Scenic cycling landscape across China's diverse regions

Where We Ride

Discover China's Most Spectacular Regions

From tropical island coastlines to high-altitude mountain passes — each destination offers a completely different China, best explored by bike.

Six Regions, Countless Adventures

China is vast, diverse and endlessly surprising. We've spent over a decade finding the routes that reveal the real China — the landscapes, the local life, the food and the culture that most visitors never see. Each region below has its own character, its own best season, and its own reasons to return.

Southwest China

Ancient Tea-Horse Roads & Minority Villages

Yunnan

Best Season: March–May, September–November

Easy–Moderate

Yunnan is China's most ethnically diverse province and one of its most beautiful. Cycling here means winding through rice paddies, passing ancient caravanserai towns on the old Tea-Horse Road, and staying in boutique guesthouses run by local families. The scenery shifts from subtropical valleys to alpine meadows within a single day's ride.

Highlights

Dali Old Town · Shaxi Friday Market · Lijiang UNESCO Old Town · Erhai Lake · Bai & Naxi minority culture · Tiger Leaping Gorge

Why we love it

The combination of dramatic scenery, rich minority culture and excellent food makes Yunnan our most popular destination — and the one that keeps riders coming back.

View Yunnan: Dali, Shaxi & Lijiang Tour Plan a Custom Trip

Northwest China

Epic Mountain Passes & Kazakh Nomad Country

Xinjiang

Best Season: June–September

Challenging

Xinjiang is China's wild west — a vast, sparsely populated region of dramatic contrasts. The legendary Duku Highway, one of the world's most scenic mountain roads, crosses the Tianshan range at over 3,000 metres. Below, the Ili Valley opens into sweeping grasslands where Kazakh families still live in traditional yurts and herd horses across open steppe.

Highlights

Duku Highway · Ili Valley grasslands · Nalati Scenic Area · Kazakh nomad camps · Tianshan mountain range · Sayram Lake

Why we love it

Nowhere else in China offers this combination of raw mountain grandeur and nomadic culture. Riding the Duku Highway is a bucket-list experience for any serious cyclist.

View Xinjiang: Duku Highway & Ili Valley Tour Plan a Custom Trip

Southwest China

Tibetan Borderlands & Giant Pandas

Sichuan

Best Season: April–June, September–October

Challenging

Sichuan sits at the crossroads of Han China and the Tibetan plateau. Our cycling route follows the ancient Sichuan-Tibet Highway from the panda capital of Chengdu into the high-altitude borderlands, climbing through bamboo forests, crossing the famous Luding Bridge and arriving in the Tibetan market town of Kangding. The food alone is worth the trip.

Highlights

Chengdu city · Giant Panda Research Base · Erlang Mountain · Luding Bridge · Kangding Tibetan town · Hailuogou Glacier

Why we love it

The dramatic elevation change — from Chengdu's flat basin to Tibetan plateau at 2,500m — means every day on the bike feels like a genuine achievement.

View Sichuan: Chengdu to Kangding Tour Plan a Custom Trip

Southwest China

Terraced Rice Fields & Living Minority Culture

Guizhou

Best Season: April–June, September–November

Moderate

Guizhou is China's best-kept secret. Less visited than Yunnan but equally rewarding, it's home to the country's most spectacular terraced rice fields and the highest concentration of ethnic minority groups. Cycling through Qiandongnan means crossing ornate wind-and-rain bridges, watching women in elaborate silver headdresses at village markets, and staying in guesthouses where the family cooks dinner over a wood fire.

Highlights

Longji rice terraces · Miao & Dong villages · Drum towers · Wind-and-rain bridges · Traditional festivals · Huangguoshu Waterfall

Why we love it

Guizhou feels genuinely off the beaten track. The cultural immersion here is unlike anywhere else in China — and the scenery is extraordinary.

View Guizhou: Terraces & Minority Villages Tour Plan a Custom Trip

East China

Tea Gardens, West Lake & Island Waterways

Hangzhou & Qiandao Lake

Best Season: March–May, September–November

Easy

Marco Polo called Hangzhou the most beautiful city in the world, and cycling around West Lake it's easy to see why. Beyond the city, the Longjing tea hills offer gentle riding through fragrant green rows, while the Thousand Island Lake — a vast reservoir dotted with 1,078 islands — provides a magical backdrop for the final days of the tour.

Highlights

West Lake UNESCO site · Longjing tea plantations · Qiandao Lake · Ancient village trails · Boat transfers between islands · Hangzhou cuisine

Why we love it

This is our most accessible tour — perfect for first-time visitors to China or those who want beautiful scenery without the physical challenge of our mountain routes.

View Hangzhou & Qiandao Lake Tour Plan a Custom Trip

South China Sea

Tropical Coastlines & Li Minority Villages

Hainan Island

Best Season: November–April

Easy–Moderate

China's only tropical island is a world away from the country's northern heartland. Hainan's coastal roads are flat, scenic and largely traffic-free — ideal for relaxed cycling past coconut palms, fishing villages and Li minority communities. The island's interior hides rubber plantations and betel nut valleys, while the southern tip offers white-sand beaches as a well-earned reward.

Highlights

Tropical coastal roads · Li minority villages · Wenchang coconut groves · Betel nut valleys · Sanya beaches · Nanshan Temple

Why we love it

Hainan is our winter escape — when the rest of China is cold, the island is warm, green and perfect for cycling. It's also a wonderful introduction to China's tropical south.

View Hainan Island Coastal Circuit Tour Plan a Custom Trip

Ready to Choose Your Destination?

Tell us which region excites you most — or let us recommend the perfect destination based on your fitness level, travel dates and interests.

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