First trip to China
You've booked the flights and realised the translation app won't help you at a noodle counter with a queue behind you. You want enough Mandarin to eat, pay, move around and be polite.
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Don't speak Mandarin, travelling to China?
The Travel Pack gets you talking before you land. Twelve live one-on-one sessions of everyday conversational Mandarin, built around what actually happens on a trip: ordering, paying, getting around, checking in, and being polite in the way that changes how people treat you.
No characters to memorise first. You learn by sound, with pinyin, and practise on real menus, maps and train tickets from the cities you're visiting.
What you'll be able to do
You'll be able to have simple conversations during your trip.
Every session is built around a real situation. By the end you'll handle each of these without reaching for your phone. Some example scenarios:
- Order food and ask what's in it这个是什么？ Zhège shì shénme?
- Ask prices and bargain politely便宜一点可以吗？ Piányi yìdiǎn kěyǐ ma?
- Get directions and take a taxi请带我去这里。 Qǐng dài wǒ qù zhèlǐ.
- Buy train and metro tickets我要一张去上海的票。 Wǒ yào yì zhāng qù Shànghǎi de piào.
- Check in and ask for help at a hotel我有预订。 Wǒ yǒu yùdìng.
- Greet, thank and apologise like a local麻烦你了。 Máfan nǐ le.
Topics
What the 12 sessions cover
Six topics, each practised in real situations with your teacher, in the order that fits your trip.
Sounds, tones, greetings, numbers
Money, shopping, bargaining
Food: menus, ordering, allergies, paying
Getting around: taxis, metro, trains, addresses
Hotel, pharmacy, asking for help
Rehearsal: a full day of your trip, role-played
Who it's for
Made for people with a departure date
Visiting family or in-laws
You're going with a partner whose family speaks Mandarin. You want to greet the relatives properly, follow the dinner-table basics and show you made the effort.
Work trip or conference
Your meetings will be in English, but the taxi, the hotel and the restaurant won't be. You want to open a dinner with a few real sentences and get through the day without an interpreter.
How it works
From booking to boarding
Book your consultation class
A full 40-minute live lesson. You'll speak from minute one and your teacher will check your pronunciation and tones. Tell us where you're going and when.
$45, credited in full toward the packGet your travel plan
Within two days you receive a written plan for the 12 sessions, scheduled to finish the week before you fly, with the situations you told us about at the centre.
Delivered within 2 daysTwelve sessions with the same teacher
Live, one-on-one, 40 minutes each, at a regular time that suits you. You practise the actual lines you'll need, then learn to improvise from them.
Same teacher, every sessionTravel Pack · 12 sessions
Twelve live one-on-one 40-minute sessions with the same teacher, a written travel plan, and a learning coordinator who handles scheduling in English. Starts with a consultation class, credited in full toward the pack. No subscription.
$48012 sessions · $40 each · CAD
Book your consultation class
Travellers' stories
What people said after they landed
Example stories to show what the Travel Pack is designed for. Reviews from our first travellers will appear here.
Ordered dinner for six in Chengdu without pointing at anything. The waiter asked where I'd learned, and I actually understood the question.
My in-laws had never heard me say more than ni hao. I greeted everyone properly at the door and my mother-in-law cried. Worth every session.
Taxis, the metro, a pharmacy at 11 pm. I didn't open the translation app once in Beijing. The rehearsal session the week before is what made it stick.
FAQ
Travel Pack questions
Anything else? Email mysimplemandarin@gmail.com and a teacher replies within one business day.
How far before my trip should I start?
Six to twelve weeks before you fly is ideal, with one or two sessions a week. With less time we compress the schedule. Tell us your travel date in the consultation class and we build the plan around it.
Do I need to learn Chinese characters?
No. The pack is built on sound and pinyin, so you speak from the first session. You'll learn to recognise a handful of characters you'll see on signs and menus, nothing more.
I've never studied Mandarin. Is this for me?
Yes. It's designed for complete beginners. Every session is one-on-one, so it moves at your pace and stays on the situations you'll actually face.
Can I keep going after the trip?
Yes. Many travellers come back wanting more. Your teacher and your plan carry straight into our regular lesson packs.
How much does it cost?
$480 CAD for 12 sessions. It starts with a $45 consultation class, credited in full toward the pack. Reschedule free with notice; see our terms of service for the cancellation policy.
Land with a few sentences ready. Start with one class.
Book a 40-minute consultation class for $45. You'll speak Mandarin, meet your teacher, and get a travel plan written for you. Continue with the Travel Pack and the $45 is credited in full.