I booked a private tour with a guide to…
I booked a private tour with a guide to the Great Wall through this company. To be fair, they clearly stated that admission fees and the possible cable car ride were not included, so this shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. However, the guide claimed to have 20 years of experience and said they only conducted tours in English. Unfortunately, their English was poor, and there was little meaningful communication or clarification beyond a rehearsed speech that we heard for about two minutes in the cable car. Although the guide mentioned visiting this part of the Wall weekly, they seemed unfamiliar with how to navigate the area. Additionally, the guide joined us for our meal at the restaurant, which was a first for us on a private tour. Even more unsettling, they took multiple pictures of us without asking for permission, some of which were done secretly. After the tour, without prior discussion, we were taken to a tea house. Despite telling the guide more than 10 times that we did not want to go, they insisted. Only after much back and forth did they finally relent, at which point they abruptly left the car, leaving us alone with a non-English-speaking driver. This unexpected detour added an additional two hours to our day. I would not recommend this company.