China itinerary review & route planning
Get the route right before you book the rest.
Already have a day-by-day plan? We can test where it becomes tight or fragile. Starting with dates, ideas and a wishlist? We can build the route structure first.
Both are fixed-scope written services. This page starts an enquiry; it does not take payment or accept file uploads. Bookings and support during the trip are quoted separately around the actual journey.
- Day 03Beijing → Xi’an
TightHotel check-out · rail transfer · fixed entry
- Day 04Xi’an
WorkableFull day protects the timed visit
- Day 05Xi’an → Chengdu
FragileLate arrival followed by an early start
Choose where you are starting
Have a route, or need one built?
The fixed price applies when your request fits the standard scope below. Longer or more complex trips are checked before any payment is requested.
I already have a usable day-by-day route
Review My Route
A practical second opinion before you book more of the route.
Up to 10 travel days · up to 4 overnight bases · one shared route for 1–4 travellers
What you receive
- A day-by-day workable / tight / fragile check
- City order, hotel-move and transfer-day review
- The assumptions making particular days vulnerable
- Concise Keep / Move / Remove recommendations
- A revised route skeleton and official recheck list
- A concise explanation of the decisions that matter most
This reviews an existing route. It does not build several new options, make reservations or provide ongoing chat support.
Request a route reviewComplete a short trip check first. Add an outline or shareable link if useful; we ask for the full route after confirming the request fits.I have dates and priorities, but no usable route
Build My Route
A workable route structure before detailed booking begins.
Up to 10 travel days · up to 4 overnight bases · one shared route for 1–4 travellers
What you receive
- A recommended city order and night allocation
- Arrival, departure and intercity transfer logic
- A practical route skeleton for each travel day
- Hotel-area logic and pace notes for your group
- A booking-priority and official recheck list
- The assumptions and open decisions behind the proposed structure
This builds the trip structure. It does not include an hour-by-hour schedule, live fare searches, reservations or support during travel.
Request a route buildComplete a short trip check first. Add an outline or shareable link if useful; complete working files are requested only after we confirm fit.Why routes need testing
A route can be possible and still be a poor fit.
Most rushed itineraries do not fail because one train or flight is impossible. They fail because several small demands land on the same day.
A transfer is more than a train or flight time
Hotel check-out, luggage, the departure side, arrival, check-in and the first real activity all belong to the same day.
A hotel move is not empty space
A second base can be useful, but it needs to buy back something meaningful: a protected morning, less walking or a calmer next day.
A timed visit changes the whole day
A fixed entry, performance, train or flight creates a hard edge. It should not quietly depend on a long move going perfectly.
Fatigue collects in chains
Late arrivals, early starts, stairs and long walking days are manageable alone. Together, they can make a route fragile.
A map cannot show the group’s pace
Parents, children, slower walkers and travellers who value a slower morning need their own definition of a comfortable day.
The Route Stress Test
A decision map, not a generic “best of China” list.
The point is not to make every route slower. It is to show the real cost of each choice, so you decide what deserves the limited time you have.
Day-by-day reality map
Workable, tight or fragile — with the reason beside each day.
Transfer-day check
Door-to-door pressure is flagged where a city-change day can alter the route.
Keep / Move / Remove
The first changes worth considering, and what time or energy each one returns.
Hotel-base check
Where a move earns its place, and where a single base may protect the trip.
Official recheck list
The operating details that deserve a fresh look before travel.
A route pack can flag information that needs an official recheck. It cannot guarantee transport, attraction access, weather or third-party bookings.
How it works
Start with a short trip check.
The selected service stays attached to the enquiry. This first step is not a booking, checkout or file-upload process.
- 01
Complete the short trip check
Share destinations, trip length, party and preferred pace in the existing Route Finder.
- 02
Add context if useful
Paste a concise route outline, important constraints or a shareable route link. Do not submit passport details, payment information, QR codes or unredacted booking references.
- 03
Send the scope enquiry
The Review, Build or Full Support choice is saved with the trip check. No online payment is taken.
- 04
Homeground checks the fit
If the request appears suitable, we follow up for essential missing information and can request the complete working itinerary through an appropriate channel.
- 05
Agree the next step directly
Any later working scope, commercial terms and delivery arrangements are confirmed outside this website enquiry flow.
Illustrative example — not a client trip
Removing a city is not the point. Knowing what it returns is.
Imagine ten nights, five hotel bases and four intercity moves. One transfer day includes a timed museum visit; the next morning has an early departure. Every item may be possible. Together, they leave almost no room for a slow check-in, a delayed transfer or a lower-energy day.
Before
10 nights · 5 bases · 4 city changes- Beijing
- Xi’an
- Chengdu
- Hangzhou
- Shanghai
After one deliberate choice
10 nights · 4 bases · fewer fragile links- Beijing
- Xi’an
- Chengdu
- Shanghai
Keep the city and move the fixed visit to a full day.
Keep the visit and remove a hotel move.
Keep the core priorities and return a complete day to the route.
Fixed-price boundaries
What US$69 and US$129 do not include.
Operational details can change. We use the information available when the route is prepared and identify what should be checked again closer to travel.
- Purchasing or holding trains, flights, hotels or attraction tickets
- Monitoring live availability, fares or price changes
- Contacting hotels, venues or transport operators
- Large hotel, restaurant, shopping or activity shortlists
- Unlimited route versions or ongoing messaging
- Emergency or in-trip support and third-party guarantees
Longer trips, more overnight bases, larger parties, multiple route alternatives or unusually complex fixed arrangements may need a separate quote. We tell you before asking for payment.
Full trip planning & ground support
Need more than a route document?
Depending on the trip, Homeground may help shape a more detailed plan and coordinate selected hotels, transport, tickets, guides, drivers or local handoffs. The useful scope depends on your dates, destinations, group, existing bookings and the support you want.
That is why full trip planning and ground support are quoted around the actual journey rather than sold at one fixed service fee.
- what Homeground will plan or coordinate;
- which costs come from hotels, transport or other third parties;
- who is responsible for delivering each service;
- what remains outside the arrangement.
Practical questions
Before you send the trip brief
What is the difference between Review My Route and Build My Route?
Review My Route starts with a usable day-by-day itinerary and tests what works, what is tight and what should change. Build My Route starts with dates, priorities and ideas, then creates the city order, night allocation and route structure.
Is the price per person?
No. The displayed price covers one shared route for 1–4 travellers within the standard scope.
What counts as an overnight base?
An overnight base is a place where you check into accommodation and sleep. Changing hotels within the same city can also add work, so include every planned hotel move in your brief.
What if my trip is longer than 10 days or includes more than four bases?
Send the brief first. We will either quote the additional scope, suggest a smaller decision to solve first or recommend full trip planning. You will not be charged automatically.
Do I need confirmed trains, flights or hotels?
No. Candidate times and hotel areas are useful, but they do not need to be booked. Open details are labelled as assumptions rather than presented as confirmed facts.
Can you work around bookings I have already made?
Yes. Tell us which dates, transport, hotels and timed visits are fixed or difficult to change. The route will be assessed around those real constraints.
Does Build My Route include a complete sightseeing itinerary?
It provides the route structure, day-level focus, transfer logic, hotel-area logic and booking priorities. It does not include a detailed hour-by-hour schedule or a large list of specific hotels, restaurants and activities.
Can you plan for children, parents or limited mobility?
Yes. Tell us about walking tolerance, stairs, early starts, room needs and what a comfortable day means for your group. These are route inputs, not notes added at the end.
When will I receive the route?
We confirm the delivery date after checking your brief and before asking you to pay. If you have a decision deadline, include it in the request.
Does this page take payment?
No. This page records a planning enquiry and the selected service. Any later working scope, commercial terms and delivery arrangements are confirmed directly after we check the request.
How do I send my itinerary for review?
Start with the short trip check and add a concise route outline or shareable link if useful. After confirming that the standard scope fits, we can request the full working itinerary by reply. Do not send passport or ID images, payment details, QR codes or unredacted booking references.
Can Homeground book and coordinate the trip afterwards?
Potentially, depending on the route, dates and services required. Full trip planning and ground support have a separate written scope and custom quote.
Start from where your trip is now
Have a route? Test it. Have a wishlist? Give it shape.
The fixed prices apply only to the standard scopes shown above. Sending a brief is an enquiry, not a booking. This page takes no online payment and accepts no file uploads.
Or ask about full trip support