What Our Travelers Say

"The food tour in Guangzhou was the highlight of our entire China trip. Our guide Amy took us to places we never would have found — a tiny dim sum place where locals have been eating for 60 years, a wet market where she explained ingredients we'd never seen. The cooking class was also amazing. We still make those dumplings at home!"

"I was nervous about the Canton Fair — it's massive and I didn't speak Chinese. China Local Friend made everything easy. They arranged hotel pickup, helped with my badge, and even recommended which halls to visit first. After the fair, they took me to see the city. Perfect balance of business and pleasure."

"The heritage walk was fantastic. Our guide was a history professor who brought Guangzhou's past to life. I learned more about Chinese history in two days than in years of reading. The temples, the colonial architecture, the stories — everything was thoughtfully planned."

"As someone who works in tech, the Shenzhen tour was a dream. We visited DJI's experience center, walked through Huaqiangbei (completely overwhelming in the best way), and our guide explained how the whole Shenzhen ecosystem works. I left with a completely different understanding of how products get made."

"The Huaqiangbei safari was chaos in the best possible way. I spent $200 and got more electronics than I could carry. My guide knew exactly which stalls to go to and negotiated prices I never could have gotten on my own. Don't go to Shenzhen without a guide for this."

"The Terracotta Warriors were on my bucket list forever. Our guide Peter made the experience 10x better. He explained the history, the controversies, the ongoing archaeology. We went at 8am and had the place almost to ourselves. It was magical."

"Five days in Xi'an with China Local Friend felt like a masterclass in Chinese history. The deep culture tour took us beyond the tourist sites — to rural villages, Buddhist temples, and places where we were the only foreigners. Our guide's passion for history was contagious."

"Great experience overall. The city wall cycling was a highlight — such a unique way to see Xi'an. Minor hiccup with lunch reservation one day, but our guide fixed it quickly and even upgraded us to a better restaurant. Would definitely book again."

"Pandas + hotpot + tea houses = the perfect Chengdu experience. We saw the pandas at 8am when they were actually playing. The hotpot dinner was an adventure — so much fun trying new things. And the tea house where we got ear cleaning was unexpectedly relaxing. This city has a special energy."

"The cooking class was the highlight of our China trip. Chef Zhang taught us to make mapo tofu, dan dan noodles, and something seasonal. We ate what we cooked (delicious!) and took home recipes. I've made mapo tofu three times since getting back. Everyone is impressed."

"I was worried about Sichuan spice — I can't handle heat. But our guide helped me navigate the menu and found amazing non-spicy options everywhere. The food in Chengdu is incredible even without the spice. And the opera show? Breathtaking."

"We traveled as a family with teenagers. China Local Friend kept everyone engaged — the teens loved Huaqiangbei and the pandas, my husband loved the history, and I loved the food. They even accommodated my vegetarian mother-in-law. Everyone was happy."