A Comparison of Tours to China: Yangtze River Cruise Via China Travel and China Focus - Yahoo Voices - voices.yahoo.com

We are going to China in May. When we first started thinking about this destination our friends had just come back. They went first class all the way and spent well over $5,000 per person through a company called East Travel. We wanted to spend half that even if it meant more people on our tour. I am sharing an in depth look at our top two choices and then I'll offer you some information about a few other tour companies. There are at least 15 tours of Shanghai, Beijing and the Yangtze River!

You have to be aware that there are many tours going to different destinations and for various lengths of time. China Connection Tours told me over the phone that they would match anyone's prices; however when looking further it seemed that there were options not included in their tour. In addition it is almost if not totally impossible to compare tours point by point because you'll find you are comparing apples to oranges. In addition some very similar tours do not include a river cruise on the Yangtze River. You'll have to decide what you want to do and see.

In addition the prices are different at different times of the year. February and November are two of the least expensive times to travel to China. May, which is when we are going, is one of the more expensive times because the weather is very nice then.

We decided on the Yangtze River Cruise Deluxe Tour.. Did we want to go for 10 days or 15 days? What really was our budget? These are questions you'll have to ask yourself. We also decided to fly to the west coast using frequent flier miles rather than flying from the east coast which adds more money to the tour.

We did find two very similar tours. We had narrowed our choices down to the following two.

China Travel Services offers a 14 day tour (realize that two days are lost in traveling) for $2399 per person which includes tax. You'll find that some tour groups offer discounts for cash payment. China Travel Services is one of these. If we put our deposit down in cash by December 31, 2007 we would get $100 off per person. The balance would be due in February. The airfare could be charged.

You will need a Visa which costs $120. That brings this tour to $2519. Airfare, special dinners and shows are included in this package. An acrobatic show, a dumpling banquet dinner with the Tang Dynasty Singing and Dancing Show, Peking Duck Din dinner, and entrance into the sites are some of the extras included with China Travel Services. This tour offers about 14 sites. We start in Beijing, which is the capital of China. We will be greeted at the airport and taken to our hotel, Jade Palace Hotel. China Travel Services offers 4, 4+ and 5 star accommodations. Jade Palace has a 5 star rating. We stay here for 4 nights.

The tour visits the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, Temple of Heaven, the Great Wall, Chinese Cloisonné Factory, Sacred Path of Ming Tombs, Summer Palace, and the Chinese Rug Factory. Each day we have breakfast, lunch and dinner which is included in the tour.

Day 6 we fly to Xian where the tour houses us at Grand New World Hotel.. We stay here for 2 nights. We visit the Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses, the Shaanxi Provincial History Museum, Ancient City Wall, Large Wild Goose Pagoda, and Terra Cotta Factory

Day 8 we fly to Chongqing where we visit the Panda House (zoo) and then we spend 4 nights on the 300 passenger 5 star Three Gorges-Regal Cruise ship where we sail downstream on the Yangtze River. The shore excursion goes to Fengdu Ghost City, the Qutang Gorge and Wu Gorge. We then transfer to smaller boats to see the Shennongxi Stream or the Lessor Three Gorges along the Daning River. Back on the ship we pass Badong, Zigui, and sail into the Xiling Gorge through the Three Gorges Dam Site where we have a shore excursion. The ship ends in Wuhan city and then the tour has us flying to Shanghai where we stay at Jianguo Hotel Shanghai for 2 nights.

The tour takes us along the Nanjing Road and the Bund waterfront area, the Yuyuan Garden and the Shanghai Museum. Day 14 we leave.

China Focus is a 15 day tour for $2299 if we pay in cash plus $275 for taxes and $120 for a visa bringing the total to $2694. Add $200 per person if we charge this tour. The final payment isn't due until March. The deposit is due when the reservation is made. Nothing can be charged through this tour.

Airfare, special dinners and shows are included in this package. An acrobatic show, a dumpling banquet dinner with the Tang Dynasty Singing and Dancing Show, Peking Duck Din dinner, and entrance into the sites are included with China Focus which are the same goodies as China Travel Services offers. This tour also offers about 14 sites but there are differences.

Air fair from San Francisco is included and we arrive in Beijing staying for 4 nights at the 4 star (not 5) hotel called Jiangxi Grand Hotel . This tour also visits Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, and the Summer Palace on Kunming Lake. We visit the Temple of Heaven, the Great Wall, and Historic Hutong.

Day 5 we fly to Wuhan where we visit Hubei Provincial Museum or East Lake and Yellow Crane Tower. Here we get a cruise ship. The tour gives several options of ships and has recently upgraded what they offer from a 4 star to a 5 star ship. We cruise on the Yangtze River for 3 nights rather than four. On the ship we have a crew show, cultural programs, entertainment and Captain's Party. The ship goes through Gezhou Ship Lock and enters Xiling Gorge. We arrive at Sandouping Port, and visit the Three Gorges Dam Site and tour the Hydroelectric Plant. We go through Three Gorges Ship Lock. We transfer to small boats and cruise the Shennongxi Stream where we get a chance to see the local people. We pass through the Bamboo Gorges and the Wu Gorge and enter Qutang, the third and last of the Three Gorges. The ship takes us to Wanxian City for a shore excursion where we visit a relocation village, local market and the Wanxian Museum.

Day 10 we leave the ship at Chongqing/Xi'an where we visit the Chongqing Zoo and then fly to Xi'an for 3 rather than 2 nights. We stay at the 4 star Wan Nian Grand Hotel. Here we see the Army of Terracotta Warriors and then go on a tour of the city.

Day 12 we fly to Shanghai and travel to Suzhou where we stay at the 4 star hotel Glamor Hotel (or one similar) for 1 night. We visit the Garden of the Fishing Net Master and the Silk Spinning Factory. We tour Suzhou and then travel back to Shanghai where we stay at a 4 star hotel which could be General Hotel. In Shanghai we visit the Bund, a waterfront promenade and the Shanghai Museum. On day 15 we leave.

You may want to buy insurance. There are a couple of options which you will learn about costing either $100 or $200.

Other Tours

I mentioned above East Travel. They offer a 13 day tour for $2595 without airfare which is about $1,000 per person. They also offer a 17 day tour without air for $3445. The main difference since the tours go to many of the same destinations is the number of people on the tour. For this kind of money you will have a maximum of 16. The two above will have no more than 30 people but up to 30.

China Connection which I also mentioned above offers a 15 day tour for $2333 without air. Their shows and special dinners seen to be optional.

Globus offers a 13 day tour with air included for $3802. They also offer a 7 day trip in January which starts at a little over $1.000.

China Signature Tour is over $4,000 without air. When I called and asked why they were so much more expensive I was told that their most expensive packages are for two people.

I'll be writing about our travels to China so stay posted.