Preparing for your trip

Checklist

Documents & Entry Requirements

Entry requirements are provided for your convenience. However, unless otherwise stated, it is your responsibility to determine the requirements that apply to you and your trip and to comply with them, including obtaining any necessary visas or other travel documents by the required deadlines and carrying them with you. Especially with COVID-19, requirements are subject to change, so check back for the latest before you depart.

U.S. citizens must have a visa for entry into China which must be obtained prior to departure. We will send clients a visa support letter via email approximately 60 days prior to travel.

China Entry Requirements

Advice from Friendly Planet

U.S. passport holders must have a visa to enter China, obtained prior to arrival. Applications must be submitted through a fee based visa service such as our preferred provider, Visa HQ, or in person at the China Embassies or Consulates in the United States. See the U.S. Dept. of State website for more information.

We will send a visa support letter and instructions for U.S. passport holders to obtain your visa through VISA HQ after you have completed your registration form and made your final payment, approximately 60 days prior to departure. Please apply for your visa only after receiving this letter.

Advice from our partner Sherpa

Hong Kong Entry Requirements

Advice from our partner Sherpa

General Requirements & Guidelines

• In general, you must have a passport to travel abroad, which should be valid for at least six months after your return date. Passports expiring before then should be renewed as soon as possible. Passports contain at least 2 blank pages for each country visited. If your passport does not have this many pages, obtain a new passport as soon as possible.
• if your passport and visa are not in order, airlines and cruise ships may deny boarding, countries may deny entry, and your trip may be disrupted. Travel insurance may not cover such losses.
• Any changes in names or passport information should be reported to us immediately. Airlines and cruise ships may deny boarding if the name on your passport does not match your tickets.
• Minors (age 17 or younger) departing and/or returning to the U.S. without parents or with only one parent may be required by U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP) to present a notarized parental consent letter and/or unabridged birth certificate (more information). Many other countries have similar entry requirements, especially for minors traveling with a parent/guardian with a different surname; check with the consulates of all countries you'll be visiting to learn more.

Final Documents

Your final travel documents will be sent to you via email by 14 days prior to departure. These will include your daily itinerary, hotel and emergency contact information, and other relevant information. Please print your documents and take them with you. If you're departing in less than a week and haven't received your documents, let us know immediately!

Travel Insurance Documents

If you purchased travel insurance, please print and carry your policy documents, including contact information for emergency travel assistance and instructions on how to make a claim. If you purchased the travel protection plan we offer, we recommend you print the full policy.

Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP)

We encourage all U.S. citizens and nationals traveling abroad to enroll in the Department of State's Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). This free service allows you to receive important updates about safety and security issues in your destination, and makes it easier for the U.S. Embassy, as well as family & friends, to contact you in case of an emergency. To enroll or get more information, please visit the STEP website or any U.S. Embassy or Consulate.

Flights, Transfers & Arrival

Questions about your flights before you depart? Read the information below first. If you still have questions, contact our air specialists at 800-555-5765 ext. 2 or air@friendlyplanet.com.

Flights & Tickets

For this package, we generally book your flights and issue tickets after your final payment due date.

Once we have issued your tickets, we'll send you an "e-ticket receipt" which contains all of your flight information, including times, carriers, an airline booking reference number, and an e-ticket number. If you have not received this, or have questions about the flights we booked for you, please contact our air department. You will not receive paper tickets. We recommend you print and carry a copy of your flight details, including the airline booking reference number and e-ticket number, as some airports require this to enter the terminal. You do not need to reconfirm your flights with the airline prior to your departure, as we will handle this for you.

Flight Schedule

You may review the sample flight schedule(s) below. This information is for general planning purposes. You will receive your actual flight schedule by email once we issue your tickets.

Airlines may change schedules at any time, even after flights have been confirmed, and we are not responsible for such changes. Please check for updates to your flight schedule prior to booking any connecting flights and again 72 hours prior to departure.

Connecting Flights

If you plan to purchase connecting flights to your departure city, we strongly suggest waiting until after your final payment due date and after you receive the e-tickets for your international flights, to reduce the chances that that your departure might be cancelled or rescheduled or that your international flight times might change. Before purchasing connecting flights, verify the times for your international flights. Leave at least 3½ hours connecting time between flights, and if you're traveling within a few weeks of Daylight Savings Time changes (in March and November, when flight schedules may change even more dramatically), allow 5–5½ hours between flights. Nobody likes waiting around the airport, but missing your flight is far worse!

Airport Transfers

Scheduled group airport transfers at the destination are included with this package. Transfers are included only on the start and end days of the package. When you exit customs, please look for our representative holding a Friendly Planet sign, who will escort you to your transfer vehicle. In most cases, private transfers are also available for an additional fee—contact us for price and availability. Or you may instead arrange your own ground transportation to the package start and end points. (Note that there is no discount for any unused included transfers).

Arrival Complications

We make every effort to ensure our tours run smoothly and trouble-free. We don't expect any problems, and nor should you. But when things don't go as planned, here's what to do:

• You miss your flights, or your flights are cancelled: Please call us immediately. If it's outside our normal business hours, leave a message in our emergency mailbox, with a phone number at which to reach you, and we'll get right back to you.
• Your flights are delayed and you're worried about missing your included transfers: Please contact us to let us know about the delay, and we will notify our partners in destination. They will be tracking your arrival and will plan accordingly.
• Your package includes transfers, but you can't find our representative at your destination: Don't panic—they may have been unexpectedly delayed. Wait up to 30 minutes. Then contact our local partners in destination, listed on the emergency contact page of your final documents. If you can't reach them, call us. If it's outside our normal business hours, leave a message in our emergency mailbox. If all else fails, make your own way to the starting hotel (or cruise port), and we'll refund you the cost of your transfer.

Packing & Luggage

Baggage allowance: Each passenger may bring one piece of checked-in luggage and one carry-on piece. Your checked-in luggage should weigh no more than 44 pounds, and each piece may not exceed 62 inches as a sum of all three dimensions (length, height and width). Your carry-on luggage should fit under your seat or in the overhead compartment. Most airlines do not consider roll-aboards as hand luggage. Kindly ensure to pack you medications and other essentials in your carry-on luggage.

While the airline may permit two checked-in bags per person, we strongly suggest to bring only one checked-in luggage with a maximum weight of 44 lbs. We recommend a lighter weight and smaller dimension for both the checked-in and carry-on luggage than what airlines typically allow in order to fit in the overhead compartments on the motor coaches used for transfers and touring. Kindly note that these limitations facilitate an easier, faster, and smoother approach towards the collection and transport of your luggage throughout the tour. In the interest of comfort and convenience for you and your fellow travelers, we recommend that you do not over-pack and to take a variety of separates with climate and comfort in mind. We appreciate your understanding and your cooperation regarding these limitations.

Learn more about Baggage Allowances on your international flights. Note that our baggage allowances may be less than those for your international flights. If you exceed the baggage limits, you may be subject to excess baggage charges levied by the airlines and/or by Friendly Planet.

Regardless of the limits—we recommend a smaller size and weight for both your checked and carry-on bags. It's so much easier and faster for you to get around when you have fewer, lighter bags! For your carry-on, consider a soft-sided bag such as a duffel rather than a hard clamshell-type case, which may not fit as easily into overhead compartments or under your seat, especially on buses. For your protection, we suggest your checked luggage have a TSA-approved lock.

Luggage tags: For your safety, we are no longer mailing Friendly Planet luggage tags to you. We encourage you to use your own. Fill in the luggage tags with your name and contact information and attach to each bag, including carry-ons and camera cases, so that your luggage can be identified should it get misplaced during your trip.

What to pack: Check out our list of top 10 must-haves for international travel, as well as what not to pack. Pack smart: put your travel documents, medications, one change of clothing, and other essentials in your carry-on, in case your checked baggage is misplaced. And pack light, for your own comfort and convenience. For clothing, we suggest packing a variety of separates with climate and comfort in mind.

What not to pack: U.S. law forbids you to carry hazardous materials aboard aircraft in your checked or carry-on baggage or on your person, including explosives, compressed gases, flammable liquids & solids, loaded firearms, poisons, corrosives and radioactive materials. Common examples include paints, lighter fluid, fireworks, mace/tear gas and oxygen bottles. Restricted materials may vary by airline and destination. Some items, in quantities of no more than 70 ounces total, may be carried within baggage, including medicinal or toilet articles such as hairspray, perfume and certain medicines that are necessary during your journey. Please check with the airline and/or visit the FAA website prior to travel if you have any questions.

While on Tour

What to Expect

This moderately-paced, escorted tour includes a reasonable amount of walking or hiking and requires an average level of physical fitness. Hong Kong is an independent/self-guided extension.

Please remember that you are traveling as part of a group, and your personal cooperation will make the trip better for everyone. Make it a point to be on time for group activities. Also, please note that smoking is not permitted on our tour buses. Be sensitive to the local customs of the Chinese people, as many activities in China may be conducted differently than in our own country. You will find a polite, gentle approach and a friendly, positive demeanor will help you achieve the best results as you travel in China.

In General: Please remember that you are visiting a country where rules and regulations are taken very seriously. It is easy to get into trouble by not stopping to think before acting. An example, from a recent tour, a traveler who wanted a photo of himself with the Terra Cotta soldiers and jumped into the “pit” for that perfect shot. The site’s guard didn’t find this charming in the least, and our traveler would have been arrested had our guide not managed to save the day with some fancy fast talk. Be careful, and check with your guide before you do anything that might create a problem or spoil your trip.

While we have made every effort to secure comfortable accommodations, transportation, restaurants, etc. we ask you to keep in mind that in very few circumstances the standards you encounter may be different from those you are used to at home. This is primarily due to the fact that the tourism infrastructure, while extensive, is still in the development stages, and therefore somewhat limited in certain areas. For example, on touring days you may encounter some delays due to the tremendous congestion and traffic in and around the city. Your patience and understanding are appreciated, and if you are uncomfortable or unsatisfied at any point, please let your guide or tour director know and they will address immediately.

Additionally, please remember that you are visiting countries where customs are not the same as in the USA. Many people speak English, and you may be convinced that you are being understood, but it is often the case that the person you are speaking to does not clearly understand what you are asking. Be sure to ask your guide, the hotel clerk, the waiter or any other service providers to confirm that what you have asked or said has been understood. This is very important when shopping.

Road Conditions: On some days during your trip, a considerable driving distance is involved. Please note that due to poor road conditions in some of the areas visited, some discomfort during those days should be expected. Your patience and understanding are appreciated.

Please Note: Kindly take the time to cross safely and exercise caution with your surroundings, particularly when walking across busy streets in China.

Remember that you're a guest in someone else's homeland, and that you're traveling to experience their country and culture. Be sensitive to local customs and manners, as many things may be done differently than what you're used to. And while we have made every effort to secure modern and comfortable accommodations and transportation, please note that the standards in other countries may be different from those you are accustomed to at home. Overall, you will find a polite, positive, patient, and open-minded approach generally yields the best travel experience!

Please keep in mind that you'll be traveling with a group. Sharing your explorations with like-minded folks can often be a source of joy, and some of our travelers become lifelong friends. But traveling with strangers can also sometimes be challenging, especially in a foreign country. We ask that you be patient and respectful with your fellow travelers, including their needs and preferences. Also remember that you have responsibilities to the group—please be prompt for group activities so you don't keep everyone else waiting. Lastly, please defer to your tour leader, guide or manager. They are there for your safety and wellbeing, and to ensure the journey goes smoothly for everyone. If you have a problem with one of our tour guides or managers, please let us know, either while you're on tour or after you return, and we'll make sure your concerns are addressed.

Accommodations

Our hotels are all Western-style, and your room will, of course, have a private bathroom. The water in the hotel tap system is usually not potable. Hotels will normally provide bottled or thermos water, which has been boiled. However, any water that you consume from the hotel mini-bar will be charged to your room, and you will be responsible for payment. Electrical current is 220v with 50 cycles. Wall sockets will vary. Take a travel converter/adapter kit with you, as these are not readily available.

Eating & Drinking

The meals included with your package are listed in the itinerary.

Non-Included Meals: Your hotels while on tour will have several dining choices, from coffee shops to specialty restaurants. Average cost for dinner (not including drinks) in the coffee shops will average about $15 - $25 per person, per meal. Your hotels accept credit card payments for not-included meals.

Please see above for special meal requests.

Tipping

You will be traveling through China in the company of a National Guide, driver and in most instances, a local guide in each city, who are professional and very committed to making your tour the dream vacation you are counting on. These people feel great pride in being given a chance to show foreign visitors their country. If your guide, driver and others with whom you are traveling are doing a good job, please take our suggestions for tipping seriously. Naturally, tipping is personal and completely voluntary, and if you have not received good service, your tip should reflect this fact. (You should also let us know without delay.) But just as you would never think of having dinner at a restaurant without leaving an appropriate tip, you should apply the same thinking to tipping as you travel.

Independent Activities

You can leave the group and explore on your own at any time; however, should the group have planned activities for that day, please make sure to inform your Tour Escort, National Guide, and/or Local Guide in advance. There is NO refund for unused group arrangements. We recommend that you ask the front desk for a business card of the hotel with the address and local phone number in both local script and English. Or take the name of the hotel and phone number - written in Chinese and English - with you so that you can communicate with taxi drivers. Your hotel staff will gladly assist you with these translations.

Special Needs & Requests

Please see above for special meal requests and seat requests. If you have any other special requests, including wheelchair or electric cart assistance, please mention your request when you book with an agent, or in the special requests section when you book online. We will do our best to accommodate them!

Country FAQs

China Fast Facts

Hong Kong Fast Facts

Fine Print

Terms & Conditions: Please review our terms & conditions for this package.

Cancellations: If something comes up and you need to cancel your trip, please let us know as soon as possible. All cancellations must be made in writing. Cancellation fees vary by package; please see the cancellation fees for this package.