About Us

Who We Are

We are a UK-registered company. Our operations staff spend most of their time in-country though, and only the essential services such as the telephone Sales Support hotline and registered office are actually based in the UK.

We hold an Air Travel Organisers License (ATOL No. 10 236) issued by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Further information about our license and its significance for your financial protection can be found by clicking on the ATOL logo below.

As a small company we take great pride in the travel services that we offer (see below). We also aim to exceed expectations in terms of support whilst you plan your trip and right through until you are safely back home again. Our customers already like the flexibility that we offer, both in terms of the range of products offered and in terms of our willingness to respond to special requests.

Our future promises more options for you to choose from and more interest along the way.

Take a look at our current range of holidays ... and bookmark the page so that you can check back again soon.

What We Offer

Interesting Itineraries

We have more than 10 years tourism experience in-country and are always looking for new opportunities to pass on to our customers. You can therefore be assured that our standard packages contain slick arrangements that make the most use of your time and offer more than just the obvious sites.

Seeing something of the real China is very much a matter of taking time out from regular sightseeing and creating opportunities for interaction. Our programs allow some free time when you are encouraged to explore for yourself and also include meals at restuarants where locals eat, not just other tourists.

We also try to include some activities in each itinerary as doing is so much better than just seeing. These activities require no special skills; just a willingness to take part.

Full days make for a good program; where possible we also like to add some evening activities too. We then know that you are going to need a good rest so, when it comes to the arrangements and accommodation, we look for convenience and comfort, with a proper bed on most nights.

Quality Services

There is no point us offering interesting trips without then delivering quality services. We do this by maintaining an excellent working relationship with our Chinese agents and by monitoring the progress of each group in real time. Being in-country means that we are able to deal with any issues that might arise quickly and effectively, sometimes without the group ever knowing that a problem had been looming.

We consider meal-times to be one of the high-points for any journey and aim to make this a feature. Breakfasts are generally taken in the hotel but other meals are arranged at restuarants so that you get to enjoy a wider range of local dishes, with any special vegetables that are in season. Your local guides will assist with any special dietary requirements or special requests and will be able to explain more about Chinese food as you travel around.

The guides form one of the most important services that we provide. In addition to feeding you they are also there to provide information and to ensure that arrangements work to plan. If ever a situation does arise, they are also the primary point of contact for the in-country support team to deal with whilst they resolve the issue.

As stated above, after a busy day of travel and sightseeing it is important that you get a good night's rest. We choose hotels of an appropriate standard, chosen for their cleanliness and central location.

Hopefully, you will barely notice the other major component of our packages - the travel services. We want you to be able to get between destinations with the minimum of fuss and that is why we include private transfers at each stage. There may be lengthy walks at train stations and airports simply because of the scale of these but, if you have any mobility issue, we will be able to help you get assistance.

We like to think of our packages as all-inclusive. Please do check the Overview and Itinerary for your chosen tour for the full details.

Small Groups, Guaranteed

Despite services here being costed around large groups we have put together packages that can operate with small groups at a fair price. We do this by selling our product ourselves directly to the public, saving a big mark-up for the commissions that would otherwise be payable. Our normal group size is therefore in the range of 2 to 10 travellers.

We have limited the maximum group size to just 10 as this allows the whole group to sit together at meal times, which makes the whole trip that much more sociable for everyone.

Our normal minimum is just two people, meaning that a couple who book can be assured that the trip will operate. We also offer a solo traveller supplement. If a single traveller is the only booking we give them the option to pay this rather than face cancellation fees on flights and other prepaid services.

The other way that we keep costs down for very small groups is to dispense with the services of a Group leader until there is actually a group large enough to warrant management. For groups of less than 6 travellers the arrangements will be delivered by a local guide in each city. In most cases the transfer between cities is simply a flight or train ride, with a new friendly face at the other end.

Testimonials

Ian is not only a fountain of knowledge and a seasoned tour guide but a completely grounded, funny and fantastic person to hang out with. Intelligence plus personality - the man's got it all.

Amanda Palmer

Amanda's Website

Plugging ace Ian Ford china-journeys.com - he looked after me & helped organise my Chinese research trips. Unflappable

Neil Gaiman

Neil's Website

I choose China Journeys for my 12-days China tour because of their very flexible travel arrangements. [...] I very much appreciate the very professional organization of the tour with fast answers on requests and how China Journeys took care and ensured good service by the local guides during the stay. [...] Thank you and I will come back to china as there are still so many places to be discovered.

A. Schulz

Security

Since our product range is sold on-line we make use of secure technology to ensure that your personal data stays safe.

Our Shopping Cart is managed at a secure server hosted by Roman Cart. You can follow the link to read about their security systems. When you reach that stage you should notice the green bar next to the URL on your browser. If you do not have a compatible browser we highly recommend you upgrade urgently for safer browsing generally.

This Shopping Cart is linked to our PayPal Account and so we never see your financial data. This assures you of some of the best security available, a service we do not have the expertise to provide by ourselves. We have to pay for these services but we are sure that you would prefer to have such costs built in rather than take an unidentified risk. For more on this issue read our Security For You page.

The type of data we collect, and the use we put it to, is described below.

Privacy Policy

Your privacy is an important issue. We have therefore prepared a policy in line with current best practice. You can read our Privacy Policy here.

We continue to monitor our own data usage and that of others to ensure that we do not infringe upon your rights. If you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to Contact Us.

Booking Conditions

The full text of our Booking Conditions can be found here.

Do take the time to read these before booking. You will be asked to confirm that you have read them and accept them during the booking process.

Contact Information

Our permanent staff are based in-country and are therefore best contacted by email.

We aim always to respond within 24 hours.

• General Information:
  info@
• Tailormade Holidays:
  tailor-made@
• Website Issues:
  webmaster@

Our Registered Office is at:

Our 24/7 Sales Support Team can be contacted on 0844 567 0953. If you are calling from abroad then that is +44 844 567 0953.

After we have received your booking, and before you arrive to start your journey, you will be provided with telephone numbers in-country for contact in the event of an emergency

You may contact us at our office as follows:

Please remember that we operate according to Beijing time, and that office staff may not be available outside of normal office hours.

You can find details of our complaint procedure here.

We always aim to resolve complaints to your satisfaction at the time. This is why it is most important that you let your Journey Guide know of any issues immediately.

If your Journey Guide cannot resolve the issue to your satisfaction then you may contact any of the emergency telephone numbers provided.

In the unlikely event that you have an unresolved complaint about us or one of our service providers after your journey, please contact us by phone, email or in writing within 42 days of the last day of your tour. Such matters will always receive priority attention by our General Manager.