The driver was phenomenal. He got us safely through a traffic detour and was clearly a professional and experienced driver.
The guide was more comfortable speaking Chinese and did no more than necessary to perform his duties and did n..ot seem overly enthused about the venues. He did not have the depth of information about historical sites and was not engaging as far as anecdotes and interesting facts. He would lead the group to a picturesque location and quickly abandon us. He encouraged us to have dinner at certain Chinese buffets, forcing most of the passengers to look for less expensive alternatives. Wakeup calls were generally at 5:30 a.m. and we were on the bus by 6:30 a.m.
It took five hours to get through the Rocky Mountains and although it may have been interesting for the first half hour, the scenery was repetitive and we would have enjoyed a faster ride to Denver.
I wonder if it is possible to explore a one night hotel stay in Yellowstone Park to save time even though it may raise our costs a bit, it would give us more time to enjoy the park. It took 2-1/2 hours to enter the park to view Old Faithful and 2-1/2 hours to exit the park to arrive at our hotel in West Yellowstone. It took 2-1/2 hours to re-enter the park the next day to visit some sites and 2-1/2 hours to exit the park to start our journey to the Grand Teton National Park, Jackson Hole Wyoming, and Salt Lake City.
I understand the guide and driver’s admonition not to use the toilet, but to keep it locked for eight days and not allow for emergencies was stressful and left us sipping water for fear we will need to go on a different schedule than the 2-1/2 hours between bathroom breaks. When the bus came to a stop, everyone rushed to the front in order to head for the restroom. Women’s lines were always longer. I think tour companies should improve the functionality of bus toilets including the unpleasant smell and disposal of human waste. I have read that some toilets only have a cover, some use formaldehyde solution, and drivers have poured motor oil into the toilet to seal the top. To deny usage based on the driver’s convenience is wrong, especially when it is mentioned on the website as an amenity.
Aim for getting to the hotel between 6 and 7 p.m. We often arrived closer to 9:00 p.m. The on-site restaurants were closed and passengers had to check in and immediately go out to look for mini-marts or fast food restaurants. This left no time to enjoy the amenities of the hotel such as the gym and swimming pool.
Most passengers were tired by the end of the trip but were pleased because of the beautiful venues we visited. Those who started the tour in Los Angeles were able to visit 9 states in 8 days. The weather was beautiful for the entire trip and the cost of the trip was a real bargain.
Please rethink your bathroom policy, alter routes to get us to the hotel between 6 and 7 p.m. and improve the Yellowstone Park experience by considering a one-night stay inside the park. Otherwise, thank you for a truly awesome time. We made some new friends and have many wonderful photos.Read full review
Inconsistent scheduling. You cant eat a descent dinner since you get back to hotels late and no more restaurants open. Trips are more catered to Chinese tourist since lunches are mostly at Chinese buffet places. Also unscheduled stops just ..to please them.Read full review
The tour was awesome coz it took us to 9 states in 8 days. So much to see and absorb. Our tour guide Diana was very efficient. High 5s also to Jose for his smooth and safe driving. We will definitely recommend this tour to all our friends a..nd relatives.Read full review
I was apprehensive when I booked this tour because of all the negative reviews I read, but it was so inexpensive, I decided to book it anyway. I was really surprised when it turned out to be one of the best tours I have been on. One of the ..complains was the number of Chinese tourists on the trip but the tour guide made it very clear to everyone that all persons were to be respectful.My husband was the only non Asian on the trip but he loved it. The itinerary was fantastic, the price unbelievable, the tour guide could not have been better, and the accommodations very acceptable. We had a wonderful time.Read full review
We enjoyed this tour. Just right length of time for a lot of places to see. I recommend this tour, especially to people with limited time but wants to see a lot of places.
Covers a lot in a short time only if you are up for it. If you want to relax and not spend much time seeing more destinations then this is not for you. This if for you if your time is limited and you want to cover many destinations.
I enjoyed my trip! The guide gives you enough time to sight see the locations. It was great, all guest got along with each other and we even had 2 lady's sing in Chinese.
Great experience, wished it didn't end!
94% 8 days Bus tour to Yellowstone, Arches National Park, Mt Rushmore, Grand Teton...
By: Anonymous | Mon May 25, 2015 at 03.59 PM
This trip was the most wonderful and memorable experience that my family and myself will never forget. We took so many pictures of the most awesome places that we have in this wonderful land of America. We were delighted of each and every p..lace we stopped to tour. Our guide Barry was pleasant, funny and managed well the tour. I have rated low on Accomodation due to one of the hotels of choice didn't have elevators. We had to carry our suitcases and tip someone to help us with one of our heavy luggage and used the stairs (very inconvenient). Otherwise, we all had a great time, good camaderia and I will do it again!Read full review
This tour was better than expected. The reviews I read before our tour frankly scared me. Our tour-guide Troy was excellent.His temperment was absolutely perfect for handling both Chinese and English speaking tourists (Especially 4 outspoke..n senior citizens).
The bus was new and very clean the driver was very professional and safe. We covered a lot of miles in a relatively short time so there was a lot of bus time, not much meal or free time(we knew that going in) but the scenery was breath-taking! We were able to take many sights off our "Bucket List"
While we knew meals were not included, the truck stops usually had some sort of healthy option, we would have liked to be closer to an alternative restaurant versus fast food when we stopped at the Chinese buffets before our hotels at night as these were our main meal of the day. We were able to bring food on the bus but NO styrofoam cups, ice cream or yogurt. Fortuately we brought our travel coffee cups with tight lids, plastic bottles with screw on lids were also acceptable. The hotels were all clean. The hotel wifi was not reliable and only usable at Salt Lake City. All the bathroom breaks had long lines for women. The bathroom on the bus was locked and unusable. We had couple of emergency bathroom situations, but Troy was able to take care of the problem in a Courteous manner.
Even with the language barrier we were able to enjoy the company during the tour and made new friends.
My request to Tour4fun(Seagull) would be more complete instructions for the meeting area in Circus Circus.It was complete chaos on the first day and ALL the tour guides were trying to re-group from the trip from Los Angeles. The SKYRISE TOWER Is not really part of the main Casino and the Casino personell do not have reliable information. Be more clear about the required charges on the tour to be IN CASH!
Short instruction on basic courtesy in a group situation to the Chinese Nationals that pushing and shoving to be first is not necessary.
We understood that this was a "Budget" tour, but we got much more than our money's worth. We were exhausted but in a very good way and will have many stories to pass on to our children and grand children.
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