Reviews

Enjoyed our time during the Gems of China holiday. Saw all the main attractions that you would expect to see, Forbidden Palace and Tiananmen Square in Beijing, the Great Wall, Terracotta Warriors and Pandas at the Panda Conservation Centre. We also enjoyed the shows that were included, especially the Romance of China show during cruise along Yangtze River which we would highly recommend. Our national guide Alice was a true Gem who treated us all as family rather than customers. Our only criticism would be that too much was crammed into each day and we would have appreciated the opportunity to spend more time shopping for souvenirs.

Wendy Wu tour Majestic Yangtze was everything it said it would be and more. For me the Terracotta Warriors and The Great Wall were my highlights and were beyond expectation in reality. Surprise highlight for me was the city of Xi’an and its people, I want to return here. Local guides were amazing but our National guide Jacky was unsurpassable. His friendly confidence and kind consideration meant that everyone’s needs were met and all agreed that we had a fantastic time on this tour. The cruise was exceptional and an opportunity to relax and let the old world pass by. Loved this tour. Very grateful. Big thanks to Jacky!

What an amazing tour. You hit the ground running from day one. It was very intense and long days, so I feel the fitness level should be looked at. Whilst I realise the need to pack in as much as possible, it would have been nice to have more down time, have a drink and fully take in our surroundings. At times the group felt a bit rushed. Our guides were wonderful , so informative and fun, especially Vera. The first hotel was lovely and offered a good range of breakfast items. The following two, unfortunately did not meet the standard of the first. Overall, we loved the tour, the Great Wall, the terracotta warriors and especially the pandas. It was a truly amazing experience.

A busy but very enjoyable holiday. It was an opportunity to visit 4 very different regions in China.
Addison our guide was fantastic. So organised and knowledgeable. His love for Xian especially shone through. The insights into his family life that he shred with us gave an added dimension.
Stephen our guide in Shanghai was amusing and knowledgeable. The visit to the heritage village and the night cruise were particularly enjoyable.
Guilin our next stop was so beautiful. It was a pity that we moved hotels twice but maybe that was the was it was best to fit in the cruise. Oscar our guide started off repeating himself a bit but was soon encouraged to tell us more different information and he became quite endearing. The show on the water was impressive and the Tai chi lesson fun. The Osmanthus ice cream is a must.
Dressing up to visit the square in Xian was fun as well at the dumpling banquet.
The visit to see the terracotta warriors was a highlight. Photos do not do it justice.
Beijing was wet, very wet. It poured. We had been so lucky up until then.
Addison took us to the great wall early. Not only was the weather slightly better then but also it was before the crowds appeared. Our visit to the Summer palace was a wash out.

Well organised, very well fed, hotels good, George our Tour Manager was excellent. My highlight was the Terracotta Warriors - superb. The Great Wall of China was a bit disappointing as I feel we saw the great steps of China instead. No wall to see really, just a lot of steep steps to climb along with several thousand other people. The group of 27 really gelled well and overall had a fantastic time!

We were on the Majestic Yangtze tour with Wendy Wu Tours for 14 days in mid-September 2026 and what a trip it was!

All the way from Shanghai to Beijing and so much in-between from a night cruise in Shanghai to such "wonders of the world" as the Terracotta Warriors and Great Wall of China, the cities of Chengdu and Xian as we flew through China's vast countryside on bullet trains and sat in awe of how much and how fast this vast country has changed in the last thirty years. Cities of twenty million or more, sky high apartment buildings adorning every city skyline and hotels as classy as any western ones with the latest technology from robot room service to AI loos with handsets to warm them up or flush everything away. All top class- apart from one or two issues flights with Turkish Airlines and stopovers in Instanbul.



The real highlights however weren't the vast distances we travelled but the people we travelled them with-our multinational group from the UK, Australia and USA-and the entertainment we enjoyed on our gorgeous four night cruise on the Yangtze River sailing through the Three Gorges Dam with the staff providing the evening entertainment and even the Captain joining in, the tours of silk and jade factories, the Forbidden City & the gorgeous Sacred Garden by day and Xian's medieval City Walls lit up by night as well as delicious Chinese food every day served on our "Lazy Susan for all to share. We got a full-on taste of China, its rich medieval heritage and its people today not as we might portray them from western media but as a people as welcoming and friendly as anywhere else and apart from Tinnaman Square free to say-often in English and always very respectfully- what life is like in China today.



It was everything we hoped for -and more. But the Star of our Tour undoubtedly was our main guide Gary (all Chinese guides it appears have an English name) who not only kept us all on time and in line with phrases such as "Gary's Family", "Follow the flag", Sticky Rice (keep together) and "One Dollar" (someone is missing)/ "Two Dollar" (everyone's here) but with his "Chinglish", his inexhaustible good humour (at least one joke a day) and his genuine concern for and attention to detail with all 23 of us. This was more than a 'personal touch' or company training. This was Gary, knowledgeable, caring,funny and always smiling; one, if not, the best tour guide we have ever had and a huge compliment to Wendy Wu who it seems sets the standard as all the guides we met seem to know her personally. Gary and Wendy Wu made our tour of China both special and memorable and for that my wife and I are extremely grateful.

Completed the "China Experience" tour with Wendy Wu this May visiting Shanghai, Xi'An, and Beijing. This was led by National Guide, Grace Gao, and local guides Felicity (Shanghai), May (Xi'An) and Lee/Li (Beijing). This was first trip with the company and as a solo-traveller on the tour. Met for the first day in Shanghai, as total strangers, and discovered I was the youngest (Late 30s) of a group of 16, ages on average ranged around 50–70 years old for the others.
The tour was fast-faced with a lot to see, which could make it physically demanding. Up first thing in the morning, back late at night, no real down-time or taking things at a casual pace others may entertain outside a tour company.
The tour guides were very knowledgeable, and it was good to hear their personal perspectives and experiences which shaped things for them and the changes that have advanced in modern China. It gave a very real element to the world beyond the facade of simply seeing what is in front of you. Felicity sharing as she watched the skyscrapers go up as a young girl in Shanghai, Grace's experience of when she first went to Xi'An to study before they redeveloped the city, and Lee coming in from the villages to Beijing.
The thing I found from China was that my perspective of 'big' changed. The country is so populous and so built up, it made everything back home just feeling small. The souvenir 'town' outside the Terracotta Warriors alone felt like it was the size of my hometown. Downside, you had to walk through it to get back to the bus.
That was the downside of China, the tourism felt over-commercialized and this really seemed to take a lot of authenticity away from the experience. You couldn't simply enjoy something without it being 10 trinket stalls around it, and 2 inside of it.
Though the tour allowed for some very good opportunities to witness things like the Tang Dynasty dancing, Chinese Acrobatics, and an optional Xi'an night tour which included dress up, and went to a festival filled with other domestic tourists to have a good time and lots of pictures taken of/with (Highlight event of the trip).
Wendy Wu were clearly very experienced on when and where to go to the different venues. Seeing other Wendy Wu tour groups at the same exact places shows they have a formula on how to deliver this, which is used for their other tours they host. The timings also allowed you to experience things before the crowds hit, so when you are leaving, you turn around to see a mass of people, and think "good thing we came when we did". I think that goes to sum up how these tours work, they have everything packaged in a neat box, and you pay to experience it. Wendy Wu tours are certainly not cheap in price, but it is fully inclusive, so you don't need to worry as everything is taken care for you, and they have a high calibre when it came to quality of the tour guides, hotel rooms, and choices they select. They know what they are doing to deliver the experience, from the start to finish.
I thoroughly enjoyed the trip, and the biggest cons were down to the lack of flexibility in format which is to be expected.

Our motive for going to China was to visit family, but we also wanted to see the country. Not having visited before, making our own travel arrangements was daunting, and we decided to go on an organised tour.

We chose Wendy Wu’s Gems of China tour as it gave us the opportunity to visit areas such as the Zhangjiajie National Park which weren’t covered by other tours, and we were very happy with our choice.

From the first moment of booking we were very satisfied with the attention to detail and level of support we received from the company. When it was decided (the day after we applied) that British visitors no longer needed a visa, the staff were very helpful, and processed our refund quickly. The information we received before the tour was very comprehensive and answered all our questions.

The quality of the hotels where we stayed, and the transport (including coaches, trains and internal flights) were all excellent.

In an unfamiliar country such as China the quality of the local guides is extremely important, and our main guide, Sophie Jin was fantastic! Her English was great, she was very knowledgeable and friendly, and managed the conflicting demands of a diverse group with tact and kindness. We were very well looked after, and I can’t praise her highly enough. Different guides with more local knowledge were employed in the different places we visited, and they were all excellent.

The tour covered all the main areas of tourist interest, such as Beijing, the Great Wall, Terracotta warriors etc, and included a relaxing Yangtze cruise. We had many opportunities to go on voluntary evening entertainments, and I can honestly say that these were some of the highlights of the tour, and gave us experiences we would never have had elsewhere.

My only (minor) criticism would be that the tour was very fast-paced; it would have been nice to have longer stays in the places visited, and more free time, but this would have added to the cost, which was quite high. All in all the tour was a brilliant introduction to a country little visited by western tourists, and one which challenged previously held ideas. We thoroughly enjoyed it, and would recommend Wendy Wu tours highly.

I had an amazing 2 week trip to China in April 2026 with Wendy Wu Tours where I managed to visit all the highlights guided by Yang Tao who is a very experienced and knowledgeable guide. His vast experience was evident as he knew the right times to go to the main attractions like the Terracotta Warriors and the Great Wall to avoid the vast crowds. He also provided support throughout the trip and nothing was too much trouble for him. This was my first escorted group tour and the whole process with Wendy Wu Tours was seamless. On returning home I immediately booked another tour with them to India. I can’t speak highly enough of Yang and Wendy Wu Tours.

Our Majestic Yangtze tour was awesome, and packed a great deal into a short space of time (2 weeks).

We did all the must see and must do activities in China such as visiting Shanghai, travelling by bullet train, cruising on the Yangtze River, seeing the Chengdu Pandas and Xian Terracotta Warriors up close and of course walking the Great Chinese Wall early in the morning with beautiful blue skies above.

In addition, on one of the optional tours, we visited the Tribe of the Three Gorges. The scenery was spectacular, the tribe guide, costumes, ships, monkeys and crying marriage show were spectacular, such a memorable highlight for us.

What a fantastic tour and experience, thank you to all at Wendy Wu!

Our recent tailor-made trip to China with Wendy Wu Tours was nothing short of extraordinary. From start to finish, the organisation was seamless—every transfer, hotel, experience, and connection flowed effortlessly, allowing us to fully enjoy the journey without a single worry. Their attention to detail and commitment to crafting a meaningful itinerary made the entire experience truly memorable.

What truly set Wendy Wu apart, however, were their exceptional local guides, whose depth of knowledge, warmth, and professionalism elevated every destination we visited.

Mina – our Beijing guide – set the bar incredibly high. Not only was she deeply knowledgeable, but she shared Beijing’s history and culture with such clarity and passion that every site became more meaningful.

In Xi’an, our guide Brittany was an absolute delight. Her enthusiasm was infectious—she brought the rich history of the city and the Terracotta Warriors to life with engaging storytelling and personal insights. Her energy and passion made each moment special.

In Zhangjiajie, our guide Oscar went above and beyond in every way. His hospitality was remarkable—genuine, thoughtful, and always attentive. He possessed an impressive combination of calm professionalism, impeccable coordination, and heartfelt care. From navigating the intricate national park routes to sharing fascinating regional perspectives, Oscar made us feel welcomed and truly looked after. His patience, humour, and ability to anticipate exactly what we needed made him stand out as an exceptional ambassador for the region.

Across the entire trip, every Wendy Wu representative we encountered was outstanding—deeply knowledgeable about local history, culture, and traditions, and clearly proud to share their heritage.

We cannot recommend Wendy Wu Tours highly enough. If you’re considering travelling to China, look no further. Their expertise, organisation, and extraordinary guides create a travel experience you’ll cherish for years to come.

Jason, the National guide, was an absolute gem himself. Wendy Wu are so fortunate to have him as part of the team.
The tour was everything I hoped it would be and more. The Forbidden Palace was a delight, especially with so many in national costumes. The Terracotta Warriors were a dream come true and my main reason for travelling to China. However, the pandas of Chengdu were a very close second and hold a special place in my heart. There were so many memorable experiences that I will treasure and I am so very happy that I chose Wendy Wu as my tour operator.
My only constructive feedback is that the trip should have been rated as a 3 level difficulty. It was very full on and quite exhausting. Also it would be good to have more detail about the additional shows and excursions, as I felt 'all showed out' before the end of the trip and unsure whether I had seen the best on offer. The inability to switch off the announcements on the cruise was an annoyance as I had specifically booked this trip to have 3 days of rest and this was not made possible by such early and repeated announcements.
Thank you

This tour has completely changed my perception of China. The terracotta warriors and the Great Wall were what I wanted to see, however there was much, much more to this trip. We were extremely tired because of the variety of opportunities provided. There was a lot crammed into one day but if the itinerary was altered to cut some sights it wouldn't be value for money. One could have left off the optional extras but if you wish to experience everything that China has to offer, just go for everything! It adds so much to your cultural learning.
Our guide Hoffmann was brilliant. His humour, patience, respect, dedication and knowledge allowed us to participate with confidence while absorbing all that China had to offer. The Chinese people were overwhelming with their welcome, friendliness and hospitality. Highlights were the pandas, the glass bridge, Zhanjiajie Mountains, Tianmen Mountain cable car, and the many local shows with a riot of colour, skills, performed on a grand scale. You have to go and you won't regret it.

Our first time on vacation with Wendy Wu, it exceeded expectations and we would not hesitate in travelling with them again or recommending them.
The Legends of the Silk Road, travelling the Northwest of China was a truly exciting and fascinating adventure. Visiting cities that were part of the age old journey brought history to life. The Western part of the Great Wall of China and viewing one of the most significant discoveries namely the Terracotta Warriors including their horses in life size form was magnificent.

Incredible First Tour Experience – Highly Recommend Wendy Wu!

I called Wendy Wu office to book directly was very easy and quick. All my questions answered.

I joined the Wendy Wu tour of China from 9 May to 19 May, I added 2 extra days in Beijing which I was pleased as had free time to get over travelling. I honestly couldn’t have asked for a better first tour experience!

From start to finish, everything was seamless and exceptionally well organized. Our main tour guide, Susan, was absolutely fantastic—so caring, knowledgeable, and efficient. We were also lucky to have amazing local guides: in Beijing and Chengdu, who added local insight and personality to the trip.

We had a small group of just 13 people, which made the experience feel more personal, relaxed, and enjoyable.

Our itinerary included:
• 3 days in Beijing, where we visited iconic sites such as Tiananmen Square, the Great Wall, and the Summer Palace
• 1 day in Xi’an, featuring the unforgettable Terracotta Warriors and a stay in a fantastic hotel
• 3 days in Chengdu, home of the adorable giant pandas and vibrant local culture

We traveled between cities on two high-speed bullet trains, which were smooth and efficient. I also received a free business class upgrade on one of the flights, and paid to upgrade another leg—absolutely worth the additional cost for the extra comfort.

One of the highlights of the tour was the food. All meals were included, and we dined together as a group in traditional Chinese family-style, sharing a variety of delicious local dishes at each meal. It was a fantastic way to experience the cuisine and bond with the group.

What made the trip even more memorable was the wonderful group of fellow travelers. We shared great moments, plenty of laughs, and created memories I’ll treasure for a lifetime.

If you’re considering a trip to China, I highly recommend Wendy Wu Tours. This was an unforgettable journey, and I wouldn’t hesitate to travel with them again!