04/28/2026
Hong Kong/Xiāan/Beijing FAMILY TRIP April 14 ā 23, 2026
Hi Evelyn, thank you for all the work you did to plan our trip and make it flow smoothly throughout.
Our midnight flight out of SFO to HK on Cathay Pacific was a good choice, we didnāt run into the usual east bay heavy traffic enroute to the airport. The flight was smooth and the service was good.
We arrived at Hong Kong early in the morning, to the hotel by 0730 and one of the two rooms was available so we were able to stow our luggage in Bruceās room. We took a taxi to the Chinese Recreation Center in Hong Kong (tennis club) and had lunch there with family. We spent the rest of the day sightseeing with our family; my cousin owns a private 7-passenger van and was able to drive us around town. Hong Kong was vibrant and spectacular. The next day they took us in their dual license equipped van to the bordering city of Shenzhen and I finally step foot in the PRC. The city was ultra-modern. Iāve never seen so many fancy cars, mostly electric in one place before. Itās boggling to see that a city that big and futuristic was a small fishing village in 1980. We had lunch at a local Thai restaurant and a courier beverage delivery to us was made during our meal to give you an example of the level of services available there. We walked to an ultra-modern multi-level shopping mall and surprisingly the prices for the goods were way higher than comparable products here. For example, a Columbia brand shirt retailed for $100USD in the Shenzhen Columbia store. The same shirt here in the US is $55USD. The mall was big and the variety and selection of clothing and footwear was impressive but pricey. We were there the same day as the Canton Fair and the border crossing-customs was packed with people a lot of whom were westerners-foreigners enroute to Guangzhou. The customs officers were very thorough as it was in the rest of the PRC.
Our flight to Beijing on China Eastern was delayed by an hour due to a sandstorm in the north. I didnāt know what to expect flying on a domestic carrier. To my surprise the service in business class was amazing. The flight attendant was aware of our connecting flight to Xian, so they arranged a personal es**rt to the connecting flight departure gate for us. We went through the security check at the new airport, and the body searches and baggage screening was very thorough. A young lady personally walked us from the arrival gate to the departure gate, which was a long distance, and through the security process and made sure we made our connecting flight. The Daxing airport was very impressive and futuristic looking inside and out.
We arrived in the evening hours at Xian. We took a taxi from the airport to the hotel, it was quite a long drive. I expected to see an old looking city, Xian being the ancient capital, but to my surprise Xian looked very modern even at night. While waiting in line to check in at 2300hrs we talked to the concierge who was able to book us a van and an English-speaking tour guide. It was that easy. We handed him our passports, he did the rest, and the tickets to the site was referenced to our passports. Payment was by Alipay, all done digitally, quickly, efficiently, no fuss. The hotel was located right across from the Wild Goose Pagoda and the surrounding park was full of tourists. The area was vibrant and energetic even late at night. The hotel itself was styled in the theme of the ancient city, and the wood paneling and tile work was amazing. The next morning our tour guide was waiting for us in the lobby. His English was excellent and his knowledge of Xian was amazing. He took us to an old village adjacent to the site and we hired two wheelchairs that came with pushers who stayed with us throughout the tour. The site was expansive and the wheelchairs really helped a lot. The guide knew all the shortcuts for wheelchair access and the parts that required walking were done without any problems. The sheer number of visitors to the pits was very large and the crowds and inevitable body contact can be disconcerting at times if youāre not used to it. It wasnāt pushing in the sense of bullying or aggression but a sense of urgency and if youāre in my way I will go around you and sometimes some body contact cannot be avoided. We did not feel threatened in any way, it was organized and orderly throughout the tour and people were very nice and helpful. The history of the ruins and the grandeur and scale of it speak for itself. Our tour guide had PhD level knowledge of the history and of the site and that made the tour much better. He utilized wireless headsets for the group and made sure we stayed together and took appropriate breaks when needed. After the terra-cotta tour the driver took us to a spectacular live stage show with a rotating stage and mechanized sets and live animals (camels and horses and wolves) at a huge indoor theatre in Xian. He waited for us and drove us back to the hotel. Everything was done by passports and Alipay. At the hotel the concierge booked us seats on the high-speed train to Beijing and a ride to the train station. The train station was airport like in size and modernity. We went straight to the business class entrance just a short distance from the drop off. There they handled the security and ticketing process and we waited in a business class lounge with snacks and drinks. Again, surprisingly and without prompting, a nice young lady es**rted us from the lounge to the train platform and made sure we checked into the correct car. Either we had clueless foreigners written on our faces or the service there is superb beyond expectations.
The train ride on the CR400 business class car was well worth the extra expense. The entire car had five spacious fully reclining seats and its own attendant and restroom. Included was a meal service, snacks, and beverages. The train itself was very impressive for its lack of noise and vibration. It cruised at 312-349 kph (200+mph). It only made three stops from Xian to Beijing and stayed on schedule to the minute. On the train I inquired about which stop to get off and to my surprise, again, the young English-speaking attendant arranged an es**rt in Beijing for us. When we exited the train at the massive Beijing west station there were two young ladies waiting there. They es**rted us to the taxi stand where we hired a private van for transportation to the Renaissance hotel.
The hotel was located near the forbidden city. Beijing itself was huge; the buildings and avenues were spectacular. There were many trees and greenery planted throughout the city. The vibe was pride, confidence and progress seen throughout the city. At the hotel the concierge hired us a van and driver and an English-speaking tour guide for the next three days. The guideās English was excellent, and he tailored a tour based on our needs. He also had PhD level knowledge of Chinese history - the perfect tour guide for us. He knew exactly where to go and was on time every day and stayed with us until dropping us off at the hotel at five. On day one he took us to the cable car serviced part of the great wall where there was less walking and smaller crowds. It was awesome. That night we had dinner at a fancy Peking duck restaurant. On day two we visited a hutong, the summer palace, and then a local restaurant where we ate delicious local foods. Day three was the forbidden city. We also visited a government run jade store, a silk store and a tea store, all were educational with buying opportunities if one wished and yes, we wished. There was enough to see in Beijing to easily spend a week or two. We merely scratched the surface. It is a very impressive city, no homelessness, very clean, vast expansive avenues and lots of green space and parks. The power of the government was felt, our guide pointed out the diplomatic areas and where the president resided. Chinas history is inextricably tied to its modern culture and undeniable progress.
Overall things went very smoothly, and all our needs were met. The language barrier was not a problem the taxi drivers use their phone for translation. Hiring English speaking guides for personalized day trips was the way to go for us. The concierge service was outstanding, booking tours and tickets was easy without any advance notice or reservations. Alipay was accepted everywhere but we also carried cash for tipping and small things. Credit cards are also acceptable in many places. We did not see or visit any street markets for cheap trinkets but itās a highly competitive sales culture there and they are not shy to push their products. Things were not inexpensive but fairly priced. Spending another day in Xian would have been nice to see the ancient city walls and other historical sites. Spending more days in Beijing would be nice, there is so much to see there. Taking business class on the HSR was a great way to travel within China and a great experience. The hotels were awesome the food was outstanding. There were no issues with amenities or hygiene in any of the places we visited. I foresee more Chinese cities to visit in the future.
Thank you for all your work,
T & M Gomes, Santa Rosa, CA
