Travel China Guide

What Travel China Guide does

TravelChinaGuide is a privately held, Xi'an-based online travel agency (operated by Xi'an Marco Polo International Travel Service Co., Ltd.) that has served inbound tourists to China since 1998. According to company self-claims, it is the largest online tour company in China, serving 70,000+ guests annually and driving 4 million daily page views across its content portal. The company's core products are Private China Tours (fully customizable guided itineraries) and Small Group Tours (16 fixed-date itineraries covering 70+ destinations), with ancillary services including mini group day tours, city packages, China train and flight booking, attraction tickets, cooking classes, and family-visit cultural experiences. Beyond China, the company operates the sister platform AgateTravel.com (rebranded from WarriorTours.com in 2018), which extends its tour offerings to 120+ countries worldwide; a 2025 product expansion added Japan mini group tours.

The business model is asset-light and primarily direct-to-consumer. Published tour prices range from $89 for day tours to $2,609+ for 14-day itineraries, with private tours customized per inquiry. Distribution is anchored by the company's content website, toll-free phone lines in the US, Canada, UK, and Australia, a 24/7 emergency line, and an affiliate program for international tour operators. On-the-ground logistics are executed through a network of local ground operators in 100+ Chinese cities. The company is bootstrapped with no disclosed external funding, holds the L-SNX00052 inbound tourism license and AAAAA service quality rating, and is a member of PATA, ASTA, and the China Association of Travel Services. Recent measurable signals include 84,803+ registered community members, 10,000+ TripAdvisor reviews, and 15 consecutive TripAdvisor awards (Certificate of Excellence 2011-2019, Travelers' Choice 2020-2026).

Name

Travel China Guide

Legal name

Xi'an Marco Polo International Travel Service Co., Ltd. (西安马可孛罗国际旅行社有限责任公司)

Website

https://travelchinaguide.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

TravelChinaGuide is a privately held, Xi'an-based online travel agency (founded 1998) and content portal serving 70,000+ inbound tourists annually to China through customizable private tours and 16 small group itineraries, with a sister platform AgateTravel covering 120+ countries worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tour Operator Services

NAICS

Tour Operators (561520)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Guided Tours & Personal Tour Guides (THAJALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Package Tour Wholesalers (Pre-Packaged FIT/Group Programs) (THAKAJAC), Destination & Itinerary Management (DMC-Led Experiences, Excursions, VIP Access) (THAHANAE), Group & Small-Group Custom Itinerary Planning (THAKAOAF)

Keywords

• China inbound tours
• Small group tours
• Private guided tours
• Travel agency services
• China city packages

Headquarters

HQ city

Xian

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Guided Tour Packages: Core revenue stream from selling small group tours and private tailor-made tours of China; fixed-date group itineraries (8–15 days) and customized private tours covering destinations across China; prices range from ~$89/day mini-group day tours to multi-week package tours.
2. Ancillary Travel Services: Train ticket booking, flight booking, attraction entrance tickets, and show admissions; supplementary revenue from add-on services including cooking classes and family visits.
3. Affiliate/Referral Commission: Commissions paid to channel partners and affiliates for each fulfilled booking referred through the affiliate program.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

TravelChinaGuide is an online travel agency selling guided tours of China, including fully customizable private tours and fixed-date small-group tours (16 itineraries covering Beijing, Xi'an, Shanghai, Guilin, Zhangjiajie, Tibet, Yangtze cruises, and more), plus mini-group day tours and city packages. The company supplements these tour packages with ancillary booking services (China train tickets, attractions), cultural experiences (Chinese cooking classes, local family visits), and a large content portal with city guides and community forums that drives organic demand.

Product overview

TravelChinaGuide operates as an online travel agency and information portal, primarily serving inbound tourists to China. The company offers a comprehensive suite of travel services centered around two main tour products: Private China Tours (customizable private guided itineraries) and Small Group Tours (fixed-date group tours with 16 itineraries). Supporting services include Mini Group Day Tours in major cities, City Packages for individual destinations, China Train ticket booking, and visa assistance. The platform also provides extensive travel information through its China Travel Guide portal with city guides, attractions, and cultural content. Additionally, the company operates China Travel Community, a social platform with forums, reviews, and photo albums, and has expanded globally through its AgateTravel sub-brand for worldwide destinations. The service portfolio is complemented by cultural experiences like Chinese Food Cooking Classes and Family Visit programs, along with loyalty/referral programs and an affiliate program for tour operators.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AgateTravel.com: Global tour website offering travel deals to worldwide destinations including Japan, Cambodia, Egypt, India, Malaysia, Vietnam, Mongolia, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, and other countries.

Products and services

• Private China Tours Fully customizable private guided tours of China that can be tailored to individual preferences, covering major destinations across China. 100% tailor-made at no extra charge.
• Small Group Tours Fixed-date small group tours with 16 itineraries covering the most popular destinations in China, offering top-notch services at competitive prices with guaranteed quality.
• Mini Group Day Tours All-inclusive small group day tours in specific cities (Beijing, Zhangjiajie, Xi'an) that enable visitors to see must-see highlights with guaranteed quality service, starting at $89 per person.
• City Packages Single-city or multi-city tour packages covering destinations including Beijing, Xi'an, Shanghai, Guilin, Zhangjiajie, Chengdu, Chongqing, Hangzhou, Hong Kong, and more.
• China Train Booking Online booking service for China train tickets with real-time schedules and booking capabilities.
• Chinese Food Cooking Class Face-to-face cooking classes offering instruction in authentic Chinese cuisine preparation, including popular recipes across meat, vegetable, seafood, and staple food categories.
• Family Visit Experience Cultural experience program arranging visits to local Chinese families, particularly in Xi'an, allowing travelers to taste home-cooked dishes and learn about local daily life.
• AgateTravel Sister global tour website offering travel deals to worldwide destinations including Japan, Cambodia, Egypt, India, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Mongolia, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, and more.
• Japan Mini Group Tours Mini group tours in Japan with maximum 6 guests per group, covering destinations from Tokyo/Osaka to Kyoto/Nara, tours ranging 4–10 days; free cancellation more than 40 days before departure.

Quantifiable outcome

• Zero cancellation fee for bookings cancelled 15+ days before departure
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• AgateTravel.comflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Sister global tours website (rebranded from WarriorTours.com in 1997/2018) covering destinations worldwide including Japan, Southeast Asia, Egypt, India, Morocco, Nepal, Mongolia, Madagascar, and more. Operated by the same parent company (Xian Marco Polo International Travel Service).
• Local Ground Operators (地接社) in 100+ CitiescoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerNetwork of local ground operators (接待社) in over 100 cities across China that handle on-the-ground logistics including guides, transportation, and restaurant reservations for TCG tours. Partners must adhere to TCG's service standards, no-shopping policy, a la carte dining requirements, and quality benchmarks.
• Tour Operators and Travel Agents (Affiliate Program)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTour operators and travel agents worldwide can join the affiliate program to promote and sell TCG's China small group tours in exchange for commission on each fulfilled booking.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• WildChina: Boutique China-focused inbound tour operator offering customized private and small-group itineraries for Western travelers. Directly comparable in product (private/small-group China tours), customer base (Western inbound), and service model (tailor-made, no shopping traps).
• China Highlights: Long-established online China tour operator offering customizable private tours and small group tours across China with English-speaking guides. Closely comparable in product mix, target customer, and online/content-driven acquisition model.
• Imperial Tours: Luxury China inbound tour operator providing high-end private guided tours and exclusive cultural experiences. Comparable in private-tour focus and Western luxury inbound customer segment.
• Wendy Wu Tours: Major escorted China tour operator offering group tours, private tours, and tailormade itineraries. Comparable in escorted and private tour products, though significantly larger and more brand-established globally.
• China Discovery: Online China tour operator offering private and small-group packages across China with English-language service. Comparable in product structure, online-direct sales motion, and inbound-tourist focus.
• China Spree: US-based China tour specialist offering fully escorted small group and custom private tours. Comparable in escorted small-group format and Western customer base.
• Absolute China Tours: Custom China tour operator providing private and small-group itineraries with English-speaking guides. Comparable in tailor-made private product and inbound-tourist targeting.

Broad incumbents

• Booking.com: Global OTA offering accommodations, attractions, and increasingly packaged experiences. Comparable as a top-of-funnel search and booking channel competing for the same Western inbound China traveler, though without specialized China tour expertise.
• Trip.com Group: Largest China-based OTA offering flights, hotels, and packaged tours across China and globally. Comparable as a tour-booking channel and competitor for the same inbound China traveler, but vastly broader scope and digital infrastructure.

Emerging players

• Travel Yunnan: Regional China tour operator specializing in Yunnan and southwest China itineraries. Comparable in inbound small-group tour product but narrower geographic focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/tcg_travel
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/travelchinaguide
• Facebookfacebook.com/TravelChinaGuidecom

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Travel China Guide