Four steps, unlimited free revisions, and nothing to pay until you're genuinely happy with the plan.
Planning a trip to China is genuinely harder than planning a trip to Europe — the language, the rail system, the permits and the scale all work against a first-timer. Our whole process is built to take that off your desk and put it on ours.
You never fill in a long form, never sit through a sales call, and never pay a deposit to see a plan. The first itinerary is free and so are the revisions.
Two minutes, by email. Your dates or rough season, how many days you have, who's traveling, where you'd like to start, and three things you don't want to miss. Missing details are fine — we'll ask the right questions.
Within 24 hours a real trip designer in China sends a day-by-day plan: cities, hotels we'd recommend, travel times between them, and a clear itemized price. No cost, no obligation, no pressure.
Swap a city, add a day, upgrade the hotel, slow the pace. We redraft as many times as it takes and explain the trade-offs honestly — including when we think you're trying to fit in too much.
We book everything inside China and travel with you. Guides meet you at every airport and station; your designer is on WhatsApp 24/7; changes get re-booked the same day.
From your first email to the day you land, and every stage in between.
| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| Before you email | You collect what you know: rough dates, how long you have, who's coming, and the two or three things you don't want to miss. |
| Within 24 hours of your email | A named trip designer replies with a first-draft day-by-day itinerary, recommended hotels, travel times between cities and an itemized price. |
| The next few days | You mark what to change. We redraft. Unlimited rounds, no charge, no obligation — many clients go through four or five versions. |
| When you approve the plan | A 20% deposit confirms the trip. We then book hotels, rail, flights, guides, vehicles and restaurant reservations. |
| 30–14 days before travel | Balance due, depending on the season. We confirm visas or permits, issue invitation letters where required, and send your travel documents. |
| 7 days before travel | You receive final hotel confirmations, your guides' names and contact details, and a WhatsApp group with your designer. |
| On arrival | A guide or driver meets you in arrivals with your name on a sign, at every airport and station for the whole trip. |
| Every day of the trip | Your guide handles the day; your designer stays reachable on WhatsApp around the clock. Changes get re-booked the same day. |
| After you're home | A short follow-up, and a standing invitation to come back — returning travelers get the routes we recommend for second visits. |
We recommend starting the conversation eight to twelve weeks before travel for the classic routes, and longer for the Tibetan plateau, where permits take time. But we regularly put trips together in under a month.
| How it works | |
|---|---|
| Cost to get a plan | Nothing. The first itinerary and all revisions are free. |
| Deposit | 20% to confirm the booking, once you approve the itinerary. |
| Balance | Due 30 days before arrival (seasonal suppliers may require earlier). |
| Currencies | USD, EUR or BRL — quoted and charged in your currency. |
| Payment methods | Card, PayPal, bank transfer, WeChat Pay, Alipay. |
| Changing the itinerary | Free and unlimited before you book. After booking, small changes are usually free; big ones depend on what's already paid. |
| Cancellation | Terms are set out in writing with your quotation, and depend on how close to travel you cancel and which suppliers are involved. |
| Hidden costs | None. Everything on the itinerary is itemized before you pay; nothing is added on arrival. |
Email us and a real trip designer in China replies within 24 hours with a revised day-by-day itinerary and a clear price. No deposit, no obligation.
hello@joyotour.comCopy this into your message and fill in what you know. Missing pieces are fine — we'll ask the right questions.