A supercar tour down the Italian Riviera is just one of the many luxury travel packages catering to China's expanding wealthy travelers. Alexis Hooi finds out how it's being done.

Last summer, tour specialist Zou Wenwen helped organize a driving trip for a group of 10 Chinese travelers in Italy. But it was no ordinary tour - her clients paid 200,000 yuan ($30,300) each for a weeklong luxury package that centered on driving Ferrari, Lamborghini and Maserati supercars along the Italian Riviera. "These were ultra high-end customers," Zou says. "They were mostly from the real estate and investment sectors. We also had people from the restaurant business as well as a sculptor."

The group was first flown by helicopter from Nice in France to Monte Carlo, the famous playground of the rich and famous, for an "orientation" on handling the supercars. They traveled in a convoy of five cars - a Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano and F430 Spider, Lamborghini Gallardo and Murciegalo, and a Maserati GranTurismo - headed by a local motoring expert. The Chinese drivers would take turns trying out the cars during the package.

Driving speeds were generally limited to below 120 km/h, but there were opportunities and stretches for the drivers to let the cars rip and flaunt the full capabilities of the vehicles.

"We already had agreements with the clients over driving speed and safety as well as compensation for any vehicles damages incurred," Zou says. "But of course, we had to remind them of such considerations very carefully these were rich people and we did not want to seem too nitpicky."

Over the five days of driving along a 500-kilometer route to Rome, the party stayed in luxury chateaus, dined in Michelin-starred restaurants and toured vineyards. Highlights also included medieval-themed performances and a hot-air balloon trip to catch the rising sun in Tuscany's countryside before breakfasting in a picnic in the hills.

The driving package, offered jointly by luxury tour operators Trip TM and Dream Italy, was so successful another one is being organized this year. But the group will be kept small to keep the trip exclusive, Zou says.

The package itself is part of new luxury travel options for Chinese tourists that include custom-made trips to exotic locations like Bhutan and the Arctic as well as more epicurean experiences in top-end European and Asian destinations.