China Tours for Seniors

An excellent and well organised trip to get a feel of this enormous country and see the rapidity of its development. Although the trip was quite fast paced, having 2 or 3 nights in each of the cities visited meant that things didn't seem too rushed. As previous reviews have noted, all the iconic sites were covered giving a good amount of time at each and also a fair amount of free time to explore on your own. It didn't take long to sort out using the metros in the 4 cities but, as has been mentioned in other reviews, you need to be quite fit as walking distances can be considerable(e.g. railway and metro stations) and you often need to move fairly quickly. Buses, metros and bullet trains all very efficient. It was good to be able to sample the different variety of food in the cities, even though sometimes the limited English made life interesting! All of the extra activities were well worth doing-Chinese acrobats, Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show, Sichuan Opera.

Fantastic trip of a lifetime. Full itinerary with flexibility when needed or requested. Great tour leader who was informative and knowledgeable. Lots of variety showing us life in Tibet. Supportive team before, during and after my trip.

This trip was awesome. Everything about the organisation was priceless, our cycle guide Charles could not have been more attentive, fun and full of knowledge. Particularly enjoyed the cycling in the rural areas and could not think of a better way to really get to know China both traditional and modern. Of course, the sites in Xian and Beijing were incredible, and the hiking at Jingshaling was just another highlight. Thanks for a brilliant trip.

This trip had everything. Incredible history, architecture, scenery, high mountain passes and friendly locals. The Potala Palace and views of Everest were highlights. Our guide and driver were great. Very knowledgable and gave us plenty of time to explore. The trip was very well organised too. Can recommend it.

THE TOUR TO CHINA AND JAPAN WAS AMAZING.I ESPECIALLY WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THE OUTSTANDING SERVICE OF ONE OF THE TOUR GUIDES, NOT LISTED UNDER TOUR GUIDES: ALVARO BLANCO, HIS KNOWLEDGE, KINDNESS AND ATTENTION TO DETAIL TRULY MADE THE TRIP CONFORTABLE. THANK YOU!

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!