China
China by Train and Yangtze Riverboat
Program No. 3588RJ
Explore the rivers, mountains, villages and cities of China by riverboat and train, and learn from local experts as you discuss local culture, practice tai ji and walk the Great Wall.
Participant Reviews
Based on 29 Reviews
SHOWING
I studied Chinese history and culture at university over 50 years ago. This was an opportunity to experience the modern China. It's far beyond what we expected. The tour leader, Meimei, was absolutely the best. She made the tour enjoyable, not just educational. Our whole group had a wonderful time.
— Review left November 2, 2025
A great way to see China - a complicated country that can be difficult to navigate. Going with a group with an itinerary and lectures along the way made it all so enjoyable. I never thought of myself as a group tour person, but this was perfect.
— Review left November 1, 2025
amazing in every way-
Wentao our seasoned (20+ years experience) program manager was amazing..as he quietly led and guided 24 of our us with and through all the logistics -room, board and travel (plane, train and boat) for 3 weeks in China. He is a true professional who loves is job, is a great asset to RS and and truly a wonderful/gracious ambassador for his country.
In terms of the program itself we could not ask for a better overview of the country -as well know (great wall, warriors, 3 gorges dam etc ) and little know ..minority sites, artistic communities, - the cultural sites were incredible.. and the food was noting short of fantastic as we were well fed with local dishes at many very nice and local restaurants..the accommodations likewise on the whole were very good with several 4-5star places.
yes this program may not be for everyone...as it is a long time away and involves several thousand walking steps and adjusting to the country's culture (limited internet etc) every each but believe me it is well worth the investment for the opportunity to see, hear and and taste incredible experiences in this amazing country
— Review left October 6, 2025
I would highly recommend any tour led by Wentao Shi and will keep my eyes open for future Road Scholar tours led by Wentao.
— Review left October 3, 2025
Tuly broad introduction to China that provides an excellent overview of urban, rural, minority ethnic (Miao and Dong) cultures with exposure to incredible museums and historical sites in an exceptionally well organized trip that includes transportation by high speed train, riverboat cruises, domestic airlines and comfortable private buses. As an experienced traveler who usually travels on my own, I could never have organized such a rich and diverse group of experiences (packed into less than one month!) on my own. Highly recommended!
— Review left September 27, 2025
From start to finish, this was the best Road Scholar program I have attended. The thoughts I had of China prior to the trip were completely turned upside down - from the people, to the sights, to the history, and the beauty. At every turn, there were positive surprises and an overall wonderful experience. Our guide, Meimei, was exceptional showing true interest and care in all of our group; many times going out of the way to respond to our needs while always keeping a smile and positive attitude. China was so clean, so safe and so beautiful. The opportunities to visit sites with thousands of years of history was amazing, yet, we also experienced the new China with its modern accomplishments. I am so glad I joined this tour and would recommend this trip to everyone.
— Review left June 11, 2025
A truly exceptional experience into the heart of new and classic China. Our guide, Meimei, was outstanding, absolutely the "TOPS'
— Review left June 7, 2025
This was the trip of a lifetime to a country as large and varied as the U.S. It covered the well-known highlights of China as well as some remarkable and delightful surprises.
— Review left June 3, 2025
An exceptional trip covering many aspects of China life, country,
History, people. Meimei made the trip wonderful for everyone.
— Review left June 1, 2025
This was a most ambitious, major scope program, but so well planned that we were able to explore the many facets of China. It's not a trip for the faint of heart, as some days required extensive walking, and especially in the first days, jet lag didn't facilitate our journey. One of the things that detracted from the experience was the fact that May 1 initiated a weeklong holiday for Chinese people who were thus traveling all over their country, creating masses of people difficult to navigate. Having said that, the rest of the time we were nevertheless able to appreciate the riches of this magnificent country, its tremendous progress, the wonderful infrastructure, the beautifully forested cities (where everywhere you turned there were beautiful flowers, bushes, varieties of trees). the excellent selection of hotels, restaurants, museums, sites. Often we were not merely passive observers, but had the opportunity to interact with locals, as with the Hutong owner, the village folk with whom we danced, and who prepared food for us, the acrobat show, the exquisite dinner-dance program we attended. Several of us were under the impression the visit with the pandas would be more personal and up-close, but it was not the case: we visited the zoo, which due to the holidays was teeming with people.
The meals were abundant and varied. We ate in private rooms, which allowed us to enjoy our meals without second-hand smoke. Hotels were great.
Lastly, but most importantly, our guide, Baoyun, aka Helen, was a formidable presence, guide, herder, teacher, friend. She procured us at every step of the way, was solicitous and caring of us (my husband is 85 and a bit on the shaky side), treated us like she would her own grandparents. We felt very protected, safe, looked after. Several of the participants had health issues which she tended to by making appointments with the pertinent resource people. She was also incredibly knowledgeable. All in all, a wonderful experience.
— Review left May 21, 2025
This is a great program if you are looking for a pretty comprehensive tour of China at a reasonable pace with all of the guess work are difficult logistics done for you. Traveling by bullet train is an especially good way to get around this core of this huge country.
— Review left May 7, 2025
In participating in this program prepare to learn a lot about our major challenger for world leader and to be taken outside your comfort zone (certainly intellectually and perhaps physically). Hu Lin’s sharing of personal insights and experiences were a highlight of the trip. You’ll see the famous Chinese tourist sites and be introduced to challenges and opportunities in Chinese citizen’s day-to-day life.
— Review left May 3, 2025
We have waited several months to post this because we were constantly deepening the experience and finding new insights gained on the trip. The trip continually offered insightful and inspiring opportunities--from contrasts between the traditional (Buddhist and other temples, the Great Wall, the Terra Cotta warriors, the Hutong neighborhoods of Beijing) to the modern (high speed trains, amazing architecture) to contrasts between urban (thoughtful city planning, the most modern design of urban transportation, public spaces, etc.) to the rural and natural environments (traditional ethnic villages, the gorges of the Yangtze River, pandas). China is so much more than we in the Western world are led to believe. Also, the Chinese people were very friendly and welcoming and the food was delicious and interesting.
The organization and conduct of the trip were superb. Our trip leader, Hu Lin, was the glue that held the trip together. He was always in good humor and concerned for our comfort and interests and full of knowledge and insights which made the trip very enjoyable. The local leaders were all also very knowledgeable and added much to our experience.
Given the state of our world today we feel this trip was deeply informative and useful far beyond the many pleasures of touring a long and rich culture with its feet firmly planted in the modern world. We have participated in twenty Road Scholar adventures all of which were wonderful, but this trip was transformative in addition. We are so thankful Road Scholar gave us this opportunity.
Richard and Vicky
Class of 2014
— Review left April 18, 2025
An incredible journey through China! The amazing experiences on the tours combined with the caring and knowledgeable leaders make for a wonderful and broad learning environment. This trip changed our view of China.
— Review left December 3, 2024
I have been on 8 programs and this was the best. Best guide. Best experiences. Best accomodations. China is a complex and varied country and it took all 3 weeks to learn about its history, culture, and people. If the Chinese can send pandas to the US, then we should be able to send more people to visit them!
— Review left November 17, 2024
Amazing experience - the culture, history, food and especially the people! Pack light and be prepared for lots of travel by train, plane, boat and tour bus. I highly recommend this trip.
— Review left October 5, 2024
We have just returned from the Road Scholar tour of China by train and Yangtze River Cruise. It was our first venture to Asia and we thoroughly enjoyed it. The amount of the country we saw and the diversity of experience provides a life changing view of one of the worlds largest countries.
— Review left September 29, 2024
I sincerely recommend this trip to anyone who wants to experience China. This itinerary is masterful in weaving together the many facets of China from a historical and a personal perspective. In other words, we hit all the big attractions and also got to know the personal experience of our guides. While traveling on the bus, the guides talked about their personal experiences of economics, education, child rearing, Covid and other topics. This was important because Chinese society is radically different from our own. The guides, the food, the hotels, the bullet trains, the river trip, visiting real people in their homes were all fantastic. Five stars!
— Review left July 3, 2024
I am very glad that I was able to take this tour. I had wanted to see China and draw my own conclusions about the country and people. This tour did not disappoint. It covered so much more than the large cities and well known historical attractions. The history and the historical sites are mind boggling but the country side and smaller villages were also amazing. The people were a delight, especially the school aged kids who had so many questions and then wanted to have their pictures taken with us. If China is on your bucket list please consider this tour.
— Review left June 13, 2024
If you are interested in globalization and how China might fit into that, you will enjoy this program. If you are interested in history of man on the earth, you will likely enjoy this program. If you are interested in geography, you will likely enjoy this program. It includes a wide variety of experiences and sites. Our group leader and local guides made me feel comfortable despite the traffic, sometimes crowded tourist locations and the concern about whether travel to China is recommended for Americans. This is an excellent and fun introduction to China enhanced by the many friendly and often smiling Chinese people you will meet along the journey, some of whom have never seen a "western" face.
— Review left June 1, 2024
The China program is a must. Strenuous but well worth it. It was exciting , informative and change my perception of China and the Chinese. Best trip ever!
— Review left April 30, 2024
An excellent program, conscientiously planned and executed by Road Scholar.
China is an important country for Americans to visit.
— Review left April 30, 2024
This is an excellent program with a variety of experiences to be had. The program changed my view of China, and gave me new understandings of the situation between the U.S. and China, although our leaders didn't discuss that topic. What China has done and is doing is impressive and made me, and I think many in the group, believe that it is advancing beyond the U.S.
— Review left December 3, 2023
This was my first program with Road Scholar, but it will not be my last! The number of sites we visited; the varied and wonderful experiences we had; the level of service we were afforded (especially by our guide, Bin Zhao); the quality of our accommodations, transportation, and food; not to mention the warm and welcoming people of China, made this an absolutely unforgettable experience of a lifetime. I can't wait for my next Road Scholar adventure!
— Review left November 15, 2023
The China By Train and Yangtze River tour is an outstanding travel program providing educational and cultural personal experiences to give you a real eye opening experience of China today. Our Group Leader Dori was outstanding making this a truly exceptional travel experience.
— Review left December 15, 2019
The trip of a lifetime. Road Scholar provided a comprehensive and interesting approach to China - its people, culture, religion and modernizations. Best of all we had a charming guide who traveled with us the entire trip. She made this trip unforgettable.
— Review left November 5, 2019
Everyday was a new learning experience and a chance to better appreciate the past and understand the present. From walking the Great Wall to traveling through the Three Gorges to dancing with villagers in the mountains, it was a fantastic trip!
— Review left June 9, 2019
This trip was marvelous...just the right mix of visiting famous sites, attending interesting lectures, interacting with ordinary Chinese people, and eating delicious food.
— Review left May 3, 2019
I have wanted to visit China for awhile and had heard great things about Road Scholar so we chose this trip as it not only had all the must-see tourist sites but seemed to do a good job of providing a varied trip with opportunities to meet and communicate with Chinese citizens. We were not disappointed! The trip met or exceeded our expectations in every respect. As we often use AirBnb in the States, the hotels provided much more luxurious accommodations than we usually choose. The program was very varied and showed evidence of detailed, thoughtful planning. Our tour guide Meimei was outstanding in every respect. She is knowledgeable, organized, flexible and personable and she is a great problem-solver. She met every scheduling challenge with good humor and grace and dealt with several health and personal issues that arose with compassion and skill. She is not only knowledgeable about every aspect of Chinese history, culture, geography and politics so could answer all our questions but her English is impeccable and she knew how to share just the right amount of personal stories to bring what we were learning alive. I didn't think that I had any preconceived ideas about China as I had already learned a fair amount from my students of Chinese heritage, but this trip taught me an incredible amount in three weeks. I felt like I was learning new things every day and my experiences expanded my global knowledge which had been fairly Eurocentric outside of the US. If you are considering this trip, go! I think you will appreciate the varied experiences and learnings.
— Review left April 29, 2019