Frequently Asked Questions

We are a U.S. company (Harmony Bridge USA, LLC, in Texas) and an independent affiliate of Nexion Travel Group. Our family has lived in Yunnan for a decade plus, and we design private trips and guaranteed departures in China for travelers, mostly from the U.S. and Canada, and we welcome travelers from anywhere. On the ground we work with licensed Chinese inbound tour operators, who provide vehicles, hotels, guides and tickets, while our own bilingual team looks after you every day of the trip.

Three kinds. Guaranteed departures run on set dates and go ahead with just 2 travelers. Private journeys run on any date and are built around your interests and pace. Group programs are designed for churches, schools, alumni groups and nonprofits of 8 to 30. Every group travels privately, in a vehicle sized to it.

It means the trip runs once 2 people have booked a date. We don't cancel because a date didn't fill, so you can book flights with confidence. The price per person stays the same whether 2 or 20 travelers book.

Guaranteed departures are small groups, and private trips are just you and the people you choose. We keep groups small on purpose so we can get into villages, homes and workshops that can't take a bus load of visitors.

Pick a trip and a date, then book online with a deposit, or tell us what you have in mind on Plan my trip and we'll send you an itinerary and quote. If you work with a travel advisor, they can book for you at the same price.

Six to nine months ahead is ideal, especially for spring and fall, which are the best seasons in Yunnan. Shorter notice often works too. Ask us, and we'll tell you honestly what's still possible.

Small changes, like an extra night before or after the trip or a room upgrade, are easy. If you want to change the route or pace, a private journey on your own dates is usually the better fit, and it often costs less than people expect for 4 or more travelers.

No, you can book with us directly. If you already have an advisor you trust, they can book for you at the same price. Travelers who live in California, Florida, Washington or Hawaii book through a travel advisor for now, and we're happy to connect you with one.

China's busiest travel times are Lunar New Year (late January or February) and the week-long national holidays that start on May 1 and October 1. Trains, hotels and famous sights fill with domestic travelers and prices rise, and June to August is peak season too. Our guaranteed departures avoid these weeks. If you'd like to travel then, we can plan around the crowds, at peak-season prices.

Spring (March to May) and fall (September to November) are the sweet spots. Kunming is called the Spring City because it stays mild all year. Summer brings the rainy season to much of Yunnan, with green landscapes and afternoon showers. Winters are dry and sunny, but cold at higher places like Shangri-La. We send a packing list for your dates.

Guaranteed departures have one price per person, sharing a twin room, and it stays the same whether 2 or 20 people book. A single supplement applies if you want a room of your own. Private and tailored trips are priced for your group: the more people sharing a guide and vehicle, the lower the price per person. Prices include travel inside China, hotels, meals, guides, entry fees and tips. International flights and travel insurance are extra.

Unless your quote says otherwise, all travel inside China, hotels, meals, licensed English-speaking guides, scheduled activities and entry fees, and gratuities are included. International airfare, travel insurance, visa costs, alcohol, optional extras and souvenirs are not.

No. Your price covers everything listed as included, tips for guides and drivers too. What you'll spend on your own is drinks with dinner, snacks, souvenirs and anything optional you choose to add. Card and bank transaction fees are the one cost we pass on, and we tell you about them up front.

A 25% deposit, with a minimum of $500 per person, confirms your booking. The balance is due 60 days before departure. Cancel more than 60 days out for a 100% refund, less card or bank processing fees. Between 60 and 30 days, everything you have paid becomes credit toward any of our departures within 24 months. Inside 30 days, payments aren't refundable, but you can pass your place to someone else up to 15 days before departure. The full details are in our booking terms.

Both. Prices are in U.S. dollars. Card payments carry a transaction fee of about 2.9% plus $0.30, and ACH bank payments cost 0.8%, capped at $5. ACH costs you far less, so we encourage it for larger payments.

Most people in China pay by phone with Alipay, which now lets visitors link a Visa or Mastercard. Set it up before you leave and we'll walk you through it. Small payments are usually free, and larger ones may carry a small fee. Carry a little cash in yuan for markets and small shops. Don't change money before you go or at exchange counters: you'll get a better rate taking cash out of an ATM, and your guide can show you where.

No. Gratuities for your guides and drivers are already included. If someone goes above and beyond and you want to say thank you with a little extra, it's always welcome but never expected.

Yes. Violent crime against visitors is rare, and many travelers tell us they feel safer walking at night in Kunming than in cities at home. The usual travel sense applies: watch your phone and bag in crowded places, and keep your passport secure. Your guide is with you every day, and our bilingual team is reachable around the clock. We also follow official travel advice for every trip and will tell you if anything changes.

Your guide is with you every day, our bilingual team is reachable around the clock, and we plan pace and altitude around the group. Some places are high (Lijiang is about 2,400 m, or 7,900 ft), so we build in easy first days. We strongly encourage travel insurance with medical and evacuation cover.

Lijiang sits at about 2,400 m (7,900 ft) and Shangri-La at about 3,300 m (10,800 ft). Most travelers feel only mild effects, like shortness of breath on stairs or a light headache on the first day. We climb gradually, keep the first day easy, and the higher excursions are always optional. If you have heart or lung conditions, talk to your doctor before you book. We can also plan a trip that stays at lower altitudes.

Your guide will get you to the right clinic or hospital and stay with you to translate. Big cities like Beijing, Chengdu and Kunming have hospitals with international departments. Hospitals in China usually ask for payment up front, which is why travel insurance with medical cover matters. Keep your insurance details with you.

None are required for travelers from the U.S. or Canada. Check the CDC or the Public Health Agency of Canada travel pages and see a travel clinic about six weeks before you go for routine and recommended shots.

No. Drink bottled or boiled water. Hotels provide bottled water or a kettle, and we keep water in the vehicle. Hot drinks, cooked food and peeled fruit are fine.

Some of it is, but much of it isn't. Yunnan cooking is about fresh mushrooms, herbs, rice noodles and local ham as much as chili. We order for the table and ask for dishes mild or on the side. Most meals are shared family style, so you can try a little of everything.

Yes. Tell us when you book. We plan meals around allergies, vegetarian diets and other needs, and choose walking routes, hotels and transport to suit the group's pace. For serious allergies we give you a card in Chinese to show at every meal, and your guide checks with the kitchen.

Vegetarian is easy, and Buddhist vegetarian restaurants are a treat in their own right. Vegan takes more care, since eggs and lard turn up in surprising places, but we can plan it. Let us know early so we can brief restaurants.

Breakfast at most hotels includes Western options like eggs, toast and coffee. Lunches and dinners are mostly local, because that's half the fun. If you need a familiar meal on a long trip, just tell your guide.

Comfortable, clean and full of character. In the cities we use well-run hotels in good locations, and in old towns like Lijiang and Dali we choose courtyard inns that feel like the place you're visiting. Every room has a private bathroom and a Western toilet.

Hotels, good restaurants and trains have Western toilets. Public toilets at sights and rest stops are often squat toilets, and some don't supply paper. Carry tissues and hand sanitizer, and your guide will steer you to the best options along the way.

Plan on walking 3 to 5 miles on a typical day, at an easy pace, with stairs at temples and cobblestones in the old towns. There are rest breaks and free time built in. Each trip page shows its pace, and private trips can be slower or more active to suit you.

We stay at least two nights in most places, so you can unpack. Your bags travel with the vehicle, and on train days we help with luggage.

By private vehicle with a professional driver, high-speed bullet train and, on some trips, short domestic flights. Every group travels privately, in a vehicle sized to it. Bullet trains are fast, smooth and a highlight for many travelers.

International flights aren't included, so you can use your own miles or preferred airline. If you book with us directly, we can book your flights for a small service fee: $50 for international flights and $25 for any separate domestic booking. Either way, we tell you which airports to fly in and out of and check that your flight times fit the trip and, for guaranteed departures, the 240-hour visa-free stay. If you work with a travel advisor, they can book flights for you.

One medium suitcase and a day bag per person works best. Domestic flights in China have lower checked bag allowances than international ones, and lifting big cases onto trains is no fun. We send a packing list with weights before you go.

Yes. An international plan from your carrier or a travel eSIM works well. Wi-Fi is available in hotels, cafes and many vehicles.

Many Western apps and sites, including Google, Gmail, WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram, don't work on local Chinese Wi-Fi or Chinese SIM cards. Many travelers find these apps still work over an international roaming plan or a travel eSIM, so check with your provider before you go. We send a short list of apps to set up before you leave.

Alipay, a translation app that works offline, and a map app that works in China. We send the list with simple setup steps a few weeks before you travel, and your guide can help with anything that doesn't work on arrival.

China uses 220 volts. Many sockets take the same two flat prongs as the U.S., plus a slanted three-prong type. Phone and laptop chargers usually handle 220 volts, but hair dryers and other appliances may not. A small universal adapter covers it.

No. Your guide speaks English and handles every conversation you need. Outside big hotels, few people speak much English, so a translation app is handy for shopping on your own. A smile and "nǐ hǎo" (hello) go a long way.

Ask before photographing people, especially in villages, and follow your guide's lead at temples and in homes. Our guides will happily explain local customs as you go.

Comfortable walking shoes, layers and a rain jacket cover most days. Mornings and evenings are cool in the mountains even in summer. At temples, shoulders and knees covered is respectful. Nothing formal is needed.

Both, and the people are why most travelers come back. Depending on the trip you might share tea in a Bai family's courtyard, learn a craft from a Naxi artisan, or eat lunch in a village home. These visits are arranged with families who are paid fairly and want to host.

Yes. Kids love bullet trains, rice terraces, pandas and making things with local artisans. Private journeys work best for families, since we can set the pace around nap times and short attention spans. Ask us about ages for guaranteed departures.

Many of our travelers are retired, and we plan for that: easy first days, rest breaks, luggage handled, and no early starts unless it's worth it. If you can walk a few miles a day at your own pace and manage stairs with a rail, you'll do well. Tell us about any health needs and we'll be honest about fit.

Yes. Join a guaranteed departure and meet others on the same date, or travel privately with your own guide. A single supplement applies if you want a room of your own.

For limited mobility, often yes, on a private journey planned around it. Old towns have cobblestones and stairs, and many sights aren't wheelchair friendly, so we'd talk it through first and choose hotels, routes and transport to suit. We'd rather tell you honestly what works than promise too much.

Often not. Both guaranteed departures fit China's 240-hour visa-free transit: you fly in to Beijing and out of Kunming to a third country or region, such as Bangkok, Singapore or Hong Kong, within 240 hours, and most U.S. and Canadian passport holders need no visa. Some private trips go to places outside the visa-free areas or run longer. For those, or if you'd simply rather have one, we help you get a tourist visa. For U.S. citizens it is typically a 10-year, multiple-entry visa allowing stays of up to 60 days, with no restrictions anywhere except Tibet, which needs a special travel permit that we can also arrange. We confirm what applies to you before you book.

That's the rule for the 240-hour visa-free stay: you arrive from one country and leave for a different one, not back to where you started. Flying out of Kunming to Bangkok, Singapore or Hong Kong works, and many travelers add a few days there. If you'd rather fly straight home, a tourist visa is the way to go, and we'll help.

At least six months beyond the day you leave China, with blank pages. Check now, since renewals can take a while.

We strongly recommend it, with medical, evacuation and trip cancellation cover. Buy it soon after you pay your deposit, since some benefits only apply if you buy early. Your advisor or we can point you to good options.

Cancel more than 60 days out for a 100% refund, less card or bank processing fees. Between 60 and 30 days, what you've paid becomes credit toward any of our departures within 24 months. Inside 30 days payments aren't refundable, but you can pass your place to someone else up to 15 days before departure. This is why we recommend travel insurance with cancellation cover.

Guaranteed departures don't get cancelled for low numbers. If something outside anyone's control, like severe weather or a closed road, affects a day, we change the plan and keep the trip as close to the original as we can. If we ever had to cancel a departure ourselves, you'd get your money back or move to another date, your choice.

Yes. Extra nights in Beijing or Kunming, or a few days in Bangkok, Singapore or Hong Kong after the trip, are easy to add. Just ask when you book.

We work with local guides, family-run inns, artisans and village hosts, and we pay them fairly. Small groups mean we can visit without overwhelming a place. Read more on our sustainability page.

No. We don't offer elephant rides, animal performances or photos with captive wild animals. You may see wild elephants from a distance in Xishuangbanna, and pandas at research centers that focus on breeding and care. Our animal welfare policy has the details.

Bring a refillable water bottle (we keep water in the vehicle to refill it), skip single-use plastic where you can, and buy crafts from the people who make them. Your guide will point you to the best places.

Tell your guide or our team right away. We are a Top Member of The Code for the protection of children in travel and tourism, our partners are trained to respond, and we will make sure the right local people are told.

Please ask a parent or guardian first, and never photograph children in a way that could embarrass or put them at risk. When in doubt, ask your guide.

No. Visits like these can harm children, so they are never part of our trips.

Harmony Bridge USA, LLC is a Texas company and an independent affiliate of Nexion Travel Group. Our family has lived in Yunnan for a decade plus. On the ground, licensed Chinese inbound tour operators provide vehicles, hotels, guides and tickets, and our own bilingual team looks after your travelers every day of the trip.

Yes. We only contract licensed Chinese inbound tour operators. We check their business licenses, inbound permits, vehicle and driver insurance and guide credentials before they handle any of our travelers, and they train on our child protection and safety standards.

Yes. You sign with Harmony Bridge USA, LLC, under U.S. law, and you pay in U.S. dollars. You plan with people who speak your language and work your business hours as well as China's.

Yes, a short partner agreement before your first booking at net. It covers net rate confidentiality, client protection both ways, and payment and cancellation terms. It comes with the kit.

You get one net rate per person, twin share, covering everything listed as included. You set your own selling price. We publish one retail price everywhere and never sell below it.

Advisors book at the published price and earn 18%, paid within 14 days of the client's final payment, to the host agency for host-based advisors. No clawbacks.

A 25% deposit, with a minimum of $500 per person, confirms the booking, and the balance is due 60 days before departure. Larger group programs may have staged payments, set out in your quote and partner agreement.

Book 10 or more paying travelers at least 6 months before departure and the 11th place is free (one free place for every 10 who pay). The free place is land only, twin share, with any single supplement charged, and it doesn't combine with other discounts.

Card and bank transaction fees aren't refundable. Today they are about 2.9% plus $0.30 per card payment and 0.8%, capped at $5, per ACH bank payment, so ACH is the better choice for group payments.

Guaranteed departures run on set dates and go ahead with just 2 travelers, at one price per person whatever the group size. Private programs run on any date for 2 to 30 travelers, built around your group's interests, pace and purpose.

No real minimum. Guaranteed departures run with 2, and private programs start at 2. Groups of 8 to 30 work well for churches, schools, alumni groups and nonprofits. Every group travels privately, in a vehicle sized to it.

Yes. Give the trip your own name. We provide editable itineraries, photos and trip notes, and your clients see your name first.

No, flights are yours or your clients' to book, so you keep control of air and any air commission. We tell you which airports to use and check flight times fit the itinerary and, for guaranteed departures, the 240-hour visa-free stay.

Both guaranteed departures do. Travelers fly in to Beijing and out of Kunming to a third country or region, such as Bangkok, Singapore or Hong Kong, within 240 hours, so most U.S. and Canadian passport holders need no visa. Some private journeys go to places outside the visa-free areas or run longer, and those need a regular tourist visa. Tibet also needs a special travel permit. We tell you which applies before you book and help your clients with any visa or permit.

Never for sales. Your clients stay yours, during the trip and after it. If one contacts us directly, we send them back to you and the booking stays yours. We never add your clients to our marketing.

The guide is with the group every day, and our bilingual team is reachable around the clock. We handle the situation on the ground, keep you informed, and work with your clients' insurer if they need to claim. You'll hear from us quickly, not after the trip.

We strongly recommend every traveler carries cover for medical care, evacuation and cancellation. If you already offer a plan, such as one through your NTA or host agency, use it. We're happy to share what our travelers usually buy.

Our standard terms: more than 60 days out, a 100% refund less card or bank fees; 60 to 30 days, payments become credit toward any departure within 24 months; inside 30 days, payments aren't refundable, but the place can pass to someone else up to 15 days before departure. Group programs follow the terms in your partner agreement.

Within 24 hours of a complete request (dates, group size and rooming), with an itinerary ready for your brand.

White-label itineraries in Word and PDF, trip copy you can paste, social posts, and photos you're allowed to use. Approved partners get everything in our partner portal, and we're glad to join a client evening or webinar by video.

We host small familiarization trips for partners who are actively selling China. Ask us about upcoming dates.

We are a The Code Top Member for 2026 and our partners in China train on child protection every year. We don't offer orphanage visits, elephant rides or animal shows, and we work with family-run inns, local guides and village hosts who are paid fairly. See our child protection policy and sustainability page.

Request the trade kit on this page. We approve requests from verified operators and advisors, usually within 24 hours, and send the rate sheet, itineraries and partner agreement. Or book a call with Bobby.