Loved it all, but especially...

Bravo GoAhead! This was a well executed trip from the beginning. There isn't one thing that I would change; however, there were several places that I especially loved: Visiting a Hutong family in their home after a short rickshaw ride, Walking on the Great Wall, the entire Yangtze River Cruise with Sampan boat ride, Pagoda tour, and excellent food; the TerraCotta Warrior Museum (I am really enjoying the book and CD about this remarkable find); Suzhou's amazing Lingering Gardens and canals; Shanghai Jade Budda Temple; and Shanghai river cruise at night! Stunning. Throughout this entire trip our tour director was a delight with his knowledge of Chinese history and his cautions, insights and humor. Thank you for your organization, I hope I can travel with you again.

A whole new experience

It was worth the hours of traveling!!!! The experience wass unique, enchanting, fascinating and educational. My view of the Chinese culture has change for ever. Thanks for that.

Interesting Tour to China

Interesting contrast in the many new high-rise buildings in China- not just in the major cities, but all over- and the remaining original residences. Amazing to think that we visited so many exciting places- Great Wall, Forbidden City, Terracotta Warriors and more that a few years back were off-limits! Guide (David) was pleasant and good-humored and very proud to tell us about his country- very knowledgeable. Rooms in Xian and Shanghai were of the best we have stayed in. People were friendly and at the Chongquin Zoo (panda bears) were excited to have their children's pictures taken- an extra treat! River Cruise was beautiful- especially the Dragon Valley side trip offered by the cruise. Also enjoyed visiting a Hutong in Beijing and talking to the residents about their life today. All in all a very interesting trip. The only negatives were the included meals- many at tourist-type factories- and the amount of factories we visited. But what we were able to experience made it all worthwhile.

The title aptly fits the contents of the tour.

We learned so much about China while on this tour with our guide David. The country is so vast and not knowing the language was crippling. But being with David was invaluable. His knowledge of the country and caring relationship with our Go Ahead travelers was amazing. No question asked was ignored.

Most interesting and rewarding experience!

All in all, my tour to China was great. Everything went smoothly thanks to the best tour guide. What an experience!!! The trip was so well planned and included sites that you would want to see when in China. Wish I had had more time to tour the areas outside China, but then again there is always time to plan another trip.

The Trip of a Lifetime!

Wow! I have a whole new image of China in my mind... Tha Shanghai skyline really blew my mind. The people were happy and dancing in the park. We could use a lot more of that! China has a beauty and charm that I will never forget. AND I loved the split pants potty-training idea!

Eye Opening History Lesson

I was glad to have had the opportunity to immerse myself in a culture which is totally different from my own. The people were most welcoming and to be able to view the different historical sites that I have only read about was truly amazing. I think the food was the biggest disappointment of the trip. I felt the quality and the diversity of the menu was very poor and needs to be the main focus for improvement. The guides were well informed, friendly, prompt and kept things on schedule. The other tour members were courteous and social.

Energy Well Spent

Very "on the go" so can be tiring, but completely worth it. We got to see a lot of the major sights all in one trip. My only complaint is that while we had plenty of time for quality purchases like jade, pearls, etc, there was not much time for shopping for the tourist stuff my friends want me to bring back.

the best of the old and the new

China is a country full of contradictions . The cities have wide avenues with modern buildings ,beautiful gardens; very clean . But also centuries old palaces , temples and traditions. The food is very diverse .The people are hospitable and friendly . For me, the highlight was the Forbidden city.

Unbelievable trip!!

This trip was everything I hoped for and more. The scheduled excursions were wonderful and the extra ones that the guide suggested as optional were even better. May is a wonderful time to go to China.