Great Wall Walk - A Brand of the Great Wall Adventure Club

 China with a 4-year-old Boy

Great Wall Adventure was extremely helpful in planning our trip to Beijing and surrounding areas.
 

First, throughout the planning for the trip - GWA was very responsive to all of my emails and willing to go the extra mile to assist us in planning a trip to accommodate our desires to see Beijing, balanced with the need to keep our 4-year-old engaged as well.
 

GWA continued its great communication, including notification of a change to our guide and his contact information days before our arrival. I was also very grateful about the close monitoring of our flight from Guangzhou which was ultimately canceled and rebooked. GWA did not miss a beat and our transportation and guide were waiting for us when we eventually arrived on site.
 

While the Inner Mongolia Grand Hotel goofed our reservation - our guide was so VERY helpful in helping us resolve the issue. Always welcome, but even more so when it was almost 9pm and we were hungry and tired.
 

We had a fantastic guide. I do not know how often he has to guide a 4.5 year old around town - but he was SO good with our daughter - answering her questions, engaging her in the discussions, etc. Really went above and beyond which made the trip all the more enjoyable. Our driver was also commendable - we felt safe and well taken care of the entire time.
 

I think my only constructive criticism has to do with the local guides. The first guide to the acrobatic show was fine (although we thought he had not arrived, because we were not sitting together and he did not see three expats - it all worked out fine). After the show, he dropped us off - I got out with our daughter - and my husband was getting out and preparing to tip him. The driver turned to me and said, "Now you tip me." I found this very shocking and off-putting. We did tip him, but if I had been in the US I might not have done so.
 

The driver to the Kung Fu show was more problematic. We were told to be ready at 4pm. At 4:15 we received a call saying she'd arrive between 4:30 and 4:45 and would call us. She did not arrive until 5pm - the show started at 5:30pm. Traffic was horrible, no fault of the driver, but the driver and the women who was with him - constantly were on their phones (multiple ones) shouting the entire time. We arrived at the complex where the show was to take place and they had no idea where to go. After driving past the entrance - we said something but they kept going - we were told to get out and reassured that the show had not started (although it was 5:35pm) and had to run to the entrance. We were told to go in while they got our tickets - the show had in fact started - and we then moved to new seats once they had our tickets. The women then told me that she was not taking us back - there would be a new driver. After insisting that I get the driver's phone number and see who it was - she brought him to me. After the show - he was waiting for us and we had a nice ride back.
 

Please know that this feedback in no way clouded our experience in Beijing, nor does it reflect badly on GWA company. In fact, I provided this same feedback to GWA after our return - they were appreciative of the feedback and provided a small refund to compensate us for our troubles to these evening events.
 

If we ever head back to China I will be sure to contact GWA and without hesitation recommend GWA for anyone who is looking to plan a trip to China.

 -- Tara G, Mount Rainier, Maryland on TripAdvisor. 

Experienced in July 2019