Echoes of Ancient China

This captivating expedition is the perfect way to spend quality time with your partner or to treat yourself to an adventure you’ll never forget. Adults of all ages take our trips, sometimes with a companion and sometimes alone. You will meet fellow guests with a curiosity about the world and come away with unforgettable memories and special friendships. It can also help you memorably mark a special occasion, whether an anniversary, birthday, retirement, honeymoon or other milestone.

The minimum age to take our expeditions is 12, but we will consider younger guests on a case-by-case basis.

Shortly after booking, your guest services manager will email you more details about your trip. This dedicated professional will be your main point of contact. He or she will provide you with additional information leading up to your departure and is available to answer any questions via phone or email.

Before departure, you will receive a set of amenities for your trip. These may include a backpack, packing cubes and other useful travel items.

TCS World Travel is committed to maintaining the quality and safety of the expedition for all participants. Overall, our trips give you the freedom to set your own pace. Each destination on every itinerary offers a variety of options with different activity levels. In some, you may only be walking for short periods and have more downtime between excursions, while in others, you may spend the entire day touring or walking over uneven terrain. You can also have a day off and relax at any location.

On all our expeditions, you can expect the following:

• Uneven ground/frequent walking up to one mile at any given time
• Trip pace—only one to three nights at each stop, with some late-night activities and early-morning departures
• Possible time zone changes
• High altitude (some expeditions)
• Changes to your ‘normal’ routine: unique cuisine, frequent packing/unpacking

We will make reasonable efforts to accommodate participants with special needs; however, we cannot accommodate wheelchairs or walkers. If you require a slower pace, extra assistance, or a cane or walking stick, we can arrange private touring at each destination. Any additional cost for such arrangements will be the responsibility of the participant.

Destination Safety

Before TCS travels to any destination, we vet it for safety. We monitor the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), the US Department of State, the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office and other third-party destination experts. We also consult with our trusted local suppliers to evaluate travel to all locations featured on our expeditions.

On-Trip Activity Level

This is an active program that requires a serious health assessment. There will be walking excursions at nearly every location, and you will need to climb stairs at some of the sites and when you board and disembark the aircraft. There are some airports where you will be responsible for transporting your small wheeled overnight bag. We will have some early-morning departures and late-night activities and may travel through multiple time zones.

As part of our commitment to climate and nature action, we’ve joined our sister companies across the Travelopia Group^* to partner with Blue Marine Foundation.

Our objective is to help conserve the stunning coastlines and marine life that enrich your travel experiences and help restore ocean ecosystems that are vital in tackling climate change. Together with our sister travel companies, the group intends to donate at least £1 million (roughly USD$1.25 million at current exchange rates) over three years, with an aim to support the conservation and restoration of 7,000 hectares of vital marine ecosystems through seven global projects.

^*TCS World Travel is a member of the Travelopia group of travel companies that have partnered with the Blue Marine Foundation.

Our luggage allowances are based on the type of aircraft on which the expedition is offered. On small aircraft, luggage typically is limited to two checked bags. Your luggage bags will be stored in the aircraft hold during our flights, but you will be allowed to take your backpack and other small personal items, such as purses and camera bags, along with you in the cabin.

Your dedicated expedition staff member handles your luggage throughout the journey. In many destinations, our staff will transfer your luggage directly from the plane to your hotel room.

We suggest you bring comfortable clothing that can be layered. One of your most important items is a pair of comfortable shoes for walking. Also, you will find slightly more formal dining options at many of the hotels where we stay. For this reason, you may want to bring a few nicer outfits. A more detailed packing list with specific clothing recommendations will be sent to you closer to the departure date. While you’re packing, please keep in mind that laundry services are available at most of our hotels. We also recommend you leave extra space in your suitcase to bring home souvenirs of your journey.

TCS World Travel is committed to safeguarding the security of its guests on every expedition. The company has implemented a set of security processes throughout the journey—from before guests depart to when they touch down in a destination. These processes have been fine-tuned over two decades and more than 300 private jet expeditions and thousands of custom trips to help ensure peace of mind for everyone involved.

All guests must have valid passports to participate in this program. Passports must be valid for at least six months beyond the end date of your expedition. If visas are required for the expedition, a visa kit will be sent to you approximately between 6 and 3 months prior to departure, depending on destination requirements. We work with an expediting service that helps make getting your required visas easier. Although you’re still required to fill out your visa forms and cover the application costs, they will review the application to make sure it’s complete and liaise with the necessary consulates and embassies to process your visas.

We pre-fill your customs and immigrations forms at every stop—all you have to do is sign. Where possible, our guests enjoy special privileges, such as expedited customs and immigration formalities. We may have a dedicated customs counter for our group and are occasionally allowed to go through without individual clearance.

The price of your expedition incorporates large items like the private air, hotels, transportation and meals, but it also includes many other things, such as activities, top-of-the-line guides, meals, beverages and gratuities (guides, restaurants, drivers, etc.). We also supply you with all the bottled water you can drink—all day, every day. We even provide you with postcards that we mail for you—all you have to do is write.

Your journey includes:

• Travel on a privately chartered aircraft
• First-class accommodations
• Ground transportation
• All meals and beverages, including select beer, wine and spirits aboard the jet and group lunches and dinners
• All sightseeing activities
• Special events and private access
• Top local guides and/or on-trip experts
• Gratuities (for all guides, drivers, and restaurants)
• Luggage handling
• Bottled water

Your journey does not include:

• Commercial airfare between your home city and departure/arrival destination
• Optional and additional accident/baggage/cancellation insurance
• Passport and visa fees
• Personal expenses such as laundry, telephone and fax fees
• All beverages not mentioned as included above
• Hotel gratuities
• Hotel minibar charges
• Meals not scheduled by TCS World Travel
• Inoculation and medication costs of any kind

Reservation Process

To reserve your place on the Tour, you must complete and sign the Reservation Form and pay your deposit. The deposit can be made by wire transfer or by a major credit card such as American Express, Visa, MasterCard or Discover Card. To cover the cost of processing a credit or charge card transaction, and pursuant to applicable state regulations (including, with respect to Colorado, section 5-2-212, Colorado Revised Statutes), TCS charges a surcharge of 3.0% for credit card payments. This surcharge is not greater than our merchant discount rate for credit card transactions and does not apply to payment via debit card, ACH or check or redemption of a gift card, or to credit card payments with a billing address in Connecticut, Massachusetts, or Puerto Rico. Your place on the Tour is not reserved until the deposit and signed reservation form are both received.

Cancellation Policy

If you cancel your reservation or change your plans, your right to receive a refund is limited, as set forth in the trip payment schedule. All cancellations will become effective as of the date of the postmark or email receipt. All requests for refunds must be sent to TCS World Travel in writing via mail, fax or email.

If you are traveling solo and prefer the privacy of your own room, you will be charged a solo traveler supplement. This ensures that individual travelers will get the same type and size rooms as our double occupancy travelers.

We strongly recommend purchasing insurance to protect your travel investment. We offer a best-in-class trip insurance program available exclusively to guests on our small group expeditions by private air. Our program provides unique benefits that you won’t find anywhere else in the insurance market, including:

• Insurance for your entire trip cost in a single streamlined plan
• The ability to purchase the plan and waive pre-existing conditions up until 21 days after deposit
• Flexibility to pay in installments and insure your trip as you go

Our insurance program also includes these additional benefits for your peace of mind:

• No-risk guarantee allowing you to cancel your plan within 10 days and receive a full refund
• Coverage for trip cancellation/interruption, baggage loss, emergency dental and more
• Option to add on Cancel For Any Reason (“CFAR”) coverage for up to 75 percent of your trip cost

If you would like a personalized quote, or have any questions about our insurance program, please contact our Guest Relations team at 800.454.4149.