Your Words – We tell it like it is! Holiday Reviews by previous Exodus travellers
Here at Exodus we thrive on feedback from our customers. It’s the only way we can ensure our trips continue to be the best they can be. So, for the real tales, twists and turns of the trip you’re interested in, look no further than the reviews from our previous travellers.
Simply use the selector below to search our trip reviews and start reading real feedback from real Exodus travellers who have ‘been there and done that’!
Lots of our clients also like to post handy tips and advice about their travels. It’s great to know what to expect on an Exodus adventure before you go, so make the most of their experience and you’ll make the most of yours!
Haven’t posted your review yet? Here’s how to do it…
Once you return from your Exodus adventure holiday, you will be emailed a link to add your review. Any feedback collected is posted onto our website, totally unedited.
Alternatively you can navigate to the relevant trip page and add your review via the Reviews tab.
An absolutely fantastic holiday! This was the most incredible experience to trek along The Great Wall of China and it exceeded our expectations.
Most Inspirational Moment
The most inspirational part of the trip was of course The Great Wall itself - what an amazing site, and so fabulous to trek on the non touristy bits too - really feeling like we were seeing the real China.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our guide Kevin was just superb, so knowledgeable and nothing was too much trouble. I feel we learnt so much about Chinas history which was so interesting. I was concerned about the food as I am vegetarian but Kevin always made sure there were vegetarian options available and explained what I could and couldn't eat. I was also the slowest ofthe group but was never made to feel that was a problem and he was very supportive at all times, especially on the difficult climbs!
Advice for Potential Travellers
Amazing and incredible and my advice for potential travellers is just go and experience it!
A very well organised trip. The walking is fairly tough, but rewarding. Another ‘once in a life time’ experience.
Of course, when considering this trip, you will expect to be spending a lot of time walking along the Great Wall. Therefore the variety of activities are not as high as on some trips, although you will find the different sections of the wall surprisingly varied. I particularly enjoyed ‘The Spiderman wall’ near the beginning – will leave it a surprise to find out what that is about.
The provision of food is well considered. Even for a vegetarian, there was plenty to eat, although there was most variety for meat eaters.
As usual there is a lot packed in to a small space of time. I had worried that I would not see much of Beijing with two half days, but as it was, we saw the Forbidden City, walked through the Hutongs of old Beijing, watched a flag lowering ceremony in Tianamen square, went to an acrobatics show and even had time for a massage to recover from the walking earlier on in the trip.
Most Inspirational Moment
First sighting of the distant wall as we arrived at the home stay on a sunny afternoon. Shortly followed by first seeing the wall through the trees as we ascended from the valley on the first day's walk.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Jerry was very organised, sociable and knowledgeable about the areas we visited.
He was concerned for the less able members of the group and looked out for them.
We were also impressed that seats had been reserved by a local Exodus staff member when we went to the acrobat show - people start going in to get the good seats three or four hours before the show starts, but we arrived just as it began and went straight to our seats.
Advice for Potential Travellers
The Air China flight is a bit more basic than normal, most of the entertainment caters for Chinese speakers. So either be prepared to watch old films or bring a book to read!
As usual when travelling, if you expect to rough it a bit, you can only be pleasantly surprised.
The quality of the accommodation varies, but it is all adequate.
The walking was tougher than I might have expected based on the distances. This was partly due to a heat wave in May when I went on the trip, but also the terrain itself. You can expect the wall to undulate up and down quite a lot and also since it is on the tops of big hills, each day will usually begin with a bit of a slog uphill.
So even the easier days will not be as easy as in the UK.
My recent trip to walk the Great Wall of China exceeded all of my expectations. The ten day trekking tour was my first experience of travelling with Exodus; I certainly wasn’t disappointed. From start to finish I felt that the trip was extremely well organised, accommodating and flexible. I was impressed by the standard of accommodation throughout the trip and the all inclusive food arrangements were varied and of high quality. Our trip tour guide couldn’t have been more helpful, proving actively available to deal with queries at all times. I also greatly appreciated the wealth of cultural knowledge and geographical information that was conveyed to the group throughout the trip. Overall my experience of travelling with Exodus was cost-effective, informative and extremely enjoyable. I can’t wait to book my next adventure!
Most Inspirational Moment
The opportunity to experience rural China first hand was the most inspirational moment for me. I loved the fact that the trip aimed to avoid the more touristy areas of the Great Wall; seeking to provide an appreciation of 'real China'. The scenery in these more remote areas was breathtaking providing views over untouched landscapes.
Having the opportunity to meet and interact with the local residents was a further highlight for me and I loved the fact that Exodus sought to support the local community with regards to accommodation (farmers guesthouses) and choice of restaurants.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our group leader was efficient, helpful and extremely informative throughout the ten day tour. From meeting the leader at airport arrivals I felt in good hands. I felt able to ask questions when necessary and any queries were always dealt with quickly.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Make sure you have a thorough understanding of the trip notes before booking onto a tour. With regards to the trekking trips, a clear appreciation of the trip rating (e.g moderate to challenging) is essential in order to physically prepare.
A fantastic experience, and amazing to see the wall snaking away into the distance as far as the eye could see. Certainly a worthy inclusion in any list of the Worlds’ man made wonders. Very well worth adding the Xian extension to see the Terracotta Warriors and the city itself.
Most Inspirational Moment
The obvious ones of seeing the wall and the warriors, but there are plenty of other sights as well - particularly The Forbidden City, riding around the city walls of Xian, and walking through the atmospheric and hectic street food stalls in the Muslim Quarter of Xian.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Kevin was superb. Nothing was too much trouble for him. He made sure that everyone was happy with all aspects of the trip including the food (including for vegetarians and vegans), the accommodation, the walking, and any other arrangements. He was a mine of information and gave us a great insight into China's history - both ancient and modern.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Take the Xian extension if you can afford the cost and the time. It really made the trip complete, and somehow without it, the trip would have been too short - for me at least. The accommodation is basic but perfectly acceptable. Don't expect great variety in the food, but equally don't be put off by comments about water snails, sparrows or dog - our food was very acceptable, and we didn't have any of those ingredients (as far as I know!!). Go to the acrobatic show which was amazing, and also the cultural show in Xian - they are both great nights and worth the money.
The whole trip was well worth the money, phenomenal views, challenging treks that are always varied, knowledgable guides and great food
Most Inspirational Moment
The people in my group gave inspired me to do more treks, the phenomenal views and local culture. Also climbing the spider wall was a great sense of achievement
Thoughts on Group Leader
Jerry was great, so knowledgeable, he had a great sense of houmor and real passion for the wall and his culture, he answered all our questions with a great English understanding
Advice for Potential Travellers
Take a sleeping bag and pillow for the cold nights, take warm clothing for the evenings, definitely try all the food and take jerrys advice and climb the spider wall! Amazing sense of achievement!!!
A very enjoyable trip and a good mixture of culture/history and walking. All done at a nice, comfortable pace that does leave you with some time to do your own things or, otherwise, relax.
Most Inspirational Moment
I'm going to have to be very unoriginal and say that it was seeing The Wall from many different vantage points and in many different states. It really is an extraordinary sight and the amount of work and material that it must have taken to build is truly mind-boggling.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our group leader was named Jerry and he was excellent (he and "Kevin" - the guide other reviewers refer to - must be in some sort of competition to see who can be the best guide imaginable). He's quite a character and was always full of energy and enthusiasm. He has a talent for spin (turning any (minor) negative into a positive in the blink of an eye) and, definitely, the gift of the gab (LOL!)
Advice for Potential Travellers
(1) As other reviewers have stated, if you like coffee, take some with you (I took 10 of those disposable perc coffee things and I was very glad of them). (2) The sanitary conditions (toilets, bedding, etc.) in some of the "homestays" is pretty poor so I'd recommend taking a sleeping bag liner and pillow case (possibly even a pillow as, on a couple of occasions, the pillow I had seemed to be full of sand (honestly!) or something like that).(3) A tourist visa for China (for this or similar trips) is going to cost you about £110 (cost of the visa plus fees to get it processed efficiently and in a reasonable time-frame (i.e. within a few weeks)). The information provided by Exodus did state that visitors from the UK would need a visa but didn't give any indication that the cost would be so high. I had no idea the visa would cost me £110 (or anything resembling that) when I booked so the additional expense was an unpleasant surprise. (4) I don't cope with heat very well so, for me, going when I did (i.e. late September into early October) was ideal. I would imagine that going up some of the steeper sections in the mid-summer heat, would be very hard work. (5) If you get the chance, the acrobat show and the kung-fu show (in Beijing) are both well worth seeing.
The walking was much more interesting than I might have feared because we were using unrestored and relatively remote sections. it was really good to feel that the villages we stayed in overnight gave us an insight (however slight and sanitised) of life in a part of rural China.
Most Inspirational Moment
Just seeing the wall stretching away over ridges receding into the far distance.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Kevin ----- what a star. Knowledgeable, informative, caring and very hard working.
Standing on the wall, it disappearing into the distance & looking behind & it disappearing .
Thoughts on Group Leader
A true gent! He couldn't help us enough as a group & individually.
His knowledge, well their wasn't a question he didn't have a answer too.. & a really good sense of humour. Genuinely a nice guy.
An excellent trip for fit people with an interest in cultural experiences with exercise.
Most Inspirational Moment
First arriving at and touching the great wall at Jiankou: tobogganing down from the wall on the second day: the marvellous views of the wall disappearing into remote distances over dramatic hill scenery: cycling round the wall at Xian during the extension
Thoughts on Group Leader
Kevin was excellent, especially helpful to me when I arrived with a stomach problem contracted on the flight out!
He got on well with, and socialised with all group members and was always on hand to advise about the food or other unknowns.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Follow the advice well set out by previous reviewers - take wipes, take toilet rolls and otherwise just enjoy the experience. It was cold in the evenings but during the walks I was in shirtsleeves. The food was excellent and, ironically, I got no stomach problems while I was there.
This was the last big trek that we were going to do as our age is catching up with us, we found the walk quite hard for us and we were the last all the time. Our team leader Jerry, once he found we were struggling he made a point of ensuring that we were okay and any difficult parts he was always there to assist us. the group we had were absolutely brilliant and the social side of the group was wonderful. regarding the trek it was hard but well worth the considerable effort to complete it. We had a good insight to the local community and the accommodation was good as you were in the local culture and although not the best standard it was adequate. all in all it was a great holiday, expertly organised and great value for money.
Most Inspirational Moment
The longest day of the trek, It was a really a clear sunny day and the scenery was absolutely stunning
Thoughts on Group Leader
The group leader Jerry Wei was a great leader with a good knowledge of the wall and his social skills with the group were brilliant
Advice for Potential Travellers
Go for it regardless of age. We are in mid 60's and mid 70's and whilst we struggled quite a lot, we are so glad we achieved something we have thought about for some years and never imagined it would happen, but it did, thanks to Exodus and Jerry our guide. Thank you.
