China Travel Guide

Packages for the Independent Traveler

Package tours are simply a way to buy the airfare, accommodations, and other elements of your trip (such as car rentals, airport transfers, and sometimes even activities) at the same time and often at discounted prices.

One good source of package deals is the airlines themselves. Most major airlines offer air/land packages, including American Airlines Vacations (tel. 800/321-2121; www.aavacations.com), Delta Vacations (tel. 800/654-6559; www.deltavacations.com), Continental Airlines Vacations (tel. 800/301-3800; www.covacations.com), and United Vacations (tel. 888/854-3899; www.unitedvacations.com). Several big online travel agencies -- Expedia, Travelocity, Orbitz, Site59, and Lastminute.com -- also do a brisk business in packages.

Since China reopened to foreign tourism in the early 1980s, all foreign tour operators have been required to use official state-registered travel companies as ground handlers. All arrangements in China were usually put together by one of three companies: China International Travel Service (CITS), China Travel Service (CTS), or China Youth Travel Service (CYTS). Controls are now loosening, foreign tour companies are now allowed some limited activities in China, and the range of possible Chinese partners has increased, but in effect, CITS and the like are the only companies with nationwide networks of offices, and most foreign tour companies still turn to them. They work out the schedule at the highest possible prices and send the costs to the foreign package company, which then adds its own administration charges and hands the resulting quote to you.

You could get the same price yourself by dealing with CITS (which has many offices overseas) directly. But you can get far better prices by organizing things yourself as you go along so, other than convenience, there's little benefit and a great deal of unnecessary cost to buying a package. Just about any tour operator will offer to tailor an itinerary to your needs, which means it will usually simply pass on the request to one of the state monoliths, and pass the result back to you. The benefit of dealing with a Chinese travel company directly is that you cut out the middleman, but if things go wrong, you will be unlikely to obtain any compensation whatsoever. If you book through a home tour operator, you can expect to obtain refunds and compensation if this becomes appropriate. In general, however, when organized through CITS, rail or air tickets for your next leg are reliably delivered to each hotel as you go. Never book directly over the Web with a China-based travel service or "private" tour guide. Many are not licensed to do business with foreigners, have not been licensed as guides, or will hugely overcharge and frequently mislead you (in the most charming way possible), and you will have no recourse at all.

If you're set on a tour, and money is no object, then start with the list of tour companies below in the next section, nearly all of which will arrange individual itineraries; or contact the CNTO to find properly registered Chinese agencies who may help you. The Hong Kong Tourism Board and the Macau Government Tourism Office, in whose territories the tourism industry is well regulated, can point you toward reputable operators and talented licensed private guides.

Escorted General-Interest Tours

Escorted tours are structured group tours with a group leader. The price usually includes everything from airfare to hotels, meals, tours, admission costs, and local transportation, but usually not domestic or international departure taxes.

Again, due to the distorted nature of the Chinese industry, escorted tours do not usually represent savings, but rather a significant increase in costs over what you can arrange for yourself. Foreign tour companies are now required to work with state-owned ground handlers, although some do book as much as they can directly, and some work discreetly with private operators they trust. But even as markets become freer, most deals will continue to be made with the official state operators, if only for convenience. Tours are very attractive if you wish to see a large amount of the country very swiftly. Please read the brochures with as much skepticism as you would read a Realtor's (one man's "scenic splendor" is another's "heavily polluted"), and read the following notes carefully.

Most tour companies peddle the same list of mainstream "must-sees" -- not all of which can hope to live up to the towering hype -- featuring Beijing, Xi'an, Shanghai, Guilin, and the Yangzi River, with some alternative trips to Tibet, Yunnan Province, or the Silk Routes.

As with package tours, the arrangements within China itself are almost always managed by a handful of local companies, whose cupidity often induces them to lead both you and your tour company astray. Various costs, which should be included in the tour fee, can appear as extras; itineraries are altered to suit the pocket of the ground handler (local operator); and there are all sorts of shenanigans to separate the hapless tourist from extra cash at every turn, usually at whatever point the tour staff appears to be most helpful. (The driver has bottles of water for sale on the bus each day? You're paying three times the store price.)

When choosing a tour company for China, you must, of course, consider cost, what's included, the itinerary, the likely age and interests of other tour group members, the physical ability required, and the payment and cancellation policies, as you would for any other destination. But you should also investigate the following:

Shopping Stops -- These are the bane of any tour in China, designed to line the pockets of tour guides, drivers, and sometimes the ground handling company itself. A stop at the Great Wall may be limited to only an hour so as to allow an hour at a cloisonne factory. In some cases the local government owns the shop in question and makes a regulation requiring all tours to stop there. The better foreign tour operators design their own itineraries and have instituted strict contractual controls to keep these stops to a minimum, but they are often unable to do away with them altogether, and tour guides will introduce extra stops whenever they think they can get away with it. Other companies, particularly those that do not specialize in China, just take the package from the Chinese ground handler, put it together with flights, and pass it on uncritically. At shopping stops, you should never ask or accept your tour guide's advice on what is the "right price." You are shopping at the wrong place to start with, where prices will often be 10 to 15 times higher than they should be. Your driver gets a tip, and your guide gets 40% of sales. The "discount" card you are given marks you for yet higher initial prices and tells the seller to which guide commission is owed. So ask your tour company how many of these stops are included, and simply sit out those you cannot avoid.

Guides -- Another problem with mainland guides is that their main concern is impressing foreigners with the greatness of China. You may end up hearing an impressive array of unverifiable statistics, little stories of dubious authenticity but that will amuse you, and a detailed knowledge of the official history of a place that may bear faint resemblance to the truth. So you may be told that the Great Wall can be seen from outer space (silly), that one million people worked on building the Forbidden City (it was only 100,000 on last year's trip), and that the little old lady you've just met in a village has never seen a foreigner before (she tells every group the same thing).

Ask your tour company if it will be sending along a guide or tour manager from your home country to accompany trip members and to supplement local guides. This is worth paying more for, as it ensures a smoother trip all-around, and it helps you get more authoritative information. Otherwise, you're better off bringing background reading from home. Guides in Hong Kong and Macau, however, are often extremely knowledgeable and both objective and accurate with their histories.

Tour Companies

Between them, the following tour companies (a tiny selection of what's available) cater to just about all budgets and interests (contact them directly for specific itineraries and pricing). The companies are from the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and Australia, but many have representatives globally, and you can anyway just buy the ground portion and fly in from wherever you like.

Abercrombie and Kent (U.S.): Group size is typically 12 to 18 participants (with a maximum of 24 persons) and tour leaders include Mandarin-speaking Westerners and Chinese, and local specialist guides. Tours have a historical and cultural focus and are upmarket, using China's very best hotels and direct contact with local artists, archaeologists, and colorful personalities. In the United States (group tours and custom private tours): tel. 800/323-7308; fax 630/954-3324; www.abercrombiekent.com. In the U.K. (custom private tours): tel. 0845/0700615; fax 0845/0700608.

Academic Travel Abroad (U.S.): Groups are typically of 20 to 30 people and tour leaders are Mandarin-speaking Americans, with additional specialty study leaders. The company has been operating tours to China since 1979, and operates educational and cultural tours in China for The Smithsonian (educational, cultural) and National Geographic Expeditions (natural history, soft adventure). For more information, check the website at www.academic-travel.com, but book through individual sponsors. The Smithsonian: tel. 877/EDU-TOUR; fax 202/633-9250; http://smithsonianjourneys.org. National Geographic: tel. 888/966-8687; fax 202/342-0317; www.nationalgeographic.org/ngexpeditions.

Adventure Center (U.S.): The maximum group size is 18 (typically 12) and both foreign and local tour leaders are used. The company offers a range of trip styles from more affordable grass-roots-style trips designed for younger participants to more inclusive trips using upgraded accommodations for those wanting to combine adventure and comfort. Itineraries include walks on stretches of the Great Wall, the Eastern Qing Tombs, and Chengde. tel. 800/227-8747 in the U.S., or 888/456-3522 in Canada. Representatives can also be contacted in Australia and New Zealand. See www.adventurecenter.com.

Elderhostel (U.S.): Group size ranges from 33 to 40 participants and tours are developed in cooperation with Chinese educational institutions. Excursions and activities supplement the educational theme of each course, and options include working vacations and an opportunity to teach English in Xi'an: tel. 877/426-8056; www.elderhostel.org.

Gecko's Adventures (Australia): Gecko's tours are aimed at a younger crowd (typically 20-40-year-olds) and tour leaders are locals with Gecko's training. Itineraries stick mainly but not entirely to the highlights, but these are more down-to-earth budget tours using smaller guesthouses, local restaurants, and public transport. Branches across Australia: tel. 03/9662-2700; fax 03/9662-2422; and now in the U.K. (tel. 01/635872300; geckosadventures.co.uk) and the U.S. too (tel. 800/227-8747). For representatives worldwide, see www.geckosadventures.com.

Intrepid Travel (Australia): These trips are for more adventurous travelers and are graded for physical requirements and culture shock, ranging from relaxed vacations to those requiring more strenuous effort. Itineraries are a deft mix of popular destinations and the less visited (tel. 1300/360-887 in Australia, or 613/9473-2626; tel. 613/9478-2626 or 877/448-1616 in the U.S., or 0800/917-6456 or 44(0)20/7354-6170 in the U.K.; fax 613/9419-4426; www.intrepidtravel.com).

General Tours World Traveler (U.S.): Small-group escorted tours led by a handpicked team of English-speaking guides. Itineraries are experiential and culture-focused, and as such, shopping stops are kept to a minimum. There's a wide choice, including six different Yangzi cruises and tours covering the highlights of China plus Tibet or Japan (tel. 800/221-2216; www.generaltours.com).

Laurus Travel (Canada): Group sizes range from 10 to 20 people and a tour leader accompanies the tour from Canadian departure or from arrival in China. Laurus is a China-only specialist, but itineraries are mainstream (tel. 877/507-1177 in the U.S. and Canada, or 604/438-7718; fax 604/438-7715; www.laurustravel.com).

Pacific Delight Tours (U.S.): There are special tours for families with children and tours can be modified or extended to meet client needs. Top-range tours are accompanied by a bilingual tour manager from the West Coast onward, while others are locally hosted (tel. 800/221-7179; www.pacificdelighttours.com).

Peregrine Adventures (Australia): Peregrine designs its own programs and tour leaders are locals trained by the company. Trips include visits to private homes and smaller restaurants frequented by locals, and can include walks and bike rides (tel. 800/227-8747 in the U.S., or 03/9663-8611; fax 03/9663-8618; www.peregrineadventures.com).

R. Crusoe and Son (U.S.): Tour groups are kept small and are accompanied by a Hong Kong Chinese and are joined by local guides at each stop. Tours include extras such as a visit to an area of the Forbidden City that is usually closed to the public, private visit to the Tang dynasty murals, and a view of Xi'an's Terra-Cotta Warriors at eye level, rather than just from the viewing gallery (tel. 888/490-8045; www.rcrusoe.com).

Ritz Tours (U.S.): Groups range in size from 10 to 40 people; parents often bring children. Ritz's own Shanghai office organizes the selection of local ground handlers -- a mixture of large and small companies, with a preference for those providing good English-speaking guides (tel. 800/900-2446; www.ritztours.com).

SITA World Tours (U.S. and Canada): With over 75 years of experience, SITA offers luxury, deluxe, and first class tours throughout China and the Orient, escorted by certified guides that are sensitive to the needs of the discerning traveler. SITA also guarantees its departures so there is never a concern in a tour canceling (tel. 800/421-5643; www.sitatours.com).

Steppes Travel (U.K.): Groups are accompanied from the U.K. by a British tour leader and tailor-made itineraries are available so that travelers can include what they want, travel when they want, choose the level of accommodations they require. The company is especially strong on the Silk Routes and Tibet (tel. 01285/651010; fax 01285/8858888; www.steppestravel.co.uk).

Swain Tours specializes in creating fully customized travel experiences to various destinations, including China. They're great for those seeking an off-the-beaten-path adventure (tel. 800/227-9246, ext. 1140; fax 610/896-9592; www.SwainTours.com).

Tauck World Discovery (U.S.): Tauck offers 13- and 16-day itineraries in China, both featuring a 3-night Yangzi River cruise, upscale accommodations, and virtually all expenses included (four on-tour flights, 37 meals, admission to all sites and attractions, and so on) (tel.: 800/468-2825; www.tauck.com).