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$999 for 2 Pax: 9-Day China Trip, Full-Service Flights, 4* Accom in Beijing, Suzhou, Shanghai, Hangzhou (April~June) @ TripADeal

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$999 for 2 Pax: 9-Day China Trip, Full-Service Flights, 4* Accom in Beijing, Suzhou, Shanghai, Hangzhou (April~June) @ TripADeal
Go to Deal
beatthatflight on 27/02/2019 - 13:32 tripadeal.com.au (1037 clicks)
Last edited 08/03/2019 - 13:46 by 2 other users

EDIT: many comments indicating this may in fact be a misleading tour. Apologies to anyone inconvenienced. Sometimes it IS too good to be true, it seems :/

Spend nine days exploring Beijing, Suzhou, Shanghai and Hangzhou on a fully-escorted holiday to China for under $500 per person including flights from Australia.

This tour visits a number of China's must-see destinations including the Great Wall of China and Beijing Zoo and is available for just $999 for two people - that's nearly $2000 cheaper than the value of the trip.
What's Included

Return full service flights from Sydney or Melbourne with checked baggage
Seven nights' 4-star hotel accommodation in Beijing, Suzhou, Shanghai and Hangzhou 
Breakfast daily and one lunch
Tours hosted by English-speaking guides 
Transport in private air-conditioned vehicles including airport transfers and meet and greet in China

Prices are for two people, twin share, based on a departure from Sydney or Melbourne on various departures from April until June 2019.

Book by 14 March.

This incredibly priced tour offers the perfect combination of guided tours and time at leisure so you can discover the culture and cuisine of China in your own way. You'll visit a number of must-see destinations including the Great Wall and giant pandas in Beijing, the Lingering Garden - a UNESCO World Heritage Site - in Suzhou, and you'll also spend time exploring Shanghai and Hangzhou - the tea capital of China.

  • Subject to availability. Restrictions may apply. Compulsory tips of $12 per person per tour day are not included in the package price. A mandatory payment of AUD$150 is required to be paid by the second passenger only upon arrival in China in cash. This In-Country Transport Operator Fee (ITOF) is in addition to the tour price and may be used by the tour leader to cover any in-country taxes, fees and any additional carrier, tour, transfer and logistic charges. The ITOF is separate and distinct from your tour price which is paid directly to TripADeal.

Mod:

From Tripadeal Rep:

You do visit a few places such as a medicine/jade factory, however, it is totally up to you if you decide to purchase anything.

We are unable to disclose this information (who the tour operator is) at this stage due to a privacy agreement we have with our partners. You will be introduced to the Tour Operator when receiving your Travel Pack, approximately 4 to 6 weeks prior to your departure. We work with a trusted network of professional ground operators in each region to deliver the best possible deal for you. Rest assured, we only partner with top-tier companies who provide great service.

More info from Tripadivsor, Facebook Comments

Travel Asia China Tour

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closed Comments

  • Yaren24 on 27/02/2019 - 13:40
    -5

    Thoughts about air pollutions?

    • pitufon on 27/02/2019 - 13:43
      -4

      same as any other big city.

      • TerryJustTerry on 27/02/2019 - 16:02

        nope, shanghai vs sydney is almost no comparison

    • Merlict on 27/02/2019 - 13:43
      +3

      Just hold your breath mate.

      • PinzVidz on 27/02/2019 - 13:58
        +4

        Wear a surgeon's mask, just like some of our Asian visitors/residents do here.

        • batrarobin on 27/02/2019 - 14:07
          +10

          But they might be surgeons you never know. :P

        • wesker on 27/02/2019 - 16:25

          Whats wrong with the Asian visitors/residents here wearing surgeon's mask?

  • Kawaii on 27/02/2019 - 13:46
    -5

    That doesn’t include the flight back to Australia ?

    • yaziyo on 27/02/2019 - 13:50

      They're banking on you loving it so much that you won't want to leave.

      • Kawaii on 27/02/2019 - 14:12
        -1

        So they actually don’t provide tickets back ?

        • yaziyo on 27/02/2019 - 14:30
          +2

          The OP says:

          "Return full service flights from Sydney or Melbourne with checked baggage"

          SO I think it's safe to say the flight back is included.

      • SupeNintendoChalmers on 27/02/2019 - 14:15
        +1

        China = Hotel California

    • Hart on 27/02/2019 - 14:15

      Return full service flights from Sydney or Melbourne with checked baggage

      • Kawaii on 27/02/2019 - 14:25
        -1

        So does this include flight back to Australia or not

        • beatthatflight on 27/02/2019 - 14:30

          yes.

        • thekensai on 27/02/2019 - 14:30

          just swim your way back home if you can't understand it

          • Kawaii on 27/02/2019 - 14:34
            -1

            @thekensai: They did say it include the tickets to China but they didn’t say if there’s is a ticket back in Australia

            • lostn on 27/02/2019 - 16:00

              @Kawaii: Last I checked, Sydney and Melbourne are in Australia.

    • one man clan on 27/02/2019 - 15:09
      +4

      What part of "return" is confusing you?

      • Munki on 27/02/2019 - 15:32

        Must be the 't' part.

  • homersyd on 27/02/2019 - 13:47

    Thanks OP - great deal! Do you know if we can bring kids and for how much extra?

    Cheers

    • Danmc181 on 27/02/2019 - 14:23
      +5

      I did this trip 2 years ago, it definitely wouldn't be kid friendly. There's no free time to take them on kid-orientated activities, and nothing in the tour program is targeted to kids (unless they enjoy shopping for overpriced tourist items at fake tea houses, fake jade factories tours etc). The major sites such as Great Wall are only visited for an hour or two, majority of the time is spent in random "tours" of tourist stores located in side streets and alleys.

      • moojuice on 27/02/2019 - 14:51
        +1

        Was there any option or chance to skip the tours and just do your own thing?

        • [Deactivated] on 27/02/2019 - 15:06
          +7

          I’ve been on on a Chinese guided tour (just a weekend trip as part of a real holiday). You can’t escape.

          You’ll spend most of your time in shops with the guide screaming to the group that they haven’t bought enough junk, so the tour won’t continue until people do start buying up.

          There’s a reason they’re cheap. They’re paid by the shops.

        • first in line on 27/02/2019 - 15:06
          -2

          It’s a tour. Most likely to get free time at the end of the day when you arrive at your accommodation for the night

        • Danmc181 on 27/02/2019 - 15:09
          +5

          No none at all, every day is fully scheduled and the tours are almost all conducted in industrial areas (think warehouses, factories etc) with the tour bus parked right at the entrance. The only time you have to do your own thing is late in the evenings when you're dropped at the hotel after dinner. The hotels are also far away from anything worth visiting, so there is nothing to do nearby. It's exhausting spending full days being marched in and out of shops/markets/warehouses.

      • rebelmamas on 27/02/2019 - 15:38
        +1

        Wowsers, sounds like this one time, when I took a tuk tuk in Bangkok and ended up in some dodgy jewellery store with a bunch of other confused tourists. Sounds like this tour will be a blast.

  • Jack D Price on 27/02/2019 - 13:47
    +5

    I'll bring my Winnie the Pooh plush :)

  • 00 on 27/02/2019 - 13:50
    +14

    fully-escorted holiday

    through every tea house, silk factory and other scam business to extract money out of you

    • pakkapie on 27/02/2019 - 14:24
      +14

      And get identified and added to China's surveillance network, no thanks.

      • pakkapie on 27/02/2019 - 15:11
        +4

        Not sure why the neg vote for mentioning facts… Touchy crowd.

        • medium_tight on 27/02/2019 - 17:24
          +1

          maybe those negs are from the chinese agents … you are so done bro :P

  • SnoozeAndLose on 27/02/2019 - 13:53
    +9

    If u dont spend in their scam shop you be prepared to get bullying. They even threaten with no meal/accomandation to eat.

    • Merlict on 27/02/2019 - 13:56
      +3

      Is this from experience?

      • SnoozeAndLose on 27/02/2019 - 14:20

        Not from this same company but same price and structure.

        I remebered 2 years ago the per head spending is $2000.

      • Danmc181 on 27/02/2019 - 14:26
        +11

        I can confirm this is true. These trips are funded by the countless "tours" of tea houses, jade factories etc which are just scam shops. You basically get locked in for hours until enough is purchased before moving on to the next shop.

        At one point, my travel mate was locked in a watch store for over an hour while I was yelling at the security guard to open it. She was made to buy 7 fake brand watches before being let out crying.

        • Xiaomi on 27/02/2019 - 15:10
          -4

          Says a lot of about the country and culture. Absolutely terrible!

          • robotwang on 27/02/2019 - 15:25
            +2

            @Xiaomi: Anyone with common sense will not take this kind of offer.
            If you do, hehe

          • bghunter on 27/02/2019 - 16:25
            +2

            @Xiaomi: Username doesnt check out

        • [Deactivated] on 27/02/2019 - 15:29
          +11

          I went on a weekend “guided tour” a few years ago as part of a larger holiday.

          We were at a store with tacky faux-Buddhist prayer beads and other tat, and I had a guide screaming at me to buy things. Then she had the door of the shop locked, and screamed to everyone else: “it’s all this guy’s fault you’re locked in here, he won’t follow the rules, so you’re staying until he comes to his senses”.

          Everyone was so over it, that they started bullying me to buy things too.

          I refused, and we were stuck there for an hour with everyone pushing me and screaming at me. Then the guide threatened to cancel my night’s accomodation because I “broke the rules” by not buying hundreds of dollars of overpaid junk.

          Worst trip ever. I can’t imagine nine days of that.

          • wildstone on 27/02/2019 - 15:40

            @[Deactivated]: So, was there really the 'rules' that you have to buy things?

            And, did you, in the end?

            • [Deactivated] on 27/02/2019 - 15:47
              +11

              @wildstone: I didnt buy a thing, and after the first couple of shops, the guide veered between ignoring me and bullying me. I was treated like some freeloading scum.

              The “rules” were made up on the spot. They’re not written anywhere. But the guide will insist that you need to obey them.

              These tours are a good metaphor for China as a whole, really. You need to follow the rules, or you will be punished, but nobody can tell you what they are.

        • morebierplease on 27/02/2019 - 15:42

          We were also taken to a jade and jewel market during a "tour" to the caves near Yangshuo. Outrageous prices and big signs saying "NO BARTERING". Luckily, it wasn't a requirement for us to buy anything and we didn't.

          • Taegukgi on 27/02/2019 - 15:54

            @morebierplease: I had to break up a fight between the tour guide and some of the group participants because the people got sick of visiting these places.

    • 00 on 27/02/2019 - 14:47
      +6

      I fell for this scam at the Forbidden City. Lots of officials and they accepted credit card payment. It was within the walls of this ancient tourist attraction so surely they were not lying. Right? Of course they were and right to your face. Unbelievably dishonest. Imagine if Australian tourist operators did that at Uluru or the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Scandalous country.

      Instead, travel to a much more honest country and society. It will be cheaper in the long run.

      • Danmc181 on 27/02/2019 - 15:33
        +3

        This is the same as the "farmer" they introduce you to at the Terracotta Army who they say originally discovered them… before offering to sign a book for a fee.

        • [Deactivated] on 27/02/2019 - 15:38
          +2

          Or the “art galleries” at the Forbidden City, selling “priceless art” and “reproductions by top students, to help fund their studies”.

          It’s all mass-produced junk.

        • Coops1 on 27/02/2019 - 16:03

          no way! He even had one of the original bricks we touched!!?

      • Munki on 27/02/2019 - 15:35
        +4

        Yeah, like Taiwan.

        TAIWAN NUMBER ONE!

        • homersyd on 27/02/2019 - 15:40

          couldnt agree more. Taiwan > China any day when travelling

          • [Deactivated] on 27/02/2019 - 15:52
            +1

            @homersyd: It’s better in general, not just for travelling.

            We should switch our diplomatic recognition to Taiwan.

        • [Deactivated] on 27/02/2019 - 16:11

          Taiwan and the PRC are worlds apart.

          I've dealt with so many scammers in China. Meanwhile, I had children in Kenting (Taiwan) help me when I looked lost!

  • BuyNow Think Later on 27/02/2019 - 13:57
    +4

    A mandatory payment of AUD$150 is required to be paid by the second passenger only upon arrival in China in cash. This In-Country Transport Operator Fee (ITOF) is in addition to the tour price and may be used by the tour leader to cover any in-country taxes, fees and any additional carrier, tour, transfer and logistic charges. The ITOF is separate and distinct from your tour price which is paid directly to TripADeal.

    Why this ITOF is payable only by the 2nd pax?

    • Lysander on 27/02/2019 - 15:29

      Sounds very much like a bribe!

    • kierann on 27/02/2019 - 16:33
      +2

      Shouldn't all the mandatory fees/taxes/tips be included in the list price? Another couple of hundred there before taking the forced shopping into account.

  • APN Adelaide on 27/02/2019 - 14:10

    for $999 you can throw in a https://www.banggood.com/Xiaomi-N95-Anti-Fog-and-Haze-PM2_5-…
    :P

    • lostn on 27/02/2019 - 16:03

      $45.. should be included in the package imo.

  • bs0 on 27/02/2019 - 14:34
    +7

    I lot of the cheap Chinese tours will force you to spend time at shopping factories for 'genuine' jade, tea, medicinal product and other local goods. It's a waste of time even if you don't buy anything because you have to wait for everyone else. And the time spend sightseeing is limited.

  • veetor on 27/02/2019 - 14:36
    +9

    What happens if you never rock up for the tours?

    • Homr on 27/02/2019 - 15:05

      You get an after school detention

    • [Deactivated] on 27/02/2019 - 15:12
      +1

      They’ll come knock on your door in the hotel and demand you come. If you don’t, they will probably threaten to cancel your hotel booking and meals.

      Plus, the hotel is probably way out of town with no transport, so you’re not going to want to do your own thing anyway.

    • mathew42 on 27/02/2019 - 15:24

      In our $99 tour each night was in a different hotel, so you had to be on the tour bus by 8am and often we didn't arrive back at the hotel until after dinner.

      It appears that lunch and dinner are not included most days and optional activities require additional payment.

      We didn't experience the bulling that other have reported, but would not go again.

  • team teri on 27/02/2019 - 14:47

    Don't forget the visa fee. A few years ago it was well over $100 per person already.

  • Homr on 27/02/2019 - 15:03

    is this real? Deal of the century

    • [Deactivated] on 27/02/2019 - 15:13
      +9

      It’s subsidised by “forced shopping”.

    • Tambani on 27/02/2019 - 15:21
      +7

      It's one of the many legal scam tours of China. Don't do it.

    • gotcha on 27/02/2019 - 19:55

      If it is too good to be true, there must be some catches.

  • j4ck on 27/02/2019 - 15:26
    +1

    Sounds awful.

  • Xiaomi on 27/02/2019 - 15:36
    +10

    Why is this even a deal? Story after story of abusive and sheer kidnapping, this deal is absolutely ridiculous. Why advertise something so ludicrous..

    • Homr on 27/02/2019 - 15:46

      Brutal, downvoting

    • dnutter on 27/02/2019 - 15:48
      +4

      exactly. did something similar to this on the way back from a long worldwide trip. total scam.
      I'm well traveled and seen just about every con up close, so this shitshow lasted about 4 hours before telling em to shove it.
      We broke away and booked our own accommodation as they wanted us to pay for the accom, because we broke the rules

      The rest of the time in China was great though. I think its unfortunate that the predatory pricks like this can operate, 99% of chinese don't align to this crap.

    • [Deactivated] on 27/02/2019 - 15:54
      -1

      It’s like marking hitchhiking as a “deal”.

      Hitchhiking is cheap, and the best value way to travel. But you’ll probably end up dismembered in a forest somewhere. Other than that, it’s a great idea. Upvote.

    • batsxs on 28/02/2019 - 10:25

      This particular one is definitely not a deal. But why r you so negative there? Thousands of tourists are still going to China everyday and enjoying the tours as soon as you are not extreme politicians or activist.

  • RyanMK on 27/02/2019 - 15:40
    +3

    If the comments above are true, this isn't a deal at all, not even close.

  • itslittfam on 27/02/2019 - 15:45
    +2

    Just want to neg based on the above comments, sounds horrible. No offence to the OP, but sounds like a waste of a trip due to the scams - Not a deal IMO

    • beatthatflight on 27/02/2019 - 15:50
      +4

      :( Ah well, learn something each day. :/

  • kolorijo on 27/02/2019 - 15:47

    fully-escorted holiday by armed guards lol

  • Homr on 27/02/2019 - 15:47
    +1

    Can u just get this deal just for airfare cost??

    • beatthatflight on 27/02/2019 - 15:51

      Presumably they can't force you to go on the tour?

      • Taegukgi on 27/02/2019 - 15:56

        That's if the tour guide doesn't take your passport for "security reasons". If they do, you're stuck.

        • dnutter on 27/02/2019 - 15:59

          I can't believe people do this, there should be a notice on front page "Do not give me to randoms".
          carry photocopies, if someone wants a copy (hotels, etc), give it to them
          if anyone travels to less mainstream locations, this can be a grave consideration

        • Homr on 27/02/2019 - 16:02
          +1

          You would be stupid to let them have your passport for "any reason"

      • [Deactivated] on 27/02/2019 - 16:01
        +1

        If you arrange your own visa, and list your own itinerary on that (and presuming there’s no way the tour company can alter/cancel your flights), then it seems like there would be nothing they can do.

        But I regularly book flights to China for under $500 return, so $999 (plus a $150 “fee”) for a couple doesn’t seem amazing value.

  • Jollystacker on 27/02/2019 - 15:52

    yea I've been to one of these scam shops before, not on a tour but yeah they said they could give us massive discounts and we were randomly chosen to benefit from this. Everything looked quite fake so we just walked out

  • Cletus vandamme on 27/02/2019 - 15:55
    +2

    The op should know that this is a scam tour right? Running a travel site they should be wary of these kinds of things.

    • beatthatflight on 27/02/2019 - 16:03
      +2

      Can't know about every possible scam out there unfortunately, always learning!

      • Cletus vandamme on 27/02/2019 - 17:13

        good to see you put the edit in at least. Some people have a tendency to jump the gun on things like this so maybe a bit of due diligence before posting. It's easier to damage your reputation than it is to build.

  • Iam12 on 27/02/2019 - 16:01

    Disgusting

  • gstfree on 27/02/2019 - 16:02
    +1

    This is a scam. It is actually a shopping tour. Also advertised 999 and plus other mandatory fees in the small t&c is misleading and against at least VIC laws.

  • phxsun on 27/02/2019 - 16:03

    I've been on one of these tours with my parents. If you're young and time poor, then you really don't want to waste time at these tea houses (bought some tea) or silk factory for hours. Our guides weren't very pushy and the shopkeepers did do a pretty good show of what they were selling but it's pretty clear they are fine with keeping everyone in the group in the shop until they've reached their spending requirements. Luckily when I went there were a couple of big spenders who bought into basically everything so it didn't exactly get too negative

    My parents are a bit older and they don't mind it because they have the time, the patience and find a lot of value in these cheap tours where virtually everything like a pretty decent hotel, meals, guided tours and transportation (ex shows, tips, special meals) is included.

  • over56 on 27/02/2019 - 16:06

    Would not recommend these packages to anyone. Forced tours and questionable acommodation, $150 cash payments? What a joke.

  • BruceJack on 27/02/2019 - 16:07

    Upvoted for the price
    However, you are definitely better off book hotels & flights at off-peak times.
    Just FYI:
    1. Discounted return flight tickets start from $290 (Hainan Airlines) to China. You can also get prices under $600 for a return cheap (Absolutely no idea how can they even cover the cost of fight for 2 persons charging each $500).
    2. Hotels per night price
    4 Stars and higher: $100-$150+
    Budget Franchise: $50-$100

  • Stone Monkey on 27/02/2019 - 16:29

    Not a deal but thanks OP and others, for the travel lesson. The post should stay for educational purposes.

  • natman on 27/02/2019 - 16:31
    +1

    A few positive reviews here https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/ShowTopic-g294211-i642-k10592…

  • howaaronic on 27/02/2019 - 16:37

    Can you just take the flights and accommodation from the deal and pull a quick one out the back door at the airport? 😂

  • sassypants on 27/02/2019 - 16:41
    +6

    Went on one of these cheap weekend tours in China a several years back and confirm all of the above comments. It was a bargain basement value price for the tour, but the kicker (and what a kicker!) is you get brought to these scam tourist shops selling anything from jewels to souvenirs for 80% of the time. These places were in the middle of nowhere so it's not like you can even just leave.
    The tour operator and guide receive a percentage of sales (I heard around 15-20% but this was..7-8 years ago) and will either outright tell people to buy or guilt trip you.
    Luckily mine was the second sort of tour guide and every time we got on the bus after a visit to one of these places 'on the way' to the real tourist attractions, we'd be told how we weren't respecting her by buying from the shady shops.
    Someone tried to haggle and was pulled aside to not-so-quietly be told that haggling on the (ridiculous) price was disrespectful and definitely not allowed.

    Some other notes:
    - They ALL say you get 4-star or 3-star or 5-star accommodation. The reality is you will be in some dirty run down hotel in the middle of nowhere.
    - The meals are the worst meals you will ever eat. Seriously, we opted to forego all meals after the first night and buy from local restaurants ourselves but was still infinitely better than the garbage they feed you (think bland, flavourless food, lots of boiled veggies. I recall the meal that broke the camel's back was everyone crammed into a crappy restaurant, 10 to a table, and they brought out large aluminium bowls with bland food like. The one or two bowls that were meat got rushed immediately, good luck. Imagine what you'd expect to eat if you were in prison in China. Even the rice smelled bad, which was a feat in itself).
    - The tour guide generally expects a tip from everyone.

    If you think this is a 'holiday', think again. Pay the extra, organise your own flights, accommodation, and itinerary.

  • Tuftsdude on 27/02/2019 - 16:50

    Thanks for sharing the deal with best intentions OP, even though it turned out not to be what you were expecting :)

    Maybe some people will benefit from just the flights.

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