Planning Packages & Pricing:
One-Time Fees, Zero Hidden Markups
We believe in total financial transparency. We charge simple, one-time fees per traveling party for bespoke route engineering and hotel compliance verification. We take zero hotel or car rental commissions, ensuring 100% fiduciary advice.
Direct Answer: How Does Our Pricing Work?
Our custom itineraries range from $79 USD for an expert route audit to $399 USD for a complete ground-up 7-day custom dossier, and $649 USD for extended multi-week expeditions. Fees cover your entire group sharing one vehicle. Third-party expenses (car hire, fuel, tolls, hotels) are paid directly by you without commercial markups.
Proposed Beta Rates & Formal Quote Locking Policy
The rates shown are proposed beta rates for custom planning research. Payment is only initiated after our route specialists complete Step 2 triage and issue a binding 7-day quote confirmation. We never charge without prior mutual scope agreement.
Compare Planning Packages Side-by-Side
Select the level of planning precision matching your travel duration, regional complexity, and preparation status.
Road Trip Review
Travelers who have already drafted a detailed daily itinerary and need an expert reality check on pass bottlenecks, hotel licensing, and permit timelines.
- Day-by-day driving hour realism check
- Altitude pass bottleneck & acclimatization analysis
- Hotel foreign-guest licensing audit along your route
- Provisional permit airport counter timing audit
- Full ground-up itinerary redesign
- Bilingual GPS navigation waypoint cards
- Alternative Plan B weather detour road book
Custom Self-Drive Plan
The benchmark package for couples, families, or small groups tackling iconic regional loops like Western Sichuan, Yunnan, or Hainan from scratch.
- Day-by-day driving hour realism check
- Altitude pass bottleneck & acclimatization analysis
- Hotel foreign-guest licensing audit along your route
- Provisional permit airport counter timing audit
- Full ground-up itinerary redesign
- Bilingual GPS navigation waypoint cards
- Alternative Plan B weather detour road book
Extended Road Trip Plan
Cross-provincial expeditions such as the Qinghai-Gansu Silk Loop, Chengdu to Kunming, or Northern Xinjiang Altai loop with rest-day sequencing.
- Day-by-day driving hour realism check
- Altitude pass bottleneck & acclimatization analysis
- Hotel foreign-guest licensing audit along your route
- Provisional permit airport counter timing audit
- Full ground-up itinerary redesign
- Bilingual GPS navigation waypoint cards
- Alternative Plan B weather detour road book
Special Corridor Plan
Demanding alpine corridors (G318, G219, Duku Highway, border frontiers) requiring segment-by-segment regulatory clearance and liaison consultation.
- Day-by-day driving hour realism check
- Altitude pass bottleneck & acclimatization analysis
- Hotel foreign-guest licensing audit along your route
- Provisional permit airport counter timing audit
- Full ground-up itinerary redesign
- Bilingual GPS navigation waypoint cards
- Alternative Plan B weather detour road book
What Is Included vs. What Is Excluded
We believe in zero financial ambiguity. Review the exact boundary between our research service and direct third-party on-the-road travel expenses.
What Is Included in Our Service Fee
- 100% bespoke route research tailored specifically to your dates, driver comfort, and vehicle category.
- Pre-verified hotel recommendations with confirmed public security foreign-guest registration capability (外宾资质).
- Vetted rental car branch recommendations with proven foreign passport processing capabilities.
- Bilingual driver cards with Chinese characters, Pinyin, and phone numbers for every hotel and checkpoint.
- Realistic daily driving timetables reflecting mountain switchbacks, scenic photo pullouts, and meal stops.
- Pre-designed alternative detour routes (Plan B) in the event of sudden mountain blizzards or road maintenance.
- Direct email access to your dedicated China route specialist during the revision window.
What Is Strictly Excluded (Third-Party Costs)
- Rental car fees, insurance premiums, and vehicle damage security deposits (paid directly to rental company).
- Hotel room charges and lodging security deposits (booked directly by you with zero markups from us).
- Expressway tolls (paid dynamically via in-car ETC transponder or at manual toll booths).
- Vehicle fuel (gasoline or EV charging fees paid at highway service stations).
- National park and scenic area entrance tickets (purchased at gate counters or official mini-programs).
- Government administrative fees for driver licence processing (typically 10 RMB at police counters).
- Emergency commercial vehicle towing or 24-hour live road dispatch services.
Staged Cancellation & Refund Policy
Fair, transparent milestones protecting your budget while compensating our research specialists for proprietary intellectual work.
Feasibility Triage Phase (Pre-Acceptance)
When It Applies: Before you accept the formal quote or if we deem your route unfeasible during initial review.
Post-Payment Prior to Research Initiation
When It Applies: Payment confirmed, but research workflow has not yet commenced (within 24 hours of payment).
After First Draft Delivery
When It Applies: Initial custom itinerary dossier delivered to your private dashboard.
Material Error in Legal Routing
When It Applies: Demonstrated factual error by our team routing your vehicle into a legally prohibited military frontier.
Frequently Asked Pricing & Billing Questions
Answers addressing travel agency commission contrasts, multi-vehicle groups, invoice generation, and turnaround timelines.
Why do you charge for trip planning when some travel agencies offer free itineraries?+
Traditional travel agencies offer 'free' itineraries because they earn high commercial commissions (often 15%–30%) on hotels, private drivers, and tourist gift shops. In contrast, Drive China Now is a 100% fiduciary, independent research platform. We accept zero kickbacks from hotels or rental agencies. We work strictly for you, recommending the best roads, accommodations, and vehicles without commercial bias.
Does one planning fee cover our entire traveling party?+
Yes. Our package fees are priced per itinerary (covering one vehicle and up to four traveling companions sharing the same vehicle and schedule). If your group requires multiple rental vehicles traveling on different schedules, separate packages are required.
Are the prices listed on this page final or subject to change?+
The prices listed ($79, $399, $649, $899) are our current Proposed Beta Rates. Once we issue you a formal written quote following Step 2 of our intake process, that price is locked and binding for 7 days. There are no surprise fees or add-ons.
Can I add extra travel days to the 7-day custom plan?+
Yes. Additional travel days beyond the 7-day package can be added at a standardized rate of $45 USD per additional travel day, which covers extended driving hour calculations, hotel audits, and navigation waypoints.
What payment methods do you accept?+
We accept all major international credit and debit cards (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, JCB) processed securely in USD via Stripe. We do not store your credit card information on our servers.
Can you provide a corporate tax invoice (fapiao) for business travel expenses?+
We provide standardized English commercial invoices and payment receipts with itemized tax details suitable for international corporate expense reimbursement. Official PRC domestic VAT tax invoices (增值税发票) require separate coordination based on billing entity.
What if I need my custom plan urgently within 48 hours?+
For departures within 10 days, we offer an Expedited Priority Queue service (subject to current team capacity) for a flat $120 USD surcharge, guaranteeing initial draft delivery within 48 hours.
Do you offer discounts for returning clients or multi-week road trips?+
Yes. Returning clients receive an automatic 15% loyalty discount on subsequent regional planning dossiers. Expeditions exceeding 14 days receive custom bundled quotes during Step 2 triage.
How does the revision process work after I receive my draft?+
Your package includes structured revision rounds. You submit consolidated feedback directly via your user dashboard within 7 days. Our team adjusts driving stages, replaces hotels, or shifts scenic priorities, delivering your finalized road book within 2 business days.
What currency will my credit card be billed in?+
All quotes and payments are denominated and charged in US Dollars (USD). Your home bank will convert the transaction according to their prevailing daily foreign exchange rates.
Ready for a Fully Verified Route Blueprint?
Submit your initial travel brief with zero payment obligation. Our team audits your dates and issues your formal quote within 24–48 hours.