As the "super Golden Week" approaches, DiDi's data indicates that ride-hailing demand during the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holiday is expected to rise by 13% and 21% respectively compared to normal days. Demand for cross-city ride-hailing through the DiDi app is even stronger, with increases of 23% and 55% respectively.
The travel peak is anticipated to begin at 3 PM on September 30, reaching its zenith between 6 PM and 7 PM. Beyond leaf-peeping excursions, museum tours, county-level getaways, and slow-paced family travel are emerging as key growth drivers, all supported by flexible intercity and local transportation links along with convenient charging and refueling options.
During the holiday period, DiDi's station-based bus service plans to add approximately 14,400 additional trips. Reservations for DiDi's charter car service during the National Day holiday have surged 260% year-on-year. Charging orders through DiDi are expected to grow by over 40% year-on-year, while ride-hailing demand from mainland Chinese tourists heading to Hong Kong is projected to increase by more than 50%.
Autumn colors arrive early, but leaf-peeping still calls for a slower pace
This year's autumn foliage has arrived ahead of schedule, with the optimal viewing period starting a full week earlier in some regions. Over the past week, northern leaf-peeping destinations like Hulunbuir, Altay, Hinggan League, and Chifeng have seen the most significant increases in cross-city ride-hailing demand via DiDi.
During the National Day holiday, the leaf-peeping map expands broadly. Cross-city ride-hailing demand to destinations such as Hinggan League, Nanjing, Guangzhou, Changsha, Hulunbuir, and Bazhong is expected to more than triple compared to regular days. Similarly, cross-city ride-hailing growth in Benxi, Liaoning, and Bayingolin, Xinjiang, is projected to exceed 85%.
DiDi's car rental business is also booming in scenic areas. Pickup orders in Altay during the holiday period have climbed 268% year-on-year, while Yili saw a 100% increase. Thanks to the recent opening of the Wuyu Expressway and the Tianshan Shengli Tunnel, a combined tour of northern and southern Xinjiang has become a standout self-drive route.
The Qinghai-Gansu loop, featuring Gobi deserts, lakes, poplar forests, and Danxia landforms, is a prime choice for deep, slow travel, with rentals exceeding five days accounting for 42% of orders. Jiuquan, a key hub on the western Hexi Corridor, has seen pickup orders jump 97% year-on-year during the holiday. In eastern China, coastal self-drive loop orders have risen 35%, with Pingtan in Fuzhou reporting a over 95% year-on-year increase in rental car orders thanks to the coastal self-drive route through eastern Fujian.
DiDi's charter service is also a popular option for family-based slow travel. National Day charter bookings have jumped 260% year-on-year, with the best-selling package being an 8-hour, 100-kilometer plan. Top destinations include Beijing, Dali, Guangzhou, Chengdu, and Shangrao. Notably, 11% of users chose "itinerary packages" that include classic attractions, which are available at 15% off during the holiday (up to 1,000 yuan in savings), with bookings concentrated in Beijing, Datong, Dali, Lijiang, and Lishui, where peak demand is estimated to be 194% higher than usual.
This expansion of travel radius is channeling consumption and cultural exchange into lesser-known areas. From homestays in Altay to farm stays in Bazhong and seafood stalls in Pingtan, every taxi ride and car rental pickup connects to the vibrant pulse of local life.
Museum visits outpace 5A scenic spots; Chinese-language services accompany cross-border tourism
The revival of traditional culture has made museums a hotspot for holiday check-ins. DiDi data shows that ride-hailing to and from museums during the National Day holiday is expected to grow by 106% compared to regular days, outstripping the overall growth at 5A-rated scenic spots. During the Mid-Autumn Festival, demand for rides to attractions like the Jingdezhen China Ceramic Museum, Baoding Zhili Governor's Office, and Yangzhou Grand Canal Museum will double. For the National Day holiday, similar doubling is expected for destinations such as the Xiangyang Museum, Zunyi Conference Site, Tianjin National Maritime Museum, Shenyang China Industrial Museum, the 9.18 Historical Museum, Chongqing China Three Gorges Museum, and various provincial museums in Zhejiang, Shaanxi, Anhui, Liaoning, Hainan, Jiangxi, and Hubei.
Hebei is capitalizing on its "ancient city plus night market" appeal to draw short-distance travelers from Beijing and Tianjin. During the Mid-Autumn Festival, rides to spots like Baoding West Street, Zhengding Rongguo Mansion, Zhengding Ancient City, the Governor's Office Museum, and Zhengding Night Market are expected to rise by over 140% compared to usual levels. Meanwhile, Henan's "culture army" will be in full force during the holiday, with ride-hailing demand to attractions like "Only Henan", Laojunshan, Longmen Grottoes, and Qingming Riverside Landscape Garden all projected to surge by more than 260%.
Extended holidays boost Hong Kong and outbound travel; DiDi app supports cross-border rides
The extended holiday is fueling travel to Hong Kong and abroad. Tourists can simply switch their city in the DiDi app to their destination to easily book a ride. During the holiday, ride-hailing demand in Hong Kong is forecast to grow over 20% compared to normal days, with demand from mainland visitors up by more than 50%. Festive events like the Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance, Mid-Autumn Lantern Carnivals, and the Victoria Harbour fireworks display are expected to draw significant crowds.
Demand for DiDi's overseas ride-hailing services is expected to double compared to usual levels. Popular destinations include Seoul, Jeju, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Ho Chi Minh City, and Bangkok. Strong demand is also anticipated for rides to landmarks like Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul, Seogwipo Olle Market on Jeju, Singapore's Gardens by the Bay, the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, and the Grand Palace in Bangkok.
This National Day holiday is the first extended break following Brazil's visa-free policy for Chinese citizens, making Latin America a new hotspot for outbound travel. DiDi operates in Brazil under the 99 brand and provides services across Latin America, including Mexico. Since the start of the year, ride-hailing demand from Chinese users in Latin America via DiDi and 99 has grown by over 70% year-on-year, and this demand is expected to climb further during the holiday.
More flexible travel options, with transport and digital infrastructure working in tandem
A new travel rhythm is emerging: "Land in a city, then slowly explore the surroundings." The growing variety of travel modes—ride-hailing, charter cars, carpooling, intercity buses, and self-drive rentals—is making this slower pace more achievable. Thanks to China's well-developed transport and digital infrastructure, combined with the surge in county-level tourism, roads are becoming increasingly lively. DiDi data indicates that during the National Day holiday, ride-hailing demand to major transport hubs is expected to rise by 71%, with trips to bus stations seeing the sharpest increase at 175%, outpacing railway stations and airports.
While the bus station surge is partly holiday-driven, "customized passenger transport" is experiencing steady growth due to the complementary advantages of online and offline services. DiDi's station bus service, now available in 152 cities, plans to add about 14,400 trips during the holiday. Popular routes include Shangrao Huangling to Wunvzhou/Wuyuan Station, Shangrao East Bus Station (Shangrao High-Speed Rail Station) to Gexian Mountain, Fuzhou Luoyuan to Fuzhou North Bus Station, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (Menglun) to Jinghong, and Kunming (New Luosiwan) to Wenshan.
DiDi is also partnering with public transport companies in several cities to launch its online ride-hailing bus service. During the holidays, dedicated university-to-high-speed-rail-station express lines have been introduced in Ganzhou, Jinhua, Quzhou, Jinan, Nanjing, and Yantai to serve student travel needs. In Quzhou, attendees can also use the on-demand bus service after concerts during the National Day holiday.
Carpooling demand remains strong in the Pearl River Delta, Yangtze River Delta, and Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei regions. DiDi's carpooling forecasts show several cross-regional routes will see significant activity: round trips between Shenzhen/Dongguan and Maoming are expected to grow to roughly six times normal levels, while routes like Qingdao-Tai'an, Chengdu-Guang'an/Luzhou, Changsha-Shaoyang, Tianjin-Shijiazhuang, and Nanjing-Xuzhou are projected to see demand over five times higher than usual.
DiDi's "Heart of the Rainforest" themed bus in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, continues to charm passengers with its immersive rainforest design.
Flight prices dip mid-holiday; one-stop business travel services streamline plans
Airfare this holiday period is expected to follow a W-shaped curve, with relatively cheaper prices on September 26-28 and October 3. Flights from Beijing to destinations like Wuhan, Hangzhou, Nanchang, and Xilinhot still offer deals under 500 yuan. Due to varied leave arrangements and dispersed travel peaks, advance domestic flight ticket prices have fallen nearly 10% year-on-year overall.
To simplify travel for professionals, DiDi's enterprise edition offers a one-stop service covering rides, flights, hotels, and train tickets. During the National Day holiday, personal consumption via this platform is expected to grow over 150% year-on-year, with flight segments up 164% and hotel room nights up 79%. Users can also redeem points accumulated from business travel for ride vouchers and airport lounge access.
Energy needs are also set to rise during the holiday. Charging orders are projected to grow over 40% year-on-year, with tourist destinations like Urumqi, Lijiang, Dali, and Xishuangbanna expected to see double-digit growth. Fuel orders are expected to increase more than 15% compared to normal days, with travel cities such as Qinhuangdao, Guilin, Datong, Chaozhou, and Zhanjiang leading the demand.
The crisp autumn weather also makes for ideal cycling conditions. During the holiday, DiDi's bike-sharing service is expected to see the most growth in Chengdu, Guangzhou, and Beijing, while e-bike usage will rise notably in Xuzhou, Shantou, and Guilin. DiDi will increase vehicle deployment and dispatch management in popular areas to ensure smooth holiday travel.
Familiar DiDi in unfamiliar cities: support services and driver incentives
To better support travelers, DiDi has established over 330 designated ride-hailing pickup zones at airports and railway stations across 171 cities, complete with signage, passenger waiting areas, and holding lots. Video and illustrated guidance for drivers and passengers now covers 556 transport hubs. During the holiday, more than a thousand guides will be stationed at over 160 locations to assist users.
The "Unlimited Travel Card" has been upgraded to an "Anytime, Anywhere" travel guarantee, including benefits like no-vehicle compensation, fast response, no-cancellation fees, and fare protection. The dedicated ride-hailing pickup area at Beijing Daxing Airport features comfortable waiting spaces and guides ready to help both domestic and international visitors.
The AI assistant, "Xiaodi", offers personalized ride-hailing, flight and train schedule lookups, smart departure time planning, and one-tap ride booking. Users can also select from over 90 service tags—such as "large trunk", "spacious interior", "6/7 seats", "local expert", "experienced night driver", or "long-distance regular"—to suit various travel scenarios.
Along with the movement of people, the secure delivery of goods is also a priority. DiDi's express delivery service predicts daily order volumes will rise about 59% year-on-year during the Mid-Autumn Festival (peaking on September 27) and approximately 86% during the National Day holiday, showing a dual-peak pattern tied to pre-holiday use and return-trip needs. In terms of demand structure, flower-gifting orders heat up before the festival and on Mid-Autumn Day itself, group dining and food delivery rise mid-holiday, celebration orders like cakes peak near the end, and emergency medicine purchases and luggage delivery surge with departure and return waves.
To show appreciation for drivers working through the holiday, from September 24 to October 7, DiDi will distribute nearly 600 million yuan in driver subsidies across more than 300 cities. This includes fee-reduction or fee-waiver cards, accelerated earnings cards, and completion bonuses for ride-hailing drivers. Taxi drivers will also have access to full service fee waivers, sign-in bonuses, and completion rewards. Additionally, during peak periods, DiDi will pilot a driver service fee for ride-hailing and a holiday service allowance for taxis in select areas, ensuring adequate supply to meet high demand and enabling drivers to earn more.
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