Dear Russ Camp ,
Thank you for visiting our website and your interest in our services. I’m Janet Chan, a travel advisor from Top China Travel. It is my pleasure to assist you in planning your trip to China.
Based on what I know of your requirements, I’ve designed a 10-day China tour for you starting from Bejing and ending in Shanghai with a private tour guide and van travel in March. The tour includes Beijing, Xian, Guilin, Yangshuo Town & Shanghai by using 3 star / 4 star accommodation for 2 persons respectively.
I added some other items to your itinerary from my local knowledge and experience. I think that you will enjoy these suggestions, but just let me know if you would like to change what I have done in any way. These are my suggestions.
1) As you didn’t mention which star hotel do you prefer to stay. Therefore I recommended you 3* and 4* hotels respectively. Please let me know if you need me to quote it based on 5 star hotel or not? The hotels I included in the itinerary are all centrally located hotels with easy access to the city Center only except the 4* Days Inn Hotels in Xian, because there is no good choice for centrally located hotel in Xian. Different location hotels have great difference in price although all they are same category. Because you would have more free time in the evening, therefore I suggest you to choose the centrally located hotels which you could also visit around by yourselves. But the hotel’s quality in mainland China is a little bit lower than European standard. Therefore if you are expecting 3* accommodation, I do recommend you to consider 4* accommodation for match your expectation. 4* Courtyard 7 is a Chinese style hotel it is built based on an old Chinese architecture which has hundreds year old history. If you like such kind of recommendation? We work well with 4* Hengsheng Peninsula Hotel Shanghai which we could get better price, therefore I recommended it to you in 3* category. But I would say it’s something like 3* plus hotel.
2) The tour is private tour for you, no one would share the space for you. Guide and van are private for you.
3) I only included the lunches en route in most of the days. Because you might have end up the trip earlier in the afternoon and have more free time on own arrangement. Therefore I do recommend you to order the dinner at some local restaurants on your own arrangement. And our local guide would also recommend it for you.
4) The flights time schedule mentioned in the itinerary is not the final one, we would choose the suitable flight for you according to your itinerary before your arrival. It would depend on TCT's choice, but we would choose the flight which match your travel plan and make sure all the attractions could be visited on time.
5) The weather in Mar is still a little cold in China, so you need to bring 1-2 thick jackets to come.
6) China cuisine is very famous in the world, but normally the tourist meal would be arranged in the tourist restaurant. They make the food like assembly line, no characteristic. But their price is moderate. If you would like to try better food in some nice restaurants, you need to pay more extra cost. The taste of the food is better in the local social restaurants, and the environment is also more nice than tourist restaurant. The most important thing is, you could advise our guide what kind of food do you like to have for this meal, he or she would help you to order your interested food, if there is anything over the budget, you just pay the extra on spot. I think it would give you deeper impression for the food in China if you have flexibility in choosing the food but not set menu. If you would like to try better food in some nice restaurants, I recommended you to pay US$90/per person as extra cost to have food in the local citizen’s restaurant. The taste of the food is better there, and the environment is also more nice than tourist restaurant. The most important thing is, you could advise our guide what kind of food do you like to have for this meal, he or she would help you to order your interested food, if there is anything over the budget, you just pay the extra on spot. I think it would give you deeper impression for the food in China if you have flexibility in choosing the food but not set menu.
7) My quotation based on using twin-bed room or one double bed room in hotels. The availability is subject to reconfirm when actual booking has been made. But Courtyard 7 is only provided double bed room.
8) It is said that no taste of the Quanjude Roasted Duck, no visit to Beijing. Therefore I recommend the Peking Roast Duck dinner seperately for your choice. The price is US$50/per person per meal including one soft drink per person with round way transfers. And the Dim Sum Lunch in Hongkong Jumbo Restaurant is also quite famous, but this one is more expensive which cost US$60/per person with round way transfers.
9) There are two sections of Great Wall in Beijing, one is Badaling Great Wall which mostly recommended by other agencies, but I prefer to recommend you Mutianyu Great Wall, because Badaling is the first developed section of Great Wall and China it become too commercial now. I’d like to arrange you to see the more real Great Wall because it’s one of the big attractions in China.
9) Tipping is not compulsory but welcome in China. Because tipping, shopping and adding the shows which is not included in the itinerary is the main income of local guide. Tipping is highly appreciated if you are satisfied with their service.
A preliminary quotation with a suggested itinerary is attached to this email, please let me know if you have other interests you'd like to include, or if I have missed any of your stated requirements; I would welcome the opportunity to ensure that your itinerary is exactly what you want.
Best Regards
Should you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact us.
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