China

Of all the countries in which we run tours, China surprises our guests the most. 
Although never far from the news, most people know little of the country beyond megacities, a rapidly growing economy and presence on the world stage, and an ever-expanding middle class.
However, much of this fascinating land could not be further from the image portrayed in Western media.  Exploring manageable-sized portions of the Middle Kingdom by bicycle will reveal the real China, a fascinating land of diversity with multiple ethnic groups, languages, cultures, cuisines, landscapes, nature, and even written scrips. 
Join us and discover the real China by bicycle. 

Yunnan

Our two-week ride through Yunnan Province is a personal favourite as, on beautiful roads often bereft of cars, we explore the nation's most diverse province. From the Tibetan town of Shangri-La, past giant snow-capped peaks and on through one of the worlds deepest gorges we experience many of the provinces 25 ethnic groups - oh, and the food - the world's finest? Probably.

Sichuan

Explore Tibet without the worries of altitude sickness. Western Sichuan is an adventure through small villages and towns on quiet rural roads, often perfectly surfaced, with regular climbs and descents of 40 kilometres duration on gentle gradients. With Himalayan passes as high as 4500 metres we experience all the exhilaration of high passes, and yet each night we sleep considerably lower, which as any mountaineer will tell you, is ideal. 

Tibetan Autonomous Region

Culturally and linguistically the Tibetan Autonomous Region is another land. Geographically it has few peers as we cycle through the highest mountains on earth with a backdrop of majestic snow-capped peaks. Camping out most nights on the high Tibetan Plateau this 4-week odyssey is for the hardy adventurer happy to forgo some luxuries in return for what will truly be the journey of a lifetime.

Why visit China with PaintedRoads?

David earned his adventure cycling spurs cycling through Yunnan, Sichuan, and on across the entire country to Beijing, and has led many tours both in Mainland China, Tibet, and Taiwan. David's wife Echo is Chinese, a keen cyclist, a translator (English-Chinese), and regularly accompanies our China tours.

Our in-country partners Cathy and Lee are a husband and wife team and are both passionate cyclists. Laidback Cathy is our certified Chinese tour agent and cycling guide, whilst ever relaxed Lee is an excellent support vehicle driver, a top-class bicycle mechanic, and a highly competent mountain biker.