What is the Holt Family Tour to China?
A trip to revisit China especially tailored for families with children who were adopted from China, escorted by Holt staff and professional tourist guides.

How long is the tour, where will we go, and when will it be?
A standard tour will last about two weeks and you’ll visit places of educational and cultural interest including well-known and beautiful tourist sites, private homes, and public places like schools. And you will also participate in activities and visits significant to the story of your child’s adoption from China. We try to arrange itineraries to give participants a good overview of the variety of urban and rural life around China. We anticipate visiting popular tourist sites this year in Beijing, Guilin and Yangshuo, in addition to locations in the home province of the adoptees. Our Family Tour groups may be formed around the adoptive provinces of the children, so the itinerary and available dates of your family’s tour may depend somewhat upon how many other families from the same province apply. This year, we may also consider an abbreviated, cost-saving shorter tour for Guangxi families only. Because of the high number of applicants we may need to choose participants by lottery or on a first-come-first-served basis.

May we visit our child’s orphanage and foster family?
These visits are absolutely central to Holt’s heritage tour philosophy and we work hard to arrange them; however, orphanages in China are not public places, and permission from the government is required to properly arrange them. Holt has excellent relationships with the appropriate government officials, and our heritage tour itineraries are developed in partnership with Bridge of Love Adoption Service, a Chinese government agency affiliated with the CCAA and under the direction of the Ministry of Civil Affairs. We have successfully arranged these special visits on all our previous tours, and we anticipate being able to do so in 2009, as well.

How much will it cost?
The tour fees will 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. The basic fee that Holt charges includes your stay in four and five star hotels, professional tour guides and site fees, all arrangements for visits and tour activities on the group itinerary, 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.

Who may participate?
Everyone in your party must be at least eight years old and have a significant relationship with the adoptee (e.g. not just a friend interested only in tourism). We do hope that everyone will return home with something of significance from any discussion about the story of adoption and visits to orphanages, so please consider the maturity of your child and the expectations of others in your party when applying.

How does the location of my child’s orphanage affect the tour itinerary?
While the overall itinerary will take you to locations all around China, normally everyone will also spend at least two or three days of the tour in the child’s adoption province and will visit orphanages within that province on a specific day. It’s possible that some participants will have to separate from the main group for a couple days for individually escorted visits. Based on the interest expressed this year, it looks like we may be able to arrange tours for families with children from Guangxi, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan and Fujian provinces. However, we will determine locations based on preliminary applications we receive.

Must my child have been adopted through Holt to participate?
No. All are welcome.

How will the group get to China?
You are responsible for arranging your flights to and from China. We will arrange your airport pickup and transfer to the group’s hotel upon your arrival in China, and all your group travel in-country thereafter.

May I travel elsewhere in China besides Holt’s regular tour itinerary?
Yes, but only as a personal trip before the Holt tour begins or after it ends. Holt staff time is limited and they cannot assist you in arranging such elective travel or during any additional time in China; however, if you wish, we can suggest professional tour services that can provide all the arrangements and support you request.


What if we have adopted children from two or more different provinces
Since there is only enough time within the regular Family Tour itinerary to schedule orphanage visits in one province per family, most families in this situation choose which adoptee’s orphanage visit they want to experience as part of the standard Holt Family Tour. Holt can then assist with scheduling add-on travel to visit the other adoptee’s province after the regular Family Tour has ended. Although it may not always be possible for Holt staff to be available to accompany you on such additional orphanage visits outside the regular tour schedule, Holt will confirm all such orphanage visit appointments through Bridge of Love Adoption Service, who can also provide an experienced tour escort / translator as needed.

What is the application deadline and when will you have more information?
Preliminary applications for summer tours will be due by November 3, 2008. In November, we will identify participants, determine the itinerary, name the exact dates, and specify the fee. Families will then be asked to send a $500 per person non-refundable down payment to ensure participation; the remainder of the fee will be due about two months before the tour begins. You may submit a Family Tour preliminary application online, or contact Holt to request that one be sent to you.

For more information contact the China Program at lislev@holtinternational.org or at telephone extension 118.