4.8/5 Excellent
Excellent
881
Great
197
Average
14
Disappointing
2
Terrible
0
China Tour & Trip Reviews
China Tour & Trip Ratings
Tour Reviews
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Spectacular!!!
This China Sampler vacation was the best!! Enjoyed everything about this trip including Air China, our tour director Hou, the excursions, the food, the hotels (excep...
China Sampler
We gave it a 5 star rating however the first hotel should be changed. The last hotel in Shanghai was fabulous. Room/ food/ service. 5 stars. Great guides. jWonderful...
Fabulous Trip!
All of the tour guides and especially our tour director, Oscar, were very knowledgeable and personable. The only modification I would make is to spend less time at t...
Amazing China Tour
My husband and I along with his sister and her husband just returned from Beijing, Xian and Shanghai. Our tour director, Li Bo was the most knowledgeable and caring ...
Great Vacation
Just returned from the China Sampler Tour. Our tour guide Hoa Jun was so informative and attentive to details. He was very professional and helpful. I truly enjoyed ...
China Reviews
Excellent Trip
My wife and I took this trip between Feb and March. We had the best trip ever. We arrived in Beijing and our guide Michael greeted us after we all got our bags. He s...
Great Time
My granddaughter and I took the trip in January. It was the perfect time to go.The Price was great and the tourists were few! When we climbed the Great Wall there wa...
Family Trip
My family and I took this tour this year, and it was completely fabulous!! Everything was taken care of, our meals and accommodations were excellent, and our tour gu...
Amazing and a great value!!!
My mom and I and I took this tour a couple of years ago. We were a bit skeptical of the quality of the tour because of the price (seemed too good to be true). Howeve...
Excellent in many ways
Excellent in many ways, especially our tour guide who went...
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China Reviews
You are on my list of recommended travel tours.
This was our first Smartour we took on the recommendation of a friend who has taken several. You did not disappoint. Mark was our tour guide for the group of 13. We ...
Outstanding private group tour
We were a group of 34 seniors departing from JFK on 12 Oct 2017. The itinerary was the same as the standard 17-day tour and it was well-paced for our group. Mark Ma ...
18 Amazing Days in China
Julian and I are still talking and telling everyone we meet about the surprisingly wonderful trip we recently took. Our guide, Mr. Li Bo, Oscar, was our mother, fath...
The China & Yangtze River Cruise w/ Hong Kong was truly amazing!
The China & Yangtze River Cruise w/ Hong Kong was truly amazing! Smartours had all arrangements down to a science, with all tours and transfers running like cloc...
Great China Trip
Great trip from the start. China Eastern Airline treats its customers better than a lot of U.S. airlines. Seats had enough room, 3 sufficient meals were served on th...
China Reviews
We also enjoyed the other local guides
We just returned from our 4th SmarTour. Our guide Sun Harry made our China trip outstanding. He spoke perfect English, was knowledgeable, kind, friendly,fun and was ...
Amazing China adventure
From start to finish this trip was packed with amazing historical, cultural, and contemporary China. Our guide Harry, whose pleasure it was to share his passion for ...
We had a excellent trip in China!
We had a excellent trip in China! That was already our 6s tour with SmarTours and the tour met all our expectations. The itinerary and the hotels were very good. Esp...
Fabulous China trip
On October 13, 2016, we left for our trip to China & the Yangtze River Cruise. 27 people who couldn't wait to meet each other and most of all our tour guide, Mar...
Great but exhausting tour
We hit the road running, flight from LA to Shanghai...our guide Mark was waiting for us and we set off for the hotel. Mark Ma spent the entire time with us. For most...
Editor’s Take
What to Look For in China Tour Reviews
Most trip reviews tend to focus on some or all of these 5 key areas, not all of which may be relevant to you: the tour guide, travel company, service level, country or countries traveled in, and the trip itinerary.
Remember, just because you see a 1 star review doesn’t necessarily mean that person disliked the country - however in China it’s a bit of a different story.
Negative or lower rated reviews for China tours often bring up the culture shock - though most have a positive word to say about their tour guide and the trip itinerary in general. So in the case of China reviews, the tour itself may have been enjoyable but the country was different than expected.
As you read China reviews, consider that China - while a wonderful country with amazing history and people - can be very challenging for travelers, particularly western travelers.
The language barrier is one of the primary reasons that traveling with a local guide is essential in China. They are invaluable for keeping things calm in the often crowded and confusing areas you visit, make sure you find things to eat that you’ll enjoy, and can also help you experience more rural countryside regions, that would be extremely difficult to navigate independently if you don’t speak the language.
That said, while most guides in China speak english, sometimes their accent will be thick and difficult to understand. This can be quite frustrating for some and possibly lead to a lower review score. Be sure to take this into account as you read China tour reviews.
Accommodations in China may also be quite different in terms of comfort level, depending on where in the country you’re traveling, and the tour style. Many China tours feature overnight trains, which can be quite an experience - not always super comfortable.
Homestays and local hotels are very common on China tour itineraries, and these too aren’t every travelers cup of tea. Be prepared with an open mind and adventurous spirit, ready to learn about a very different culture from your own.
If you want a professional take on traveling in China, see the Travelstride China Guide »
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