Plan a Ride

Ride theroof of the world.

Guided motorcycle expeditions across Xizang (Tibet), western Sichuan, Yunnan, Xinjiang, the ancient Silk Road, and the Hainan Island - on your own bike, or one of ours.

Scroll
1994Riding China since
30+Years of expertise
30+Countries of our riders
5,130 mHighest pass of G318

A deep motorcycle experience in China

Our travel philosophy and decades of experience take us into the most spectacular, most moving regions of China. Come and ride with us - through legendary landscapes, to places most travelers never reach. Along the way, immerse yourself in China’s many-colored cultures and meet the different peoples who call these roads home.

Greatway 提供中国深入的摩托车骑行体验。欢迎来中国,一起骑遇美景,探索传奇之地,沉浸多彩多姿的文化,遇见不同民族的人们。

Bucket 01 · Rent here & ride

Rent motorbike for travel in China

Land, collect a bike with plates, insurance, and altitude tuning already sorted, and ride. Our main product - guided, on-road tours on the great paved roads, with a support vehicle the whole way. Of course, we are also good in guided off-road tours on unpaved roads. There might be the most beautiful unpaved roads in western Sichuan for motorcycle travel in China.

Bucket 02 · Bring your own

Ride your own bike across China

Ship your motorcycle in and cross China on your own wheels. We handle temporary import and export, Chinese plate, license conversion, permits, and customs - the paperwork that makes a foreign-plated bike legal on Chinese roads.

Before the scenery, the paperwork

Yes, you can ride here.

Every rider asks the same questions before they ask about the view. Here are the honest answers - and the work we do so you don't have to.

Ask us your question
Can foreigners legally ride a motorcycle in China?
Yes - but your home license and the International Driving Permit are not valid in China. You need a temporary Chinese motorcycle license. We prepare every document in advance - translation, medical, application - and you complete the short in-person visit with us. We've processed temporary licenses in Chengdu, Lhasa, Shigatse, Kunming, Kashgar and Urumqi, and at port cities including Khorgos, Mohan, Erenhot, and Tianjin.
What permits does Tibet need?
The Tibet Entry Permit is issued only through a licensed tour operator like us. The western routes to Kailash and Everest need Alien Travel Permits and military-area permits on top. We apply for all of them against your itinerary and passport.
Do I rent bike, or do I bring my own?
Both, it is totally up to you and your group. Rental bike come with Chinese plate, insurance and altitude tuning already done. If you ship your own motorcycle, temporary import, plating and customs take roughly six to eight weeks - we recommend to start that conversation early if you would like to ride your own bike to China.
How high, and how do you handle altitude?
Most routes spend days above 4,000 m; the highest pass on the G318 is 5,130 m. We pace the climb, our support vehicle carries oxygen, and our plateau hotels have oxygen and heating. Bikes are re-jetted for thin air before departure.
Can I pay online by credit card?
Yes. Once your ride is confirmed, you can pay the deposit and balance online by credit card through our secure payment link - bank transfer also ok.

Ride China · 骑遇中国

Signature routes

Each route below is private - your group, a local travel guide, a road captain, a mechanic, and a support vehicle carrying luggage, fuel, spares, and oxygen.

The High Plateau

Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR). Permit, altitude from day one, and a Tibetan tour guide along the whole way. Mount Qomolangma (Everest) and Kailash are the iconic destinations.

The Monastery Heartland

Tibetan cultural areas Kham and southern Amdo in western Sichuan. Five schools of Tibetan Buddhism and a Bön seat, the great sutra printing house at Dege, and twenty thousand nuns at Yarchen Gar. Tagong - "the Buddha's favorite place". Danba - the most beautiful village of China. Western Sichuan sits on the great step between the Tibetan Plateau and the Sichuan Basin - a land of plunging relief and a thousand landscapes, where the elevation swings by several thousand meters. The roads coil up the Hengduan Mountains through layer after layer of vegetation. And riders call it "the motorcycle paradise you must ride once in this life." No Tibet travel permit needed.

The Great Crossings

Ride on the long highways. One-way rides between Chengdu (Sichuan), Kunming (Yunnan), and Lhasa (Xizang, Tibet).

The Yunnan Rides

Yunnan - the land "south of the colorful clouds." Starting from Erhai Lake in Dali, ride through the mists of the Nujiang gorge, cross the snow passes of Shangri-La, follow the old Tea Horse Roads, and taste the essence of various cultures along the way.

Xinjiang & the Silk Road

Four seasons in a single day on the Duku highway, and the lone smoke rising over the Taklamakan. Chase the wind at the foot of the Tianshan, look up at the stars from the Pamir Plateau, and let the Karakoram Highway set your pulse going. From the north to the south, grassland, gobi, desert, and snow peak turn beneath your wheels - Xinjiang carves its vastness into every rider who comes. Routes in preparation from our Urumqi base - tell us your dates, and we will build the ride.

Not Just Riding

Come for the road.
Stay for the people.

We love riding - going far by motorcycle is the most exciting way to travel. But the point is always to explore. Our routes are designed to lead into real cultural encounters: not tourist set-pieces, but the living heritage of a five-thousand-year civilization.

From the Potala Palace, to the seven-generation lineage of Lima bronze casting at the remote Tibetan village of Maisu in western Sichuan, to the tie-dye of the Bai people in Yunnan, and to a traditional instrument workshop of the Uyghur people in Kashgar, southern Xinjiang - you ride in, and you meet it.

Passion & focus take us further

The people who ride with you

Your road captains set the pace, read the road and guide the group. Our senior captains have led motorcycle manufacturer events across China and completed long-distance journeys overseas. A mechanic and support vehicle travel with the group, bringing experience in high-altitude repairs and recovery.

Wang Xiaoming王晓明

Road Captain

300,000+km ridden
150,000+km as ride leader
  • Ride leader for BMW Motorrad Legendary Journey
  • Ride leader for Ducati China - Multistrada, Ride China
  • Ride leader for Honda China NX400 - Rock Road
  • Experienced in riding and leading groups in varied weather and road conditions
  • Experienced in high-altitude riding and group leadership

Xiu Linyi修琳奕

Road Captain

300,000+km ridden
100,000+km as ride leader

Rode through Southeast Asia, Russia, Europe and South Africa between 2018 and 2022. Completed a self-supported journey across Asia and Europe in 2023, covering 31 countries in five months. Returned in 2024 with both parents, traveling through 24 countries in 118 days.

  • Ride leader for BMW Motorrad Legendary Journey
  • Ride leader for Ducati China - Multistrada, Ride China
  • Ride leader for Honda China NX400 - Rock Road
  • Experienced in riding and leading groups in varied weather and road conditions
  • Experienced in high-altitude riding and group leadership

Nibi尼比

Road Captain

Originally from Shanghai, Nibi was a cellist before turning to motorcycling. A passion for riding took him onto the racetrack and later on long-distance journeys around the world.

  • Across the Silk Road
  • A Pan-American journey through the Americas
  • From China to South Africa

Zongyuan宗元

Road Captain · Riding Instructor

Leads group rides and provides coaching along the way, helping beginners build confidence and experienced riders develop their skills.

  • Safe riding for complete beginners
  • Advanced motorcycle control
  • Adventure motorcycle handling, from beginner to advanced
  • Track riding and knee-down technique
  • Motorcycle gymkhana skills

Chen Wu陈武

Road Captain · Mechanic

A motorcycle riding and safety instructor with a background in vehicle and motorcycle repair. Also a keen downhill and off-road cyclist.

Sui Yafei隋亚飞

Mechanic

Drives the support vehicle and looks after the motorcycles throughout the journey.


Language, culture, context

Your tour guides

Our local, licensed tour guides accompany your group from arrival to the end of your ride, helping with language and sharing the culture and stories of the places you visit.

Ben平措

Tour Guide

English

Lobsang洛桑群培

Tour Guide

English

Gongjue贡觉

Tour Guide

French

From the roof of the world, to the edge of the sea

Prefer sun to snow?

Our sister brand Nova Earth rides tropical Hainan - island roads, coastline and rainforest, warm all year round, seafood pulled from the water that morning, and the living traditions of the island’s ethnic communities. Same operator, same standards, the opposite climate. With us, you can connect anywhere to anywhere.

Enquire about Hainan →
THE GREATWAY GARAGE

Your journey.
Your motorcycle.

Explore our fleet, or let us help you choose a motorcycle for the journey you have in mind.

Explore the garage →
BMWCFMOTOKOVEHondaKTM

In their words

Riders’ impressions

Riders and passengers from 30+ countries · riding since 1994

Rider interview

A mixed group on the plateau, June 2026

All six clips →

"Top hotels, organizing a picnic was an excellent initiative. The journey was safe and professional, local guides are both experienced and professional. The overall organization was perfect. The trip exceeded everyone's expectations. The support provided by the entire team ensured our safe return."
Stephane · Belgium · Everest & Nam Tso, 11 riders · June 2026
"Notre voyage fut une expérience fantastique et la découverte d’une partie de la Chine qui nous a littéralement fasciné. Le choix des hôtels, des restaurants ont été parfaits. Merci à Mr Wang notre guide toujours aussi sympathique et Mrs Xing qui a donné toute son énergie pour satisfaire tout le groupe." Our trip was a fantastic experience, discovering a part of China that genuinely fascinated us. The choice of hotels and restaurants was perfect. Thank you to Mr Wang, our ever-friendly guide, and to Mrs Xing, who gave all her energy to look after the whole group.
Patrick · France · Yunnan tour, 12 riders · November 2025

One ride · friends for life

Ready to ride in China?

Tell us your plans, and our motorbike travel consultant will get back to you within 24 hours. Itinerary design is free, and every route on our website can be customized for you and your group.

or chat on WhatsApp · WeChat

Your email is ready.

We've opened your email app with everything filled in - press send there and it's on its way.
Our motorbike travel consultant will reply within 24 hours.

Nothing opened? Copy your enquiry below and send it to hello@chinamotorcycletravel.com.


      
Send on WhatsApp
Part of the same family - Nova Earth runs motorcycle travel in tropical Hainan: island, sea, rainforest. Enquire about Hainan →