If you are looking for China tours from Vancouver, Canada, you’ve just found the right China tour company in Laurus Travel. We are a Vancouver-based China tour operator having been running premium small-group tours to China from Canada since 1998. Guests from Vancouver are invited to come by our office to learn why Laurus Travel is the best China tour company in Vancouver.
Consistently rated A+ by the Better Business Bureau, Laurus Travel is the only Canadian China tour agency recommended by Frommer’s – you can find our name in every edition of Frommer’s China guidebook.
Besides the large number of testimonials and online reviews on Laurus Travel’s China tours including those on TripAdvisor.com, this piece of writing titled Our fantastic 16-days in China by a Vancouver Sun columnist may be particularly helpful to Vancouver residents.
We have many China tours on offer. They range from 11 days to one month. If you can’t find one to your liking, please contact us for a customized itinerary. Below is a luxury small-group China tour that has been popular among our guests from Vancouver.
Essential China (14 days)
Shanghai – Beijing – Xi’an – Guilin – Hong Kong
Embark on a journey of opulence and discovery with this luxury China tour, meticulously crafted to redefine your travel experience. On this tour you’ll immerse yourself in the grandeur of China’s rich cultural tapestry while indulging in the epitome of luxury and comfort.
This fast-paced luxury China tour is a perfect choice for the time-pressed looking for a well-rounded introduction to both the traditional and modern China. Trip highlights include the Great Wall at Mutianyu, the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace, the Terracotta Army and a day cruise on the picturesque Li River in Guilin.
Important Features
- Small group size – average 15, maximum 20
- Inter-city travel by high-speed train except for one city pair
- Luxury hotel accommodations
- Quality meals at non-tourist restaurants
- Unlimited supply of bottled water during group activities
- Complimentary Wi-Fi in all hotels
- Great Wall visit at Mutianyu with cable car rides
- No annoying forced shopping of any kind
Options Available:
- Half-day Jewish Heritage Tour in Shanghai
- 2-day pre-tour Yellow Mountain extension
- Peking Opera show with dinner in Beijing
- Tang Dynasty cultural show with dinner in Xi’an
- Half-day immersive tea farm visit in Guilin
TOUR ITINERARY
Meal Code: B = breakfast / L = lunch / D = dinner
Day 1/Mon: Departure for Shanghai
Begin your journey from a city of your choice. You’ll lose a day after crossing the International Date Line.
Day 2/Tue: Arrival in Shanghai
Upon arrival in Shanghai, meet your driver for the private transfer to the hotel. The remainder of the day is free for you to relax or explore at your leisure.
Day 3/Wed: Exploring Shanghai (B/L/D)
With a population close to 25 million, Shanghai is China’s largest city and a dynamic hub of global trade and cultural exchange. The city delights visitors from around the world with its futuristic skyline and historical landmarks.
We begin our day with a visit to Jade Buddha Temple located in an old neighbourhood. We then walk the famous Bund – a waterfront promenade with a riveting history.
After lunch, we stroll the historical People’s Park and adjacent People’s Square in the heart of the city. Originally part of the Shanghai Race Club first established in 1850, the park and the square are surrounded by world-class museums and shops, which attract millions of visitors each year.
We wrap up the day’s sightseeing with a tour of the exquisite Yu Garden in the old town centre.
Day 4/Thu: Free Day in Shanghai (B)
Free day to explore on your own.
If you are interested in art and history, Shanghai Museum would be a great place to spend half a day. This museum houses a huge collection of precious national treasures. Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum and Nanwaitan Fabric Market (high-end tailor shops) are also recommended.
Optional Suzhou Day Tour
After breakfast we ride the high-speed train (30-40 minutes) to Suzhou, an ancient city most famous for its gardens, ancient canals and silk industry. In the late 13th century a Venetian named Marco Polo visited Suzhou and was very impressed by what he saw. He vividly described the prosperous silk industry and dubbed Suzhou “Venice of the East” due to the small waterways crisscrossing the city.
Our full-day schedule takes in the historic Tiger Hill, Humble Administrator’s Garden, North Pagoda, a short canal cruise, and a visit to Suzhou Silk Embroidery Research Institute if time allows. We return to Shanghai by train in early evening.
The all-inclusive price with lunch starts from US$250 per person and requires a minimum of 2 participants to operate.
Day 5/Fri: High-Speed Train to Beijing (B)
After breakfast, we travel to Beijing by high-speed train (G10, 10:00/14:26). Travelling at 350 km/h, this is the fastest passenger rail service in the world. Lunch is not included but hot food and all kinds of beverages are available for purchase on the train.
Beijing is China’s capital, a major cultural and educational hub with a population of 22 million. Known for its opulent palaces, temples, and historic walls, it is the country’s most visited city.
Spend the afternoon exploring Beijing on your own. Ask your guide for recommendations.
Day 6/Sat: Sightseeing in Beijing (B/L/D)
Today’s itinerary begins with a visit to the Forbidden City, home to emperors from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. This UNESCO World Heritage Site, completed in 1420, consists of 980 buildings spread across 72 hectares.
Next, visit Tian’anmen Square, one of the world’s largest public squares and a focal point of China’s modern history.
In the afternoon, explore the Temple of Heaven, another UNESCO site, where emperors once conducted grand sacrifices.
If you’re interested in shopping, the Hongqiao Pearl Market is near near Temple of heaven is recommended.
We end the day with a traditional dinner featuring Beijing’s famous roast duck.
Day 7/Sun: Great Wall Adventure (B/L)
After an early breakfast, embark on a full-day excursion to the Great Wall at Mutianyu, about 75 km northeast of Beijing. Stretching over 6,000 km, the Wall was built to defend against northern invaders, although it failed against Mongol forces during Kublai Khan’s reign. The sections of the Wall near Beijing are largely the result of reconstruction efforts from the Ming Dynasty.
Day 8/Mon: Beijing to Xi’an (B/L/D)
Begin your day with a visit to one of Beijing’s historic hutong neighborhoods characterized by traditional courtyard houses. Next, explore the Summer Palace, a UNESCO site built as an imperial retreat. In the afternoon, board a high-speed train to Xi’an.
Day 9/Tue: Terracotta Army in Xi’an (B/L)
Xi’an, with its 3,000-year history, was the capital of several Chinese dynasties and home to the famous Terracotta Army. Your morning will be spent visiting this archaeological marvel, built to accompany China’s first emperor into the afterlife. Afterward, enjoy a stroll along Xi’an’s ancient city wall, one of the best-preserved in China.
Day 10/Wed: Xi’an to Guilin (B/L)
Start the day at the Shaanxi Provincial Museum, which traces the region’s history from ancient times to the Qing Dynasty. Later, visit Xi’an’s grand mosque and explore the adjacent Muslim bazaar.
Our evening flight to Guilin takes 2 hours.
Day 11/Thu: Li River Cruise (B/L)
Guilin is a medium-sized southern city famous for its stunningly beautiful karst landscapes.
The five-hour cruise down the Li River between Guilin and Yangshuo is a key highlight of the trip. As the boat drifts along the crystal-clear waters, you are treated to misty peaks, lush greenery, traditional villages and cormorant fishermen on bamboo rafts. The serene beauty of the river, famously depicted on the 20 RMB banknote, makes it a paradise for photographers and nature lovers.
After lunch on board, we disembark in Yangshuo and drive back to Guilin. We wrap up the day with a visit to Fubo Hill for panoramic views of Guilin.
Day 12/Fri: High-Speed Train to Hong Kong (B)
Free morning to explore to explore on your own.
The afternoon rail journey by high-speed train takes just a little over 3 hours.
Hong Kong, a vibrant city known for its skyscrapers and natural harbors, was a British colony until 1997. Today, it operates under the “one country, two systems” model, retaining much of its autonomy.
Day 13/Sat: Exploring Hong Kong (B/L)
Our Hong Kong tour starts with a ferry ride across Victoria Harbour to Central, the city’s business district. Ascend Victoria Peak for stunning views of the city and surrounding islands. Stop briefly at Repulse Bay before retreating to a nice restaurant for our farewell luncheon.
The afternoon is set aside for you to explore on your own. Your local guide will be glad to advise you on what to do.
Day 14/Sun: Departure from Hong Kong (B)
Your tour concludes today. You can take a taxi or the Airport Express Train to the airport for your return flight. Couples are better off going by taxi, which costs around HK$300 equivalent to US$40 or less.
| City | Nights | Hotel | Category |
| Shanghai | 3 | Amara Signature Shanghai |
|
| Beijing | 3 | New Otani Chang Fu Gong | luxury |
| Xian | 2 | Sheraton Xian North City | luxury |
| Guilin | 2 | Sheraton Guilin | luxury |
| Hong Kong | 2 | Harbour Grand Kowloon | luxury |
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Customer Reviews
John & Bev D. from Vancouver, British Columbia wrote:
Tour Leader – Howard is a 5-star tour leader – always caring for all his clients; making sure all his ducklings are within sight and not wandering too far. He was always planning ahead and ensuring the arrangements were made and checked out and communicated clearly to us. He worked well with each of the local guides – no power plays. As well, he was a good communicator and full of information about the country, its issues, economy, people, history. He understood what we foreigners wanted to know and could communicate it well, yet did not avoid any question or topic we had.
Local Guides – we had 9 local guides, some excellent, most others were good and a couple were below par. Best: Tony (Beijing), Paul (Xi’an) & David (Guilin) were excellent local guides, having good English skills, communicating well on many subjects and able to cheerfully answer questions completely and enthusiastically. With them we felt very informed on all subjects. Good: Stephen#1 (Lijiang), Sophia (Shangri-la) & Stephen#2 (Shanghai) were above average local guides – communicated well and informative, but took less initiative to inform when not directly asked.. Below average: Helen#1 (Chengdu) & Daisy (Kunming) seemed to just stick to a script with many of our questions either not completely understood or barely acknowledged. Very little depth to the information they provided.
Food – the food ordered by our local guides was excellent – lots of variety and in quantities that sometimes exceeded our capacity to finish. It seemed that at every meal there were new types of dishes or variations that we had not seen before.
Itinerary – An excellent, comprehensive and energetic itinerary. The number of different activities in the day was just right. Most on the tour seemed happy with the amount of physical activity and the balance of outdoor walking and sightseeing and indoor museum gazing. Museum gazing is not everyone’s favourite daily activity and the tour seemed balanced in that it did not overdo the museum sites, but provided lots of “street” time to see the local citizens in their daily activities. Of course the must-see sites were covered as expected, but the time on the ground to see how people live in China and have the time to discuss and explore with our guide is one of the best activities on the tour. While there was quite a bit of “bus time”, the fact that we had such good local guides meant that the time sitting on the bus went quickly as we usually were engaged in good discussions and could expand on things we had seen. When we had the below-average local guides, sometimes the longer bus rides were boring as there was little conversation of interest.
No Shopping – We are relieved that no mandatory shopping stops were scheduled, so we could concentrate on experiencing and enjoying the country and its people, not involved in some commission kick-back scheme that some tour companies favour.
Suggestions:
Food – When dinner is included as well as the lunch in one day, the quantity of either or both could be reduced perhaps by one or two dishes. At our age, large, late meals are less desirable. It seemed many of us had suggestions to the guides that the dinner be smaller when the lunch was large and filling. Many times we thought all the dishes had been delivered and deliciously consumed, then were surprised that one or two more would arrive.
Guides – I’m sure that finding top-quality guides for this kind of tour and retaining them is difficult, but I encourage you to keep high standards for your local guides. This is what creates value for your clients and sets your company above the rest of the many tour companies in the business.
Group size – 20 clients is a good group size; there was mention during the tour that you might increase this limit by 20% to 24 or 25 in the future. I would strongly urge you not to do this – extra cost would be more welcome than being part of a larger group.
John & Bev D
Vancouver, British Columbia
[More reviews on Laurus Travel China tours]
China tours - the Great Wall at Mutianyu
