Can foreigners ride or rent a motorcycle in China?

Yes, foreigners can ride and rent motorcycles in China, but not on a foreign licence or an international driving permit alone. You need a temporary Chinese driving permit, based on your home licence. We prepare it for you and rent motorcycles from CNY 88 to CNY 1,299 per day.

Get a temporary driving permit

1. Send us a photo of your home licence before you arrive. It needs to cover motorcycles.
2. We translate it and prepare the documents.
3. Come to the appointment with your passport and original licence. It usually takes about two hours, Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 17:00.

The permit is valid for up to three months on a short visit. The service is currently available in Kunming, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Urumqi and Kashgar. It is no longer available in Chengdu, so if you pick up there, get your permit in another city first.

Rent a motorcycle

Choose a model on our rentals page. Pick-up cities differ by model, and you can return in a different city between Kunming, Chengdu, Kashgar and Urumqi.

• Deposit: CNY 10,000 up to 800 cc (CNY 5,000 for the Honda CC110), CNY 20,000 over 800 cc, paid at pick-up.
• Refund: 50% when you return the motorcycle. The other 50% is checked against traffic violations and refunded, minus any fines, within 7 working days, sooner if there are none.
• Insurance: basic third-party vehicle insurance is included.
• Bring your own helmet and riding gear.

Where you can and cannot ride alone

Outside Tibet you can rent a motorcycle and ride on your own. Foreign travellers cannot go to Tibet independently: Lhasa and the rest of Tibet are only open to you on an organised trip with permits and a Tibetan guide. Motorcycles are not allowed on expressways in Tibet, so routes there use national, provincial and local roads.

Prefer a guided trip?

Our routes run from 8 to 26 days across Yunnan, Sichuan, Guizhou, Hunan and Tibet. See the departures calendar, or tell us your plan.