At Asia Highlights, we are committed to providing you an premium, quality private tour, whether it's for family fun, romantic couples, milestone celebrations, or checking off a bucket list — your planning will be made easy with just one specialist throughout.
To create your ideal trip, all of your ideas and requirements will be carefully considered. Your 1:1 travel advisor will listen to your needs, provide you comprehensive expert advice, and discuss with you the itinerary details.
Your will receive 24-7 support during your trip from your local tour guide, Asia Highlights' customer care manager, and your travel advisor. We'll work together to ensure you have a smooth and enjoyable trip.
Asia Highlights began from China Highlights, Operating since 1998
Having begun in China (from China Highlights in 1998, the same day when Google was launched online), we have helped over 100,000 worldwide clients plan their tailor-made trips to Asia.
It was in 1998 that Victor Shu started China Highlights as a way to help Western individuals discover the real China. As a tour guide for 4 years, he had been fed up with guiding foreign travelers in large groups, merely scratching the surface of China on inflexible, tourist-trap tours. After hearing much negative feedback about traveling in big groups, Victor Shu initiated a new way of traveling in China: private tours, created to match your own interests and budget.
Over the last 20+ years, China Highlights has created many "firsts" and now is one of the best China tour companies that specializes in customized and creative China tours, serving over 10k satisfied clients every year (more than 8,000 excellent reviews from our clients on TripAdvisor, by far the largest number among all travel agencies in China). In 2020 and 2021, when China was not open for international travel, there were still more than 2,000 China expats traveling with China Highlights.
- The first travel company to provide private tailor-made tours in China, we ensure the unique needs of every traveler are well taken care of.
- The first travel company to use PayPal in China, we took this step to make online payment fast and secure.
- The first travel company to abandon shopping commissions and provide no-shopping authentic travel experiences, we helped the tour service trend in China develop in a positive way.
- The first travel company to try local restaurants for travelers, we made it possible to taste a wide variety of Chinese food.
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Learn more about how we've evolved over 20 years.
Many of our clients came to China for the second and even the third time because of their appreciation of China Highlights' travel service. Many of them asked us to provide similar quality travel options in other destinations outside China. And so, the Asia Highlights website was launched on January 1st, 2016, after we had carefully handpicked travel destinations/experiences and helped our loyal clients discover other Asian areas for a few years.
Discover real reviews of Highlights Travel Family's best-rated service across trusted platforms.
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Very great experience our driver D was…
Very great experience our driver D was never late and always had waters and a cold towel for us and our tour guide Som was very informative and had amazing English I recommend them both highly for anyone else traveling More
Rylan Coache, Feb 2024
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Excellent guide in Siem Reap
Our recent time spent in Siem Reap was made even more memorable by our expert guide, Som Piseth. Som was knowledgeable, attentive, flexible and super helpful - we learnt so much about Siem Reap and Cambodia in our 3 days with him. His English was excellent and his knowledge of, and pride in, his country was outstanding. We would highly recommend Som for anyone wanting an excellent guide in Siem Reap! More
Sharon Townshend, Feb 2024
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Asia Highlights trip to Thailand
Our first tour guide in Bangkok, Marie, was great to tour around with. She was extremely friendly and knowledgeable and spoke wonderful English. Our next stop in Chang Mai we were greeted by our new tour guide, Rafael. He too was extremely friendly and knowledgeable and spoke wonderful English. He made it feel as if we were traveling around with a long time friend. Every time we arrived at a new destination, we were greeted at the airport by someone with a sign with our name making our travels easy. I would definitely recommend Asia Highlights to anyone looking for a well planned trip of a lifetime! More
Tricia, Feb 2024
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Amazing Thailand experience
The tour guides were all knowledgeable and accommodating, especially Mayuree in Bangkok- absolutely wonderful. We felt taken care of and every step of the way was catered to our needs. More
Ashley White, Feb 2024
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Private tour perfect for our times
Asia highlights organized a private tour with our requests. Everything was perfect ?? the driver Tom and the guide Ying were always on time with a smile in their face. Always willing to help and make our trip perfect. Bangkok is a very hot city so we minimized the time outside. The driver always had cold towels for us in the van and cold beverages. More
Virginia, Feb 2024
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Thailand
We loved Chiang Mai and Susie did a great job showing us several temples, taking many pictures of us with the elephants at the sanctuary (a definite highlight of the entire trip!), and making sure we were well fed, which became a running joke between us.We had a very relaxing few days in Phuket enjoying the beautiful beaches. Kai was great, answering all of our questions and giving us a nice tour of the old town. The all-day speedboat tour of the Phi Phi islands started off a little shaky as the sea was quite rough so if you’re at all uncomfortable bouncing around in a speedboat, you might want to skip that tour. Things did calm down as the day went on and some of the areas they took us to for swimming, snorkeling, etc were really beautiful. A couple of the islands were too crowded with people. More
Andrea Roberts, Feb 2024
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What a Wonderful Trip
What a Wonderful Trip! We booked with Sharon and our trip was great - guides were waiting for us at each stop, and they were all very nice and helpful. I cannot stress how amazing the guides were - they made the trip. More
Rachel, Feb 2024
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Ask for Victor!
If you are traveling to Bangkhok you need to request Victor. He made our trip amazing! My family completed bucket list items with his guidance. He knew exactly how to get us places, kept us on time, made us feel safe, educated us on history, spoke excellent English and was genuinely a nice man! Everyone we encountered was awesome- but Victor is the reason for my 5 star review! More
Sandy, Jan 2024
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Thank you Alisa for helping us plan a…
Thank you Alisa for helping us plan a wonderful trip to Thailand. We had a great time. The tour guides were wonderful as were the hotels you booked for us. We will definitely contact you to plan our next trip More
Carol Yeung, Jan 2024
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Ying was the best
Ying was the best. She was really knowledgeable and kind. Thank you Ying for wonderful experience in Thailand! More
Sylvester Yeung, Jan 2024
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Very well organized
Very well organized. Our tour guide, Ying, was amazing! She had full knowledge of every location we visited and made sure our itinerary was fulfilled as expected. She was extremely helpful for our airport experiences, and made sure we arrived at an appropriate time. More
David M. Kang, Jan 2024
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Family trip to Thailand
We were lucky to be greeted by Marie and her driver.In Marie, we have made a friend for life. She is incredibly smart and knowledgeable about her home country. From the vast number of temples to safely traversing Chinatown.She helped give us tips on our free days, locate left behind lost clothing and arrange for pickup. She even helped check us in for our flight to Chiang Mai.She prepared us ahead of time for every event we had scheduled and bonded with our kids, 3x 13 year olds. More
Justin Levenbrook, Jan 2024
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Thailand with and amazing tour guide Ying
I highly recommend Ying as a tour guide in Thailand. Her expertise in Thai culture, combined with her passion for food and genuine love for her country, made the tour an exceptional experience. If you're looking for a guide who will not only show you the sights but also immerse you in the local culture and help you discover delicious Thai cuisine, Ying is the perfect choice. More
Diana Irizarry, Jan 2024
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Asia Highlights Thailand trip
Asia Highlights provided us with a great travel trip. They made it very easy to navigate through Thailand with everything going very smoothly. From the easy transportation to the great day itinerary everything was awesome. Will definitely look to use this agency again in the future. More
Taylor Jones, Jan 2024
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Perfect 2 WK Thailand Trip for a Solo Female Traveler
Bank was our guide in Bangkok and he showed us around the city with ease and we were able to see and try things I never would have planned on my own. After Bangkok, our small group flew to Chiang Mai for Yi Peng lantern festival and that was a breathtaking experience that I will never forget! Pop was our guide in this city and she was knowledgeable, kind and caring which made our experience even more memorable. More
Tia, Dec 2023
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We recently have just returned from Thailand
We recently have just returned one from a 5 week trip to Thailand through Asia Highlights. We had a wonderful time and Asia Highlights went beyond our expectations. They truly tried their best to make sure everything went smoothly and we were taken care of! Everyone was amazing and we would definitely use them in the future!! Many thanks to everyone that helped to make this an incredible once in a lifetime experience!! More
Karen Rocque, Dec 2023
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Indochina Experience
On our 5th day of our trip with Asiahighlights. We felt well taken care of before and it hasn’t changed since we started from Bangkok to Hanoi (guide Kim was verrry knowledgeable!) to Halong Bay (spectacular scenery) to Hoi An (guide Nhieu Tran, giving great local (shopping) tips and insights). More
Stefan Eisenhut, Dec 2023
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Accommodations by Asia highlights have
Accommodations by Asia highlights have been terrific so far. The Khmer Residence in Siem Reap as well as Eastin Grand hotel in Bangkok. Both had excellent pools and breakfasts.Tours in Siem Reap were particularly well given with an amazing mix of culture, history and humor throughout (Mr Poly). Tours in Bangkok by Mr Banks were informative and well organized with samples of Thai fruit and treats throughout. More
Chris Williams, Nov 2023
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Seeing Bangkok with ease
In Bangkok, our tour guide, Ying, was wonderful. She navigated all the sights with ease, gave us interesting tidbits on Thai culture and history, helped us pick the right food at all the restaurants, and was just a pleasure to be around. We had a great time, and it was so nice to not have to worry about any of the details. More
Diane Elkins, Nov 2023
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Thailand- October 2023!
The team in Thailand was also great. Shout out to our tour guides (Monchai in Bangkok, Indy in Chang Mai and Sonia in Phuket) they were the best!! It was 6 of us and they make us all feel right at home! Kudos! More
Mori P, Nov 2023
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Clients Who Traveled with Asia Highlights
We believe that all our clients are valuable and unique individuals. It's our clients' needs that encourage us to go the extra mile and discover the world in new ways.
Most of our clients traveled to Asia to celebrate their wedding anniversary, their birthday, their child's graduation, or their honeymoon, as well as to enjoy their retirement life or a second honeymoon.
Here are some stories about the clients who traveled with Asia Highlights.
1) Mr. and Mrs. Parsons from the US traveled to Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand for 2 weeks for a family reunion trip.
2) Mr. Pyle from the UK traveled to Thailand with his family for two weeks to enjoy their family time.
3) Mr. and Mrs. Parker from the US visited Thailand and Cambodia with their daughters for two weeks. That was their first visit to the SE Asia countries.
4) Mr. and Mrs. Smith from the US traveled to Vietnam and Laos for 2 weeks. This was their second trip with Asia Highlights.
We are crazy about creating life-changing experiences for all the world's unique travelers.
20+ years' experience working on customized tours has allowed us to develop a quality management system, which is the key factor in ensuring every single trip is enjoyable.
1) We provide premium, customized private tours: a private tour doesn't mean breaking the bank.
Located in Guilin (a magnet for tourism in China), we have an efficient and comprehensive working system, and we keep looking for cooperation with enterprises to provide the most cost-effective in excellent experiences, making us able to provide affordable private tours.
With a budget of US$200–300 per day per person, you can enjoy a visit with a private tour guide, a private driver, and staying in 4–5-star hotels in most countries in Asia, including China, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Indonesia, Malaysia, The Philippines, and Mongolia. A 2-week private tour usually costs US$3,000–4,000 per person.
Traveling to Japan, South Korea, and Singapore costs 2–3 times this for a private tour.
2) We choose guides who love to work for travelers' smiles.
Our guides must be locals with a good understanding of international travelers ("3 years' experience serving Westerners' private tours" is the minimum threshold). They are regularly reviewed and updated, especially regarding their "must do", "cannot do", and 'do better" areas.
3) We offer 24-7 support via email, WhatsApp, Imessage, and/or WeChat
During your trip, you'll have a support group, which includes your local tour guide, the customer care manager, and your 1:1 travel advisor, to make sure your trip is smooth and enjoyable. The support team can be reached at any time for any change or emergency.
4) We provide a super-friendly cancellation policy
100% refund of any payments made to Asia Highlights prior to 3 weeks before departure (detail⇒).
All these together contribute to the experience of 10k+ satisfied clients every year and 8,000+ 5-star reviews. We hope you will be one of them soon! :-)
Meet Asia Highlights' Team — We See People as Our Most Valued Asset
A group of about 100 people (80% of the team before COVID-19) are working now at China Highlights and Asia Highlights in Guilin, China. Among our team, 75% are females. Most of us have got married and have 1–2 children. Raising kids and traveling together allow us to know more about the needs of parents and kids on a family trip.
Many of us, including company founder Victor Shu and CEO Steven Zhao, have been working at China Highlights and then Asia Highlights since graduation. We create beautiful journeys for our clients and we also create beautiful journeys for our team in the office, which leads to a highly cohesive team, as well as a persistently high-quality travel service.
Victor Shu: Founder of China Highlights
Victor was an experienced English-speaking travel guide in the 1990s. He loves hiking and likes to travel off the beaten paths. With a dream of providing authentic travel experiences in China, he started China Highlights in 1998.
Now, he is the founder of a local church in Guilin and works there most of the time.
Steven Zhao: CEO
Steven joined China Highlights right after his graduation in 2004, first as an SEO trainee, followed by a time in sales, then as a project manager, our marketing director, and other roles before becoming the CEO.
He is a history fanatic, who believes that the future lies in the past, and most present-day challenges can be answered with historical wisdom.
Steven is also a travel enthusiast, who likes taking his history books to travel destinations and exploring the profound historical culture behind them. His last trip was along the Silk Road into Central Asia and Iran.
The company is his passion. He even met his love in the office, and they continue to work and travel together.
Karen Yang: Chief Manager
Karen, now the mother of two kids, joined China Highlights in 2003 when she was in her last year of college.
Karen is good at setting up performance standards and procedures, which makes China Highlights' and Asia Highlights' business advance in a positive way. The amount of people traveling with Asia Highlights in 2022 has exceeded that before COVID (in 2019)!
Lissy Xu: Marketing Manager
Lissy was first a German-speaking travel guide. After that she launched the German brand version of China Highlights. She was the first one to come up with the idea of expanding our tour service to other Asia countries besides China. In 2016, she founded the brand Asia Highlights.
Lissy loves traveling and meeting new people. Getting lost in the local streets and lanes is her favorite thing to do during a tour.
She is a cancer survivor and the mother of two kids. She believes that persistence and travel lead to a better life. Now, she is working with the team to expand our service to Africa and the Americas.
Why Asia Highlights (10,000+ reviews & 98.8% 5-star rating)
- Save Your Time:
- Less research, more enjoyment!
- Real-time 1V1 expert planning
- Maximize Your Flexibility:
- Personal local guide and ride
- Explore at your own pace
- Celebrate Your Journeys:
- Specially-crafted family adventures
- Celebrate milestones with style!
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Discover real reviews of Highlights Travel Family's best-rated service across trusted platforms.
It was a whirlwind across a number of cities, but a very comprehensive experience across the many sides and cultures of China. Most days had sufficient activities, but weren’t overwhelming, which was great.Across cities, we had excellent tour guides, like Kitty (Beijing), Jenny (Xian), William (Guilin/Yangshuo), Kris (Shanghai), and Tony (Yellow Mountains.)
moreFrom the time we landed in Beijing until we left, we were well taken care of. My wife and I had Lily Liu as our guide and she was amazing. From arranging visits to all the different sights, to teaching us the history, it was fantastic.
moreThe tour was excellent. Selinda was very knowledgeable about all the aspects of our tour. Selinda was very interesting and knew so much Chinese history
moreWe made a private tour through South China in January 2024. Altogether Chengdu was the highlight. We had an incredible day at Emeishan. In Chengdu our guidewas Helen. She was the diamond of all. Speaking fluently English, full of interesting stories, laughing and talking all the time. We missed her the rest of our tour. We highly recommend to go to Chengdu for 3 days when visiting China, especially with Helen.
moreOther highlights are too many to mention but here are a few Ken taking us to the Terracotta Warriors and our food tour in Xian was amazing,
moreOur day volunteering at the Panda Base was truly unforgettable. Helen, our guide, provided us with invaluable insights about Chengdu and the pandas, enriching our tour with her knowledge and expertise. We're grateful to Helen for accompanying us throughout the day and showcasing the highlights of China.
moreWe had a booking with China Highlights through Silvia Ye who guarenteed a perfect organisation. In Chengdu our guide was Helen. She was the diamond of all. Speaking fluently English, full of interesting stories, laughing and talking all the time. We missed her the rest of our tour. We highly recommend to go to Chengdu for 3 days when visiting China, especially with Helen.
moreWe traveled to China during the Chinese new year and we had Kris as our guide and he is simply knowledgeable,helpful and great.
moreWe visited Guilin for 2 days and stayed in the Guilin Waterfall hotel. Guilin was absolutely beautiful! Our guide, William, was very knowledgeable and kind! He taught us so much about Guilin and the surrounding area! We really enjoyed trying the specialty rice noodles of Guilin. Our highlight was the Li river cruise.
moreAmazing tour and the guide Mr. 贺霄 was very accommodating with our needs and request as we have bought our 2 years old with us. Well explained for all the place we visited. Any additional cost were informed well ahead and didn't felt any pressure if we opt not to go for additional detour. The trip was relaxing/ laid back/no rushing with zero shopping!
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At Asia Highlights, we create your kind of journey — your dates, your destinations, at your pace. You can have any trip tailor made for your travel.