Includes flights, 3.5 - 4-star hotel accomm, daily breakfast and guided tours. Melbourne and Sydney departures. Perth, Adelaide and Brisbane available with surcharge.
$699 Per Person - 10-Day China Tour with Flights and Hotels @ Traveldream
70
Related Stores
closed Comments
Hi OP, can you please confirm if the tour operators take you to affiliated/sponsored shops with expectations to make purchases. Many tour operators do this as they get kickbacks from the shops and it is a complete waste of time (read: INFURIATING) in an already cramped itinerary.
Hey Miyagi!
There's visits to a silk factory and tea plantation as part of the trip. However, there are no obligations to purchase anything and you're able to see how silk is made and learn about tea-picking which we think are pretty cool parts of the trip!
Both visits, whilst looking interesting at face value, have obvious commercial implications.
And dealing with this kind of people, once you pay them, they have you at their mercy. And, although they may smile a lot, they're not usually the kindest people and that's putting it politely. And read the fine print. All if it.
You've been warned!
yeah that is the catch!
@conant: We hear you. No one likes to be "forced" to shop and even more so, misled about it. However, compared to some other tours out there (we've done the research) we believe that there is no catch with this one. Yes, there is a commercial aspect - but you can choose to only soak in the cultural aspects of it. And for an opportunity to go to China for only $699, we think it's a bloody good deal.
Having been on a couple of cheap day trips with klook in places like Vietnam, those two trips do at least still sound better than some of the tourist traps that the really cheap tours trundle you along to, which are really little more than glorified service stations selling trinkets for 3x the price of the downtown markets.
Yep these trips are filled with these BS places. Had the silk factory, jade store, tea store, lolly store and they kept us at the jade store for 3 HOURS because some old grandma was swaying between whether or not she wanted to buy a ring.
Im 99% sure they do else they won't be able to offer such a trip for $699 PP. The flight itself to china is already close to that.
i think these tours are equivalent to the AU$100 or $200 tours (excluding flights) in previous years which were subsidised by the Chinese government to bring in more tourists. I've been on these which are pretty good for the money.
If that's true, they are probably worth it in the high season when there are no cheap flight deals. Otherwise, grab a $400 flight and DIY.
Can you please confirm if you are led to shops in each location which are of no interest or relevant?
The first time you go might be interesting. After a while though… also they’re not as good as when they were first introduced, as the government really threw money at it.
when i went, i think it was for 1 week, and on average about 1 shopping place per 1-2 days. we did go to the silk factory and tea shop. didn't buy anything and wasn't pressured (atleast from what i was treated to).
the tour guide i got pretty upfront with us and mentioned straight away at the start of the tour that he is obligated to take us to certain areas to shop, however there was no obligation to purchase anything. Afterwards he would take us to a different place where the prices was about 1/3 of the prices of the official areas. all he asked in return was a thank you and voluntary small extra tip at the end of the tour. I guess he figured that he gets more money from additional tips (compared to the commission they would recieve from the official stores) and customers get cheaper prices. win/win for all.
Friend did a similar trip and was marched from place to place to buy stuff. It's why the trip is so cheap. Would not recommend based on the experience of my friend. Investigate fine print very carefully.
I am looking out for a deal similar to this for the family and in laws but fear this exactly…. the fine print often does not reveal either. I wish they were more upfront about it, looks like the OP has gone quiet on this issue also.
Hey there Miyagi,
We understand your concern. Have you had a chance to take a peek at the itinerary? We've got breakdowns of the tour daily. But you're welcome to give us a call at 1300 350 263 and chat to one of the legends in our customer support team that can give you detailed answers. We've sent hundreds of people on this tour and crossing my fingers have heard nothing but rave reviews.
The OP said there are only 2 stops in the 10 days, if so this is not too bad if it subsidises the trip price.
Upon reading, I’ve already counted two jade shop, one silk shop, one tea shop, one crystal shop, that’s almost one shop a day
Depending on what kind of silk shop, the one i went to last time was pretty cool, it showed how they harvest the silk ,then make it etc.
Tea shop could also be a similar experience.
Jade and Crystal shop seems boring though.
is it just me or does the pic look like that game kung fu?
As a Chinese, I would say the additions are too expensive! 60 AUD for a kung fu show？？？
Presumably you could just do your own thing instead?
Depends if he's a black belt or not.
Depends on where pick up and departure is for the next leg of the trip…
So $699 + $750 (all tours) per person excluding tips, alcohol, and prostitutes etc… Sounds expensive!
How much did you budget for the rub & tug?
Just don't get caught like Simon Cheng https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/08/22/china-claims-uk-…
It sounds like a cheap way to see a fair bit of china without the stress of diy. It is a hard place to navigate and communicate without the internet. Lovely people though.
That’s only if you have a lot of time on your hand but is short on money, spending nearly half day getting to these tourist only shops is a complete waste of time
Buyer beware. Please pay extra and choose a tour that explicitly excludes these "shopping" visits.
I've been to one in Xi'an and it wasn't fun and most of the time is wasted at these visits (they didn't do the forced sales but we had to sit in rooms for 45 minutes listening to BS so they would get the "tips").
I've heard in bigger cities that it's worse, they won't let your group out until they meet a quota.
China is a great place to visit so pay extra for a shoppingless tour.
Alternatively, just travel around without a tour. It's pretty easy unless you're going somewhere rural. Most cities are linked via high speed rail and big cities have metro and buses (Chinese buses stop at all stops for easy travel) which takes you all around.
Google maps doesn't work but there are plenty of navigation friendly apps to get around using public transport in China.
Trip.A.deal.com.au…..have similar tour
Recently had 2 for 1 deal - $999
Go to there website to compare - price, tips, optional tour prices, etc.Below are the links to read comments…
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/494732
Exclusions
Visa to China
Surcharges, i.e. optional activities, single supplement & etc.
Anything not listed in the itinerary, i.e. laundry, personal items, alcoholic drinks, etc.
Travel Insurance (compulsory)
Tipping at a recommended amount of $15 per person per day
Optional Activities
These are available at an additional cost. To be booked and paid for locally.
Day 2: Hutong Life Tour approx. AU$30
Day 2: Temple of Heaven Tour approx. AU$60
Day 2: Peking-Duck Dinner approx. AU$30
Day 2: Beijing Kung Fu Show approx. AU$60
Day 3: Summer Palace Tour approx. AU$60
Day 3: Hot-pot approx. AU$30
Day 4: Confucius Temple Tour approx. AU$65
Day 5: Grand Canal Cruise approx. AU$45
Day 6: Impression West Lake approx. AU$110
Day 7: Huangpu River Cruise approx. AU$45
Day 8: Zhujiajiao Water Town Tour approx. AU$110
Day 8: Shanghai City Tour approx. AU$110