Pricing and what is included: how the all-inclusive price is built

Inside the per-person figure on every quote:

• Accommodation: every night, in the room category we have agreed
• All ground transport: airport transfers, intercity transport, daily vehicle with driver
• All guiding: bilingual guide (English & Chinese) for every full touring day
• All entrance fees: every museum, monument, and reserved-entry site on the itinerary
• All meals at restaurants where we have arranged the booking
• Bottled water in vehicles
• All taxes and service charges that apply at point of sale
• Our service fee for designing and managing the trip
• A 24/7 emergency contact for the duration of the trip

The list does not have asterisks. There is no "subject to availability" line, no "supplement may apply" footnote. If something on the itinerary turns out not to be available on the day, we substitute equivalently and absorb any cost difference.

To keep the all-in figure honest, four categories sit outside it:

• International flights. We are not licensed to ticket international air, and the prices fluctuate too sharply for a fixed quote to be useful. We recommend a specific Australian agent or you book direct; either is fine.
• Visas. Most Australian passport holders no longer need a visa for stays under 30 days, so this is usually a zero line. Where a visa is required, the application fee sits with the traveller.
• Personal spending. Discretionary souvenirs, drinks outside meals, room service, spa treatments, optional add-on experiences not on the agreed itinerary.
• Travel insurance. We do not bundle it. We require proof of cover before departure and recommend specific providers.

The cashflow we run on every trip:

1. After the second design conversation, we send a written confirmation with the full per-person AUD figure.
2. A 20% deposit confirms the booking. We hold all reservations against this.
3. The balance is due 8 weeks before departure. Earlier is fine; later is not.
4. Once paid in full, no further charges apply unless you ask us to add something to the trip.

The refund policy is tiered by days-to-departure: a 100% refund minus a small administration fee if you cancel more than 90 days out; partial refunds at 60, 30, and 14 days; no refund inside 14 days. The full tiered table is in the booking confirmation and worked through with you before you sign.

We do not invent change fees. If a third-party supplier penalises a change (an airline, a permit, a specific hotel night), we pass through the exact penalty with documentation. We do not mark it up.

The all-inclusive price is locked at the day of quote. We absorb currency movement between quote and departure on our side. You pay what we quoted.

Mechanically: we run our operating accounts in AUD and CNY in parallel and hedge the larger trips at confirmation. Smaller trips are absorbed against the float. Either way, the rate you see on the day of quote is the rate you pay on the day of balance.

This matters because Chinese inbound suppliers (hotels, vehicles, guides) typically quote in CNY and adjust with the market. Operators who do not absorb the currency risk pass on adjustments as surcharges, which is the most common source of "the price went up since we booked" complaints. We do not do this. Our number is your number.