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.

Firstly I’d like to commend our National Tour Guide Sophie Jin who was outstanding and couldn’t have been more helpful with our group of 27 travellers from Australia, New Zealand, England and Ireland. Nothing was too much bother for her and she even insisted on getting up to meet us in the hotel lobby at 6.15 on our departure day, even though we told her not to! Sophie really is an asset to Wendy Wu Tours and her dedication is second to none.

Now for the tour itself: SOOOO much is packed in that we (and others in our group) found it quite exhausting. There is little to no down time with early morning starts, and late returns to the hotels meant we often went straight to bed. Our group was mainly people in their 70s, with 7 or 8 of us in our 60s and a couple in their late 50s. Age is not taken into consideration - you book, you do it. And boy do you need stamina!
Also be prepared to do trips in all weathers. There is no contingency plan for bad weather - we were up Tianmen Mountain despite a Gale warning and driving rain. We all ended up freezing and soaking wet. Because of this we (and a few others) decided to opt out of the Old Town and Yu Gardens trip in Shanghai next day, only to find we had to write a letter explaining why.
We also felt the ‘Optional Tours weren’t very optional. The bus is geared towards those paying for these trips and those who choose not to go must find their own way back to the hotel.
There was also a problem with my food. I’m vegetarian and told Wendy Wu this before booking. Unfortunately the Chinese seem to have no concept of vegetarianism and assumed all that I ate was boiled vegetables. Meat eaters had Kung Po Chicken, Sweet and Sour Pork etc while I was given boiled cabbage, aubergine and Pak Choi. Basically I had side dishes. I did speak to Sophie about getting dishes without the chicken or pork (Sweet and Sour Veg for example) but she said a lot of restaurants wouldn’t do this. I did have a bowl of Sweet and Sour sauce one night, which was lovely, but the boiled tomatoes and ketchup was not appetising with rice and vegetables! I have been in touch with Wendy Wu about this and am awaiting a response.

All in all it was a fantastic trip, hotels were great, everything was well organised and it is a beautiful, clean and safe country. Maybe fewer things to do and a wee bit of downtime would make it more appealing Wendy Wu!

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.

Japan Uncovered was an excellent and well organised tour and Akiko our guide was superb. Only comments would be for more evening entertainment and a few more Western food options for those who do not like fish or tofu.
Gems of China was again an excellent and well organised tour and the options for evening shows gave a the trip a fuller program. CiCi our guide was fabulous and the local guides also added to the whole experience, will recommend both tours to family and friends.
Thankyou Wendy Wu for anther fabulous experience and interesting trip and your Office staff were excellent with sorting out all the questions we had prior to arrival in Japan & China.

Exhausting, exhilarating, enchanting.
Everything we had hoped for and more
Wendy Wu are masters of the small group tours

The most brilliant tour to a country where tradition and trend combine in a dynamic experience. So much to see and explore. Wendy Wu tours give you it all .
An excellent tour guide , authentic experiences, local food , visits to ancient temples, high tech cities, ancient tombs, amazing museums . KPop shows to mountain walks, coastal walks, and peaceful tea plantations and bamboo forests .
Korea has it all !

Wendy Wu Tours are superb.
The Wonders of China tour encompasses all major attractions and ‘must sees’ in China.
A plus is all meals are included, and entrance fees.
There are some optional excursions at very reasonable prices.
From arrival in Beijing to departure from Shanghai, we were looked after every step of the way, by our guide Sean, plus local guides.
I cannot speak highly enough of Sean. His patience was limitless!
Was the tour value for money? Absolutely - I am amazed Wendy Wu can offer such a quality experience, with top class hotels, all meals, many excursions, for the price.
It was the holiday of a lifetime.

Wendy Wu tours give you steal feel for the authenticity of every place you travel too.
They not only include all the main top attractions but give you an insight into the culture of the country by including museums and visiting and participating in local cultural experiences.
Their guides are local and very knowledgeable and impartial about the history of their country and its heritage.

If you have done tours before this one is slightly different as Cambodia is a small county, with 2 weeks to explore it, this tour is more laidback than most. Febuary was hot 34c (we had no rain) and the tour guide made pervision for this. The excursions started around 08.00-08.30 and we were back at the hotel by 14.30 giving everyone time to chill and relax by the pool before going out for dinner at 18.00h. If you have never been to this part of the world it is busy and interesting, there is lots to see, do and photograph.

Where do you start with a review of a 21 day holiday? Overall, it was good, but there are things to be aware of when booking.
Wendy Wu is positioned as at the higher end of group tours in Asia but some of the hotels were below the standard I would have expected. For instance, the Lotus Blanc rooms in Siem Reap were damp, mosquito infested and the aircon control unit didn't work. In addition, room service although offered, was non existent. Other hotels were ok, but not really of a high standard.
Food was included for all meals but the timings were sometimes odd. For example, in Haling bay, we had breakfast at 7, went on a quick excursion and then had a full brunch offered at 9.30 - just so that we could get to an airport transfer. It would have been better to have been given a voucher for food and drink at the airport. Another example was the house vitit in Hue with a "snack" that turned out to be a fantastic meal, only to be immediately followed by lunch. Often, late lunches were followed by early dinners which seemed a little unreasonable. Also in regard to food, the constant set menus got so samey and boring, we opted to miss a few. A little creativity around the set menus would have made the food a much more interesting part of the tour. I have a lot more to say but have limited space :-(

Went to Cambodia and Vietnam with Wendy Wu Tours - our guide in Cambodia - Vutha Dam was so attentive and helpful - he went above and beyond to make sure we had the best possible experience .

I recently completed a wonderful group tour of Vietnam with Wendy Wu Tours, which I booked direct. The package was all-inclusive, covering all flights, accommodation, transfers, sightseeing, and meals. It was incredibly convenient, as I only had to manage my own travel to and from my local airport and drinks.

Wendy and our national tour guide, Duc, managed every detail perfectly to ensure the trip was memorable and that we experienced the best of Vietnam. This was my second trip with this company, having previously traveled with them to China over ten years ago.

I highly recommend Wendy Wu Tours for anyone looking for a well-organised travel experience.

On the whole this was an amazing trip, marred but a disappointing Christmas Day. What was supposed to be a trip highlight turned out to be a fly-ridden starter, followed by a cold roast dinner and an OK dessert. All served next to the toilet! There were tables available in the restaurant that would have accommodated us. Looking at the reviews, it looks like the Vineyard only puts tours by the smelly toilets!

Overall this was enjoyable holiday but not worth the price paid. It was an all inclusive holiday which included hotels, excursions, travel and food (3 meals a day).

Started off in Cambodia which was lovely. The tour guide and bus driver were great, very attentive, knowledgeable and helpful. Excursions such as Angkor Wat were amazing. Food was of a good standard as were the facilities we were taken to during our trips and the hotel was clean and the service was very good.

Travel in between places was mostly by coach which was comfortable enough and air conditioned. There were supposed to be more flights but for some reason only 1 internal flight was taken.

Mekong River cruise was good overall although probably not worth paying extra for the upper deck. Excursions and local tour guide were very good.

Vietnam was OK although the tour guide wasn't as attentive, helpful and didn't keep the group together on tours and seemed to care more about moving on when other groups were waiting for each point of interest rather then providing our group with a decent amount of info.
Hotels in Vietnam were satisfactory on the whole except for Rice Fields which was very poor to say the least. Dirty, damp, bug ridden, had no hot water and not well maintained. Food and service was awful and certainly not the minimum 4 star accommodation we'd paid for. I had complained immediately to Wendy Wu but heard nothing until I followed it up twice when I returned home. We received a credit towards our next holiday which was poor compensation or rather no compensation unless we take another holiday with WW! I was incorrectly lead to believe Wendy Wu had very good customer service.

Food provided throughout the holiday was of a good quality but lunch and dinners were very samey and got very boring. There was little opportunity to choose from a menu other than on 1 occasion and thankfully on the last day when only breakfast was included.

There was limited free time, so shopping had to be squeezed in. Cambodia was very good value for money in comparison to Vietnam who add a 'tourist' tax on everything and most goods are also imported from China.