Sichuan Tours & Trips

My mom is a very experienced traveler who has been to China by herself many times. However, she wanted to try a private tour and she found Sichuan Adventure on TourRadar. The two of us traveled together in China on this private tour. Leo was our tour guide and Daniel was our driver. Both spoke very good English and it was no trouble to communicate with them. In particular, Leo had near native level English and we had fun discussions with him about our respective countries, China and America. Having our own private guide and private driver was an amazing experience. Leo knew all the parks and trails around Sichuan 四川, by heart. We wanted to visit some of the most popular national parks in China, including Jiuzhaigou 九寨沟 and Yading 亚丁. It was essential to have a guide like Leo who knew how to most efficiently get around the parks, navigate huge crowds, and help us buy entry tickets as international travelers. I had been to China with my mom in 2018, and we had to do all our own travel planning. It was so hectic and stressful. With Leo and Daniel's help on our tour, we could simply relax and enjoy our time, walking and taking photos. Leo designed the itinerary and booked all the hotels. All we had to do was show up. We also had the help of a third team member, Yingying, who remotely took care of things and communicated with us on Wechat. When my mom forgot her phone power bank and needed an extra travel bag, Yingying ordered these for us and had them delivered to our hotel. Leo knew everything about the nationals parks and attractions in Sichuan. He gave tons of details about every place we visited and could answer all our questions in both Chinese and English. My mom is over 70 years old and has trouble seeing steps on trails, especially when descending mountains. Leo patiently walked by her side and made sure she got down the mountains safely. Having our private tour guide and driver gave us personalized, flexible service. My mom likes to do long 3-4 week trips in China. Even though the tour is listed as a 14 day walking tour of Sichuan, Leo had no problem coming up with a longer itinerary, which also avoided the crowds of the October holiday! Everyone knows about the big national parks like Jiuzhaigou, but Leo also took us to smaller parks and villages where there were very few tourists, so we could get away from the crowds. There was one day that I had trouble with the high altitude in Tibet and started getting headaches. Leo brought oxygen cannisters to our hotel room when I got back that night. When my mom was tired one day and needed to go back to the hotel, Leo was able to stay with her and take her back, while I continued to hike in Yading. When I needed to leave the trip one week early, Leo and Daniel drove me to the airport in Yading. I was nervous about leaving my mom, but Leo promised to take good care of her and kept me updated with photos in the group chat. It was so reassuring, not having to worry about my mom! The Sichuan Adventure team really went the extra mile. Thanks to Leo's connections, we were able to meet some real Tibetans, one of whom had a Tesla! My mom is a devout Buddhist, and Leo made sure she got to see as many temples and religious sites as time allowed. We also arrived a few days early in Chengdu 成都. For no extra charge, Leo wrote up a detailed itinerary for us, with several ideas to choose from on each day. Yingying helped me navigate the big city of Chengdu, including how to use Alipay to ride the subway and how to get to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. After my flight from Yading to Chengdu, I had one last day in Chengdu. Yingying helped me find the best grilled fish 烤鱼 restaurant in the city, so that I could get one last amazing meal on the October 1st holiday! She told me exactly what to order. Then she helped me book a Didi ride to get to the subway in the early morning, so I could take the subway to the airport for my flight out of China. The subway wasn't running early enough in the morning and taking a car all the way to the airport would have taken too long, so this was the only way to make my flight. Thanks to her help, I didn't miss my flight leaving the country. I think the reason Sichuan Adventure was able to do all this for us, was because they are a small business specializing in the Sichuan region. Their small and experienced team is able to dedicate themselves fully to each client, making our time in China an unforgettable trip of a lifetime. I give my highest recommendation to Sichuan Adventure. They are the people to hire for a first class tour in Sichuan.

Shopping stops were too long and a waste of time (eg silk factory). Only 2 hours at the Great Wall was not enough not give the relevance to the place. That was a dissapointment

I was extremely fortunate to have Ying Ying and Ollie (her brother) as my guide and driver exclusively. It was truly a cultural and historical treat to visit no less than 12 ancient Chinese cities during the 14-day tour. I had the peak experience of the Tibetan plateau at about 3,600 m high and I was also on the three rivers that required the construction of the Big Buddha over 90 years during the Tang Dynasty to tame the river waters. I saw Leshan Golden Buddha, one of the four holiest Buddhist temples in China. Ying Ying was effectively bi-lingual and that made my tour alive. She could explain the history and culture of each place I visited in English effortlessly. One downside of this trip is that the route is following the trunk roads which made riding a bit dicey at times. I do miss the quite country road/cycling tracks where I am not harassed by heavy vehicular traffic. So I cut short the riding portion and increased the time for tourism and trekking. Ying Ying was meticulous in identifying the best food in each city for me to try, sans the mala flavored food which did not appeal to me. I had the best dim sum in Chengdu at a Cantonese restaurant called Chua Lam. The Chinese bar b que was also a highlight of my trip. I would highly recommend this trip to those who are adventurers and reasonably fit. Kudos to Ying Ying and Ollie who really spoiled me.