Kimkim Trip Reviews for China

What an absolutely amazing trip ! The whole thing was pulled together within two weeks of departure date by Heidi who was phenomenal. We mapped out to Heidi what we were looking to achieve for our first trip to China and she absolutely nailed the brief perfectly. Each of our four guides are absolutely worthy of mention, Li, Coco, Ellen and Vivian, - thank you so much for your attention to detail and being the perfect hosts in each of the cities that we visited and going beyond. You really did make the trip so memorable for us all and so totally seamless. We wouldn’t have found time to do half the things that we achieved if it wasn’t for your local knowledge and familiarity with the landscapes, etc.
I have absolutely no hesitation or reservation in recommending Kimkim to anyone who is thinking of using them as a travel organiser and we will absolutely be using them again in the future for any further travel plans.

Hong Kong to Beijing was awesome as we saw so many magnificent natural sights, so many historical and religious sites, and encountered so many wonderful Chinese . They were helpful and patient, as often a language barrier .

The bullet trains were a joy to ride, fast and smooth and on time .

I am a Zumba guy , so was grateful for many dance experiences. Some dancing was in shows where dancers invited audience ( like dancing with magnificent Yao ladies) , and many were dancing in town squares with locals….like Chinese Zumba lol.

Terracotta Warriors are beyond belief in person 😳

Grand Canyon, glass bridge, zip line: what a rush for the senses.

Rice terraces had a unique peaceful vibe in a country of 1 billion plus . Very unique art hotel with a million dollar view. Above the clouds…

Downside was twofold :
1. China visa process for US is beyond horrible.
I spent over 20 hours and pricey as required to hand deliver docs to Chicago embassy OR pay somebody $$ to hand deliver and hand pick up.

2. China really runs via phone . My AliPay , WeChat pay, and almost all communication from home did not work . Crippling problem.
eSIM, physical sim, not working .

Hotels and transportation were thoughtfully set up

Overall a magnificent 3 1/2 week journey.

Hotel Review

Longji One Art Hotel

Wonderful experience to stay there. Unique art style with million dollar view. And a cool cat that may play with you if you are cool enough…

Authenticity & Character

About as much character as you will ever find.

Location

Overlooking amazing rice terraces.

Staff

Very helpful staff including amazing tiny lady porter who carries heavy bags…..

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Hong Kong Island Half-Day Classic Tour by Public Transportation

Hong Kong

Great overall tour of mega city, banks, Buddha, etc

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Of all the trips I've taken with Kimkim, this was the most challenging. China presents special challenges for US citizens, and it would have been VERY helpful to get help from Kimkim prior to travel. Here are some examples:
Obtaining a China visa was very time consuming, very challenging, and very worrisome. The on line China visa is very difficult to figure out. Our visa applications were rejected a couple of times, adding a strong amount of stress as our trip date approached (we didn't receive visas until 1 week prior to our trip). Call me (+1 651-894-3410) and I can give you more info.
Setting up Alipay was challenging. Could have used help filling this out ahead of time.
I was told WeChat Weixin-pay wouldn't work in China. It did.
No one told me Alipay would not work in Hong Kong. I was very worried I wouldn't be able to pay for meals, groceries, etc since I didn't have the Hong Kong version of Alipay. Apparently Alipay can only be used in Hong Kong by people from mainland China (not foreigners), or people with only Chinese credit cards. We were not told this
Also, Hong Kong uses different money than mainland China. We were not told this. Luckily we find a few spots that take credit cards.
We are supposed to take public transportation (subway) on Saturday Aug 29 to meet for our second Hong Kong tour but without Alipay how can we do that? I ask Lisa to set up a ride to and from the tour.
We didn't know that we had to fill out exit forms for leaving Hong Kong to enter mainland China. One of our guides (Chas?) helped us fill out these on-line forms but had to charge us extra to do so. Be happy to discuss this further via phone

Hotel Reviews

Longji One Art Hotel

Incredible hotel with gorgeous views of the rice terraces!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

everybody was helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Zhuanjiacun Hotel

Huge breakfast buffet offering great Chinese cuisine and western breakfast

Authenticity & Character

Location

INCREDIBLE night drone show right across the street from the hotel (Saturday and Sunday nights). I suggest you tell all your guests about this show. Also an amazing night flyboarding show, and palace across the bridge from the park

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Peony City Hotel

Luoyang

I think this was the hotel with the revolving rooftop buffet? Very cool!

Activity Reviews

Zhangjiajie Park Tour - Glass Bridge & Tianmen Mountain

Zhangjiajie

Amazing to go up to the 999 stairs!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cable Car, Big Buddha, Fish Village and Beyond

Hong Kong

Great to see the Giant Buddha. As mentioned earlier we needed help (a driver) instead of subway to get here

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Trek from Ping'an Zhuang Village to Jinkeng Dazhai Yao Village

Longji

I didn't think rice terraces would be anything special. I was wrong! This was beautiful and our guide did a great job!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

See the Terracotta Army

Xi'an

Really cool to see this, unfortunately EXTREMELY crowded

Quality of Experience

Hiking along the Majestic Great Wall, Summer Palace

Beijing

Good idea to drive a ways and see the Great Wall with fewer people (vs the Starbucks or McWall section as they call it) in Beijing

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Half Day Exploring the Reed Flute Cave and Elephant Trunk Hill

Guilin

Reed Flute Cave was a surprisingly a GREAT experience. I had low expectations for a cave tour, but the lights were incredible!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Hike through the breathtaking Terraced Fields around Ping'an Zhuang Village

Longji

As mentioned earlier, this was a surprisingly great experience. I had low expectations coming in, but it was great!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We spent an amazing 10 days in China, always accompanied by knowledgeable guides. Bonnie, our guide in Shanghai, was so happy and proud to show us around her city! She was very knowledgeable, kind and patient, always willing to make changes or pivot to other interests of the group and was so capable in dealing with a few glitches we had at the train station. Alvin, our guide for Huangshan and the spectacular Yellow Mountain was a pleasure to be with as we hiked up the mountain on our way to the amazing Up Cloud Villa where we stayed for one night. I cannot recommend this small, luxury hotel enough! The rooms were gorgeous and comfortable, the food was delicious and the staff went above and beyond at all times. They not only provided exemplary service but also led us through various crafting experiences, even setting up Mah Jong for us and offering to play with us to complete the foursome. Truly an experience worth having to wake up on the mountain before the crowds for a sunrise hike! Alvin then took us to a gem of a protected town for our stay at the SU House Hotel where we were surprised by an amazing show for the mid autumn festival that was being celebrated that day. The fire works, dragons, lanterns overlooking the lake was mesmerizing! Florence, our guide in Hangzhou, showed us around her beautiful city with grace and precision. She was so knowledgeable and informative of the history and growth of such a lush and progressive city. She was also very open to a change of plans for a whole day as we got to know the city better.
Not our first trip to China but always leave the country wanting more. Cannot recommend it enough and Heidi from Kim Kim was a pleasure to work with and understood so well what we envisioned.

Hotel Reviews

UPCLOUD SHUGUANGLI VILLA

Can't not say enough wonderful things about the UPCLoud! What a gem on the mountain! The rooms are beautiful and so comfortable with every detail thought about. The staff are the true stars! They were so attentive and kind providing a warm and engaging experience. If you have the opportunity to stay her absolutely do it!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The St. Regis on the Bund, Shanghai

Beautiful Art Deco inspired hotel right on the Bund. Walking distance from so many hotspots in Shanghai with spectacular river views over Pudong.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Huanghsan SU House

A beautiful hotel nestled in a protected town with gorgeous rooms and spectacular views over the lake and town. Had a wonderful stay at this little treasure.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Silk Lakehouse, Shangri-La Hangzhou

A truly beautiful luxury hotel next to the stunning lake. The rooms are well appointed and very comfortable. Spectacular buffet breakfast and staff were all kind and mindful. Would definitely recommend for an enjoyable stay in Hangzhou!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Activity Reviews

Highlights of Shanghai with Yu Garden and the Bund

Shanghai

Shanghai is an impressive, clean and safe city absolutely worth a visit!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit the Magnificent Huangshan Mountain

Huangshan City

A visit to the Yellow Mountain is an absolute must! The beautiful views, spectacular rock formations and manicured hiking trails are very worth the climb.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

ERA Intersection of Time Acrobatic Show 2

Shanghai

The show was entertaining with some great stunts. Not sure the price is worth the duration of the show and the time spent in transportation. Would not say it is a must do in a city so full of activities and nightlife.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Experience Tea Culture in Hangzhou: Meijiawu Tea Village

Hangzhou

A fun time spent with NaNa, a local tea producer in Hangzhou. Spending time with her in her home teaching us about the local teas, flavors, and history, was a great way to spend an afternoon.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Enjoy the Historic Villages in Huangshan

Huangshan City

Really enjoyed a visit to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Honcun. A beautifully preserved town with nice shops and wonderful views. Definitely worth a stop.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Full day in Hangzhou: West Lake and Lingyinsi, Feilai Peak & Six Harmonies Pagoda

Hangzhou

Hangzhou is a truly vibrant and interesting city. The West Lake tour in a boat was a really enjoyable experience. The visit to Lingyinsi, a spectacular temple and grotto sculptures was the highlight. Only thing that would suggest is to be willing to do the tour as early in the morning as possible to avoid the heat and crowds. The area opens at 7 am and is definitely worth the early wake up.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The van was the oldest of the vans throughout our stay.

We had a wonderful trip to China.

China is home to all kinds of natural beauty and temples/monuments. However visiting the Great Wall and Zhangjiajie were by far our highlights.

We really enjoyed our guides Linda, Kevin, and Arthur. They were incredibly knowledgeable about the area we were visiting and more than willing to help us with anything we needed. I want to specifically give a shout out to Arthur who helped me find some cold medicine at a pharmacy.

Hotel Reviews

Sunrise On The Bund

Great location. Comfortable rooms (although we did have to ask for a mattress topper due to VERY firm mattress). I would recommend this hotel to future guests.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hampton by Hilton Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

Great location. Comfortable rooms. One of the better hotels we stayed at on our trip.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Chengyun Yuexi Resort

This hotel was in a good location near restaurants and access the riverside. However upon our arrival to our room we noticed the floors were very dirty and the bathroom area smelled of sewage. Very nice sized rooms, but the cleanliness of the room was very disappointing.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Green Lotus Hotel

Very nice hotel and in a great location to restaurants and bars. There is an amazing view out the back of the hotel at the river and surrounding hills. The hotel is very modern and elegant. However our friend did have unclear sheets upon our arrive. Very disappointing for such a nice hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Need to make sure rooms and sheets are clean before guest arrivals.

Guilin Bravo Hotel Grand Wing

This hotel has a great location near the lakes in Guilin. Very convenient walk to restaurants and bars near the hotel. The hotel itself was nice, but the rooms were a little musty. This was likely due to the humidity the local areas see.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tibet Hotel Chengdu

Chengdu

Very pretty hotel with a nice lobby and bar area. Rooms were very nice but we had an issue with our room smelling BADLY of cigarette smoke even though it was a "non smoking " room. It seemed to pick up when the fan was turned on. We asked the front desk for another room, which they kindly helped us with - but once we turned on the fan in that room....same cigarette smell. This was very disappointing given how nice the hotel looked.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Non smoking rooms need to be rid of cigarette smoke smell.

Xi'an Eastern House Boutique Hotel

This hotel is a great location - close walking distance to several bars and restaurants. Very elegant and modern. We particularly enjoyed the complimentary supply of water bottles. One of the better hotels we stayed at on our trip.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Park Plaza Beijing Wangfujing

Beijing

This hotel is in a great location. Close walking distance to restaurants and shopping. The lobby is very nice and we enjoyed the hotel bar on several nights. Staff were very friendly and washing machines were free to use. However we were not thrilled about our room. There was hair on the floor in our bathroom and finger smudges on the mirror. You could also tell that someone had smoked in the room at some point even though it was a "non smoking" room. Bed was firm (which I don't mind as much), but it seems most are in China are (at least at the hotels we stayed at).

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room needs to be cleaned better before guests arrive. Old cigarette smoke needs to be removed.

Activity Reviews

Countryside Tour in Yangshuo by bike

Yangshuo

We chose to rent scooters and had a lovely time riding down the trail parallel to the river.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Enjoy a Spicy Sichuan Hotpot Meal

Chengdu

Very good. One of our better meals on the trip.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chinese dumpling dinner

Xi'an

The show was very nice, but the food was expensive and not that great. They bring out several plates of dumplings with all sorts of fillings, but most of the time they were not hot. We had better dumplings elsewhere.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Exploring the Reed Flute Cave and Elephant Trunk Hill

Guilin

Thought this would be something else. Pretty cave system, but very cheesy and relatively small. The elephant trunk hill area was very underwhelming.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Peking Duck Experience

Beijing

Very good! One of the best meals on the trip. Highly recommend.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half day Golf course at Shanghai Silport Golf Club

Shanghai

Very nice golf course. We met the general manager upon walking in (Jack) who was incredibly helpful getting us set up and going. Our guide was not very familiar with golf or the check in process so this was a helpful coincidence.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

There is really no need for a guide to be included on this. Just a driver is enough. Especially if the guide is not familiar with golf.

Transport

Travel from Fenghuang (Phoenix) Ancient Town Town to Furong

Fenghuang

We really enjoyed our time in Fenghuang. Particularly the river boat ride and grabbing some drinks in the evening along the riverside. Furong is much smaller and would not recommend staying there for too long. Waterfalls are beautiful. Get in, get your photos and head out.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

See the Terracotta Army

Xi'an

Very cool to see and learn about the warriors, but got very repetitive after the first couple chambers. Still would highly recommend going, but have appropriate expectations.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Highlights of Shanghai with Yu Garden and the Bund

Shanghai

We would honestly skip this. Mostly seeing old bank buildings and a overcrowded garden area.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Revel in the Splendor of Zhangjiajie - Grand Canyon and Tianmen Mountain

Zhangjiajie

Grand Canyon was a little cheesy. It was cool to walk across the glass bridge, but the zipline and slide were just okay. The zipline limited your speed and the slide got backed up due to too many people being allowed at once. The boat ride at the bottom of the canyon could be skipped. Tianmen mountain was one of the coolest things we did on our trip. Beautiful area. Highly recommend. You MUST walk up the 999 steps.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Marvel at the Picturesque Landscape in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

Zhangjiajie

Highlight of the trip. Beautiful national park.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Marvel at the Li River: China's Most Picturesque River

Guilin

We enjoyed our cruise down the Li River. Seats on the boat were very comfy - although we spent most of our time on the top deck outside site seeing as we cruised down the river.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Encounter Adorable Giant Panda in Chengdu

Chengdu

We loved seeing the pandas.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Local Food Market and the Temple of Heaven in Beijing

Beijing

Seeing the local food markets was fine and the Temple of Heaven was nice. We were in the market for maybe 5 minutes. We did enjoy seeing the morning workout area where the locals meet. However we would not recommend going out of your way to see the food market.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hiking along the Majestic Great Wall, Summer Palace

Beijing

Seeing the Great Wall was perhaps the highlight of our entire trip. Definitely recommend.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Fobidden City and Hutong in Beijing

Beijing

We had a great time visiting both the Forbidden City and Hutong areas. Both sites are worth visiting. We ended up going back to the Hutong area in the evening for some drinks and shopping.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Heidi did a great job organizing our trip and planning everything out for a stress free trip. All the guides were friendly and flexible to work with what we wanted to do. We will definitely be using Kimkim in the future!

Lisa was excellent and very helpful in the planning stages of our trip. She answered all questions and made any necessary adjustments in a quick and timely fashion. Our trip went extremely smoothly due to her hard work.

On our trip, in Beijing, Roy and Mr. Meng were very helpful and adopted quickly to changing weather situations to ensure we were able to go see The Great Wall in the further Simatai section. He was extremely helpful in dropping us in the train station and was kind enough to give us some food for the ride.

In Luoyang & Zhengzhou, James and Wang Li were excellent hosts, and very gracious in interacting with locals and helping us make purchases as well. Our day to visit the Shaolin temple was excellent and I was grateful to have James with us. His personality and energy made the trip all the more better and even helped us deal with the heat of the day!

Finally, in Shanghai, Vivian and Mr. Zhang the driver gave us a great tour of the city and were very helpful. Vivian was very accommodating to help us shop

Only a small piece of feedback to add, in Tiananmen Square, the bag search is fairly thorough and exhaustive, which I wasn’t expecting, for future travelers this may be good to advise preemptively, to expedite going through the checkpoint and also avoid any potential items being withheld.

Activity Reviews

Jinshanling Hike and Simatai Great Wall

China

This was an amazing hike and view of the great wall. Highly recommend going to this section if the time allows. You may see the great wall in it's natural state.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full day trip Shaolin Temple and Songyue Temple Pagoda

China

This was an amazing experience. Our guide James had helped us get great seats for the martial arts demonstration show. I was very pleased with the experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tsung/Song/Neo and James were absolutely great guides.
Personally, I would have preferred three days each in Beijing and Shanghai. Given how wonderful the Zhangjiajie National Park experience was, I wouldn't need the Li boat ride.

My worst day was in Zhangjiajie. I was supposed to explore the "downtown" but I don't think I ever found it. The Tower was OK but it was Sunday and stores were closed and I still don't know that it was in the "downtown." Something said to get to the airport three hours before departure; I got there four hours before but only needed 15 minutes to get to the gate. The plane was two hours late, so I spent an unneccessary 6 hours at a boring airport. In general for me, 1-1/2 days in Zhangjiajie would have been enough. In general, I was misled about that part of the trip.
In general, China is awesome and the trip was a wonderful introduction.

Both my consultant Lisa and local guide Simon were AMAZING!!! Thank you for having made this weekend in Chongqing a weekend to remember!!

Hotel Review

InterContinental Chongqing Raffles City By IHG

Super well located, comfortable and Shua restaurant and bar is amazing!

Authenticity & Character

Location

views from every angles are magnificent!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full-Day Stylish Tour in Chongqing

Chongqing

Simon has won best guide in Chongqing and it shows why!!!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chongqing Panda Adventure and Museum of Three Gorges

Chongqing

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Modern Side of Chongqing Private Tour with Night View

Chongqing

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The trip was well conceived and coordinated. The level of reliability was very high for on time meetings, timely information, and delivery as promised (sometimes more than promised).
Heidi did a great job of creating the itinerary and coordinating every single detail including help with the visa process.
Amongst the guides, the standout guides were Justin (zhangjiajie) and Rose (Shanghai). They went beyond their brief, were very flexible and quick in adapting to our requirements, and went out of their way to make us feel comfortable.
The quality of the hotels that we stayed in was excellent. The cars provided in all locations (except Beijing) were comfortable and the drivers very good. The car in Beijing could have been bigger - it was too cramped especially for my daughters who were sitting in the third row.

What could have been better? We would have liked to receive more proactive suggestions from our local guides on what places to visit after our day with them was over. Only when we questioned the guides intensely, did they come up with suggestions. I am surprised that places like Datang Everbright in Xian were not on our itinerary or even suggested. There are so many places in each city that are worth visiting and should have been a part of the suggested list.

Activity Review

Dujiangyan Panda Base Volunteering Day Trip

Chengdu

I did not like this activity. The volunteering work isn't much really and feels very inconsequential. Much ado about nothing.

Quality of Experience

Food

Quality of food here was very average. We did not like the lunch served at the Panda base.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip was booked as a 5 star adventure and everything meet our expectations!

MANY THANKS TO HEIDI!!!
HEIDI WAS AWESOME, EASY TO WORK WITH AND EXCEEDED ALL OF OUR NEEDS. WHAT A JEWEL.
JIM

the organization and input from Lisa on what to see and do was great. it really helped to use a local travel assistant instead of one who does not know the region. The idividual guide and driver were good and the guide had good knowledge about the local sights - he was able to indepth explain the history of the various monasteries we visited. The hotels were modern, clean and the service was extremely friendly. The local food was delicious, fresh and well prepared in clean environments. i would highly recommend to use Kimkim for similar local flavor tours.

Hotel Reviews

LUX* Tea Horse Road Benzilan

clean, luxurious, well located.

Authenticity & Character

nice architecture, good views

Location

in the middle of Benzilan

Staff

extremely friendly, helpful to ensure we understood everything

Cleanliness & Comfort

could not have been better

LUX* Tea Horse Road Shangri - la

great views, centrally located. clean, friendly

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Benzilan Old Town, Temples

Benzilan

off the beaten path. we spend 2 nights, 1 would have been sufficient

Quality of Experience

old monasteries, drive through the valley along the Yangste river were super. much historic perspective

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

having a large car was a good recommendation

Shangri-La Day Tour: Pudacuo National Park and Gedan Songzanlin Monastery

Shangri-La

massive monastery with lots of history

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Highlight of Shangri-la with Napa Lake, local family visit

Shangri-La

napalake was good to drive through. not a must. we did not do the local family visit.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lisa was very helpful in organizing both our China and Japan trips. Everything was on time. She was also flexible whenever we had to make adjustments. Lily was our tour guide in Beijing. She was very knowledgeable.

Heidi did a spectacular job putting this trip together.
Stan and I were impressed with all of the site visit recommendations and the wealth of information that our guides provided for us.
Each of the guides provided their own unique perspective, which was interesting and all of them were very thorough and anticipated our every need.
Henry (Guilin/Longsheng/Yangshuo) was, for the two of us, the easiest to understand and we enjoyed hearing about his personal experience as a guide in China.
Rita (Xi'an) was also easy to understand and gave us good tips for getting through the Terracotta exhibit. She was also a wonderful chaperone for the "Ever Bright City" and the Hanfu experience.
Sophie (Shanghai) did an excellent job with the Shanghai City Tour and the Bund. She was also easy to understand and provided us with a very complete history of the politics of China.
Linda (Beijing) was very competent and eager to please. We did have a bit of trouble understanding her accent.
Mr SK Leung (Hong Kong) was also easy to understand and very competent.

Hotel Reviews

The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong

The views are outstanding. The hotel is conveniently located and has an attached shopping mall. The hotel restaurants have delicious food and the breakfast buffet is outstanding.

Amanyangyun

This resort offers a unique setting and overall experience. The restaurants and breakfast buffet are excellent. The suites are spacious and beautifully appointed. The staff is helpful and thoughtful. I highly recommend this experience!

Banyan Tree Yangshuo

Guilin

This resort setting is beautiful. There are great restaurants and walking paths. The sunset celebration is also amazing.

Lijiang Pushang Hotel

Great location and the views are spectacular!!!

Sofitel Xian On Renmin Square

This hotel is in a good location with nearby restaurants.

The Peninsula Beijing

Beijing

This hotel is conveniently located and offers excellent dining as well as large and comfortable accommodations. In addition, there are luxury shops and a nice area to work out or swim.

Authenticity & Character

Nice lobby, excellent breakfast buffet, excellent bedroom suites, and excellent all-around staffing.

Location

Close to many important visitor sites.

Staff

Very accommodating and everything was spotless.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Comfortable bedding and excellent staff cleaning.

Activity Reviews

Hong Kong Island Half-Day Classic Tour

Hong Kong

There is nothing like Hong Kong!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Mr SK Leung did a great job.

Transport

Day Trip to Zhujiajiao Old Town

Shanghai

We enjoyed this ancient water town but there were lots of crowds due to the holiday.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Shanghai City Tour with the Yu Garden , Jade Buddha Temple and Former French Concession

Shanghai

Lots to see in the Yu Garden. The Jade Buddha is impressive and the French Concession is lively and fun.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sophie is amazing.

Transport

Half Day City Exploration of the Bund

Shanghai

Beautiful setting, especially at sunset!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sophie did a great job.

Transport

Hike along the Picturesque Yulong River

China

We did a bike ride which was very fun.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Henry was great.

Transport

Yulong River Rafting Experence

Yangshuo

A fun way to experience the river.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Countryside and Ancient Town Exploration in Yangshuo

Yangshuo

We enjoyed the bike ride as well as the rafting.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Enjoy the performance "Impression Liu Sanjie."

Yangshuo

I would give this performance more than 5 stars. I have never seen such a fantastic performance in such a lovely setting anywhere!!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Henry was great!

Transport

Marvel at the Li River: China's Most Picturesque River

Guilin

The boat ride is very relaxing and provides amazing views of these gorgeous mountains.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Longsheng Full-Day Tour

Guilin

Beautiful views on the hillside. We especially enjoyed walking down the hill after riding the tram cart up the hill.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Natural Wonder: Reed Flute Cave

Guilin

Beautiful setting!

Discover Xi'an: the Terracotta Army and Muslim Quarter

Xi'an

Amazing!! I highly recommend this activity. The exhibits are very well done.

Grand Tang Dynasty Ever Bright City with Hanfu Experience

Xi'an

We found this area to be very impressive with new buildings that are built in the old style and lots of beautiful lighting and other features. We enjoyed the Hanfu Experience and found that local people to be enthusiastic about our participation.

Exploration: 798 Art District

Beijing

We enjoyed wandering around this area and looking at the art!

Peking Duck Experience

Beijing

This is a unique dining experience!

Lama Temple — Biggest Tibetan Buddhist Lamasery in Beijing

Beijing

Very impressive. Linda did a great job!

Full day with Great Wall

Beijing

The Great Wall experience is a must! The area is very well organized especially considering the number of visitors who attend. Linda did a great job!

Leisurely Exploration of Summer Palace and Temple of Heaven

Beijing

Great views and enjoyable boat ride at the Summer Palace. Linda did a wonderful job!

Explore Fobidden City and Hutong in Beijing

Beijing

The Forbidden City and Hutong area were great experiences. The overall size of the Forbidden city is mind boggling! The Hutong area is very interesting and colorful. We enjoyed the riskshaw ride! Linda did a great job!

Comparing to other trips we have booked with KimKim we were disappointed with China Travel as they did not check in with us during the visit and the 1 query I had about flight tickets, which I sent the day before travel, I did not get a reply until after the flight had taken place.

I think it would of been really helpful if Carol was able to check in with us to ensure everything was going smoothly.

The guides provided were all very good and language was not a barrier...the stand out guide was Lilly in Xian who really understood the dietary requirements for my wife, who is a vegetarian. FYI the guide in Beijing, Tracey, was good but we started off on the wrong foot as she only wanted us to do a driveby of Tiananmen Square, as she thought the queues were too long, and we had to be adamant that we wanted to do this...FYI she kept going on about how there was not enough time and we had to be firm with her that we wanted to do this. Also we were disappointed that she did not meet us at the train station when we arrive, we got a WeChat from her not long before our due time to say she would not be able to come and the driver would take us to the hotel...in our opinion she should of made arrangements with another guide or told us well in advance. When we did see her for the first time there was no apology or mention of her not being able to come. Having said this about Tracey she was by far the most informed and used different resources to explain the sites and history.

Hotel Reviews

Bellagio by MGM Shanghai

wow what a hotel ...by far the most luxurious and great location

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Wyndham Grand Xian South

Xi'an

great location and self laundry service

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Hilton Garden Inn Zhangjiajie Tianmen Mountain

Zhangjiajie

the self laundry service was a god send

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New World Beijing Hotel

Beijing

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staff did not want to engage or say hello

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Activity Reviews

Yuyuan Garden

Shanghai

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The bund

Shanghai

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Nanjing Road

Shanghai

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Hotel to airport Transfer

Shanghai

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Airport to Hotel Transfer (Shanghai)

Shanghai

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Shanghai Tower

Shanghai

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Yuyuan Market

Shanghai

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A Short Visit to Shanghai Old Alleys

Shanghai

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Zhujiajiao Ancient Town (with Boat Ride )

Shanghai

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Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

Zhangjiajie

We had very bad weather and visibility was very poor so we could don't really enjoy as much as we expected

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Tianmen Mountain (Tianmen Cave) including Glass Walkway and Cable Car

Zhangjiajie

We had very bad weather and visibility was very poor so we could don't really enjoy as much as we expected

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Transfer to airport for Departure

Zhangjiajie

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Airport to Hotel Transfer (Xi'an)

Xi'an

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Tranfer to Train station for next destination (Xi'an)

Xi'an

Lilly arranged for a porter to make sure we got on the train and to our seats

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Zhangjiajie Airport/tarin station to Hotel Transfer

Zhangjiajie

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Baofeng Lake

Zhangjiajie

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Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon with Glass Bridge

Zhangjiajie

We had very bad weather and visibility was very poor so we could don't really enjoy as much as we expected

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Ancient City Wall

Xi'an

Lilly gave us time to enjoy the sights with a bike tour

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Big Wild Goose Pagoda

Xi'an

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Xi'an Museaum and Small Wild Goose Pagoda

Xi'an

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Muslim Quarter

Xi'an

Really insightful and loved all the sights sounds and colours

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Terracotta Warriors

Xi'an

the was spectacular and Lilly knew all the best places for photos

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Learn How to Make Terracotta Warriors from Local Artisans

Xi'an

Good fun

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Cooking dumplings

Xi'an

great fun

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China's traditional national costume (Hanfu) and experience wearing it

Xi'an

we skipped this as it did not appeal to us...we should of removed this from the itinerary

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Discover the Forbidden City

Beijing

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Train station to hotel transfer (Beijing)

Beijing

As mentioned in my overall comments we were disappointed no guide was able to great us ...the drive was very polite and we had to struggle to the car park carrying our own bags

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Tiananmen Square

Beijing

the fact we had to be adamant we wanted to visit this on foot and not a drive by was really disappointing...the guide should of picked up up earlier if she had an issue with the time that would of been spent queuing

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Jingshan Park (overlook the Forbidden City)

Beijing

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Temple of Heaven

Beijing

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The Mutianyu Great Wall(with round way cable car)

Beijing

Spectacular views and the guide gave us lots of time to wonder along the wall

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Hutong Walking Tour in Dongcheng District

Beijing

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Summer Palace with Boat Ride and the Garden of Virtue and Harmony

Beijing

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Hotel to airport /train transfer (Beijing)

Beijing

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Train station to Hotel Transfer (Shanghai)

Shanghai

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Price of the Full Package

China

so much was packed into this adventure and having a guide to explain the history and overcome the language barriers was amazing. our guides also added a few bonus trips and were very flexible on the time spent at each place of interest

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Our trip was wonderful. Planning and booking was easy thanks to Lisa and all her advice was spot on.
We had absolutely no issues throughout the trip - all drivers and guides were excellent - particularly Yestin in Beijing & Betty in Chengdu. Would also like to make a special mention to Chow (Mike) in Zhangjiajie - he went above and beyond to make our visit fun, despite the terrible weather that could not be helped - excellent service and a lovely man!
We loved visiting the Pandas (we love animals!) and Betty was wonderful in navigating us away from the crowds and long line ups. The Zhangjiajie region was spectacular, but we really loved everywhere we visited. Thank you to everyone who made our trip very memorable!

Hotel Reviews

Tibet Hotel Chengdu

Chengdu

Great location and very lovely hotel!

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Jolie Vue Boutique Hotel

Guilin

Great hotel for Guilin stay - the location is excellent and view from the bistro is amazing.

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Li River Resort

Our favourite hotel on our China tour - very relaxing with a lovely river view!

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Sunrise On The Bund

A good location for Shanghai’s Bund!

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Activity Reviews

Beijing Highlights:Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City & Hutongs

Beijing

Excellent way to start our China experience. Our guide Yestin was very good and knowledgeable.

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Hiking along the Majestic Great Wall, Summer Palace

Beijing

We had a wonderful day visiting the Great Wall. Our guide, Yestin was excellent, especially at helping us avoid the really crowded areas and lone line ups!

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Marvel at the Picturesque Landscape in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

Zhangjiajie

A highlight of our China trip, the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park is spectacular, we had a wonderful time thanks to Chow, our guide who was a superstar in guiding us through all there was to see!

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Revel in the Splendor of Zhangjiajie - Grand Canyon and Tianmen Mountain

Zhangjiajie

Unfortunately the weather was not ideal for our visit to Zhangjiajie’s Grand Canyon & Tiananmen Mountain - but despite this we had an amazing time anyway! Thanks to Chow, our Guide who helped make the day memorable and fun!

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Marvel at the Li River: China's Most Picturesque River

Guilin

The Li Cruise was lovely - a relaxing way to see the spectacular scenery along the beautiful river.

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Explore Chengdu: Pandas, Wuhou Shrine,Jinli Ancient Street

Chengdu

LOVED, LOVED, LOVED the Pandas! Even though the Panda Centre seemed to be crowded, Betty our guide was able to keep us away from long lines and we had plenty of stress free time to just watch the beautiful animals. One of our favourite days in China.

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Yulong River Rafting Experence

Yangshuo

The bamboo rafting experience was a little bit of fun and a great way to see the scenery of the river.

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Explore the Scenic Countryside in Yangshuo by Cycling

China

We opted out of this activity due to the weather!

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Chongqing City Highlights One-Day Tour

Chongqing

The Chongqing City is pretty cool but this tour was not one of our favourites of China’s city tours. Yudy the guide was nice, but the spots we saw were pretty lame and not really that interesting and we didn’t see everything that was listed (didn’t get taken to Raffles City to do the Sky Bridge or see the Hongya Cave light up at night - only during the day with almost nothing happening). Overall the tour seemed a bit rushed - it would have been better to start in the late afternoon into the evening.

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Visit the Highlights in Shanghai

Shanghai

We enjoyed our Shanghai City Highlights tour, with the highlight being the Yu Garden.

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When I think about this trip, the first thing that comes to mind is the incredible level of planning required for a 12-day trip in China for my wife and I. Planning our trip through KimKim was an incredibly smooth and stress-free experience. The initial setup was simple, and we were quickly connected with our local China specialist, Heidi, who was an absolute pleasure to work with. She was responsive, accommodating, and consistently offered thoughtful solutions that made our itinerary even better. Heidi made me feel like I was her only client, while also going above and beyond to create an unforgettable experience for my wife and I. I was unfamiliar with how accessibility works in China, but Heidi handled every single detail flawlessly. From coordinating transportation between hotels in different cities, to selecting ideal locations to visit, arranging private tours, and ensuring smooth drop-off/pickup at airports and train stations -- nothing was overlooked. We literally felt like royalty the second we got off that plane as Heidi thought of everything. One of the standout aspects of the trip was the thoughtfully designed itinerary. Each day included planned activities, but there was also flexibility built in for leisure time.

What made this trip so special wasn’t just the destination, but was how personal and thoughtfully curated every moment felt. Traveling in a new country can sometimes feel overwhelming, but with KimKim everything was handled so professionally that we could simply relax and enjoy the experience. That level of organization made traveling around the country very easy.

At every step we felt safe, comfortable, and well looked after by the excellent bi-lingual tour guides. The tour guides made this journey extraordinary, especially Emma (Beijing), Kathy (Xi’an), Ethan (Zhangjiajie), and Autumn (Shanghai). Thanks to them, we enjoyed our China adventure and now have very fond memories that will last a lifetime. The tour guides would come and get us from our hotels and bring us back to our hotels. They would check in with us daily to make sure we knew where we were going and had any questions. They were all knowledgeable, warm, and clearly excited to share her culture and stories with us as well as learning about our culture (especially learning about our county’s slang). Their enthusiasm made the experience feel much more personal and engaging. Their warmth and good humor even outshined their obvious depth of knowledge and skill of communication. Every guide made us feel like we traveling with a family member. They selected fantastic restaurants throughout each city where we could enjoy authentic local food without worrying about our dietary needs. Every recommendation was spot-on. They were so much fun to spend time with!

And I would be remiss not to mention the hotels KimKim selected, which elevated the trip even further. Everywhere we stayed, we felt less like guests at a hotel and more like we were being welcomed into someone’s home. Also, all of our drivers were excellent as well—professional, safe, and reliable.

As this was our 2nd trip with KimKim, all the arrangements made by them have always been 100 reliable, including accommodation, transportation and activities. Overall, this trip exceeded every expectation. The itinerary was the perfect blend of city action, historical insight, and natural wonder. Overall, KimKim, especially Heidi, made our China trip feel personalized, well-supported, and wonderfully memorable. Highly recommended them for anyone seeking a well-organized, locally informed travel experience.

Activity Reviews

Full day with Great Wall and Changling Tomb in Beijing

Beijing

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A Glimpse into China's Imperial Past: the Fobidden City

Beijing

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Peking Duck Experience

Beijing

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Visit the Picturesque Summer Palace

Beijing

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The Tang Dynasty Show (1hour)

Xi'an

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Chinese dumpling dinner

Xi'an

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Explore Xi'an City: Ancient City Wall and Drum Tower

Xi'an

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Marvel at the Picturesque Landscape in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

Zhangjiajie

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Day Trip to Zhujiajiao Water Town with Boat Ride

Shanghai

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Explore the Temple of Heaven

Beijing

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See the Terracotta Army

Xi'an

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Day Trip to Suzhou and Tongli Water Town City Tour

Shanghai

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Full day Tour with Golden Whip Creek&Ten Mile Gallery & Baofeng Lake

Zhangjiajie

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Zhangjiajie Park Tour - Grand Canyon with glass bridge

Zhangjiajie

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Half Day City Tour with the Yu Garden

Shanghai

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The trip was seamless from planning through departure. We had a great time and would highly recommend using KimKim for a China trip. Our guide, Alan, met us at the airport, even after our flight was delayed 5 hours. We needed to take a sick child to get medicine at the hospital, and he helped navigate and translate the whole time. Alan and our KimKim Planner, Heidi, mentioned they always support the human needs of their clients first. Because of this, help at the beginning of the rest of our trip was a breeze. We were able to change the date of our rest day to make up for the late arrival. We thoroughly enjoyed the rest of our activity, including the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Hutongs, and the Vegetable market. Because of our schedule change, we had a second guide, Jim, who was helpful for our last day of exploring. We had full service the entire time, from lunches curated to our needs, to pickup and dropoff at the airport. This experience was a truly all-inclusive easy way to relax into China!

We just got back from our China trip and wanted to say thank you to Heidi from KimKim for putting everything together so well. Traveling across multiple cities can be complicated, but the whole itinerary flowed really smoothly and made the experience easy and enjoyable.

Each stop had something memorable. In Beijing, walking through the Forbidden City and visiting the Great Wall were real highlights — so much history, and you can really feel it when you’re there. Xi’an was another standout, especially the Terracotta Army. It’s one of those places that’s even more impressive in person than you expect.

Chengdu was a different kind of experience — visiting the pandas outside the city was a lot of fun and definitely worth it. And then Zhangjiajie… that was probably the biggest surprise for us. The scenery in the national park is just unreal. Photos don’t really do it justice.

Shanghai was a complete contrast — very modern, very energetic. The skyline and the scale of development there really stood out.

The hotel accommodations throughout the trip were great — comfortable, well-located, and made it easy to relax after long days. The logistics between cities (both trains and flights) were also very well handled. Every transfer was smooth, and what we really appreciated is that each guide stayed with us all the way through the train station or airport, right up to the security checkpoint, which made everything stress-free.

We also want to mention the guides, because they made a big difference. Candy in Beijing, Key in Xi’an, April in Chengdu, Ethan in Zhangjiajie, and Sophie in Shanghai (with help from Linda) were all excellent. Everyone was knowledgeable, helpful with translation, and always looking out for us.

On top of the planned itinerary, each guide gave great personal recommendations — places to eat and extra things to see that we wouldn’t have found on our own. Things like the Muslim Bazaar in Xi’an, the Tibetan street in Chengdu, Peking duck in Beijing, and even checking out silk-making in Shanghai added a lot to the trip.

Overall, we had a great time and really appreciated how everything was organized. Thanks again to KimKim for arranging such a memorable trip.

Our trip to China was truly spectacular, the Great Wall totally met our expectations and to visit it during snowfall made for a uniquely beautiful experience. Xi'an is a lovely, warm-hearted city that we really enjoyed strolling through. Our excellent Xi'an local guide Coco was very well paced and knowledgeable. She had a cheerful, welcoming personality, and was happy to answer all our questions about the old city. She shared so much of the city's interesting history with us, adding even more to our feeling of awe. In the scenic area of Guilin, our local guide, Fei, was very eager to share the beauty of her home with us, ensuring we went to all the best spots. Chongqing, our last destination on the trip, totally blew us away with its futuristic cityscapes. Our local guide, Yudy, was so energetic and excited to introduce us to all the mesmerizing sights of Chongqing. Yudy spared no effort in ensuring we did all we wanted to do and made our Chongqing experience so captivating that we would love to return. Of course, our local specialist, Heidi, was such a great help every step of the way, checking in to make sure all was well and that we were making all our transfers successfully. We are so happy with how the trip turned out!