Celine was a wonderful guide - she had so much knowledge to share and made our time in Xian a great experience. Her knowledge of the Terracotta Warriors helped us really understand the history. Celine also made sure we experienced the Muslim Area and made sure that we took some time for us to explore the city on our own - thank you Celine

Everyone sets an expectation of the holiday that they have planned. It was the same for me. But GUILIN far exceeded the expectationsl that I had set. It is really beautiful & the pictures available online, do not & cannot do justice to the real beauty of the city.
My experience would not be how it turned out to be without my amazing guide named 'Quiyan Li' from Travel China Guide tours.

I had a wonderful time with Mark and our driver on the wall. Mark was very experienced and enthusiastic. He was a great entertainment with giving me the facts and history of the sites and was able to answer any questions I had.

I really enjoyed this trip and a big thanks to Lily for being an amazing guide and person!!

Super happy I got to do the tour with her!

A++

We went on the trip in September, to see all the main sights of Xi’an. The guide picked us promptly from the hotel in a very comfortable car. On the way, she spoke about the history of Xi’an, terracotta warriors and the emperor. The tour was well organised. Despite the crowds in the attractions, the guide always found great spots for pictures and to tell us a bit more about the discoveries. After the warriors, we went to the city centre to see the pagoda and walk around the streets. She has also given us many suggestions for the next day. Very enjoyable visit, will highly recommend!

I really enjoyed Beijing and the site l seing. I would definitely recommend the Forbidden city, the great wall of China, Summer Palace and the Hutong.

Thank you to Candy

Would highly recommend if you only have one day or two in Xi'an and don't speak Chinese for the convience. Tour guide Tracy was excellent, very knowledgeable about the local history and full of great recommendations for others things to do and restaurants! All the tickets were sorted, the pick up was very prompt and on time, and if was nice to be shown round and all questions about the culture etc.

I have only high praise for our guide Kevin. Not only was he knowledgable about the site, he helped us avoid lines, helped us haggle with the vendors and above all else took amazing pictures while we were there. He knew all the best places. For any excursion in and around Beijing I highly recommend Kevin!

An incredible experience. The tour was well managed and lived up to all expectations. The guides and motorists were first class and I would particularly mention Celine who could not have been more attentive. The hotels were first rate and the overall organisation of the trip was top notch. I hope to go with this company to Peru in the near future and have every confidence that it will go well. (I wish I could take Celine with me!)

The tour with Celine was great! She is super knowledgeable and has provided us with lots of interesting insights! If you are looking for a convenient 1-day Xi'an highlights tour, this is the one to go for. :)

Amazing tour of Wuhan and greatly appreciated for the guiding from Michael and support from Emily! We toured Yellow Crane Tower and had nice time with the details and history; and the beautiful Guiyuan Temple.

We had a fantastic time and were well treated by our Travel China Guides and drivers. I want to travel this way from now on! In particular, Barry in Beijing, Celine in Xi'an, Sugar in Cheungdu, Wen in Yichang, and Run in Shanghai were all wonderful guides. They were very knowledgeable, professional, personable, and friendly. They and our drivers took great care of us. China is an amazing country and the people were so friendly. It was a once in a lifetime trip and I wouldn't do it any other way. I'd like to send a special shout-out to Wendy, our travel guide who arranged everything and supported us along the way. Thank you Travel China Guide for a wonderful family experience.

I had limited time in Beijing, so I e-mailed TravelChinaGuide who helped me set up a personal one day tour of the forbidden city and the great wall at Mutianyu.

My guide, "Kevin", was crucial in making this once in a lifetime (?) trip an absolutely brilliant experience. Kind, patient, and knowledgeble.

My tour was off to a great start when I was greeted at the airport by Carol and her driver Mr John. While traveling in the vehicle she shared the history of Xi’an, Terra Cotta Warriors, Qi dynasty and the emperors. She knew the best viewing sites at the warriors and imparted additional knowledge regarding the excavation process. I was able to meet with the farmer who discovered the warriors in 1974 and make my own miniature warrior as a souvenir. Other highlights included big wild goose pagoda, City wall and Muslim bazaar.

I am glad that I chose China Travel Guides and was lucky to have Carol as my guide. She is very knowledgeable and kind. She went out of her way to ensure a great personal experience and I never felt rushed. Carol shared many insights into current life in China that I otherwise would not have discovered on my own.

Xi’an with Carol is not to be missed! Thanks so much to Carol for ensuring my visit was memorable and seamless. Hopefully I will visit Xi’an again soon and will definitely request Carol for a new adventure.

My daughter and I took this amazing 2 days Beijing tour in June 2023, our tour guide Kevin is extremely knowledgeable, humorous, friendly and helpful in every way possible that made our journey so enjoyable, interesting and memorable, the tour vehicle is so clean, water was provided throughout whole day. Highly recommended if you want a comprehensive experience including the amazing Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, Tiananmen Square and the magnificent Great Wall of China!

Had a lovely Li River 1-day cruise. Our guide Monica & driver picked us up at our hotel at 8am & we drove 1 hour to the pier. The cruise was 4-ish hours & we were given lunch (we were actually given a ‘western’ lunch of cheese and ham sandwiches, crisps, steam cakes & chocolate!
Our guide pointed out the sights on the way & when we disembarked we walked through the little village to find our driver - very helpful to have a guide with us on the journey to help us know where to go at the other end.
We did drive to a little village nearby but there wasn’t much to see here, so we were happy to come home again. Return car journey took 2hrs.
Our guide knew we wanted to visit Elephant Park so when we were dropped off by the driver she kindly walked us to/around the park & told us all about the park & the viewpoint.
The cruise through the river was one of our highlights while in China, and I’m very glad we didn’t have to get a coach/bus back to Guilin city by ourselves. Communication beforehand was great too. Would recommend.

Our guide and driver picked us up on time & we made the short drive (60min a from centre of Xian) to the Terracotta Army. Jacky took us to meet the farmer who originally found the army, and then we entered pits 1, 3 and 2. As we went in the height of summer it was completely packed wall-to-wall - we arrived at 9am, but on reflection perhaps getting there for when it opens (8.30am) might have helped. Jacky told us as much as he could about the army, but it was difficult with the deafening crowds pushing and shoving (to the point where I felt quite claustrophobic). Had we been hungry after this would have been the perfect place for lunch.

Next we went up on to the city wall which is very wide & Jacky pointed out the views on the walk to the nearest corner. If we had gone another month when it was cooler then we would have loved to have cycled on the city walls (approx 40mins to do the whole thing I think).

Next was the Big Wild Goose Pagoda (apparently the difference between the Big/Small pagodas is their age, not their size). Jacky was able to answer our questions and explain everything in this temple complex.

Finally we went to the Muslim quarter. We asked Jacky to take us for a late lunch somewhere and we were pleased that he took us to a cafe/restaurant which we wouldn’t have been able to go to ourselves (as it didn’t have an English menu) so it felt very authentic! He gave his recommendations & the food was delicious. We then walked around the Muslim Quarter & looked in the shops before driving back to our hotel.

Jacky was a really great guide - he was so informative not just about the sights we saw but about life in China, he understood that Westerners have different views on the culture & politics etc and was happy to answer our questions & give his views! We really learnt a lot about China from him which we really appreciated.

We would definitely recommend this tour as it is the best way to see so much of Xian in one day - just perhaps not in July/August as the school holidays make the Terracotta Army sadly unbearable (& there is no crowd control in this tourist attraction yet).

We had a great time in Xian with Lily! This tour in Xian was part of our longer tour with TravelChinaGuide and we enjoyed it very much. In Xian we first visited the Terracotta Warriors. We were early enough, but is was already very crowded. Yet, Lily guided us to the best spots in all locations to have the best views, so we got the most out of our visit to this fascinating site. We then visited a place to see and learn how the warriors were made before visiting the pagoda. Quite a few local people go there dessed up in ancient clothes from the Han Dynasty times for taking their pictures at this site, which was fun to watch. We also visited the city wall, which is massive. But what impressed us most was the park around the city wall which people use for exercising, dancing, Tai Chi, relaxing. We also got a small Tai Chi instruction with a group, which was a fun experience. The Muslim Bazaar and especially the mosque is also worth a visit. The mosque is a very tranquil place to wonder around, which was very enjoyable. Altogether a great experience, also thanks to Lily, who is extremely knowledgeable and kind, and thanks to our driver who drove us and picked us up very reliably.

We had a wonderful time in Beijing! Kevin, our tour guide, made it very special with his great knowledge and excellent organization. We enjoyed walking on the great wall at Mutianyu, where Kevin knew all the spots to take the best photos :-) The Forbidden City was definitely a highlight, despite the long queue to get the tickets (thanks Kevin for standing in line for us while we could wait in the shade!). Our tour also included some other sites, like the summer palace and Lamma Temple, which we enjoyed a lot. And not to forget about the food! The hot pot was especially yummy. Thanks for the great organization and information on this tour!

We saw Shanghai as part of an 11-day tour that included Nanjing, Suzhou, and Hangzhou. We saw the French quarters first. It was good, but many of the stores were closed because it was early in the morning. Arrange to go in the evening if possible. Later, we went on the Huangpu River cruise. Ryan pointed out many of the key buildings and sites that helped us decide where to go during our free time. When we returned to Shanghai at the end of our 11-day tour, we saw the Shanghai Museum and the Yu Garden. The Shanghai Museum had a lot of great exhibits, but as with many museums, there is never enough time. Ryan pointed out many interesting details in the Yu Garden that could easily have been missed. The details and explanation made the visit to the garden a lot more meaningful. Overall, we had a great time in Shanghai.

Our guide, Sugar, and the driver met us at the train station and helped us with our bags to the car. She was kind enough to give us a history lesson on Chengdu during the ride to the hotel. She assured that our checkin at the Hampton Inn downtown went smoothly. We were pleased with the quality of the hotel and the room.

The following morning, Sugar picked us up early to go to the Chengdu giant panda rescue and research center. Despite the significant size crowds, Sugar managed to get us from place to place for some great views and photos of the Giant Pandas. After leaving the pandas, she took us to a fantastic authentic local restaurant where she helped us order the best local cuisine. The lunch was truly fantastic and we even got to see a mask changing show at the restaurant! After we went to the Jinsha Site museum where she explained the site discovery and history. Lastly we went to Kuan Alley and walked and shopped. It was a really cool neighborhood. Sugar then gave us some great dinner recommendations for local Sichuan Hot Pot (including directions from the hotel)!

We had the next morning to ourselves where we shopped at nearby stores. Sugar picked us up promptly and took us to the train station. She took us through security and to our gate to assure safe travels on our next leg.

Sugar’s English was excellent and her bubbly personality made our time in Chengdu so fun! She is a great ambassador for Chengdu and we once again felt like we made a new friend!!

This was our 2nd destination with Travel China Guides. We were pleasantly greeted at the train station by our guide, Celine, and the driver (Mrs Liu) who helped us take our bags to the car. They drove us to the holiday inn big wild goose pagoda which was a great hotel. The next morning we were taken to the terra-cotta warriors, which was beyond our expectations. Of note, Celine took the time on the drive over to do an excellent job of explaining the history behind that emperor and his Terracotta Army. She then took us to a fabulous restaurant on site for some yummy local noodles. After that we visited the Small Wild Goose Pagoda and were given a very informative tour. We finished the day at the Muslim market and mosque which we throughly enjoyed. The following day, they took us to the Xi’an city wall where we biked on the top (very fun). Lastly, we went to the Han Yangling Mausoleum which dovetailed well with the Terracotta Army.

Celine and Mrs Liu were exceptional. Celine’s English, knowledge of history, and passion for tour guiding made our visit so special. We truly thank Celine for her hospitality and Travel China Guides for arranging such an incredible visit.

This was a great one day tour. We were looked after throughout by our very knowledgeable english speaking guide Tracy and our driver. Picked up from hotel on time and all the day was paced right for us, even accomadating our lunch requirements. Terracotta Army, Pagoda, city wall and muslim quarter all great to see.

We arrived to Beijing after a long flight to be met right outside of baggage claim. Then taken directly to the hotel. After a good night sleep from jet lag, our guide, Barry, met us in the morning and took us to Ti’anamen Sq, the forbidden city, and the temple of heaven all in one day. That doesn’t include a great lunch where we enjoyed Peking Duck. Our 2nd day we visited the Great Wall and on the way home had time to visit the Olympic Village. Our last day we rode a rickshaw through a Hutang village and then visited the summer palace before being taken to the train station for our next leg.

Barry was fantastic! His English is good and his knowledge is excellent. Most importantly his personality is beyond welcoming. We felt like we met a friend.

It’s a great set up you have a driver and very nice clean large car the whole time. They handle all of the details and make sure you get to where you need to be on time. Barry even helped us with our luggage and took us all the way to our gate at the train station!

I couldn’t recommend this company more highly. We are in Xi’an now with more reviews to come.

We had a private tailor-made trip of 16 days in China with Travel China Guide.

Most loved stop has been the city of Xian. Our guide Susan with her 15 years’ experience and passion about Xian and Chinese culture helped us enjoying so much our stage there, that we will surely come back to Xian in future.

Visiting the terracotta army during summer Chinese holydays was surely a challenge due to the incredible crowd and human heat. Susan helped us relish the amazing experience, and took lots of amazing photos of us with her phone.

Xian was incredible, but it was really a wonderful trip overall!

To specially also appreciate the invaluable help of our China Guide consultant Emily, thanks to her and the WeChat app we were accompanied and assisted at every single moment of the 16 days trip.

>>>>>APP RECCOMENDATIONS for foreign travelers in China:
- Download to work offline Google Translator (good to translate in Chinese and give people text to read)
- Download to work offline Microsoft Translator (good to make picture and translate menus)
- Download to work offline Maps.me (good to move around, because google maps is useless in China)
- Install WeChat and add immediately all telephone numbers you will need during your trip. If you use a VPN it will block your account to add new contacts, but it will still let you chat with already linked contacts.
- Use WeTransfer.com to ask people to send you files (i.e. photos taken of you), google drive, dropbox and all the rest do not work in China.
- Install Airalo app and buy an eSim card (very cheap) to have mobile data with integrated VPN [you can use google and all western apps!!]. Good to stay always in contact with Emily ??.

- ExpressVPN and NordVPN did not worked for me in China. I downloaded before the trip and attempted everything to make them work in China, no way.
Without a VPN you can not use: whatsapp, skype, google maps, gmail, google search, google drives, ... and many more.

>>The Airalo eSim REALLY SAVED US to stay in contact with home.

Being our 1st visit to Xi'an, we decided to engage the local guide to make our trip worthwhile and memorable. Sent an enquiry to a couple of travel agencies and we confirmed our tour package with Travel China Guide.

Ms Emily Xin was very responsive & gave a clear explanation of the 2D itinerary in English & assigned Ms Lily, an English speaking guide to us.

Ms Lily is punctual, is accommodating & is very knowledgeable. She even helped us book a driver to the airport and for 20¥ more of what we paid for an old jalopy from the airport, it was a bigger, cleaner, comfier and a responsible driver!

Engaging a guide is definitely a wise decision.

The cruise on River Li was absolutely fabulous. Having Kevin as my local guide was like the cherry on the cake! Perfect organisation, helpful kind driver, tips and explanations. As in my case I had some spare time, Kevin organised some extra activities for me. Relaxed tour and sightseeing with a guide with huge social skills and guiding experience all over China, but especially in his hometown Guilin. A must do on your trip through China!

What an amazing experience! Occasionally in this world, one visits a famous site that is more spectacular than advertised, and this is most certainly true of the Terracotta Warriors.

Not only is the physical scale of the site dramatic, the ancient history of the Qin emperor, who the warriors protect, is equally full of drama. If that were not enough, one learns that the burial chamber itself is still intact, has not been accessed as yet, and there are more warrior sites that have yet to be excavated. The Chinese archeological plan for researching this site currently stretches one hundred years into the future!

How this site could have remained unknown to the world for two thousand years until a local farmer, in 1974, unearthed the site while digging a well, is staggering.

My advice would be to read a bit of the history of the site and of the emperor these warriors protect, prior to the tour. The emperor himself is possibly the most significant character in China's long history. I took the mini-tour, led by Lily, a super knowledgeable guide. I'd recommend doing the same - negotiating the trip on your own would be difficult (but not impossible). With 65,000 people viewing the site each day, the crowds are unforgiving, but Lily knows the best routes and knows how to keep you moving, while providing commentary and insight to the warriors, the history and the equally interesting present-day archeological efforts.

This is truly the most impactful 'tourist' site I have ever visited. It's two weeks since my visit and I'm still thinking about it!

I spent a super day discovering some highlights of Shanghai with my local guide Ryan. Ryan knows the place all over, has lots of experience in guiding tours all over the world, but especially in his hometown Shanghai. Hetells lots of details and anekdotes and even adviced on what to take for lunch well organised tour, helpful guide and private driver. for sure to recommend!

My local guide Rebecca has guided me professionally through the panda breeding research base as well as through the Wide and Narrow Alley as also the museum. as she is originate from Chengdu, she had a huge knowledge and happy to share tips and tricks. As we had some spare time, she willingly added some extra spots to the journey. Thanks a lot Rebecca! See you next time!