We loved the experience! We have been putting off touring around China as we did not know what to do and felt uncomfortable exploring when we do not speak Chinese. However, our guide, Ms. Jin was very organized and knowledgeable as she took us around to the different sites. It was so easy as she arranged everything from transportation, tickets, where to go, the restaurant all with interesting information in English about the places we were visiting. We highly recommend them! Greg, Mihoko, Alexcia and Alana Brunton..
The tour is very interesting with many explanations from the tour guide Nancy. It has very good sight seeing values. Guide Nancy is very informative & knowledgable in her commentaries and she conducted the tour well at a hospitable and leisurely pace...
The tour was well planned and we thoroughly enjoyed the information given by the tour guide to the various historical sites. Guide Nancy is an excellent and professional staff and she is well informed & knowledgable. The sightseeing was interesting and Nancy conducted it in a smooth & leisurely manner. Well Done Nancy..
The tour was well planned and we thoroughly enjoyed the information given by the tour guide to the various historical sites. Guide Nancy is an excellent and professional staff and she is well informed & knowledgable. The sightseeing was interesting and Nancy conducted it in a smooth & leisurely manner. Well Done Nancy..
I\'d give this experience a solid C or a score of 3 out of 5. I\'ll list both pro\'s and con\'s for your consideration and I have traveled abroad extensively so I am comparing this experience to other similar 1 day tours. Pro\'s: 1. West Lake was beautiful and well worth the trip (avoid weekends if at all possible) 2. My guide was very sweet and kind 3. It was worth the $145 USD Con\'s: 1. You\'re on a huge bus where other tourists speak no English. It\'s 100% Asian, (not that there is anything wrong with that). His talking (I felt) was excessive (a solid 2 hours on the bus on the way to Hangzhou). 2. Even though I had an Asian guide who spoke English, you still pretty much have to stay w/ the Asian group for the majority of the trip. If you want to venture off on your own w/ your guide, don\'t book this tour and instead book the private tour, which I regret not doing. 3. The food for lunch is 100% Asian and you don\'t sit w/ your guide. So if you don\'t like the food, you are totally out of luck. I tried the food but did not like most of it and the restaurant is not sanitary at all. 4. They provide no bottled water and no snacks. Your day will begin at 7:00 a.m. and you will return to Shanghai at 8:00 p.m. and only an Asian lunch at noon. So bring your own bottled water and snacks and don\'t assume they will offer anything complimentary for you. 5. The bus ride back to Shanghai they do not stop so be sure to use the restroom before you leave the last location. 6. We had to be back to the bus at 4:30 p.m. but we waited for an hour while they shuffled passengers to other buses so we sat on a bus for an hour before leaving. For the elderly, handicapped, people w/ special needs or heavy set, this trip is not for you. Overall, I enjoyed my experience and will remember it for years to come. For nationalities other than Asian, I recommend the private tour in a car. I believe you\'d get much more from the experience and not be corralled like cattle following someone with a red flag that you can\'t understand. A private tour would offer much more flexibility and be able to cater better to your specifics needs and wishes...
