Tom was by far the best tour guide we have ever had and ever had in China too. Tom arranged everything for us in Xian, from recommending a hotel to stay in to airport pick-up to showing us the sights in Xian. Even prior to arrival in China, Tom, simply based on a phone call, went out of his way, to purchase train tickets for us. With two children in tow, Tom made the whole trip pleasant and enjoyable. Knowledgeable and experienced, Tom walked us through the history of various attractions while keeping his stories current and interlaced with humor. Without Tom, we would not have been able to experience the sights and sounds of Xian from a local perspective. Tom took us to the best (and affordable) places to eat taking into account our dietary restrictions - without him, we would not have been able to go to many of these places which were tucked away in little alleys. Tom even helped arrange for guides and hotels in other locations, going to the trouble of cancelling our existing booking to ensure we get better and honest service. But for Tom, we would have ended up at some obscure hotels in our next stop at Ping Yao. We are glad we had Tom with us throughout our entire stay in Xian and only wish that every other guide in China and other places are as professional, helpful and thorough as him.