Your interests, in depth
Food, tea, history, hiking or photography: more time where it matters to you, fewer box-ticking stops.
Private China Tours
China in depth, planned by locals.
Not a group tour that rushes past the sights. A private trip built around your interests, planned by specialists in China, on a budget you set.
Why travel with locals.
Sample routes
Starting points, rebuilt around you.
Your final price depends on hotels, car arrangements and what you ask for — usually a little above this, sometimes more.
View all samplesTwo ways to travel. Both private.
Private means only your party, not luxury: you set the hotel level and the budget. Choose one style or mix them day by day. Every trip is planned and quoted individually.
You travel on your own, with everything booked, the LocalKey app on your phone and our team on call 24/7. Add what you want on top: an airport pickup, a private car and driver when you need one, or a local guide for the days you choose.
5-day route from$1,400
Per person · 2026 reference price for 2 sharing · excl. international flights
Private guides, a driver and a car across the whole trip. Your guide leads each day on the ground, your driver handles every transfer, and our team stays on call 24/7 behind them.
5-day route from$2,200
Per person · 2026 reference price for 2 sharing · excl. international flights
What you get
One trip, handled end to end.
Inside the LocalKey app
Your roadbook, bookings and practical tools in one app, ready before you fly.
Not a group tour.
| Topic | Typical group tour | LocalKey private trip |
|---|---|---|
| Dates | Fixed departure dates | Your dates, from the day you land to the day you fly home |
| What you do | The standard stops, at the group's speed | Your interests, with time to go deeper |
| Shopping | Shopping stops and commission-based visits are common on many itineraries | No shopping stops and no forced spending. We only recommend shops if you ask |
| Who you travel with | Other travelers who booked the same departure | Only the people you choose to travel with |
| Pace | A shared schedule set around the coach and the group | Your pace, with each day designed around you |
| Help on the road | A tour leader shared by the whole group | Your own 24/7 trip group chat with your specialist and the on-trip team, plus your guide and driver when you have them |
How it works.
Tell us the basics
Dates, who is travelling, a rough budget and what you want from China. A specialist replies within 24 hours.
We plan your route
Your specialist designs the route, pace and hotels, and how you travel: Independent, Private Guided or a mix.
Approve, and we book
You get a written proposal and a quote for your trip. Once you approve it, we book everything and confirm it in writing.
Travel with backup
Your whole trip is in the LocalKey app, and our team is on WeChat or WhatsApp 24/7 until you are home.
Who stands behind your trip.
LocalKey Travel is operated by Guangdong Xingcheng International Travel Agency Co., Ltd., licensed for inbound and outbound travel since 2009.
One specialist from brief to return. Meet the team
- No shopping stops
- In writing before you pay
Frequently asked before booking.
There is no fixed price: every trip is quoted individually, from your route, hotel level, season, party size and how much guiding you want. Private means only your party, not luxury. You set the hotel level and the budget, and we plan to it. Your specialist sends a written quote before anything is booked. See what sets the quote.
After you approve the written proposal, a 25% deposit is due within 7 days and starts confirmation work; the deposit is non-refundable. The balance is due 60 days before departure unless your proposal says otherwise. Both are paid by card through a secure payment link, or by bank transfer. Final documents and support contacts follow before travel. See how payment works.
A specialist replies by email within 24 hours. The first reply comes from a person and covers the questions we need answered before we design a route. See how planning works.
Independent: you travel on your own, with everything booked, the LocalKey app and 24/7 backup, and you can add an airport pickup, a private car and driver, or a local guide for the days you choose. Private Guided: private guides, a driver and a car across the whole trip. Both are planned 1:1 by the same specialist, and many trips mix the two. Compare the two styles in full.
No. A LocalKey trip has no shopping stops and no forced spending. We only recommend shops if you ask. About LocalKey.
Private route design around your dates, interests, and comfort level. Hotel shortlist and booking coordination. Private guides and drivers where you want them, rail, domestic flights, transfers, and major entrance tickets, plus international flights on request (quoted separately). Restaurant planning and key meal bookings. Daily travel documents, payment and app setup notes, and live support on WeChat or WhatsApp. Your proposal lists exactly what is confirmed. See what is included at each level.
Travel insurance and personal documents, personal spending, shopping, optional upgrades, and meals outside the confirmed plan. Supplier-only access and special permits are treated as requests until confirmed in writing. See what is included at each level.
Many nationalities can enter China visa-free for up to 240 hours on a qualifying transit itinerary; outside that window, a visa applies. Confirm your specific eligibility before booking. Check 240-hour visa-free eligibility.
Most visitors find China's cities safe, orderly and easy to get around. Most places take Alipay or WeChat Pay, and both accept international cards. Tencent's TenPayGo app lets visitors pay at Weixin Pay merchants with an international bank card, Apple Pay or an overseas e-wallet, with no Chinese phone number or Weixin account required. We send setup notes before you fly. See how TenPayGo works.
Until you approve the written proposal and pay the deposit, nothing is booked. After booking, date, hotel and route changes depend on supplier rules and availability, and price differences or supplier fees may apply. The deposit is non-refundable, and cancellation charges follow the dates in our booking conditions. Read the booking conditions.
It is a trip for your party only, designed around your dates, not a fixed group departure with strangers on a shared schedule. We plan the route, book the hotels, trains, transfers and tickets, give you the LocalKey app, and stay on call 24/7 while you travel. You choose to travel Independent, Private Guided, or a mix of both. Read the Private China Tours guide.
Your trip gets its own group chat, mainly on WeChat, or WhatsApp if you prefer, open 24/7 for the whole trip. Your specialist and our on-trip service team are in it, plus your guide, driver and any local service staff on the days you have them, alongside the day-by-day roadbook in the LocalKey app. Contact LocalKey directly.
Trip brief
Tell us about your trip.
Dates, budget, travelers, cities, and the parts you do not want to solve alone. A specialist replies within 24 hours, and the first reply comes from a person. Every trip is quoted individually.