About Us
We are a multi-cultural team of travelers, designers, techies and certified travel agents based in Montreal, Canada and Shanghai, China. We specialize in making self-drive travel in China seamless for international visitors who want to discover China beyond the big cities.
We believe it's never been a better time to explore China, its culture, people and amazing landscapes. Our mission is to help travelers worldwide to explore China independently and gain a deeper first-hand understanding of one of the world's most influential countries.
The intersection of the Tian Shan and Kunlun Mountains in Wuqia County, the westernmost point of China's road network.
Dragon Roads is a Licensed Travel Agency
You are protected. Dragon Roads is a travel agency licensed in Canada (license 703759). Every booking you make with us — regardless of where you live — is backed by a government-run consumer protection fund (FICAV). We are bound by Canadian consumer protection law, audited annually, and all client funds are held in a dedicated trust account.
We serve clients worldwide. Whether you're joining us from North America, Europe, Asia, or anywhere else, you benefit from the same consumer protections and quality of service.
Dragon Roads operates in both Canada and China. We take care of your planning and payments from our Canadian office, and our China team provide local support from the moment you arrive.
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Why Choose Dragon Roads?
Trusted Worldwide
Every booking is held in a regulated trust account and covered by FICAV — a government-administered consumer protection fund that reimburses travelers in full if any booked service isn't delivered as promised. We serve travelers worldwide as a fully licensed Canadian travel agency (#703759).
Drivers, Not Desk Planners
We've personally driven every route we offer. That means we plan around the things maps don't show: which passes close in winter, where to fuel up in remote areas, which viewpoint is worth the climb, and which lunch stop is worth a 30-minute detour.
A Team on the Ground in China
During your trip we're one call or message away 24/7 for translation, rerouting, breakdowns, or last-minute changes. Before you go, we walk through every document, app, and detail so you're fully prepared.
Cancellation Protection
Plans can change. Rebook once with no change fees when requested 45+ days before departure, or cancel and receive a partial refund plus travel credit under our Cancellation Protection terms.
Flexible Itineraries
Make the trip yours before booking. Add nights, change the pace, choose hotels from our catalog, or ask us to build a custom route for you.
Wonderful Hotels
We handpick hotels that surprise you with quality, character, and warm welcomes from their owners. From regional cuisine to memorable settings, each stay brings genuine local charm.
Why Self-drive Trip in China
Discover the magic of China—its ancient past, modern wonders, diverse cultures, and breathtaking landscapes—through a journey shaped by your own perspective.
Our Company Values
Expertise
Every member of our team has lived in and explored China extensively. This isn't just a job for us — it's a passion. Our advisors are not only deeply familiar with the roads less traveled but are also eager and equipped to bring your unique road trip vision to life, no matter how ambitious.
Fair Pricing
We believe in complete pricing transparency — no hidden fees, ever. From car rentals and accommodations to attractions and scenic trails, we connect you directly with high-quality, locally priced options. You'll experience the real China without paying a "foreigner premium."
Reliability
From the moment you start planning your trip with us, to the day you return home, our team is available to assist you — whether it's helping with itinerary adjustments, addressing unexpected challenges on the road, or simply answering your questions. You can count on us!
Simplicity
We thrive to make your experience as simple and smooth as possible. We handle the complexities, so you can focus on the drive, explore, and enjoy. Our itineraries are thoughtfully crafted for international travelers, ensuring a smooth, stress-free adventure from day one to your final destination.
Discovery
You're free to plan and adjust your itinerary as you like. Explore lesser-known places and hiking trails we've selected ourselves, from hidden natural spots to landscapes that show China as it is today. Start planning your trip with our Trip Planner.
Immersiveness
Our trips bring travelers as close as possible to the everyday experiences of local people. You can stay in carefully selected boutique hotels and have opportunities to connect with China's artistic traditions and living culture—offering a genuine and immersive way to experience the country.
Responsible Travel
Sustainability is at the heart of what we do. We design authentic, low-impact journeys that benefit local communities, protect natural environments, and respect wildlife—ensuring your travels leave a positive footprint across the places you explore.
Meet the Founders of Dragon Roads
In 2023, a Swiss-Chinese couple packed up their two young children and set off on a year-long road trip across China. Florian, a tech entrepreneur, and Zhihui, a former BMW designer had lived in the country for over a decade, but this journey would take them far beyond the places they knew. Over tens of thousands of kilometers, they traveled through hundreds of towns and villages - many for the first time - discovering landscapes, cultures, and daily rhythms far beyond the places they once knew.
The trip deepened their appreciation for China's landscapes, rhythms, and people. Most of all, it reminded them how special it is to discover a country by car: at your own pace, off the usual path, with room for detours and real encounters.
Now, with Dragon Roads, they hope to make that kind of exploration possible for others. They aim to help international travelers go beyond the big cities and into the countryside, mountains, and communities that make up the living fabric of China.
Reindeer Tribe, Inner Mongolia, China
Discover What a Self-Drive Adventure in China Feels Like
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FAQs about self-drive trips in China
Dragon Roads is a licensed travel agency with offices in China and Canada, founded in 2026 by a Sino-Swiss team that knows the country inside and out. Every itinerary we offer has been driven, tested, and refined by us personally — not pulled from a brochure. Learn more on our Read more page.
You absolutely can — and some travelers love that challenge. But organizing a self-drive trip across China from outside the country involves more moving parts than most people expect: dealing with local services and information that only work in Chinese — stays, activities, route updates, and everything in between — keeping up with local rules that vary from region to region, and figuring out which detours are actually worth your time. We handle all of it. Every route is built around places that flow naturally together, every hotel is one we know personally, and we include the hidden corners that don't make the guidebooks. Once you're on the road, our China-based team is one message away, whenever you need us - for translations, route changes, recommendations, or anything unexpected. China is one of the most rewarding places in the world to road trip in, but it has its quirks. Having a local team in your corner makes that exploration far easier and far richer.
Citizens of 40+ countries can currently enter China visa-free for up to 30 days — you may not need a visa at all. Policies change, so check your eligibility before booking. If you do need a visa, the process is straightforward — we recommend applying about a month before your trip. As a general rule, your passport should have at least six months of validity remaining beyond your travel dates. Need help? Get in touch and we'll guide you through it.
China covers 9.6 million square kilometers of extraordinarily varied landscapes — mountains, plains, lakes, deserts — and self-driving is the best way to take it all in at your own pace. You stop where you want, stay as long as you like, and shape the trip around your budget and interests rather than a tour schedule. Self-drive travel is also the fastest-growing way young Chinese travelers explore their own country, which means you're joining a vibrant, modern road-trip culture.
Most of our travelers don’t speak a word of Chinese! We’ve designed this entire journey specifically for non-Chinese speakers. While the language barrier used to be a hurdle, China has made massive strides in welcoming international travelers, and today you’ll find that major infrastructure, road signs, and tourist hubs are clearly marked in both Chinese and English. We ensure you’re fully equipped before you even land with the right tools, including English-language navigation (Amap), WeChat for seamless payments, and translation apps. Once you’re on the road, you’ll have reliable online support from our team for any on-the-ground logistics or translation assistance whenever you need it.
No, not directly. China doesn't recognize foreign driver's licenses or International Driving Permits. Instead, visitors get a temporary local permit on arrival — and the process is much simpler than it sounds. There's no driving test, no medical exam, and no complicated paperwork. In Beijing or Shanghai, it takes as little as 30 minutes at the traffic office right next to the airport, as long as you bring the required documents. We make sure you arrive with everything ready.
Global brands like Avis and Hertz only cover a few major cities, and our routes are designed to take you well beyond those. To make sure you get a reliable car wherever your trip begins, we partner with eHi — the Chinese affiliate of Enterprise and the country's largest rental network. Because eHi requires the rental to be booked in the driver's own name, we can't make the reservation for you directly. Instead, we've made the process simple and we walk you through every step before your trip, so you arrive with the car ready and the paperwork sorted.
Renting a car in China is actually a lot simpler than you might think — the local car rental industry is large, mature, and well-organized. For international travelers planning a road trip in China, the top recommendation is eHi Car Services (Yi Hai), the Chinese partner of Enterprise — and the choice of most of our clients. eHi offers an English website, a full English app, and even an English-speaking hotline. If you speak Mandarin and have a Chinese phone number, CAR Inc. (Shenzhou Zuche) — the other top player by market share — is also a solid option. Both eHi and CAR Inc. accept passport registration and international credit cards, offer nationwide coverage, and maintain young fleets (typically 1–2 years old). If you book your road trip with Dragon Roads, we'll walk you through every step — from installing the app to handing back the keys.
Your main driving costs are car rental, insurance, highway tolls, and fuel. As a rough 2026 guide: a standard sedan runs USD 15–50/day, insurance adds USD 7–15/day, highway tolls are around USD 0.07/km, and gasoline costs about USD 1/liter. SUVs and peak season cost more; EVs cost less. Example — a 10-day, 1,000 km trip in a standard sedan outside of the main Chinese holidays: Rental: USD 200 Insurance: USD 100 Tolls: USD 70 Fuel: USD 70 → Total: around USD 440
By law, as a licensed Canadian travel agency (license 703759) operating under the Consumer Protection Office (OPC), all client funds are strictly held in a designated trust account. This ensures your money is always safe and available exclusively for your travel bookings. Furthermore, by working with Dragon Roads, you are also automatically protected by the Compensation Fund for Customers of Travel Agents (FICAV), which provides full reimbursement should you not receive the services you paid for due to the financial failure of a service provider.
