Holt Family Tours provide adoptees with the unique experience of traveling back to their birth country with others “who are just like me.” Holt places special emphasis on the adoptees’ story during the tour.

Some comments by adoptees:

“I’m glad I went on this tour to China. I now understand more about why I had to be adopted.”

“I know that people in China care about me. Since this trip I think of China as a beautiful and interesting place. It makes me feel special being American and Chinese.”

“I have always wanted to go back to China. I am glad to find out where I was found… and now I know.”

Some comments by parents:

“Meeting with orphanage workers, (our daughter’s) foster family and being welcomed as valued and important individuals by persons involved in their early life gave our daughters a sense of belongingness no story we could tell them could ever convey.”

“On our last day of the tour, (our daughter) told me that she was very sad that the tour was over… I wish I didn’t have to leave…. She looked at me with shining eyes and I heard her unspoken words “I love China and now I know that China loves me.”

Tour Participants on the China Tour will:

• Experience the culture, customs and history of China
• Learn about Holt China Children’s Services and their many programs benefiting children in China
• Meet people who touched their early lives before they found their forever home. Visit their orphanage, foster families and sites of significance to their adoption story (whenever possible).
• See everyday life in China: Chinese schools, local family homes, cultural activities, Chinese village life
• Experience famous Chinese tourist sites such as the Great Wall, the mountains of Guilin, a Li River cruise, and enjoy the beauty of the diverse Chinese landscape

Dates for 2009 Family Tour (open to adoptees and their families): Tentative dates: June 23 – July 7; additional tours are being considered for May, August and October, depending on interest and staff availability. This year Holt is also considering a possible cost-saving option for families with children from Guangxi province only. This abbreviated tour would be several days shorter and would be limited to orphanage visits and local tourist sights in Guangxi province only - possible dates in June or August. We are expecting to announce exact dates for all tours before the end of 2008.

Cost for 2009 Family Tour: Holt’s tour fees vary, depending upon the orphanage province visited and some other personal choices. Last year, the average fee was about $3400 per adult or child aged twelve and older, and about $2900 per child under twelve. Holt’s fee includes your stay in four and five star hotels, professional tour guides and site fees, all arrangements for visits and activities in the primary tour schedule, most of your meals, most tips, and all your basic air and ground transportation throughout your trip in China. It does not include international airfare to and from China, additional tipping, optional travel outside the primary tour itinerary, a few meals on your own, and other personal expenses.