China tours - the Great Wall at Mutianyu
Consistently rated A+ by the Better Business Bureau, Laurus Travel is the ONLY Canadian China tour operator recommended by Frommer’s. In fact, Laurus Travel has been recommended in every edition of Frommer’s China since the influential U.S. guidebook publisher released its first China guidebook over two decades ago. If that’s not enough, you can find lots of online reviews on our China tours in addition to the large number of customer testimonials on our website.
China Tours
| Tour Name | Visiting |
| 11-day China Golden Triangle | Beijing – Xi’an – Shanghai |
| 12-day China Delight | Beijing – Xian – Chengdu – Shanghai |
| 13-day Yangtze Explorer | Beijing – Chengdu – Yangtze River Cruise – Shanghai |
| 13-day China Experience | Shanghai – Suzhou – Tongli – Qufu – Beijing |
| 13-day China Garden Tour | Shanghai – Suzhou – Tongli (water town) – Luoyang – Beijing |
| 14-day Essential China | Shanghai – Beijing – Xi’an – Guilin – Hong Kong |
| 14-day Best of China | Beijing – Xi’an – Chengdu – Guilin – Shanghai |
| 14-day Tibet Adventure | Shanghai – Lhasa – Gyantse – Shigatse – Lhasa – Chengdu – Hong Kong |
| 16-day China Discovery | Beijing – Xian – Chengdu – Chongqing – Yangtze River Cruise – Yichang – Wuhan – Shanghai |
| 16-day Best of China | Beijing – Xi’an – Chengdu – Guilin – Wuhan – Shanghai |
| 17-day Southwest China | Shanghai – Chengdu – Lijiang – Zhongdian – Kunming – Chongqing – Beijing |
| 17-day China Golden Route | Shanghai – Beijing – Xi’an – Chengdu – Guilin – Hong Kong |
| 18-day Silk Road Adventure | Beijing – Xian – Dunhuang – Turpan – Urumqi – Kashgar – Shanghai |
| 18-day Treasures of China | Beijing – Xian – Chengdu – Shanghai – Wuhan – Guilin – Hong Kong |
| 19-day China Odyssey | Beijing – Xian – Chengdu – Yangtze Cruise – Yichang – Wuhan – Guilin – Shanghai |
| 19-day Best of China with Huangshan | Beijing – Xian – Chengdu – Guilin – Wuhan – Huangshan – Hangzhou – Shanghai |
| 19-day Best of China with Tibet | Beijing – Xi’an – Lhasa – Gyantse – Shigatse – Lhasa – Chengdu – Shanghai |
| 19-day Southwest China Adventure | Beijing – Xi’an – Chengdu – Lijiang – Xianggelila– Kunming – Chongqing – Shanghai |
| 20-day China in Depth | Shanghai – Suzhou – Tongli – Wuhan – Yangtze Cruise – Chongqing – Xi’an – Beijing |
| 21-day Highlights of China | Shanghai – Beijing – Xian – Chengdu – Chongqing – Yangtze Cruise – Yichang – Wuhan – Guilin – Hong Kong |
| 22-day Splendid China | Beijing – Jinan – Qufu – Suzhou – Shanghai – Huangshan (Yellow Mountain) – Wuyishan (Wuyi Mountain) – Longyan – Xiamen – Guangzhou – Shenzhen – Hong Kong |
| 25-day Classic China by Train | Shanghai – Suzhou – Tongli – Qufu – Beijing – Xi’an – Chengdu – Chongqing – Yangtze Cruise – Yichang – Wuhan – Guilin – Hong Kong |
| 26-day China Panorama | Beijing – Xian – Kunming – Lijiang – Xianggelila– Chengdu – Chongqing – Yangtze Cruise – Yichang – Wuhan – Guilin – Shanghai |
| 26-day Imperial China with Tibet | Beijing – Xian – Lhasa – Gyantse – Shigatse – Chengdu – Chongqing – Yangtze Cruise – Yichang – Wuhan – Guilin – Shanghai |
| 32-day China Grand Adventure | Shanghai – Luoyang – Dunhuang – Jiayuguan – Zhangye – Lanzhou – Lijiang – Xianggelila – Kunming – Chongqing – Huangshan (Yellow Mountain) – Wuyishan (Wuyi Mountain) – Xiamen – Longyan – Guangzhou – Shenzhen – Hong Kong |
| 33-day Ethnic Borderlands | Beijing – Xi’an – Dunhuang – Turpan – Urumqi – Kashgar – Urumqi – Lhasa – Gyantse – Shigatse – Lhasa – Kunming – Xianggelila- Lijiang – Chengdu – Shanghai |
China tours – Hongcun Village near Yellow Mountain
China Tours Q&A
What is the best way to travel around China?
The best way to travel around China is by high-speed rail. China is a large country with an area over 9.6 million square kilometres. This land area means no country in the world is larger than China except Russia and Canada. The size of China makes it necessary for the country to have a mode of transportation that is fast, comfortable, punctual, affordable and also environmentally friendly for the public to move around. The high-speed rail network fits the bill. People who visit China for the first time are always surprised by China’s extensive super-modern high-speed rail system. China owns the largest high-speed rail system in the world with an operating network in excess of 40,000 kilometres. This stands over three times the high-speed rail distance in the entire European Union. Today, almost every major Chinese tourist city is accessible via high-speed train.
Which tour agency or company is best for China?
Each tour company has its own strengths and weaknesses. No tour agency, whether they focus on China or any other destination, can be the right choice for every consumer. In the case of Laurus Travel, we are a boutique tour operator offering mid-level to luxury tours in a small group environment. We compete on value, not primarily on price. Laurus Travel is not a good fit for independent-minded travellers or consumers with a very tight budget. The majority of our guests are retired white-collar professionals including many university professors, physicians, attorneys, accountants and engineers.
Which Laurus Travel China tour should I choose?
If you have never been to China, your decision in choosing a China tour should be primarily based on your budget and time available. It simply doesn’t happen with us that you somehow ended up going on a wrong tour. Our China tours are all culture and history oriented with a strong emphasis on guide service and good food, among other things. If you are fit, friendly and eager to learn, you will have a great time travelling with Laurus Travel.
How fit should I be?
Our China tours are active and involve much walking and stair climbing. If you are unable to walk 5km/3mi a day or require assistance with your luggage, you will find our China tours too challenging.
What’s the best time to visit China?
Weather-wise and in general, the best time would be spring (March, April, May) and autumn (September, October, November). Teachers and families with school-age children often travel China in summer out of necessity. Anyone travelling to China in July and August should be prepared for high heat and humidity; however, in some parts of China, such as Tibet, Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang, summer is the most pleasant season.
What are the public holidays to avoid?
The most important public holiday in China is the Lunar New Year commonly known as Spring Festival. It’s the Chinese equivalent of Christmas holiday in the West. This is a time when every Chinese seems to be on the move. Airports and train stations are packed while tour guides, drivers and hotel employees all prefer to be home with their loved ones. This holiday is based on Chinese lunar calendar and can fall in January or February on Gregorian calendar. This holiday generally lasts for two weeks.
The Qingming Festival (tomb sweeping holiday, a time to pay tribute to ancestors) in April is combined with a weekend. Air and train tickets are always in short supply during this time.
May Day holiday used to be a week-long holiday, coinciding with Japan’s Golden Week. But today it’s just a long weekend. That said, major tourist sites do get crowded during this holiday.
Duanwu became a statutory holiday in 2008, although as a traditional holiday it has been around for well over two millennia. Duanwu Festival, which is celebrated according to Chinese lunar calendar, can fall in May or June.
The Mid-autumn Festival (usually falling in middle or late September) is another major public holiday. It is similar to Thanksgiving in North America in spirit, but instead of thanking the Almighty, Chinese families would gather for a dinner feast moon watching.
The National Day holiday (October 1-5) is definitely one to avoid if possible. This is the holiday that sees nerve-wracking overcrowding almost anywhere you want to visit.
Should I get Chinese currency before arrival?
Buying Chinese currency outside China is not recommended. The best exchange rate is always in China. Obtaining Chinese money through a local bank at the airport is advised. Or, you can use a bank card (credit card works also but the associated cost is much higher) issued in your own country to withdraw local cash from ATM terminals on arrival. As far as exchange rate goes, the best choice is a local bank . Automated teller machines come second. Stay away from independent currency dealers if possible.
What vaccination or inoculation certificates should I bring?
If you book a tour with us, we’ll give the latest information upon receipt of your deposit. At the moment, we are not aware of any such requirements other than those related to COVID-19. That said, we strongly recommend that you keep your hepatitis vaccination updated. You may also want to check out the website(s) maintained by your national health authorities or speak to your family physician for more advice.
How do I apply for my China visa?
Guests taking our China tours can count on us for assistance with their China visa application. The cost varies depending on your nationality. Please visit https://laurustravel.com/general-information/visa/ for details.
China tours – Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong
Reviews on Laurus Travel China Tours
You can find many consumer reviews on Laurus Travel and our China tours on the Internet including on TripAdvisor. One thing you should keep in mind, though, when searching for consumer reviews on Laurus Travel is that the majority of our guests are seniors who are less active in the domain of social media. On this front, we are at a disadvantage compared with our peers peddling cheaper tours to a younger audience.
