A custom China itinerary, built around your dates.
Tell us the trip you can actually take. We turn it into a day-by-day route with realistic train times, hotel areas and the bookings that need to happen early.
$149 · flat planning fee · up to 14 days and 4 bases
- Reply within one business day
- Two revisions included
- No payment until scope is agreed
What you get.
A route you can book, not a list of highlights.
- A 30-minute briefing. A call or voice note to pin down pace, must-sees and the things you want to skip.
- A day-by-day route. Realistic train and transfer times, rest days and the order that avoids backtracking.
- Hotel areas for each base. Neighbourhoods that fit the route, with the trade-offs explained.
- Booking windows and links. Which trains, timed attractions and transfers to book first, and when.
- Two revisions and a pre-departure checklist. A final pass when the plan meets real dates.
How it works.
Three steps, one flat fee.
- 1
Send the brief.
Dates, travelers, cities and the rough idea. No payment yet.
- 2
Briefing and draft.
A short call or voice note, then a day-by-day route with realistic transit.
- 3
Revise and book.
Two revisions, a pre-departure checklist, and the booking order that saves the trip.
A sample shape.
The classic first route, paced so you are not changing hotels every night.
See the full 10-day routeBeijing → Xi'an → Chengdu → Shanghai
10 days · 3 bases · one long flight leg
- Beijing: palace, wall and hutong mornings.
- Xi'an: Terracotta Army and the city wall.
- Chengdu: pandas, teahouses and a slower afternoon.
- Shanghai: the Bund and the French Concession.
Who a custom China itinerary is for.
A custom China itinerary makes sense when the route is the decision, not the sightseeing list.
- First-time visitors. You want the big three without spending the trip in transit. A custom China itinerary sets the order, the nights and the train legs before you book.
- Travelers with fixed dates. School holidays, work calendars and a partner who cannot take another day off; the route has to fit the dates, not the other way around.
- Families and mixed-age groups. A custom China itinerary can trade a museum for a park, add a rest afternoon and keep the daily transfers short.
What a custom China itinerary does not cover.
The boundaries are part of the service.
- Flights, visa decisions, travel insurance and emergency medical cover are outside the fee.
- Hotels, trains, vehicles and guides are third-party services; their prices are quoted separately after availability is checked.
- A custom China itinerary is not a guided tour. You keep control of every reservation.
- If the route is already built and only needs a second pair of eyes, Route Check is the better fit.
What changes after the custom China itinerary draft.
The first draft is not the finish line.
- You react to a real route. A custom China itinerary gives you something concrete to edit: a day that is too long, a city you want to keep, a train you would rather take later.
- We adjust the shape. The second custom China itinerary draft is where the pace settles and the hotel areas line up with the days.
- You book in the right order. The final version tells you which trains, timed entries and transfers to secure first, and which can wait.
- Start with the dates. A custom China itinerary begins with the dates you can actually take, then builds the cities around them. Send the month, the travelers and the one thing you do not want to miss; the first draft can do the rest. The desk replies within one business day.
The fee, plainly.
One planning fee, agreed before work starts.
- The published fee is the planning fee. It is not a per-person tour price.
- No payment on this site. Scope first, then a secure payment link.
- Supplier services are separate. Trains, hotels, vehicles and guides are quoted after availability is checked.
- If the scope does not fit, we say so. Longer routes become a manual quote.
Before you send.
A useful brief is short.
- Dates, or the month you are aiming for.
- Travelers, ages and any mobility needs.
- Cities you are considering, and the ones you are unsure about.
- Budget per person, excluding flights.
- One thing you really care about: food, hiking, museums, photos or pace.
Questions before you send.
If the answer is not here, ask in the brief.
How long does a custom China itinerary take?
Five business days after the briefing. If you are traveling sooner, say so in the brief and we will tell you honestly whether we can fit it in.
What if I do not know which cities I want?
Start with the free city files and itineraries, then send the rough idea. If the route is still open, the desk can recommend a shape before you commit to the Custom Itinerary.
Do you book the trip for me?
We are an independent travel desk, not a tour operator. You get booking links and timing advice; optional third-party transport, hotels and guides can be coordinated and are quoted separately, with no booking markup.
Can I change the itinerary after the first draft?
Two revisions are included. Further changes are quoted separately. The goal is a route you can book, not endless iteration.
Is the $149 per person?
No. It is a flat planning fee per trip, covering up to 14 days and four city bases. Longer or more complex routes become a manual quote.
Does the fee include visa help?
No. We check your route against published entry rules and flag risks, but we are not a visa agency and cannot guarantee admission. Confirm your own case with the official source.
Can a custom China itinerary include children or older travelers?
Yes. A custom China itinerary can slow the pace, shorten transfers, add rest afternoons and choose hotel areas with easier access. Tell us the ages and mobility needs in the brief; the route changes around them.
Do I need a custom China itinerary if I already have a route?
Not necessarily. If you already have a draft, Route Check is the cheaper review. A custom China itinerary is for building the route from the dates, not only checking one that exists.
Still deciding?
Send the dates and the rough idea. We will tell you what fits and what to cut.