China Adventure

I think I got good value for the money; peace of mind travelling, nice mix of activities, tons of inclusions (both activities and food), pretty good accommodations.

Seemed expensive but worth it - so much organisation involved and so many inclusions.

As before the trip manager was excellent, wish I could give Ella more praise. She definitely is a valuable asset to the Contiki Team!

The whole tour was a great experience; it gave a really good overview of China and definitely made me want to return and explore more of the country. Honestly, it was a nice blend of structure and free time, which really appreciated. The included meals were great and, being a vegetarian, I felt Lee made a real effort to provide me with great options.

It was well-balanced trip - lots of sights and unique experiences.

Incredible place to travel with Contiki

Amazing!! If you’re thinking of doing it, do yourself a favour and book it now

Don't listen to anyone telling you not to do this because it's too crowded, their's censorship, and its unsafe. It's great! The same as any country or city. I am an introvert, I get VERY anxious in tight crowds and I had a blast. I am also picky with food and didn't have an issue. The other people in our group who loved to party and try new food such as rabbit head or weird things on sticks didn't have any problem finding what they were looking for either. China is for everyone. Do not be intimidated or scared. Everyone was friendly. I'm high maintenance and aside from the squat toilets nothing fazed me. Even the giant spiders mind their own business. Before your trip - most people didn't get shots and were fine. I got an anti-diarrhea vaccine which helped greatly. I am susceptible to food poisoning and I could tell when I had it twice from trying some new stuff but it was okay because of the vaccine. Pack or purchase toilet paper as it's not available in restrooms. Squat toilets only outside of touristy bits and your hotel. Get used to people taking your photo. It's not weird they aren't used to seeing white or colored people. Oh and save all your shopping for Shanghai - I promise the millions of fans, t-shirts, tea, and magnets you go by through the two weeks will all be in Shanghai. That was our shared regret on the trip! Price - worth it. Yes it's a huge chunk of money but this is definitely one of the best Contiki's I've been on and a big culture shock if you've done a few European ones and need a spot to explore. I am a shopaholic and only spent $300 on my souvenirs. Food, drinking, and Contiki optionals cost $400 on top of that. Very inexpensive once you pay for the trip and plane tickets. Food - whatever you want. I will say the included meals are western Chinese food but large quantities. But my trip manager had great recommendations for foodies. Whether you wanted authentic Chinese food, weird things, or some good ol' pizza she had you covered. Optionals - do them! Loved all of them. I skipped the cooking class and had a better time exploring Chengdu but the people that went had great fun. River cruise was great to see Shanghai by night. Paid an extra $20CAD to escape the crowds and it was worth it. Accommodation - Hard beds. This is how Asians sleep. Get use to laying on what feels like a wood box with a cloth draped over it. Aside from that I found everything great. Partying - They don't dance but that didn't stop us from dancing. They also love to free pour. I'm a small girl but two drinks had me hammered. They do full glass of liquor and splash of sprite. Girls be advised only squat toilets so be careful not to step in them when you're drunk!! Transportation - Internal flights were great - food was weird so pack your own. Even a local next to me on my flight was like WTF am I eating? Train was a solid miss for me but that's because I'm an introvert and hate tight spaces. I just slept through it. (I had my own room for the rest of the trip) Overall, whether you're introverted, extroverted, partier, or explorer, young or old you will meet awesome people like yourself and China has something for everyone. It was all fantastic. My favorite spot was the 798 district. Great spot to explore, shop and take the BEST Instagram posts.

This was a trip of a lifetime - from start to finish, everywhere brought something different and made for the perfect trip to China.

An amazing trip! Some of the optional extras didn't feel like good value after experiencing them (eg AU$40 each for a one hour tai chi lesson in a park with one instructor for 20+ people) but all of the inclusions were incredible and I felt like I could really tick off China by the end, which is exactly what I want from a Contiki!

Excellent value for money!

China was such a beautiful place. our hotels were lovely and our tour director was amazing.

Worth spending the money.

The flight from Xian to Chengdu was changed to the bullet train at last minute. When the trip was priced out it was priced at about $200 for that flight. I'm almost certain that the bullet train was not of equal cost. I don't feel scammed but it would be nice to see where the money for the trip goes. I understand the local transportation and tour guides cost but the change from flight to bullet train with no price difference seems sketchy.

Tour leader was very amazing.

The tour covered a lot of chins in only 2 weeks. I would recommend it to anyone

Beautiful place well worth going

Lots of included activities and lots of breakfast, lunch and dinners included too. Great local guides and hotels were really good.

Well organised and great value for money tour. Had a lot of fun and learnt a lot along the way