4 Days Guilin Budget Tour

We were looking for a tour in SW China while in the area for work and found this one. While we wouldn't normally get a private tour but surprisingly it was actually cheaper than most of the group tours in the area and was great value. While I would usually rather keep one guide for the whole tour, as you get to know each other and they get to know what you are interested in, we changed guides 5 times during this trip (fortunately we had the same guide in Kunming at the start and end of the tour which was a real bonus as Murphy, our Kunming based guide, was excellent.) In this case changing guides had the advantage of local knowledge at each site so compensated for the change. Of the 4 guides we had 3 excellent and 1 very good with each of them working hard to look after us and make sure we enjoyed our trip. Vicky, our Dali based guide was also extremely good making our time there a highlight. The tour gives you 2 days at each base ie travel in the morning, have the afternoon and the next day touring the area then drive to the next base. We chose the driving tour as we feel it gives you a better experience of the area and you get to see the locals in action. All the drivers we had were great - they went out of their way to look after us and were very safe, which is saying something for driving in China. While all of the guides were very fluent in English none of the drivers could speak English which was a slight disadvantage as you didn't have the guides with you when traveling between bases but the friendliness and helpfulness of the drivers more than made up for this. The tour was very well organised and we knew what we were doing from the time we met our guide on arrival at the Kunming railway station to when we walked through security at the airport on our way out. The tour comes with 4,5 and 6 star accommodation choices and we went for the cheapest 4 star option. While the English at the hotels was limited the guides made sure we were checked in and out and took care of any issues (which were minimal). The 4 star option is largely "Chinese style" hotels ie designed for Chinese visitors with breakfast consisting of what many westeners would consider dinner style food but there was always eggs and toast for the less adventurous. The hotels were all clean and comfortable and generally very well located. The Hotel in Kunming (Jin Jang Inn) was a bonus as it seemed higher than 4 star and we stayed there both on our way in and out. As well as breakfast, lunch came with the tour which was enjoyable as the guides choose the restaurants so we got a variety. I got the feeling that most of the restaurants were owned by friends or family or there was some arrangement with the guide, but as you get to formally review each guide and the meals at the end of each stop they work hard to make sure you enjoy the meal and there was always an abundance of food. We tried a range of local cuisine and there was only one meal we didn't think was up to par. You get your own dinner which also suited us as there is invariably a range of restaurants or for the more adventurous there is the street vendors and you can choose what you want. The vehicles we were driven in were all very good- plenty of space and very comfortable. Being a private tour, while there was a set itinerary, which was diverse and very interesting with something for most people, the guides could tweak it to suit individual interests eg more time at one site and less at another. It is easy to get a bit templed out but overall the itinerary was a good mic of nature and culture. I would thoroughly recommend the tour and the company and we will be looking to the company if/when we go back - Guilin is next on the list as the guides were very happy to discus what they thought we would and wouldn't enjoy based on working with us on this tour,

Rebecca from Top China Travel organized the trip for 4 for 2 weeks. We had a private driver and tour guide in each city. We were met and escorted everywhere from pickup to drop off at train stations or airports. The guides were excellent and generally spoke English well. they were enthusiastic and helpful. We often had them ordering our meals because of language issues. The tour in each city was very good. Unfortunately as someone else has indicated the Oct 1 week is very busy and so you have to time where you go to try to avoid the unbelievable crowds. The travel arrangements whether by train or air were perfect with no hassles or problems. we were always met punctually and there were never any surprises. Meals were excellent in the absolutely amazing hotels which were 5* plus. Getting used to the Chinese food was challenging and so it did take a bit of effort to figure out what our stomachs could handle but we did prefer the local restaurants as opposed to sticking with western food. Our favourite site was Guilin. The landscape and scenery spectacular plus the opportunity to hike and cycle refreshing after the big cities. One must see Shanghai and the warriors but be aware that there are crowds and a lot of traffic so getting anywhere is often longer than expected. Overall I would do the trip again and 2 weeks was certainly a good length of time. The organization and attention to detail was excellent

We selected TCT to help us with our China trip. They delivered what they promised. They were there at every step. We took their help in Beijing and then again in Guilin. In Guilin, they had a personal trip for us. They really provided value. We are vegetarians and the options they provided were great. Lauren, our guide in Guilin knew every aspect of information and was very honest and the kids enjoyed her candid remarks. We were a family of four with our sons 26 and 24. At times, the four days of trip with someone constantly with you got a little too much as we wanted to have private family time but they were always understanding and accommodated us.

The views are stunning and the boat that we were on had VIP seating for just our group with a private balcony to view the river.

We had a wonderful tour of Beijing, Xi’an, Lhasa, Chengdu and Shanghai. Our tour guide/ planner , Joyce , was so pleasant and helpful from beginning to end. We kept in touch throughout our tour through what’s app when any questions arose. Our personal tour guides in each city were knowledgeable and friendly as well as all of our drivers. We would highly recommend China tours. ( ask for Joyce!)

We signed up with TCT after reading reviews of Tibet tour agencies. Our trip included 4 days in Lhasa, two in Shigatse and one at the base camp. TCT made all the arrangements including the Tibet permit, hotels, tour guide, car and the driver for the entire trip. The arrangements were superb. The guide and the driver were very accommodating to our needs and made the entire trip very convenient. At the base camp, the guide even arranged for extra oxygen in case we need it. She was also very helpful in advising us as how to get acclimated to the altitude. The entire trip was smooth and enjoyable and we would highly recommend TCT for travel to Tibet.

From my first contact with our tour operator Janet, I felt very comfortable that she would organise a great trip for us. She was very clear, professional and helpful in our correspondence. We visited Beijing, Pinghao, Xian, Guilin and Shangai and everything was organised in the most perfect way! Also the guides we had along our trip were very good, helpful and flexilble and they all spoke English very well (sometimes a problem in Asia). I highly recommendvTop China Travel and Janet. Many thanks for the services...

We had little time to plan this trip to China and decided a private tour was best for the short time we had available. We really enjoyed the tour 4.5 days in Beijing and 1.5 days in Shanghai. We saw all the highlights, but more importantly our guides talked to us about the people, the culture, the society, etc. We felt very immersed in what we were learning and seeing for those days. The guides were flexible, changing the schedule to accomodate visiting the Great Wall of China on a sunny day. Our hotels were all very nice, and we enjoyed having a driver drop us off right at the entrance to the places we were visiting and picking us up right when we were done. It enabled us to see quite alot in a short amount of time. We enjoyed the one on one contact with our guides (Cathy in Beijing and Sophie in Shanghai.)

I enjoyed my trip to China thanks to my tour guides; Angela in Beijing and Waiting in Shanghai. Both of them were incredibly knowledgeable about their particular cities and were able to answer any questions I had. I wouldn't have taken so many great pictures if it weren't for my tour guides and them advising me on great picture moments. With both Angela and Waiting, it felt like I was touring China with good friends; which was great since I went on this trip solo. I will definitely book with TCT next time I visit China. Thank you for making my first vacation abroad memorable.

I have been to Xi'an before with a larger group so this time booking with only 3 friends made it very enjoyable and a more personable experience for each of us. The cost was reasonable and made the whole time worry free.The restaurant that was recommended by our tour guide Maggie was of excellent quality and fair price. Maggie's english was very good, and knowledge of sites we visited was also very good. The booking agent Janet took care of the logistics of every detail of the trip; she was available to assist us outside of regular working hours and became our translator at the train station when we were having difficulty communicating what we needed.

Simon and His driver Mr Tian were our guides during our visit to beijing 4days in April 2019,Simply they were so professional persons that myself and my wife superised.We want deeply thank to them for their help to us and wish all the best in their life.Once again our friend thank you.We will never FORGET you.PANOS AND SIA

We used Top China Travel to plan and execute our time in Beijing. They were very quick in responding to our requests and helped us create a personalized 6 day tour, giving us all the information we needed ahead of time. Our guide, Louise, was wonderful. She is personable and it was a pleasure to spend time with her. Her English is great and she is very knowledgeable about Chinese history and culture. She could answer any questions we had and we learned so much.Our trip was successful because of our time with her. We had a driver who took us to each place and all entry fees were included in our tour price which was very convenient. I highly recommend this type of tour in a city that could have otherwise been intimidating. We will definitely use TCT again.

The 8 of us just returned from an amazing trip to Beijing, Xi’an, Lhasa, Chengdu and Shanghai. I must admit we were a bit nervous, organizing the trip from afar. However Lily Li from TCT was in constant communication with me, answering all my queries with professionalism. We had exceptional tour guides and drivers all the way. The service ran like clockwork yet allowed flexibility in what we wanted. We are thrilled with our experience and will not hesitate to recommend them to anyone who are looking for small group tour, flexibility and good value for money. Thank you Lily from TCT.

My wife and I have just finished spending 9 nights with top China travel and I must say they exceeded every expectation we had. The tour guides were well spoken and very knowledgeable of their area. The drivers were very safe and cautious amongst what I would believe to be the worst drivers I have ever seen. Janet, who organised our tour was very good, and everything happened on time and as promised. I was a bit of a special needs customer due to being on crutches and Janet went out of her way to ensure that I was not taken anywhere that I wasn't able to access without too much difficulty, whilst still getting me to all attractions. Best of all, we were left waiting anywhere, they were always on time as promised. We found this very comforting, WELL DONE TO THE TCT TEAM. Shaun and Janene O'Brien, Melbourne Australia

I can't recommend this company enough!!I started talking to Yocky via the chat system on their website, as we wanted to do a 2.5 week trip around China. Our itinerary was:Shenzhen-Beijing-Xian-Kunming-Dongchuan-Chengdu-Guilin-SanyaHere's how things went:1) She was instant in her replies and responded to subsequent emails within the hour (and trust me, I sent A LOT of emails). She was always so thorough and efficient.2) She made us a tailor made trip that covered everything we wanted, including some slightly more off the beaten track attractions.3) She helped us keep to our budget and suggested reasonable things we could cut out when things were too expensive (not something many companies would do as they are trying to make a quick buck).4) She listened to all of our requests for things such as early morning flights, vegetarian food, and readjusting itineraries.5) All our drivers and guides were EXCELLENT; they were prompt, kind, spoke excellent English and had a wealth of knowledge about all the sites we saw. All the cars on our private tours were nice and comfortable and had water.6) Despite asking for 3* hotels, all 7 hotels we stayed in seemed like 4* to us and all included breakfast.7) With such a large and complicated trip there were bound to be a few hiccups (e.g. there was a marathon in Xian one day which meant a lot of roads were closed, so we couldn't access sites). Yocky was in touch with us the entire time and helped us rearrange our plans quickly and ordered complimentary tickets to a show to make up for the inconvenience.We were so nervous about our first trip to China as we speak no mandarin and are strict vegetarian but honestly this was one of the best trips of our life; this company made it so easy for us and I really can't imagine having been able to do it myself any better!