We recently completed our 22 day tour Highlights ofJapan and China and wanted to say a thank you to the Laurus team. The arrangements were perfect, hotels amazing and the tour guides exceptional. Laurus has exceeded our expectations and we will be sure to recommend Laurus to any friends planning a vacation in Asia. A special thank you to Helen and Heather of the Vancouver office. Your patience during our planning stage was appreciated. Katie, our tour leader in Japan, was fantastic. Her enthusiasm and caring for our every need was amazing and she helped make our trip a success. Hiro; the local guide in Tokyo, provided valuable information that assisted our understanding of Japanese history. We also appreciate that Laurus honored our reservation in China and provided us with an individualized tour even though we had reserved a group tour. Jacob, our tour leader in Beijing, was exceptional. Full of knowledge and a great personality that welcomed us to China. Jacob has excellent people skills and over meals he provided us a glimpse into day to day life in China. Paul, in Xi'an, was warm and helpful. He is very kind and helped us to appreciate his hometown. Very energetic and enthusiastic with deep knowledge of his subject matter. Luna, in Chengdu, was also a great Laurus representative. You can tell she loves what she does and we will always remember her joy at seeing the pandas. Each member of the team contributed to making this the trip of our lifetime. Thank you! Scott and Sabina S. read more

17 Day China Golden Route Tour with Laurus Travel, Vancouver, BC We just returned from a truly memorable trip made possible by the professional and caring staff of Laurus Travel. We are seasoned travellers with little experience on group travels. We had chosen Laurus from the flawless on-line reviews. We never regretted the choice. From start to finish, we felt coddled and never once anxious. The itinerary was well executed by their professional tour leader (Jacob Wei), the knowledgeable local guides in the respective cities, and the cautious drivers who navigated often congested traffic with skill and caution. The hotels were first class and the food plentiful. The trip exceeded our expectations. We would not hesitate to travel with Laurus again. read more

We just returned from a 20 day tour of China - this was the 20 day in-depth tour offered by Laurus Travel. Everything exceeded our expectations, from the hotels to the tours to the wonderful guide Howard, who couldn't do enough to ensure our trip was smooth, informative and fun. Howard was assisted by local guides in each city we visited, who provided insights into the culture of the region, the history and archaeological/ecological sights. The small group was chaperoned effectively so that we did not have to wait in long lines and were able to "beat the crowds" at popular sights such as the Terra Cotta Warriors or Great Wall. The Yangtze River cruise was stunning. A great trip. We would strongly recommend Laurus Travel to anyone interested in touring China. read more

My husband and I recently returned from a Laurus Travel 21-day Classic China tour (Beijing, Xian, Guilin, Chongqing, Yangtze Cruise, Wuhan, Suzhou, Shanghai, Hong Kong). We wholeheartedly recommend Laurus for a first-rate introduction to China, and we were so impressed with our experience that we are booking a second tour with this excellent company during 2018. Our background: We are 60-somethings who have travelled independently (primarily in Europe and Central America). Why choose a tour through China? We wanted the best possible travel experience in a large country with minimum logistics (unfamiliar language, timing/ distances to travel, large cities, traffic). Our single previous organized tour experience prompted us to research tours to Asia with a focus: 1) knowledgeable guides with excellent English skills 2) very limited shopping stops 3) hotels located near places of cultural interest to visit during our free time from touring 4) meals with local dishes and 5) a manageable number of active travellers who can easily get into/through/out of places we visit. We based our choice of Laurus Travel on research and good reviews of this company in Tripadvisor, Frommer's, and Fodor's travel forums. Laurus Travel exceeded our expectations on all counts! Here's why.... The numbers: Our core group of 8-12 people (Canadians and Americans) was joined in a couple of cities by 2-6 additional travellers. This small group made all the difference in our experience! Our group moved through each day of travel (on/off bus, train, plane, through museums and other sights) with such ease that we could concentrate on a purpose: getting to know China! Laurus Travel groups are 20 or fewer travelers per trip. The company staff actively customizes each traveller's tour to match his/her travel time, budget, and what he/she most wants to do during a trip through Asia. This modular way to travel is a logistics feat that Laurus guides and office staff manage through expert communication and cooperation. We were frankly amazed at how well Laurus staff make this concept work! Laurus Travel website and management: Laurus has mastered the details through its website and its physical staff. Our group agreed that Laurus' website description of "personalized service, small group size, upscale accommodations and outstanding guides hand-picked by the owners of Laurus Travel" accurately described our touring experience. The website clearly and thoroughly explains itinerary, logistics, and traveler preparations with helpful links. Laurus staff (Julius, Heather, Heidi) are consummate professionals--available by phone and email with answers to our questions, polite email prompts to complete visa information, read from reading lists, ways to be prepared to travel. Laurus Guides: Well, they made our experience. Jacob, our primary guide, was more than a tour leader; he became our friend. Jacob was with our group daily for three weeks, and we all missed him when we ended our time together! Jacob takes his job seriously. He is superbly prepared with historical and cultural information about his country, and his sense of humor, patience, and honesty made it easy for us to ask questions about every aspect of Chinese life (which we did constantly). Jacob's patience and calm encouraged us to enjoy the sights without feeling rushed while he took care of our travel logistics. We were also impressed that Jacob took time with each of us to get feedback when our tour ended: How were food, hotels, sights, transportation, what could be improved? Our city guides were likewise gregarious, positive, and well-prepared to share their city life with us. Food: We ate excellent local food in upscale restaurants that Chinese families frequent. We shared our group lunches and dinners around large circular tables in private dining rooms typically used for local business and special-occasion extended family meals. Jacob and other guides told us what was in each dish we ate and made sure that we each had sufficient food to eat (several of us have restricted diets). 8-10+ dishes/meal, plenty of fresh food, just ask if you'd like more or you'd like something else! Our daily breakfasts were buffet-style in our hotels (both Western and Chinese foods, many choices). Hotels: Our Laurus tour group stayed in luxurious 5-star Sheraton hotels (and one Intercontinental Hotel in Shanghai). More bells and whistles that my husband and I are used to, so no complaints there. Our final destination hotel (Hong Kong's Harbour Grand Kowloon Sheraton) is 25 years old with comfortable rooms, but its concierge was forthcoming about its impending renovation. This hotel is located on Victoria Harbor with sweeping floor-to-ceiling knockout views, so again...no complaints about this at all! Our hotels were centrally located with markets and metro close by for independent snacks and trips. read more

We recently returned from a 21-day Bullet Train Laurus Travel tour to China (Shanghai, Suzhou, Wuhan, Yangtze River Cruise, Chengu, Xi'an, Beijing). We travelled in a group of four (a woman and her mother, my husband, and myself). Overall, we would recommend Laurus Travel very highly. The locations visited were very interesting, quite varied, and very well-chosen. Because our group was so small, we didn't have the same tour guide for the entire tour, but we were given local guides for each city. I would say that the overall quality of the guides was exceptional. They were very responsive to us, caring, informative, and funny. We were worried that with not having a tour guide that we would occasionally be somewhat stranded, but each connection was very easily made, and we were very well looked after. The hotels were all 5-star, and we enjoyed them a lot. The tour bus drivers were all excellent drivers, and we felt very safe with them. The river cruise was excellent, and the food was also very good. The service was some of the best service we have ever had anywhere. My only criticism of the tour was that the food was somewhat inconsistent. The restaurants fell into three categories: (1) excellent food and surroundings, as good as anywhere you could ever go, (2) folksy-type restaurants that were not particularly polished-looking but were fun and interesting, and usually quite clean, and the food was good, and (3) downright scary restaurants that had food and sanitation well below what we were expecting, and that probably would have been closed by any health department in North America for poor quality food and dirty bathrooms, and where we all just refused to eat the food. Most of the restaurants fell into categories 1 and 2, but two of the restaurants definitely fell into category 3, and then caused us anxiety about what kind of restaurant we might be going to next on the trip. My suggestion would be that the restaurant choices should be at least at minimum North American standards, and more line with the hotel standards (that were so consistently excellent throughout the tour). They don't have to all be great restaurants, but they should have edible food and be cleaner than a gas station bathroom on a lonely highway. Overall, I would highly recommend Laurus Travel to anyone travelling to China. If those two bad restaurants were replaced with better-quality restaurants, I would happily rate this as a 5-star tour that anyone would absolutely love! read more

Just got back from a 19 day China Odyssey Tour organized by Laurus Travel. Although usually independent travelers, we are late sixties and thought we would prefer an organized tour for our first visit to mainland China. It was a good move as we avoided a lot of the hassles and we think it would be difficult to get as much done in the same time organizing it on our own. We searched the web for a tour company that we thought would suit our needs and then selected Laurus Travel based on their web site and a number of reviews we found. We sure picked the right company and can not say enough good things about Laurus Travel. The tour group was generally 20 people maximum and occasionally fewer as a number of travelers came and went along the way, The group was an excellent mix of Canadians (11) and Americans (9), couples and family groups and friends and we were fortunate that everyone seems to get along well and and had similar likes/dislikes and interests. Guides Our guide (Howard) was the best. Always organized, on schedule and very helpful. He kept tabs on everyone and was always very concerned about us - making sure that we were enjoying our selves and that any issues and illness even were dealt with promptly. Additional little things he did (like an evening trip to downtown in Xian) made the trip even more special. We would love to book a future trip with Laurus especially when he is the guide. In addition, all the local guides in each city were superb. We learned so much about China from their discussions of history, their lives in China and occasionally even about the politics of China. They all seemed to enjoy being guides, were enthusiastic and had a great love for their country. They were proud to tell us about China and its achievements. Additional features they helped to arrange and book (like the Guilin evening cruise on the canals and the Chinese opera show in Beijing) are well received by everyone and added to our enjoyment of a great trip. Hotels The hotels were all first class, well situated, had very helpful staff and the very nice breakfasts included were a bonus. Most were Sheratons, all were very well looked after, clean and with comfortable beds. All had separate shower and tub. Tours All of the train trips and our flight in China (Guilin to Shanghai) were on schedule, and comfortable and we always knew where we were going and what to expect ahead of time. The local guides were always there to meet us and Howard was always in constant contact with them to ensure that those trips and our arrivals went smoothly. Everything was organized to maximize our time at the major sites like early departures from the hotel to avoid crowds and this greatly enhanced the experience. The local buses utilized were clean, well equipped with cold bottled water and the drivers seemed to be able to get us from A to B via the most effective routes despite the horrendous traffic at times. There was an excellent balance between organized portions of the day and the occasional free time to enjoy the cities and meals on our own. River Cruise Although we did not expect the Yangtze river Cruise boat to be very luxurious, it was actually better than we expected and the 3 days went by very fast. All the crew on the boat was attentive and helpful. The included trips off the boat were OK. Laurus Travel All of the arrangements by Laurus travel came off smoothly and as promised. We booked extra hotel days at the beginning and end (Beijing and Shanghai) and a train trip before the tour from Hong Kong to Beijing - all through Laurus and these were all arranged with no surprises.The staff in the Vancouver office did a superb job. They were always there to handle questions and help us with the arrangements and the Visa application. We would very highly recommend Laurus Travel on all fronts. We hope to return to China in a year or 2 to tour additional areas not included in our trip this time. We would only consider booking any China arrangements and tours through Laurus based on our experience this time. All of the arrangements by Laurus travel came off smoothly and as promised. The staff in the Vancouver office did a superb job. They were always there to handle questions and help us with the arrangements and the Visa application. We can't thank them enough for helping making this a trip of a lifetime. read more

In October, my wife and I took the 19 day Best of China tour organized by Laurus Travel. This was one of the best tours we have ever taken (and we travel extensively) mainly because it was : - Trouble-free & well-organized right down to the last detail so no stress. Loved the idea of being the first group to arrive in the morning to see some of the popular attractions (like the Great Wall) to avoid the crowds that show up later on in the day - Good pace, we were always active but still had downtime for ourselves to rest or explore local sights on our own. - Accommodations were all 1st class with great breakfasts included at each hotel - We loved the experience of eating our meals in local restaurants. The food quality and variety chosen by our guides was excellent - Loved traveling by high speed train from city to city. Very comfortable, clean, convenient and quick. Also saw lots of the local countryside. - And most important, our great guides. The local guys were very friendly, knowledgeable and professional. However Jacob, our main tour guide who traveled with us the entire trip, was exceptional!!!!! He was always there; he showed up early, anticipated our needs, made sure everything ran smoothly; answered our questions and overall, made us feel that we, and our group's enjoyment of the trip were truly important to him. I highly recommend Laurus Travel and would use them again for future travel in S.E. Asia. read more

Just returned from China using Laurus Travel. 18 days. Really terrific trip in all respects. Although I technically traveled alone in my own room, my brother and his spouse were also on the trip. I travel internationally very frequently, almost always independently (non-group) and decided on an impulse to join my brother who had already signed up for this group trip. I had never heard of Laurus before the trip. We went in probably the worst possible time, July when it is typically very hot and rainy. It turned out to be very hot although not rainy. Perhaps because of the dates traveling, we were a private tour with only three people. It turned out to be a real bonus. Unlike many other tour companies Laurus does not cancel tours and the three of us had an incredibly personalized experience. Guides were fantastic. Food was magnificent and in abundance and really amazing. Hotels really great. Fitness facilities in them were as good or better than in the US and that was important to me since I am a fitness fanatic. The logistics were perfect. I can't believe how hard they must have worked to get this all right. The cost was really reasonable. They also got me great prices on first class international plane tickets. I was blown away by it all. If I had to go alone, without my brother I can see that it also would have been ok too. Really happy to have gone and would recommend strongly. read more

We recently returned from an 18-day tour: Treasures of China tour with Laurus Travel. We had an amazing time and thoroughly enjoyed the trip. We got to visit key cities: Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong, as well as some more distant areas like Xian and Chengdu. The tour mixed big cities with more remote and interesting environments. Most of the accommodations were nice. The restaurants (while local) that were selected for dinner, left something to be desired at times, and we would have preferred more upscale restaurants and more diversity in the food selection (though the breakfasts were wonderful). The tour itself is very hectic and on average we walked 5 to 6 miles per day, but we saw everything we wanted to see. The trains, planes and buses were more than decent and our tour guides kept close watch over all of us and in some cases went beyond the call of duty (thank you Howard). All in all, a great trip and highly recommended. read more