$99 China tour REAL COST

This post would just be an analysis of the actual cost and the pros and cons of the tour.

What is the actual cost of these $99 subsidized China tours? I mean, if we hear that there's a tour that cost ONLY $49 or $99 for a 7-10 days tour including accommodation and food, we would flock to it; how can there be such a good deal - makes one suspicious.

When we signed up for the tour in Vancouver, we requested one room for 3 people, usually it would be 1 room for 2 so you just get a rollaway bed added to the room. If you want to book a room only for yourself in the tour, then the cost is actually higher, if I recall correctly.

The tour fee and the cost for the bullet train, you would need to pay to your tour agency before signing up.
Yes, they charged us approximately an extra $45 for the train.  (╬ Ò ‸ Ó)

Thus, each person pays ~$560CND for this tour excluding airfare.

So here are the hotels that we stayed at and the prices based on their own site or a third party site. I only used Expedia and agoda as the alternative booking sites since it's quite popular?

  Great Wall Sheraton in Beijing     $128 x 3 nights = $384
  Hilton Nanjing Riverside              $85 x 1 night
  Wuxi Xizhou Garden                   $96 x 1 night
  Grand Metro Park Suzhou          $92.5 x 1 night
  Grand Metro Park Hangzhou      $100 x 1 night
  Renaissance Yangtze Shanghai    $134 x 1 night 
 __________________________________________________________
 Total Cost of Accommodations = $891.50 CND but excluding extra bed cost per room 

Perhaps an extra rollaway bed cost around ~$30CND (as seen on agoda)

Rollaway bed $30 x 8nights = $240

Accommodations total = $891.50 + $240 = $1131.50
Accommodation between 3 people = $1131.50/3 = $377.17

The attraction Costs

 

So, the total cost of the tour is $560CND and the cost of accommodations + attractions is $447.17
Remaining balance is $112.83 CND, which I guess can be for food expense and gas to different cities. 
Say you spend $15CND each day for food - so the balance becomes (15x8 days) =  -$7.17

BUT, least not forget that scam.
TEA BAGS. $700 USD.  

If the tea bags are added to the cost than the cost per person becomes ($700USD - $30USD)/3 = $223.33USD

Is the tour worth the money? It depends, if you tend to stay in 4-5 stars hotels and if you do not fall for those shopping scams then yes. But if you are a budget traveler then "no." You can definitely find great deals on expedia for 4 stars hotels in the city for less than $90 CND per room (2 people). And food in China does not cost much at all. I mean, in Vancouver you pay around ~$15 for a main dish at a Chinese restaurant, but in China, it's like $5 or less; so, in the end, 3 people can be eating dinner for around $15-20.


The PROS and CONS

PROS:

1. You get to stay in 4-5 stars hotel.
2.  All you can eat breakfast is provided at the hotel.
3. Don't need to worry about transportation or getting lost.
4. You get a brief history on the attractions with a local guide.
5.  You get to try local food. 
6. Different brand of beer in each city- local beer!
7. Tour-guide will pick you up from the airport and also arrange for a vehicle to bring you to the airport for free. 

CONS

1. Only 7 days of actual site-seeing. They count the days that you are on the plane, arriving and leaving as part of the tour. But tips still need to be paid. Extra 20USD.
2.  All the hotels you stay at are pretty much on the outskirts of the city... nowhere to go if you want to enjoy the nightlife when the tour ends early. 
3. They have the right to alter the itinerary - we missed one cruise and the tour of the Confucian temple because they MUST bring you to shopping destinations rather than to these places
4. They will charge 150RMB per day that you are away/sick and is unable to join the tour - not too bad
5. You DO NOT get much time to explore the attractions yourself, usually one 30mins to an hour.
6. If you are not back in time to meet up with your tour group, they are legally allowed to leave you behind.
7. Pressure from the tour guide to shop and give them tips.
8. Hard-selling. Rude sales people.
9. Food may not be to your taste - repetitive food.
10. No toilet on the tour bus.
11. Your tour-guide MAY NOT speak Cantonese - even though it is advertised as Cantonese and Mandarin.
12. You must share food at least 10 others of your tour-mates.
13. The guide tend to bring you to attractions at the same time as other tour groups, it's like there is a specific period for groups to enter - very crowded and can barely walk.
14. You must wait for your tour members to arrive at the airport and then be brought to the hotel- can be there for hours. 
15. You have to keep a look out for your tourguide ALL THE TIME. very annoying, especially if you want to take a closer look at something. 
16. The tour guide takes and keep your PASSPORT to register you at the hotel. You must leave your passport with him overnight daily. I am very skeptical and suspicious about this, I mean he might be copying your private information and use it for identity theft or something.

These tours tend to make MOST of their money from the inflated prices on merchandises and the medical scams. Tea bags will make your blood flow better says the doctor. UM. I believe its the HOT WATER which you place your feet in, not the tea bags itself that makes the blood flow better. You have to be very critically about information thrown at you and do your research before hand.