed on December 24, 2023
Overall I would highly recommend China Discovery as they did a really good job of planning our tour, putting us in touch with the guides and showing us the relevant sites.
All the guides spoke English quite well and the German was surprisingly good too.
benurajesh
USA
- Reviewed on December 24, 2023
China is diverse and fascinating with history nature and food. Rita at China discovery made all arrangements so we could enjoy most of China in comfort and efficiently with excellent guides at each stay. When our train ride from Shanghai to Beijing was cancelled by the railways, Rita promptly informed us and made alternate flight arrangements keeping the tour moving smoothly. The tour started with Beijing and the forbidden city and the Great Wall are an experience. Tibet is a different world with awesome artwork everywhere. Lin river cruise is a must. The caves were an experience, better than the ones in West Virginia and Virginia. Terracotta Army is a must see. The tourists outnumbered the army and the crowds were unbelievable. The Yangtze River cruise is so relaxing and pleasant. Shanghai is best for the shopping experience and the riverfront.
Thanks to Rita and her team at China Discovery in making this tour so memorable.
ypangh
Singapore
- Reviewed on December 22, 2023
I took my mum for the 12 days century cruise and booked thru' China Discovery. At 1st i was a bit worry about the legit of the booking site but gave it a try anyway. I was pleasantly surprise that the services and the response from the agent (Rita) was amazing. She took care all my needs and made sure that i was comfortable with all the arrangements.
The 12 days century cruise was amazing. One of the best in China. The accommodation on boat was luxurious and much better as compared to the Europe cruise. The tour programs arranged were fantastic. The only downside is the food. The Europe cruise's food was of better quality as compare to Century cruise. That actually was reflected in the price difference between China and Europe cruise. If you are OK with Chinese food, then you should not have much problem with the meals on Century cruise. The wines and beers were free flow which was a plus for Century cruise.
toni m
Australia
- Reviewed on December 22, 2023
Our Travel Consultant, Rita, organised our tour to perfection! She included all of the sights we were most interested in and ensured our trip was one to remember. All of the local guides were outstanding, with a wealth of knowledge about their local area and attractions. We had no idea China had so many beautiful hidden gems. We had the most wonderful trip, and would recommend China Discovery, and especially Rita
Jane N
UK
- Reviewed on December 14, 2023
As this was our first visit to China we were relying on Wing and the team to make all the necessary arrangements. Booking accommodation, buying advance tickets and supplying transport and guides.
We were very impressed. From pre-travel suggestions to final send off everything went very smoothly.
It was a bit of a whistle stop tour taking in a lot of the most famous sights in just over two weeks, but we always planned on returning. Next time will be more leisurely.
China Discovery were an excellent agency to work with and always very responsive when we had queries.
They come highly recommended.
Jane and Jon
410adrian
UK
- Reviewed on November 21, 2023
My daughter arranged an extremely varied 8 day tour for me through Tracy Tan of China Discovery. The first three days were spent around Chengdu, including the panda breeding, Dujiangyan irrigation scheme, Qingcheng Taoist mountain, Leshan giant Buddha, and local markets and parks in Chengdu. This was followed by the highlight of the trip, a one day tour of the Jiuzaigou National Park, which, as a hydrologist, I thought was the most wonderful water feature that I had ever seen around the world ! After a quick introduction to Chongqing we boarded the Victoria Anna ship, for a memorable cruise through the Yangtze River gorges, culminating in a private tour of the Three Gorges Hydroelectric Dam site on the last day.
The whole tour was excellently managed by Tracy; I particularly liked the company’s flexibility, allowing an interchange of day’s itineraries at short notice when I felt unwell, and then replacing a late cancellation of an internal flight with a suitable car and train alternative to ensure that I did not miss the departure of the cruise ship. All the guides, Sarah, Peter, Ken and Jacky were excellent and very knowledgeable, and their respective drivers very safe and professional.
I was a bit disappointed by the side trips offered during the cruise, but this might just have been the dull overcast weather experienced on those days. Other highlights were the evening shows on the cruise with an excellent compère, eating green tea ice cream on the road to Leshan, viewing the red pandas closeup, and watching the illuminated skyscrapers from the ship departing Chongqing in the evening.
Remember to take some very warm clothing to view the Jiuzhaigou National Park during the best season of the year (late Oct-early Nov), when the foliage colours are best, as the previous week they had experienced snowfall there, and the hotels are unheated !!
Also suggest another attraction which has just opened in Chengdu, and might be worth adding to the tour itinerary - the Chengdu Science Fiction Museum located in Pidu District - housed in a wonderful modern out-of- this-world building, which would be a good contrast to the notable historical sites that were already included in the tour.
kristle-aun
Malaysia
- Reviewed on November 15, 2023
6D5N Chongqing, Yangtze cruise, Yichang
A big thank you note to Mr. Wonder Wang for organizing our trip and we appreciated his prompt replies and good service. It was a pleasant and wonderful trip to China.
Here, we would also like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Nancy of Yichang. Our Yichang flight to Guangzhou was cancelled without notifying us. We arrived at the airport only to be informed of it. Nancy swiftly took action and changed our flight from Wuhan-Guangzhou-KL and rushed us to the train station to take the high speed train to Wuhan. We managed to arrive in time and back in Kuala Lumpur now. Nancy proves to be a very efficient and reliable guide. Thanks!
We look forward to having more trips with China Discovery and in fact, we have already recommended China Discovery to many of our friends and family. Keep up the good work!
Tami29
Italy
- Reviewed on November 10, 2023
Our Tour with China Discovery well very well, I need to compliment them on their organization and choice of guides. Our consultant Wing was extremely helpful, kind and flexible. We did a 14 day, personalized tour and visited the imperial cities with Chengdu and a short cruise on Yangtze River. I would definitely recommend them and will plan another tour with China Discovery in the future (hopefully).
Nelson W
USA
- Reviewed on November 10, 2023
Just completed our 21 day China Trip. This was a belayed 50th anniversary trip. It took two years in planning. But we were lucky to have our star travel consultant, Leo, from China Discovery to make it a perfect and memorable experience for us. There were three requests for this special trip: natural beauty scenery, homestay accommodations and mainly high speed train transportation. Leo was very prompt, patient and efficient in the process of helping us to coming up with this 21 day China trip that took us from Huangshan, Zhangjiajie, Yangtze River Cruise, Kunming, Ljiang, Dali and Shangri-la. We were trreated like VIPs along the trip. All the local guides and drivers treated us like their own grandparents. All accommodations selected were unique and very comfortable. We were a bit tired after this long trip but we enjoyed every minute of it. We couldn't wait to engage Leo again to plan our next advanture in China.
Denise H
UK
- Reviewed on November 7, 2023
I was fortunate to be asked to speak at the Cleaning Show in China so took advantage of the trip to add a weeks holiday to see as much as I could. I soon realised I needed some help and that was where Phoebe Gao of China Discovery came in, Phoebe looked at my wish list and managed to fit as much as possible into the 8 days I had available. The Panda Keeper experience was the highlight for me but everything Phoebe organised ran smoothly and she provided excellent local guides whose knowledge of the areas was first rate. I highly recommend the service Phoebe provided, she stayed in contact throughout the trip and managed any last minute changes I requested ensuring that this trip is one that I will always remember.
Mona L
Malaysia
- Reviewed on November 6, 2023
We had a superb holiday in China this time. We took the Yangtze cruise onboard Victoria Anna & also visited Zhangjiajie national park. We had a few brief stops in Chongqing, Yichang & Changsha.
A huge 'Thank you' to Rita Jiang from China Discovery for her excellent organization which makes our trip unforgettable. On this trip, we traveled on plane, cruise, trains (high speed & normal trains), buses & cars. The transfer service from on location to another was so well organized.
Our guides and drivers are very polite, friendly and knowledgeable. We learned a lot from them.
We will definitely come back again
Ngahana H
New Zealand
- Reviewed on November 2, 2023
Our tour covered all of the main tourist attractions offered by this vast and beautiful country.
We chose China Discovery.com for our China holiday simply because, their website information was easy to understand and their holiday options were numerous and very detailed. From the start there was a strong sense of service and we got that from our very first email to the Travel consultant. Every email was answered promptly and clearly. We were able to tailor our preferred tour option to suit our budget and in the end the choices we made were perfect. The consultant continued to keep in touch either by email or through the agents until tour end.
At all city locations local guides with modern sedans and drivers ensured that we connected smoothly with our transport, accommodation and access to all tourist destinations. At many tourist sites, the long walks and climbing long stairways suited younger and/or fitter clients. We seniors with average fitness were blessed with guides who tailored our visits perfectly to our optimum enjoyment. And still got to enjoy most on offer.
Throughout our multicity itinerary we travelled on the superbly smooth and comfortable bullet trains, high class internal air flights and comfortable high standard river boat cruises. The three day 5 star Yangtse river cruise was very comfortable, modern stylish and the staff service standard was exceptional.
Lastly we believe that it would be very difficult to experience the numerous contrasting features of China, historical and modern and its cultural entity without all the aspects of the China Discovery private tour package.
Manxman88
Belgium
- Reviewed on October 18, 2023
We had a wonderful trip in China, from north east to south west. Meeting old friends and discovering new regions we did not know exist. A big part of our trip we got help from China Discovery, who did a brilliant job in organising, guiding and realising our wishes beyond our expectations. Johnson Wang from China Discovery was very helpfull and quick in communication, have helped us with making the itenary of our trip and listening very careful to our wishes (Places of interest, speed - and way of travel). We went to Beijing and the North Easton our own, after that China Discovery organised the rest of trip to Xining (City, Qinghai lake, Caka lake) with excellent local guide Sally and driver Bai (Both highly recommended!) and the Yangtze river cruise from Chongqing to Yichang. Magnificent views, friendly people, super service and great food is our rememberance of this trip! We are looking forward to next trip!
Ricky L
Singapore
- Reviewed on October 9, 2023
I recently returned from my awesome 17 Days China Vacation in Beijing, Chengdu, ChongQing & Yichang with my native Beijing friend. I made all our reservations for Hotel stays in Chengdu, Chongqing & Yichang and the 4D/3N Yangtze Cruise via China Discovery based in Chengdu from Singapore. The above reservations process was attended by their customer service advisor Ms Wing Zeng which was completed speedily, smoothly and efficiently. Ms Zeng was kind enough to followed through all my reservations from Hotel check-ins, cruise registration and post vacation responses to ensure there were no hiccups. I thank China Discovery and Ms Zeng for their good Customer Support, Assistance and Reliability during my Vacation period. Good Job China Discovery and keep up your efficiency and good customer support Ms Zeng. My wife, I and our Chinese friend took the Xinjiang Landscape Tour to northern Xinjiang which includes Rainbow Beach, Hemu Village, Kanas Lake, Karamay, Lake Sayram, the Grasslands, and Dushanzi Grand Canyon. The tour was arranged by Ms. Tracy Tan who did a great job incorporating our deviations to China Discovery's template tour making everything work seamlessly. We were in constant contact with her through WeChat during the tour. Xinjiang is about the size of Alaska so the distances between locations requires several hours to navigate so bring plenty of snacks and some things for entertainment when the guide is not providing information. We went in late August until early September so the crowds were minimal for a Chinese tourist destination. The scenery is spectacular, the people are warm and friendly, but expect some jostling for position to get on the many park buses by the Chinese domestic tourists...what we consider rude, a country with a population of 1.4 billion considers as culture. The itinerary states that there is a family visit in the Hemu Village, but it's actually a staged performance in a cozy log cabin. Weather prevented us from go up to the viewpoint as Kansas Lake. We did a ski lift cable car ride up to a peak in the Hemu village for some great views. A note of caution for those taking up the offers of free lance horsemen in the Grasslands area. The guest rides in the saddle and the horsemen sits bareback behind controlling the reins. They charge about $7USD for around a 15-20 minute ride which varies from a walk to a full gallop. Since the guest can only hold on to the saddle horn and no access to the stirrups the horsemen must secure the rider for safety by wrapping their arms around the waist and sometimes chest of the riders so for this reason any female contemplating doing a ride should have a backpack or some other barrier to prevent the horseman free access to areas that should be off limits. My wife thoroughly enjoyed the ride because a normal trail ride in China is someone holding the reins of your horse and slowly walking and her horseman was a perfect gentleman.
Kar Tung Quek
Singapore
- Reviewed on September 29, 2023
My wife and I speak little Chinese and we did not want to join a package group tour. It was great that we found China Discovery online. Mr. Wonder Wang of China Discovery was just fantastic in helping us design a customised private tour itinerary for our China tour. Wonder Wang was very professional, responsible, and responsive. The resultant itinerary was just perfect for us. The english-speaking tour guides and drivers at each of the destinations we visited were just great making it a carefree, comfortable, and thoroughly enjoyable experience. We were connected with Wonder Wang and the respective tour-guides online via WeChat throughout the journey and the coordination from one destination to the next were perfect and smooth. We boarded the Century Oasis Cruise ship for a Yangtze cruise as part of the itinerary. On board we were serviced by one of the english-speaking cruise managers. The onboard service was just excellent. We were connected on WeChat with the cruise manager who kept us informed and instructed every step of the way. The cruise manager also connected with our tour guide at Yichang to perfectly coordinate our disembarkation arrangements. We would highly recommend China Discovery and Wonder Wang to all who wish to visit China with their own customised itinerary and at their own pace.
madiana l
USA
- Reviewed on September 28, 2023
I have joined a 17 days trip to Shanghai, Beijing, Xian, Chengdu, Chongqing, including Yangtse Cruise. Besides enjoying all the places, they are amazing. I also enjoyed the hospitality from the tour guides on the gound and the cruise ship. They served good foods and yummy. We travelled by plane, ship, high speed train during the tour. The tour arrangement is good, my travel consultant is Mr. Leo Li. Overall, the tour was very nice and satisfying. I definitely will travel to China again next time.
Nicholas M
UK
- Reviewed on September 27, 2023
A visit to Yangtze river and the Three Gorges dam has always been on my bucket list. Having contacted China Discovery, I was impressed with the amount of information they provided. They put me in contact with one of their representatives, Vivien Li, who was extremely helpful and guided me through the complete booking process. She was very patient, even with the changes to my requirements.
Her choice of ship, Century Victory, was excellent. The accommodation, food (both Chinese and European) and entertainment were all good. The crew were helpful, especially with me being one of only a few English speaking passengers.
I would highly recommend their cruise along the river and of course Vivien
steven d
Thailand
Peter T
USA
- Reviewed on September 26, 2023
This tour company scheduled and organized our privet tour very professionally. I would strongly recommend using them.
Our trip was amazing, you could see how happy we were from 20 pictures I attached below. Two weeks of travel by plains, bullet trains, Starting in Beijing-Xian-cruising Yangtze river, Shanghai, Guangzhou, beautiful Guilin and finishing up in Hong Kong. We all had a great time and returned back with wonderful memories.
Eugene W
USA
- Reviewed on September 25, 2023
This was my third time to the “motherland “ born a fourth generation ABC that doesn’t speak a word Chinese, did Beijing,Xian, Lhasa, Chengdu, Yangtze River cruise and of course the greatest city Shanghai, Mr Leo Li of China Discovery arranged the trip we opted to go the 5 star route with group of two , Leo answered all my questions promptly and to my satisfaction, the local guides some the best we ever encountered very good English skills on many topics, a couple became friends, question who would I have arrange a China trip? Mr. Leo Li
Palvannanathan G
USA
- Reviewed on September 17, 2023
Vivien Li made excellent tour arrangement for our 14 day trip to China. Replied to my 20 or more emails immediately, sent both during initial arrangements and also during our travel within China. Responded to all specific requests including last minute changes requested while we were traveling in China. Hotels and guides were excellent, price charged was very reasonable. Took great care of us including contacting us when there was a change in flight schedule due to anticipated typhoon in Southern China.
I requested to arrange travel in Shanghai Maglev train 4 days before arriving at Shanghai and took great effort to arrange this. Changed the flight schedule to fly out of Shanghai Pudong airport and we were able to take Maglev train to Pudong airport. I want to thank Vivien Li for making our China travel a wonderful experience.
Bonnie S
USA
- Reviewed on September 12, 2023
Our tour arrangements made by Zeva Du were flawless! We booked a Yangtze River Cruise on the Century Glory ship followed by a private tour of Beijing which included English speaking guides and a private car.
The boat cruise was perfectly wonderful! The accommodations were very comfortable, the food choices were satisfactory, the boat was lovely and the staff was amazing!
The shore excursions were interesting. We definitely recommend seeing the The Three Kingdoms Show by Beacon Fires!
Maggie, our tour guide in Beijing, was the best! She took great care with every detail. She was always on time and organized. She made history come to life with interesting facts and exciting details of each location we saw. She chose delicious restaurants for us to try and took extra time to help please us!
We definitely recommend requesting Zeva Du with China Discovery to make a trip of a lifetime come true!
Matthias W
Germany
- Reviewed on August 23, 2023
We had a wonderful, custom-arranged, private trip as a family of three with China Discovery in summer of 2023 - going from Beijing via Xian, Zhangjiajie, Guilin, Longsheng, Yangshou, Kungming, Yangtze River to Shanghai.
As we expected, we left with many exciting new impressions and memories - really a trip worth taking.
Last not least, we must mention Tracy, our coordinator at the agency, who was from the earliest planning stage all the way through the trip the most competent, most friendly, and most helpful coordinator we could think of - we felt really well looked after! A big compliment and thanks to you, Tracy, and the entire team at China Discovery!
Matthias W
armando c
- Reviewed on August 22, 2023
Special thanks to China Discovery (based in Chengdu) for the given assistance and services all the time we have got a trouble to solve. In particular I would like to thanks the local assistant Wing Zang for the support and fast reply to all our enquiries.
Their support make the difference between a succesful tour and a failing one! thank you again.
I recomend their assistance to all travellers!
Kristina B
Germany
Kent W
New Zealand
- Reviewed on July 31, 2023
Delissimo
Bulgaria
- Reviewed on July 30, 2023
Wonder Wang is a very good tour organizer. When I first contacted him to arrange for a tour of Huangshan, he is very polite, friendly, responsive and attentive. He provided good recommendations, considering the short time we have to cover many places. He also took the effort to answer our questions on train trips & China entry requirements, even though it's not directly related to the tour. My experience with Wonder was very positive. I would highly recommend joining his tour packages.
Gaby P
Indonesia
- Reviewed on July 10, 2023
I did a tour for Yangtze river cruise, Zhangjiajie, Xian and Luo Yang via China Discovery.
Rita our travel consultant was very helpful in organising a suitable itinerary tailored to our needs. She was very quick to respond and organised everything well.
Lily our tour guide in ZJJ was super helpful and friendly, especially given that one of us got sick during the trip. She was also very flexible in sorting that out and ensured that those who were not feeling well was taken cared of, whilst also making sure that the rest of the group could still enjoy their tour. Would totally recommend her to anyone who is considering going to Hunan province.
ZJJ is also a must visit with stunning and gorgeous views.
The cruise was also decently good, although the boat was getting a little outdated and could do with renovation (Yangtze Gold 8).
When we went to Xian it was heavily raining and during the school holidays so it was really hard to see the terracotta warriors properly, but it was a decent trip. Our tour guide introduced us to some good local food so that was great.
For Luo Yang I really enjoyed seeing the museum that Joe, our tour guide, took us too. He was very very knowledgeable and could inform us of Chinese history. From the Long men grottoes to the museum to the Shaolin temple and White horse temple, our group was all enriched in knowledge. Definitely recommend visiting Luo Yang, especially the museum. I typically do not enjoy museums as much but Joe made it super fun.
Steve
USA
- Reviewed on July 8, 2023
While looking for a Yangtze River cruise, I happened across China Discovery. Rita responded to my inquiry and asked if there were any other places we would like to visit. We ended up seeing Zhangjiajie, transferring to Yichang for the Yangtse River cruise then on to Chengdu to see the pandas and Sichuan Opera. Everything did not go smoothly but, it was out of their control. What they did do was make things work out. When there was a problem all it took was a message to Rita or our local tour guides Tony (Zhangjiajie) or Gila (Chengdu) to get it worked out. I felt they always had our best interest in mind. If we do another tour in China, we will use this company.
David L
Canada
- Reviewed on July 1, 2023
The Yangtze River cruise from Yichang to Chongqing was captivating and offered unique experiences that will remain etched in our memory forever. One excursion provided an insight into the lives of the mountain tribal people whose daily routine involves traversing the mountain trails in the early morning to reach the river bank, which serves as a vital source of water, food, and social interaction. As the sun starts its descent towards the horizon, the tribal people bid farewell to the river bank and begin their ascent back home which is often physically demanding.
Meifang L
Singapore
- Reviewed on June 1, 2023
I would like to commend Rita Jiang, Tour Consultant from Chinadiscovery. She is very prompt in answering my queries and gave us comprehensive information for the Yangtze River Cruise. I also appreciate her follow up before, during and after our cruise to make sure everything is ok.
I would also highly recommend the Cruise Ship Century Glory. The cabins are comfortable, clean and spacious. The crew always carry on a smile and greet you. They are super helpful and attentive to your needs.
I enjoy the facilities of the cruise, the food and the entertainment by the crew. There is laundry room , very convenient to wash and dry our clothes. Next to it is the cinema....we watch a show while waiting for our laundry to be ready.
The cruise of the three gorges along the Yangtze River is AWESOME. It is as if a chinese inkbrush painting is in front of you. So beautiful. We also stopby to go on land tours such as Fengdu Ghost City, White Emperor City and the Three Gorges Dam (a magnificent infrastructure!)
Overall, a very enjoyable cruise on board Century Glory.
Teresa L
Kuwait
- Reviewed on May 31, 2023
Informative and friendly guides, safe drivers, great communication from head office pre-trip and until we returned home.
paulajk1
UK
- Reviewed on May 8, 2023
China discovery is an excellent tour company, who tailor made a wonderful holiday for us. The local guides were excellent in their knowledge and enthusiasm, and their English was perfect. I would definitely use them again and can highly recommend.
TaylorMade58
USA
- Reviewed on April 6, 2023
I took the 5D/4N Yangtze River Cruise. It was my first cruise of any kind. I was traveling alone but I live in China so I felt comfortable traveling alone. The trip was delayed more than a year due to Covid issues. But I was finally able to make the trip in March 2023, Por the past year Leo has been helping me with the arrangements. He always responded quickly to my many questions. The ship straff took very good care of me, even though I was the only native English speaker on the ship. This included everything on the ship and all the off ship experiences. I was on the CEntury Glory cruise ship. The ship is designed for up to 650 passembers but there were only 150 on my trip up river. From my perspective this was a pluse because it allowed me access to do anything I wanted to do without conflict with other passengers. Passengers should be prepared for walking and stairs on all the off ship experiences. Because the ship was largely Chinese passemgers, the food was mostly Chinese but there were still adequate western food offerings. So this cruise convinced me that I can do this again if there is a cruise that is matching my interests. Teh March/April weather was perfect for both on ship and off ship activities.
Lina E
USA
- Reviewed on July 28, 2022
I travelled with a party of 5 to Chengdu, Chongqing and did a 5-day Yangtze River Cruise with China Discovery. My experience with them was great. Our agent, Jack was very attentive to my group’s needs and was flexible at all times when we had to make changes. He offered timely service and kept me updated on unforeseen modifications in our itinerary. For example, when our flight was as cancelled, he quickly made arrangements for us to take a train to our next destination.
The local tour guides in both Chengdu and Chongqing were incredibly knowledgeable and friendly. The drivers drove safely and were polite.
Every part of the trip was amazing, but the highlight was definitely the 3 Gorges Cruise down the Yangtze River. The landscape is too beautiful for words. The crew on board were super friendly and the food was amazing!
The sites we visited during this 10- day trip were: Leshan Giant Buddha, Emei Mountain, the Panda Research Base in Chengdu, a day trip in Chongqing and the river cruise. It was action-packed, yet we went at our own pace, mostly due to the heat. I would highly recommend China Discovery and will use their services again in the future.
K M
Britain
- Reviewed on July 17, 2022
We booked a ten day tour of Sichuan, Chongqing, and Yangtze River cruise with Tracy. Even though Tracy had only a few days to plan the tour after Covid restrictions were eased, everything was organised impeccably. It was a fantastic mix of sights and experiences, some that we wouldn’t have thought of by ourselves, but with flexibility so we could adjust the schedule to our preferences. Local guides in each place were excellent, and accommodation of high standard. We really enjoyed ourselves and will be definitely booking again with China Discovery.
dplattman
USA
- Reviewed on October 9, 2021
Wonder, from China Discovery put together a great Yangtze River Cruise trip for my wife and I. He got us a one day tour of Chongqing to start the trip, with a knowledgeable, friendly tour guide. The boat he recommended (the Century Paragon) was perfect for us. It was very comfortable, the staff was incredibly friendly and helpful, with almost all speaking English. The excursions were beautiful, each with another great tour guide. The last day we had a nice trip through the Three Gorges Dam Boat lift and yet another great tour of the dam. We'd definitely recommend the trip and Wonder!
Chriselda F
South Africa
- Reviewed on July 16, 2021
Wow, what a great experience it was using China Discovery. Jack helped us plan an unforgettable trip. We stayed in lovely hotels in convenient locations. The drivers were good and drove safely. Our guides were great and very helpfull in giving advice and booking tickets. Their English were very good. The food we ate was tasty and fresh. The whole trip was so easy and hassle free. We can not wait to use them again for our next trip
Joanna Burns
USA
- Reviewed on July 12, 2021
We did a shortened version of the China Discovery 17 day highlights tour. There was a big group of us with lot's of children so we decided to shorten our trip which was not a problem with China Discovery tours.
Our five families had a superb trip! The incredible sites we visited such as the 'Great wall' and the 'Terracotta warriors' will stay in our memories forever! Our guides took us to some superb restaurants where we really enjoyed the local food. The Peking duck for me was a favourite. I can't speak highly enough of our travel agent Johnson based in Chengdu. He was very patient in answering our many questions and was superb in organising the trip for us. Our local guides were excellent! There knowledge of the places we visited was in-depth and really added to the interest in what we were seeing. I will highly recommend your tour to other teachers at my school and friends and family back in New Zealand.
Phillip R
UK
- Reviewed on July 9, 2021
Working in China, it was challenging to go back to the UK for a holiday because of Covid 19, so I booked a trip through China Discovery (based in Chengdu). This trip took me to Xi'an, Gailin, and the highlight was a cruise down the Three Gorges to the Three Gorges Dam. My point of contact was Rita Jiang, and I was very impressed. At every new place, I was met by a guide who was knowledgeable and helpful. At no point did I feel stressed, especially with all the procedures of different health checks and so on. I found Rita very helpful and flexible to my wishes. She replied very quickly to my messages and was at all times professional. I highly recommend China Discovery and Rita. I will most certainly use her again for my next major trip.
J.E Rueth
USA
- Reviewed on July 8, 2021
Riley is an amazing agent who helped create a fantastic personalized trip! She responded promptly, gave us several choices, set up extended tours and drivers for us and even helped me rebook a flight at the last minute on her day off! Outstanding customer service!
We cruised the Yangtze from Chongqing to Yinchan on the Victoria Jenna (on Riley's suggestion) and it was a memorable trip with friendly, competent and gracious service throughout. English speaking River guides (Steven and Rebecca) were able to explain all of the details to us. The food was good and the included tours were really good. I highly recommend this cruise if you want to see incredible scenery and enjoy what China has to offer
Insomnia82
German
- Reviewed on May 14, 2021
We had a wonderful time on this 5-Day Yangtze Cruise. Rosalyn, our travel agent, took good care during the selection process, preparation for the trip and always answered minutes. We will book our next trip with China discovery and Rosalyn for sure./p>
manta74339
USA
- Reviewed on April 9, 2021
Everything was awesome. Wonderful cruise and my last trip with China Discovery, to Huangshan was also breath taking. Leo has been so helpful and has planned perfect little get aways for me on my long weekends.
Stunning Yangtze river... get the extras, the show and the cities we visited were extraordinary Local guides love their cities and gave me tons of reasons to return
ElmiraNick
Australia
- Reviewed on January 12, 2020
We would like to thank our tour operator Ms Wing Zeng, all our drivers and tour guides (Melody in Shanghai, Cherry in Chongqing, Fay in Yichang, Derrick in Zhangjiajie, Vivien in Kunming, Peter in Shangri-La, Ya Lan in Lijiang) from China Discovery/Yangtze River Cruise/Tibet Discovery (based in Chengdu) for our holiday.
In December we had 17 amazing days - a very-well organised and detailed individual tour tailored for us to see and visit everything planned by us. During our we felt very safe and looked after at every stage.
The tour guides were also very informative and spoke English well. Special mention goes to:
The itinerary (Shanghai-Chongqing-3-night Yangtze River Cruise-Zhangjiagie-Kunming-Shangri-La-Lijiang-Shanghai) was perfect but the people implemented it were even better. Our tour operator, the guides, and the drivers were all professionals and worthy of high appreciation for a well-done job. We learned so much thanks to our local tour guides, and we are grateful to them for sharing their knowledge with us. Every place we visited was amazing with interesting history, culture, beautiful scenery and unbelievable landscapes. We enjoyed our relaxing Yangtze River cruise on Victoria Anna with all the activities on board and the arranged shore excursions very much. We really did have a great time.
The tour was our second trip arranged with Ms Wing Zeng, and we are very happy to have chosen China Discovery. If in future we have a chance to visit China again, we'll definitely do it with this company and we highly recommend it to our friends and other travellers.
Passenger84211
USA
- Reviewed on December 17, 2019
Just spent a wonderful 7 day journey starting with Terra Cotta warriors in Xian to Panda Bears in Chengdu to a 3 Day Yangtze River cruise on the Century Paragon. The trip was extremely well organized thanks to Wing Zeng at China Discovery who was very helpful and responsive to all of questions throughout the planning process. Strongly recommend private tour guides and drivers all of whom spoke English well (helped tremendously with menu translation) and was very accommodating to our requests. 7 days does not afford the opportunity for an extensive trip throughout China however we strongly recommend China Discovery (especially Wing Zeng) to help coordinate anyone considering even the shortest of trips.
russellm510
Australia
- Reviewed on December 15, 2019
My wife and I have been regular international travellers over the past decade but had not made it to China's mainland until last month. A conference nearby presented the ideal opportunity to remedy this with a short Yangtze River Cruise to celebrate a significant birthday for my wife and to satisfy our curiosity about other places in this vast country. We are travellers rather than tourists, so I would like to endorse the travel agency (China Discovery) which helped us with our internal travel arrangements. In the first instance, all we had to do was indicate our intended arrival and departure points and our intended length of stay and our assigned agent Echo Gou cheerfully and efficiently provided us with multiple options. Over a couple of weeks we settled on an itinerary including various sites in Beijing, Xian, Chongqing, Three Gorges Dam, Yichang, Shanghai and Hangzhou over 12 days. Highlight was probably West Lake in Hangzhou. Hotels were all of high standard, local individual guides were well-educated and fluent English speakers and drivers were confident and cheerful. Most travel tween cities was by high speed rail, but when we chose to vary this for convenience once in China to include an internal flight and a private car transfer to an airport in another city, this was expertly arranged by our contact agent Echo in Chengdu at minimal additional cost. This flexibility made what might otherwise have been some difficult aspects of our trip into a smooth and enjoyable experience. I can't fault the professionalism and expertise of China Discovery and our agent, and I recommend others who like to travel independently to consider using such an efficient service at such reasonable cost.
gerdv2016
USA
- Reviewed on December 3, 2019
Eleven day private tour from Beijing to Shanghai with Yangtze River Cruise We (Birgit, Petra, Jürgen and Gerd from Germany) had a absolutely wonderful eleven (11) day private tour, scheduled by Chengdu Bamboo Tours Vivian Li, that started with 3 days in Beijing, 3 days Xian, 3 days Yangtze River Cruise, and 2 days in Shanghai. We were met and escorted at each destination by a very capable English speaking tour guide (Beijing = Kai / Xian = Zoe / Chongqing = Diana / Yichang = Fay / Shanghai = Maria) and a driver. This enabled us to get the most out of our time there. We could not have done as much in 11 days on our own. The price was reasonable and the tour was Amazing. We give it 5 stars plus.
P.S. Our tour guide kai needs special mention as he brought his hometown of Beijing closer to us. We felt that being a guide was his passion.
holloway33
Singapore
- Reviewed on November 29, 2019
Both my husband and I had a very good holiday in China for a 10 days private tour organised by Mark Shen , the Consultant agent of China Discovery. Mark planned an excellent & efficient trip for us to cruise at Yangtze River and there after to Zhangjiajie and Fenghuang .He reverted promptly to our enquiries .Prior to the tour , he communicated with us many times and was so patient with the changes in itinerary we requested. He also tried to work within the budget we stipulated.
We arrived in Chengdu on a Sunday night and he personally received us at the airport . We were touched by his gesture. The tour guides and the drivers provided through out the trip were good though we are disappointed with Alice the guide from Chongqing. She was reading her messages all the time when guided us on the Chongqing city tour.
Mark was monitoring our schedule through out. He assured us the guides would be good on our subsequent tour in Zhangjiajie after our feedback.
We are very pleased that Mark kept his promise as Carrie , the tour consultant was really good. She speaks excellent English. She is caring ,helpful and insightful. We are very happy with the driver Mr. Du who drove very carefully when it was misty and raining from Zhangjiajie to Fenghuang. The scenery in Zhangjiajie is beautiful and majestic beyond description and it is a place one must visit.
This trip at Zhangjiajie was hectic and schedules were tight . However it was a bliss for us as every little detail had been well planned by Mark meticulously and executed by a very caring Carrie . Kudos to Mark & Carrie who gave us a very memorable holiday.
I would not hesitate to refer Mark Shen ,the consultant agent and Carrie , the tour consultant to my friends . In fact I have passed Mark's contact to my friend who is now in US.
Our heartfelt thanks to Mark and the team from Chengdu , Yichang & Zhangjiajie of China Discovery for giving us a memorable holiday.
Lily ( Singapore)
wysiwyg2
Singapore
- Reviewed on November 11, 2019
Booking the tour was a breeze. The travel consultant Mr Mark Shen was prompt and concise in his responses, and the information booklet contained all the essential information. A pleasant experience.
We had a very enjoyable experience on board due to the high level of professionalism and service standard of the crew on Century Glory. Special mention of cruise manager Alan Chen and the lady whose running commentary about the three Gorges shows that she is very knowledgeable. The staff are friendly, ever ready with a greeting and a smile.
The whole tour, from onboarding and disembarkation, and logistics for all land tours, were well organised. It is clear that they are a truly experienced operator, and yet delivery is still with passion.
Given that the vessel was launched only two months ago, the amenities and design are well thought out and modern and furnishings in mint condition. You can’t ask for more.
Truly impressed.
Davegledhill
UK
- Reviewed on October 28, 2019
Review For China Discovery
China Discovery is simply superb!
The period prior to departure is a little scary. Although the itinerary is comprehensive, handing over a large amount of money on a promise, is daunting. The application process for a tourist visa is rigorous and final details of flights and train bookings were not available until the last few weeks. That led to a little nervousness at the Chinese Embassy. As it was, visas were issued without the detail. That is my only criticism as the rest of the trip was faultless.
This is a slick operation, the company strives for perfection and they deliver. The itinerary was close-hosted so a guide and driver were on hand at every destination to see us through every aspect of the visit. The ultimate illustration of efficiency was when a guide appeared on the platform on arrival at Xian station and waved my name card through the train window!
A detailed itinerary is issued before travelling. We elected for a few days in Hong Kong before and after the trip. Collected from the hotel, we had little to do for the remaining duration other than enjoy the experience. I booked good hotels and first class rail travel - the bullet train is impressive - which proved worth the additional cost. Whilst it may appear at face value to be an expensive trip, when you consider what is included, the trip is excellent value for money. The only compromise was economy flights, between distant venues. Baggage allowance on internal flights is limited so Business Class may be a consideration, if one wants to take more luggage and, of course, for that extra touch of luxury. Many meals were included allowing us to sample local cuisine.
The trip took in Chengdu to see pandas, Xian for the Terracotta Warriors, a Yangtze cruise and Beijing to see the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace and the Great Wall. At every venue, additional sites were added to round out the experience. I lost track of the number of times I said "Wow!" The itinerary proved to be extensive and varied. The guides were not only efficient, knowledgeable, enthusiastic and friendly but I would add that I met new people, anxious to deliver a unique insight. They became, albeit short term, friends. My thanks and compliments.
I can thoroughly recommend China Discovery. The tour coordinator was exceptional and our every request was delivered. The itinerary was comprehensive and executed flawlessly. Not only did we receive what we had booked but were made to feel like VIPs at every event.
My memories of China will be memorable, largely thanks to a skilled company which delivers excellence. Kudos to the team.
mukas
Germany
- Reviewed on October 24, 2019
We really enjoyed our China trip organised by China Discovery. During our 14 days trip we had been to Beijing, Xian, Lhasa (Tibet), Chong Qing, Yichang and Shanghai, including a wonderful 3-day-cruise on the Yangtse River aboard the Century Legend Ship. Our consultant Riley was always quick to reply to our emails and helped us throughout the planning phase with her important tips and constructive suggestions. We are very happy with the service she offered to make our journey a unique and memorable one. The China Discovery website also has a very useful travel guide for China.
All of our local tour guides (Mark in Beijing, Kelly in Xian, Zhouma or Dolma in Lhasa, Diana in Chongqing, Nancy in Yichang as also Linda and Jack in Shanghai) were most cordial, friendly, knowledgeable, spoke good English and were punctual in picking us up from or dropping us off at the airport/train station/hotel. We had also been given their mobile numbers in advance to keep in touch, so getting a Chinese SIM card upon arrival would be useful. As we had a private tour, the guides were also flexible about departure times, where to have lunch and so on.
The entire tour and all transportation, including two train trips, two domestic flights and our Yangtze cruise, was well organised. Don't hesitate to ask for a tour without shopping stops if you don't think you'll like them. We enjoyed the lunch in different restaurants, and all the excursions provided by both China Discovery and Century Cruises.
You should be aware that if you want to pay the price quoted in CNY, the only option for foreigners is an international bank transfer, which is insecure and does not offer any kind of protection. Payments via PayPal or credit card, which have more protection for buyers in case something goes wrong, are only accepted if you pay the USD price which can however be several hundred dollars higher. It is therefore better and desirable for customers if China Discovery would accept payments in Chinese Yuan made by credit card.
That being said, we can still warmly recommend China Discovery to all tourists who are planning to visit China. You will get to see and experience this country in the best possible way with them.
Andy B
USA
- Reviewed on October 20, 2019
Catherine Liu has arranged my second vacation here in China providing exceptional great service again. She meticulously scheduled drivers and English speaking guides at every location. The guides and drivers were extremely polite and generous. They knew the area and historical subjects very well. Having this kind of service makes the trip all the better without wasting precious vacation time. Our guide took us to all our site in Yichang. We went to a brand new 4 story museum I found very fascinating, and the Sanyou Cave and restaurant is a neat place to visit. You walk a platform on side of cliff to enter the restaurant.
Before going on the Yangtze cruise, we visited the Three Gorge Damn. You actually walk around and and view this enormous undertaking. You can see the locks, a ship elevator, and the huge damn.
The river cruise is my second time in a year. My first time was down river, I went up river this time. The ship staff were all the very same personnel from the Captain, host, directors, and the very nice musical entertainers. Everyone on board are very nice and cater to your convenience. The cabins are spacious and very clean. The meals on board are deliciously prepared. Many choices of excursion and extracurricular activities on the cruise.
When our plane landed in Lijiang, we were greeted by beautiful Simona. She is one of the Naxi people of this region. She spent 5 days touring us around Lijiang. I advise everyone, to see Lijiang and the surrounding areas! What beautiful country and site seeing. Lijiang Ancient Town, the Mufu Palace. Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and view of Blue Moon Valley and lake. The Baishe Village and mural paintings over 1000 years old. A trip to Lugu Lake and seeing the Mosuo people and their homes. Zhamei Monastery and Tiger Leaping Gorge and many other places in between these made this trip worth every cent!
Thank you Catherine Liu, you did another excellent service providing a memorable vacation of a lifetime! Next time I want to see Guilin.
Cordial good wishes and high esteem,
Andy Broff
JuneW549
USA
- Reviewed on October 5, 2019
I wanted to book a Yangtze River Cruise and wanted to find a tour-company to help with the booking of the boat as well as the few days of land- tours before and after the boat trip (Wuhan, Yichang-Chongqing (the boat trip), Chongqing, Chengdu). I found China Discovery through the internet (including Trip Advisor). I don’t think you could do any better in China if you are a discerning traveller with very specific requirements. They pretty much answered to all my needs and last minute changes to my itinerary. Also, they were familiar with international/Western travellers’ typical preferences (e.g. where the clean Western style toilets are!!).
I should clarify that I had already decided on the River cruiseboat - Sanctuary Retreats’ Yangtze Explorer: I understand currently the most expensive out of all the cruises) at the outset. I got an agent at China Discovery called WONDER to help me with all the cruise and land bookings pre and post cruise. Wonder spoke and write perfect English, was extremely responsive and efficient, and also very patient in dealing with all my requirements regarding hotel choices, land tour itinerary, requirements on young-guides, and so on. He also got me a discount for the Yangtze Explorer cruise booking.
What I liked, apart from the professional service of Wonder, was that the tailoring of the tours was good - just make sure you
MACA0719
Australia
- Reviewed on July 28, 2019
Thank you to Rita for organising a trip to suit our family of four adults. We travelled from Shanghai to Nanjing and then on to Yichang for a riverboat cruise up the Yangtze River and then flew back to Shanghai. At all times we were met at airports to train stations and delivered efficiently to our accommodation.
We took day trips in Shanghai, Nanjing and Chongqing. They were all great, with knowledgeable local guides and drivers who made each day fun and informative. It was great to have Rita just a phone call away to help when a minor hiccup occurred with a late change to our exit point at Shanghai airport due to recent airport improvements. All was sorted within 5 minutes of our phone call. Well done Rita!
Anthony C
Australia
- Reviewed on June 29, 2019
My husband and I are just back from a wonderful holiday in China. We organized this from Ireland with Wendy at China discovery who helped us put together a fantastic itinerary. Beijing was amazing the palaces Xian ancient city Chengdu was a culinary delight. Guilin had to be our favorite place the natural beauty of the Karst mountains along the li river and of course the rice terraces and the old city of Longsheng. The Yangtze River cruise was spectacular especially Wushan. We ended our amazing trip in Shanghai. The personal guides and drivers in each city we’re always there to greet us from our flights or trains. Each day was packed with so many places of interest to see and delicious lunches. We are missing the lovely time we spent in China so much that we plan to return soon to explore more beautiful places China has to offer.
RagerRayboy
USA
- Reviewed on June 24, 2019
My wife and I recently completed a 22 days’ vacation/excursion in the People’s Republic of China. We arranged this voyage with China Discovery Tour Agency.(May17th-June7th, 2019)
Our journey throughout China included three air flights and four high speed trains.
We visited Beijing, the capital of The People’s Republic of China. Highlights in Beijing, Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, the Great Wall (Mutiny Section), the Sacred Way, wonderful Kungfu Show, and a wonderful dinner of Peiking Roasted Duck at the Iconic Quanjude restaurant. We then traveled 4.5 hours by Fast train to Xian to visit the Terracotta Warriors and Horses excavation site then on to the Ancient City Wall and then in the evening attended a wonderful Tang Palace Dance Show. We then traveled 3 hours by plane to Lhasa, the capital of TIBET. Then from TIBET back to China to the city of Chengdu (2 hours by plane) to visit the Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding and also enjoy the relax atmosphere of the city’s Renmin Park. Then from Chengdu we traveled 1.5 hours by plane to Guilin, the most scenic city in China. We then drove about 2.5 hours to visit one of the most beautiful rice terraces in China…Longji Rice Terrace. What an experience hiking up on the edge of the mountain, including traveling up more than 900 steps in order to arrive at our hotel. Then the next morning more hiking up hill and steps to observe the spectacular view and to get a better understanding of the engineering developed many, many years ago to be able to cultivate rice at that high altitude. Later we visited Huangluo Yao Village and enjoyed a beautiful show by the Village Long Hair People. The following day we traveled back to Guilin and took a very relaxing sightseeing cruise 84 kilometers down the Li River to Yangzhou Town.
That evening we attended an amazing show directed by the world-famous director Mr. Zhang Yimou then the next day we drove back to Guilin and took a fast train (5 hours) to the the city of Chongqing (The largest city in Southwest China) to catch our cruise ship to take a 3 nights 4 days cruise down the Yangtze River, and during the cruise we had 3 shore excursions to visit different historic sites. After our cruise we then went on an all-day tour of the Three Gorge Dam. It is the largest dam in the entire world. After that we traveled by bus to to Yichang and took a fast train the the new city of Shanghai. Shanghai is less than 20 years. In Shanghai we visited the 400 year old Yun Garden, the Shanghai World Financial Center, the Nanjing Road, the famous BUND, Zhujiajiao Water Town, Tianzifang, Suzhou No.1 Silk Factory, and finally we attended an incredible Acrobat Show. Then on June 6thth we traveled back to Beijing by fast train (4.5 hours) and on June 7thth we departed China.
We have traveled to many different places all over the world during the past 21 years and I must say this excursion in China arranged for us by the very efficient, professional, and knowledgeable agent Wendy Dan of China Discovery was truly unbelievable. Simply put, Wendy Dan and all of the drivers and especially our English-speaking guides provided us with services way above our expectations. We indeed experienced a voyage of a lifetime.
During the past 21 years, we have traveled to the Middle East, North Africa, West Africa, Central Africa, East Africa, all over the USA and Canada, many places in Central America and South America, Western Europe, Northern Europe, Egypt and throughout the entire Caribbean and we have been fortunate to have a very good experience in each of those many places. China Discovery organized a 22 days’ tour along with its the very proficient, caring, and knowledgeable service providers (especially our private English-speaking tour guides) which has resulted in my wife and I having to tell the World that this trip compares with the best vacation we experienced in all of our travels during the past 21 years. We are very, very impressed with the overall beauty, safety, cleanliness, orderliness, and history we experienced at all of the places we visited. We are still amazed at the considerable level of development China has achieved during the past 35 years. Yes, put a visit to China, planned by China Discovery, on your bucket list.
Finally, my wife and I would like to express again our sincere thank you very much to Candy-Beijing, Maria-Xian, Dorjee-Lhasa, Kevin-Chengdu, Kennedy-Guilin, Charlie-Chongqing, Yichang- , Terry-Shanghai and Tina-Shanghai for your caring and professional service.
Sunita P
India
- Reviewed on June 9, 2019
We truly had an amazing trip. Everyday was novel experience.All the cities we visited had exceptional monuments, palaces, Gardens & historical back ground.
Cruise on Yangtze River had its own charm & fun.
Tibet on a high altitude was a unique experience. Hotels & food been yummy
Our tour guides besides being knowledgeable were so friendly & courteous & at the same time had a great sense of humour.
Must admit that the entire credit goes to MS Vivien Li of Chengdu who took the pains to make our trip super duper & most memorable .
Thanks
Connector740452
USA
- Reviewed on May 8, 2019
Hello Jack,
We recently got back from our wonderful 19 days trip to China and wanted to take this time to thank you for preparing such an awesome itinerary for us. It was tailored to the places we wanted to visit Beijing, Xian, Lhasa,Tibet, Chengdu, Guilin, Yanshuo, Li River Cruise, Longji, Chongqing Yangtze River cruise, Yichang, Shanghai.
We enjoyed every single day of our tours to the maximum.
The treatment we received from all of our tour guides and drivers was excellent. We were always greeted on time at the airport or train station by our tour guide who promptly introduced themselves and also the driver. Very nice people always wanting to help and explain all the details about the place visited, their culture and traditions.
Hotels were beautiful, very comfortable and centrally located. Staff always ready to help if needed. We were very surprised with the beautiful gift waiting for us when we got to our hotel in Chengdu. I wished we had more time to go visit you in your office and personally thank you.
The very well planned itinerary was carried out to our expectations, never a missed placed to visit, and when it was time for our next destination, our tour guide had everything under control, from taking our bags to getting our tickets and making sure we were in the right place on time.
The Yangtze River cruise was very relaxing, excellent buffet and staff service. Our activity coordinator Rebecca, was great in keeping the activities going and letting us know which sceneries where coming up and what to look for every time. Nightly entertainment was very good also. The tours very very well organized and we really enjoyed them.
We loved every city visited and experienced different Chinese cuisine every placed we went. The restaurants and food was carefully selected always keeping in mind if we were allergic to any food or liked or disliked any hot spices.
We are very happy and it has been an amazing vacation and a learning experience. Will be happy to recommend your company and specially you Jack for all your help, patience and knowledge. We'll be happy to return to China to experience many other beautiful places we didn't get to see this time around.
Thank you very much for everything you did for us.
Idania and Alberto Mesa
daniela1122
UK
- Reviewed on April 28, 2019
We've just come back from 2 amazing weeks in China booked through China Discovery based in Chengdu, our travel consultant was Johnson. We chose a bespoke tour taking in Beijing, Xi'an, Chengu, then a short river cruise on The Yangtze, followed by a night in Zhangjiajie and finishing off in Shanghai. We had the most amazing time. Johnson organised the trip and was very patient with our infinte changes to the itinerary,
Johnson arranged all the transport within China, hotels, and guides in each of the cities, all guides spoke excellent english, were really well organised and knowlegeable. Ruby (in Chengdu), Kimi (in Xi'an) and Johnson (in Zhangjiajie) were absolutely excellent and made our stay really special. Having a guide cuts down the queueing time considerably as tickets are prebooked for you and they only need to be picked up, in some places there are preferential queues for guided tours.
We travelled mainly by high speed train, which is by far the most convenient way of seeing the country. We were astounded by how efficient, clean and punctual the trains were. We also used the underground system of most of the cities we stayed in, we found them all easy to navigate, modern, clean and punctual.
We had 3 days in Beijing, we stayed at the Park Plaza: excellent breakfast comfortable and clean rooms, excellent location. In Beijing we saw the Forbidden city, the Temple of Heaven and the Summer Palace and had a great day on the Great Wall, which is astoundingly impressive, coming down on the tobbogan was great fun. We were supposed to visit the Hutongs and have a go at some calligraphy, but unfortunately due to a mix of Beijing traffic, an early afternoon train to catch and the calligraphy person being called away, we were unable to do this last activity.
The second stop was Xi'an, we stayed at the Grand Mercure on Remnin Square, Less impressive than the other hotels in the square, but comfortable and excellently located. It was built in the Soviet era and had an air of faded grandeur. The Terracotta Warriors were breathtaking and we had a lovely time cycling round the town walls. Xi'an is a really pretty city by night with bustling markets and pretty lights everywhere. We took the opportunity to learn to make dumplings and have lunch with a local family. This was a great experience. It was in one of the super-modern high rise buildings that are ubiquitous, the host was a former guide and it was one of the best meals we had in the holiday. It was more a demonstration of how to fill the dumplings rather than a cookery lesson, but we enjoyed it nevertheless.
Next stop Chengdu, home of the pandas. We stayed in the Dorset Grand, the only way to describe the hotel is WOW! The highlight was the Pandas, we enjoyed Renmin park and the Opera. We mentioned to our guide that we wanted to try the local hotpot so she stayed with us into the evening to help us with ordering and show us how it was done.
The next stop was Chongqing, from here we took a 3 day cruise on the Yangtze on the Century Legend, which was a lot of fun and restful after the busyness of the previous week. Food was ordinary at best. The cruise had group excursions, which made us really grateful that we booked a private tour with China Discovery for most of the holiday (rather than a group tour with a UK based agency) as there was a lot of hanging around waiting for other people. The quality of the guides provided by China Discovery was also much higher. Breathtaking scenary and an amazing feat of politics and engineering.
Second last stop Zhangjiajie, the slow train was incredibly interesting, and it was the first look of small town, rural China we caught. It had a completely different feel from the other places we visited. As we got there we wished we had followed Johnson's advice and stayed an extra day. To sum the place up in one word: spectacular, we saw Tianmen Mountain and the Yellow dragon cave.
Finally a last few days in Shanghai, we stayed at the Sunrise on the Bund, a beautiful hotel, but not really on the bund. We were unlucky that there were night roadworks going on outside our window, but the staff did their best to mitigate their impact. Shanghai does not really need a guide, it is quite westernised and it is easy to navigate. The advantage of having a guide is that you will pack much more into the day. Again, we were grateful to have one of China Discovery's guides for one of the 3 days we spent here. As when we asked the concierge at the hotel for direction for a shopping centre, he arranged for a taxi to take us to a really hard sale place that made us feel quite uncomfortable. During the rest of the holiday only twice we had been taken to places where we felt in some way obliged to buy something, but it was not a hard sell, the trips were listed on the itinerary and we could have said we did not want to go there.
Overall it was a great holiday and we have been so impressed by the organisation and value for money provided by China Discovery and Johnson that we are planning to do a tour of Southern China in the next couple of years.
dianscot
Canada
- Reviewed on April 23, 2019
This is my first ever review for a travel agency! I needed a quick solution for a week long getaway with my 7 year old boy during his March holidays and after doing some research on the net, I decided to go with China Discovery. My son is very keen to visit the terracotta warriors in Xian and I thought why not start from Chengdu to see the giant pandas ( what else?) and hop over to Emei Shan and Leshan and then travel to Xian to see the famous terracotta warriors and mausoleum.
Vivian who coordinated the trip was extremely efficient and responsive. Everything went smoothly throughout the trip. For the trips in Chengdu and surrounding areas, Ruby was the guide. We were really impressed by her patience, altitude and her care. She brought us to some really great local restaurants that's not the usual ones catering to tourists.
Over in Xian we had Gin as the guide and I must say she's very knowledgeable and well versed in ancient Chinese history. All in all, I would definitely use this agency again for my next guided trip to China. Cheers.
Kwoksmusic
Australia
- Reviewed on April 19, 2019
Dear Jack,
My family and I had a wonderful time in China! You selected great hotels and food for us throughout our trip - thank you! My brother and sister in law were particularly impressed by the guides in both Xian and Xiamen. Sofy in Xiamen went out of her way to do some research into our family's last name to help us locate our village. While she couldn't find the actual village, she got us close enough.
Overall, the hotel quality was very good, and the food the best I'd eaten in China (its my 4th. trip.) and although Danny was sick once, we are not sure its the food as no one else got sick. The taste was just fantastic, especially in your home city of Chengdu!
Personally, I loved the Yangtze - what an amazing experience to be on that river! The local guide who took us on the "Green Goddess" tributary cruise, is a native from those mountains, so she was able to tell us about her family's life on the mountains. She even sang songs in her native language for us, which was wonderful!
I only have a couple of suggestions for improvement. For the tour in Xiamen, 1 day on Tulous is enough and a whole day should be allocated to Gulangyu. There were places in Gulangyu we would have loved to look at - for example the book store cafes, but we had no time at all. Secondly, it would be even better during long car rides (3 hours to Tulou), for the guide to give us more information about the areas we passed. She always answered our questions well, but it would be better if there was a plan.
Thank you for your good planning overall. We are impressed with China's progress and we will certainly be recommending both China and your company to our friends for their travels!
NorthStar769301
USA
- Reviewed on March 17, 2019
My husband and I were very, very pleased with the arrangements our online consultant Wing Zeng with China Discovery Yangtze River Cruise Tibet Discovery put together for us which was a 14 day trip. We flew into Beijing, experienced the Great Wall, the imperial palace, Xian, to see the Terra cotta warriors, cities in between, we cruised along the Li River and a 3 days cruise down the Yangtze River. Our trip ended in Shanghai. Yes, we too were a bit uncomfortable making arrangements online with such a distance away but Ms Wing put our minds at ease. Our experience was beyond our expectations starting with our tour sites and hotels. We were able to experience transportation that we don’t have in our area like the bullet train and subway. Our Guides, Mr Jean, Ms Alice, Ms Vivian, Ms Fay, and Zack were all fabulous at what the do. We would definitely book with this company again.
Icantap222
USA
- Reviewed on March 14, 2019
We booked the 6-Day Shanghai Yangtze Cruise with China Discovery and had a blast! I was very nervous about booking everything online, but Yanny He, our travel consultant, was excellent! All my fears and concerns were handled and I was assured that guides would be there to pick us up and drop us off for the entire trip. It was like clockwork! The cruise was excellent---the ship well appointed (Century Sun), the included excursions wonderful, the lectures and entertainment on board outstanding, the crew delightful, and the scenery mind-blowing. Our days in Shanghai were chilly but lots of fun & our guide gave us some excellent suggestions beyond the tour. All in all I highly recommend China Discovery. Yanny He (my online consultant) was patient, knowledgeable in all aspects of the trip, and very organized---as were all the guides throughout the trip. If you love China or are curious about it, take this trip!
CameronA172
Australia
- Reviewed on February 21, 2019
We booked our trip with Yanny He. Yanny was excellent with communication throughout the whole process. She is amazing and I would recommend her to anyone that wants to book a tour in China. Our tour started in Guangzhou, a train to Guilin, boat to Yangshuo, flight to Xi'an, flight to Chongqing for a three-day Yangtze river cruise to Yinchang and then a flight to Beijing. Every step of the way our guides were extremely knowledgeable and helpful. Everything ran like clockwork which is not always possible in China! A guide was waiting for us at each station or airport and took us to the next check in at the end of each leg.
The places themselves were definitely worth visiting. I told Yanny the cities that we wanted to visit and she created the itinerary for us and it was perfect. We travelled during Chinese New Year which can pose some problems but overall was a great time to travel. The city walls of Xi'an were all lit up during the festival and cities such as Guangzhou and Beijing were much quieter than normal. It was a bit cold on the top deck of the boat during our cruise but the scenery was amazing.
martin j
UK
- Reviewed on January 10, 2019
I'm from England, in April 2018, I was looking for a tour of China and as most people do, looked at many differnt companies. I sent off ideas of where I wanted to go and the types of things that interested me. I came accross China discovery and to be honest, the reviews on this site were mixed. Some very good, some very bad. As I read on, it appeared that there were 2 companies running with the same name, this one in Chengdu, China and one in America. Reading through it seemed that it was the one in America that was getting the bad press.
I was also concerned about sending money to a company in Asia, anayway I did & needent have worried. Johnson Wang arranged everything, answered all questions etc, changed and rechanged my schedule and phoned me during the trip to check all was ok. Thanks Johnson.
I started in Beijing,went to the forbidden city. in all of these places,trains, planes, visitor sites, expect to que and have your bags etc searched and scanned along with visa and passports etc. You really need a full day to get round the forbidden city and visit the musems. I didn't want a trip that took me to the great wall and said there you go, pop up and be back in 30 minutes so told them I wanted to be out in the country so got them to arrange a 3hr walk on the wall at Jinshanling, quieter than closer options but out in the mountains & lovely. be warned, it is very steep up and down in places. This done, back to Beijing then more sights the next day before the bullet train to Xian.When you gou get off the train and go up the steps, make sure you know whether to turn right or left, big staiton.
All the guides, drivers were waiting for me on time at every location and spoke good english. Johnny was the guide here in Xian and very pleasant and informitive. As with most, I came to see the terracottas and wasn't dissapointed but be aware the 3rd chamber with the horse and carrage was heaving when I went, not comfortable, they need to limit numbers a bit. Hang Wang Tomb is a must and worth the drive out there.Shanxi museum also worth a look but give yourself a good 4 hrs +. I had 6 internnal flights in all, these are flexible in there timings and can and do change so expect that, if they don't, all the better but be prepared to be flexible.Next, Hotel Universal at Guilin with riverside room - good. Guides name was Dixon, again very friendy and informitive. From here I took a boat down the Lee river, about 50 miles of snaking river to Yangsou. Lovely little place, good hotel (new century) nice park to walk left side beyond car park. Also the water show - well worth the visit, outdoors, on river,at night, can get cold (or wet) so go prepared. About 3oo mostly locals involved alongside quality singers and good use of lighting. Next back to Guilin and flight to Kunming (Stone forest area but do go to the Ethnic Younan show, (minority tribes) not cheap but a wow) Dali -best for me + N hotel a wow, Guide here was Alice and probably the best. lovely woman, good knowledge and way with people. Lots of options here. Next flew to Chongching for 3 nights on Yangtze cruise, again, lovely views along the way. some of their optional trips on the cruise wern't so good but they are optional. You do notice the smog but it got clearer into my trip. Don't expect many locals anywhere, restaurants etc to speak english so use an app to translate menus etc. Also, the shops wouldn't accept western credit cards whilst I was there, this may change but check first. Food varies from province to province.
All in all I had an excellent trip, well looked after by guides and Johnny.
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Amazing Yangtze River Cruise Travel Stories
Here are selected travel stories shared by our valued customers who enjoyed Yangtze River Cruise and more stunning places. May these stories ignite your wanderlust and make you pack your bags and go! Or, you can click 2012-2024 Customer Travel Stories for more stunning stories.
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“Only You” - Couple’s Resounding 69 Days Private China Journey
Elie & Marie has successfully enjoyed their wonderful and romantic 10 week couple's private vacation and experienced a lot of interesting things in 32 destinations around vast China!
- Elie (Belgium)
- (69 Days) 2019.09.04~2019.11.11
- Beijing - Hohhot - ... - Yangtze - Zhangjiajie - Yunnan - Guilin - Xiamen - Hangzhou - Shanghai
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Winston's Couple Tour to 9 Cities around China plus Yangtze Cruise
Winston and his wife have traveled to many world places during the past 21 years and experienced the best vacation this time to explore China's west and east, north and south parts!
- Winston (USA)
- (22 Days) 2019.05.17~2019.6.07
- Beijing - Xian - ... - Yangtze River Cruise - Yichang - Shanghai - Suzhou - Beijing
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A Trip to Realize a Dream
A dream comes true! We loved every minute of it. Wonderful experience. We started our cruise in Yichang (about 1000 km from Shanghai), sailing upstream- recommended way to go at this time of the year. We sailed with the Century Legend. Warmly recommended, also because of its fabulous staff...
- Miss Tanja S (Nederland)
- (5 Days) 2018.03.20~2017.03.2
- Yichang - Chongqing
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Wander in the Living Landscape Gallery
Travlled as a mixed family in very well organized tour, we appreciated the occasionally help (translating) of the servants in the restaurant. The cabins were in good condition and quite spacy and the room-service was excellent, always clean and fresh. We enjoyed the self-service buffet...
- Mr. Rolf (German)
- (4 Days) 2017.05.02~2017.05.05
- Chongqing - Yangtze River - Yichang
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The Meaning of Travel - 1000 Years of Buddhist Art Visit
I chose China Discovery the Chengdu based travel agency through the Internet. Right from the initial show of interest, Stephanie Kuang interacted with me throughout. I was truly impressed by her quick responses, professionalism and guidance...
- Mr. Gautam Sen (India)
- (13 Days) 2017.04.10~2017.04.22
- Beijing - Lanzhou - Dunhuang - Xian - Guilin - Yangtze - Shanghai
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Hello, Poetic and Picturesque China
There were six of us travelling together. We used China Discovery to help us plan and visit Guilin, Yangshuo, Xian, Chengdu, Chongqing, Yangtze River Cruise and Shanghai. They arranged all our flights and train travel from Hong Kong to Shanghai.
- Mr.Doug (Canada)
- (13 Days)2017.04.09 ~ 2017.04.21
- Hong Kong - Guilin - Xian - Chengdu - Yangtze - Shanghai
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