Most major cities have international medical centers, which cater to the needs of both expatriate residents and tourists. Pharmacies, supermarkets and luxury hotel shops in the major cities are stocked with many common over-the-counter Western medicines and sanitary products you might require. If you regularly use certain health products and/or medicines, or are using specific medication for a health issue, the safest and best course of action is to bring a sufficient supply with you.
As with any destination we would advise guests to remain vigilant, but the general level of safety on China’s streets is surprisingly good. Beijing and Shanghai boast a measure of personal safety exceeding levels in cities such as London, New York, Paris or Los Angeles. Traffic safety has vastly improved and food safety much more stringent than in the past. One area to exercise caution when walking on the streets is with the abundance of electric scooters, which have increased amidst the popularity of food and courier deliveries.
Most planes flown in China are manufactured by Boeing or Airbus. For information about the relative safety of Chinese airlines, an independent evaluation is available at the Aviation Safety Network. Imperial Tours prioritizes its itineraries with the main national airlines operating within China, namely Air China, China Eastern, China Southern and Hainan Airlines or their subdiaries. All Chinese airlines are governed by strict safety standards enforced by CAAC, the government's airline authority. When due to limited flight options such as between secondary destinations, Occasionally, Imperial Tours is forced to use a regional or minor airline.
Please do request a wheelchair if you think you might need it, and the earlier you do so the better your travel experience will be. Although many tourist sites in China have been modified for wheelchair access, advance notice is needed to put many of these provisions into effect. For example, a tourist site may have installed an elevator for wheelchair access, but without advance notice this may be unmanned and hence non-operational. Also note that sites with wheelchair access often still require wheelchair users to get up once or twice to cross various thresholds. Travelers who suspect they will need a wheelchair to get about should notify us at an early stage in the booking process so that proper arrangements can be made. Imperial Tours has in the past organized tours for many people with mobility issues.
Imperial Tours strongly recommends you buy travel insurance as well as trip cancellation insurance. If you suffer from a pre-existing medical condition, we recommend your travel insurance policy covers this. (Please note that the majority of travel insurance policies do not do so.) We strongly recommend you obtain adequate health insurance coverage (including emergency evacuation) before departing. Imperial Tours does not provide or sell travel insurance products.
No. International airfare is not included in the price. However, all domestic airfares within China are usually included. For some domestic destinations we recommend travel by high speed Railway. This would typically be in First or Business Class, and is also typically included in the price. Note that Business Class is the highest class of travel on the Chinese train network followed by First, then Second Class.
Many foreign nationals visiting China, including those from the United States or United Kingdom are still required to obtain a visa prior to arrival in Mainland China. However, since 2023 China has been gradually relaxing its visa policy with nationals from a growing list of countries now granted visa free access for 15 or 30 days. At present, this includes but is not limited to a large portion of the European Union, Australia, New Zealand, Gulf countries and Brazil. If a visa is required, this is typically handled by the Chinese embassy or consulate assigned to your region of residence. In some cases, this process is now handled by the official appointed agents Visa for China. The cost of and time taken in obtaining the visa is each traveler’s responsibility. Visitors from most countries do not require a visa for short visits to Macau or Hong Kong. For Taiwan, visa free access is granted to many nationalities, but currently excludes Brazil and Mexico. Please check with your travel agent, embassy websites or a visa service for up-to-date information. (Do not rely on general websites.)
Recently, China has also implemented a 10-day Visa-Free transit for visitors from 53 countries. According to this, travelers can spend up to 10 days in China provided they have confirmed onward travel to a third international destination (including Hong Kong, Macau or Taiwan) within ten days of arrival.
In addition to a China visa (if applicable), all foreign nationals traveling to the Tibet Autonomous Region are required to hold a special travel permit. We will arrange this for you prior to your arrival in China. The Tibet Travel Permit is also included in the tour cost. To obtain your Tibet Travel Permit in a timely fashion, please email us a scanned copy of your passport, and your arrival and departure information into and out of China, no later than four weeks prior to your arrival in China. Please note:
The sun can be quite strong so bring sun creams, sunglasses and a hat. You might find it useful to have a small backpack in which to carry drinks. Mosquitoes are prevalent during summer particularly in the South of China, such as in Guilin. Western mosquito repellents are available in the shops, but you are advised to bring your own if you have preferred formulas or known allergies.
The Chinese peoples’ national currency or Renminbi (RMB) consists of fen, jiao and yuan. There are ten fen in a jiao, and ten jiao in a yuan. The basic currency unit is the yuan, known colloquially as a kuai. The yuan is denominated in notes of 1, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100. Ten yuan or kuai is worth about US$1.40 or £1.
Hong Kong and Macau have their own local currencies, respectively the Hong Kong Dollar and Pataca. At present, these are roughly equivalent and loosely pegged to the US Dollar. Ten yuan is worth about $11 HKD.
The Chinese electricity system runs on a 220V, 50Hz alternating current. Plugs are usually two pronged, either flat pinned as in the US or round as in Europe. There are also three-pronged, angled, pinned plugs in the Australian style. International travel adapter plugs are readily available at most travel stores in the West, but not in China. Most hotels are equipped with hair dryers.
US appliances run on 110V alternating current. For a US appliance to run in China, you will need a transformer to reduce the 220V current to 110V. Some hotel bathrooms have 110V outlets for electric shavers. Most laptop adapters and mobile phone chargers function across the entire 110V to 240V range (check the label) and do not require transformers (though you may require an adapter plug as noted above).
In Hong Kong and Macau, electric sockets follow the British standard of three rectangular pins in a triangle configuration.
Award winning, Imperial Tours has been featured in many respected journals including Departures magazine, Robb Report, Vanity Fair, Elite Traveler, National Geographic Traveler, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Die Welt, Town & Country Travel and Travel Channel. We have been recognized by Condé Nast as a China Specialist, and we have been recognized by Travel + Leisure’s A-List as an A List agent since 2002. Imperial Tours is currently a member of two consortia, namely Signature and Internova and is also part of XO and And Beyond networks. Previously, Imperial Tours has been a member of American Express’ Crafted Journeys, Destination Professionals, Traveller Made and Virtuoso. In addition, we are proud of our customer feedback, which has been consistently “exceeding expectations” from 95% of our guests. We work very hard to merit and maintain this standard.
A commission-paying shop/restaurant is one that pays local tour operators and ground handlers to bring tourist traffic to their business. The tourism business model in China has long depended on commissions paid by shops/restaurants to compensate for revenues lost through deep discount tour pricing. You need to be concerned about this since shops and restaurants which ‘pay for customers’ typically pay correspondingly little attention to product/service quality – as captive customer revenue is guaranteed by virtue of the commission arrangement. To be clear, Imperial Tours’ guests do not frequent such places.
While a China Escapades tour enables you to directly manage your guide and driver in each destination, the reality of turning plans into confirmed activities in China can be more complex than initially presumed. While your efforts combined with a Virtual Concierge and driver/guide will be adequate, you will likely be eating into precious vacation time sorting out logistics when you should be enjoying yourself. One of the China Host’s main responsibilities is assisting with contemporaneous itinerary changes – and ensuring that your vacation is as structured or spontaneously free-flowing as your desire. All you need to do is convey your wishes to the China Host and then the business of arranging everything gets taken care of, including introducing you to experiences you might not have thought of.
A commission-paying shop/restaurant is one that pays local tour operators and ground handlers to bring tourist traffic to their business. The tourism business model in China has long depended on commissions paid by shops/restaurants to compensate for revenues lost through deep discount tour pricing. You need to be concerned about this since shops and restaurants which ‘pay for customers’ typically pay correspondingly little attention to product/service quality – as captive customer revenue is guaranteed by virtue of the commission arrangement. To be clear, Imperial Tours’ guests do not frequent such places.
Our Ultimate China (UC) tours are accompanied by a China Host to provide the best possible service, while our China Escapades (CE) tours have greater independence at a lower price. There is no difference in quality between Ultimate China & China Escapade tours, only between their service structure, inclusions and offered destinations. Please see Our Philosophy for more information.
