Location
  • China
    • Shanghai
    • Beijing
    • Hangzhou
    • Ningbo
    • Shenzhen
Length
52+ weeks
General grants/scholarships, Work exchange

Program Details

Timeframe
Academic Year Fall Spring Summer Winter Year Round
Housing
Host Family
Primary Language
English
Age Min.
18
Age Max
30

Pricing

Price Details
You do not pay any program fee, but you will be in charge of your own flights (however, flights stipend will be offered during your stay).

Program time span: 3-12 months
You give: 30 hours of childcare&English tutoring per week
You get: 2000 RMB pocket money/month
You get: Up to 12000 RMB as ticket stipend
You get: 8-10 hours of Mandarin classes/week
You get: Monthly culture activities
You get: 1.5 days off/week
You get: Medical insurance
You get: visa application fee&renewal reimbursement
Program fee: $0
What's Included
Accommodation Activities Airfare Domestic Airfare Airport Transfers Meals Tour Guide Travel Insurance Visa Wifi
What's Included (Extra)

* Mandarin classes
* Culture activities
* Medical insurance
* 24/7 support
* Orientation and sightseeing tour
* Airport pick-up

Jan 18, 2024
Apr 03, 2024
83 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Wanderlust Au Pair China Program integrates educational travel, Mandarin learning, childcare and English tutoring together for overseas youngsters to experience China with an authentic touch by staying with Chinese host families.

By offering 30 hours of live-in childcare and English teaching per week, you have an opportunity to explore Chinese culture through weekly Mandarin classes, culture immersion activities held by Wanderlust and your day-to-day colorful life with your host family.

We are culture enthusiasts, we love different languages, we love the tenderness in your eyes when you see children's smile. Fundamentally, we love what we do: helping you go through an off-beat experience that could potentially change your life.

Find your second home in China!

Program fee: 0 $

Video and Photos

Impact

Ethical Impact

This volunteer program gives you the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of deserving children. Additionally, you will also have the opportunity to explore one of the most modern and exciting cities in China - Shanghai. As a volunteer, you will be stationed at an orphanage that is located in a children’s hospital. Children residing in this orphanage often arrive from other orphanages in more rural areas of China to receive better medical treatment. With your commitment, love, and care you have the chance to make a difference in their recovery.

Program Highlights

  • Experience authentic Chinese culture through living with a host family!
  • Flight stipend up to 1800 USD
  • Mandarin course paid by your host family
  • Monthly culture activities
  • Scholarship up to 1300 USD for TEFL certified participants!

Program Reviews

4.81 Rating
based on 86 reviews
  • 5 rating 81.4%
  • 4 rating 18.6%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Housing 4.9
  • Support 4.75
  • Fun 4.55
  • Value 4.75
  • Safety 4.95
Showing 25 - 32 of 86 reviews
Default avatar
Chanri
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

The best Au Pair agency

I really enjoyed my stay in China. I was placed with a wonderful family and we did a lot of things together. I would definitely come back again and work through Wanderlust Au Pair agency. I had the best time in China and I got a lot of opportunities as well. Wanderlust Au pair supported me throughout my stay in China. My host mom could speak very good English. We lived in a small city few hours away from Beijing. It was a great experience. We went to visit Shanghai and a lot of other cities in China.

57 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Sophie
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

A Gap year in Shanghai

Ever since my student exchange to Shanghai I've wanted to revisit the city and this program has made this dream possible.
I've stayed in Shanghai with my host family for roughly seven months so far and I'll stay another five. I'm glad everything worked out so well and that the staff is so welcoming. Whenever I needed help (for example when I had my Visa renewal in South Korea) they were very helpful and the monthly activities they organize are fun and help you connect with other AuPairs.
I originally signed up with a different AuPair Agency, however, seeing as I wanted to go to Shanghai they recommended me this one as a trusted partner program. They were very nice in the original interview and were able to connect me with two host families in roughly one to two weeks.
After choosing my family they helped me with the Visa application and registration at the Manadrin school, which was a great relief.
During my stay they ususally came back to "problems" in a day or less,t hough I myself didn't really experience any problems. I have herad from other AuPairs though that they were rather helpful.
My work is fun too and get along with my host family. The Mandarin school is excellent too and I personally didn't experience any problems with the program.
10/10 would do again.

If you did this all over again, what's one thing you would change?
I would probably choose Beijing instead of SHanghai, simply because I'd love to see more of China and while I have holidays, I'm waaaay too bad at organizing trips.
44 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Nathalie
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Best 3 months

For me coming to china was a way to push myself to grow and at the same time experience new things. I had heard about au pair programs before but most were too long where the shortest time is a year and cost very much. When i found out you could do a 3 month program without making a big dent in you wallet. I felt like this program was for me, where i can dip my toes in and experience being an au pair. I had some interest in asian culture before coming to china. So getting to live with an chinese family and learning more about the every day life in china and tasting authentic chinese food was something very new and interesting. Having mandarin classes and learning a bit chinese is just one more thing that made the program fun and worthwhile.

During my program I had to change families. But wanderlust was very fast and efficient in helping me transfer. Even though moving families was not something easy to handle. I’m very happy and thankful for meeting my second host family. They were the kindest souls and the children were so beautiful and nice. Wanderlust checking in made me feel reassured and having a contact person there made me feel that i’m never alone.

From my application process to coming to china and settling in with the family, wanderlust has always been there every step of the way. They help you with anything big or small. Whether it is communicating about any misunderstanding with the family or advice on places you can visit. They truly help to make the experience great.

What would you improve about this program?
There is nothing i would change about it, just perhaps the monthly allowances should be a bit more.
49 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Emma
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

An amazing experience !

I decided to leave for China just after high school but I didn't just want to visit, I wanted to experience the culture. Thanks to Wanderlust, I was able to get help to go to China and to live in a Chinese family and experience China and its culture, its customs, its people, its food, first-hand, with support whenever needed and a safe, welcoming environment where you feel happy and purposeful. They allowed me to live 6 months in China, comfortably, and discover it fully. I also made friends for life and got to know a family who has become like a second family for me ! Overall, it was the best way to experience a new country, without being scared to be lost, because you get help all along the way :) Thanks, Wanderlust, I'll never forget my experience !

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
If you're gonna spend time in China with Wanderlust, be ready and open minded to experiencing new things ! China is really different, but it's so worth it. You'll make friends, you'll go places you didn't think existed and you'll eat things you've never heard of ! And that's the fun of it, be ready and you'll be fine and have fun :)
47 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Austin
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

great experience

I definitely suggest this trip to anybody with an interest in foreign languages and foreign cultures, anybody who is looking for a change in scenery and of their daily life, and really just anybody who has the time. Through this experience I was able to greatly improve on my Chinese language abilities both in provided classes and at home with the families, I was able to see amazing sites like those on the top of the Huangshan Mountain, I was able to eat some really tasty and some really weird food (not mutually exclusive), and I got to meet some amazing people that I’ll be proud to call my friends in the future. I do think knowing a bit of Chinese before you come here is definitely a foot in the door for more fun experiences, conversations, and meaningful connections, lots of people do come here without much familiarity with it, so that’s fine too. This has been a crazy, amazing experience and I’m so glad I did it. I’m sure I’ll be telling people about it for the rest of my life.

What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?
One of the greatest things I did during this trip was go to Huangshan with my second family for Guoqingjie. Not only did I get to see some of the most beautiful views of my life while climbing around on Huangshan, I was also able to spend the large majority of the week with the mom’s friends and family who are from there. We had lots of good times together and I really felt like part of the family.
57 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Ximena
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Amazing 3 months abroad

Not only you get to experience a new culture through staying with a true chinese family, but you get to make new friends and explore the city. I stayed for 3 months in Beijing and it was truly a life changing experience. Wanderlust was really helpful at all times, since i applied to this program until the moment i left China. I got to live with the sweetest family that was always trying to do their best to make me feel at home. I tried chinese food, i got to go to a lot of cool places, hang out with my friends from all over the world, and i expanded my horizons. I got to learn mandarin since you also get to go to school !! Overall, the greatest experience of my life until now, thank you Wanderlust Exchange, for allowing me to do this after i finished high school.

If you did this all over again, what's one thing you would change?
Staying in another city, not because Beijing wasn’t great, but to explore more of China
51 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Austin
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

great experience

I’m really glad that I decided to take this semester off from college and come to live in China for 6 months. The company does a great job at making sure you get a family that you can be happy and comfortable with, both of my families turning out great. Didn’t experience any real difficulties while here. I’m happy that I was able to improve my Chinese ability both in the classes provided, and at home with the families. I ate tons of great food and tried some stuff I never thought I would. I’ll definitely miss some of the everyday meals I had here. The connections that I made with people on this trip really is the best part; the experience wouldn’t be the same without the company of all the family and friends. I think that knowing a good amount of Chinese definitely can make the experience a lot more interesting and fruitful, but many people come without knowing Chinese so it’s no problem. Truly a great experience, one I’m sure I’ll be sharing with people for the rest of my life. I’m very sad that I’ll be leaving soon, and I hope that I’m able to come back to China in the future and meet up with old friends.

What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?
One of the greatest things that I was able to experience while on this trip was a week-long vacation with my second family to Huangshan Mountain for China’s National Day. Not only did we climb the beautiful mountain and take some amazing photos, I got to meet many of the mother’s friends and family members, as well as celebrate some birthdays, and stay in the mom’s old home. One of the great things about China is that it’s so vast and that you’ll never get to explore all the different customs and foods and beautiful sights. The culture is everywhere!
56 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Luisa
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Very good

At first I was worried about how serious this organization is because instead of charging me fees like other aupair agencies around the world they would even give me money for the visa fees. But now I can assure you that this organization and program is not shady at all instead I recieved good support and got placed in a very lovely host family.
Even though they live in a rather small city. I got to see Beijing and Shanghai as well. I also got to attend online classes with a one on one teacher which I thought was very effective.
Whenever I had questions about anything the agents from wanderlust aupair would reply to me very fast (never longer than one day).
Overall I can say that I had a great experience while living 3 months in a chinese family. I made many unforgettable experiences and it was definitely worth it.

What was the most unfamiliar thing you ate?
I got to try an enormous amount of fruits I haven't had before and vegetables too but besides that I tried some nice snacks with seaweed or food and other than that I tried wierd (well at least I think its wierd) things like ducks tounge chicken legs or cows stomach.
55 people found this review helpful.
Response from Wanderlust Exchange

Hi Luisa,

Thanks very much for sharing your aupairing experience in China with us and it’s very nice to hear from you here as well.

We are glad that you found our team supportive and enjoyed your stay in China. And it’s also good to know that you found online Chinese classes helpful.

It’s such a pleasure to meet you and have you with us for three months.

We wish you all the best to your future adventure.

Wanderlust Exchange

Read my full story

Questions & Answers

Hello Joanna, Thank you for your question and interest in Wanderlust Au Pair China Program. I would like to answer your questions in three aspects: how au pairs can get ready for their trip to China; what support they will have from Wanderlust; what's to be expected of your daily life with the host family. In regards to how au pairs can get themselves prepared for the trip to China, here are some...