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China

China’s Capital Cities: Beijing, Xi’an & Shanghai

Program No. 22555RJ
Encounter the best of China as you enjoy a week exploring its capital cities. Take in the Great Wall and the Forbidden City, and talk with students and families.

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Participant Reviews
5
Based on 18 Reviews
SHOWING
This participant did not give a star rating.
Nancy – Class of 2022 | Waikoloa, HI
This trip was fantastic. My first time to China. Group leader Zhao Yinghui (aka John) was skillful in every way possible. He speaks English with full proficiency and was very forthcoming with all questions asked by group members whether travel-related, personal, cultural or touching on the political. He pivoted easily to modify our schedule when weather (a 3-day Gale Alert) closed most public sites on our first full day in Beijing. His alternate activity of a tea-making demonstration and tasting in a local shop was fun and very informative. A highlight was an excellent 2-hour lecture in Xi'an by the personable Professor Yang who masterfully encompassed major events and philosophies from the prehistory period through to current times. We also attended 3 excellent performances that included music, dance and acrobatics in the traditions of different geographical areas or time periods. We routinely encountered Chinese domestic tourists when visiting the prominent destinations/attractions including the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Terracotta Warriors, and The Bund in Shanghai. Another highlight was being with the local elders while exercising together in the public park at Beijing's Temple of Heaven. We Americans and Canadians were warmly welcomed by all, proving again that people-to-people diplomacy is our bond across the world. This trip definitely meets and exceeds the excellent Road Scholar standard I've experienced on my previous 3 trips to other destinations.
— Review left April 29, 2025
Mary – Class of 2015 | New Smyrna Beach, FL
This was my 5th Road Scholar trip and I believe one of the best! Just the right length, well balanced with educational and fun experiences as well as free and down time. Our guide made our trip so interesting with his enthusiasm about his country and his knowledge and openness to answering our questions.
— Review left April 29, 2025
Carol | Seattle, WA
Our Road Scholar trip to China was stellar. We were treated to a well-organized combination of seeing well-known stunning sites and lectures/conversations/visits that aren't typically included in tours. We wanted to learn about life in China today and were not disappointed. Our guide was fabulous and we value learning from him about everyday life in China every bit as much as we value him showing us incredible sites like the Forbidden City. The program was well-paced. The accommodations excellent. And the food throughout was fantastic!
— Review left April 21, 2025
This participant did not give a star rating.
Barbara – Class of 2023 | Towson, MD
We loved our guide but found the itinerary a bit challenging. We were on buses and trains for most of our trip and didn't have sufficient time in each fantastic site. I think our hotel must not have been ideally located in Bejing-the city which was the most difficult to traverse. We also only saw one musuem--in Shanghai--I am a big fan of Chinese porcelain and we neither heard nor saw a single piece of it! Perhaps when left to go out on our own, we were at fault for not knowing where to go or what to do. I now appreciate that I cannot let RS do all the heavy lifting. Preparing before a tour to see exactly what you want to see rather than what you are shown is a must. Quite a few of our fellow travelers opted to take eveing tours (or even day tours) they found on WeChat. They experienced the cities in ways thatour targeted tours lacked. Local culture is as important as historic sites but we didn't experience much of that. For example, by far the most loved moment of our tour was lunch with the owner of a hutong whose obsession was cricket fighting. The food was awesome, the intimate setting was great for group interaction (other restaurants were boring spaces with tables too large for the group to talk) and his personal stories were a delight. More more more of that rather than bad settings and too much food plus minimal explanation about the food. Spend more on teaching us about the food and customs than serving piles and piles of uneaten food. At our ages we have traveled extensively and do not need huge meals--more measured, gourmet curated dinners would be prefered! The attempt to let us go on our own was worthy but failed in that we were not given suggestions of places that would welcome us. Our choice was very bothered by our lack of language skills and not at all helpful. It was disappointing!
— Review left December 18, 2024
This participant did not give a star rating.
Peter – Class of 2024 | Dorchester Center, MA
Excellent guide. Great first trip except for the typhoon
— Review left December 9, 2024
Doreen – Class of 2024 | Lafayette, CO
Visiting China was a lifelong dream that was 100% fulfilled by taking the Road Scholar Tour. Not only was it educational, but it was fun and exciting! Our Tour Guide was extremely informative and kept us up to date in all activities. This was my first Tour and was impressed every step of the way.
— Review left October 3, 2024
William – Class of 2024 | New York, NY
China guide Mr Liu demonstrated deep knowledge of the subject, lots of smarts and most helpfully, a good sense of humor.
— Review left September 30, 2024
This participant did not give a star rating.
Colleen – Class of 2018 | Lakewood, CO
What an absolutely wonderful trip. We had a small group of seven and a superb tour leader, Jerry who was well informed, friendly, and funny. I do have a few suggestions. 1) the Xi'an hotel beds are horrible, I wasn't the only one who complained. I slept on the lounge chair and when I could call room service, they hung up on me twice. We also went to the same restaurant two nights is a row, in a city that size a variety would be nice. 2) the Shanghai acrobatics were great, the peking opera so so. We all paid to go to the Tang show in Xi'an an enjoyed it, and I'd suggest adding that and deleting the Peking. Overall a great bucket list trip, really enjoyed it!
— Review left May 20, 2024
Carol – Class of 2019 | Nashville, TN
The trip to China opened my eyes to life in a faraway place. News stories jump out at me now.
— Review left April 30, 2024
William | Durango, CO
This was a great program very busy and fun. The trip leader was great and the people great!
— Review left April 22, 2024
This participant did not give a star rating.
Susan – Class of 2019 | Modesto, CA
I would love to share how wonderful my trip to China was. I received so much more of China history from our tour guide that would of taken me months to read. I would recommend this trip to anyone who is interested in Chinese history and the Great Wall of China is so spectacular to see. Not to mention the Terra Cotta warriors. Loved the trip wish they had added two more days in Xi'an. Understanding their way of life is so interesting. Met great scholar and felt very welcomed in their country
— Review left November 25, 2019
Patricia – Class of 2019 | Spokane, WA
This was a fantastic trip; an eye opening experience. My group loved seeing highlights like the Great Wall and the Terra Cotta Warriors, but also loved meeting musicians and professors. We all envied the adult "playgrounds"! Our guide was the perfect combination of warmth, hospitality, and knowledge.
— Review left November 8, 2019
Raymond – Class of 2012 | San Diego, CA
This is an extremely interesting tour. You do not waste a moment. It is full of vast sights, great food, and new cultural experiences. The tour schedule is very finely tuned and well organized.
— Review left May 20, 2019
John – Class of 2019 | Kansas City, MO
A superb tour of three wonderful cities!
— Review left May 12, 2019
Carolyn – Class of 2014 | Carson, CA
This was another excellent Road Scholar trip. As always, the tour leader, accommodations and experiences were great. I especially enjoyed the lecture on Chinese history, the bullet train trip between Beijing and Xian, and the chance to talk with students from Xian University. In addition to the chance to learn about China’s history and culture, visit many of its iconic sites, and check off a bucket list trip, as often happens during travel, I came home with a little better ability to see the world from a perspective other than my own. One experience in particular stands out. As an African-American woman living in a culturally diverse country and state, I was surprised early during the tour that my ethnicity attracted the attention it did. Many times people wanted to take photos of me and my husband. Initially a few tried to do so without indicating to us what they were about to do. We either found a camera pointed at us or someone (or several people) standing next to us and smiling at the person taking the photo. At first I was annoyed. Thankfully, our wonderfully insightful and patient tour leader, Wentao, explained that the country was experiencing economic growth and more people who live outside the big cities were able to travel. As a result, they were encountering people they had never seen before. Anyone who was different from what they were accustomed to -- people with dark skin, blonde hair, or who were very tall, for example -- presented an opportunity for a photo to share with their friends at home. As we moved about the country there were many more photos taken. Some people still caught us by surprise, but some also smiled and gestured to indicate that they wanted a photo, or they asked for one in English. We now see these encounters as part of the experience of traveling in China. We are so grateful we could take this trip. It expanded our sense of the world. Anyone who can visit China should do so, and go with Road Scholar.
— Review left May 5, 2019
Glenn – Class of 2019 | Bonita Spgs, FL
Wonderful trip!!!!! This was my first Road Scholar trip and I was very impressed!!! Wen Tau and our group formed a great bond and I'm sure others enjoyed it as much as I did. I especially appreciated the learning opportunities (by Wen Tau and the lecturers and performers) as well as the "Sites": Terra Cotta Soldiers and Great Wall. Most importantly was our interaction with Chinese Nationals and I was very impressed by their enterprising success as a nation. They have come so far, so fast. What an inspiration. Looking forward to another trip soon. Glenn Nelson
— Review left April 28, 2019
Bruce – Class of 2019 | Houston, TX
My trip to Beijing, Xian and Shanghai was enriching and delightful. We had an excellent Road Scholar leader-guide for the whole trip. Road Scholar did a great job of preparing me for the trip, providing information about schedule, helping with my visa and giving me ways to learn about my destinations through reading and movies. I strongly recommend Road Scholar as a relatively inexpensive way to see the world in the company of others with similar backgrounds and interests.
— Review left April 24, 2019
Keith – Class of 2004 | Port Townsend, WA
This was a superior Road Scholar program, and a great introduction to a fascinating and complicated country. If you have any reservation about going to China, don't. The people are VERY friendly and happy to meet you. The places visited go out of their way to make visitors feel welcome. You will feel at home in China. The best part of the trip was our guide, Wentao. This man is a superior guide. He's friendly, humorous, knowledgeable and a delight to be with. He's a marvelous ambassador for the People's Republic of China. Just meeting Wentao is worth the trip!
— Review left April 23, 2019