Shanghai Cultural, religious and historic sites Trips

This has been my 6th tour with trafalgar and my 24th country and I must say this was the cleanest and nicest country I've been too. To say don't believe what you've thought about this country would be an understatement. From the culture to the people we felt welcomed and untreated everywhere you go. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and accommodating and went over and above to make our experience memorable. If you can make it past the 19hrs in the air this trip is highly recommend, my only regret it wasn't long enough. Until our next visit.

Without question, the overall tour guide - *personal info removed by Feefo* - was the meat-and-potatoes of the entire tour. His knowledge of historical and regional Chinese culture and language, and his unwavering support for each member of our tour was unparalleled to any tour I have previously been on, with any tour company. I really can not emphasize enough how on-the-ball he was; two highspeed rails, two in-country Air China flights. and a river cruise, and he made everything just unfold without any drama. He also had a very good report with our local city guides, and either from instinct or experience knew when to let them run the show, or when to add in his wisdom. Look, China was going to be an exciting trip either way, but having a tour guide who was professional, helpful, and patient 24/7 for over two weeks is unheard of. But it happened!

Itinerary was jam-packed with great sights and activities that gave us a taste of both ancient and modern China, while still leaving some free time to explore on our own; excellent value. All the hotels were very good (luxurious for Exodus), with the Tianfu Sunshine in Chengdu being stand-out for room facilities and decor, the Bell Tower in Xi'an for location and generous room size, and the Dong Fang in Beijing for the most extensive and best quality breakfast buffet (and period charm in the historic coffee shop, courtyard, and public areas); Golden Tulip in Shanghai was also very glamorous and well-located for the Bund. Transport (bullet trains x 2, internal flight, private minibuses, and public buses) was all excellent - punctual, efficient and clean, and our trip leader, Sunny, got us to all the attractions before the busiest crowds, and marshalled us well on public transport. (There were only seven of us on my departure - five solos and one couple - which was a good number; I can imagine a full cohort of 16 would be much more challenging to manage in the busiest locations.) Food was amazingly cheap and generally good (you can eat well for a fiver, and feast for under £10; large beers cost around £1), although some of us might have liked an option once or twice to have a more upmarket and relaxed dining experience. This trip takes in all the main tourist attractions (Tian'anmen Square, Forbidden City, a section of the Great Wall, Terracotta Warriors, panda breeding centre), and they were all well worth seeing, but what I enjoyed most was having some time to explore the lesser known cities, Xi'an, and Chengdu. Xi'an was my favourite, for its historic centre, and lively night-time vibe. I would have liked some more time in Shanghai (not least because I was on a quest for family history); a day and a half on the official trip itinerary is not enough for such a vibrant city, specially as we lost half a day (the group trip to Yuyuan Garden) due to heavy rain the day we arrived. Luckily, some of us had late flights on departure day, effectively giving us another post-trip day in which we were able to visit the Yu Garden independently, but it would be good if this extra day could be factored into future trip itineraries. (Personally, I'd trade Beijing for more time in Chengdu and Shanghai. I'm planning to return to Shanghai independently.) As a solo traveller, this was my first long-haul trip, and it was brilliant. Just go!

I like free and easy trips. But for some local detailed arrangements related to itinerary/activities in various countries, it can be rather challenging. My trip to Yangtze River cruise and travel between Chongqing and Yichang involved details that I am not familiar. Olivia helped me to do the booking, train ticketing, route planning etc. The trip was smooth going without any hiccups. Additional related information and continuous support by Olivia throughout my trips was excellent. Tee from Singapore

With as your guide, you will definitely enjoy Beijing, the Great Wall, the terra cotta warriors at Xi'an, the Yangtze River cruise, Shanghai, and more. You will have the opportunity to eat what the locals eat (or not) and meet and talk with his friends. (Everyone is friend, even if they don't know it yet!) And he will help you with any problems you may have. This is a do-not-miss experience!

This was the adventure of a lifetime, China was more majestic than I could have ever imagined! The itinerary set up by trafalgar was immersive and thorough. You were not rushed, you were educated about the attractions in great detail and you always felt like you got the best experience possible. The optional events that I participated in were nothing short of amazing. The accommodations were wonderful and so was the food! Our tour guide went above and beyond every single day. He was so incredibly knowledgeable, accommodating, organized and kind. This was my first time travelling with Trafalgar and I am already booking my next trip with them. If you are on the fence about either China or Trafalgar - I promise you that booking this trip will be one of the best decisions you ever make.