Hangzhou Reviews - What Our Customers Say about Their Hangzhou Tours

Thank you Rita.

We are very sad that our trip is coming to an end. So far we have had a fantastic time and seen and done some amazing things.

I had a bit of spare time on the high-speed train so came up with this to help your customers. Up to you if you want to use it or make any adjustments (but I think it would be most helpful once people have booked) it reads as follows...

As part of your journey around fascinating and spectacular China, you will most likely take one or more of China Railways High Speed Trains.

These trains are both fast and efficient, enabling you to cover great distances quickly and in comfort.

You may be required to board the train without the assistance of a guide. This may occur depending on station regulations.

The following is suggested as information for travelers. Please note that this is not a definitive guide, as there may be differences depending on station and location, and may be subject to change.

First and most importantly, there are plenty of clean toilets at the stations, and the trains also have Western toilets in each carriage.

Whether you travel First or Second Class is up to you, but there is plenty of leg room in both classes. All trains are non smoking.

AT THE STATION.

Once at the station you will be required to go through security. You will need your passport for this. Your passport is linked to your ticket. We recommend wheeled suitcases or suchlike as luggage trolleys are not provided. Please note that your main bag will travel with you on the train. Unlike a plane where certain items can travel in the hold, prohibited items will be confiscated. Eg. Knives or souvenir swords.Check ahead for prohibited items to avoid disappointment.

You will need your passport, the train number, carriage number and seat allocation for your journey. This will be provided by your guide or on your itinerary. It will also pay to know your departure time.

There are departure boards in multiple places in the stations. These will link your train number with a boarding gate.

Your trains details will be in one of 3 colours.

Yellow: information stage

Green: boarding stage

Red: departure stage.

In order to run efficiently the trains do not wait. Please be in the correct place ready to board. Depending on the number of train carriages, there may be 2 boarding gates. Eg. 4A and 4B. These will correspond to the carriage number. Don't panic if you get it wrong, but it may result in having to walk a little further on the platform to get to your carriage.

You will need your passport to leave the station to go to the platform. There are lines for self check-in and another for passports/ assisted check-in. This may be detailed overhead, or look for the person manning the assisted check-in line. Use this line to proceed to the platform.

PLATFORM / TRAIN

If no train in platform: There are markings on the ground showing the approximate carriage location. You should wait there. If in doubt you can ask for help.

If train is at platform: Check the train number on the side of carriage.(in case two trains either side of platform)

Find your carriage number and board. Seat numbers are clearly labeled. Place your big luggage overhead. Some trains have additional storage at carriage end. Do not store drink bottles overhead as they may leak, due to cabin pressure.

Depending on the length of your journey some basic food may be available (cashless transactions.) You can take your own food if you wish. Hot water is also available on board.

Enjoy your safe and comfortable journey. Be sure to take in the scenery as you travel.

ARRIVAL

Not all train services may terminate at your destination. The next station is shown on a display at both carriage ends (in English also) . Knowing your arrival time will further assist you in getting off at the correct station.

If you are being met at the station your previous guide should give you directions where to meet, as the stations are normally large with multiple exits. You can also have your next guides name and phone number if you wish. You will need your passport again to exit the station terminal, at the manned checkout line.

Depending on the station layout you will be met at the terminal exit, or the arranged location. Your happy, smiling guide will have your name on a signboard to welcome you, and be ready to assist as required.

Dave

Hi April,

1. Yes, April is very helpful and answers our enquiries promptly.

The tour arrangements are able to be tailored to our interests.

Yes, we definitely will recommend your services.

April, assigned drivers and tour guides are friendly, helpful and accommodating. Even on the last day, Adam was there to ensure a smooth departure back home. We can perceive that China's discovery is committed to ensuring customer satisfaction. Tim, despite being a younger guide with less experience, made commendable efforts to ensure our tour was satisfying. He is good at taking nice photos for us. Jessica was an exceptional tour guide, her knowledge and enthusiasm truly enhanced our experience. Henry ensured our Shanghai tour was fulfilling for the day.

Hee

Dear Rita,

we are back from our trip in China, and I have to say the overall experience exceeded our expectations! We saw so many wonderful things and sites, and our days were so relaxing and interesting, we are already planning to be back soon.

I will add below my comments to the specific points you mentioned, but as a general comment the whole organization was great, all the four guides we met were very professional, well prepared and extremely kind. We appreciated very much the tours they guided us through and their attitude. All the drivers were extremely sharp and professional, and the cars very comfortable.

We are altogether very happy with your services, and we will surely contact you again when we plan our next trip to China (I guess this time we will focus on the Beijing / Xi’an area to see the Great Wall and the terracotta army).

Thanks so much for your kind support and also for your flexibility when we had to postpone our trip last November. That was highly appreciated.

Kind regards.

Laila

Hi Wonder,

Just to thank you for defraying postage in sending the jacket I left at Xian hotel to Shanghai hotel. Please send my regards and my appreciation to Sally in managing the jacket to Shanghai.

Apart from her help to send the jacket, Sally has been a wonderful guide not just for Xian and Terricotta warriors but also as we discovered she’s very knowledgeable in China’s history. We had lengthy conversations and I’ve learned much from her.

Regards,

Steven

Hi Vivien,

Good evening Wonder. My wife enjoys one of her most memorable tour today. Suzhou is indeed a place NOT to be missed whenever you are in China. I will definitely provide the feedback once I am back to Malaysia later this week. Once again, many thanks for the arrangements and most of all, the support given to us when I lost my backpack yesterday.

I thank you and Rose for your dedication to look for my missing back. We indeed have a good afternoon with Rose before the good news arrived.

Kam

Thanks Tracy,

thank you for helping me to arrange the trip. It was fun.

Francisca

Dear Wonder,

After returning from our magnificent and wonderful China tour I would like to share our impressions with you. If you want you can use our comments as testimonial for you as well.

My wife and me took on March/April (at this time the different sites are not overcrowded and the climate is comfortable too) a 21-day private tour through China (mainly in the South) organised by Wonder, China Discovery. Wonder is an ideal travel consultant. He is highly competent, absolutely professional and flexible. Exept one also the local tour guides and drivers were very engaged and trusty. For travelling within China we used mainly the very efficient, very fast, comfortable and very punctual high speed trains. The selection of hotels (location and comfort) was also good. So, we were able to carry out our tour, which was quite ambitious and strict for our age (71 years), well. Only under these conditions you can have a pleasant tour through China. We can highly recommend China Discovery and personally Wonder. - Antal from Hungary, April 2024

Information just for you. The best English skills among the local tour guides had Derek (Hangzhou), Vicky (Dali), Bruce (Xian), Lobsang (Shangri-La) and Lisa (Luoyang). Jenny (Kunming area) was not really good. For example on the first day we could reach and see the sunset at the rice fields only because of our initiative and pressure. Otherwise we would have missed it. Attached I send you a few photos, which you can use if you want.

Finally I have a request to you. Would you please send me a China map with our travel route marked? (Beijing - Shanghai - Huangshan - Guilin/Yangshuo - Kunming - Stone Forest - Yuanyang/Hani rice terraces - Jianshui - Dali - Lijiang - Leaping Tiger Gorge - Lhasa - Luoyang - Beijing). I hope it is possible and I thank you very much in advance.

Antal

Hi Rita,

Greetings from Malaysia. Thank you for your email.

We enjoyed the tour very much and are satisfied with all the arrangements from the guide picking us up at the airport, the itinerary, transport arrangements between Shanghai, Suzhou and Hangzhou and the shows recommended. Both Seven (Shanghai, Suzhou) and LuLu (Hangzhou) were excellent guides, very friendly, approachable and knowledgeable.

Definitely will recommend your services to my relatives and friends. We hope we can visit China again.

Nothing to complain about, only that our visit is too short!

Susan

Dear Leo,

We enjoyed our hHongzhou trip very much. Guides were professional and accommodation was good. Thanks for your help.

We are planning for another few days to China maybe from 11-13/2 departing Hong Kong. Just wondering if you have any suggestion where to visit during the Chinese new year to avoid the crowd and open?

Cheers

David

Hi Rita,

I am very satisfied with your arrangement of my tour in Hangzhou The tour guides and the transportation are done professionally. I definitely will recommend your services to others. Your service is excellent and I don’t see any need for improvement. Thank you very much for your good work. Wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

George

Hi Wing,

thank you again for your help! Overall I’m very happy with your company.We are very happy to recommend your company to others!

Julie

Hello Wonder,

I am very well - very refreshed after the trip to China. Hope all is well with you.

Of course, please see my feedback below. Also attaching some photos for you as well. Happy for you to share these on your websites too.

Thank you once again for making the necessary arrangements for the trip. We hope to visit China again soon!

Best regards,

Jasmine

Hi Leo,

Thank your for arranging.

Generally the trip is good. Minus the hot weather :)

The tour guide and driver gives good service.

Carmen

Dear Tracy,

Yesterday evening I wrote my review and forwarded it to trip advisor. Please check that it has been uploaded on their website. As far as I can see the review appears if you search for

"China Discovery organized a 6 days sightseeing tour for me to Nanjing, Hangzhou, Wuzhen and Suzhou 3-8 April. The trip was excellent organised as regards all the logistics. The guides who accompanied me were very professional with comprehensive knowledge about history, culture and food. And very kind and helpful. Each of the citities are unique in their own way with many historical sights, beautiful buildings and landscapes plus very good restaurants, bars, cafés etc and therefore deserve more time individually. But China Discovery had made the right priorities in a rather packed sightseeing program. Thank you Tracy! I did also use China Discovery for a 7 days journey to Yunnan province in December last year and will not hesitate a second to use the travel agency again for my next adventure in China."

Dear Vivien,

Sure. We had fun! Thanks so much for organising it. Hoping to go back!

Hi Wonder!

No problem we are back in Shanghai now. The trip was wonderful!

Kristin

Hi Tracy,

We are back comfortably. Thankyou for organising the nice trip.

Hi Rita,

I am back in Suzhou. I really enjoyed my weekend in Hangzhou just wish it could have been longer! Leaf was a great guide.

Hi Vivien,

We had a great trip, thanks so much.

I'll write up a feedback tomorrow and choose some pictures to send you.

Here are some of the photos from our trip. I’ve sent them in order of the places visited. I'd be happy to let you use the photos.

Hi Zeva,

The tour guide Lulu is great, she has so many knowledge about the places we are visit, I am happy with my Hangzhou tour.

Hi Echo,

First my wife and i are very concerned about you & family plus our guides and their families due to the coronavirus.

We had a fantastic time in China just a few months ago.

1. Our travel arrangements were PERFECT! It was an affordable vacation yet for only a few dollars over base cost we were able to upgrade to Hainan airlines and 1st class high speed trains,

Plus our hotels (when the front desk is an actual luxury desk you sit at checking in - you relax and know your stay will be so nice!)

We were met on time by friendly staff in each city.

Our local tour guides were great! Each different but good. 

We have recommended your tour company many times as we discuss our trip and show our pictures. Everything went very smoothly. As we exchanged emails our perfect vacation developed so easily. 

Improvements? Not many. The tour locations, transportation, lunches, drivers & guides etc... were great!

2 things- our guide in Shanghai wanted to tell us so much. She was worried about the time too much. For her, the other guides, and the travellers - please send a simple intro guide lesson for us fo read and take with.  So many dynasties, rivers, canals, rocks, pagodas etc...to learn. 

Also, the shopping stops were very nice and also affordable. 

But, if wasn't until our last morning that i discovered a souvenir shop. To buy tshirts, key chains, refrigerator magnets, etc..  This is an important part of travel as the "themed" location shops dont carry items forg all the friends and family back home.

Also in Xian we had expected fo visit the ancient mosque along with the muslim street.

Thank you for a wonderful trip.

Hi Lyn,

I know you are celebrating but I wanted you to know we made it back to California OK.  Thank you for the fine tour.  All the guides were great.

Hi Lily,

Thank you for your help with our tour planning.  We had a great time and enjoyed all the food & places we visited.

Have a Merry Christmas and happy New year!

Wing

Dear Echo,

Thanks for your email. Anne's knee has now recovered and she has been able to resume her visits to the gym this week.

I have paid the outstanding bill for the Shanghai airport transfer in $USD via PayPal

Thanks once again for all your assistance in setting up our trip and then helping us with the transport variations whilst in China.

It was a pleasure doing business with you and China Discovery

Best wishes

Russell & Anne

Dear Lyn,

Delighted to see your email. Yes, we are both fine and I must say that our China trip worked out extremely well thanks to you. Right from the word go, you have been so helpful and prompt in all your responses. Your advice was great and the choice of places to visit was just right. We do appreciate your help mid-way in getting our room in Novotel, Beijing, changed. All our tour guides – Yoyo in Beijing, Fiona in Hangzhou and Melody in Shanghai were very polite, friendly, helpful and flexible. So were the drivers too. Please covey our heartfelt thanks to all of them. Our thanks are also due to Mark who picked us up when we landed in Shanghai and Tina who was there to pick us up, help us with ticketing and drop us off twice at the Shanghai Railway Station. The weather was good throughout and everything went exactly as planned. Without doubt, we will recommend you and China Discovery to our friends. In fact, we have done so to many already.

Many thanks again and warm regards from both of us,

CHINA DISCOVERY (CHENGDU CHINA): chinadiscovery.com Highly recommended.

The itinerary ; 16 days private tour in Shanghai Hangzhou Guilin Zhangjiajie Xian Beijing and group tour Yangtze Cruise (13^th Sept to 28^th September 2019)

If there is one word that best describes the flow of our 16 day long tour to China , the word is SEAMLESS. Our tour operator China discovery (based out of Chengdu China) were simply awesome. Right from the time we landed to the our last day they ensured we were cared for and made all efforts to make the trip memorable. It all started with an email to Leo Li (Representative at China Discovery). I’m sure he practices meditation coz he never lost his cool answering the several questions we had and innumerable changes we made before landing. He replied to my queries even whilst on his personal leave….that’s dedication. He guided me on the dates. We would have landed during golden week and that would have been a challenge with the local holiday crowds. Leo was also empathetic when we lost our perfumes, hairspray and swiss knife to security at the railway station in Xian (bear in mind you cannot have these if you are taking the bullet trains). He arranged to pick the confiscated items from the railway authorities and ship it back to us in Dubai. The level of service is par excellence. Having travelled extensively I can vouch for China discovery for the extra-efforts they put in to make it a great experience.

All tour guides spoke good English (Trust me you need one). I would like to mention KAI (Our guide in Beijing). He is an excellent story teller. Got us hooked to the history of China (Wish I had someone like him teach us in School). Then there were the other guides who gave us enough time as required, never overdoing the information bit. Answering the never ending questions we threw at them.

Our only setback during the trip was missing The forbidden city tour. The site was closed earlier than expected; as preparations were on for the 70^th National Day. However we were re-imbursed by the tour operator.

China has something for everyone. We chose the more scene route. Avatar mountains of Zhangjiajie are surreal, the rice terraces of Guilin, the Li river cruise , the lake city of Hangzhou and the Yangtze cruise were all a delight to experience. We insisted on a no-shopping tour.

Food can be a bit of a challenge to a few . Chinese food although popular may be quite different than how its made in a foreign land. If you are a vegetarian , pls specify this to your tour operator to help them guide you.

Hotel rooms were comfortable and locations were perfect. We could wander around the happening streets in every city and enjoy a dinner and a drink whilst taking in the local experiences.

People of China love to take pics with foreigners and its fun to share a smile , a laughter or even a hug with well-meaning individuals. Chinese parents encourage their kids to speak in English. So do indulge in a bit of a chat with the little one’s .

Tips :

When visiting China , ensure you give it at least 2 weeks. It’s a huge country, with every city/town/village offering different experiences.

Keep an eye out for what you cannot carry on train journeys or risk prohibited items getting forfeited.

VPN : Buy it to stay connected.

Have an offline app to translate your language into Mandarin (This is a BIG help)

Do not take offence if the Chinese don’t smile back at you. They are not being rude. It’s just my understanding that they do not know what to make of your smile. They do not understand your intent or it could be that they simply don’t smile often. They are lovely people if you get to know them .

Do not pack in too much for the day. Every location has lots to see, so a lot of walking. Shortlist your choices and finish the day at around 5 or 6 p.m . This way you are ready for the next day.

China will surprise you in ways you weren’t expecting.  This middle kingdom is indeed a sleeping giant as Napoleon Bonaparte rightly put. The country has had a remarkable growth economically. They have adapted to change .The transportation systems are super-efficient , the development in tourism is surprising and all these changes while keeping its traditions and culture alive.

China fascinates.

Thanks Lyn for looking after my Aunt Tan Sock Kia n her daughter Alison Hack - they both enjoyed Hangzhou very much n will travel with you again n also will recommend you to their friends!!

Hi Lily,

All is going very well.

We have especially loved Huangshan Mountain and Bishan.  Gerry in Hangzhou was a very good guide and Jerry in Huangshan was outstanding. We are now on the train to Guilin. Everything has gone perfectly smoothly. Thank you.

Dear Riley,

This is a late thank you note for all your assistance during our July trip to Hangzhou.

Though we didn't quite start on the best note possible, we had a very good time after all.

Our driver and guide were both very responsible and pleasant to be with, and the tour program was quite satisfactory.

I still would be hesitant to recommend Wyndham Grand to those who plan to travel to Hangzhou, but we were very grateful to your kind efforts and the hotel manager's prompt actions. 

Again, thank you for everything, and we hope to work with you again in the future on another trip to China.

Sincerely,

Hi Echo,

We had a really wonderful trip - thank you for all of your arrangements. I really appreciate all of your efforts to accommodate our group’s many requests leading up to the tour.

The best single aspect during the tour was the quality of the guides in each city.  Each was excellent at flexibly accommodating our group’s requests, and in tailoring to the wide needs of our group, from my 74-year-old father down to my 11.5-month-old niece.

If I had to choose one detail of the tour to improve, it would be the hotel in Hangzhou, which compared relatively poorly to the great hotels in Beijing, Huangshan, and Suzhou in terms of room quality.  Even so, the breakfast at the Hangzhou hotel was excellent, as was the location.  

Overall, we had an extremely memorable trip, and are so happy that three generations could share such a wonderful experience together.  My parents have already recommended China Discovery to friends, and I will also be in touch again the next time we visit China and need guide services.

Thank you again for all of your efforts on our behalf for this tour!

Best,

Hi Mark,

Thank you for your email. The Yangtze cruise was wonderful. The staff on board were very helpful, accommodating and positive. The food was lovely, and the weather held up well for most of the cruise. 

I will be back at work from tomorrow (Thursday) and will discuss further with colleagues who are interested in coming with me. 

Thank you again for all of your assistance booking the Yangtze trip (my first ever organised tour inside China, usually I just travel on my own) and I look forward to your assistance with my Tibet trip. 

I’ve included a few photos from the trip below. 

Regards

Take a Cruise Tour

Sites on Chinese Currency

Dear Echo,

We had a wonderful time in Huang Shan and HangZhou. Thank you for arranging such a great tour.

Joe and Lulu, both are very knowledgeable and helpful. We are very pleased with their guidance and help.

We will definitely go with ChinaDiscovery.com again in the future, and highly recommend you to our friends and family.

As you know this is our first time with your tour, we booked the tour based on the online reviews alone.

through correspondence with you, it helped us to book the tour with you.

However, we are still a little nervous when we had not received confirmation flight tickets from Wuhan to Huang Shan a few days before the scheduled date.

Now we understand why you could not issue the tickets earlier. And maybe our case was kind of unique.

Now that we have experienced with your tour, we will not have any more doubts, and we will be able to convince our friends the same.

But it would be very helpful, if you could give first time clients a little more confidence of your company credential and commitment.

Thank you again for a wonderful time we had.

Regards,